Plans Underway For New Youth Football League

Socorro Schools football coaches and the cty are beginning a summer football league for children (boys and girls) and their families who are interested in participating.
And from the looks of the kids and the numbers at last week’s special introductory football try-outs, it will be a great success.
Coach Louie Laborin and his family, who are back in Socorro after living and working in Animas, will take charge of the program along with other coaches from Socorro High and hope to have help from volunteer parents and player families.
This inaugural year will have a short season that will last into May, culminating in a Super Bowl at Warrior Stadium at the end of the season. There will be an 8, 9, and 10 year old league and an 11, 12 and 13 year old league. Multiple games will be played at Clark Field on Tuesdays afternoons at 5:30 and 9 Saturday mornings. Laborin says that they will be concentrating on sportsmanship, basic fundamentals, and having fun.
Laborin is asking for volunteer coaches for the many teams that will be playing in this first season. Some of the High School players will be helping as assistant coaches to those interested in coaching a team. Anyone who is interested in volunteering, whether you’re a parent or not – call Laborin at 575-642-4477.

Pictured: Youngsters work out during tryouts for a new summer football league beginning April 21st at Clark Field.

Mountain Mail photo

Plans Underway For New Youth Football League

Reserve Election Contested

By John Severance

RESERVE - A losing candidate in Reserve’s last municipal election is filing a complaint against the person who defeated him.
M. Keith Riddle narrowly defeated Robert Caylor by one vote, and Caylor is challenging the validity of the results, claiming that a lax voter policy corrupted the vote.
The Village of Reserve held its municipal election March 2 and certified the results two days later. Edward T. Romero and M. Keith Riddle secured the two Village Trustee spots with 99 and 91 votes respectively. Robert Caylor finished with 90 and Richard Torres had 87.
Caylor filed the complaint against Riddle in district court last week. The date on the filing was April 7, which was after the 30-day deadline that the election was certified. But Caylor’s attorney Sherry Tippett said Romero, who also is contesting the election, was not sworn in until March 8.
Village clerk Kathy Harris said the election results were certified on March 4. On election night March 2, Harris said the election board counted the results three times and got three different results.
Riddle then suggested they count again and on the fourth time, the results matched one of the three other counts. In the complaint, Caylor claimed that he asked for recount, but Harris and Riddle said that did not happen.
Caylor, though, insisted he did ask for a recount.
When he was asked by the Mountain Mail if he asked for a recount, he said, “Yes sir. There were four recounts that night.”
When Harris, Judge Clayton Atwood and the election board consisting of Virginia Hickman, Esther Minkler and Patsy Tafoya met to canvass the election and certify the results March 4, the vote tallies matched what they came up with on the final count on March 2.
In the complaint submitted to the Seventh Judicial District Court on April 7, Caylor requested an order to preserve and recount the votes for the election, to impound the ballots to nullify the votes of 12 non-residents and the vote of another resident, who he said was “incompetent to vote.” He also requested the election results be set aside and place him in possession of the contested office.
“I don’t want to say too much,” Riddle said. “The bottom line is that Bob is a sore loser and he doesn’t like losing by one vote. I would not like losing by one vote either, but I would not challenge the election.
“His main complaint is that people who don’t live in the Village were able to vote. I used to work in the clerk’s office and this happens all the time.”
“The count is not the issue,” said Caylor, who accused some Village officials of soliciting votes from outside the precinct. “The other issue is there were illegal votes in the election.”
The suit also alleges that a request was made to provide challengers and watchers at the election, which was denied by Riddle in his capacity as Village Councilman and other Village officials. Caylor also has requested an investigation of any election violations by the New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office several times, but no investigation has been conducted.
On April 13, the Village Board passed a motion 3-2 to direct Village Attorney William Perkins to intervene in a petition to contest election. Romero and Eddie Varela voted no while trustees Wilford Estrada and Riddle voted yes. Mayor Connie Wehrheim broke the deadlock, voting yes, and the motion passed.

Editor’s note: The Mountain Mail will take an indepth look at the Reserve election in next week’s issue.

Reserve Election Contested

Seasons’ Change Brings Life Back To Valley

Luna News
By Kaye Mindar

Here in the Luna Valley, you can count on a few things to really signal the change of the seasons. While we are still waking to below freezing temperatures; the windy season is in full swing and drying us out quickly. Also Evelyn Hulsey’s garden is plowed waiting for her arrival home again and the first hummingbirds will be here like clockwork this weekend.

Luna Community Center

Our Community Center has been busy with a little of everything the past couple of weeks.
The Lunatic Stitchers held another “overnighter”. As always there was plenty of good food and friends to share in their work. The women got a great start on this year’s raffle quilt blocks. For 2010 the annual quilt will use the “Eureka” pattern. As soon as the tickets go on sale this beautiful quilt will be readied and will be displayed throughout the area. Contact any Lunatic Stitcher for more information.
There will be four community rummage sales this year. They are scheduled to be held on Memorial Day weekend, 4th of July Holiday weekend, Labor Day weekend and in a final year end event, the first weekend of November, just before the holidays. Be sure to reserve your table with Diana Moyers.

The Luna Park will be moved from the fire station to the community center soon. Please contact a member of the fire department, ambulance or community center if you can offer your help.

The first Rodeo committee meeting was held last Monday night at Susie Ley’s home. If you can help this year please contact someone on the committee; it takes volunteers to put on the array of annual events that are planned.

The Luna Valley 4-H held their annual elections this week and are preparing for the rabies clinic and bake sale April 23. Watch for more information on exact time and place on the bulletin boards in town or contact Joyce Laney.

Morning Walk

For a brisk morning walk in the sunshine, many women in Luna are meeting at the community center at 9 a.m. each Monday through Saturday. All are welcome.

Community Wishes

We send our wishes of quick healing and strength again to the Hulsey family after hearing news of LeAnn (Hulsey) Wilkerson’s recent horse accident.

Preparedness Corner

Some wonderful websites to help you in your preparedness goals are only a click away. Visit storefood.com and on the left hand side of the screen you will see a food calculator; here is where you can put in your family information and it will help you to see just what amounts of different items you should set goals to have in your storage.

Family history

Here is another reminder to share all that you have with your extended family. Always add details to your research and your “storytelling” of your ancestors for future generations to really know and relate to you and to them.

Quote of the week:
“Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it.”
~Bill Cosby

Seasons’ Change Brings Life Back To Valley

Sylvia Fights Change With Ridiculous Rhyme

Sylvia
By Anne Sullivan

“I can’t stand it!” Sylvia yelled, kicking her dish across the porch.
Noticing that she’d taken care to empty her dish of kibble before she kicked it, I didn’t stir from my seat on the porch bench, but asked, “Now what’s the matter?”
“Change! I can’t stand change!” she shrieked.
“I’m not much on change either,” I said, “but it seems to happen anyway. It’s a natural part of life.”
“It’s not fair! Every time I get to know and like someone, they move. I just can’t stand it!”
“Who’s moving now?”
“Jackie Kraft, that’s who. She’s already sold her house and she’s almost on her way out of Socorro. I can’t deal with it. She’s the only person in the whole wide world who gave RingWorm, Gordo and me baskets from APAS for Christmas every year without fail.”
“I give you Christmas presents and so do other people.”
“That’s true but not whole big baskets full of all the best things to eat.” Sylvia salivated at the memory. “And not every year. Jackie is the best.”
“That’s definitely true. Besides everything she’s done for APAS and Good Sam she always donates to Baldwin Cabin Public Library, too. The whole community of Socorro and Catron County will miss her.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever recover,” Sylvia said, flopping down. “If she’s leaving right away, I don’t even have time to make her a present. It’s really not fair.”
“Maybe you could write her a nice poem as a goodbye present,” I suggested.
“I”ll try,” she sniffed. “But I’m too overwrought to be much of a poet.”
I went inside to fetch pen and paper for her. Returning, I laid them on the porch floor for her and went back to my book.
An hour passed during which Sylvia wrote and crossed out and wrote again and groaned and wrote and sucked the pen and finally, spoke the magic words, “I’m finished.”
And this is what she wrote:
Dear Jackie Kraft,
It’s hard
To be a bard,
When my heart is breaking.
My heart you are taking.
Because you are leaving
I am grieving.

You are going
And I’m not knowing
If I’ll ever see you again
Or even when.
But I tend to forget
We’ve never really met.
Isn’t that sad?
It’s really too bad.

Will you come back
To see us?
Your whereabouts we
need to track
From worry to free us.
We wish you’d stay
And not go away.

We’ll never forget you.
We don’t want to let you
Get away from us
Without making a fuss.
You’ve been generous
and kind
And we’ll never find
Another like you.
Boo hoo.

So goodbye for now.
Knowing you has been a wow.

I HATE CHANGE
IT’S WORSE
THAN MANGE.

Sylvia Fights Change With Ridiculous Rhyme

Quemado School Prom Set For April 24

By Debbie Leschner
For the Mountain Mail

The Quemado School Prom will be on Saturday, April 24. This year’s theme is “Dance the Night Away” with a disc jockey from Socorro providing the music.

Quemado Invitational Track Meet will be on Saturday, April 24. This is a state qualifying track meet.

The Quemado Soil & Water Conservation District is sponsoring one student to Forestry Camp. They will cover the $200 camp fee. Applications are available. The camp is held June 6-11.

The Women's Fellowship Luncheon will be held Tuesday, April 20 at noon in the Cowboy Church located off Hwy 32 near Quemado.

The Quemado Senior Center Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser will be held on Saturday, April 24 from 8 to 11 a.m. Activities for the week are Pool tournament on Tuesday, crafts on Wednesday,.quilting and bingo on Thursday and exercise class on Friday. Lunch menu for the week: Monday – chalupa, Tuesday – chicken primavera, Wednesday – beef and potatoes with red chili, Thursday – baked ham and Friday – ham and cheese sandwiches. Please call the center at 773-4820 before 9 a.m. to make your lunch reservation.

Child Find, a free developmental screening for children newborn to 5 years of age, will be at the Quemado High School library on Monday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Areas screened include speech, hearing, vision, growth, movement, behavior, social skills and personal skills. Participants can win a heavy-duty, all-terrain child's tricycle and other fun prizes. For more information, call Joy Padilla at 773-4700. Parents or guardian must sigh a permission to screen form.

Quemado Talent Show: It is not too late to sign up for an audition. Mark your calendars for Thursday, April 29 at 6 p.m. You will not want to miss this. Some of the students who will have acts in the show are Tawnee Brunson, Katie Rose Sirman, Andy Rawl, Sammantha Larisch, Bryanna Bunney & Katie Rose Sirman, Mrs. Williams’ class, Mrs. Forgue’s class, Rain Carver, Sam Eberle, Ian Kitterman, and Cory Bruton. To get more information, please call the Quemado school at 575- 773- 4645.

Quemado School Prom Set For April 24

Datil’s New Cafe To Host Providenti Show

Mountain Mail Reports

Datil’s new Mary Mac’s Café will host Jack Providenti’s one-man show of local scenery paintings on the weekend of April 23-25.
The High Plains Art Show opens with a preview from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, April 23. Vocal guitarist Jim Briggs will provide music. Hors d’oeurves will be served and a dinner special plus the regular menu will be available at that time.
The Art Show will be at Mary Mac’s during regular dining hours on Saturday, April 24 from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. and Sunday, April 25 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. with music and specials all weekend.
Jack Providenti studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York City and the Newark School of Fine Arts in New Jersey. He now teaches art at the Mojave Academy in Datil. You can view his paintings on jackprovidenti.blogspot.com and if you have questions email him at fineartjp@aol.com.

Reserve Fundraiser

Logan Boone, 6th grade student at Reserve Elementary, is hosting a fund raiser April 23, at the Community Center in Reserve. Logan is raising monies to attend the National Young Leadership Conference to be held in Washington D.C. this summer. A yard sale will commence at 9a.m., with a Bingo starting at 4p.m. Everyone is invited. For additional information, call 575-533-6353.

Reserve Book, Bake Sale

The Reserve Public Library is having a huge book and bake sale May 1, at the library in Reserve.
The library is accepting donations of books, CD’s, and DVD’s up until April 23, event organizer Ron Smith said.
They are also accepting donated baked goods to be sold at the event. A raffle is currently being conducted for this fundraiser. The grand prize is 100 gallons of propane, donated by Ag-Country. Restaurant, gas, hair cuts, Rode Inn, Art Prints, and even a Wal-Mart $100 certificates are part of the raffle. Raffle tickets are $1. All monies raised will benefit the library. The fundraiser is from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., with the drawing at 1 p.m. For more information, call Smith at 575-533-6831.

Datil’s New Cafe To Host Providenti Show

Muddy Day

New Mexico Tech hosted its annual Mud Bog Saturday at EMRTC.

Photo by Gary Jaramillo

Muddy Day

Two Arrested On Felony Gun Charges

By John Larson

SOCORRO – A case which has been under investigation by the Socorro County Sheriff’s office for three months has yielded two arrests.
Lorenzo J. Gutierrez, 29, of Magdalena, was arrested Thursday on three 4th degree felonies, including receiving stolen firearms, receiving stolen property, and conspiracy.
Robert Torres, 43, of Lemitar, turned himself in and was arrested Monday on three 4th degree felonies; receiving stolen firearms, receiving stolen property, and conspiracy. Also one misdemeanor, possession of drug paraphernalia, and one petty misdemeanor, possession of marijuana.
Four weapons were recovered in a search of Torres’ residence Jan. 6, including a sawed off shotgun, a Marlin 30/30, a Glock 9 mm handgun, and a crossbow.
Marshal Larry Cearley said the guns had been reported stolen Dec. 3 by Nick Innerbichler and Tyler Chavez in Magdalena.
Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Pino, along with deputies Joey Tafoya, Casey McFadden, Lee Armijo, and Shorty Vaiza, conducted a search of the Torres residence on County Road 91 in Escondida.
Cearley and Marshal’s Deputy Ed Sweeney assisted in the search.
According to the criminal complaint, the crossbow was found under a bed, the sawed off shotgun was found in kitchen cabinet, the Marlin 30/30 was found under another bed, and the handgun in a drawer next to a bed.
Lorenzo Gutierrez was arraigned on the three felony counts in Magistrate Court Tuesday. Robert Torreswas arraigned Monday and released on a $10,000 cash or surety bond.

Two Arrested On Felony Gun Charges

Local Students Win At State Science Fair

SOCORRO - Several Socorro students came home from the New Mexico Science and Engineering Saturday with trophies and awards.
From Socorro High School, sophomore Angelina Stanzione earned a second place award for her experiment in the Energy and Transportation category; sophomore Nicole Mortensen won the Junior Stockholm Water Award for her experiment in the Earth Science category; and senior Peter Vogel received $700 in scholarship money towards his New Mexico Tech tuition for his experiment in Computer Science.
From Sarracino Middle School, 6th grader Gabriela Perez won Honorable Mention in Health Science; 6th grader Jennifer Carmona won Honorable Mention in Computer Science; and 7th grader Camilla Aitbayev won a cash award from the New Mexico Optometric Assoc, and a cash award from the New Mexico Optics Industry Assoc. in the Earth Science category.
From Cottonwood Valley Charter School, 6th grader Anjik Ghosh won second place for his experiment, Vertical Axis Wind Turbines.

Pictured: Socorro High’s Nicole Mortensen placed second in the energy and transportation category at the state science fair at New Mexico Tech.

Photo by Gary Jaramillo

Local Students Win At State Science Fair

Democrats' Picnic

County clerk Rebecca Vega, Secretary of State Mary Herrera and Tax Assessor Val Anaya attended a Democratic fundraiser at Sedillo Park Saturday. Also attending were sheriff’s candidate Kenny Gonzales and other democratic hopefuls.

Photo By Gary Jaramillo

Democrats' Picnic