MAGDALENA - Two trustees and the newly elected mayor took their oaths of office Monday night at the Village Board meeting.
Mayor Sandy Julian began her four year term by promising that her door is always open.
“I will listen to anybody with a comment or complaint, or if you just want to talk,” Julian said. “You can find me either at Village Hall and everybody knows where I live.
“I will listen, I guarantee it. We will work together. The whole board; we are a team.”
The two new trustees Tommy Torres and Diane Allen, took their places alongside Carmen Torres and Barbara Baca on the board.
Looking at the board, Julian said, “Tommy, you’d think you died and went to heaven. Look at all the women around you.”
Before Jim Wolfe turned his mayoral gavel over to Julian, he said he has been told the village is “on the shortlist” for the paving of Pine Street.
“There’s a good chance we’ll get the money to pave the southern part of Pine,” Wolfe said. “We also put in for stimulus money for the telemetry and new well. We were advised that a project proposal for a pump and the telemetry is also on the shortlist.”
He said the village can expect to get $75,000 for the project.
Wolfe also said the long awaited drainage project is finally underway.
During the public input period, Magdalena Schools Superintendent Mike Chambers asked the board to consider authorizing a youth board. “I’d like to make you aware of a bill that passed the legislature this year,” Chambers said.
“It asks that municipalities consider having a youth council that would talk about issues in communities. An ancillary to this that concern our young people.”
Chambers said he would like to come to a future board meeting to discuss it further. He also said he has appreciated the help and cooperation from Marshal Larry Cearley’s office.
“In order to do an effective job at the school, community support is needed,” Chambers said. “I just want you to know this support is appreciated from the school’s standpoint. [The Marshal and the deputies] are very concerned about the kids, and that is foremost in their mind. Frankly, it makes my job easier.”
The board voted Trustee Diane Allen to be Mayor pro tem.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Mayor, Trustees Take Village Oaths
Family Dollar To Come To Magdalena
After three to four years of speculation, Family Dollar’s corporate office in Charlotte, N.C., has confirmed the opening of one of their stores in Magdalena.
The store will be located at 907 W. First St. (Highway 60), at the corner of First and Cedar.
According to Family Dollar Public Relations Manager Josh Braverman, the store is targeted to open in mid-summer.
“That’s our tentative date, but it should be in that time frame,” Braverman said. “We’re one of those companies growing right now. We’re opening 200 new stores this year.
“We put in new stores where people need us, and Magdalena has a need for what we have to offer,” he said. “We carry quality name brand products, everything from household paper and cleaning items, to great apparel, basic food necessities like milk and eggs, small appliances, and more. Being a national chain, we are able to maintain a wide variety of products, keep our costs down and give the best value possible to our customers.”
Braverman said the store will have a selling floor space of 7,000 square feet; “the size of our average store.”
Magdalena’s Family Dollar will be staffed with five to seven employees, he said.
“This includes management and part-time. We hire locally, and pride ourselves on being a community business. The people working there will be your neighbors.”
He said the store will begin hiring shortly before the grand opening.
Fishing Derby Scheduled For March 20
The annual Community Fishing Derby is coming up Saturday, March 20 at Escondida Lake.
Young anglers age three and over will fish for bragging rights and prizes from 8 a.m. to noon.
Prizes will be awarded to registered youth anglers that attended the derby. The Socorro Valley Bass Club will award nine prizes for most weight/limit and one big fish prize (trout) for each of the three categories/divisions. The age categories are 3 through 7, 8 through 11, and 12 and over. Anglers over 12 need a fishing license. In case of a tie, the tie will be broken with a “flip of a coin.” There are no appeals.
Each youth is required to be registered to participate in the derby and be eligible for the prizes. The Chamber of Commerce will be in charge of logistics and registration.
Anglers can pre-register at the Chamber of Commerce Office, or call the office at 835-0424 anytime before the derby. Kids can also register the morning of the event at the tent between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. The Derby ends at noon and fish will be weighed at the tent. All registered youth will get a free jar of power bait or salmon eggs on Saturday morning.
The primary sponsor of the Derby is the Socorro Chamber of Commerce.
“This is a great event for our community since it involves all generations of families and friends getting together to enjoy each other‘s company and the outdoors,” Chamber Director Terry Tadano said. “And if the children catch a few fish that is a delicious bonus!”
He said there are three primary goals for the fishing day:
To teach youth about sportsmanship, ethics and fishing techniques.
To provide a positive, fun and safe activity for our youth that they will continue to enjoy for years.
To provide a recreational activity for youth to spend with their families or other responsible adults.
From 11 a.m. to noon, Socorro’s Disabled American Veterans will provide a free lunch of hot dogs and soda for the youth.
Coffee will be available and the DAV will have a donation jar and will charge adults for the lunch. The funds generated will be ear marked for next year’s event.
More Cows Killed In Veguita
VEGUITA – Gilbert Barela looked at the dead cow Friday, Mar. 5, and just shook his head.
After staring at it for a couple of minutes, Barela walked to his pickup truck, grabbed a lasso and put it around the cow’s front legs. Gilbert’s brother Earl grabbed the back legs and the two flipped the cow, which was owned by one of their grandsons. The two coughed and tried to breathe as the stench of the cow permeated the air.
A bullet hole was visible halfway down the cow’s neck which Gilbert Barela guessed came from a high-powered rifle. A trail of blood could be seen in the dirt.
Gilbert said the cow probably died Tuesday, Mar. 2 and had been discovered the next day by his brother Joseph.
Bite marks presumably by dogs could be found on the flank and the rear legs of the animal and also around the cow’s ears and nose.
Socorro County Sheriff Philip Montoya said Barela called Wednesday, Mar. 3, when the department was in firearms training.
“We asked the state police to respond and they went out there and they said they could not find Mr. (Gilbert) Barela,” Montoya said.
A Socorro County deputy went out to investigate on Friday, Montoya said.
The sheriff added that an investigator has been assigned to further check out the previous cases.
Socorro County is considered to be open range and cattle do not have to be fenced in.
On Wednesday, Mar. 10, Gilbert Barela called the Mountain Mail to say two more cows had been shot and killed in the past four days.
“It’s just gotten worse,” Barela said. “Everybody is doing it now.”
That makes six cows that have been fatally shot or killed by dogs in the past month, Barela said.
Gilbert Barela said full-grown cows are worth $700 or $800.
Socorro County Sheriff's Blotter
Jan. 13
An officer was dispatched at 4:32 p.m. to a ditch bank road on Jaramillo Loop in Veguita where a suspicious vehicle was reported parked. A check showed the vehicle had been reported stolen . The owner was contacted and the car recovered.
Jan. 19
A man reported at 12:35 p.m. that unknown suspects removed a pump from a trailer parked on a low flow channel road in San Antonio. He stated that eight scarfire shanks from a John Deere 770C were also taken. Estimated value of stolen property is $1,800.
Feb. 8
A couple in Hop Canyon reported that a neighbor’s dogs displayed aggressive and threatening behavior toward them. A homemade video showed the dogs barking furiously and aggressively, and trying to push themselves through a fence between the properties. The officer spoke with a family member of the suspect who stated that the dogs stand guard while the suspect is away, and she saw no problem in their behavior.
Feb. 11
While parked on a traffic stop on Highway 380 at mile marker 40, an officer was approached by the suspect who said there was a warrant for his arrest and he wanted to turn himself in. A check showed he did, and he was taken to jail.
Feb. 12
A man in Veguita reported at noon that the suspect was walking her dogs along the roadway when her large white dog entered his property and attacked his German shepherd. He separated the dogs and then the white dog attacked his three month old puppy. It was learned that neither of the dogs were leashed, and were allowed to run free. A witness supplied the first name of the suspect, who could not be located.
Feb. 14
A man in Veguita reported at 4:30 p.m. that he had noticed a white pick-up truck bed with a silver colored truck box near his property. The bed had been cut from its cab by a torch. It was unknown who the owner of the truck bed was due to no numbers or marks.
Feb. 15
A Socorro man reported at 9:02 a.m. that his cat had been killed. He took the officer to the gravel pit on Newberry Road where it was noticed that the cat had been shot with paintballs, and was covered in orange paint. It was learned that this area is used as a course utilizing paint ball weapons. No suspects at time of report.
Feb. 20
A Lemitar man driving west on Highway 380 at 3 p.m. lost control of his vehicle when the right front tire lost its tread. The vehicle pulled towards the shoulder and struck a road sign, causing damage. The vehicle sustained moderate damage to the front and left side.
Feb. 21
An officer pulled over a vehicle at 8:35 p.m. on California St. because it was traveling south in the northbound lane. The driver had an odor of alcoholic beverage on her person, and agreed to a field sobriety test, which she failed. She was placed under arrest and taken to the Socorro Police Dept. for a breath test. Her final stop was the Socorro County Detention Center.
EDITORIAL: Fans Should Have Better TV Access To Lobos
Editor
March Madness has always been one of my favorite times of the year. This year, New Mexico promises to be right in the thick of it.
The Lobos are having a season for the ages with a 27-3 record and a top ten ranking.
Last week while in the El Camino Restaurant, the Lobos’ home season finale against Texas Christian could be heard loud and clear on the radio.
I could tell patrons and the employees were into it because they were all excited after the Lobos won to clinch the regular season title in the Mountain West Conference.
And to be sure starting Thursday, they will be listening again on the radio when the Lobos take part in the Mountain West Tournament in Las Vegas, Nev.
But there is a problem.
Lobos’ fans should able to watch their favorite college basketball team without having to pay a hefty price or to listen to the radio. Throughout the season, most of the Lobos’ games are found on The Mountain, or Versus or CBS College Sports.
The only way those stations are accessed is if you are a subscriber to Dish Network or DirecTV or if you are a Comcast subscriber who has all the premium channels. A lot of those plans are costly.
What would it take for a local affiliate to carry the Lobos’ games so all their fans in the Land of Enchantment could follow their every move on television?
Here is a bit of good news.
Whatever happens in the conference tournament, the Lobos are assured of a bid to the Big Dance. And CBS owns the rights to all tournament games which means the Lobos will be live on KRQE, the Albuquerque affiliate, for as long as they keeping winning.
I know these cable stations have rights to the Mountain West Conference and its tournament but it sure would be nice if local affiliate stations could get access to these games.
I’m thinking their ratings might go through the roof in New Mexico.
LETTER: Health Care Analysis
It is ironic that there are as many conservative arguments for health care reform as there are liberal arguments; let's review them.
Liberal argument: It is the right thing to do. People in a rich country like the United States shouldn't be in constant fear of bankruptcy due to an unexpected medical problem.
Conservative argument 1: Health care distorts the job market, keeping people in dead-end jobs because their current employer provides health insurance. As a result, we are deprived of the economic benefit of enterprising folks who might otherwise become entrepreneurs, because they are unwilling to risk not having health coverage.
Conservative argument 2: Having to provide health care coverage to employees is an economic drag on both large and small businesses, especially if it is impossible to do this economically, as in the current system.
Any health care system worth its salt should have the following characteristics:
1. It should be universal and independent of employment.
2. It needs to be regulated tightly to prevent the shenanigans that are so familiar to us today, and to provide a widely agreed upon standard of care.
3. Costs must come down. (Why should a medical device functionally equivalent to a $100 Wii balance board cost $18,000?!)
4. People down on their luck should be provided for.
In the Democratic proposals before Congress, business will still be responsible for providing health coverage, but small businesses and lower-paid employees will get more of a break. The worst abuses of the insurance industry will be brought under control and the requirement that everybody have insurance will make it harder for freeloaders to impose their costs on everybody else, just as with automobile insurance. Health insurance exchanges will level the playing field between insurance companies and individuals. Families struggling to make it will get help with their health coverage.
Republican ideas aren't necessarily bad; they just seem small bore, like trying to stop a charging elephant with a BB gun. Limits on medical malpractice awards are OK, but states that already have them (like New Mexico!) don't seem to do any better in health care costs than other states. Being able to buy health insurance across state lines might help produce coverage worth buying if insurance were required to meet national standards; otherwise many employers would shop around for the cheapest deals (“cheap” in more ways than one) in poorly regulated states.
Health savings accounts are unattainable for lower-paid workers.
If the Republicans can't contribute more to the discussion than this, they need to get out of the way.
There are many different cost-effective health systems in countries around the world. However, they all share one characteristic; government sets the rules. To pretend we can do otherwise is howling at the moon.
The cost of the current proposal before Congress needs to be put in perspective; the whole thing could be paid for by 20 percent of the defense budget. Its cost also has to be weighed against the costs of doing nothing. Witness the huge increases that the insurance companies are currently imposing on New Mexico -- 25 percent for Blue Cross, 14 percent for my daughter's New Mexico Tech COBRA plan! We are getting clobbered when we can least afford it. It is time to tell Congress to get this job done.
Sincerely,
David J. Raymond
Socorro
OPINION: ObamaCare Is Not The Solution
By Doug May
The greatest problem facing the country today is the lack of jobs. The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions reports that unemployment payments jumped from 45,000 in May, 2008 to 172,000 in December 2009. Nationally the unemployment is far worse than here in New Mexico.
Apparently the unemployed can wait. The President is taking his campaign to the citizens to put pressure on the representatives in the House to pass the health care bill approved by the Senate last year. In Pennsylvania, Obama implored the people, “Let’s seize reform. It’s within our grasp.”
His passionate appeals demonize health insurance companies for denying coverage for pre-existing conditions. He wants Congress to ban insurance companies for such practices. Actually it is wise and fair for health insurance companies to deny people with existing conditions. It isn’t fair for those who have been paying for years to have to cover the cost of treatment for a new member who has not made any payments. If companies do not do this people will delay purchasing insurance until they need it and premiums will go higher.
Health insurance needs to reflect the risk factors due to age, lifestyle, etc. and to adjust the cost accordingly. The insurance policies need to vary depending on what the individual or family wants. A customer should not have to pay for features they do not want. Often times group policies offered by employers do not provide this option.
The Senate bill requires all but the smallest employers to provide health care for their workers. Actually, there is no need for employers to be involved in providing health insurance. If the government allowed all health care premiums to be fully deducted on the income tax then there would be no need to have employers to provide insurance. They could increase wages and each individual could purchase the kind of insurance that fit his situation best. This would allow businesses to be more productive and reduce the cost of their products and services.
If the employer has to provide insurance for all employees, the federal government could offer health coverage at a lower cost. This would encourage employers to shift all their employees over to the government plan in mass. It is clear from all the rhetoric that this administration wants to eliminate health insurance companies. Obama wants a single payer system and that payer is the federal government. It would not be good if the standards for all medical care was determined by the government.
People would be best served if this Senate bill were defeated in the House and people were given more choices. This could be done in a number of ways:
• By making it possible for people to purchase health insurance from any company in the United States,
• By limiting the amount of non-economic damages that can be paid to a victim of medical malpractice,
• By allowing lower premiums for healthier lifestyles, by providing tax advantages for health savings plans, allowing people to purchase cheaper plans with higher deductibles and pay cash for most medical services. This would make it possible to get lower prices for routine visits, tests and medications by paying cash.
Our cheapest and best option is for each of us to take responsibility for our own health care. We should save for medical emergencies, pay cash when we can, and develop healthy life-styles. We can do reduce costs better than the government can.
It is time to tell our representative that we do not want this 2,700-page health care bill and the single payer government option. Contact Representative Harry Teague at 1007 Longworth HOB, Washington, D.C. 20515; or at www.teague.house.gov or at 1-888-983-2483.
Doug May is a retired Lutheran pastor and his views do not necessarily represent the Mountain Mail
Lady Steers Make State Final Four
For the Mountain Mail
BERNALILLO – For the Magdalena girls basketball team, it was all about defense.
The Lady Steers went on an 18-0 run in the third and fourth quarter and defeated Grady 68-49 Tuesday night at Bernalillo High School in the quarterfinals of the New Mexico High School State Tournament.
The Lady Steers improved to 28-0 and they will face Floyd (21-7) Thursday in the state semifinals at 6:30 p.m. at the Santa Ana Center in Rio Rancho. Sixth seeded Floyd advanced by beating third seeded Des Moines 65-54 Tuesday night.
“Floyd is very similar to the team we just played,” Magdalena coach Wally Sanchez said. “They don’t quit. They are on fire and we are going to have our hands full on Thursday.”
Magdalena had its hands full for two and a half quarters against Grady.
With 3:10 left in the third quarter, the teams were tied at 36-36.
The Lady Steers cranked up the full-court pressure and they converted a number of turnovers into some easy points.
With a little more than six minutes left in the game, Magdalena led 54-36. The Lady Steers hit their free throws down the stretch to secure the win. The Lady Steers converted 23 of 36 from the charity stripe.
Kameron Armstrong led the Lady Steers with 18 points and Nicole Hardy added 18 and Keanda Chavez 13. Mandy Rush led Grady with 23 points.
“Grady is a real good team and well coached,” Sanchez said. “They never quit. Grady tied the game but our girls took a deep breath and we just kept playing defense. Our defense took a lot out of them. In the state tournament, there are no more easy ones.
We were finally able to cash in on their turnovers and the kids came through on the free throw line.”
Magdalena advanced to the quarterfinals by beating Animas 59-39 at home on March 5.
“It was a real tough physical ballgame,” Sanchez said. “There were bodies flying all over. But our girls handled it well, because they play physical all the time.”
Nicole Hardy led the Lady Steers with 22 points and Keanda Chavez added 10.
“Nicole Hardy did a great defensive job on their big girl Merilee Richardson,” Sanchez said. “Camille Mansell and Jennifer Matai did a good job on the boards. Cameron Armstrong and Karly Chavez applied the defensive pressure, which caused many steals and walking calls.”
Sanchez was also asked about fan support in Albuquerque. He said, “Our fans have been fantastic this year. We're going to have all of I-25 plus all of Magdalena, plus anybody else that's just curious. It's going to be a great, great basketball situation. It will be jam-packed and believe me, that's an advantage.”
Photo: Magdalena’s Keanda Chavez plays defense against Grady in a state quarterfinal matchup Tuesday.
Tough Ending For Socorro Boys
For the Mountain Mail
SOCORRO -- It was a heartbreaking end of the season for the Socorro boys basketball team as it lost at home to Bloomfield 68-66 in the first round of the 2010 New Mexico State Basketball Championship Tournament Saturday.
Socorro ended its season with a 13-14 record and a 7-0 district mark. Bloomfield (24-7, 9-3) advanced to play Hope Christian Tuesday.
“The boys showed a great effort out there,” said Socorro's Lawrence Baca, the district coach of the year. “ It was a great ballgame. Unfortunately, the ball didn't bounce our way a couple of times. They're a special bunch and great kids and I appreciate everything that they've done all year. It's hard to see a year end like this but it has to end with somebody on the losing end. Unfortunately, it was our turn tonight.”
Socorro's man-to-man defense helped to keep the game close in the final quarter. Socorro was without center Andrew Contreras, who fouled out at the 3:19 mark. Senior Kenneth Decosta scored help Socorro stay close, but still behind at 60-58.
Bloomfield extended their lead twice to five points, the last one coming on two free throws by Matthew Crockett with 1:13 remaining and a 65-60 lead.
Garcia nailed a three from the top of the key with :55 on the clock. Bloomfield added a free throw for a 66-63 lead. With :22 on the clock, Marquez then hit an off-balance three pointer from the left corner to tie the game. Coming down on the shot, Marquez's leg cramped up and he had to leave the game.
Bloomfield's Sabastian Russell put up a shot inside, which sophomore Rio Chadde blocked. Russell retrieved the ball and put it back in for a 68-66 lead.
Marquez returned for the final play of the game. With 10.3 seconds left, Socorro quickly brought the ball the full length of the court. Socorro got off two 3-point shots, but both fell short of the basket.
“I couldn't be more proud of the effort the kids put out there,” Baca said. “They played a heck of a ballgame. Hopefully, next year we can build on this one. And I enjoyed the heck out of myself this year and it's because of them. Hopefully, next year we'll move on and remember this feeling. It's been a great year.
Jared Marquez finished with a game high of 21 points. Erik Garcia had 13 points and Zach Esquivel had 11 points.
Bloomfield was led by Russell who had 19 points.
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