2009 was quite a year and probably one Mountain Mail readers will not forget for a long time.
The Mountain Mail staff completed an informal survey and came up with the top stories of the year.
The top five stories were:
1. Three District III incumbents getting voted out of the Socorro Electric Co-op Board elections.
2. The Socorro High School football team advancing to the state final.
3. The Mountain Mail folding but not for long.
4. Heroin/drug overdoses in Socorro and Magdalena.
5. National Guard Deployment to Iraq.
Other stories that garnered strong consideration were the Magdalena girls basketball team advancing to the state final, the opening of the Alamo Mini-Mart, the Bataan Death March Veterans Reunion, the stranded Albuquerque television crew in the San Mateo Mountains and the pay raises for Socorro’s Mayor and City Councilors.
Here is a brief recap of the top five stories.
Socorro Co-op Elections
In the Oct. 8 issue, all three reform candidates were victorious in the Socorro Electric Cooperative’s District III election in Socorro on Saturday night. Running for re-election were long time board members Harold Baca, Juan Gonzales and Herman Romero. Donald Wolberg, Priscilla Mauldin and Luis Aguilar won four-year terms on the board.
Mauldin had the widest margin with 59 percent of the vote in her race with Gonzales, who had served as co-op trustee for nine terms. District III covers the city of Socorro, and is represented by six SEC Board members.
Socorro football
In the Dec. 10 issue, the Warriors did all they could Saturday Dec. 2 in the state championship game against Lovington. It just wasn’t quite enough as Lovington escaped with a 28-21 victory to claim its 16th Class AAA state title.
“I am proud of the kids,” Socorro coach Damien Ocampo said. “They played with a lot of effort and passion. They played hard and that was our goal. We just made too many mistakes to be a good team like that. People thought it was not going to be close.”
But it was -- it was extremely close. Check out the stats: Lovington held a 357-341 advantage in yards and a 17-16 margin in first downs. The key for the Warriors is that they were able to run the football as they gained 326 yards on the ground. “We got in a groove on offense,” Ocampo said. “We did a good job blocking up front and our running backs ran really hard.” The team had the total support of the community and brought Socorro together.
Mountain Mail
Also in the Oct. 8 issue, three weeks after announcing it was closing its doors, the Mountain Mail newspaper is resuming publication – under new local management and ownership. Jaracienda LLC, of Socorro, purchased the newspaper as a subsidiary after publisher Thomas Guengerich ceased publication.
Guengerich cited in the Sept. 10 issue that advertising had fallen, even though readership remained strong. Jaracienda LLC is owned by the family of Socorro’s Tony Jaramillo.
Overseeing the day to day operations as business manager and general public relations will be Gary Jaramillo, who said, “We are committed to continue the fair, impartial and factual reporting that has earned the Mountain Mail its respect among readers.”
Heroin/Drug overdoses
This issue was the most tragic of 2009. There were numerous heroin and other drug busts, and two young people died because of overdoses.
It’s still a huge problem and one that is not easily solved.
National Guard Deployment
A crowd numbering in the hundreds gathered at Socorro’s Plaza Park on June 10, to meet and show support for members of the 515th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, formerly headquartered at the National Guard Armory on Highway 60.
Disabled American Veterans Chapter Commander Peter Romero opened the program from the park’s gazebo by directing the 515th’s commanding officer, Lt. Col. Ken Nava, to “bring in your troops.”
Led by SSgt. Pedro Guerrero and Spc. Gilbert Murrillo, carrying the battalion’s battle flag and guidon, the soldiers marched between lines of residents displaying homemade signs of support and holding up small American flags.
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