The Christmas after I turned five, all I asked for was an American Girl Doll. No more, no less. My wish was granted that cold morning, and Samantha Parkington joined the family. Over the years, that doll was seriously loved. So much so that when my Mom took me on a trip to Chicago for my 10th birthday, Samantha had to stay behind at the American Girl Place Doll Hospital to get a head transplant (yes, that's a thing in the doll world). In 2001, American Girl began producing a "Girl of the Year" doll that could only be purchased that year. 2013's doll, Saige Copeland, is the second doll to hail from the Land of Enchantment (the first, Josefina, is described as living on a rancho near Santa Fe). Saige is described as "A spirited girl whose passions inspire action, who lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the hot air balloon capital of the world." Tomorrow, Miss Haven, who hosts a weekly story time at the Barnes and Noble on the Westside, invites enthusiasts to come "meet" the latest addition the American Girl family. The free event runs from 11 a.m. to noon. Barnes & Noble, Westside • Sat Mar 23 • 11 am-noon • FREE • ALL-AGES! • View on Alibi calendar
westside

Event Horizon
A New Destiny
Saturday, Feb 11: DWO Pro Wrestling

Event Horizon
Wild West
Saturday, Aug 20: Westside Summerfest

Event Horizon
MuggleWatch 2016
Saturday, Jul 30: Harry Potter Countdown to Midnight Magic Party

Crib Notes
Crib Notes: Jan. 8, 2015

Food News
Westside Story
Bringing an independent spirit to Albuquerque’s newest developments

News Feature
911 Calls Illuminate Shooting Timeline

Dish Jockey
Vegan Sushi?
Loving Vegan
Like the increasingly popular vegan versions of Thai food that are popping up around town, sushi is starting to catch the Tofurky Syndrome. This is what I call the attempt to make animal-product-like food out of animal-product-free ingredients—Tofurky being, essentially, tofu in the shape, color, and arguably flavor and texture of turkey. In the Thai restaurants that go vegan, this translates into a colorful assortment of protein pretenders that you can’t help but be impressed by, even if you think it’s a bit silly.

Council Watch
All Tied Up

Newscity
Growing Pains
Council considers eliminating Downtown-UNM district

Talking Points
Benton on Redistricting

Last Minute Gift Guide
Westside
Nomades
One of our favorite nerdy items in this store is Pictorial Webster’s: A Visual Dictionary of Curiosities. Non-nerd types are likely to love the assortment of Ten Thousand Waves body products, or a fair-trade wooden xylophone, or a set of 20 iron-on decals in the shapes of birds and foxes and porcupines. Then there are the shelves of children’s books, the stamp sets, the boxes of beads and the stacks of cookbooks. And don’t miss the natural-material clothing, jewelry and hand-stitched wallets.
photo
Alibi Flickr Photo of the Day
Posted to Alibi's Flickr photo pool by our friend moongipsies.
This is supposedly a flickr URL, but has some kind of problem: http:/

Feature
District 1: Southern Portion of the Westside
Unopposed incumbent: Ken Sanchez
Ken Sanchez is running for re-election this year without a challenger. Sanchez knows the issues of his Southwest district well. Gangs flourish in the area, and property crime numbers are up. Houses were built, but retail wasn't. Extra fees and taxes have been paid into city coffers for years, but infrastructure is lacking. The roadways are bizarre in the area, and the passages across the Rio Grande are often clogged.

Feature
District 5: Northern Portion of the Westside
The Alibi endorses: Michael Cadigan
Dan Lewis wants Michael Cadigan's job, and his campaigning fueled perhaps the ugliest Council race this season. Unfortunately, Cadigan was a topic Lewis couldn't let lie during his endorsement interview with the Alibi. The pastor and small-business owner called the councilor ineffective and demeaning, said he was too hostile to the city administration, and declared him “combative.” And that was just the first five minutes.