Nona Bowman
By NANCY R. BARTLIT
Living Treasure of Los Alamos 2012
With the passing of Nona Bowman on May 18, Los Alamos lost a true public servant.
Nona and I had been friends since she and her husband Charlie Bowman came to Los Alamos in August of 1982. Six months later, I had begun my first term on the Los Alamos County Council when Nona called me to express a desire to help improve the appearance of the downtown. One of my campaign promises was to beautify Los Alamos, especially for the county to take better care of Fuller Lodge.
The council had set aside some money to upgrade electrical wiring and to make some aesthetic improvements to Fuller Lodge. I asked her if she would volunteer to be a co-chair with Hedy Dunn to enhance Fuller Lodge. So, we put together, for the council approval, a list of our mutual friends, principally from the Los Alamos Garden Club, to be committee members.
The committee’s work was excellent, as shown by the long-lasting value of their decisions. For instance, the Pajarito Room was made more attractive with the selection of Chimayo rugs for drapes and the new blankets above the French doors. The original rugs were transferred to the Laboratory for safe keeping. The new rugs were designed from a number of Northern New Mexico weavers. The carpet going up the stairs is still in use and does not show any wear.
The chairs for the Pajarito room selected by the committee lasted for more than three decades! And the same style of chair, because of the comfort and longevity of the former ones, was selected by the Fuller Lodge/Historic Districts Advisory Board and county staff to replace the chairs which had lost their braces and become unsafe. Quite an excellent return on tax-payer dollars!
Later, when Nona served on the County Council, further improvements to the Lodge, to restore colors and replace windows and the French doors, were some of Nona’s efforts. She worked with the Los Alamos Garden Club for the county to match funds to purchase a fountain for the Rose Garden whose installation enhances the enjoyment of persons while visiting the Garden or attending a wedding.
As members of the Los Alamos Garden Club, we both tried to improve the appearance of the downtown and the Historic District. When Nona ran successfully for County Council in 2002, I was on her team, even though we were in different political parties.
The landscaping coming into town on the right side of Route 4 was a project that she promoted.
The hanging baskets and other improvements along Central Avenue were her efforts, which helped to make Los Alamos more appealing to its residents and visitors. Few constituents are aware of how many votes Councilors make to influence improvements during their terms.
Nona and I worked together to promote the Art in Public Places concepts. She served for five years, two terms as chairman of the Advisory Board. The Board was brand new to Los Alamos but not New Mexico government or Albuquerque. It had taken more than a year to prepare an ordinance for the council to approve to set up the Board.
When Nona served on the Board, she took the responsibility seriously. She chaired a public ceremony honoring the efforts of the Board and celebrating the county’s collection of art, especially focusing on a representative example of the talented artists who live or who have lived in Los Alamos.
Her leadership to enhance the quality of life for Los Alamos residents, her willingness to work with many groups of people, and her ability to hear comments from her constituents, combined with her experience on a school board in a previous community, produced strong voter confidence.
Others might mention in more detail her community efforts through the Rotary Club, her church and sorority, her political party, and the LA Concert Association at her memorial service. My husband John and I were proud to nominate her and proud when she was acknowledged as a Los Alamos Living Treasure.
