Steers Open Baseball Season With Young Team, New Coach

By Nicky Romero
For the Mountain Mail

Magdalena baseball coach Manuel Martinez is preparing the team for his inaugural season. He understands the commitment and discipline it takes to make a winning team. Martinez played on the Steers' baseball team in the late 80's and helped win a state championship in 1990 and took third place in 1991.
“Basically, we have to start the season teaching the kids the fundamentals of baseball,” Martinez said. “Going back to the basics, being that they haven't played in the past. But I'm looking forward to a positive season.”
The Steers' district competition this year will be East Mountain, Estancia, and Santa Rosa, who are all 2A teams. “We have a tough district,” he said.
Martinez talked about his starting lineup.
“Ryan Alguire, a returning starter and senior, is a kid who can play pretty much play any position on the field. But we're going to concentrate on him being our catcher this year and one of our pitchers. Another starter from last year is Bryce Milligan. He will be our pitcher.
“We have an eighth grader starting as our third baseman, Malachi Bain. We have a freshman starting at shortstop, Filimon Padilla and a freshman. At second base, we have Rico Romero, a senior and a returning starter. The first baseman is freshman Dylan Julian.”
“The left fielder is Estevan Pino. The first year he's ever played and he's a junior. Center fielder is sophomore Daniel Hand, a good all-around athlete. The first time he's ever played baseball, but he's picking up the game pretty good. Our right fielder is senior Robbie Zamora and also the first time he's played baseball.”
“Helping Milligan and Alguirre in pitching, will be Dylan Julian, who will bring a southpaw presence to the team. We also have Isaac Pino, Malachi Bain, and Daniel Hand.”
“So far, all of these kids are giving me 100 percent, they're doing a good job, and I'm proud of all of these kids. Everybody's excited about the new season, especially me.”
Martinez picked up his first career win on Saturday, March 27. The Steers traveled to Socorro to play their JV team and won 8-7 in the first game and lost the second game 7-6.
Magdalena will again play a double-header against the Socorro JV on April 1.

Steers Open Baseball Season With Young Team, New Coach

Luna Fire Department Gets Its Training In

Luna News
By Kaye Mindar

Editor’s note: Beginning in this issue, Kaye Mindar’s column will appear every two weeks.

With windy season upon us in Luna, the Luna Volunteer Fire and Ambulance ask for your help in watching the weather closely as conditions change rapidly. The fire department was called into action to fight a five-acre wildfire call a couple of weeks ago.
A mock disaster training went well for the department a couple of Saturdays ago arranged by Robert Newport, Sam Harris and Fire Chief Charles Moyers; the department received hands-on training in triage and rescue behind the Luna Service station with vehicle extrication, victim triage and an after action review with a luncheon. There will be more training scheduled in the future and more departments in the county participating.

Population Increase

Luna Valley’s population of about 170 increased last Thursday by 1. Congratulations go out to Chase and Tami Quetel on the birth of their son Arthur Gage. Dad, mom and sisters are doing well as extended family also is showing great pride in their new baby boy.

Luna 4-H

The Luna Valley 4-H is working to prepare for our annual spring bake sale and rabies clinic to be held Friday April 23; time and place to be announced. The support of the community is invaluable to our 4-H and the service provided is important to our pets’ health and well being.

Lunatic Stitchers

The Lunatic Stitchers are preparing for their spring overnight crafting social. These women paint, sew and enjoy good friends and fun with their overnight socials and are a great asset to our Community Center in keeping it clean and adding to the provisions of the building that are available to all.
There are big changes on the horizon for our community center in moving the playground to the grounds and other maintenance that is being tended to.

Luna Summer Activities

With our summer season quickly approaching, the Luna Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is planning for bi-monthly activities for all who visit the area. There are many projects planned and many volunteers needed. Contact Idonna Bradford if you can help in any way.

Preparedness corner

It is time to rotate our shelves and take inventory in our emergency supplies. If you haven’t begun it is never too late and if you have begun it is never ending and is a wonderful way of life to know you are doing all that you can. Contact Joyce Laney for canning dates and order forms available. There are special shipments of fresh fruits being planned with enough participation later this season; keep an eye out for more details as they become available.

Genealogy corner

A new idea for your family reunion this summer is a large family wall chart posted for all to see. It will prove to be one of the most popular items at many family reunions as it shows all the family members and how they are related. You can start with the main ancestor and show all the cousins, aunts, and uncles and other relatives attending the reunion, and it lets you see how everyone is hooked together. You can even add pictures of family members before hand or as they attend.

Quote of the week:

“There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with chocolate.”
~Linda Grayson, "The Pickwick Papers"

Luna Fire Department Gets Its Training In

Wagner To Address Members in Quemado

Quemado News
By Debbie Leschner

Charlie Wagner, Socorro Electric Co-op Board Trustee for our area, will speak in Quemado on Thursday, April 8. The first session will be in the Quemado Senior Center at 11 a.m; the second at 6 p.m. in the Quemado Community Center.
Wagner will discuss the proposed resolutions to be voted upon at the Annual Membership Meeting of the SEC in Socorro on April 17, 2010.
The talks will include both the member proposals passed at the District 5 and District 3 meetings in October, 2009 and the alternatives just proposed by the SEC Board. The focus will be on the member propositions with an explanation of the reason for the proposals and the effect they will have on the cost, transparency, equitable voting and districts and also the need for members to attend the Annual Meeting to vote the member propositions into the SEC By-laws. An informal question and answer period will follow.

The Quemado Senior Center Pool Tournament will begin at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, April 6 with exercise class on Tuesday and Friday at 1 p.m. Along with Quilting and Bingo on Thursday, April 8, there will be an Easter Party around 10:30 a.m. with an easter egg hunt. All seniors are welcome to come and join in the activities. Call 773-4820 to make your reservations if you are having lunch. A center fundraising Bake Sale will be held on Friday, April 9 from 8:30 a.m. till sold out.

The Quemado School will have no school on Monday, April 5. Students will be at the State FFA in Las Cruces from Tuesday through Friday. A track meet will be on Friday, April 9 against Magdalena.

Thank you to the First Baptist Church and the Quemado Community Choir for an inspirational Easter Program. For those of you who missed it or would like to sing in future choirs, there will be a Christmas program and possible something this summer.

Note: Know of anything going on or a special event in a family or school, please let me know. Call 773-4119 or email at mmquemado@hotmail.com

Wagner To Address Members in Quemado

Sylvia’s Sweet Slumber Swiftly Seems Awfully Scary

Sylvia
By Anne Sullivan

Sylvia snored and snorted on. As she twitched and twisted in her sleep it was obvious that she was dreaming.
Sylvia was hungry. It must be the journey, she thought. I know I had breakfast with biscuits before I started the day’s digging.
Besides hunger, Sylvia felt victorious, if somewhat tired after her journey down the Great Hole. She knew she was in China, in Shanghai. Where in Shanghai, she had no idea. There seemed to be a river by the street where more people than Sylvia had ever seen before were busy heading quickly in both directions.
Strange, it was getting dark and many colored lights were coming on, all reflecting in the river, changing shape as they blinked on and off. How could it be dinnertime already?
She spied a large black dog ahead of her attached by a leash to what looked like a policeman. My mother always taught me to ask a policeman for directions if I ever got lost, she remembered. Not that she was lost but her food was.
Sylvia approached the large dog and asked, “Can you please tell me where I can get something to eat?”
The large dog had an equally large bark. “Where’s your leash? Where’s your person?” He interrogated her. “Do you have a license? What are you doing here all by yourself?”
“I’m hungry. I need chow,” said Sylvia in what she hoped was Chinese.
The big dog bared its teeth and laughed. “You don’t look like you need anything to eat. You’re fat. You need to get out and do some Tai chi.” With that, he lunged at her and broke loose from the policeman. Choosing the better part of valor, Sylvia ran. The black dog chased after her and she ran and ran until she was puffing so hard she had to stop. She looked back to see that somehow terror had made her swift and she’d managed to outrun the big dog.
She ducked into an alley. No bright lights here. She almost tripped over a bench so she decided to wait until she could see properly. She sniffed. Something was cooking. Maybe it was her dinner.
A man wearing a dirty apron and a peculiar tall hat stepped out of a door, a cigarette drooping from his lips. The light from inside made it easier to see. The man smiled at her.
Sylvia sat down and wagged her tail in her most appealing manner. The man, still smiling, motioned her inside.
Eagerly she entered a small room which she deduced was a kitchen. She inhaled cooking smells, not of anything she could recognize, but definitely food. An enormous pot of something was bubbling away on top of the stove.
The man reached down to pet her. Sylvia’s tail wagged faster and faster. Then the man hugged her. How nice. No one had hugged her since she’d left Swingle Canyon.
Suddenly the man’s arms tightened around her. The smile left his face. He picked her up – all 70 pounds of her – and with no effort at all tossed her into the soup pot on top of the stove.
Sylvia screamed as she threshed around in the hot liquid.
“Help, help”, she cried.
“What’s the matter, Sylvia?” I asked. “Did you have a bad dream?”
“Oh, oh, where am I?” she screeched.
“Silly dog, you’re in your bed. Where else would you be?”
“I was in China and I was hungry.”
“Was that why you woke up? You’ve been asleep for quite some time. You were dreaming and it must have been some dream you were having.”
“It was. I was actually in Shanghai and it was time for supper there. Speaking of supper, isn’t it time for mine?”
“Not a chance. It’s not even noon yet. I thought you were eager to do more digging in your Great Hole.”
“I think I’ll fill it in,” she said, stretching.

Sylvia’s Sweet Slumber Swiftly Seems Awfully Scary

Gardening Lecture

Mountain Mail reports

On Friday, April 9 from 1 until 3 p.m., Pie Town gardener Judith Alley will give an adult program entitled ‘Organic Gardening in Catron County’ at Datil’s Baldwin Cabin Public Library. The program will be accompanied by a seed exchange. Don’t forget to bring your seeds to trade with others.
Judith Alley will show techniques learned in 10 years of organic gardening in Catron County, a place where every property has its own microclimate.
“It didn’t take long for me to discover that all the books I read didn’t give me enough information on gardening in our climate and altitude,” Alley says. “Our climate is so extreme I’ve had to come up with ways to fool my plants into thinking the weather is better.”
Baldwin Cabin Public Library is on FR 100 just off U.S. 60 three miles west of downtown Datil.
Everyone is invited.

Gardening Lecture

Catron Easter Egg Hunt Scheduled For Saturday

Mountain Mail Reports

The Easter Egg Hunt will be held Saturday, April 3, starting at 11 a.m., at the Catron County Fairgrounds in Reserve.
Children will be divided into three different groups. Prizes will be awarded for each age group.
“We had 60 kids last year, and we look forward to having more kids this year,” said Arnold Lopez, a coordinator from the Catron County Chamber of Commerce.
Hot dogs will be served after the egg hunt. There will be an Easter Egg decorating contest. Bring your best decorated egg for judging.
“This is one way the Chamber members give back to the community for their support. We will be sponsoring a Fourth of July celebration in addition to other fun, community events. Special thanks to Debbie Boyer for all her hard work and efforts in putting together this event,” Lopez said.

Catron Easter Egg Hunt Scheduled For Saturday

Get Ready For ‘Eggsibition’ At Mag’s Bear Mountain

By John Larson

MAGDALENA – For the last 12 years around Easter time Magdalena artist Yvonne Magener has been sponsoring an egg show – an “Eggsibition” - presenting works of art on all sizes of eggs.
This weekend is the opening of this year’s show, which is held at Bear Mountain Gallery and Coffee House, 902 First Street in Magdalena, the former site of the West Bar.
Magener has been painting eggs with extravagant designs in polymer clay and resin based relief paint, reminiscent of Fabergé eggs made for Nicholas II of Russia in the 19th century, but without the jewels and precious metals.
The eggs in the Eggsibition range from chicken to goose, and even ostrich. “Each egg has been hollowed out making them very fragile,” Magener said. “They are very precious and delicate works of art.”
Media used is as varied as the artists creating them, including watercolors, acrylics, polymer clay, beaded, collaged, pen and ink, crayons, and even sand painting and weaving.

“They are all fabulous,” Magener said. “This year we’ll have at least one hundred eggs featuring incredible artwork.
“Up to 50 were created by Alamo students, and some of theirs are very artistic. They like to give them a Cougar theme,” she said.
Most of the artwork can be purchased, Magener said.
A reception will be held from 2 – 4 p.m. Saturday, Apr. 3, at Bear Mountain Gallery, adjacent to the coffee house.
The eggs will be on display through the month of April.

Get Ready For ‘Eggsibition’ At Mag’s Bear Mountain

Socorro Students Take Part In Junior Duck Design Contest

Mountain Mail reports

Not all New Mexico students are preoccupied with the latest avatar sensation or with Adequate Yearly Progress scores in their school. As proof, consider that 603 students submitted original artworks depicting ducks, geese and swans of North America in the just-completed Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Contest in New Mexico.
The entries came from Kindergarten through 12th Grade students in 28 schools, home school programs and art studio or academy classes located across the state.
The judging was held at Bosque del Apache Tuesday, Mar. 23.
The Best of Show winner in the statewide contest is a colored pencil rendering titled “A Warm Place” of a Mottled Duck with ducklings submitted by Gadsden High School 12th Grade student Lidia Avina.

Among 13 Socorro schools entries, Cottonwood Charter School students Electra Burleigh was awarded a 2nd Place, and Samantha Hurtgen won a 3rd Place; Parkview Elementary student Markeiska Lopez received a 3rd Place award, with the others to receive Honorable Mention ribbons or Certificates of Appreciation. Honorable Mention ribbons or Certificates of Appreciation were awarded to 20 students from Datil Elementary and 13 students from San Antonio Elementary who submitted entries.
The Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Contest is a nationwide art and science-based program for schools developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to teach greater awareness of our nation’s natural resources. The 603 New Mexico entries this year exceeded last year’s by 32 per cent.
“This outpouring of interest in nature’s creatures by New Mexico’s young folks is heartening, and bodes well for the success of future efforts to protect wetland habitats and waterfowl,” USFWS Regional Director Benjamin Tuggle said.
Entries were judged at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge by Jim Wolfe of the Ducks Unlimited National Conservation Program Committee and past New Mexico State Chairman of Ducks Unlimited; Skeeter Leard, award-winning artist and partner in Fullingim, Isenhouer, Leard Studios in Socorro; John Vradenburg, Senior Biologist at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge; Ken Garrahan, Chief of Visitor Services and Robert Murphy, biologist in the Migratory Birds Division at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Office in Albuquerque.
The 2010 Junior Duck competition in New Mexico was sponsored by Friends of the Bosque del Apache NWR, which contributed prize money for the Best of Show and 1st Place winners.
All 1st, 2nd, 3rd Place and Honorable Mention winners will be formally recognized during a special New Mexico Junior Duck Stamp Contest Awards Ceremony at the Macey Conference Center in Socorro on May 1.

Pictured: Judges for the Junior Duck Stamp Design contest (from left): Robert Murphy, Jim Wolfe, John Vradenburg; Skeeter Leard, and Ken Garrahan,

Photo by John Larson

Socorro Students Take Part In Junior Duck Design Contest

County Adopts Internal Control Policy

By John Severance

Here are the highlights from the Socorro County Commission meeting held at the County Annex Building last week.
• The commission passed an internal control policy. Manager Delilah Walsh said the county has been lacking such a policy. “After we pass this, we will have each of our departments to adopt this and come up with their own policies,” Walsh said. “This also resolves one of our audit issues.”
• The commission adopted a resolution that said the county would oppose a proposed emissions cap. The New Energy Economy has filed a petition with the New Mexico Environment Improvement Board calling for regulations that would require regulated entinties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 25 percent below 1990 levels by the year 2020. The NEE has since modified its petition to make it a more gradual approach for entities to get to that point. The EIB likely will not rule for another couple of months and there also has been lawsuits filed.
• The commission passed a resolution to approve the 2010 annual certified county maintenance roads.

County Adopts Internal Control Policy

Wagner Gets Tri-State Clarification

By John Severance

SOCORRO -- Charlie Wagner contacted Tri State on his own and that did not sit well with the Socorro Electric Cooperative board members at its meeting Thursday night.
“You have to act as a member of the board,” attorney Dennis Francish said. “You don’t go to Tri-State and ask them if we did the right thing and air our dirty laundry. You got voted down and you have to live with it.”
“We are individuals outside of here but inside we are members of the board and it is important how we present ourselves outside the board,” trustee Donald Wolberg said.
Wagner was seeking clarification from Tri-State, regarding Leroy Anaya acting as the SEC representative and delegate to Tri-State. Wagner said there could be a possible conflict of interest regarding Anaya, who has a duty of loyalty to Tri State and serving its interest, above that of SEC’s when acting as a member of the board. Tri-State Ken Reif told Wagner in an email, “I am aware of no legal restriction on Tri-State Board members also serving as delegates to the annual meeting. Duties of loyalty can be different when individuals are serving as a Tri-State Board member as opposed to serving as a delegate to the Membership meeting. However, that kind of thing happens regularly.”

Wagner Gets Tri-State Clarification