Thursday, February 25, 2010

Back By Popular Demand, Dave Farr Chronicles Return

Mountain Mail reports

This is part one of a second series resulting from an oral history interview with Catron County rancher Dave Farr conducted in February and March, 2008.
As the 150th anniversary of the 1862 Homestead Act approaches, the Socorro Bureau of Land Management’s Cultural Resource Program is increasing emphasis on oral history collection, particularly as it relates to homesteading.
Farr brought in the last herd of cattle on the storied Magdalena Stock Driveway, or Magdalena Trail, in 1970. Just one of countless drives for him, this cattle drive marked the end of the 85-year history of the trail.
Dave Farr’s grandfather (also David Farr) homesteaded at Patterson Cutoff, and his father (also George Farr, with his wife Edith Funk) homesteaded on the Plains of San Agustín, east of Horse Springs, where Dave and Karen Farr still live. They built up the large ranch the family operates today by acquiring additional land over the years. The ranching family tradition continues with Roy Farr, Dave and Karen’s son who also lives on the ranch with his family, and daughter Amy, who lives on another company ranch near Crownpoint, New Mexico.
Collected and transcribed by Brenda Wilkinson, Archaeologist, BLM, Socorro Field Office. The following questions are asked by Wilkinson, BLM Assistant Field Manager Mark Matthews and BLM Rangeland Management Specialist Jeff Fassett.

On the early days in New Mexico

My great-grandmother, a French Canadian, lived in Magdalena. In fact we still own the lots there that she lived on, and she had a garden. And a certain Mexican fella would come into the garden and steal their produce, and when she discovered ‘im she’d cuss ‘im in French, and then she’d cuss ‘im in Mexican, and then she’d cuss ‘im in English, right on the main street there in Magdalena. So anyway, she was definitely French.

When did your family get here (to the ranch)?

Well, nineteen four. And this is that old ranch in Patterson Cutoff. Sheep. Well they had sheep and cattle from the very beginning. They added on here.; there’s two log rooms, and then they built a rock commissary there. Well the rock commissary was much later. They just had two log rooms there for quite a few years.

And that was your grandparents’ homestead?

Yes. But that’s in later years ‘cause they already had a Aeromotor windmill. Originally they had an Eclipse wooden windmill. The Eclipse had a wooden wheel and wooden tails. Lots of bluffs up there, and every time a cow bawls, why it echoes.

[R. C.] Patterson, over [on] other side of Horse Springs, had the contract to furnish beef for the Cavalry at Warm Springs, Ojo Caliente. So he’d either drive or haul the beef all the way up here, over the Divide. This is Patterson Cutoff, you get over the Divide and go down another canyon. Yeah, went by Paddy’s Hole. Went off here and then probably Patterson cutoff here, and that goes on down to Warm Springs.

Where was your grandfather’s homestead?

There should be a pretty good turn in the canyon …. We go up and live in it when we work cattle from there.

So you guys had a place in Albuquerque?

Yeah, meat market. On second street. It was probably started, I would say in the late 1800s. It was before my grandfather ever come back here from California.

When did you close it up?

Before my time. I was never in it, that I know of. But my father worked there. Makin' sausage, and cuttin' up meat. They had a good deal goin'. There was five brothers, you know. And they were in Missouri, and one of 'em stole a mule. And boy, they gathered their belongings and took out for New Orleans, before they hung this one brother you know. They went down across Panama on mules, and back up to California, settled in Chico. Their wives went by boat, I think, and then they all went by mule. Then gradually Bill Farr come back and opened the meat market. And he sent for the other brothers and told 'em “Get out here. Good business and I need help.”
So, couple or three brothers come, worked there for a couple of months, and then they said “Well, we need some wages; we've been here a long time.” Bill said “I didn't tell ya I'd pay ya anything; I just said I need some help!” [laughter]
So they finally made up, and uh, Ed Farr'd buy cattle, Joe Farr had a farm right where the freeway crosses, down at Isleta. He owned that right to the north. He'd hold the cattle there and they'd butcher 'em and take 'em to the meat market. That was three [brothers]. And then my grandfather would stay out here and run this and buy some cattle too.
Then they were in the ranching business other places in New Mexico before here, by the Manzano mountains. My father was born on a ranch there, at a place called Las Moyas, a ranch in the Manzano Mountains. And then they had another ranch by Rosedale … southwest of Magdalena. I don't know the exact place. My grandmother'd tell me, they were a day’s wagon trip out of Magdalena, and everybody’d stop and spend the night, and turn their team loose, same thing going on. They'd buy supplies, and all she did was cook all the time for all these travelers. Yeah, so she didn't like Rosedale. [laughter]

Were there any buildings when you got the ranch? I guess it depends on which piece.

Well, they gradually acquired more country; here there was nothin'. The homesteads, there was an old V Cross T camp over where Roy lives, a two room adobe house. And then maybe, only other place that I can think of would have been Fullerton Ranch, and they bought that in '27. But I think Fullerton, he built his houses out on the flat.
He said that’s so he could see the Indians comin'. So this was back when there was Indian trouble. Did you know that Fullerton was the captain of the first mounted police in New Mexico? I've got a book but it's loaned out now. They formed a mounted police and there was only ten, twelve men that eventually turned into the state police. He was the captain for one year. It was a political deal you know, so somebody else was elected and they kicked him out and got somebody else to run it. They were mainly after cattle thieves.

I didn't realize the V Cross T was running cattle this far north.

That would have been in the V Cross T [now the Adobe Ranch] time, ya know. There's a book tells all about it, but it's hard to find.

On sheep

A sheep is just like a cow only ten times slower, that’s what my father used to say. We used to have a shearing shed here, and I drew a picture of it, and we sheared here and Hubbles sheared here and Fullerton, and Juan Garcia, and it was really an efficient deal. They had an old Fairbanks Morse engine, and then they had ten troughs or ten shearers. And they’d bring the sheep in here to a sweat shed and - I don’t even know, do sheep sweat?

No, they pant usually.

Well, anyway, they call [where the shearing takes place] a sweat shed, cause they had to call it somthin’ I guess. [laughter] And they they’d take these sheep up on a elevated ramp, and the shearers would be out here

…Next week, Farr talks about his family’s sheep ranch in the second part of the series.
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Locks, Keys Wearing Out At Lock-up


By John Severance

SOCORRO -- The Socorro County Detention Center has a little bit of a problem. The locks on the cells work just fine but sometimes the keys don’t work to let the inmates out.
“We had one door to open with an inmate inside,” Detention Center Director Evangel Maldonado told the Socorro County Commission Tuesday night.
Maldonado said he had to call local locksmith Robert Serna, who has been in the business since 1972, to get the inmate out.
Serna explained that locks are good for 20 years but they have to be properly maintained over the course of time. The locks in the jail are about seven or eight years old, and some of the keys are getting worn down, Serna said.
Serna told the commission he would work up a proposal for him to get certified attending a training session in Houston that specializes in jail locks and keys.
“Right now if something happens, you are going to have to call somebody from Houston if there is a big problem with the locks and the keys and that would cost a lot of money,” Serna said.
“It might be to our benefit to have somebody work on this,” Commissioner Philip Anaya said.
The commission left it to county manager Delilah Walsh to work out the details on how to proceed.
“We might have to work out some kind of procurement process,” county attorney Adren Nance said.
Serna summed it up.
“If somebody gets locked in, you will need to get a torch to get them out,” he said.
In other business:
• The county recognized the retirement of longtime worker Pete Gonzales.
• Approved an Alamo Road Grading Contract.
• Approved a Memorandum of Understanding for the Emergency 911 Center.
• Approved the NCNMEDD Non-Metro Agency Amendment.
• Tabled a resolution on Delinquent Tax Sales.
• Approved Amendment No. 4 with Dennis Engineering
• Approved a Dept. of Finance and Administration Grant Agreement.
• During their re-organizational meeting in February, the Socorro County Land Use
• Land Use Commission (LUC) changed the board’s monthly meeting times to the third Wednesday of every month at 5:00 p.m. in the Socorro County Annex Building. The time change was made in order to accommodate the schedule of current board members and ensure a quorum each month.
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NM GRADS Adapting To Budget Crunch

By John Severance

SOCORRO – New Mexico leads the nation when it comes to teen pregnancy, according to the Guttmacher Institute, and New Mexico GRADS (Graduation Reality And Dual-Role Skills) is doing what it can to deal with the situation.
The state-wide system began as an in-school program for teenage parents and has since added on-site Child Care Centers, Career Readiness, Youth Leadership, and Fatherhood Programs.
NM GRADS executive director Sally Kosnick has spent the past month driving back and forth to Santa Fe to lobby the state legislators for funding.
When the legislators met last month, NM GRADS, now in its 20th year, had been totally cut from the state budget, which was facing more than a $500 million shortfall.
“When it came over from the house side, there was no funding for GRADS and other programs,” New Mexico Sen. Howie Morales said. “I’m a believer in the positive impact that GRADS has had on the community. And because of that, we were able to put $250,000 back in. It’s an improvement from being zeroed out.”
The budget, though, still has to be approved when the legislative special session opens Monday, March 1.
The $250,000 was put back in by legislators after they received a slew of emails and phone calls from supporters of the NM GRADS program. On the budget, the $250,000 will be listed under the Public Education Department family support services.
Kosnick was hoping to get an additional $250,000 from the Human Services Temporary Aid For Needy Families Fund. But Morales said that funding has dried up.
It’s a far cry from last year when NM GRADS received $800,000 for the 2009-10 school year.

“We will make sure that every penny is used to help teen parents,” Kosnick said. “I am very happy with the support we got from everybody when we were zeroed out. Whatever the final amount might be, we will work hard to keep NM GRADS running.”
Kosnick probably will have to find other avenues for funding such as grants, and she also has to make sure that the legislators do not shut out the NM GRADS next year as well.
“This program has been near and dear to my heart,” Kosnick said. “And it feels so good to know that we have made such a difference.”
Indeed, they have.
The mission of NM Grads is to facilitate parenting teen’s graduation and economic independence, promote healthy multi-generational families and reduce risk-taking behaviors.
During the 2008-09 school year, NM GRADS served 838 teen parents in 33 programs and in its 20 years of existence, the organization has impacted 12,539 teen parents. One of its programs is at Socorro High School under the guidance of Charlene Savedra.
NM GRADS’ program seems to work.
 • 87 percent of GRADS seniors graduated, compared to 40 percent of teen parents nationwide who graduate from high school.
• The GRADS program has a 2.2 repeat pregnancy rate versus a national rate of 19.4 percent.
• Only 2.7 percent of babies born to GRADS students were of low birth weight (5 pounds, 5 ounces). The average for New Mexico was 8.9 percent.

Picture: Sally Kosnick

Photo by John Severance
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Broadband Comes To Western New Mexico

By John Larson

SILVER CITY - A portion of the government’s stimulus package has been granted to the telephone company serving western Socorro County – including Magdalena - and all of Catron county. Based in Silver City, Western New Mexico Telephone Company has been awarded $11.5 million to provide broadband services to remote and under-served locations in its coverage area.
According to a press release from the Department of Agriculture dated Feb. 17, eleven Broadband infrastructure projects in nine states have been selected to enable rural residents to have “access to improved economic and educational opportunities.”
Funding is provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), signed into law by President Barack Obama last year.
"The broadband projects we're announcing today will create construction jobs now to build high speed Internet networks in unserved and under-served communities. Deployment of broad band will support job creation and rural economic development," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in the announcement. "The Obama Administration and USDA are bringing broadband to rural America so that Americans can compete in a global 21st Century economy. We are opening new opportunities not only for homes and businesses, but for community institutions such as health facilities, libraries, public buildings and community centers."
In all, over $277 million will be invested in the eleven projects through funding made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Western New Mexico Telephone Company’s Broadband Infrastructure Project is receiving an $11,516,679 grant. The funds “for the WNMTC upgrade will bring new telecommunication services to the most rural residents in Catron, Grant, Hidalgo, and Socorro Counties. Ultimately these customers will have a state-of-the-art communications service which will promote business development, increase job opportunities and improve access to educational services,” said USDA Rural Development State Director Terry Brunner in a separate news release.
A spokesman for Western New Mexico Telephone said the company will commence the work made possible by this grant as quickly as possible.
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Socorro, Magdalena Voters To Head To Polls March 2

By John Larson

SOCORRO – Voting day is next Tuesday, Mar. 2, when Socorro and Magdalena voters will have the chance to choose who will be governing them for the next four years. In Magdalena, two trustee positions and the mayor will be decided; in Socorro, four councilors and mayor.
In the Socorro mayoral race, incumbent Ravi Bhasker will face challenger Mark Santomenna.
For councilor, Donald Monette is running for re-election unopposed.
Incumbent Gordy Hicks is being challenged by George Foulenfont.
Incumbent Ernest Pargas is being challenged by Joe Torres and David Locklar.
Chuck Zimmerly’s open seat is being contested by Nick Fleming, Jean Fraissinet, Noah Jaramillo, and Sammy Pino.
In Magdalena, three candidates want to be mayor; Barbara Baca, Jack Fairweather, and Sandy Julian.
Running for two trustee positions are incumbent Dolly Dawson, Diane Allen, and Tommy Torres.
Voting will take place at the Magdalena Fire Department from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday.
In Socorro, voters will cast their ballots from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at their normal polling locations:
Precinct 8, 9-IN, 10-IN, 17, 18-IN, 23-IN, will vote at Parkview Elementary.
Precinct 5-IN, 6, will vote at Finley Gym.
Precincts 1, 7 will vote at GRADS building (the old Torres School).
Precincts 2, 4 will vote at the main fire station on Fisher.
Precincts 3-IN will vote at Socorro Consolidated Schools’ central office on Franklin St.
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Socorro Places 4th In Science Olympiad

By John Larson

SOCORRO – Socorro students held their own during the state’s Science Olympiad at New Mexico Tech Saturday. Socorro High finished fourth overall out of a field of 24 high schools with 301 points.
Cottonwood Valley Charter School finished eighth in the middle school division with 240 points, and Sarracino Middle School finished 13th with 174 points.
The strongest teams were in Socorro’s Anatomy and Physiology, and Ornithology events, both earning first place in the state; and Charter School students, who took first place in Dynamic Planet, and Ornithology.

Sarracino finished fourth in Can’t Judge a Powder; sixth in Fossils and Write It Do It; seventh in Dynamic Planet and Science Crime Busters; eighth in Ornithology; and tenth in Compute This, Detectives, and Solar School.
The only other high schools that did better than Socorro in the high school division were Albuquerque Academy (412), Albuquerque Area Home Schoolers (400), and La Cueva High School (355).
Magdalena High School finished at 24th place with 27 points.
Socorro schools that placed in the top ten per event:
Socorro High School
1st. Anatomy and Ornithology.
3rd. Environmental Chemistry, It’s About Time, Picture This, Remote Sensing.
4th. Disease Detectives, Fossils, Mousetrap Vehicle.
5th. Cell Biology, Mission Possible.
8th. Dynamic Planet, Technical Problem Solving, Trajectory.
9th. Astronomy, Chemistry Lab, Forensics.
Cottonwood Valley
1st. Dynamic Planet, 1st Ornithology
2nd. Can’t Judge A Powder, Disease Detectives
3rd. Bio-process Labs, Meteoro-logy, Road Scholar
5th. Solar School, 7. Physical Science Lab, 10. Ecology
Sarracino Middle School
4th. Can’t Judge A Powder
6th. Fossils, Write It Do It
7th. Dynamic Planet
8th. Ornithology
10th. Compute This, Disease Detectives

Picture: Socorro High School took the top three spots in the competition for top-scoring seniors at the Science Olympiad on Saturday. From left: Moaaz Soliman (88 points), Mariah Deters (89) and Siddhartha Dhawan (85) were among 12 seniors to earn scholarships to New Mexico Tech for their efforts.

Photo by Thom Guengerich/New Mexico Tech
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New Silvery Minnow Recovery Plan Released

Mountain Mail reports

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Monday it has released the Rio Grande Silvery Minnow Recovery Plan, First Revision.
According to a press release, the $167 million plan includes updated scientific information about the species, and provides actions that need to be taken to consider downlisting the silvery minnow from endangered to threatened species.
Benjamin Tuggle, Regional Director of the Service’s Southwest Region, said the revised recovery plan “will serve as a blueprint to recover the minnow.
“With a better understanding of this small fish and its needs, and the sustained support of the public, we will continue to move closer to our goal,” Tuggle said in a press release.
Once widespread throughout the entire Rio Grande and Pecos rivers, the silvery minnow was extirpated from about 93 percent of its historical range, and is now found in only one 174 mile stretch of the Rio Grande – from south of Cochiti dam to Elephant Butte Reservoir.
The small silver fish was placed on the endangered species list in 1994 placement causing a years-long dispute between environmentalists – who want to keep water in the river for the fish – and farmers, who need water diverted from the river for irrigation.
The decline of the silvery minnow may be attributed to destruction and modification of habitat due to dewatering and diversion, water impoundment and river modifications, reduced water quality, competition and predation by non-native species and other factors, the press release said.
Total cost to recover the silvery minnow is estimated at $167 million over the next 25 years.
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Socorro County Sheriff's Blotter

The following items were taken from reports at the Socorro County Sheriff's Department.

Jan.24
A man from Lemitar reported at 2 p.m. that he had left his residence on West Frontage Road and was called approximately 15 minutes later that his alarm was going off. He returned to the residence and found that the padlock of the gate, and the padlock to his workshop, had been cut. Apparently the alarm scared off any suspects and nothing was taken.
Jan. 26
A woman reported at 10:06 a.m. that the suspect went to her place of residence in Luis Lopez and threatened her. She stated that they are in the process of obtaining a divorce. She said that he came banging on her door demanding she come out and talk to him. She believes that he owns weapons and was in fear for her life. She stated that when he left her yard he made hand gestures and stated he would kill her.
A San Acacia man reported at 3 p.m. that three of his advertising billboards had been vandalized with graffiti. It was found that the three signs off Interstate 25 south of San Acacia had paint and lettering on them. There was paint of different colors. Photos were taken.
Jan. 27
A Socorro woman reported at 6:24 p.m. that the suspect drove by her, yelling obscenities toward her. She stated that she was pulling into her driveway and he tried to strike her vehicle with his. No contact with suspect at time of report.
Jan. 28
A vehicle driven by a Rio Rancho man was southbound at mile marker 162 on Interstate 25 at 5:53 a.m. The highway was snowpacked and icy, and he lost control after hitting a patch of ice. His vehicle skidded off the road and into the median. The driver attempted to get back onto the pavement but his vehicle ended up on its right side. It was placed back on its wheels and the driver continued on to his destination. There was moderate damage to the right side.
A vehicle driven by a Bosque woman was northbound at mile marker 116 on Highway 116 at 7:30 a.m. The roads were snowpacked and icy, and the driver lost control when she hit a patch of ice. The vehicle skidded off the road onto the west shoulder and struck a fence and fence post. It had damage to the front bumper and possibly the undercarriage. No enforcement action was taken. The driver was able to continue on to her destination.
An unknown maroon-colored vehicle was northbound on Highway 304, which was snowpacked and icy, at about 10 a.m. It went off the roadway onto the east shoulder and the driver overcorrected. The vehicle came across both lanes onto the west shoulder and proceeded to strike a metal gate. The gate, two fence posts and fencing were damaged. The car was identified as maroon in color by the paint chips left behind at the crash scene. No further information on the hit and run vehicle at time of report.
A vehicle was northbound at mile marker 176 on Interstate 25 at 10:10 a.m. when the El Paso driver lost control after hitting a patch of ice. His vehicle skidded off the road and into the median, but the driver managed to drive out of the median, coming to a stop on the east shoulder. The vehicle struck several plants in the median and had damage to the front bumper. Both front tires were flat.
A man from Veguita reported at 3 p.m. that he had two vehicle frames stolen from some property off Highway 60 East. He stated that he recovered one of the frames on Jan. 23. The other was found at the residence of a witness. The frame was recovered and the witness supplied information on the suspect, who was the one who left it at that property. No contact with suspect at time of report.
A man from Albuquerque was driving north at mile marker 155 on Interstate 25 at 10:01 p.m. when he lost control of his vehicle on the snowpacked and icy highway. The vehicle skidded off the road and into the median, rolling over once and coming to a rest on its wheels. It sustained heavy damage throughout.
An Albuquerque driver was northbound at mile marker 146 on Interstate 25 at 11:15 p.m. when he lost control after hitting a patch of ice. The vehicle skidded off the road and overturned, causing heavy damage.
Jan. 29
A complainant in Socorro reported at 8:20 a.m. that unknown suspects had caused damage to a gate and fence belonging to the Bureau of Reclamation. A vehicle had run into the gate causing the damage. No suspects at time of report. Feb. 3
A vehicle was southbound at 9 a.m. at mile marker 19 on Highway 169, when it skidded off the icy roadway and overturned. The Alamo driver left the scene prior to the officer’s arrival. The vehicle sustained moderate damage and was towed. No contact with the driver.
Feb. 5
A Polvadera woman reported at 11 a.m. that she received a harassing phone text from a Socorro man. She said she had received numerous phone calls from him and when she failed to answer her phone he threatened her with legal proceedings. The suspect was advised not to call or text anymore, which he agreed to.
A vehicle was southbound at mile marker 1 on Highway 408 in Lemitar at 5:08 p.m. The San Acacia driver was apparently intoxicated, exiting off the roadway, and swerving back and overcorrecting. The vehicle left the roadway and entered a dry ditch. He was transported to the hospital by ambulance where he consented to a blood draw. He was charged with DWI and open container. The vehicle was towed from the scene.
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Co-op Attorney Addresses Member Insurance Inquiry

By John Severance

SOCORRO – Socorro Electric Cooperative member Don Steinnard addressed the co-op trustees on Feb. 9, asking for clarification of the bylaws and a 1967 resolution which addressed compensation and insurance for the Trustees.
According to Article 5, Section 7 of the Bylaws, “the sum of $15 plus insurance as compensation to be paid to each member of the Board of Trustees for each day or portion thereof spent on Cooperative Business.”
The resolution did not define the types of insurance compensation, however (both the $15 and insurance) were stated as the compensation to be paid on a per day basis. Steinnard pointed out that this was in conflict with the current “annual” insurance policies.
Steinnard requested the co-op attorney Dennis Francish to provide a response to the Board concerning his inquiries as to whether the Trustee compensation was in full compliance with the bylaws and the 1967 resolution.
Francish made his points known in a letter addressed to Trustee president Paul Bustamante, the board of trustees and Steinnard. And that letter also was obtained by the Mountain Mail.
In the letter, Francish said the resolution passed and became part of the SEC bylaws since 1967. Francish said the resolution has been undisturbed for the past 42 years (until 2009 District Member votes to change compensation), and no other member has ever complained about it.
As far as the resolution being ambiguous, Francish agreed, saying the resolution is definitely ambiguous.
Steinnard responded in an email: “I am still hopeful that it considers my first suggestion to commission an independent study to compare trustee compensation packages with other comparable member owned cooperatives It would appear that a rate of $15/day may be low, in view of inflation over the last 40 years.
“I do not know what is appropriate in regards to insurance compensation. As per my previous statement, I have no opinion on whether or not the current trustee compensation is appropriate. However, without proper information it is difficult for members to make an informed decision on compensation matters.”
Francish then asked the question are the SEC bylaws a contract? The attorney said yes and the bylaws were a contrct between the members and the cooperative.
The next question asked by the attorney was if any members cried foul or claimed breach of contract over the insurance provided board members since 1967.
“The answer is no,” Francish writes. “That is 42 annual meetings and more district meetings without member complaint or objection.”
Francish said the SEC staff should stop searching for more 1967 records to determine the intent of the membership who adopted the compensation resolution. “Any further search is a waste of time,” Francish said.
Steinnard agreed. “I am not an attorney, so I accept Mr. Francish’s opinion regarding the statute of limitations (a six-year statute that ran out in 1973,” Steinnard said. “However, it would have been interesting to know what the members really intended in 1967.”
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EDITORIAL: Interesting Times For The Socorro Electric Co-op

By John Severance
Editor

Editor’s note: The Socorro Electric Cooperative Board of Trustees met Wednesday night and reportedly discussed some of these issues. A report on the Co-op meeting will appear in next week’s Mountain Mail.
Somewhere in the middle lies the answer for the Socorro Electric Cooperative.
Where that is, it’s not entirely certain.
This is what the members in District 3 and District 5 are asking for.
In District 3, members want all expenses incurred by the SEC on behalf of a Trustee shall not exceed $$10,000 and $15,000 for the president. Members in District 3 want all meetings to be open and all members must be permitted to attend any meeting. There should also be time set aside for any member to address the board at any of its meetings. The Board also would have the right to remove persons disrupting a meeting. District 3 members also want the board to follow the New Mexico Open Meetings Act and the Inspection of Public Records Act.
District 5 propositions are a little more lengthy.
• They want to make sure the board is restricted from making contributions to adult or civic organizations, but they can make contributions to student scholarships.
• The Co-op shall be managed by five trustees.
• No member of the board of trustees shall serve more than two consecutive terms.
• The Trustees will have one regular meeting per month.
• The board shall guarantee transparency of its actions with open access to books, records, audits and membership lists to members for a proper non-commercial purpose with the exception of those records which would violate the Privacy Act.
• The board will account for and notify members of their Patronage Capital annually.
• The co-op board shall make adequate arrangements to assure fair elections, which include voting by mail and election administration by a third-party accounting firm.
New trustee Donald Wolberg is trying to mend the differences between the trustees and the members. He was the one responsible for organizing an informational meeting, scheduled for March 27 in the Finley Gym, that he said would educate members on the upcoming resolutions and what to expect in the general meeting on April 17 at the same facility.
Judging by the letters to the editor and the emails the Mountain Mail has received, the SEC Reform Group, the ones backing the new resolutions, thinks this extra meeting is a bad idea, saying why is the co-op spending another $20,000 or so for another meeting and it’s also asking too much for members to attend two special meetings.
And to be sure, the ones holding the majority on the board are resistant to change and probably will do anything to keep the status quo. Maybe they will even try to get some trustee-sponsored resolutions passed in the informational meeting.
Attorney Dennis Francish warned the board a couple of weeks ago that it has to get organized and figure out what it wants to do with the resolutions.
“You have to make some decisions,” Francish said. “If you don’t, there could be some multiple lawsuits out there.”
The best thing to remember for all involved is that compromise usually is the best policy.

One final thought

The mayor made the remark at the most recent council meeting that “Journalism takes a holiday when you own a newspaper.”
The comment was in reference to clerk Pat Salome’s long, rambling explanation of how the city is not breaking any laws when it conducts its elections and that our editorial a couple weeks ago was off base.
We keep in mind the fact that public officials are more apt to be complimentary on articles that put them in a good light, and critical of newspapers that pose too many questions.
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LETTER: Owner, Dog Finally Reunited

To the editor
I am writing the letter in regards to a recent situation concerning the Socorro Animal Shelter and its current employees. After sharing my story with others, I was encouraged to write a letter about my recent encounter with Socorro Animal Shelter by many other members of our community. I am hoping that the concerns stated within this letter bring about change.
On January 9th, 2010 my husband and I noticed that our dog, Payton, was missing. We immediately patrolled the area and were unsuccessful in our attempts to find her. Payton had all of her vaccines and had an ID tag with our contact information on it. I was hopeful that she would be found and safely returned to us. On January 12th, I phoned the Socorro Animal Shelter to inquire as to whether Payton had ended up at the shelter. I was told that there were no dogs and only a few cats currently at the shelter. A few more days went by and I phoned the shelter again. Payton still had not been found. I phoned the shelter a third time the following week and still, no sign of Payton. Sadly, my family and I assumed the worst.
On Saturday, February 13th, I received a call from a woman named Tracy Peralta. Mrs. Peralta said she had adopted our dog from the Socorro Animal Shelter a couple days earlier, but had suddenly noticed the ID tag and decided to attempt contacting the dog’s owner. Mrs. Peralta told me that she had adopted the dog and paid the fee of $100 for her. I was shocked. The shelter had sold my dog with the ID tags still on to another owner! How can something like this happen? I was hopeful that someone would see my pet’s ID tag and notify us immediately if she was found.
I was never notified by Socorro Animal Shelter that Payton had arrived at the facility. The fact that she was sold for $100 to another owner while still wearing her ID tag which had all of my contact information truly upsets me. I am eternally grateful to Mrs. Peralta for taking notice of the ID tag and phoning me. I have since had my dog returned and Mrs. Peralta’s adoption fees have been refunded. However, I cannot help but wonder how an animal with an ID tag could be sold without the owner ever being contacted.
As previously stated, I had phoned the shelter three times, and each phone call was unsuccessful for locating my pet. Each time I spoke with the shelter employee on the phone, I gave full detail of my pet and clearly stated that my pet had an ID tag. On February 17th, I went into the shelter to discuss my concerns as to why I was never notified by the shelter that my pet was being held there. An employee by the name of Sabrina was working there when I arrived. I waited patiently as she worked with a customer. She had phoned her boss because the customer had a question. I waited for her to finish servicing the customer, and then proceeded to explain my situation to her.
I asked if she happened to know who sold my dog. Sabrina replied “It wasn’t me. I just started here recently.” She then told me to come back tomorrow and her boss would be there. I asked her if she would please phone her boss since she had just met with another customer before me and had just called her boss on the phone while I was there. Before phoning her boss, Sabrina suddenly admitted that she was, in fact, the person who sold my dog to Mrs. Peralta. I do not appreciate being lied to. Sabrina reluctantly phoned her boss, Nicole Winders, and I spoke with Nicole on the phone.
I asked Nicole why I was never notified that my pet had arrived at the shelter. She said that I was, in fact, phoned. I argued that I never received a call from anyone at the shelter. She then said that Payton had appeared in a flyer around town under the name Sienna. I did not see this flyer. But, even still, my pet was wearing an ID tag with her name on it. Therefore, why would she be placed in a flyer under a different name? Nicole then told proceeded to tell me that I had to pay the fees for having my pet housed at the shelter. I was outraged. I explained to Nicole was never notified and had I received a phone call, I would have immediately and gratefully picked up my pet from the shelter. Nicole then said “Fine. Just take your dog.” I then asked her if she really even cared about the animals.
She replied “Of course we care. If we didn’t care we would have put her down.” Nicole then explained that an owner has six days to claim their pet once they have been notified that the animal was being held at the shelter. I am eternally grateful that Mrs. Peralta rescued my pet when she did, or I may have lost my pet for good.
Mrs. Peralta was kind enough to phone us when she saw our contact information on Payton’s ID tag. I was never notified by Socorro Animal Shelter. Ms. Winders repeatedly argued that she had phoned me. This is not true. Mrs. Peralta could have easily ignored the ID tag and kept the dog as her own, but she chose to do the right thing and call the dog’s owner. Payton is now home safe, thanks to Mrs. Peralta’s kindness and thoughtfulness. She is truly is good citizen in our community.
Lost animals are in the care of the people at Socorro Animal Shelter daily and if an animal has an ID tag, shouldn’t all attempts be made to immediately contact the owner? I am outraged at the carelessness and unprofessionalism displayed by the shelter’s employees. Mrs. Peralta says she now questions what happened to her own dog that went missing. Her pet was micro chipped and never returned. Was her pet carelessly sold as well? We may never know.

Bernadette C. Ulibarri
Socorro
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OPINION: Waiting For Barbarians

Magdalena Potluck
By Don Wiltshire

Waiting For the Barbarians is an opera in two acts based on a book (1980) by South African author John M. Coetzee, with music by American composer Phillip Glass and libretto by Christopher Hampton. It was first performed in September 2005 at Erfurt Theater in Germany. It ends with these lines of song.
“Now that the barbarians are at the gate, maybe it is time for me to tell the truth. But what is the truth? I’m a man traveling a road that is going nowhere. A man lost in a cruel and stupid dream and still I keep walking.”
I know little of music and opera. I became aware of this one watching a documentary on Philip Glass called “Glass, a Portrait of Philip in 12 Parts.
Glass, born in 1937, is a modern American composer who has produced operas, symphonies as well many other works including film soundtracks. He did the music for Kudun, The Hours, and the visual landscape art films Koyaanisqatsi.
Waiting For the Barbarians may be an opera with a message for our times. “We need a little war to preserve the peace” is just one of it’s messages. This message is just one of the ironies of the age of “Western Civilization”.
Communication, transportation, and awareness of world history has made earth a small planet for humankind, and human not-so-kind. We are getting many messages from many sources. As always, there may be more messengers than listeners.
Written language, religion, science, and great tool making have been the bones and muscle Western Civilization. Our forefathers wanted to take those bones and muscles and build a nation of greatness. They knew it would not be easy.
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died fifty years to the day after the first 4th of July, pleased our democratic republic had lasted that long.
Many think that Adams was a forerunner of the Republicans and Jefferson a forerunner of the Democrats. Yet where these two patriots differed would surprise most. Adams wanted a strong central government that would have the power to make “equal” mean everyone. Jefferson wanted more power for the states and did all he could to make the central government smaller. This may be ironic to Democrats and Republicans today.
However, the irony that strikes me is that they could share affection and respect.
Have we lost a most important thing, respect? Can anyone have any freedom without respect?
I don’t think “Tea Parties” without sacrifice and responsibility taking would impress Samuel Adams. Not buying “made in China” for a year would be more like drinking monarda tea in lieu of British teas.
Western Civilization is a time in history marked by borders, nations and their competition with one another. Greed has inspired “tool making” to the point of eating us out of house and home, the earth. Where bias is often accepted and celebrated as fact. Western Civilization is rule by ego.
Gangs are formed under labels serving as flags. They serve to destroy one another. It takes cruelty to have dogs that will fight each other to the death. For humankind and human-unkind it takes the propaganda of bias.
Yet there is an awakening in the world and a global community is forming. This transcends the age of “Western Civilization” with all it’s borders and jockeying for position. It is very new and very ancient.
This is the age of the individual and Oneness. This is an age of awareness. It is without borders.
It is about respect. Respect is freedom, no master, no subjugation. It is about practice not slogans. On this journey, the first step is respect.
“Gangs” form from fear, insecurity and greed. Respect yourself enough and there is no fear or insecurity. Respect all and you will never be alone.
The barbarians are coming and they are us, Western Civilization. Western Civilization will feed and war until there is nothing left to “profit."We get to choose our reality. Write me at Wshireoldadobe@ yahoo.com.

Wiltshire’s views do not necessairly represent those of the Mountain Mail.
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OPINION: We Want Leaders with Character, Good Ethics and Self-Control

The Right Emphasis
By Doug May

On Feb. 16, before the adjournment of the special session in Santa Fe, the Senate voted 25 to 17 to deny the confirmation of the Governor’s appointment to the Environmental Improvement Board (EIB).
What is interesting are the reasons given for rejecting Neri Holguin’s appointment. Sen. Bernadette Sanchez, D-Albuquerque said, “I would hate to have someone serving on any board that is managing the campaigns of certain legislators.”
Holguin had managed the 2008 primary campaigns of three Democrats, two of whom defeated incumbent Democrats. Sen. Sanchez in explaining her vote against Holguin reveals an ethical standard, that is, if you are going to be active in promoting candidates for office you shouldn’t serve in a position where your decisions might favor one of your candidates. There could easily be a conflict of loyalties.
Sen. Sanchez acted on the basis of her personal values. She was not forced by any rules or regulations to take that position. She voluntarily acted on her own ethical standard. It is a good standard and it illustrates how personal ethics work. Personal ethics are standards that a person voluntarily adopts to guide his or her actions.
Not everyone agreed with Sen. Sanchez’s ethics. Sen. Gerald Ortiz Pino, D-Albuquerque said, “We’ve sat here and confirmed lobbyist after lobbyist. For us to suddenly develop scruples over someone’s potential conflict of interest is disingenuous and hypocritical.”
Each person has different ethical standards. We all should take some time to openly discuss ethics in the hope that we will adopt for ourselves ever higher standards. Individuals can have ethical principals as well as organizations. If one’s company or organization voluntarily adopts certain ethical standards then those standards become rules that the members of that organization should follow when representing that organization. Where high ethical values exist there is less need for laws and regulations.
Good ethics are important, but there is still another element, self-control. Just because a person has good ethics, it doesn’t mean that person will always act accordingly. We all still have our own passions and desires that conflict with our best intentions. It would have been difficult for Sen. Sanchez to vote against the appointment of Holguin if she had helped Sanchez get elected. These personal situations challenge one’s character. In the end it is people with character, that is good ethics and self-control, that are needed in leadership positions.
Many centuries ago a king had an affair with the wife of an army officer who was on active duty. When the king discovered that she was pregnant he devised a plan to make it look as if her husband was the father. The king called the officer back from his unit on the pretext of getting first hand information on progress of the campaign. The king invited the officer to dine with him. After a big meal and several drinks the king told him to go home to his wife before returning to his unit. But the officers said that he could not do that since his men were living in tents in the field of battle. There was no regulation preventing the man from going home to be with his wife. In fact, the king had told him to do so. However, the officer had a sense of duty and loyalty to his men. As long as they were on duty, he considered himself to be on duty. He would not neglect his duty. Some lesser men would say he was foolish. Character often appears that way.
On Monday, February 22nd we remembered George Washing-ton’s birthday. He was a man of principles, a leader with strong character.

Doug May is a retired Lutheran pastor and his views do not necessarily represent the Mountain Mail.
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OPINION: Can Political Opposites Meet In The Middle?

Leftist Drivel
By Paul Krza

Lynne Cheney appeared in my dreams the other day. Really. And what was strange was that we got along, rather pleasantly.
Not many days later, in Albuquerque, I heard musicians from Kyrgyzstan, a virtually unknown part of the old Soviet Union, now a predominantly Muslim nation in central Asia, play on 4,000-year-old instruments (and whistle) their version of ... Frank Sinatra’s “Strangers in the Night.”
Then I went to see New Mexico-image-laden “Crazy Heart,” a film about a down-and-out country singer that was, understandably, filled with country music. To say the least, I’m not a big country fan, but I absolutely loved the movie.
In my tidy little mind, this all seemed downright weird.
In my journalist days in Wyoming, I many times interviewed Lynne’s better-known significant other, Dick. I can’t recall meeting Lynne although I do remember her personality described as, well, like that “b” word detractors aim at another powerful woman, Hillary Clinton.
But in my dreams, it was bliss with Lynne. It made me wonder. Can differences really be bridged? Well, you wouldn’t expect Kyrgyzstanis to be channeling Sinatra, and falling for Jeff Bridges’ country twang was definitely out of my comfort zone. Might it be possible to meet political opposites somewhere in the middle?
Or is finding agreeable ground just a pipe dream? President Obama, to his supporters’ dismay, seems to be trying: More troops to Afghanistan, more nuke reactors, olive branches to the GOP. “You lie!” shouts Joe Wilson, a once-unknown, small-minded South Carolina Republican congressman. Sorry, he says. Apology accepted, the accommodating Obama replies.
Major obstacles abound on the reconciliation path. Name-calling is one huge barrier. “We all should anticipate that the other person, even if they disagree ... has the best of intentions,” suggests President Obama. “We don’t have to call them names ... to demonize them.”
In this day of bellicose blogs and blazing audio and video, name-calling is the name of the game. Republicans routinely run sinister campaigns against Democrats, darkly tagging them as “liberal,” “socialist,” or just plain “communists.” To that Rust-guy on talk radio, anybody opposing Republicans are derided as “these people,” suggesting awful sub-humans.
Undaunted, Obama presses on, for real compromise. Both sides should honestly give up something significant, for the common good, he argues.
Just a cheap political trick, GOP leaders say. Fellow-traveler teabaggers grumble: Obliterate Obama. Vaporize hope. On to 2012.
It gets even worse. Last week, hard-core rightists convened for their Conservative Political Action Conference. Ranter Glenn Beck netted the biggest applause, saying leftish progressives are a “cancer” on the country. I guess we know what that means. Oh -- he also said he “loved” only one politician: Dick Cheney, who thinks, like radio pal Rust, that bipartisanship is for losers. (Rust, by the way, urges Republicans to be not only the party of “no,” but “hell, no!”)
The talk of the day is that most folks don’t like either party, supposedly outright disgusted with everything “Washington.” But when majority rules, as it should, somebody won’t be happy. At any given time, I read recently, you can figure maybe 20-25 percent of the population doesn’t like anything that government does.
Democratic House Majority Whip Rep. Jim Clyburn says the only way to deal with people like Joe Wilson is by pushing back, not with olive branches. He ought to know: He’s also from South Carolina, his district right next to Wilson’s.
There’s a disturbing downside to polarization, and the unfortunate model lies in the Balkans. There, for nearly centuries, folks who looked physically the same but with political differences coexisted until virtually overnight, it was neighbor against neighbor. The guns came out, and people died.
When I see people with weapons showing up at teabag rallies, like they did recently in Alamogordo, it makes nervous. I get more worried when I hear the right seems to think only they are right, and only they are true defenders of freedom.
Sorry. That’s simply not true.
We can and should try to find common ground. But on key issues, “politics” means folks in power move the ball, until ousted by the outs. Alas, Barack mostly wastes his time, catering to Republicans. Get into the trenches, shove through programs and budgets, even if it takes parliamentary maneuvers to circumvent that ridiculous 60-vote Senate filibuster rule. Back in the day, with the GOP in control, a former Senate staffer recalls, tax breaks for the wealthy sailed through, almost in the dark of night.
Oh -- at the end of my dream, as Lynne was leaving, I said, “call me ...”, about to add, “...if you hear of any good stories.” She didn’t let me finish: “Don’t count on it,” she said, icily.
I woke up, moments later. We really were just strangers in the night.
Paul Krza is a former reporter and editor who worked hard to stay in the middle then. He’s now a freelance writer in Socorro. His views do not necessarily represent those of the Mountain Mail.
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Socorro Man Honored By NWTF

Mountain Mail Reports

The National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) recognized Carlos Madril of Socorro at the NWTF's 34th annual National Convention and Sport Show, sponsored by Midway USA, in Nashville, Feb. 19.
The NWTF's Making Tracks with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) program Individual Habitat Management Program Award was presented to Madril, a BLM wildlife biologist, for his implementation of the Pelona Mountain Landscape Plan in New Mexico. The plan aims to restore wildlife habitat in specific game units on the mountain. Madril received the award at the Making Tracks With The Forest Service Awards ceremony.
"Receiving this award is an honor and an inspiration," Madril said. "I value the NWTF as a project partner that supports local communities and on-the-ground habitat improvements, and I'm looking forward to working with the Federation on more projects in the future."
Madril has taken part in 4,650 acres of improvement projects, 20,000 acres of prescribed burning, 11 water for wildlife developments, two turkey transplant projects and 14 miles of road closures in the Pelona Mountain area. The NWTF's Middle Rio Grande Chapter is an active partner in the program.
The Making Tracks Awards are presented annually at the NWTF's National Convention and Sport Show to people and projects that significantly improve habitat for the wild turkey and other species and accomplish the mission of the NWTF.
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Magdalena Boys Clinch No. 2 Seed In District

By Nicky Romero
For The Mountain Mail

MAGDALENA -- The Magdalena Steers finished their regular season basketball season by splitting two district games. They clinched the district 6-1A runner-up position and gives them a #2 seed in this week's district tournament.
Magdalena (18-5, 10-2) beat Alamo Navajo High School on Tuesday, Feb. 23 at home by the score of 72-36.
They now advance to the second round and will play Menaul High School at home on Thursday, Feb. 25 at 6 pm. If successful, they will than have to travel to Gallup Catholic on Saturday, Feb. 27 to play for the district championship at 3 pm.
Magdalena's chances of placing in 1st place in district fell short against Menaul High School in Albuquerque on Thursday.
Menaul (19-7, 9-3), third in district, narrowly
Menaul led at halftime 25-18 at halftime. Magdalena than took the lead 34-31 at the end of three quarters, but was outscored 11-7 during the final period. Reg Peralto was the only player in double-figures with 17 points.
Magdalena than returned home for “Senior Day” on Saturday, Feb. 20.
Their opponent were the Gallup Catholic Panthers who are in 1st place in district play. Magdalena lost by 13 points earlier in the season to the Panthers. Magdalena returned the favor and won 54-41.
Gallup Catholic clinched the top seed and a bye in the district tournament. They are now 18-7 and 11-1 in district.
Five senior players and their parents were honored before the game. The players were Ryan Alguirre, Gene Leseberg, Bryce Milligan, Reggie Peralto, and Abie Pino.
Against Gallup Catholic, Magdalena had a high-scoring 1st quarter. Thanks in part to Peralto's two 3-point shots and Alguirre's 5 points, Magdalena led 21-13. In the second quarter, Peralto hit another 3-pointer and Bryce Milligan added 4 points, to take a 30-19 lead at halftime.
Coach Jory Mirabal was proud of his team's effort, “The boys came out and played. Up there the difference was they put a lot of pressure on us with their full-court trap and we didn't handle it. Today the boys handled the full-court trap. Basically that was the difference in the two games.”
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Warriors Dominate District


By Michael Olguin Jr.
For the Mountain Mail

The Socorro boys basketball team finished the regular season with a 12-13 record, but it finished with six straight wins to end the season, going 6-0 in district play. The Warriors dominated district 3-3A beating each team by an average of 31 points.
“Obviously we ran through the district and the scores showed that,” Socorro coach Lawrence Baca said. “But I told the kids we can’t take any team lightly. Any given night any team can beat us. Any time you go into a game thinking you are going to walk all over the other team you could be in for a good surprise.”
Since Socorro won the regular season district title, they will be the number one seed for the district tournament which began on Monday, Feb. 22. By securing the top seed, the Warriors will have an automatic bye to the championship game which will be held in the Warrior Dome on Saturday night. The boys will follow the Lady Warriors’ championship game held on Saturday as well.
Last Friday night, the Warriors honored their five seniors with a ceremony before their final home game against the Hatch Bears. Kenneth DeCosta, Andrew Contreras, Avery Ngo and Erik Garcia were escorted onto the court by their parents.
For the year, DeCosta averaged 4.6 ppg and 3.8 rebounds per game.
“Kenneth is our sixth man off the bench and he has been a great help to our depth and he does a great job,” said Baca.
Contreras averaged 7.4 ppg and 5.1 rebounds per game. One statistic that stands out is Contreras took 22 charges for his team this season.
“Andrew is our strength inside and he is probably our hardest worker on the team,” said Baca. “He does all the dirty work and he isn’t afraid to guard anyone. If someone needs to be guarded he is the first to guard him.”
Ngo finished the year with .5 ppg and .5 assists per game.
“Avery is a great kid and is someone you love to have around,” Baca said. “The playing time probably isn’t what he is wanting but he is a very team oriented guy and he works his butt off day in and day out. He is a great leader for the team.”
Garcia averaged 10.8 ppg and a team high 4.8 assists per game. Garcia also had a team high 35 points against the Bears earlier this season.
“Erik has had a great year,” Baca said. “He has been a four year letterman and this year he has really shined. I still think he is one of the better point guards in the state. He is very athletics and he has showed that several times throughout the year. He can be hard to stop.”
The Warriors had no trouble handling the Bears. Socorro had a 43-27 lead going into halftime and increased their lead in the second half and went on to win 80-49. Not only did every Warrior player see court time, every Warrior was able to get into the scoring column.
Jared Marquez led the Warriors with 16 points followed by Zach Esquivel with 12 points. Sophomore Ibrahim Maiga had 11 points while going a perfect 5 for 5 from the floor.
“I think what we are hoping for is a seven seed,” Baca said of the upcoming state tournament. “I think we can fall into anywhere from a seven to a 10 seed. It depends on what happens in the district tournament. We will more than likely host the first round state tournament game.”
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Lady Steers Finish 24-0

By Nicky Romero
For the Mountain Mail

MAGDALENA -- The second-ranked and undefeated Magdalena Lady Steers clinched the District 6-1A regular season basketball championsship and finished the regular season with a 24-0 record.
The Lady Steers defeated two more district opponents this week, including district runner-up Gallup Catholic High School.
This was Coach Wally Sanchez's first undefeated team in his seven years of coaching at Magdalena.
Magdalena was awarded a top seednd earned a bye in this week's district tournament for their accomplishments. They played their first tournament game at home on Wednesday, Feb 24. If they win, they will host the district championship game on Friday at 6 pm.
Magdalena first played Menaul High School at Albuquerque on Thursday, Feb. 18. They easily defeated Menaul by the score of 77-45. Magdalena had four players score in double-figures---Nicole Hardy (27 points), Kameron Armstrong and Keanda Chavez (10 points), and Camille Mansell (10 points).
The final season game and “Senior Day” was played at home against the 2nd place district challenger the Gallup Catholic Lady Panthers (20-6, 10-2). Magdalena defeated them by the score of 64-24. This was their second win this season against the #8-state ranked Panthers.
Six Magdalena Seniors and their parents were honored before the game---Deanna Sue Apachito, Karly Chavez, Nicole Hardy, Jennifer Matai, DeShawna Monte, and Leona Monte.
Magdalena began the game with a fast-breaking 14-5 lead at the end of the 1st quarter with six different players scoring. The balanced scoring continued in the 2nd quarter.
The Magdalena full-court press also contributed and again led to an identical 14-5 scoring spread. Magdalena led at halftime 28-10.
Captain Nicole Hardy took over in the 3rd quarter scoring 8 points. This helped Magdalena keep the 18-point lead going into the final quarter.
Gallup Catholic tried to stop Magdalena's offense with a man-to-man defense and a variety of zone defenses. But they all proved ineffective against the quick and fast-thinking Magdalena players.
Magdalena than blew open the game in the 4th quarter. Again, six different players scored points. Captain Keanda Chavez opened the quarter by bombing a 3-point shot and another midway thru the quarter.
The other captain Camille Mansell scored 6 points inside. Magdalena outscored Gallup-Catholic 26-4 and continued on their winning streak.
After the game, Sanchez said, “Gallup Catholic is a good team and has some quality wins. It wouldn't surprise me if we see them again on Friday. Than we'll have to go back to work.”
“Bottom line is, if our girls continue to work, people know what they are going to face defensively. After awhile, our defense wears on other teams.”
Nicole Hardy finished with a game high 18 points. Kameron Armstrong had 13 points and Camille Mansell had 12 points.
The high scorer for Gallup Catholic was Robbie Loretto with seven points.
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Socorro Girls 15th At State Swim Meet

By Nicky Romero
For the Mountain Mail

The Socorro swim team participated in the 2010 NMAA State Finals on February 19 & 20th at the Albuquerque Academy. The SHS girls team took 15th place out of 27 public and private schools that were in the meet. This was the highest ranking of any AAA school in the state.
“We were excited about these girls getting there,” Socorro coach Diedra Vinson said. “Friday night is the night that you need to give it your all and try to make it to the finals. This year our goals was finals and they achieved that and more.
“We are losing two of the seniors---Nikki and Jennell. That's going to be a tough hit. But we have some girls that are coming up that I know that are going to step up.”
“This year we came out 15tth and the top AAA team in the state. That's an achievement. Next year, we're looking forward to getting our boys on board and I have no doubts that they'll score in finals.”
The girls finished 13th in the 200 medley relay with Jenell Higgs, Angelina Stanzione, Nicole Engler and Jordan Vinson in 2:04.31.
Higgs was seventh in the 100 butterfly in 1:02.17 and 11th in the 100 backstroke in 1:05.44. Engler was 14th in the 100 freestyle in 58.28 and the girls were 13th in the 200 freestyle in 1:49.92.
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Lady Warriors Fall In Final District Game On Road At Hatch


By Nicky Romero
For the Mountain Mail

The fifth-ranked Socorro Lady Warriors (20-5, 5-1) ended their regular season basketball by losing their last district game of the season.
On Friday, Feb. 19, the Lady Warriors traveled to Hatch Valley High School and lost 65-45, ending their win streak at eight games.
Socorro had already secured the top seed in District 3-3A with last week's wins.
Socorro will receive a bye all the way to the district championship game.
The game will be played on Saturday, Feb. 27 at home at 5:30 pm.
Hatch Valley (8-15, 3-3) ended its regular season in 3rd place in the district. Cobre (3-23, 0-6) played at Hatch Valley on Tuesday.
The winner of this game played at Hot Springs (14-1, 4-2) Thursday night.
On Friday, Socorro and Hatch Valley battled and kept it close during the first half of the game. Hatch Valley took a 17-16 lead at the end of the 1st quarter, with Roxanne Silva scoring nine of the points for Socorro.
Hatch Valley increased its lead in the 2nd quarter by only two more points and took a 32-29 lead into halftime.
Kianna Gonzales helped her team this half by scoring 7 or her total 11 points this half.
Socorro came out in the second half hoping to take the lead, but again Hatch Valley outscored them 13-7 in the third quarter and 20-9 in the 4th quarter.
Silva scored 11 of her 26 points in this half. Silva and Samantha Sedillo fouled out in the 4th quarter.
Coach Joseph Garcia talked about the loss, “We got off to a real bad start. We were down 10-2. Second quarter was pretty even. They scored a bucket right at the end of the half to go up by 3. Third quarter, they kind of started pulling a little ahead of us. In the fourth quarter, we just played really, really bad.”
“Turnovers weren't the problem. We had a season low of eleven. All year long we've shot 50 percent, we shot 22 percent. You live and die by the threes, we died. We shot under 20 percent. We matched them on free throws. It was the two's. We only made 9 baskets and they made 22. That was the difference.“We just didn't have our A-game. We had clinched district going into the game, so I thought everyone was pretty complacent. There wasn't a sense of urgency.
“If we would have won, you're looking at the seeding for the state tournament on Sunday. I think this is a big loss for us. Unless we redeem ourselves on Saturday.”
Hatch Valley's Kelcie Carson scored a game high of 27 points, making 11 of 14 free throws.
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Socorro Gets Sewer Help

Mountain Mail reports

U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman and USDA Rural Development State Director Terry Brunner presented a check of $1,218,7000 to the City of Socorro Saturday, which represented the obligation of a loan grant package from the USDA Rural Development.
Receiving the check for the city was the mayor and various city council members at the Plaza.
The funding came from the USDA Rural Development’s Community Programs to expand sewer service to 54 homes.
The expanded services were needed because of possible ground water contamination coming from leaky septic tanks and outhouses. Construction will include 1 mile of gravity sewer line, 2 submersible duplex sewer lift stations and the paving of roads that will be torn up to complete the construction.
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Sylvia Buys An Ad, Becomes Philanthropist

Sylvia
By Anne Sullivan

Back and forth, back and forth, clutching pad and pen, Sylvia paced from living/dining room to the kitchen and back again. After eleven minutes of this, I gave up reading my newspaper to screech, “Sylvia, please stop. You’re making me nervous.”
“Well you might be nervous,” she said as she ground to a halt in front of the fireplace. “I’m working up to a melt-down.”
“Why is that?” I asked. “You’ve been fed. You’ve even had a pig’s ear. Whatever could be wrong with your life?”
“I’m at a standstill. I’m working on my February charity giving and I don’t know what to do.
I want to do something wonderful but I don’t have that kind of money. Come to think of it, I don’t have much of any kind of money.”
“It’s very kind and generous of you to give what money you have to charity. But why are you getting upset about it?”
“I’m trying to think of something meaningful to do,” she answered. “Something spectacular. I want to be known as a philanthropist. That should give some points toward getting on a Reality Show.”
I sighed and said, “Whatever your crass motives, it’s still very good of you. What organizations do you want to give to?”
“The animal rescues: Fur ‘n Feathers in Catron County and APAS in Socorro. They’ve done so much for my people – so to speak. Like I said, I want to do something magnificent that won’t cost me too much.”
“Well, you could buy an ad in the Mountain Mail telling readers to donate to APAS and Fur ’n Feathers.”
“I could?” I watched as the wheels churned around in her brain. “I could, couldn’t I?” she went on, “Yes, it could be a big ad, with a picture of me. After all I am a dog.”
“Yes, you could,” I said. “It would not only help the animal rescues; it would help the Mountain Mail as well.”
“So how would it help the Mountain Mail?” she asked.
“Newspapers survive on the revenue they receive from ads. It costs money to publish a newspaper.”
“Revenue?! Money?! Does that mean I have to pay for an ad?”
“Only $32,” I said.
“Only?! If that’s the case why don’t I just donate the money directly to APAS and Fur ‘n Feathers?”
“That’s the beauty of advertising. When published in the newspaper, eight thousand people will see it and –“
Sylvia interrupted here with, “You mean eight thousand people will see my picture? Eight thousand. That’s a lot of people.”
I nodded. “Yes and hopefully some of them will donate. Fur ‘n Feathers and APAS will get much more than if just you donated.”
“Oh,” she said, not entirely convinced. “I thought you had to have a business to advertise.”
“Who says? Of course, most businesses do or should advertise but anyone can take out an ad on any subject so long as it’s in good taste. You could take out an ad on giving to Haiti or wishing a friend a happy birthday.”
“Hey, if I did that for your birthday every year,” Sylvia said, “I’d spend so much I’d own the paper.”
I didn’t respond to that zinger.
Silence didn’t reign for long. It was soon interrupted by, “Will you take a new picture of me? I want to look my best for the eight thousand readers. And I imagine I’ve changed a little since my last picture.”
“I’ll say you have. There’s a lot more of you now. Yes, I’ll take a new picture,” I said in response to her scowl.
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Adult Find Comes To The Alamo

By Nathalie Nance
For the Mountain Mail

ALAMO NAVAJO Reservation - The 7th annual Alamo Adult Find was held Feb. 6 at the Alamo Wellness Center, sponsored by Alamo Community Services and Alamo Navajo School Board, Inc.
Representatives from the Alamo Health Clinic, Alamo Circuit Court, Alamo Navajo School Board Human Resources, New Mexico Job Corps, Socorro Sheriff’s Department, Navajo Technical College, Home Care Options and Positive Outcomes were just a few of those present recently to distribute pamphlets, provide forms for applications, answer questions, and otherwise inform on how they can serve the Alamo community.
People mingled their way around the booths and came away with, if not a job or education, at least pamphlets, candy and t-shirts, and an idea of where to find it.
Personnel from the varied agencies offered Alamo residents information and assistance with paperwork ranging from getting into college, finding a job, renewing health insurance, and more.
Marlene Herrera, Director of the Alamo Community Services, helped out with issues where the demand was particularly high. For instance, many came to apply for new birth certificates either for themselves or for their children.
“I laminated mine, before I learned you couldn’t do that, so now I need a new one,” Matilda Billy said.
However, with the assistance of Herrera, filling out the application for a new certificate turned out to be a brief affair. According to Herrera, there were 41 applications in total for birth certificates during the day, but also for documents like driver’s licenses, social security cards, and tribal enrollment cards.
In the booth of Socorro-based Positive Outcomes, Jacque Valles and her co-worker, Shonia Apachito, demonstrated a big selection of shoes with orthopedic insoles for people with diabetes.
“Type II-diabetes is skyrocketing, not the least in the Native American communities,” said Valles, who offered some advice. “Get off starches and sugars. And lose that weight or it will kill you!”
Shonia Apachito is the service coordinator for the Alamo, and she presented a new program, in cooperation with the Alberta House, to provide early intervention services for children under the age of three. The services they provide are free for any eligible children and their families.
Similarly, Genice Henderson, prevention specialist from Alamo Behavioral Health, talked about the services they offer for all ages. Answering the question of how they get in touch with people in need of help, whether the problem is drugs, alcohol or bullies in school, Henderson said, “We go to the school, to the classrooms, and to places like the Chapter house.”
Jerry Manuelito from Navajo Technical College promoted higher learning.
“We have given several students from the Alamo free tuition over the years, but it is a long way to Crownpoint,” Manuelito said.
He said the college offers lectures at the Alamo once a week. There has been a course on leadership skills and coming up is one on environmental technology.
For young adults ready to enter the work force, Monica Eissele of the New Mexico Job Corps was there to tell about their program for students 16-24 years old.
“Trades and HOT [Health Occupation Technology] are the most popular career choices,” she said.
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Boulder Acoustic Society On Stage

Mountain Mail reports

New Mexico Tech’s Performing Arts series brings the Boulder Acoustic Society to Macey Center at 7:30 p.m. Friday for an evening of all things acoustic: fiddles, ukuleles, accordions, upright basses.
The band has been scheduled to coincide with the weekend re-enactments of the Battle of Valverde and Battle for Socorro. According to organizers, Civil War soldiers have been assigned to safeguard the entrance to Macey Center Friday evening, and will pass out informational leaflets on the re-enactments Saturday and Sunday.
Haunted by the past and focused on the future, the music of Boulder Acoustic Society draws from Appalachian roots, gritty gospel and the contemporary urban soundscapes.

According to its press release, the band merges tradition with innovation, producing a unique sound and an unforgettable live entertainment experience.
Boulder Acoustic Society’s unique lineup of violin, accordion, bass and percussion supports sharp vocal hooks and powerful grooves. The energy that these four bring to a stage also carries over to their new release on Austin’s Nine Mile Records, Punchline, which has been hailed at home and abroad for forging “a new wave of American roots music.” The disc also aptly displays the depth of the songwriting of the four members of Boulder Acoustic Society – a band who wears vintage clothes, savor small batch bourbon, rocks the ukulele.
Percussionist Scott Aller plays a wooden box, a washboard and scrap metal. He's also a music business visionary who holds the band together with his unique drum style. The mohawk makes him look tough, but he's a softie.
Aaron Keim plays bass, ukulele, and banjo. Aaron collects obscure folk songs and builds his own instruments. He plays Appalachian music on the banjo, ragtime on the ukulele and blues on steel guitar. And, oh yeah, he slaps the bass like it owes him money.
Scott McCormick plays accordion, ukulele, piano, and guitar. Scott found music in the gospel churches and the punk clubs of Chicago. He plays modern jazz on the piano, gritty folk punk on the guitar and he sings in Gaelic too. He is also the band’s photographer and graphic designer.
Kailin Yong plays violin and ukulele. Kailin is from Singapore via Vienna, New York, San Francisco and Denver. He ventured beyond the classical world to play music for world peace. He can play a Bach partita, rock a Brazilian Choro, sing in Mandarin Chinese and play in ¼ tone scales.
Five years, five albums and relentless touring have honed Boulder Acoustic Society into one of tightest and most entertaining bands of any genre. The pulsing percussion and thumping bass of Scott Aller and Neil McCormick support the dual lead vocals of multi-instrumentalists Scott McCormick and Aaron Keim.
The concert is Friday, Feb. 26, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $14/Adult; $12/Senior; $10/Youth; and can be purchased at Macey Center. Tickets can also be obtained at Brownbilt Shoes and Western Wear, Burrito Tyme, Sofia’s Kitchen, the Tech Bookstore, and the Tech cashier.
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‘The Flapper’ Comes To Quemado

Mountain Mail reports

The Quemado Senior Center is presenting a performance by the song and piano team of Jane Voss and Hoyle Osborne at 6 p.m. Friday. The show is called “I Want To Be Bad: The Flapper and Her Song.”
Nationally known singer Jane Voss and ragtime pianist Hoyle Osborne give vivid, historically authentic readings of the songs of the women of the 1920s, the New Women – popularly known as “flappers.” These fascinating and witty songs are remarkable artifacts of one of the greatest cultural shifts in American history, when women were establishing new roles for themselves and challenging conventions about costume, behavior, employment, sexuality, and expression. Quotations from journalists, poets, and the singers themselves complement the songs.
The program includes songs originally sung by Broadway stars Ruth Etting, Libby Holman, and Helen Kane, and by classic blues women Bessie Smith, Ida Cox, and Ethel Waters.
This free concert-lecture is presented by the Roadrunner Arts Council, and is part of the Chautauqua Series of the New Mexico Humanities Council. Call 575/772-5509 for additional information.
At 4:30 p.m., prior to the free show, the Senior Center will serve a dinner of beef stew, coleslaw, corn bread and dessert for $6.75.
More information about Voss & Osborne and “I Want to Be Bad” is available at www.janevoss.net.
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