Stick Horse Rodeo at Old Timers Reunion

Young cowboy Ike Cutter Cline successfuly ropes Ace McPhaul after the conclusion of the Stick Horse Rodeo at the Magdalena Old Timers Reunion on Friday morning. Contestants used stick horses while imitating rodeo events. The children did barrels, poles, flags, goat-touching and "bull riding" (on their stick horses).

Photo by Mike Sievers

Stick Horse Rodeo at Old Timers Reunion

Two Men Arrested In Stabbing Of Father And Son

By John Larson
SOCORRO – Two men have been arrested in connection with a multiple stabbing on Mariposa Road in the early morning hours of Friday, July 3.
According to the criminal complaint, two men, Tony Silva and his 21-year-old son Julian Silva, were found bleeding from multiple stab wounds in the Florida area of Socorro.
Arrested were Samuel Saenz, 20, and Ronnie Garcia, 20, both of Socorro.
The complaint states that at 2:30 a.m., Socorro Police Detective Richard Lopez answered a call to investigate an incident at 623 Mariposa that resulted in the stabbing.
Officer Gilbert Padilla had responded to a fight in progress with “several individuals involved,” and when he arrived on the scene, he found the two Silva men lying in the street and bleeding.
The complaint said several people in the vicinity began yelling and pointing in the direction of a mobile home on the north side of Mariposa. He reported that he was told Samuel Saenz had stabbed Tony Silva and Julian Silva, and that he ran into the mobile home.
Officer Padilla stated in the report that Julian Silva told him that when the initial altercation occurred, Saenz and Ronnie Garcia attacked Tony Silva, and that Garcia had a baseball bat and was striking his father with it. He said Saenz stabbed him in the back during the fight.
Garcia was arrested at the scene. Saenz was arrested after the car he was riding in was stopped for speeding near the intersection of B Street and Kentucky Avenue by Lopez.
Assisting officers took into custody Jonathan Garcia of Socorro, Stephanie Acosta of Roswell and an 18-year-old male from Roswell.
The 18 year old was charged with a minor allowing himself to be served an alcoholic beverage.
According to the criminal complaint, Jonathan Garcia told Lopez he had been visiting his cousin and was driving down Mariposa when he saw Samuel Saenz walking down the street and offered to give him a ride, and that Saenz had mentioned nothing of the incident.
The report also stated there was blood Jonathan Garcia’s shirt and arms.
The two Silva men were taken by ambulance to Socorro General Hospital, and then airlifted to the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque.
Saenz faces two counts of assault with intent to commit murder and two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
Garcia has been charged with two counts of being an accessory to assault with intent to commit murder, one count of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and one count of conspiracy to commit murder.
A preliminary hearing for both suspects will be at 9 a.m. July 15 in Magistrate Court.
Lee Deschamps was appointed as Ronnie Garcia’s public defender.
Samuel Saenz is being represented by public defender Rosa Sanchez-Armijo.

Two Men Arrested In Stabbing Of Father And Son

NFL Player Visits Socorro Football Team

By Polo C’ de Baca For the Mountain Mail

SOCORRO – A crowd of football players gathered around San Francisco 49ers offensive lineman Tony Wragge in the center of Socorro High’s football field Tuesday evening. Wragge spoke to the upcoming group of Warrior hopefuls, seeking to inspire them and answering questions about playing in NFL, in which he has been playing since 2002.
Wragge was on a return trip to San Francisco and stopped to visit Socorro head football coach Damien Ocampo.
Wragge and Ocampo were roommates at New Mexico State University in the fall of 1998 and became lifelong friends. Ocampo was Wragge’s best man at his wedding.
“Basically, when I talk to students, not necessarily just athletes, I try to tell them that they need to stay away from drugs and alcohol. On top of that they need to further their education,” Wragge said.
Wragge said high-schoolers are very impressionable, and that they need a sense of direction. He said if they have some kind of “push,” it helps them to take the time to think.
“This isn’t just about sports,” Wragge said. “It’s about life. I think the kids have to have that kind of attitude and think about what career path they might choose. It will prepare you for the future.”
Wragge took questions from the Socorro players and coaches about the toughest competitors he had faced, and other questions about being a player in the NFL. He told the boys his best playing weight was about 315 pounds. He plays “swing,” which means he plays guard or center at times, but is usually at offensive tackle.
“When you’re facing an opposing lineman, you’ve got to give it all you got,” Wragge said to the players. “It’s as if you’re in a fight and have to win.”
He told the boys regardless of how big the stands were and how many people filled them, the field is the same size, and although it may be difficult, they should not let any venue or atmosphere intimidate them.
Wragge is returning from a “Broadcast Boot Camp” in Mt. Laurel, N.J. An account of his experience is currently featured on the 49ers Web site. He said he had gained new respect for the media.

NFL Player Visits Socorro Football Team

Lawrence Baca To Coach Socorro Boys’ Basketball

By Polo C’ de Baca
For the Mountain Mail

Socorro native Lawrence Baca will be the new coach for the Warrior basketball team. Baca has assisted the head coaches of the program for the past seven years, and he has been an employee of the Socorro Consolidated School District for the past nine years.
Baca said he had just learned of his appointment at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday from Socorro Athletic Director Charlie Savedra and Superintendant Cheryl Wilson.
“I’m excited for the opportunity,” Baca said. “This is something I’ve always wanted to do, and I think I’ll be good for the program. We’ve got some great kids here. We’ve got some great kids coming back.”
Baca said it wasn’t a complete surprise to him. He had applied for the job and was hopeful that he would be chosen.
“I know what comes with the job,” Baca said. “I’ve been involved with coaching not just in basketball, but in football and baseball. I’m here for the long run. That’s a big plus for me and for the program. I think that’s what the program needed, was a sense of stability.”
Last year’s coach, Hamilton Doyle, was only at Socorro for one year. Before that, Dominic Romero, who now coaches at Valencia High School, was with Socorro for four years.
It’s kind of rough on the program,” Baca said. “Like I said, I’m here for the long run.”
Baca’s demeanor of responsibility gives a people around him a sense that he loves Socorro, and he loves what he does. He is more than familiar with the system, the students and players he will work with.
“Not only do I know these kids, but I know these kids’ families,” Baca said. “I’ve known these kids since they were little.”
Socorro will be in the same district as Silver City starting in the 2010-11 school year. Baca said that the district in which he played in high school included Silver, so he feels comfortable with the added competition in the district.
“It will be good for the district and will make it that much more competitive, so I’m really excited about it,” Baca said.

Lawrence Baca To Coach Socorro Boys’ Basketball

Around the Area

By Mountain Mail staff

• Aerts Wins FFA Proficiency Award

FFA members received proficiency and state star awards during the 81st Annual New Mexico FFA State Convention in June in Las Cruces at New Mexico State University.
Each of the students received awards for taking part in a supervised agricultural experience, or SAE. SAEs are designed to help prepare students for a career in agriculture in a specific field of interest.
Brian Aerts of the Socorro FFA chapter received the proficiency award for agricultural sales placement. Aerts works at his family’s feed store. He is interested in business management and plans to attend NMSU to major in agricultural business. Aerts also received the 2009 state star in agricultural placement.

• Heritage Center To Host ‘Feather Dance’

There will be a special performance of La Danza de la Pluma, The Feather Dance, by Grupo de Promesa from Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca, at 10 a.m. Sunday, July 26, at the El Camino Real International Heritage Center south of Socorro.
The event will include a screening of Metamorfosis Documentation Project’s documentary film, “La Danza de la Pluma. Faith, Sacrifice and Tradition,” and a multi-media presentation featuring the cultural history of La Danza de la Pluma and its relation to the Matachin dances of New Mexico and northern Mexico.
The event is free for all New Mexico residents with an ID. Shuttle service will be available from Socorro, courtesy of the city of Socorro. For more information, call 575-854-3600 or log on to www.elcaminoreal.org.

• DAV Sells ‘Best Of The Best’ Enchiladas

The Socorro chapter of Disabled American Veterans, 200 North Fifth St., will host a red-chile enchilada dinner fundraiser Friday, July 17 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. DAV Commander Peter Romero said besides “the best of the best” enchiladas, the $6 plate includes beans and rice.
All proceeds support the veterans of the DAV, he said. For more information, call 835-0843.

• Catron Democrats Plan Organizational Meeting

The Democratic Party of Catron County will have a planning and organizational meeting at 4 p.m. Aug. 8 at the Catron County Courthouse in Reserve.

• Tech To Host Blood Drive Next Friday

There will be a blood drive from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, July 17, at New Mexico Tech’s Student Activities Center. Sign up for an appointment at www.bloodhero.com.
The goal is to collect 70 pints of blood during this summer drive.

• Children’s Musician To Perform Tuesday

Andy Mason, guitar-playing singer of children’s songs, will be at the Socorro Public Library at 3 p.m. Tuesday, July 14.
Mason had to cancel his original date to appear because of a family emergency and has rescheduled.
He interacts with children of all ages with finger plays, educational songs in both English and Spanish and engages the children with foot-stomping fun.
The program is part of the Summer Reading Program at the library and is free to all.

• Library To Host Pottery Workshop

Barbara Szabo, local artist and potter, will present a pottery workshop for elementary-age children at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, July 16. She will teach children how to make a simple clay pot and more. The program is free.

Around the Area

Socorro Football All-Stars Off To Vegas

By Polo C’ de Baca
For the Mountain Mail

SOCORRO – Seven Socorro High School athletes have been honored as all stars and alternates for the Class 3A North-South football game that will be Saturday in Las Vegas, N.M., on the New Mexico Highlands University football field.
All-South All-Stars Adam Casey, Daniel Boykin, Elias Mora, Alvin Alvarado, Andre Gonzales and alternates Matt Lyon and Sam Jones will represent Socorro on the team.
“I think it means a lot to the school and to the community to have these young men represent us,” Socorro head football coach Damien Ocampo said. “They deserve to go play, and I hope they have a great time, and I hope they cherish every minute of it.”
It is doubtful that Socorro’s primo running back, Alvarado, who rushed for well over 1,000 yards last season, will be able to play. Alvarado suffered a knee injury at the end of last year’s season.
“Because he was voted in, they still want him to go whether he plays or not,” Ocampo said. “But Alvin’s the type of kid that it would drive him nuts if he was there and not playing. If he’s not able to play, then that’s a tough deal.”
Andy Correll will coach the South. He led Portales to last year’s 3A state championship.
“He’s a great coach,” Ocampo said. “I think all of our guys will be starting in some position. I think they’re good enough to do it, and I think they deserve it. I feel that our offense was one of the top offenses in 3A, and these guys were all a major part of it.”
Gonzales, a three-sport athlete, plans to attend Highlands to study environmental science. He said he would like to play baseball, although his favorite sport is football.
Boykin, who also played basketball and was on the track team, plans to attend the New Mexico Military Institute. Coach Chuck Zimmerly advised him about the choice. Boykin said he wants to participate in sports at NMMI.
Casey, who comes from a military family, also plans to attend NMMI.
Mora, a leading receiver for the Warriors last season, has spent the first part of the summer working for State Forestry. Mora said he still hasn’t made up his mind about what school to attend.
“I’d just like to wish all the Socorro athletes good luck,” Ocampo said. “That also includes the basketball players who were selected, along with the football players and all the other athletes who were selected. We’ll be up there watching them.”
This year’s Warrior football hopefuls will attend a passing tournament in Roswell on Friday before the all-star game, before heading to Las Vegas to watch the game.
“Hopefully we’ll take as many kids as possible, 30 or 40,” Ocampo said. “These are the boys who will all be on this year’s Socorro football team. It’s football without the linemen.”
Tony Wragge, an offensive lineman for the San Francisco 49ers and one of Ocampo’s good friends, was at Socorro High School on Tuesday to inspire this coming season’s football players. Ocampo and Wragge were roommates in college, and Ocampo was the best man at Wragge’s wedding.

Socorro Football All-Stars Off To Vegas

Lady Warriors’ Lone Senior, Jessica Pound, Will Play For All-South

By Polo C’ de Baca
For the Mountain Mail

SOCORRO – Jessica Pound will represent the Lady Warriors in the Class 3A North-South All-Star basketball game Friday, July 10, at New Mexico Highlands University.
Pound, the lone girls’ basketball player graduating from Socorro High this year, played varsity basketball for three years.
Socorro coach Joseph Garcia said Pound’s role for the Lady Warriors changed as the team developed and new players joined the group. As a freshman, she was the go-to girl in the post. As a junior, she set a record for blocked shots.
“When I think of Jessica, I think of her as the ultimate team player,” Garcia said. “She would do anything, not for her own recognition, just for the betterment of the team. She was a good defensive player and a good rebounder for us.”
Garcia said he has no doubts that Pound will represent Socorro well against the North and will likely be called upon to guard Jackie Bartleson of Pojoaque. The Elkettes won the Class 3A state tournament this past season (in large part because of Bartleson’s presence), and they will have three girls in the all-star game.
“It is quite an honor,” Pound said. “I did not think I’d be there, but I think it will be quite the experience. I’m really excited about it. I’ll be playing with girls I’ve played against all my life. It will be quite a rush.”
Pound said she hasn’t been playing much basketball this summer, but has been running to stay in condition for the game in Las Vegas. She will attend New Mexico State University this fall and is considering a career in social work.
“I’d like to do that,” Pound said. “Get my master’s (social work). Then I hope I can participate in a student exchange program.”
Pound also is hoping to play some college volleyball.
Garcia praised Pound for her dedication and unselfishness. Pound has been working in Las Cruces this summer and took a week off from work to represent her home town.
“It just shows the kind of girl Jessica is,” Garcia said. “I’m sure she’ll do fine. For me, it’s an honor that she was selected.”
Pound is a native of Socorro and her parents are Primo and Veronica Pound.
“All I can say about her are good things,” Garcia said. “She never missed practice. She always worked hard in practice and never complained. I’m going to miss her as a person and as a player, but mostly as a person.”

Lady Warriors’ Lone Senior, Jessica Pound, Will Play For All-South

Socorro City Council Considers Police Oversight Committee

By John Larson

SOCORRO – The Socorro City Council got a chance to get a look at a proposed ordinance creating a Police Oversight Committee Monday night.
Councilor Mary Ann Chavez-Lopez said the document was ready to turn over to the council for a reading.
According to the ordinance, the Police Oversight Committee will have five members “who broadly represent the diversity of this community.” People interested in becoming committee members should provide a written request, along with a resume, to at least two city councilors. Those names will then be forwarded to the mayor, who will choose specific candidates for approval by the city council.
Minimum qualifications for prospective committee members and other information on responsibilities of the Police Oversight Committee will be available at the public library or at city hall.
A public hearing on the ordinance will be during the next council meeting, at 6 p.m. Monday, July 20.
In other business, the council gave its approval to name Magee and Associates for landfill general engineering and consulting services. Mayor Dr. Ravi Bhasker said the state Environment Department told him it would not issue a permit, based on previous violations concerning litter, methane monitoring and groundwater monitoring. A report from the NMED indicated that an extra person would need to be hired specifically to oversee the landfill’s operation – a position under city Utilities Director Jay Santillanes. “The question is, and has always been, Do we want to go ahead with the landfill, or do we want to go with a transfer station?” Bhasker said.
Bhasker said in the long run, a landfill would be preferable, financially.
“A transfer station would be easier to get permitted, but we would have to make the 85-mile trip to Belen’s landfill three times every day,” he said. “But if the city continues to progress with economic development, who knows? My feeling was that the public wanted a landfill, and the council wanted a landfill.”
He said representatives from the New Mexico Environment Department and Magee and Associates will both attend the next city council meeting to discuss what improvements would be required to get a Socorro landfill permitted.

Socorro City Council Considers Police Oversight Committee

Reserve BPA Blazes New Trails At National Competition

Mountain Mail reports

Nine members of Business Professionals of America from Reserve High School traveled to Dallas and competed at the National Leadership Conference on June 16 to 21.
They qualified to compete at nationals during the state competition in February. The nine students from Reserve were Victoria DeLaO, Larisa Estrada, Marc Estrada, Katherine Faust, Ariel Hickson, Scott Johnston, Kayli Laney, Tanner Lengstorf and Dillion Stevenson. They were accompanied by their teacher, Mr. Manuel Chavez.
The students had much success at the competition, with all nine students placing in the top 10 in at least one of their events and some students in up to three competitions. Larisa Estrada took home a first-place award in Keyboarding Production in the Midlevel Competition. Placing in the top 10 in the following events were:
Parliamentary Procedure team – Johnston, Marc Estrada, Lengstorf, Laney and Stevenson
• Parliamentary Concepts – Stevenson and Laney
• Administrative Support team – Faust, Hickson and DeLaO
• Basic Office Systems and Procedures – Marc Estrada
• Administrative Support Research – Laney
• Prepared Speech – Larisa Estrada
• Business Math – Larisa Estrada
• Insurance Concepts – Lengstorf
The students put in lots of hard work to make it to the competition and succeed there, with guidance from their dedicated teacher, Chavez. The students thank everyone who supported them and helped with their fundraising to be able to attend the conference.

Reserve BPA Blazes New Trails At National Competition

Riding Along With One Of Socorro's Finest

By Mike Sievers

This is an excerpt from a full article that will appear in an upcoming special section.

It was a relatively sleepy Thursday night in Socorro, so Wes Mauldin decided to pull into the town’s south-end Chevron station at about 6:45 p.m. for some “dinner”: a handful of cashews and a Red Bull.
Mauldin, who has been an officer with the Socorro Police Department for six years, spent his eight-hour mid shift with this reporter riding shotgun on Thursday, June 18, which was Mauldin’s first complete day riding in his brand-new V-6 Chevrolet Impala.
Late in the shift, he was getting hungry again and wondered aloud if his wife had cooked a real dinner, since his daughter’s swim practice was cancelled. Most days, his biggest meal is before the shift, and he often doesn’t eat anything until after it’s over.
Mauldin grew up in Lemitar and graduated from Socorro High School.
“I’m an officer here because I care about my community, and most of our officers do,” Mauldin said. “It’s a great place to live.”
He said police officers in general are often misunderstood and disrespected, and people should know the officers really are there to serve and protect – not to make life hard on people.
“This job can be very frustrating,” he said. “There are days when you go home and take off your uniform and think, ‘Why am I doing this?’ … But I love this job. It really is a lifestyle.”
Mauldin currently works two mid shifts – 2 to 10 p.m. – and three day shifts – 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. – every week, in addition to overtime. It also is common for officers to arrive at work 30 minutes early and leave 30 minutes late. Mauldin said once the department boosts its staff numbers soon, the officers might switch to 4-10s – 10-hour days and four-day weeks.
Mauldin’s workday June 18 started at about 7:45 a.m., when he did some traffic patrol for several hours. Normally he would take a nap after that, but was committed to work overtime in court around noon. His actual shift began at 2 p.m. and he finally pulled into the police station to end the shift a little before 10 p.m. – before 10 and not after, because it was a slow night.
“A lot of nights are like this, really slow and quiet, and we just make our presence known,” Mauldin said. “One of the biggest deterrents to crime is our presence and visibility.”
After an informal briefing at the station, Mauldin made his first traffic stop of the shift at 2:45 p.m., when he clocked a Jeep traveling 44 mph in a 33 mph zone on Highway 60. At 2:54, he stopped a pickup that was going 47 in the same zone. He said officers usually relay license plate numbers to central dispatch as soon as they are visible in case the driver decides to take off. In this case he didn’t call out the numbers right away, because he was multitasking – talking business on his cell phone with Assistant Chief Mike Winders.
At 3:47, Mauldin cited a driver whose Ford Explorer was stopped in the middle of the road. Another officer pulled up behind Mauldin for support, which Mauldin said the officers do whenever possible.
“We like to roll by and check on each other, if nothing else,” he said.
The first time Mauldin used his siren was when a Chrysler 300 sedan ran a stop sign at Meek and Cuba streets, and the driver did not have a driver’s license with her, or current proof of insurance. Mauldin cut her a break on the insurance since the sticker on her license plate was current.
“Contrary to popular belief, most officers aren’t out here to beat people up. We’re really out here to help people out,” he said.
At 4:25 p.m., Mauldin initially planned to stop a truck for speeding, but instead pulled over a car that was traveling even faster, behind the truck. The driver pulled over immediately upon seeing Mauldin’s unit. He set out to give the driver a citation, but learned the driver, who was in tears, had just received news about a devastating life-threatening illness in her family. He let her go with a warning, but told her that being upset was all the more reason to drive safely.
At 5:21 p.m., a driver in a Honda Accord ran a stop sign at Meek and Cuba – she stopped after seeing Mauldin’s unit, but it was too late. She got a written warning.
At 5:36 p.m., Mauldin went to assist officer Kenneth Greenwood on a call about possible child abuse. Since the alleged incident took place in the county, the officers called State Police, who in turn called out the state Children, Youth and Families Department for an interview with the child.
At 6 p.m., Mauldin was called to a mobile home park where a resident had complained of loud music coming from a truck parked in front of a neighbor’s home. The man playing his music had already turned it down upon the arrival of Mauldin, who simply told him to keep it down.
Mauldin said if he ever won $200 million in the lottery, he would finance and build truly affordable housing where people would have enough space to live their lives in peace, and would have the freedom to play their music loudly if they chose to do so. He believes a common cause of crime and conflict in general is the fact that many people live too close together.
Mauldin gives a friendly wave to most of the people he sees when patrolling, and for the most part, people wave back. Of course, having grown up in Socorro County, he knows lots of people by name. He said knowing everyone actually can be a disadvantage at times, because people expect to get breaks.
Mauldin said the reason for enforcing traffic rules is to make people realize that bad driving is dangerous, and issuing a citation may end up saving the life of the driver him/herself, or another driver or pedestrian, in the future.
“I write tickets so you think about your poor driving habits,” Mauldin said.

Riding Along With One Of Socorro's Finest

Sylvia’s A Talented Poet, And Doesn’t She Know It

By Anne Sullivan

Sylvia turned her head away from the TV and spoke for the first time in over an hour. “I’ve been wasting my time,” she said.
“Wasting your time doing what?” I asked, turning another page in the New York Times.
“Doing nothing worthwhile,” she answered. “I need to earn more money.”
“And how do you propose to do that?”
“I’ve got it all figured out. I’ll win a Talent Contest.”
“Just what talent do you possess?”
Sylvia thought for a minute. “Let’s see, singers win most of the contests.”
“You couldn’t keep a tune if someone gave it to you.”
“Dancers win a lot.”
“You have four left feet.”
“I guess that leaves out acrobatics, too,” she said. “It should be very simple. I’m sure all those talent shows are looking for contestants. And, being a dog, I’ve got an advantage right there. All I have to do is think of something I’m better at than anyone else.”
“Try complaining.”
Sylvia glared at me. “Surely you jest,” she said. “Wait a minute. I know what my talent is. It’s poetry.”
“You’re going to recite poetry in a talent show? Whose poetry, may I ask?”
“Why, mine, of course. I am, after all, a poet of great renown.”
“I guess you are – in Swingle Canyon.”
“To prove it, I’m going to write a poem now if you’ll give me pen and paper.”
I did so and she was silent, lying on the floor and occasionally writing something. After an hour, through the trials and travails of one entire soap opera, I couldn’t resist rising to look over her shoulder.
This is what she wrote:
It’s funny
How important is money.
I yearn
To earn
A healthy sum
To buy food and rum.
“Sylvia!” I exclaimed, “You don’t drink rum.”
“I know, but it rhymes. Poems gotta rhyme. Oh, good, that’s my next couplet.”
“It’s fine
To rhyme.
I want to be
A celebrity.
Not from here
But near.
On a talent show
I would go.
My poems I would read.
The prize I really need.
Isn’t it great?
‘Tis my fate.
My poems are wise
Enough to win the prize.
Everyone will vote for
me.
Who could resist – gee –
A poet who’s a dog,
Never in a fog.
I won’t have a break-
down.
It’ll just be a shakedown
Cruise
That’s news.
On TV I’ll be a hit.
If not, I’ll have a fit.
I can win.
It’s not a sin.
Isn’t it funny?
I’ll win lots of money.
And there’ll be a new celebrity.
Me!

Sylvia’s A Talented Poet, And Doesn’t She Know It

July 11 Rumpelstiltskin Performance Stars Local Youth

Mountain Mail reports

Audiences are invited to join in the fun of festival time and help Clara guess a mischievous little gnome’s name this Saturday, July 11, when the Missoula Children’s Theatre and 60 local students will perform Rumpelstiltskin, an original musical adaptation of the classic tale.
The local cast features Emmie Domschot as Rumpelstiltskin, Brianna Chavez and Amelia Gotobed as Clara, Eva Domschot as Queen Beatrice, Colin Huber as the King and Xia Murphy as the Jester.
Also featured are Aubry Anaya, Felicia Baca, Stephanie Frisch, Savannah Rivera and Ashlea Steele as Wizards; Ashley Aguilar, Miquella Barela, Jeremy Di Bartolomeo, Caylah Huber, Alyssa Marquez, Ambriel Mauldin, Deborah Partey, Paige Pyke, Karli Ridley,and Darius Silva as Gnomes; and Xavier Chavez and Isaac Silva as Knights.
To complete the ensemble, Jonas Akudago, Jose Angel Jr., Catherine Crider, Raelene Hershey, Brianna Lara, Anastasia Lewark, Acacia and Brier Murphy, Kaitlyn Pino, Briseida and Joseph Speer, Brandon Steele, Kyara Talavera and Dennis Woods will appear as Villagers; and Miriam Frisch, Hyrum Harris, Emerald Huber, Andrew Martinez, Radeem Moradi, Marysa Ocampo, Daisy Partey, Gabriella Paws, Jai Qureshi, Cheyenne and Tomas Rosales, Hannah Samuels, Lazarus and Maggie Sanchez, Dylan Shay and Javin Saavedra as the Busy Bees.
Brett Anaya, Celeste Knight, Bryce Ridley and Timmy Silva have served as invaluable Assistant Directors throughout the week. Elizabeth Smoake is the accompanist.
Rumpelstiltskin will be presented at 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the Sarracino Middle School Auditorium. Tickets are $5 for adults and $2 for youth, and are available at the door.
This week is part of the Missoula Children’s Theatre‘s unique international touring project and is presented locally by Socorro Consolidated Schools, the city of Socorro and the New Mexico Tech Performing Arts Series.
For more information, call Ronna, Titia or Dana at 835-5688 or e-mail tbarham@ admin.nmt.edu.

July 11 Rumpelstiltskin Performance Stars Local Youth