Town of Taos News Brief #61, July 21, 2008
1) Town of Taos Council: Two special meetings this week for the Town Council. 7/23rd agenda went out Friday. This meeting starts at 12 noon and follows the 9 a.m. Town/County Joint meeting, agenda already sent out. Attached is the agenda for a second Town Council meeting this week, Thursday, July 24th at 9:30 a.m., Town of Taos Council Chambers, Civic Plaza Dr.
2) Taos Marketing Meeting with Griffin & Associates and the Town of Taos: Update on last several months of marketing results; overview of proposed 08-09 plan; you’re your ideas, input – everyone is welcome. Free. Town of Taos Council Chambers 6:30 p.m., Thursday, July 24th.
3) Taos Fiesta 2008 (Town of Taos Council/Mayor parade photos above) – As new Code Compliance Official for the Town of Taos, Rachel Romero was out all weekend, along with many other Town staff on other assignments, making sure that vendors complied with Taos codes. A major annual code concern for permanent Taos Plaza area merchants is the clean up of temporary food vendor areas (particularly with regard to grease). According to Romero, “…Everyone did their part to clean their areas, and those who did not, their neighbors took the lead and cleaned up for them. Just to mention a few were Fat Brothers Burgers who cleaned three other vendor spaces; Anna Maria Salas who not only cleaned another vendor’s spot but also cleaned the porch and area of the local business behind her…Town of Taos Parks Supervisor Dennis Martinez and Town of Taos Police Officer Phillip Holmes stayed by my side until the last vendor inspection was conducted which was about 11:00 p.m., Sunday night. Thank you Dennis and Officer Holmes!” A more complete report from the Town’s perspective concerning Taos Fiesta 2008 and improvements for next year will be completed by all staff involved in this annual Taos tradition.
3) Councilmember Darren Cordova reported out at the last Council meeting concerning the New Mexico Municipal League and their highlighted priority issues/resolutions for this legislative year. See the two attached “combined” documents for the summary of issues and prioritizations.
4) Taos construction/traffic update from NMDOT, 7/18/08 --
? US 64 El Prado area; traffic is anticipated to be moved to the temporary detour on July 22 or 23; access to businesses will be maintained at all times; electronic message boards and www.nmroads.com will display the most updated information.
? NM 585; Weimer Drive will be closed at night from 9 pm to 6 am on July 23 and 24; use Roy Rd. and Morgan Rd. as alternate routes; roadway paving continues; traffic will be switched to the east side of the project in approx. one month; access to businesses will be maintained at all times.
For more information, contact Karyn Lujan, PIO, District Five NMDOT, at 827-9567 or visit www.nmroads.com. You must click on the construction icon to see road work information.
5) Select news clips including Taos –
a) London coverage in The Independent – Hotel La Fonda -- http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/hotels/where-to-stay/five-literary-hotels-871282.html
|
b) AAA Travel Professionals Say Travelers Adjust Plans in Response to Rising Gas Prices |
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
FYI – The marketing plan for Taos is currently focused on this ‘stay closer to home’ market – with ground zero continuing to be an approximate 400-mile drive radius. |
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
Travelers will change plans, but won't shy away from travel overall
WASHINGTON, July 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Two new surveys of AAA
travel agency and auto travel managers reveal that rising fuel prices are
affecting Americans' travel plans this summer. From one-on-one interactions
with AAA members, 95 percent of AAA auto travel managers say that high gas
prices will cause travelers to alter their vacation plans this summer. AAA
auto travel managers cited travelers taking trips closer to home, taking
fewer trips, and reducing the number of vacation days traveled as the top
ways that Americans will adjust their travel plans this summer.
When asked about destinations that most frequently provide the most
attractive bargains or best values for summer travel, AAA travel agency
managers identified the following: Las Vegas; Orlando/Walt Disney World,
Fla.; Branson, Missouri; Anaheim/Disneyland; and San Francisco.
International destinations identified as best for bargains and value are:
the Caribbean; European Cruises; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; South
America; and Costa Rica.
When comparing AAA's 2007 and 2008 summer travel surveys, AAA travel
agency managers identified the following locations as this summer's top
five domestic and international vacation destinations:
Domestic by air:
(Excluding Canada & Mexico)
2008 2007
1. Orlando 1. Orlando
2. Las Vegas 2. Las Vegas
3. New York 3. Seattle
4. Los Angeles 4. New York
5. Washington, D.C. 5. Los Angeles/
Orange County
International by air:
2008 2007
1. Rome 1. Rome
2. London 2. London
3. Cancun 3. Vancouver
4. Dublin 4. Cancun
5. Vancouver 5. Paris
In addition, domestic "hot spots" for this summer include: New Mexico;
San Antonio, Texas; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Oregon; and Miami/South Beach.
International "hot spots" include: Croatia; Montenegro; Vietnam; Cinque
Terra, Italy; and Douro River, Portugal.
AAA is the largest full service, leisure travel agency in North
America, generating more than $4 billion in sales. Travelers can access
full-service travel planning at 1,100 AAA retail offices and on AAA.com. In
addition, AAA is the premier provider of travel information and trip
planning tools including print and online versions of maps, TourBook(R)
guides, TripTik(R) routings, and low member pricing on reservations at AAA
Diamond Rated hotels.
As North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization,
AAA provides more than 51 million members with travel, insurance,
financial, and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the
not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the
safety and security of all travelers. AAA clubs can be visited on the
Internet at http://www.AAA.com.
AAA news releases can be downloaded from http://www.AAA.com/news.
c) Sample of Batters Up (Taoseno Heald is Executive Director!) news coverage that ran on Associated Press wire and was picked up nationally/internationally: http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-deathofsandlot&prov=ap&type=lgns
Cathy Connelly, Public Relations Coordinator
Town of Taos
400 Camino de la Placita
Taos, NM 87571
505-751-2001 office
Fax 575-751-2026
505-779-1013 cell
My Google + Profile
Leave a Response
Entries(RSS)