The stage is set for the annual Enchanted Skies Star Party, October 14 through the 17th, 2009. An exciting and eclectic blend of events will be held at several locations in and around Socorro - not the least of which will be a first-hand account of the recent Hubble servicing spacewalk.

Showing this week at Socorro's cinema are Halloween II (a remake of the original Halloween II), and Julie and Julia. We review the latter.

Local residents recently delivered a petition with over seventy signatures to the Socorro school district, complaining that military recruiting in the schools is not balanced with alternate viewpoints, and that students' ability to opt-out from military "junk" mailing lists is not being managed properly.

The for-profit health care industry has been spending approximately 1.4 million dollars a day to defeat reform of the U.S. health care system. Their spending levels may be up, but the quality of their message is definitely down.

This week's Socorro Movie Review features Orphan, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and starring Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard.

After 29 years serving the Socorro, Magdalena, and surrounding communities, the Mountain Mail newspaper will shut down and cease operations.

The EPA's latest standard for arsenic dictates that the city must get the public water supply below 10 parts per billion. The city failed to meet the initial deadline; January 2009 was the date by which the city should have been in compliance with EPA's new rules. Although the deadline was missed, the city is at least in the process of evaluating solutions. Wednesday, August 19th, Robert Fowlie with Camp Dresser and McKee, Inc., held a meeting to discuss his recommendations for treating Socorro's water.

Just announced at Socorro's latest city council meeting: there will be a public hearing on Wednesday, August 19th, at 6 p.m. at city hall to discuss the environmental information document on the proposed treatment facility to remove arsenic from Socorro's water supply.

Socorro city councilwoman Mary Ann Chavez-Lopez announced at the most recent Socorro city council meeting that the city will hold public hearings to address the question of police oversight and discuss a proposed city ordinance to establish a police oversight commission in Socorro.

Socorro city council heard testimony from some concerned citizens hoping for a pet leash law. In other business, mixed martial arts promoter, Joel Partridge, once again pleaded with the council to authorize fights at Finley Gym. In other city news, the council announced that grants have been acquired to offset much of the cost of sewer connections for those not currently on city utilities.