OBITUARY: Pauline R. Bare

Pauline R. Bare
Jan. 14, 1927-Aug. 16, 2010

Pauline R. Bare, 83 of Socorro, passed away on Monday August 16, 2010. She was born on January 14, 1927 in Canyon City, Colo. to Marvin and Katherine Russell. Pauline is preceded in death by her parents and loving husband Clarence (Yogi) Bare, her brothers, Wallace and Allen and sisters, Edith and Vernie.
She is survived by brothers Willis, Leroy and Charles as well as her twin sister Vivian Maxine Gaskins. Pauline is also survived by daughters, Eileen Schwettmann and husband, Bill of Espanola, NM, Nancy Jaramillo and husband Frank of Socorro.
Pauline was blessed with five grandchildren, John Jaramillo, Tara Jaramillo, Elizabeth Payne, Sally and Will Schwettman. She had nine great grandchildren.
Working as a nurse, Pauline began her career in Walla Walla, Washington, moving to Socorro, Las Cruces, St. Louis, Missouri, and finally, retiring from Memorial General Hospital in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Pauline has lived in Socorro, New Mexico for the past ten years where she could be close to her daughters and grandchildren. She has also shared a home with her twin for the past five years.
A graveside service will be at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens Cemetery at 10:00 am. Arrangements by Getz Funeral Home 1410 E. Bowman Ave. Las Cruces, NM 88001. To sign the local online guest book or send condolences go to www.getzcares.com

OBITUARY: Pauline R. Bare

OBITUARY: Louis Abner "Sam" Porter

Louis Abner “Sam” Porter passed away peacefully, August 21 in Mesa, Ariz. He is survived by his daughter Barbara Schultz, of Apache Junction; his sons Kenneth, of Casa Grande; Preston, of Coolidge; Louis, of Apache Junction; nine grandchildren, four great-grandchildren; his sister Alice Dyer, of Eager; his brothers David, of Show Low; and Melvin, of Sun City; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his brothers Horace, Preston, and Eugene; and by his sister Annie Locket McMahan.
Louis was born in 1921 in Apache Creek to Joseph Baxter Porter and Emily Locket Gambel Porter, where he worked on the family’s farm and ranch, and attended high school in nearby Reserve. He volunteered for the Army Air Corps during World War II, and eventually became a flight trainer, stationed mostly at airfields in Texas. He earned a baccalaureate and a masters degree from Oklahoma State University, and was a well respected and innovative educator for more than thirty years. He taught at Reserve High School from 1953-62, and founded the school’s agriculture department and Future Farmers of America chapter. He moved to Tularosa in 1962 where he taught at Tularosa High School and also founded that school’s agriculture department and FFA chapter.
He moved to Magdalena in 1971 where he served as high school principal until 1975. He also taught special education at Mary C. O’Brien School, in Pinal County, Ariz. In 1980 he moved to Young, Arizona where he founded that school’s agriculture department and FFA chapter. He then returned to the Valley and taught at Phoenix Indian School from 1982-86. He lived in Florence, Arizona from 1998-2004.
Memorial services will be held Tuesday, August 31, at 10 a.m., at Mountain View Mortuary, 7900 E. Main Street, in Mesa. Services will also be held at Reserve Presbyterian Church in Reserve, New Mexico, on Wednesday, September 1, at 11 a.m. Interment will follow at the Apache Creek Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Hospice of the Southwest, 450 N. Dobson Rd., Ste. 108, Mesa, AZ, 85201. Donations can be made to the Reserve Senior Center, Reserve, NM, 87830.

OBITUARY: Louis Abner "Sam" Porter

OBITUARY: Susie Rodriguez

Susie Rodriguez
Oct. 15, 1909-Aug. 20, 2010

Susie Rodriguez, 100, a resident of Quemado, New Mexico passed away August 20, 2010 at her residence.She was born in Quemado on October 15, 1909, the daughter of Candelario and Francisquita Chavez.
Susie loved to crochet, do arts and crafts, and garden. She was very religious, a devout Catholic, and a great neighbor often helping many people.
She is survived by daughters Paublita Castillo, Quemado, Soledad Schiffman, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, Anastacia Gutierrez, Quemado; sons Romy Rodriguez, Farmington, New Mexico, Celso Rodriguez, Farmington, A. C. Rodriguez, Bayard, New Mexico, and Rueben Rodriguez, Albuquerque, New Mexico; 22 grandchildren, 36 great-grandchildren, and 19 great-great-grandchildren.
Susie is preceded in death by her parents, husband Ramon Rodriguez, adopted son Herman Rodriguez, son Albert Rodriguez, and daughter Angelina Rodriguez.
A Rosary was held Wednesday, August 25, 2010 at 7 p.m. at Sacred Heart Parish Hall, Quemado, New Mexico. Funeral Mass was Thursday, August 26, at Sacred Heart Parish Hall, Quemado. Interment will follow at the Sacred Heart Cemetery, Quemado, New Mexico.
Burnham Mortuary, Eagar, handled arrangements. To leave an online condolence, please visit www. burnhammortuary.com.

OBITUARY: Susie Rodriguez

OBITUARY: David Baca

David Baca
July 31, 1941-Aug. 17, 2010

David Baca, 69, passed away Tuesday, August 17, 2010 in Albuquerque. David was born on July 31, 1941 to Vivian and Sinforosa (Madril) Baca in Socorro.
He is survived by his loving wife of 50 years, Celina (Griego) Baca of Socorro; his devoted children, Melissa D. Collins and husband, Joe David of El Paso; Jessica N. Huffer and husband, Keith of Littleton, Colo.; David “Pelon” Baca Jr. and wife, Theresa of Socorro; and James Michael Baca and wife, Judy of Mesa, Ariz.; four grandchildren, Jasmine; Adam; Ashley; and Breanna; 1 great grandchild, Cadence Xavier; 2 step-grandchildren, Delicia; and Shelia; his brothers, Fred Mata; Mike Mata and wife Frances; James Mata and wife Patsy; and Dan Baca and wife, Elda; his nephew, Oliver Pena and wife Carol; and several Cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.
David was a lifelong resident of Socorro. He was the owner and operator of the Mountain View Bar in Lemitar for over 20 years, starting in 1988. David enjoyed hunting, camping, baseball, and football.
He was preceded in death by his daughter, Rose Anne Baca-Montano; and one grandson, Richard A. Montano. A Memorial Communion Service will be held on Monday, August 23, 2010 at the San Miguel Catholic Church, Parish Hall in Socorro at 11:00 a.m. with Deacon Mike Ybarra officiating.
Honorary Pallbearers are Adam Baca, David Avalos, Ryan Lopez Jr., Louie Torres, Sean Smith, Tomas Smith, Alan Brawley, Louis A. Vega, and Bernie Romero. In lieu of flowers, Memorial contributions may be made to Socorro High School Football Team: SHS Warrior Football Booster Club, 1118 Hope Farm Road, Socorro, NM 87801.
Those who wish to send condolences may do so at www.danielsfuneral.com. Services have been entrusted to: Daniels Family Funeral Services, 309 Garfield, Socorro, NM 87801, (575) 835-1530.

OBITUARY: David Baca

OBITUARY: Raymond P. Vallejos

Raymond P. Vallejos
May 7, 1924-Aug. 21, 2010

Raymond P. Vallejos, 86, passed away suddenly on Saturday, August 21, 2010 in Albuquerque. Ramon was born on May 7, 1924 to Andres and Vivianita (Padilla) Vallejos in Socorro.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and two grandsons, Jeffery Scott Pineda, and Joshua Patrick Vallejos. Ramon is survived by his loving wife of 62 years, Seferina, “Sefie” (Gallegos) Vallejos of Socorro; his ten devoted children; Dorothy Gonzales and husband Ernest; Patrick Vallejos and wife Irene, Betty Vallejos; Georgia Magoffe, Liz Vallejos and husband Steve; Mona Ross and husband Carl; Eric Vallejos and wife Chavela; Melissa Pineda and husband Jeff; Raymond Vallejos; and Tina Vallejos. He is also survived by seventeen grandchildren, ten great grandchildren, and one great great grandchild.
A rosary was recited on Wednesday, August 25, 2010 at 7 p.m. at the San Miguel Catholic Church in Parish Hall in Socorro. A Mass of Resurrection was celebrated at the San Miguel Catholic Church in Parish Hall with Father Leo Gomez as Celebrant. Burial with full Military Honors will take place in the Santa Fe National Cemetery at 2:00 p.m. in Santa Fe.
Those who wish to send condolences may do so at www.danielsfuneral.com. Services have been entrusted to: Daniels Family Funeral Services, 309 Garfield, Socorro, NM 87801, (575) 835-1530.

OBITUARY: Raymond P. Vallejos

EDITORIAL: More Thinking Needs To Be Done for Socorro’s Community Kitchen

Just Thinking Out Loud
By Gary Jaramillo

It’s a real shame that the Community Kitchen has turned out to be the exact opposite of what it should have been.
And that is, a place that everyone could afford to use in order to bake and cook wonderful things that they could sell for others’ enjoyment and also help feed their families by their labor and earnings in using the neat little Community Kitchen.
Turns out so far that this so-called Community Kitchen is only for those that can afford cooking there and really don’t need any kind of help making ends meet in the first place.
The fees are ridiculous and quite totally out of the reach of those who desperately need a place like the kitchen to sell their baked or cooked goods to make that extra money to help themselves and their families, and maybe build enough business to open their own establishment in the future.
Perhaps those advertising this kitchen that everyone was supposed to use to cook in and actually have a way to bring a little more income in, should have waited before announcing that it would indeed be available to everyone.
The only people qualified to use the kitchen are those who have no problem coming up with anywhere between $350 or more, plus extra ridiculous hourly rates and fees.
My only question would be – if the kitchen has already been licensed by the state food service offices, why should the participants of the program be forced to fill out tons of unnecessary applications when they are not owners, but simply potential users of the kitchen already licensed by the state to bake, cook, serve and sell food?
And to top it all off, users of the kitchen are expected to buy a $300,000 liability insurance policy and apply for a $200 New Mexico State Food Service Establishment License. And why would the renters of the kitchen be charged by the hour to cook and store things over night, and then add insult to injury and make them pay other membership fees to the Farmers Market.
A key and cleaning deposit along with a $25 city business license, okay, but I have a feeling that the people who had this great idea in the first place just got plain run over by others who didn’t really think this thing through all the way.
When you leave the majority of people out who really and truly do need something like this kitchen, but can’t afford it, it’s just another lost cause with all kinds of potential slowly running down the kitchen sink drain.
Bottom line? This great but inaccessible community kitchen should be used by everyone who needs it, and no one should be purposely or inadvertently discriminated against because they can’t afford to do what others with money can easily accomplish. It just sends the wrong message when anyone is left out of the equation because of cost, and at the current prices, it’s simply impossible for anyone who really needs it, to ever use it.
I’m no scholar folks, but I’ll bet that 97 percent of my neighbors in Socorro could’ve come up with a better way of working this community kitchen idea out while standing on their heads. It’s an absolutely wonderful idea with unlimited potential, but it will never work for everyone, if everyone is not included in its future plans.
I want to congratulate Manager Al Smoake and everyone else for their hard work and hope that the reasons for this kitchen are revisited and changes are made to really and truly include everyone who can make it become something very special, without money being it’s only driving force.
Wouldn’t it be super if there was a much lower price to participate in the kitchen for those with growing culinary aspirations and those with expertise? Please, powers that be – ya gotta re-think this thing.

EDITORIAL: More Thinking Needs To Be Done for Socorro’s Community Kitchen

OPINION: Alice, I’m Having A Dream Too

Magdalena Potluck
By Margaret Wiltshire

Alice in Wonderland both fascinated me as a child and scared me. I’m living in a dream world, so the Toltecs and Aborigines would call it, that is not fascinating. For many indigenous people the world as presented by mankind, or man-unkind is a dream world.
What people are not “indigenous”? Who hasn’t fought for territory, who hasn’t migrated at one time or another? Humans are an earth animal so we are all indigenous aren’t we? No, not so. Indigenous people know they belong to the earth, the earth doesn’t belong to humans. Manifest destiny people are not indigenous.
Aquifer water, common wealth or common disaster? Democrats and Republicans alike are selling our water to multinationals as if it were pinto beans.
Reality, you can’t grow beans without water. You also can’t bring industry to an area without a stable water supply. New Mexico you are being sold “down the river”, in “Grande” style. Draining aquifers, global warming, in thirty years no one will want to be Governor of this state.
They are hiding the truth as much as they can. Hoping their retirement accounts and their personal water rights will be safely taken care of. Their excuse, the water we owe Texas. They might as well give us to Texas now. In thirty years or so New Mexico won’t be worth a bag of beans.
In my dream Sarah Palin is the Queen of Hearts, babe that she is. Off with their heads is still the main line. Those of you in your 80s or who remember WWII will remember Tokyo Rose. Tokyo Rose, with a very sweet voice, took a little bit of truth, embellished it with lots of lies and tried to demoralize our troops over the radio. Sarah wants you to feel sorry for yourselves so you will hate who she wants you to hate and ignore anyone with information that might help you out.
Ms. Alaska wouldn’t know a founding father from the knave of hearts. One example, many of the founding fathers were Unitarians, they questioned the trinity. The first Unitarian Church in Boston is one of the oldest churches in the country. Reading the letters and diaries of other founding fathers you will find most did not enjoy going to church any more then Sarah Palin’s fans do. Separating Church and State, religious freedom was their idea. They died wearing those boots.
No matter how many wives drag their husbands to church or what century they did that in, that’s the usual reality. I have never seen proof that any man or woman that didn’t want to go to church was a bad person.
I used the Momma Bear bit with my kids. A combination of wanting them safe and also, unfortunately, to have them turn out as I hoped. I have grown up since then. Believe they are good; and magically, they are. Or if they stop believing they are bad because someone said so, they will also do okay.
As a “momma bear” it has never been my desire to make polar bears, or any other bears, extinct. Like Tokyo Rose, Sarah can do theater of the absurd. My gut tells me, Sarah is not an indigenous kind of gal.
She couldn’t take the heat and finish her job as governor; that would mean taking responsibility for her actions. Individually, bullies are gutless. She is great at telling stories. We laughed at the German and Japanese propaganda machine, it’s not as funny closer to home. However, it is absurd.
Something not funny. Did you like watching our Coast Guard work for BP? While “White” people want to compete with “Hispanic” people for greatest population growth, we allowed a major food source compromised seriously, if not completely. Not indigenous, not too bright. Unfortunately, the poison did disperse the oil and now these poisons are climbing the food chain. Everybody’s kids will suffer.
Propaganda is not funny. It isn’t useful. While Republicans were trying to get you irate over President Bill Clinton’s sad sex life, his trade policies were killing off our manufacturing future.
Grow up, pay attention.
9/11 we lost 3,000, two wars, many more. The weapons of mass destruction were ours. The war profits are going to the multinational empire, the bill goes to you. This put you in bed with Red China. Don’t give me this anti-communist crap. It hasn’t bothered any Republican or Democrat since Richard Nixon. Now the clean up heroes of 9/11 are sick and dying. That’s okay with Republicans and Democrats, untaxed profits go to multinationals.
Disgusting? It’s “revolt-ing.”
Give a good job to our returning Vets. Vets for Congress; it’s good pay, great benefits and all the bribes anyone could dream up.
First Amendment covers you too.

Comments? Write Wshireoldadobe@yahoo.com

OPINION: Alice, I’m Having A Dream Too

OPINION: Most Of The Time It Is Always About The Water

Can We Talk?
By Jack Fairweather

Water. When we have it we take it for granted. When we turn on the tap and nothing flows out….Whoa! We run to the telephone or grab for the cell phone. Somebody help!
Water. Latin American historian and author Eduardo Galeano recalls a version of Genesis that circulates by word of mouth on Columbia’s Pacific coast. At the beginning of time the ant’s waist was not narrow. The ant was round and filled with water.
It seems God had forgotten to water the earth. Realizing his mistake, God asked the ant for help. The ant refused.
So, God’s fingers pinched his belly. Thus were born all the rivers and the seven seas. Plenty of water. Life giving. Life sustaining. Free for all creation.
Time passed. Some of creation’s creatures became arrogant, greedy and humans came to believe they could own the earth and utilize it resources for selfish purposes.
At the end of the twentieth century a water war broke out in the city of Cochabamba, Bolivia. Like the ant, a much larger entity, created by humans, wanted the area’s water for itself. The U.S. company Bechtel took over the water system and tripled the rates overnight. Indigenous people marched in from the valleys and blockaded the city. City people rebelled, raising barricades and burning water bills in a huge bonfire in the Plaza de Armas.
As usual, the Bolivian government in power at the time, responded with bullets. There was a state of siege, people were killed and imprisoned, but the uprising continued for two months until the people of Cochabamba won back their right to the liquid that nourishes their bodies and sustains their crops.
Elsewhere in Bolivia, however, the powers of the time gave in to pirates and allowed a French company, Suez, to take over the water system in La Paz. Rates went sky high and hardly anyone could afford to turn on the tap.
Not until the 21st century did the situation improve when a new government came into power on the shoulders of the indigenous and poor people and water was again affordable. Now, however, nature has shown there is a limit to it’s bounty. The glaciers which have provided water for centuries to some areas of Bolivia are receding and there is no longer the steady supply of melting water to supply poor villages.
In the meantime, water has become the target of speculation everywhere…even in Socorro and Catron counties where the absentee owner of San Augustin Ranch LLC, Italian businessman Bruno Modena, wants to pump the San Augustin plains aquifer dry and sell the water back to state entities.
The people of the wide area involved, ranchers, farmers, and people in villages and towns which would be impacted by the water grab have joined together to legally block the effort. So far, they have received little real support from state officials who, seemingly, are not sure just what they can do to protect the resource needed to sustain the livelihoods of those who would experience the greatest loss.
As always, it will be only through the efforts of the common people that the stand off will be decided; the people and their right to natural resources or the would be Water Lords who desire only to profit at the expense of others.

OPINION: Most Of The Time It Is Always About The Water

Mountain Mail Files Motion To Drop Lawsuit

By John Severance

SOCORRO – Through its attorney Roscoe A. Woods, the Mountain Mail filed a motion to have the Socorro Electric Cooperative lawsuit dismissed against the unnamed members, Charlene West, the Mountain Mail et. al.
In his complaint filed Aug. 22 in Thirteenth Judicial District Court in Valencia County, Woods writes the suit should be dropped because the co-op attorney Dennis Francish failed to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.
Woods cites the New Mexico Rural Cooperative Act, saying bylaws shall be adopted, amended or repealed by the majority of the members present at any regular annual meeting or special meeting called for that purpose with a quorum present. Two other sections of the law say that bylaws can be adopted, amended or repealed consistent with the Rural Electric Cooperative Act. And a cooperative shall have the power to “transact any lawful business in aid of governmental policy.
Woods points out the SEC held its annual meeting on April 17 and members voted to enact several bylaw changes.
Francish, meanwhile, filed a suit on behalf of the co-op trustees to test three of those amendments.
1. Abide by the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act and the New Mexico Open Meetings Act;
2. Permit the press and the members to participate in and be present during regular and special Board of Trustee meetings.
3. Guarantee transparency of actions with open access to SEC books, records, audits to members for a proper non-commercial purpose except those which would violate the Privacy Acts.
Woods also cited the 1997 case Schein v. Northern Arriba Electric Cooperative in which the Supreme Court addressed the issue of what constituted improper purpose in requesting corporate information.
Schein, a newspaper reporter and a member of the Northern Arriba co-op, requested different types of information. And the co-op refused.
The case went all the way to the State Supreme Court which ruled that “in New Mexico, shareholders have the right to inspect, at reasonable times and places, a corporation’s books and records for proper purses.
“And this right generally extends to members of nonstick, nonprofit corporations.”
In addition, Woods writes the Mountain Mail is entitled to reasonable attorney fees “for maintaining its opposition in this frivolous cause of action.”
Woods also claims the venue within Valencia County 13th Judicial District is improper because the Mountain Mail’s principal place of business is within Socorro County and the co-op’s principal office and place of business are also within Socorro County. Woods also argues that the Valencia County court lacks jurisdiction over the Mountain Mail.

Mountain Mail Files Motion To Drop Lawsuit

County Passes Mobile Home Ordinance

By John Severance

The Socorro County Board of Commissioners passed a mobile home movement ordinance Tuesday night
The ordinance should provide a method of rhe assessor’s office to collect property taxes on mobile homes within jurisdiction of the county. The ordinance applies to all streets, highways, county roads and public roads within the boundaries of the county.
“This ordinace is important,” said David Naranjo of the assessors office. “We need this to be able to do our job and have this ordinance in place. It brings mobile homes on to the tax rolls.
Vice chair Danny Monette said, “I think it’s a great idea.”
Chairwoman Rosie Tripp said, “This is something the county has needed for a long time.”
The other big news was that roads superintendent Marty Greenwood met with FEMA officials this week after the state declared the county a disaster area because of the flash floods in the past month that washed out numerous roads.
“They looked at part of the roads and came up with $950,000 and they said that is enough for them to open the door,” Greenwood said.
The roads declared to FEMA, were county roads 63, 127, 131, 129, 147, 152, 179, 153, 135, 67, Riley Road, 69 and 98,
“They don’t believe in putting on band-aids,” Greenwood said. “They will fix the roads where they will be fixed right.
“We have spent $55,000 just to get the roads passable and we still have quite a few roads to work on.”
Greenwood said it will be two more weeks until he hears back from FEMA and another six weeks until they send people back to Socorro County. FEMA would pay for 75 percent of the cost to get the roads fixed, the state would pay 18 percent and the county would be billed for seven percent.
“That’s a good deal anyway you look at it,” said commissioner R.J. Griego.

County Passes Mobile Home Ordinance