Carol Babington, CRB, CRS, CIPS

Las Cruces, New Mexico is one of 151 cities in the US that has earned the title, "Playful City." What does that mean? It means Las Cruces has made play a priority by creating programs that encourage kids to get active.

It also means the city is eligible for $20,000 construction grants to use the community-build process. The community-build process relies on community volunteers in the building of playgrounds. The $20,000 grant money is used for the purchase of playground equipment. The labor to build the playground is donated.

In addition, there are $15,000 and $30,000 access grants for joint use agreements. These grants are partnerships with local school districts to open school recreation facilities to the public during non-school hours.

The $15,000 access grants are open to citiies of less than 100,000 population and require that at least four school playgrounds be made available to the public. The $30,000 access grant is for cities over 100,000 population that open at least 8 playgrounds to the public.

NASA Art, a travelling Smithsonian Exhibition, will come to Las Cruces, New Mexico, November 4, 2011. This exhibition was founded in 1958 in the belief that artists, like astronauts, probe the unknown and are therefore able to interpret space and its exploration.

The opening reception will be held Friday, November 4, 5:00- 7:00 PM in the Museum of Art. It is free and open to the public. The exhibition will be on display until January 21, 2012.

This is an old debate. It is a legal debate. It is an interesting debate. What is the Multiple Listing Service?

Is it copyrighted? For a discussion of the case law , you may read Peter G. Miller, "Who owns Broker Data?",

04/25/2000. *

So, what are the arguments for and against unlocking the data? For some, this is moot since some MLSs

are "open" now. The Multiple Listing Service is an agreement that when I show your listings and you show

mine, we both agree to compensate one another if all the terms are met. The arrangement we have is

designed to drive transactions thru the MLS where the the property is advertised. The accuracy of this

data is critical since it is in our best interest to be the most credible source of information for the

consumer. We also feel certain data fields are confidential and therefore, are not meant for public

consumption. To this end,we have established rules on the display of information.

One argument for distributing MLS information to free sources such as Zillow, Trulia, and Yahoo

is that the consumer is is searching these real estate websites now, and discovering some

inaccuracies. The old and inaccuracte information would be replaced with more accurate MLS data.

Both the agent and the consumer benefit since their information would match.

It is also important to note that some MLS systems are run by real estate companies, local realtor

associations, and some by the broker members. Many of these MLS are run as for-profit enterprises.

In the event, the information becomes free, a revenue source may be lost.

If the MLS were to go away, what would replace it? Some suggest regional MLSs as viable

alternatives that are big enough to attract large numbers of consumers. Data accuracy may

still be an issue,whether controlled by realtors or non-realtors.

The biggest argument for protecting the data is that realtors are in the best position to facilitate

the real estate transaction. Maintaining control over the data keeps the agent in the middle.

Where do you think we're headed? I realize there are other arguments...

*http://realtytimes.com/rtinteractive/20000425_brokerdata.htm

The Dia de los Muertos exhibit is open to the public free October 7-29, Tuesdays-Saturdays, 9-4:30 PM, at the City of Las Cruces, Branigan Cultural Center.

Dia de los Muertos is a holiday celebrated in Mexico and also celebrated in New Mexico. It is a time to remember friends and family members who have died. It is celebrated on November 1-2 . The Catholic holiday at the same time is known as All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.

This tradition includes altars honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, mairgolds, and toys for children who have died. The common symbol of the holiday is the skull.

Traditions vary from place to place, from country to country. What is important is that death is part of the cycle of life that is not to be feared . Sometimes, there is humor in these celebrations.

Th Branigan Cultural Center is located at 501 N Main, downtown next to the Museum of Art. You can also reach the Cultural Center at 575- 541-2154.

www.las-cruces.org/museums