Rotary Club of Albuquerque del Sol

06/14/2026

🍺 **A Trip Back in Time at Rotary Del Sol!** 🍺

This week our club was treated to a fascinating presentation by guest speaker **Walt Butler** on the *Historic Handcrafted Bars of the Southwest*. 🤠

Did you know that back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, these grand, ornate bars were built by manufacturers like **Brunswick** and **Sears Roebuck**, then shipped by train (or even around Cape Horn by ship!) before being hauled by wagon to booming mining towns?

Even cooler — the manufacturers actually *trained the bartenders* before sending them west, teaching them assembly, mixology, etiquette, piano, and billiards. These bartenders were often the most educated and well-traveled people in town!

A few local gems Walt shared:

🍻 The **Owl Bar** (San Antonio, NM) — its original Brunswick bar was purchased by Augustus Hilton, father of Conrad Hilton, and is still in use today (legs cut down so folks could sit!).

🍻 The **Double Eagle** (Albuquerque) — home to a European bar that traveled around Cape Horn, famous for turquoise margaritas served with a real piece of turquoise in the glass. 💎

🍻 The **Legal Tender** (Lamy), **St. James Hotel** (Cimarron), and more!

There were also several members who had been to the bars... I was super impressed with Jered immediately found the bar with the pennies that Shirley had been to as a child!

Want to learn more? Walt recommends the book *Hoist Me a Cold One* — available locally and on Amazon. 📖

Thank you, Walt, for such a rich and entertaining morning! 🙌

05/23/2026

Another great ramp build for

05/21/2026

Always a pleasure to hear what Liz Montoya is up to with Seeds of Hope… she’s making a big difference in the lives of homeless kids

05/17/2026

At our meeting on Thursday, we were honored to distribute $56,000 in grants to eight outstanding nonprofit organizations, each working to improve the lives and futures of New Mexico children and families.

Congratulations to this year’s grant recipients:

Abrazzo’s Family Support Services
Albuquerque Museum Foundation
Explora
New Mexico Friends of Foster Children
Global Give A Book
National Dance Institute New Mexico
New Mexico Kids Matter / CASA
R4 Creating

Their work spans family support, foster care advocacy, literacy, STEM education, the arts, science learning, and programs for underserved and at-risk youth.

This year also marks an incredible milestone: since 2022, our Rotary Del Sol Foundation has now given more than $302,000 to support children’s welfare in New Mexico. What began with the ambitious goal of building a $1 million corpus has become a lasting source of impact for our community.

To our donors, members, volunteers, and nonprofit partners: thank you for making this possible. Together, we are investing in brighter futures for New Mexico’s children.

05/08/2026

Look who came to visit today...

UNM Head Football Coach Jason Eck at Rotary del Sol, with Club President Dave Simon and Mitch Selking.

05/01/2026

04/30/2026

This week’s meeting was full of fellowship, fun, and service in action. We opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, an invocation focused on truth, and the Four-Way Test — reminding us why Rotary’s values matter in everything we think, say, and do.

We welcomed Aaron Newman from Boy Scout Troop 285 Albuquerque, who shared an exciting opportunity for our club to support a new Venturing Crew focused on leadership, community service, and high adventure for youth ages 14–21.

Our featured speaker was Louie Sanchez of Medtronic, who gave members a fascinating look at cardiac care technology, including pacemakers, defibrillators, and how far these life-saving devices have come over the years. Louie shared insights from his 25+ years with Medtronic serving New Mexico and surrounding areas, including the 24/7 urgency of supporting hospitals when patients need cardiac devices. He also discussed how modern devices have evolved, including advances in MRI-safe technology.

04/27/2026

This morning we gathered at Los Poblanos Fields open space to dedicate a bench in memory of John Heck. It was a gorgeous morning :)

John was president of our Rotary Club, an avid hiker, an Eagle Scout at heart who loved chopping wood and making fires. He passed away mid-term and left a hole in a lot of lives.

Dave Simon, who has stepped in to finish John's term put the ceremony together. The Rotary Club funded half the bench. It sits at a crossroads of paths in the open space, facing the Sandia Mountains John used to climb regularly. Kathy and Kendra chose a beautiful and fitting spot.

John's family came out — Kathy, Kendra, Veronica, Ralph, Kelly, and Isaac, who made the trip from California. The Tierra Viva neighborhood the tight-knit community of 36 homes bordering the fields showed up strong too. As one neighbor put it, "that's how we roll."

The bench is rustic, solid, and built by the open space department to fit right into the landscape. It's open to everyone. Kathy said it well: *"Here's a place you can stop and sit down and be lifted by the love that we all share."*

After the dedication, riders headed out for a memorial bike ride — because John would've expected nothing less.

Stop by if you're ever out at Los Poblanos. Take a seat. Enjoy the view and remember our friend John.

04/23/2026

We had the pleasure of hearing from Brian Connell partner at New Mexico Translating and he gave us a lot to think about!

Did you know that incorporating rail into shipping can save companies **40% on transportation costs** — and that rail is **4x cleaner** than trucking? One railcar carries the equivalent of **four truckloads** (100 tons vs. 26 tons max).

Brian's company operates right here in the South Valley, with 175 railcar spots and a second 27-acre facility in the works. They've also maintained a **3-year accident-free safety record** handling hazardous materials — hitting that milestone on May 24th! 🎉

It's always inspiring to learn about innovative local businesses doing big things in our community. Thanks, Brian, for sharing your story with us!

04/18/2026

It was another great meeting at Rotary del Sol.

We learned about the Wheels Museum and the early history of the steam engines in Albuquerque. Leba Freed has been a force of nature in making good use of that space.

We also officially put our plaque on the wall showing our support of the New Mexico Ramp Project We took possession of the Peace Pole, which we will be installing in Rotary Park sometime soon.

Another fun meeting with Rotary del Sol. Join us some Thursday morning at 7:00 am at Jimmy's Cafe. :)