Sept 1, 2012

Rustlers

Mill Levy

Goals

Historian Paul Harden walks us through cowboy battles

Tuesday last day to get votes in on Socorro County health care ballot

Local senior on road to shattering state record

RELATOS • PAGE 8

NEWS • PAGE

SPORTS • PAGE 12

El Defensor Chieftain © 2012, El Defensor Chieftain

Vol. 146 • No. 70

SOCORRO, NEW MEXICO • WEEKEND EDITION • SEPTEMBER 1, 2012

Alamo man gets 10 years El Defensor Chieftain report

NEWS LINE

The Yarbrough Band at the fair

Socorro Thursday a federal judge sentenced Kalvest Ganadonegro, 31, a member of the Navajo Nation from Alamo, to a 120month term of imprisonment for his voluntary manslaughter conviction, according to a release from the United States Department of Justice. Ganadonegro will be on supervised release for three years after he completes his prison sentence.

U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales said Ganadonegro’s conviction arose out of the death of a 10-month infant who

had been left in his care on Nov. 21, 2008. Ganadonegro was convicted of voluntary manslaughter on March 5, 2012, after a seven-day trial.

The release said Ganadonegro initially was charged with assault resulting in death in a criminal complaint filed on Nov. 24, 2008, alleging he killed a 10-month-old infant by shaking her violently on Nov. 21, 2008. Subsequently, on Feb. 10, 2009, Ganadonegro was indicted and charged with first degree murder.

The case went to trial in Sept. 2011, and resulted in a mistrial after the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict.

On Nov. 9, 2011, Ganadonegro was indicted in a three-count superseding indictment charging him with second degree murder; voluntary manslaughter; and negligent child abuse resulting in death, according to the release.

Trial on the superseding indictment began on Feb. 27, 2012, and ended on March 5, 2012, when the jury convicted Ganadonegro of voluntary manslaughter and acquitted him of the other counts.

The evidence at the second trial established that on Nov. 21, 2008, in a residence located in Alamo, which is on the Navajo Indian Reservation, Ganadonegro shook

Hammel Museum Open today Socorro’s historic Hammel Museum is open today from 9 a.m. to noon. The Hammel Museum retains much of the machinery and equipment of the brewery and the ice plant it once was. It also houses a collection of historical exhibits and artifacts related to ranching, mining, railroading, and social history.

El Defensor Chieftain Reports

Barrel Race Triple Crown

AARP Driver Safety Class AARP is offering a one-day driver safety class at the Socorro Senior Center from 1 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 6. The class is $12 for AARP members or $14 for nonmembers. Seating is limited. For more information or to reserve a seat, call the Socorro Senior Center at 835-2119 or Tom at 835-1369.

Meet the Superintendant

and killed a 10-month-old infant whom he was babysitting because she would not stop crying. Ganadonegro picked up the infant, shook her, and forcefully put her down on the couch. Ganadonegro shook the infant on at least two occasions. The shaking caused a diffuse subdural hematoma, cerebral edema and diffuse retinal hemorrhages that eventually lead to the infant’s brain death, according to the release.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer M. Rozzoni and Jeremy Pena.

Man formally charged in deadly crash

MELEE

The Yarbrough Band is playing the dance at the Socorro County Fair tonight beginning at 8:30 p.m. following the Rodeo. The charge is $8 for just the dance or $10 for a combination of the rodeo, which begins at 7 p.m., and the dance.

Finishing in Socorro the third leg of the Triple Crown Barrel race exhibition begins at 10:30 a.m. and finishes at noon. Bulls will be bucked out at noon. For more information call (505) 285-6311 or (505) 285-5772.

50 cents

Elva K. Osterreich/El Defenson Chieftain

The Socorro County Fair started off Thursday with several animal shows including the swine show above.

Events continue today at the fairgrounds and in town.

Electric coop listens to comments, discontinues weatherization

By Elva K. Österreich El Defensor Chieftain

eosterreich@dchieftain.com

for consideration as an agenda item.

Board Chairman Paul Bustamante said discussion over the item, Item XI on the agenda, would be held at the appropriate time during the meeting.

Gayl Dorr, during the public comment segment of the meeting, asked for clarification. Dorr is running for the District 4 co-op board seat and said she was told she would have to wait until after the filing date of Sept.

6, before she could get a list of names of people in the district. She asked if she would get the names on Sept. 6 or

had to wait for a board vote.

Also during public comment co-op member-owner Steve Jones of District 1 said he had a call from someone claiming to be conducting a survey on behalf of the co-op and wanted to know if it was a legitimate survey.

Bustamante responded that a survey is in progress and has been announced on the cooperative’s web site.

Next in public comment, Charlene West said she feels most people don’t

Socorro A Socorro resident has been formally charged in an automobile accident occurring Monday night that left one woman dead and five others seriously injured.

Reyes Duran, 21, was arraigned in Socorro Magistrate Court on Thursday and charged with eight different counts stemming from the accident. According to court documents, the charges include aggravated first DWI (bodily injury as a result) and reckless driving, both misdemeanors, as well as homicide by motor vehicle and five separate counts of great bodily injury by vehicle, those being third degree felonies.

The penalty for the alleged crimes could mean as much as a total of 20 years in prison and $27,500 in fines.

According to court documents, state police were notified at around 10 p.m. Aug. 27, of a wrong-way driver traveling north in southbound lanes on I-25, near mile marker 143. Upon arrival, an officer noticed a black 2002 Cadillac with extensive damage belonging to Duran facing west. The Cadillac had hit a 2003 Honda head-on, killing 42-year-old Bertha Sanchez of El Paso.

A 1996 GMC van then struck the Cadillac after it came to a rest in the middle of the southbound lanes.

A total of five passengers from the two vehicles were transported to area hospitals and their conditions are unknown at this time.

There are no reports that Duran was injured in the crash.

Reports also say Duran was disoriented and had a strong odor of alcohol on him.

He was taken to Socorro General Hospital for a blood draw and then transported to Socorro County Detention Center.

Duran’s blood-alcohol content won’t be available for two or three weeks, since officials drew his blood rather than preforming a breathalyzer test.

Duran, whose bond is set $550,000, will have a preliminary hearing on Sep. 12.

Every Thursday, school Superintendant Randall Earwood has community open door for anyone who wants to discuss school issues from 8 to 5 p.m. in his office at 700 Franklin St.

The Aug. 29 Socorro County Electric Cooperative board of trustees meeting began with contention.

Board member Charles Wagner asked an item be removed from the agenda at the beginning of the meeting. He said the item, consideration and approval of District 1 members names to be released, is in the co-op by-laws and therefore should not be up

FIRE DANGER

County refuses to close senior centers Elva K. Osterreich El Defensor Chieftain

eosterreich@dchieftain.com

WEATHER SUBSCRIBE TO EL DEFENSOR CHIEFTAIN CALL 575-835-0520 www.dchieftain.com

Socorro Socorro County commissioners met at the Magdalena Senior Center Tuesday instead of their regular commission chambers.

As soon as the preliminaries were over and public comment was allowed, Magdalena resident Bill Fuller stood to say the meeting was probably illegal because of the open meetings act. Fuller felt the notification of the change in venue was not announced correctly.

“I won’t follow up if you agree to come back with proper notification,” he said. “I think people should have the opportunity to come if they want to.”

Commissioners agreed to direct staff to arrange for the Sept. 25 meeting to also be held in Magdalena.

All the chairs set up at the senior center were full of citizens for Tuesday’s meeting. Most seemed concerned over rumors the center may be

n See Co-op, Page 5

closing down due to a lack of funding.

One audience member shared that concern with commissioners.

“There is no way any senior center will be closed in this county,” said County Manager Delilah Walsh. “The county has cut other things first.”

Walsh also addressed concerns about staff reductions and meal services at the senior center.

She said no one will be laid off but some staff reduction may occur through attrition. For example, if someone retires the position may not be filled.

Walsh also said meals will continue to be prepared on site at the senior center as long as the budget will allow. There are no immediate plans to prepare meals elsewhere and bring them to the center.

Transportation money has been cut and transportation for the seniors has been affected, she said.

“We are going to go back to the legislature n See County, Page 5

Elva K. Osterreich/El Defenson Chieftain

The Socorro County Commission met in front of a full house at the Madalena Senior Center Tuesday.

El Defensor Chieftain

2 • SEPTEMBER 1, 2012

www.dchieftain.com

CALENDAR OF EVENTS UPCOMING SPECIAL EVENTS Every Thursday, School Superintendant Randall Earwood has community open door for anyone who wants to discuss school issues from 8 to 5 p.m. in his office at 700 Franklin St.

Socorro County Weather

Recycle Mixed Paper, Paperboard and Cardboard, 8:30-11:30 a.m. third Saturday each month, Plaza. Chamber of Commerce. 835-0424.

EDUCATION

The 2012 County Fair and Rodeo will be held from Wednesday, Car Seat Safety Class, 10 a.m. Last Wednesday each month. Healthy Aug. 29, to Sunday, Sep. 2. The Socorro County Chamber of Family Initiative office. Free and open to the public. Betty, 835-8709.

Commerce has the 112-page 2012 fairbook available on its website under announcements. For more information, contact the Socorro LIVE MUSIC County Fair and Rodeo Association at 835-1256.

Open Mic, every Monday, 7:30 p.m. Old Town Bistro, 838-3976.

Guided Night Sky Stargazing Saturday Sept. 1, one hour after dusk at the Etscorn Observatory on the New Mexico Tech Campus. Roon Saturday, Sept. 1, at 6 p.m. Sofia’s Kitchen, 835-0022.

Contact 575-835-8927 for more information.

Greg Maldo (Old fashioned Honky Tonk) Friday Aug. 31 and Very Large Array Guided Tour, Saturday Sept. 1, the Very Large Saturday Sep 1. at 9 p.m. Capitol Bar, 835-1194.

Array located 50 miles west on U.S. Highway 60 is hosting monthly guided tours, 11-4 p.m. Each tour is followed with a Star Party at Bernie Romero & Tommy Sunday, Sept. 2, at 11 a.m. Sofia’s Etscorn Observatory after sunset. Contact Judy Stanley at (575) 835- Kitchen, 835-0022.

7243 for more information.

Stasia & Mariam Sunday, Sept. 9, 11 a.m. Sofia’s Kitchen, 835-0022 Come and eat some pie and attend the 32nd Annual Pie Festival Trevor Reichman, Wednesday, Sept. 12, 8 p.m. Old Town Bistro, 838-3976. in Pie Town, New Mexico, Sept. 8, 2012. The Pie Town Annual Pie Festival includes a pie-baking contest, games, races, music, food, Jeanne & Bill Saturday Sept. 15, 6 p.m. Sofia’s Kitchen, 838-3976 arts and crafts, Admission is free! For more information visit the Bernie Romero & Tommy Sunday, Sept. 16, 11 a.m. Sofia’s Kitchen, website http://www.pietowncouncil.com/pie_festival/index.html 838-3976.

New Mexico Tech’s President’s Golf Tournament will be on Thursday, Saving Damsels Friday, Sept. 7, 9 p.m. Capitol Bar, 835-1194.

Sep. 13, and Friday, Sep. 14. For more information, call 835-5292.

The Wiyos Sunday, Sept. 9, 9 p.m. Capitol Bar, 835-1194 Socorro County Senior Center will be hosting a four-person scramble at 9 a.m. on Saturday, October 6, at the NMT Golf Course. Jam Session Productions Saturday, Sept. 8, 9 p.m. Capitol Bar, 835-1194.

Teams must have one junior player — age 17 and under — and one adult or senior player. Registration costs $30 for junior players and RECREATION $50 for adult and senior players. The fee includes range balls, cart and lunch. All proceeds go to the Socorro County Senior Centers. Shared Yoga Practice, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Monday/Wednesday/Friday There will also be an almost-hole-in-one contest. Entry costs $10. at Finley Gym. All are welcome, but no childcare is available. Jean, For more information, call 835-2119.

838-0511.

Socorro Tennis Association, Tue/Thu at 5:30 p.m. and Mon/Wed/ Fri at 8 a.m. at the city tennis courts, Sedillo Park. Fun Play Matches Bingo, 7 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, DAV Hall, 200 N. Fifth St. and monthly tournaments. Email aprusin@nmt.edu.

835-0843.

COMMUNITY

SUPPORT

El Camino Real International Heritage Center, Exit 115 off I-25.

Wednesdays, free for NM seniors 60+; Sundays, all NM residents Addictions Support Group, Tuesday, 7 p.m. First Baptist Church, free. 575-854-3600, www.elcaminoreal.org.

Quemado. Includes AA. 773-4594.

Free Yard Sale, Fridays, 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. The House, Socorro. 105 Addiction Class, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m., and Fridays, 6 Neal Ave. 835-4357. p.m. The House, Socorro. 105 Neal Ave. 835-4357 ICAN Cooking, 6-8 p.m. Tuesday and 1-3 p.m. Thursday. 198 Neel Al-Anon: Tuesday, 7 p.m., Presbyterian Church, Magdalena. Sunday, Ave. 835-0610.

7:30 p.m., Epiphany Episcopal Church, Socorro. New meeting: every Midwest CAP Food Pantry, Wednesdays, 9-11 a.m. and 1-4 p.m. Friday, 2:30 p.m. at Puerto Seguro. Call for more information: 1-888at 904 Spring St. Senior Helpings: first Wednesday of every month. 425-2666 or (505) 266-1900, www.al-anon.alateen.org.

Florie or Virginia, 835-0899.

Alcoholics Anonymous: Alamo - Monday, 6 p.m., Alamo Community Center. Magdalena - Thursday/Saturday, 7 p.m., Presbyterian Church.

Peace Vigil, 4:30 p.m. Friday on the Plaza. 835-2517.

Socorro - Monday/Wednesday/Friday, noon; Thursdays, 7:30 p.m; Puerto Seguro Safe Harbor, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Mon/Wed/Fri. Serving Sundays, 7:30 p.m.(closed meeting) at Epiphany Episcopal Church. the homeless and in need. Duane, 835-2895.

Saturdays, 9 a.m. at Puerto Seguro. AA Information: 835-9785.

Socorro Farmers’ Market, Saturdays 8 a.m. to noon and Tuesdays Group Bereavement Support, available to anyone who needs help 5-7 p.m., at the historic Plaza. Fresh produce and more. 312-1730. because of the loss of a loved one. Audrie, 838-4098.

Story Hour and Craft Time, 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays & Thursdays. Marriage Class, Mondays, 2 p.m., The House, Socorro. 105 Neal Socorro Public Library. 835-1114.

Ave. 835-4357.

Magdalena Chamber of Commerce monthly meeting, 6 p.m. first Parenting Class, Tuesdays, 2 p.m., The House, Socorro. 105 Neal Monday of every month at M&M Grill, Hwy. 60 (Just east of the Golden Ave. 835-4357.

Spur) Magdalena. Call to confirm: Lee Scholes, 800-462-4590.

Struggling with Addiction, Friday, 7 p.m., Calvary Chapel. 838-9535.

Magdalena Trail Drivers, SASS, Cowboy Action Shooting, 1 p.m. first and third Saturday every month, at Rancho Magdalena (3 miles Weight Watchers, Thursday, 5:30 p.m. First meeting free. Epiphany Episcopal Church on Leroy Street. Roslynn, 418-8804.

West of Magdalena). Call Ted Bending to confirm, 575-854-3394.

Recycle Newspapers and Aluminum Cans, 8:30-11:30 a.m. first Send calendar submissions to calendar@dchieftain.com. Deadlines Saturday each month, lot south of Ace Hardware. Chamber of are Monday and Thursday at noon.

Commerce, 835-0424.

FOR THE RECORD

Hammel Museum Open House, 9 a.m.-noon, first Saturday each month, 600 N. Sixth St. Free. Kay, 835-1721 or Bob, 835-5325.

First Saturday Tours of the VLA, first Saturday, 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. Free, no reservation required. Judy Stanley, VLA Education Officer, 835-7243.

Guided Night Sky Star Gazing, first Saturday, begins at dark. Free, no reservation required. Etscorn Observatory on campus of New Mexico Tech. Judy Stanley, VLA Education Officer, 835-7243.

In the Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2012, edition of El Defensor Chieftain, the front page headline read “Co-op assault case settled.”

The Socorro Electric Cooperative itself was not involved with the case in any way, just co-op Trustee Charlie Wagner.

Also, Xavier Ortiz was reported as being 66 years old in the article. Mr. Ortiz is, in fact, 65 years old.

SENIOR CENTER

SCHOOL LUNCH

Activities

Monday/Sept. 3: Schools closed for Labor Day Tuesday/Sept. 4: Breakfast — Cereal, buttered toast, fruit or juice and milk Lunch — Chicken nuggets with barbecue sauce, mashed potatoes with gravy, combo salad, hot rolls, chilled fresh fruit, cookie and milk.

Wednesday/Sept. 5: Breakfast — Waffles, fruit or juice and milk.

Lunch — Tortilla burgers, fries, lettuce, tomato, pickle, chilled fresh fruit and milk.

Thursday/Sept. 6: Breakfast — Breakfast burritos, fruit or juice, milk. Lunch — Baked chicken, hot rolls, combo salad, mashed potatoes with gravy, chilled fresh fruit and milk.

Friday/Sept. 7: Breakfast — Breakfast pizza, fruit or juice and milk. Lunch — Sloppy Joe, combo salad, chilled fresh fruit and milk.

Monday/Sept. 3: Centers closed Tuesday/Sept. 4: Sewing circle 9 to 11:30 a.m.

Thursday/Sept. 6: AARP Driving Class 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday/Sept. 8: Hardfock Casino 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Menu

Monday/Sept. 3: Centers closed for Labor Day Tuesday/Sept. 4: Lasagna, mixed vegetables, garden salad, French bread and plum cobbler.

Wednesday/Sept. 5: Pork roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, Brussels sprouts, bread and margarine and apple sauce.

Thursday/Sept. 6: GC chicken enchiladas, pinto beans, Spanish rice, crackers, cottage cheese and pears.

Friday/Sept. 7: Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, spinach, wheat dinner rolls with margarine and tropical salad.

Across

FOSTER OR ADOPT A NEW MEXICO YOUTH Name: Rio Age: 14 Grade: 9 Here comes Rio, swinging right into your heart!

Delightful, caring, sensitive and eager to please are just a few words often used to describe this teen. An active boy, Rio loves skateboarding and engaging in anything outdoor. Making friends isn’t a problem for this friendly young man. His kind and enthusiastic demeanor attract peers and adults alike. Rio enjoys all the relationships he has with his friends and adults. He benefits from speech therapy and an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) as well as counseling, which will need to continue after placement. Rio states he would like to be adopted by a forever family who will accept, encourage, support and love him. His caseworker prefers a two-parent family willing to participate in a transition plan prior to placement; however all

Rio family types will be considered. Financial assistance may be available for adoption-related services. Both homestudied and non-homestudied New Mexico families are encouraged to inquire about adopting this special boy.

For more information about adopting or fostering through the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department, please visit www.CYFD.org or call 1-800-432-2075.

1 They’re dirty pool 11 WNBA positions 15 Muse of sacred music 16 Brest milk 17 Does a bit of informal polling 18 Paquin of “True Blood” 19 Note 20 Puzzle (out) 21 Model born Lesley Hornby 23 Equinox mo.

24 Accepted 25 “GoodFellas” Oscar winner 28 Reckon, in the boonies 30 OR abbr.

32 One who’s done stretches?

33 Texas Rangers CEO 35 Leap on blades 36 Story writer/poet Grace who studied with Auden 37 Classic Leontyne Price role 38 Honey Ryder and Xenia Onatopp, e.g.

40 Out of line 41 Inseparable 42 Some rectangular bars 43 Feinting spells?

44 Ore.’s highest point 46 Broker’s advice 47 Any regular on “The View” 48 Numbers for closers 50 Cone head?

53 __ Bacon: “East of Eden” character 54 Got at 57 Structure on piles 58 “When pigs fly!”

59 More than asked 60 Safari sights

Down

1 They’re no. experts 2 It may wind up around the house

Total rainfall for 2012 through Aug. 31 is 4.78 inches.

Courtesy of Dr. Kenneth Minschwaner.

10 years ago September 4, 2002

Duke city man faces forgery, larceny charges Incident happened in Socorro An Albuquerque man has been charged with 22 counts of forgery, unlawful issue, larceny and possession of drug paraphernalia for allegedly stealing a Scorro woman’s checkbook and forging her signature to cash $5,300 from nine checks. Anthony Culclasure, 24, of 5029 Orion NW was arrested on August 23.

He was being held in Socorro County Jail as of Tuesday.

Magistrate Judge Jim Naranjo set his cashsurety bond at $150,000, according to Socorro County jail administrator Steve Farmer.

Culclasure was taken into custody after trying to cash one of the checks at First State Bank, authorities said. When a bank clerk tried to verify a check via telephone, it was reported as stolen and police were dispatched to the bank. According to a criminal complaint filed in Magistrate Court, Culclasure allegedly admitted to stealing the woman’s checkbook from her home and cashing some of the checks at First State Bank.

The checkbook was reported stolen by the woman’s niece, who also serves as her caretaker.

While the police had Culclasure in custody, Socorro Police Detective Billy Romero asked him if he could look in his car for the stolen checkbook,

3 Paul’s “The Prize” co-star 4 Bard’s interjections 5 Introduce by degrees 6 Stack sweetener 7 GP gps.

8 Weight 9 Can across the pond 10 “I’m afraid the news is not good ...”

11 One may be filed 12 It merged with Zanzibar in 1964 13 Gangbuster’s target 14 Inn time 22 Singer of complex songs 23 Baste 24 Phrase of emphasis 25 R&B singer Bryson 26 Dow 30 company 27 When, in Act Two of “Macbeth,” the Porter knocks at the gate 28 Caught 29 Taquer’a meat 31 Irritates, with “at” 34 Far from mellifluous 36 At the helm of 39 Nursery sounds 40 Like much business?

45 Put away 46 Wedding announcement 47 Stupefyin’ Jones creator 48 First-year Spanish verb 49 Mexican waterways 50 Persian for “place of” 51 One needing social work?

52 Confucius’s “Book of __” 55 Bergen’s home: Abbr.

56 Org. working on bridges (c)2012 TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.

to which he agreed. The report states that another officer opened the door, and noticed the crack pipe and marijuana pipe in the car. Culclasure has been charged 10 counts of forgery, 10 counts of unlawful issue, one count or larceny and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

25 years ago September 3, 1987

Charges filed after smash-up David Rawlings, 26, of Socorro, has been charged in Magistrate Court in connection with the Saturday accident which sent two children to the hospital. Rawlinsg was charged with great bodily injury by a vehicle, a felony. He is also charged with two counts of reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident and failure to report and for driving while intoxicated.

Rawlings was arrested Saturday after an incident in which he allegedly hit several houses, a gas meter, fire hydrant and fence in the drive. Five people were injured, including two children, ages 3 and 8, who were hospitalized over the weekend.

He was released from custody on Sunday Aug, 30. Bail was set at $1400 by Judge Ignacio Garcia, according to the Socorro County Jailor. No date has yet been set in Magistrate Court for a preliminary hearing on the charges.

Rawlings was to have made an initial appearance before the judge on Wednesday.

El Defensor Chieftain

www.dchieftain.com

SEPTEMBER 1, 2012 • 3

Land trust dinner offers harvest fare Karen Bailey-Bowman El Defensor Chieftain Reporter

kbaileybowman@dchieftain.com

Socorro The Rio Grande Agricultural Land Trust’s annual harvest dinner, scheduled for Sept. 16 at Albuquerque’s Los Poblanos Inn, is one of New Mexico’s top gastronomic events this year. This benefits a home-grown campaign to preserve family farms and ranches, according to RGALT Executive Director and local organic farmer Ceilia Rosacker-McCord.

“The dinner supports a huge part of the land trust’s operating expenses,” McCord said. “We have a very low budget. I’m the only staff member, and I work part-time out of my house. I work on grant proposals to purchase conservation easements and I work with state and federal policy makers.”

Last year, the dinner, sponsorships and auction netted around $15,000, McCord said.

All of the products for the dinner are donated

by New Mexico producers, and staff from some of Albuquerque’s top restaurants donate their time and expertise, she said.

“It’s an opportunity to showcase New Mexicogrown products and to connect with people interested in conserving agricultural land,” she said, adding she expects about 160 people at the event.

Socorro County chile, poultry, fruit and vegetables will be featured, as well as products from around the state, she said.

Tickets for the dinner can be purchased online at www.rgalt.org or by calling (505) 884-6557.

Last year was a sell out, so it’s a good idea to buy tickets now, McCord said.

Patrons will also have an opportunity to bid on products and services during the auctions.

“This year we are auctioning off a sweet acoustic guitar, lots of memberships to spas, stays at casinos and (bed and breakfasts), artwork and top-end Native American jewelry,” said RGALT Treasurer Kathy Albrecht, a San Antonio, N.M. resident.

Because of its agricultural focus, there will be New Mexico produced edible products featured as well — lambs, possibly one of RGALT President Mark Cortner’s pigs, and coupon books for meals from Albuquerque restaurants, she said.

Recently, RGALT was awarded a one million dollar National Wetlands Conservation Act grant to protect more than 600 acres of wetlands just

Photo submitted by Cecilia Rosacker-McCord

Last year’s Rio Grande Agricultural Land Trust’s harvest dinner patrons enjoy a gourmet meal prepared by top Albuquerque restaurants under the portal at Albuquerque’s Los Poblanos Inn. This year’s fund-raising dinner is scheduled for Sept. 16. north of the Bosque del Apache Refuge, McCord said.

“That doesn’t give RGALT money,” she said.

“All of the money goes to landowners.”

RGALT’s mission is to preserve agricultural land by helping land owners obtain conservation easements on their property, Albrecht said.

A conservation easement is a legal agreement between the landowner and a land trust to keep all or most of the land in agriculture forever, she said.

Conservation easements do not restrict landowners from selling their land nor passing it on to their heirs, nor do they prohibit owners from setting aside parts of the land for homes or farmrelated buildings. But the easement prevents the land from being converted in the future to nonagricultural uses, such as parking lots, subdivisions, or stores.

In exchange for relinquishing development rights, land owners qualify for federal and New

Mexico tax credits, which can be sold for cash.

“You don’t have to pay property taxes anymore.

Plus you can get cash back, because people with lots of New Mexico tax obligations want to buy your tax credit,” Albrecht said. “Cissy McCord was instrumental in working with the New Mexico legislature to make the tax credit saleable.”

RGALT is one of five New Mexico land trusts, but the only one based in Socorro, according to the RGALT website.

Faith, science lecture series explores perspectives

By Lindsey Padilla El Defensor Chieftain Reporter

lpadilla@dchieftain.com

Socorro “A lot of people think if you are in a scientific field that faith is irrelevant, and if you have faith, then science is irrelevant,” said Group Leader of Scientific Services for the Very Large Array Debra Shepherd Ph.D. To consider the dichotomy, Shepherd is bringing a lecture series to Socorro.

The purpose behind the series is to explore how faith and science coexist with each other, and how one influences the other to force positive benefits, Shepherd said.

“A lot of people think faith and science have nothing to do with each other,” she said. “Faith can influence science positively

for a better understanding of who we are in a better environment.”

The faith and science lecture series begins at 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 20, at St. Paul’s Methodist Church. This is the first time the lecture series is being held in Socorro.

“To me this is exciting,” Shepherd said. “I hope to bring a new sense of communication together.”

Shepherd says that it’s a personal decision how people integrate science and faith together. For some, it can be how to become a better Christian, how to approach work and have a better attitude towards faith. For others, there is no interaction between the two. For the first part of the series there will be guest speakers. The first guest speaker is Dr. Jennifer Wiseman,

who is an author, speaker and astronomer and lead project scientist from Hubble Space telescope.

The other guest speakers are mostly scientists, but there will be pastors from various churches who are interested in answering questions from the faith perspective for audience members who have questions, Shepherd said.

The guest speakers need to respect both sides of faith and science.

“It’s all about communication and understanding with interests, with people,” she said.

Shepherd is also actively looking for biologists, chemists, sociologists and psychologists for guest speakers.

“Whether there is an overlap with faith and science, each individual will be able to think about life and how faith and science relates to their personal lives,” she said. “We need to decide if this is important in our lives.”

The second part of the lecture series includes how faith overlaps with science and gives people a perspective about facts in their own lives.

“I’m trying to provide intelligent role models who also have faith,” Shepherd said.

The series is a collaboration with all the churches in Socorro. She expects about 50 people at the first event at Paul’s Methodist Church.

“The interest has been

PUBLIC NOTICE

incredibly high,” she said.

The lecture is free and snacks and drinks will be available.

It will take place every third Thursday of the month for the next three months.

On the Sunday following the Sept. 20 lecture, a group discus-

Socorro County Board of Commissioners Pauline Jaramillo Vice Chair District I

Rumaldo J. Griego Commissioner District II

Phillip Anaya Commissioner District III

Daniel P. Monette Juan Jose Gutierrez Chair Commissioner District IV District V

The Socorro County Board of County Commissioners will meet for a “Special Election Canvassing Meeting” on September 6, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. in the Socorro County Courthouse, 200 Church Street, Socorro NM in Courtroom 1.

A complete agenda may be obtained from the County Manager by contacting (575) 835-0589 or cgriego@co.socorro.nm.us.

An agenda is also available online at www.co.socorro.nm.us under the Manager & Commission department heading.

The City of Socorro will hold a regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, September 4, 2012 at 6:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 111 School of Mines Rd.

There will be a meeting of the City of Socorro Police Oversight Commission on Wednesday, September 5, 2012 at 5:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers (111 School of Mines Road). The public is invited to attend.

A copy of the agenda is available at City Hall.

For more information, please contact Pat Salome, City Clerk, at 835-0240.

sion will be scheduled where people can talk about their faith and science experiences.

“I hope this will be so dynamic people from all over town will want to come and do this every year,” Shepherd said.

AGENDA 1. Roll Call 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Approval of September 4, 2012 City Council Agenda 4. Consideration of Minutes a. August 20, 2012 5. Public Forum 6. Discussion & Deliberation a. Easement – BBS – Grant Street to Garfield Street b. Resolution No. 12-09-04 – NMDOT MAP Agreement – JO Gallegos Rd. 7. Committee Reports 8. New Business 9. Old Business 10. Executive Session (NMSA 197810-15-1) a. Personnel Matters b. Legal Matters c. Reporting Out of Executive Session 11. Mayor’s Report a. FY 2012-2013 Final Budget Approval by DFA b. Reporting on Personnel Changes c. Business Registrations d. Announcement - Next City Council Meeting Date & Time - Monday, September 17, 2012 at 6:00 p.m.

12. Adjournment

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viewpoints El Defensor Chieftain

4 • SEPTEMBER 1, 2012

Space-time is illusion — maybe

Yesterday I reminded a friend that the whole space-time deal is an illusion. He raised his left eyebrow, squinted and coughed nervously, before scratching his right earlobe and sneezing into a handkerchief.

I think that was his way of saying something.

I decided to back off a little and bring up a couple of his favorite topics.

“Hey, the Cowboys played great last year, didn’t they?” I probed.

“Yeah, pretty great for not winning.”

“And those tiniest particles we know of,” I added, recalling his interest in physics, “they have no matter in them, do they?

Pure mathematical possibility, but nothing solid, isn’t that true?”

“Right — like the Tom Kozeny Cowboys, as a matter of fact,” he said with some sarcasm.

“Like an illusion, you might say?” I guess I was making a point.

“Well, there’s nothing material in the smallest particles. We think there is, but we’re mistaken. Einstein and his boys have shown that the world as we know it is a figment of our collective imagination.”

“An illusion?” I supplied.

My friend’s eyebrow had fallen into place, and he wasn’t coughing anymore.

“All right,” he said. “I guess you could say it that way.”

“Buddhist thinkers have always said that,” I added. Then, remembering his Christian background, I jumped in like a country preacher.

“Some scientists say there may be just one electron in the universe, with different perceptions of time and place being simply holographic perspectives,” I added. “That’s why every bit of the universe has information about every other part of it.”

“Well, that’s true,” said my friend. “And taking off from Christian thinking, there may be just one body — the body of Christ. Every other material element is part of that.”

“So, when Jesus said, ‘This is my body,’ it’s no stretch to see what he meant as he handled the bread in front of them.”

“Right, and St. Paul’s famous saying that ‘We are one body’ takes on special meaning,” I added. “What does not join itself to the work of the Christ in its broad sense falls away, since it has no real existence — it’s an illusion.”

“This is no different from what the psychologists say,” my friend added. “The ‘real self’ of Carl Jung alone exists in human life. The false self is an illusion. That means that every behavior or attitude that falls short of genuine human value may look real but, like those tiny particles in quantum physics have shown us, they are illusory — huzzah-wuzzah through and through.”

This all reminds me of that startling statement by another famous psychologist, Eric Fromm, who wrote — get this — that “most of what people have in their conscious minds is fiction and delusion.”

“So, is all this just religious or psychologists’ talk, so that the millions of people who don’t share their faith or psychologists’ point of view are simply living in an alternative universe?” I asked my friend, with a touch of disappointment.

“It’s just the opposite,” he replied. Now I could see that my friend was more into the discussion than I was. “Science has brought us to the point where even religious believers can agree with them. Now that’s a miracle in itself.

“There’s just one world that we all share, and it is itself an extension of our body. Even Cowboy fans are part of that world.”

Talk about a stretch!

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Socorro On My Mind

Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed on the Viewpoints page(s) are not necessarily those of El Defensor Chieftain.

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Letters to the Editor Thanks Socorro, for car wash support

On Aug. 25, the Sarracino Science Olympiad team held a car wash to raise funds for supplies and travel expenses to the regional competition. In the past, I have conducted other car washes but this one was different. In the midst of an ever changing barrage of monsoons, I was not sure what to expect. Socorro residents came out in full force, helping the Science Olympiad participants to raise a tremendous amount of money! Those who did not want their car washed even contributed money without expecting anything in return. It was a truly generous outpouring of support, reaffirming my belief that Socorro is a truly great place to live.

I tip my hat to Socorro and wish to express my deepest gratitude, both from me and on behalf of my team. Thank you!

Government work should mean open information

I appreciate columnist Merilee Dannemann’s concern over efforts by both Gov. Martinez’s office and the Rio Grande Foundation to post government employee pay on the Internet and to keep it there despite opposition from government employee unions.

The reason we have been so determined to keep this information available is that unlike traditional businesses where shareholders are the owners, in government, the ultimate “owners” are the people at large. In no other business do the owners have no idea what their workers are making. Ideally, in addition to simple pay, taxpayers would also be able to find out details on the pensions and benefits available to government workers. If, as a government worker, you don’t like this, Jeffrey Tull you don’t have to work in public service.

It is worth noting that New Mexico is SMS Science Olympiad

by no means the only state to post public employee salaries on the Internet. Dozens of states do this and, as Dannemann mentioned, the information is already publicly-available upon request. I have not heard of one reported incident of identity theft nationwide.

From a “good government” perspective, transparency in compensation can lead to better understanding of how compensation is determined, whether it is indeed fair, and whether government workers are paid more or less than their private-sector counterparts. This is valuable information and can lead to more efficient government.

This is the 21st Century. It is an information century. My salary, like that of other non-profit CEO’s is available online as well. Check Guidestar.org.

Paul J. Gessing President Rio Grande Foundation

September skies feature Mars, Saturn Mars and Saturn will be found in the early evening about 10 degrees above the southwestern horizon. By the end of the month, Saturn will be only visible in the glow of twilight and will soon be lost from view. Mars on the other hand, because of its eastward motion in the sky, will continue to set about two hours after sunset, long after Saturn has disappeared from view.

Mercury is lost in the glare of the sun for the entire month.

The best planet viewing this month will be in the early morning where both Venus and Jupiter will be very prominent. Jupiter actually rises a little before midnight at the beginning of September and by 10 p.m. at the end of the month. Reaching quadrature (90 degrees west of the sun) on Sept. 7, the giant planet will brighten from magnitude -2.3 to -2.5 by the end of the month.

Venus rises about 3.5 hours before the sun all month. Blazing away at magnitude -4.2, about half of Venus’ disk is illumi-

Clear Skies Jon Spargo

nated. The best views will be through a good pair of binoculars. As it moves across the starry background, Venus will met and pass many well know stars and clusters, such as Castor and Pollux (on the 6th), M44 the Beehive cluster (on the 12th and 13th) and seems to be homing in on the bright star Regulus in Leo, the lion. Reserve the morning of Oct. 3 for a close encounter of the Regulus kind! (More about this next month.)

The moon will be last quarter on the 8th, new on the 15th, first quarter on the 22nd, and full on the 29th. Since this will be the first full Moon after the autumnal equinox in the northern hemisphere, it will

be the “Harvest Moon.” At about one hour after sunrise on the 8th the first quarter Moon will be just above Jupiter, high in the southeastern sky. Folks in the southern hemisphere will see the moon occult pass in front of Jupiter.

Looking east about one hour before sunrise on the 12th, the waning crescent Moon will be slightly above and to the right of Venus. On the 19th, about 45 minutes after sunset, the waxing crescent moon can be found very near the “red planet” Mars.

Once again lucky folks in the southern hemisphere will get to see the moon occult Mars.

Autumn begins in the northern hemisphere at 8:49 a.m. MDT on the 22nd.

Residents of the southern hemisphere get to enjoy the first day of spring!

Jon Spargo is with the New Mexico Tech Astronomy Club

Medicaid debate: black, white, red Last week, the state’s leading economist waded into the Medicaid debate.

“I think we should seriously think of saying yes to Medicaid,” said Lee Reynis, director of UNM’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research. “It’s an opportunity to develop health-care infrastructure, especially in rural areas. The federal government is willing to pay the freight for much of it.”

BBER’s forecasting models indicate New Mexico would receive $3.9 billion from the federal government from 2014 to 2020, and the expansion would create thousands of new jobs. Reynis was speaking to Economic Forum, a nonpartisan business group. I was surprised at the comment, which came at the end of an otherwise gloomy look at the economy.

Medicaid expansion has become an election issue. The Supreme Court, in upholding the Affordable Care Act, removed the mandate to expand the program, giving states a choice. Expansion supporters and detractors have their boilerplate arguments, so true believers can take a position without thinking.

If you’re in the middle – I’m sorry – you’ll just have to think.

New Mexico, which has upwards of 400,000 uninsured people, could add 170,000 low-income, uninsured people at a cost to the state of up to $500 million between 2014 and 2020. The federal government pays everything for the first three years and 90 percent after that, or $6 billion.

Now look at the up side, the down side,

All She Wrote Sherry Robinson

and the unknowns.

Reynis and others see $6 billion as quite an investment in the state. If this were an economic development discussion about whether to spend $500 million to get $6 billion for, say, a military base, the labs, or a plant, I doubt that Economic Development Secretary Jon Barela would predict “a future of rising taxes and stagnating economic growth for the state.”

Is the sky beginning to crack?

An obvious up side is taking care of more people and the savings of treating them outside of emergency rooms before their conditions worsen, which means that the rest of us aren’t paying for their expensive ER visits. Although opponents are waving reports saying Medicaid patients have worse outcomes than insured patients, a recent Harvard study showed that expanded Medicaid in three states reduced the death rate by 6 percent – thousands of lives.

Those percentages have faces and names and loved ones. Suddenly, the waitress can pay her rent AND go to the doctor, not

either-or.

Here’s the down side. Even if New Mexico doesn’t expand the program, the state Human Services Department expects 587,103 people will receive Medicaid benefits in 2014 at a cost to the state of $947 million. That number would grow by 2020 to 651,000 people – mostly children, low-income elderly and disabled adults, and pregnant women. The state is already spending nearly one-fifth of its general fund budget on Medicaid.

So when proponents say the federal government absorbs most of the cost, it’s like one of those sales – buy one and get one free. It doesn’t work if you can’t afford to buy one in the first place.

The iffier part is assuming Uncle Sam can hold up his end of the deal. In today’s fiscal climate, we’d be foolish to assume Uncle will be there as he always was.

Earlier this month the activist group Organizers in the Land of Enchantment (OLE) delivered a plate of waffles to the governor to urge her to stop waffling on Medicaid expansion, but she’s not waffling.

The administration wants to weigh all the implications.

The battle will first be fought in the Legislature. Even though revenue is up, and there’s new money to spend, we have a lot of catching up to do and a great many other urgent needs. Even the most bleedinghearted liberals will be torn. We’ll probably see some expansion but not what proponents want and more than opponents think we can bear.

El Defensor Chieftain

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SEPTEMBER 1, 2012 • 5

Mill levy ballots must arrive at County Clerk’s office by 7 p.m.

Voters who have not received ballots or have lost their ballots still have a chance to vote Karen Bailey-Bowman El Defensor Chieftain Reporter

kbaileybowman@dchieftain.com

Socorro The ballot asking voters to renew a mill levy to support health care facilities in Socorro County must arrive at the county clerk’s office no later

than 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 4, said Salina Lopez, Socorro County Bureau of Elections manager.

The Socorro county clerk’s office in the courthouse will have extended hours on Tuesday to accommodate voters who want to hand deliver their ballots, she said.

Voters who did not receive a ballot or who have lost their ballots can get another ballot at the county clerk’s office on Tuesday, Lopez said.

“We have a lot of people who never received their ballots because of the E911 address changes,” she said. “They can get another ballot at the county clerk’s office.”

Voters who have misplaced their ballots can get

a replacement ballot as well, she said.

Ballots can still be mailed in, but the envelopes should be mailed at the Socorro main post office lobby before 3 p.m. on Saturday in order to arrive at the county clerk’s office on Tuesday because of the Labor Day holiday on Monday, said Paul Infante, Socorro postmaster.

The post office and the county clerk’s office will both be closed on Monday.

The mill levy ballot renews a county property tax levy for another eight years and enables local health care entities to receive funding from the Hospital Funding Act. Voting “yes” does not raise property taxes.

Hunting season opens today

The ballots mailed out to all qualified voters in Socorro County posed this question: “Shall the Board of Commissioners of Socorro County, New Mexico, continue for a period of eight (8) years to levy a property tax in the amount of four and one quarter (4 1/4) mills for the operation and the maintenance of Socorro General Hospital and any other county facility eligible to receive funds under the Hospital Finding Act in order to make hospital services available to care for the sick of Socorro county pursuant to the terms of a health care facilities contract?”

County: Business Continued from Page 1

El Defensor Chieftain Report Thousands of hunters will head for the hills and fields of New Mexico on Saturday, the opening day of seasons for deer, elk, squirrels, doves, grouse and band-tailed pigeons, according to a release from the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.

Complete information about the seasons is available in the Small-game and Waterfowl Rules and Information booklet, now available on the Department of Game and Fish website, www.wildlife.state.nm.us or by clicking here.

September seasons for deer and elk are for hunters using bows and arrows who were successful in the public-land license drawings or have authorization to hunt

on private land. Some hunting seasons for pronghorn antelope open Sept. 8. Most deer and elk seasons for hunters using muzzleloaders and high-powered rifles are scheduled in October and November.

The Department of Game and Fish urges all hunters to stress safety in the field, especially during archery seasons when hunters commonly are dressed in camouflage. Hikers, bikers and others using the back country during hunting seasons are encouraged to wear bright clothing so they are easily visible to hunters.

More than 28,000 deer hunters and 32,000 elk hunters will be in the field from September through December this year. As many as 25,000 hunters are expected to try for small game, upland and migratory birds and waterfowl.

Some hunters may encounter forest or trail closures this year due to wildfires that hit the southwestern and southeastern portions of the state. Closures may affect small areas of various Game Management Units, and hunters are encouraged to contact the Gila National Forest, www.fs.usda.gov/ main/gila/home; or the Lincoln National Forest, www.fs.usda.gov/lincoln, for more information about fire closures.

For more information about New Mexico’s hunting opportunities and rules, please visit www.wildlife.state.nm.us and look for links to the rules and information booklets at the bottom of the home page.

If you prefer to speak with a Department representative, please call (505) 476-8000.

every year,” she said. “But our transportation needs are unfunded and un-met right now.”

In other business the commission: • Approved a grant agreement with the USDA road department for performing maintenance on Forest Service roads.

• Approved an 2012 severance tax bond grant agreement for Sabinal Community Center.

• Approved an application for a road name change in a rural subdivision area to Unit 32 Loop.

• Approved an award to ProPac Inc. for the order of selfcontained emergency preparedness carts for the Fire Marshal Office which will provide shelter services in the case of disasters.

• Approved an award to Animal Haven Veterinary Clinic for veterinary grade equipment, also a disaster preparedness measure according to Walsh.

Co-op: District elections could cause boundary confusion Continued from Page 1 know what co-op district they are in and she would like to see districts included in the electric bills.

“Districts were recently changed,” West said.

“There has been no notice as to what district they are in. I think we have to be straight forward.”

Trustee Donald Wolberg responded by saying members can easily find out what district they are in by looking at a district map available at the co-op office.

“Anybody who has a question of where they live can give me a call,” Wolberg said.

The board then approved a meeting change,

making the next board of trustees meeting 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 26.

Then the board discussed the weatherization program the co-op has had in place. Co-op manager Joseph Herrera reported loans for the weatherization program are not being repaid in a timely manner and people who signed up for the program owe a total of $56,000 to the co-op.

The board voted to discontinue the program pending collection attempts.

Voting “nay” on the closure of the program, Wagner said he doesn’t think because of a few who didn’t pay the whole program should be discontinued.

Wolberg pointed out there are other entities,

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federal and state, who have weatherization programs available.

Then Item XI on the agenda was up and the board discussed the approval of releasing District 1 members’ names as per Dorr’s request. Wagner said it is the law and in the co-op’s bylaws voting lists should be released if they are requested.

Wagner made a motion to strike the item from the agenda.

Then, when Bustamante stated Wagner’s motion failed for lack of a second, Wagner said he seconded it for himself, saying as a representative of both District 2 and District 5, he could do that.

“This is ridiculous,” Bustamante said.

Co-op Attorney Bruce Wiggins said the per-

son requesting the voters’ names did not state the reason for the request and therefore it couldn’t be granted at the current meeting.

The item was removed from the agenda.

Throughout the meeting, because Wolberg continued to comment on Wagner’s statements, Wagner referred to Wolberg as “the mouse” in Bustamante’s pocket.

Before the meeting was over Wolberg called Wagner both an “ass” and a “rat.”

For more on the Aug. 29, SEC meeting, please see the Wednesday, Sept. 5, edition of El Defensor Chieftain.

El Defensor Chieftain

6 • SEPTEMBER 1, 2012

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New program provides home schooled children with benefits through family school program

By Lindsey Padilla El Defensor Chieftain Reporter

lpadilla@dchieftain.com

Socorro A new family school program for the 2012-13 school year will begins in September.

Superintendent Randall Earwood says this is a home school program with additional educational services. Home schooled students will spend half their time in the home school environment and the other half learning in a portable at the GRADS site, he said.

“It (family school program) is important for these kids who live in the school district,” Earwood said. “It’s a good program to meet their needs, and

to enhance the educational process to create a partnership with the home school community that is important.”

Home School teacher Dawn Weaver lives in Bingham and is secretary on the Socorro school board; she has been a home school teacher for 13 years. A home school parent can choose to teach their children various subjects, such as math, language arts and science, including religion, Weaver said.

Home school teachers are provided nothing from the state, such as textbooks, and they make their own curriculum based on what they (the teacher) choose, she said.

Weaver has one child with a learning disability, and as a home school teacher she receives no services from the state. She said the services

Federal grant funds law enforcement training at NM Tech

that would be most beneficial for her child would include reading coaches to help her child with reading or any other need with special assistance.

With the family school program, children with disabilities will receive these services. Weaver said it’s hard to see her child struggling to read and progress when another teacher may be able to help her child and could make all the difference.

“I think it’s exciting,” Weaver said.

Earwood will have an interview committee at the central office to visit with whomever applies to be a qualified teacher. The home school parents will make up the interview committee, and make a recommendation of whom they will see fit as a teacher. Earwood will make the final decision of whom to hire, Weaver said.

The new family school program will have to

follow public schools system and all state laws, Weaver said There will be two portables available, one for elementary and the other for secondary students.

One part-time teacher will be available per classroom, each teaching for 14 hours a week. The home school teacher will provide the other 14 hours, Weaver said. The resolution for the family school program was approved by the board for a year. At the end of the year, an assessment will be conducted to determine how successful the program is, and whether to continue it or not, Earwood said.

“Parents home school their children for different reasons,” Weaver said. “It’s different. I’m not afraid to ask for help.”

FAMILY A-FAIR

El Defensor Chieftain Report New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Border Security Center recently received a $900,000 grant from the Department of Justice to continue its work training local law enforcement officers to combat drug trafficking problems in areas bordering Mexico, according to a press release issued by U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman’s office.

The award was announced on Aug. 28.

“This is the third year that we have gotten this award,” said Thomas Guengerich, Tech’s public information officer. “In other words, this is continued funding for our existing Border Security Center.”

In 2009, the Recovery and Reinvestment Act created a $30 million fund to help border-state law enforcement agencies handle borderrelated crime.

Busy day at the county fair The Socorro County Fair continues today with more action starting with a pancake breakfast at 6:30 a.m., moving forward with the parade starting from Sedillo Park at 10 a.m., then jumping into the livestock auction at 3 p.m. , rodeo at 7 p.m. and the rodeo dance at 8:30.

Elva K. Österreich/El Defensor Chieftain

Clockwise from top left, Thursday the Socorro County Fair kicked off with goats, rabbit grooming and plenty of ribbons given out for multiple entries from canned goods, quilts, flowers and handicrafts.

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Relatos del Pasado STORIES OF THE PAST

El Defensor Chieftain • September 1, 2012 • 8

By Paul Harden

leveled countless acres of grazing land on their way to distant stock pens, often destroying small ranches or estancias along the way.

For El Defensor Chieftain

na5n@zianet.com

The First Cowboys

The origin of the cowboy came from medieval Spain and then to the New World centuries later by the Spaniards.

During the Middle Ages, many Spaniards were nomadic, always on the move to avoid ruthless rulers and invading Moorish armies. They became adept at moving their families, and their livestock, from place to place.

Their preferred breed of cattle was the Corriente — cows that were well adapted to traveling long distances and living off sparse vegetation. The Corriente also proved to be ideal for their lean meat, milk and use as a draft animal.

These early “cowboys” were called pastoras, the term for a herder that goes back to biblical times.

The Arabian Moors were excellent horsemen that taught their skills to the Spaniards. The pastoras quickly adapted to herding their cattle on horseback.

As the Spaniards began to colonize the New World in the 1500s, there was great need for animals and meat. These pastoras were used to bring herds of horses, oxen, sheep and beef cattle to Mexico on the Spanish galleons. They bred and raised their stock in the arid climate of Mexico, including the hardy Corriente.

Mexico offered something not found in Spain: miles and miles of wide open places for grazing. The pastoras, using their expert horsemanship, developed techniques to drive herds of cattle from pasture to pasture, as well as roundups for branding and slaughter. Now working almost exclusively “in the saddle,” they became known as vaqueros — which means “herders of cows” — the first cowboys in the New World. In South America, they were known as gauchos.

Vaqueros in New Mexico

The first vaqueros in New Mexico were those who arrived with Juan de Oñate. More than 7,000 head of cattle came with the 1598 caravan over El Camino Real, herded by vaqueros.

Some of this livestock was used to feed the colonists on the trail, although the majority was used to establish herds of sustainable cattle, and food, in the New World.

The early Spanish colonists built haciendas — a family home on a tract of land for raising a few head of cattle, a few sheep or goats, and for their fields.

Basically a farm. Everything to survive in New Mexico had to be raised or grown on one’s own land. With only a few cows or sheep, this was a perilous balance. If your animals didn’t breed, your family would soon go hungry; if you were forced to slaughter your livestock for food, you had no breeding stock for the following year.

To address this problem, many Spaniards began breeding and raising large herds of cattle to supply meat or

Cattle Rustlers

Courtesy of Time Life Old West

The vaqueros were excellent horsemen and known for their colorful clothing. They were the first “cowboys” in New Mexico, having arrived with the early Spanish colonists.

stock to the local haciendas. These larger tracts of land were called estancias — a ranch — and the ranch owner was known as the patron. The term rancho did not come into vogue in New Mexico until the 1821-1846 Mexican era.

While most of the land along the Rio Grande was soon used for agriculture under private ownership or land grants, the rest of the country was open range.

The vaqueros lived for months in the saddle driving the herds to grazing lands, and from one watering hole to the next.

This was the life of a Spanish vaquero, and the cattle industry in New Mexico, from the early 1600s until the mid-1800s.

Pueblo Indians were also employed and trained as vaqueros beginning in the 1600s. They were well respected for their natural connection to the animals and the land – the Indians became excellent horsemen in their own right.

Later, Navajo and Apache riders were added to the vaquero ranks. Today, when you see a Hispanic or American Indian vaquero, they are the original cowboys in the Southwest.

The arrival of the Americans, in 1846, generated the first boom for the local estancias. The U.S. Army needed beef for the forts and the soldiers, and they paid a good price. The number of estancias and vaqueros grew to meet this demand. Few Americans were involved with ranching at this time.

In Socorro County, local estancias provided beef to Fort Conrad and, later,

Fort Craig. Area haciendas also provided hay and feed to the forts.

The Civil War fueled the second boom as increased numbers of soldiers, and about 3,000 New Mexico Volunteers, all needed to be fed.

The American Cowboy

There were few Anglos involved in New Mexico ranching prior to the 1860s. This quickly changed as soldiers were discharged from military service following the Civil War at area forts.

Many decided to remain in the area; some went into ranching. Many of these discharged soldiers married local Hispanic women and became successful ranchers by learning the ways of the vaquero.

From the 1600s through the mid1800s, most cattle ranches — the estancias — in New Mexico were relatively small affairs, with a few hundred to about a thousand head of cattle. They grazed in the open desert or in mountain meadows where water could be found, and then returned to the estancias late in the year for slaughter.

Still, the patrons often made large sums of money and became prominent leaders in their communities. Most had mutual respect for each other, seldom encroaching on the grazing fields or water holes of others, even though it was open range.

By the 1870s, the first American cowboys began to appear in New Mexico — although at the time, they were called “stockmen.” Most were

ranchers or cow hands from Texas.

Huge cattle ranches quickly appeared with livestock numbering in the tens of thousands.

The Cattle Barons

While the Spaniards and Pueblo Indians became the first vaqueros and cattle patrons, the Texans became the first cattle barons. In the late 1860s, powerful Texas stockmen discovered the uncontrolled open spaces of New Mexico. Their large herds dwarfed the size of the smaller herds of the estancias. Ranching in New Mexico was changed forever.

Soon, problems began as the large cattle operations encroached on the small estancias. For example, John Chisum was one of those Texas stockmen who discovered New Mexico. He had moved 100,000 head to graze near Fort Sumner following the Civil War. In 1867, he formed a partnership with two other Texas cattle barons, Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving. Building his headquarters near Roswell, his cattle empire extended along much of the length of the Pecos River to support another 150,000 head of cattle. The famous Chisum and Goodnight-Loving trails are named after these men.

Many small estancias were snuffed out by these huge cattle enterprises.

Thirsty cattle by the thousands would intrude on the watering holes with no regard to land ownership. Unscrupulous dealings ran other owners out of business. Every year, massive cattle drives

If the cattle barons and huge ranches weren’t enough to alter the face of New Mexico ranching, the next scourge to inflict the Territory was widespread cattle rustling.

Western movies often portray cattle rustlers as a couple of mischievous cowboys stealthily creeping into a herd of cattle and running off with a couple of head. This was seldom the case.

Cattle rustling in New Mexico quickly developed into a large-scale industry consisting of numerous rustling gangs. By the mid-1870s, these gangs were rustling thousands of head at a time, including from western Socorro County, and often killing the cowhands and vaqueros that got in the way.

Many of these gangs worked together. As one gang would steal a herd of cattle, it would sell them to another gang, who sold them to yet another, with all of them making a profit along the way. In this manner, stolen cattle could also be quickly removed from New Mexico to Texas, or Kansas, in a week or two and totally evade the law.

Another tactic was to sell their booty to unscrupulous “ghost ranchers.” Of course, calling these men ranchers is a stretch. Their ranches were often concealed on remote land to store the huge herds of stolen cattle and alter their brands. Their herds would mysteriously grow from a few hundred head to tens of thousands with no evidence of breeding or calving.

One of the largest caches of stolen cattle was in Lincoln County. One ranch was owned by Lawrence Murphy and James Dolan, who were also the owners of the famous Murphy-Dolan Store in Lincoln. Their herds would suspiciously grow in size, and often exceeded 50,000 head.

Much of the stolen cattle on the Murphy-Dolan ranch was “acquired” from cattle baron John Chisum’s stock grazing along the Pecos river. In an attempt to halt his massive losses from thievery, Chisum formed a partnership with Lincoln attorney Alexander McSween and merchant John Tunstall to breakup the Murphy-Dolan monopoly, and force the Sheriff and the soldiers at nearby Fort Stanton to end the cattle rustling cartels. The confrontations between the “good guys and the bad guys” is what led to the famous Lincoln County wars and the murders of McSween, Tunstall, Lincoln County Sheriff William Brady and others.

In Socorro County, such cattle caches were located at Contadero near Black Mesa, east of La Joya, in the valley south of Quemado, and a clandestine slaughtering operation in Red Canyon in the San Mateo Mountains. n See History, Page 9

Courtesy of American Cattle

The Corriente (left) was the breed first brought to New Mexico by the Spaniards, and this breed is still raised in the state; cattle baron John Chisum raised thousands of Texas Longhorns (center) in the state in the late 1800s; the Hereford (right), is the dominant breed found in New Mexico today.

El Defensor Chieftain

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SEPTEMBER 1, 2012 • 9

Courtesy of True West Magazine

Courtesy of Mescalero Apache Reservation

An Apache vaquero on the Mescalero Reservation in the early 1900s.

Three outlaws pose for a photographer. Historians believe the man standing is cattle rustler king pin John Kinney.

HIstory: Rustler gangs and law enforcement Continued from Page 8 Then, in 1880, came the railroad — the biggest boost to the New Mexico cattle rustler. Now, huge herds could be rustled, driven undetected for a day or two to the nearest railhead, and shipped off to the stockyards at Kansas City or Chicago before the theft could be reported to the sheriff.

By this time, the lawless element throughout the southern part of New Mexico, including Socorro County, had become a serious menace to the lives and property of the citizens. Due to the number of the murderous rustlers and gangs, the judicial systems of the Territory was unable to cope. The most notorious and deadly of the cattle rustlers was the Kinney gang.

The Kinney Gang

In 1873, 25-year-old John Kinney mustered out of the U.S. Army at Fort McPherson, Nebr., and quickly made his way to Doña Ana County. He soon formed a gang of about 30 outlaw men who specialized in cattle rustling with a little thievery and killing on the side. By 1875, the Kinney gang was the most brazen and feared band of rustlers and hooligans in the Territory. For example, on Dec. 31, 1875, Kinney and several of his gang got into a bar brawl in Las Cruces. While standing outside the bar, they riddled the establishment with bullets for a little New Year’s Eve fun. When the smoke cleared, two soldiers from Fort Selden and a civilian lay dead, along with several others groaning from their wounds.

In 1876, several members of the Kinney Gang, led by outlaw Jessie Evans, broke away to start their own gang called “The Boys,” although they continued to work with Kinney to remain one of the most feared gangs. These were just two of the numerous cattle rustling gangs operating in southern New Mexico.

When the Kinney and Evans gangs weren’t busy rustling cattle, they made themselves available as hired guns. They were hired to fight on the Dolan-Murphy side of the Lincoln County wars.

Once the shooting ended in Lincoln, the bored outlaws returned to Doña Ana to resume their cattle rustling enterprise.

Kinney bought a ranch near the silver mining camp of Lake Valley – and from there he directed his cattle rustling empire. From Lake Valley, he would send out small bands of a half-dozen men to the large ranches in the Black Range and Socorro County. The stolen cattle was quickly whisked off to El Paso, slaughtered, and the meat was purchased in large quantities to feed area Army forts,

the Indian reservations and the railroad workers building the southern route to California.

John Kinney became a very wealthy man. In spite of his wealth, and an outlaw at heart, Kinney and his men would often frequent saloons along the Rio Grande. Their night on the town always ended up with a shootout or a brutal fight. The people from Las Cruces to Socorro became terrified of the Kinney Gang. Even law enforcement felt the intimidation, and gave the outlaws more or less a free reign of the Territory. As a result, largescale cattle rustling continued, which ruined many ranchers from Mesilla to western Socorro County.

Military Intervention

In 1883, rustlers stole more than 10,000 head of cattle from the Mesilla Valley. Similar numbers of cattle “disappeared” from Socorro County. The ruined ranchers in the area could take no more.

A petition signed by more than 100 ranchers in Socorro and Doña Ana counties was delivered to Gov. Lionel Sheldon to urge military intervention.

Even the corrupt Santa Fe ring advocated action, as they saw their ranch investments in the south dwindling. The New Mexican newspaper in Santa Fe urged the governor’s action by identifying Kinney as “one of the most dangerous and desperate characters ... since Billy the Kid.” Actually, he was much worse than Billy the Kid, but the association drummed up political support.

The U.S. Army refused to get involved with civil matters. Instead, Gov. Sheldon called the “Mesilla Calvary,” a volunteer militia unit, into active service using his executive powers. He assigned Col. Albert Fountain, a veteran of Carleton’s California Column, to command the unit. The Shakespeare Rangers were also activated, another militia unit of ranchers in the bootheel region.

The Mesilla Calvary was ordered to capture as many of the cattle rustlers as possible to break up the gangs; the Shakespeare Rangers were to patrol the New Mexico-Arizona border for cattle rustlers and outlaws.

Fountain focused his attention on the kingpin of them all: John Kinney. He launched his fight with not only pistols and rifles, but the printed word.

Fountain ensured every newspaper in New Mexico reported how “the war was on” with the rustler gangs and how they were authorized to “shoot to kill” any rustler who resisted arrest.

The outlaw rustlers, drinking their beers at the local saloons, probably laughed their heads off upon hearing about the impending war against them. By the end of March 1883, the laughing stopped.

Fountain’s War

Armed with a stack of arrest warrants, Col. Fountain sent his militiamen off in small groups in every direction. Within days, the Las Cruces jail was filled with outlaws. Realizing the tables had turned, many of the outlaws temporarily fled the Territory. Several were snagged by the Shakespeare Rangers as they attempted to flee into Arizona.

Kingpin rustler Kinney was nowhere to be found around his Lake Valley ranch. A few days later, however, Fountain received word that Kinney and his mistress were captured by the Shakespeare Rangers in extreme southwest New Mexico while attempting to cross the border into Mexico.

But John Kinney was hardly the only cattle rustler in the area. After his capture, Fountain loaded his men and horses onto the train. Disembarking at Nutt Station, they were met by some mining guides and two deputy sheriffs. After mounting their horses, the group began their sweep north and west through the Black Range and into western Socorro County.

When the men arrived at Hillsboro and Kingston, local ranchers and townspeople confirmed that Tom Cooper, John Watts, Hank Brophy, Charles Thomas, and two men known only as Tex and Butch, were the worst of the bunch. Following local leads, Fountain and a detachment of his men went to Lake City. There, they found and arrested Butch, but his partner, John Watts, escaped on horseback.

As Fountain described the ordeal, “John Watts was seen, but he escaped from me, mounted a horse and fled, only to run into Captain Van Patten’s company. He was ordered to halt, when he drew his Winchester on Captain Van Patten; a dozen carbines were at once pointed at him and he surrendered.”

With prisoners in hand, they rode all night to the village of Cienaga in the Black Range. When the group stopped to make coffee and breakfast, Butch and Watts escaped and fled into the early morning darkness. One Capt. Salazar left with his men to pursue the fugitives. When Salazar’s men found the pair on the road, Butch and Watts refused to stop or surrender when asked. Salazar ordered shots to be fired. Every man in the company thought the command was addressed to them.

As a result, a volley of 30-40 shots rang out. Both Butch and Watts fell dead on the trail.

Returning to Kingston, Fountain located and arrested James Colville. He operated a slaughter pen for stolen cattle from the W-S and other ranches in western Socorro County.

After receiving a report of an uprising in Lake Valley, Sgt. Leandro Garcia and some men were sent to the mining camp. Upon their arrival, they discovered the Sierra Mining Company had found three cattle rustlers and locked them in a dynamite shack. Sgt. Garcia took them into custody. One was a locally known rustler named John Shannon.

After breaking free of the guard, Shannon was shot dead as he attempted his escape.

On March 23, the various elements of Fountain’s command returned from the trail and reconnoitered in Kingston. By now, the news of the capture of Kinney, and a host of other rustlers, had spread throughout the Territory, including details printed in the Socorro Chieftain newspaper. This was long-awaited news.

As the militiamen entered Kingston, they were heartily greeted by the town with an impromptu parade and festivities. Fountain recorded: “Here my command was kindly, I may say enthusiastically received by the people of the town. The ladies and gentlemen of the town gave the officers and men of my command a royal reception at the school house and left nothing undone to prove that their entire sympathy and support were with us.”

In a few short weeks, Fountain’s small army had rid the Territory of many of the cattle rustlers. Twenty years later, historian Ralph Emerson Twitchell summarized: “Entire herds of cattle were driven from Socorro, Doña Ana, and Grant counties and sold in Texas, and other herds were slaughtered in the woods and the dressed meat shipped in car-load lots. The people had been terrorized by this combination of outlaws and no one dared to make complaint or testify against members of the gang until the militia had broken their strength and had the ring leaders actually in custody.”

Kinney was found guilty of cattle rustling by a Las Cruces jury and sentenced to five years in prison. As New Mexico did not yet have a territorial prison, Kinney was sent by train to Fort Leavenworth, Kans., to serve out his sentence.

He was released, in 1886, after serving only three years. When Kinney returned to Doña Ana, he found all of his old fellow rustlers either in jail, killed, or simply gone. He left New Mexico to spend the rest of his days developing mining claims in Arizona, where he died in 1919.

Socorro County Rustlers

By the mid-1890s, cattle rustling in the western n See Rustlers, Page 10

El Defensor Chieftain

10 • SEPTEMBER 1, 2012

www.dchieftain.com

Courtesy of El Paso Community College

Courtesy of Library of Congress

Courtesy of Library of Congress

John Chisum was one of the dominant cattle barons in New Mexico, and a frequent victim of cattle rustlers.

The only known photograph of gang leader Jessie Evans of Doña Ana, who also fought in the Lincoln County wars, when he wasn’t busy rustling cattle.

Col. Albert Fountain vigorously pursued and prosecuted many of New Mexico’s cattle rustlers. He disappeared under mysterious circumstances, presumably killed by one of the cattle outlaws.

Rustlers: Fountain turns attention to Tularosa Basin Continued from Page 9 part of the county, and on the W-S Ranch near Alma, seemed to be on the increase. When Holm O. Bursum was elected as Socorro County Sheriff, in 1884, he pledged to rid the county of the rustlers once again. To accomplish this, he hired his old friend, Col. Fountain, now a special prosecutor for the New Mexico Cattleman’s Association. Bursum and Fountain rounded up several cattle rustlers found operating around Magdalena, Council Rock and near Quemado. All were tried in the Socorro

County Courthouse. Bursum had the pleasure of escorting the convicted rustlers to the newly built Territorial Penitentiary in Santa Fe. Once Socorro County seemed to be free of cattle rustlers, Fountain turned his attention to the Tularosa Basin. The ranchers in the area, led by Oliver Lee, accused the large cattle barons of taking all the good grazing land and water. The big cattle companies, in turn, accused Oliver Lee and his band of ranchers of cattle rustling and murder.

Fountain obtained indictments against ranchers Oliver Lee, Bill McNew and Jim Gilliland — all of them suspected of cattle rustling and

other misdeeds. After the indictments were filed in the Lincoln County Courthouse, Fountain and his eight-year-old son set out on the return trip to Doña Ana on Feb. 1, 1896. They never arrived.

Their bloodstained wagon was found off the trail near the Chalk Hills east of Las Cruces.

Sheriff Pat Garrett arrested Lee, McNew and Gilliland for Fountain’s murder. The “murder trial of the century” was held in Hillsboro. The jury found the cowboys not guilty after the trial ran well past midnight. Garrett was later found shot to death not far from where Fountain was killed.

To this day, the slain bodies of Fountain and

his son have never been found. New Mexicans still speculate whether Oliver Lee, or another cattle faction, was responsible for the murders. The Fountain murders remain as New Mexico’s most prolific cold case.

Some of the references used in this article: “The Real Billy the Kid,” by Miguel Otero; “Leading Facts of New Mexican History,” by Ralph Emerson Twitchell; various issues of the Socorro Chieftain newspaper; and other research by the author.

Church Directory Socorro ServiceS Old San Miguel Mission 403 El Camino Real NW, Socorro, NM 87801 Voice: 575-835-2891 • Fax: 575-835-1620 Website: www.sdc.org/smiguel • E-Mail: smiguel@sdc.org Pastor: Father Andy Pavlak San Miguel Church Mass Schedule: Saturday: 5:00 p.m. Mass of Anticipation (Fulfills Sunday Obligation) Sunday: 8:00 a.m. (Bi-lingual), 10:00 a.m.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 9:00 a.m.

Tuesday: 5:30 p.m.; Thursday: 5:30 p.m. (Communion Service) Mission Saturdays: 7:00 p.m. Mass of Anticipation (Fulfills Sunday Obligation) 1st San Lorenzo, Polvadera • 2nd San Antonio, Mission at Luis Lopez 3rd La Sagrada Familia, Lemitar • 4th San Jose, Luis Lopez • 5th San Antonio, Alamillo St. Mary Magdalene - Magdalena: Sunday - 12:30 p.m.

St. Patrick Newman Center: 7:00 p.m.

1st Monday of the month (When Tech is in session)

Hope Lutheran Church 908 Leroy Place (Across from the NM Tech Library) 708-408-1569 • http://trak.to/hope • Pastor Richard Wertz Divine Service: 8:00 a.m.

St. Pauls United Methodist Church 1000 Goad Rd. (Southeast corner of NM Tech Campus) 575-835-1372 • Pastor Reuben Thomas Communion ~ First and third Sundays Worship Service ~ 10 a.m. Sunday Crochet and knitting ~ 5 p.m.Wednesday Bible Study ~ 6:30 p.m. Wednesday

Calvary Chapel Worship, Fellowship, Bible Study Pastor Frank Rodriguez • 802 Mitchell Ave. • 575-312-9276 Sunday Service ~ 10 a.m. • Wednesday Service ~ 7 p.m.

Family Christian Center "Bringing God & People Together" Sunday 9:30 am Breakfast with Family • 10:30 am Worship Celebration Nursery (ages birth-3) • ElectriKids (ages 4-11) Wednesday 7:00 pm Family Night Nursery (ages birth-3) • Voltage Kids Club (ages 4-11) Ready Student Ministries (ages 12-18) • Adult Interactive Bible Study Call or visit website for more information about activities for Men, Women, Single Adults and Connect College Ministries (575) 835-0185 • www.fccsocorro.org 1016 Fowler / Highway 60 & Fowler, Socorro, NM

Socorro Unitarian Universalists A branch of First Unitarian of Albuquerque Episcopal Church Parish Hall • 908 Leroy Place Sunday Services: 4:00 p.m.

Children welcome!

For more information call 838-7113 or email redorgrn@gmail.com

The Episcopal church of the Epiphany 908 Leroy Place • 835-1818 • The Rev. Woody Peabody, Vicar Sunday Worship Service (Eucharist) ~ 10 a.m.

Where all are welcome!

Sunday School ~ 10 a.m.

Thursday Breakfast and Bible Study ~ 7 a.m.

SOCORRO BAPTIST TEMPLE Independent Baptist Church Pastor David McDaniel • 1301 South Fairgrounds Rd MBU # 2 • 835-3306 Sunday School: 10 a.m. • Sunday Worship Service: 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Midweek Bible Study: Thursday 6 p.m.

First Baptist Church of Socorro We are a Southern Baptist Church 203 Spring Street • Pastor Charles Farmer Jr. • 575-835-0041 Morning Worship: 8:30 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.

Sunday School: 9:45 a.m. • Awana: Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.

Evening Worship: Saturday, 6:00 p.m.

The church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints El Camino Real, across from Sedillo Park • 575-835-0570 Sacrament Meeting: 9 a.m.

Sunday School: 10:20 to 11:00 a.m.

Priesthood/Relief Society/Young Men’s/Young Women’s/Primary: All meet 11:10 to noon All Welcome!

The House Next to Days Inn • 105 Neal Avenue, Socorro, NM 87801 • 575-835-4357 Sr. Chaplin Jerry or Sr. Chaplain Michelle Monday: 10am - Addiction Bible Study; 12 noon - Women's Healing; 6pm - Book of John Tuesday: 9:15am - Prayer, 10am - Book of Matthew; 12 noon - Parenting/Marriage/Relationships Wednesday: 10am - Bible from 30,000 feet Thursday: 10am - Foundations Friday: 8am-12pm FREE YARD SALE; 4pm - Kid's Bible Study; 6pm - Youth Group 6pm - Addiction Bible Study Weekend live service available, call for service times

First Presbyterian Church 304 McCutcheon Avenue, Socorro, NM 87801 • P.O. Box 1155 • 575-835-0942 1stpresbyterian@qwestoffice.net • http://1stpresbyterian.qwestoffice.net Rev. Laura Niles Finch • Rev. Jeffrey Finch Communion is the first Sunday of the month Worship service & Sunday school: 9:00 a.m., child care provided The first Friday of the month: PW 9:30 a.m.

The first Saturday of the month: Men’s Group 10:00 a.m.

The second Tuesday of the month: Deacons meet Wed. Bible Study: 6 p.m. • Thurs. Study: 10 a.m.

Datil ServiceS Datil Baptist Church Datil • 575-772-5577 • Pastor Harold Jenkerson - 575-772-5156 All Ages Sunday School: 10:00 a.m.

Worship: 11:00 a.m.

Ladies Bible Study: Wednesday ~ 10:00 a.m.

MagDalena ServiceS

Magdalena Comm. Church Main St. at 4th, P.O. Box 265 Magdalena, NM • 575-854-2364 Rev. Laura Niles Finch • Rev. Jeffrey Finch Sunday Worship Service: 11:30 a.m.

Communion is the first Sunday of the month Circle Meeting: 9:30 a.m. first Tuesday of the month Choir practice: 2:00 p.m. Wednesday Village Quilters: 9:30 a.m. Second and Fourth Wednesday of the month Round Up Dinner at Noon, fifth Sunday of the month Adult Bible Study: 2:30 p.m. Wednesday

Magdalena 1st Baptist Church 575-854-2389 • Kelly Road, Magdalena, NM 87801 • Pastor Paul Holt Sunday School: 10:00 a.m.

Sunday Service: 11:00 a.m.

Wednesday Bible Study: 7:00 p.m.

Include your Church in

El Defensor Chieftain’s Church Directory for only $2.63 per week Call 575-835-0520

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SEPTEMBER 1, 2012 • 11

Armijo breaks all-time mark for career goals Socorro senior will likely shatter record by season’s end

By Jonathan Miller El Defensor Chieftain Reporter

jmiller@dchieftain.com

Jonathan Miller/El Defensor Chieftain

Warriors forward Michael Armijo looks for a scoring opportunity on Tuesday during their match against Valencia.

Armijo scored Socorro’s lone goal in a 2-1 overtime loss.

Overtime: Continued from Page 12 evolution of this team from their first game to this point isn’t difficult to find.

“I think we were in control of our emotions a little better. I think we’ve kind of gotten settled,” Schaffer said.

“Because we kind of have a young squad, we’re trying to stay fit out there, play 90 minutes by passing it around, and I felt like we were just passing it better.”

The Warriors have a rough three-game stretch upcoming as they’ll face Santa Fe Prep, Bosque Prep and Sandia Prep in a five day span, but after that they’ll have 17 days off.

“I think we’ll just keep it up,” Schaffer said. “We’ve got to play to our strengths, so we’re just going to build on that conditioning.”

The Warriors will play host to the Griffins at 4:00 p.m. this afternoon.

By now most New Mexico high school soccer fans should know that Socorro’s Dezirae Armijo is nothing short of an automatic goal-scoring machine, a virtually unstoppable force on the pitch.

Unless they made the trip to Mars with Curiosity last month they should also know this past Monday she broke the New Mexico record for most career goals by a high school female.

What they might not know is just how humble she’s being about the whole thing.

“That wasn’t the first thing in the back of my mind,” she said.

“The first thing in my mind was whatever I can do to help our team win. It wasn’t about any record-breaking. I wasn’t really thinking about that. I was just thinking about how we can win.”

And keep in mind this isn’t the district record or the 3A record. Armijo has scored more times than any female soccer player in the state’s history. Ever.

The record was previously held by St. Michael’s Jordan Miller for six years. She scored 173 career goals. As of Friday morning, Armijo had notched 22 goals this season in only five games for a career total of 178, and the Lady Warriors still have roughly 17 games left to play this season. By the time she and Socorro are done in 2012, this thing might be out of reach for a while.

“It’s pretty unbelievable,” Armijo said. “Like I said, I wasn’t really thinking about it this whole time. Now that it happened I’m like, wow. I can’t really believe it.”

Achieving such a feat may not have always been at the top of her high school checklist, but Armijo has had an array of support ever since she began playing in the American Youth Soccer Organization when she was five or six. She said her parents, grandparents and brothers have always pushed her and supported her, and along with club coach Stephanie Cappola and high school coach Mitch Carrejo, she’s had a network of believers.

“They just kept telling me, keep going,” Armijo said.

“They’ve been there for me this whole time, believing in me.

They never doubted me.”

At the time it would have been impossible to predict this type of record-setting career, but there was probably never any plausible reason to doubt that Armijo would find some sort of success in the sport. Even after she took a few years off from soccer during middle school, she was good enough to play varsity her eighth grade year.

“I was kind of scared and excited at the same time, but I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” she said.

And again being the polite, humble high school senior she is, Armijo realizes fully that soccer is a team sport, and said the teammates she’s had over the past five years have been behind her, supported her during her career and helped instill a sense of certainty on the pitch.

“My parents have been telling me forever that I was good, but I still needed that confidence in my head I guess,” she said.

Jonathan Miller/El Defensor Chieftain

Socorro’s Dezirae Armijo broke the New Mexico record for career goals this past Monday. Armijo has 22 goals on the season and 178 for her career, surpassing the previous mark of 173.

Now she’s sure she is good enough to continue her soccer career, and Armijo will head to Alamosa, Colo., next year to play for the Adams State Grizzlies. But she’ll always be a source of pride for Socorro, and not just on the field. She carries a 4.4 Grade Point Average and is a member of the National Honor Society. Armijo is a proverbial daughter to this community and people will likely remember her name and contributions for years to come.

“I guess they’re going to know who I am years from now, hopefully,” she said.

“I hope that they’re proud of me.”

Rivalry: County face-off puts Lady Warriors in ahead Continued from Page 12 coach and a new-look roster, Socorro needed to look sharp as the Lady Steers showed some definitive signs of talent, especially during the third set when they staved off two SHS match points and stole a 27-25 win.

“We’re evolving,” Mag first-year head coach Bryan Baca said.

The Lady Steers dropped back down to 1A play this year, so snatching a set away from a 3A team such as Socorro is good for his team, despite the loss.

“It gives us confidence,” Baca said. “Socorro is pretty good. Personally, I wouldn’t mind getting whooped up a little bit against some bigger schools to give them (MHS) confidence.”

Confidence and momentum were clearly on Socorro’s side in the first set though, as Maudie Mauldin opened the match with five straight points coming off of her serve. Socorro continued to utilize heavy service pressure throughout the first set and gave Magdalena fits in their back row. The Lady Warriors twice built leads of seven points and cruised to a 14-point first-set win.

When the Lady Steers came out hot in the second set, though, and took a quick 10-7 lead, it looked a little bit like the third set of the East Mountain match. Socorro made some avoidable errors and didn’t communicate very well, but this week it kept its poise, kept calm and reeled off four straight points to take an 11-10 lead. Five more points off Tamera Chavez’s serve extended the lead to 16-11 and forced a Magdalena time out. Whatever Bryan Baca said to his team worked as it stormed back to tie the set at 20-20, but Bryahna Baca and Ashley Pyke both notched two kills and two blocks to close out the second set at 25-21 in favor of Socorro.

The third set mirrored the third as the Lady Steers stormed to an early lead only to see Socorro rally and tie, but the end result wasn’t what the Lady Warriors were looking for.

“There shouldn’t have been much question in the third game, but we let up a little,” Joni Mauldin said.

Whether Socorro let up or not, Magdalena’s Breann Baca found her serve and dropped two set-tying aces, while Kadie Kiehne started heating up at the net. From an 11-11 lock, the teams traded points and eventually SHS earned a match point at 24-23 when Maudie Mauldin looped a soft bumper right over the top of the Magdalena block. However, Mauldin was called for a lift on the next play, and after MHS earned a set point at 26-25, Chavez returned Kiehne’s serve into the bottom of the net and Mag took the set.

That’s about when Bryahna Baca took things over.

Baca was everywhere in the fourth set, blocking, setting, digging and spiking her team to a 16-9 lead, and the eventual 25-16 match-ending victory.

The set was an important one for Socorro as it again regained its poise, played its game, communicated and basically dominated.

“Every single time we had that quick set in the middle, we had a free net,” Joni Mauldin said. “Every time.”

And the proof is in the pudding that these Lady Warriors could contend if they stick to their game plan and gradually grow as a team.

“We’ve just been working on scrimmaging each other, our plays, and we’re really connecting now,” Bryahna Baca said.

The 2-0 Socorro volleyball team will look to improve to 3-0 when it plays its first road match against West Las Vegas at 1:00 p.m. this afternoon.

Photos by Jonathan Miller/El Defensor Chieftain

LEFT: Lady Warriors junior Ashley Pyke goes up for a kill during Tuesday night’s inter-county match with Magdalena.

Socorro won 3-1.

ABOVE: Magdalena’s Breann Baca delivers a serve during the fourth set of Tuesday’s match against Socorro. The young Lady Steers dropped the match 3-1.

sports Jags squeak by Warriors in overtime El Defensor Chieftain

12 • SEPTEMBER 1, 2012

www.dchieftain.com

By Jonathan Miller El Defensor Chieftain Reporter

jmiller@dchieftain.com

Jonathan Miller/El Defensor Chieftain

Valancia’s Manuel Chavez attempts a shot against Will Schaffer of Socorro on Tuesday afternoon at Warriors Stadium.

Socorro If anyone thought Tuesday’s match versus Valencia was intended to be more a gauge of progress than it was a chance to post a victory, the Socorro boys soccer team was not among them.

The Warriors (2-4) scratched and clawed their way against a team that missed the 2011 4A tourney by a one-goal aggregate, and they nearly pulled off what many would have viewed as an upset over the Jaguars.

After all was said and done, Valencia (1-1) squeaked by the boys in blue 2-1 in overtime, but the loss was nonetheless a statement of sorts that read this squad won’t roll over for anyone.

“We have a good enough team this year that we never go in with the mentality we’re going to lose the game,” Socorro forward/goalkeeper Will Schaffer said.

“We were going into that just like every other game, saying, ‘we could win.’ And I think we really showed, even with a young team, we can beat a 4A team that was (almost) state bound last year, and I would bet is going to be state bound this year.”

One of the recurring Warrior themes this season is being able to physically outlast their opponents, and head coach Dennis Walsh’s emphasis on conditioning is undoubtedly taking shape.

After the Jags got an early goal from Manuel Chavez just six minutes in, Socorro hunkered down, and although it didn’t score before halftime, the difference in conditioning was apparent. The

Warriors were calm, collected and had plenty of breath left, in light of the fact they were playing their fifth game in five days.

Little did they know then just how much they would need it.

Socorro forward Michael Armijo zoomed past the Valencia defense six minutes into the second half, found himself on a breakaway and powered the ball past Valencia goalkeeper Fabian Lopez for the equalizer. It was a well-deserved boost for a team that had been working hard for 46 minutes against a fast, physical squad in the Jaguars.

Eight minutes later Chavez bounced one off the left post, but the teams would battle to a stalemate until around the six minute mark. Then things got interesting.

With 5:40 remaining, Armijo found himself on another breakaway opportunity and just steps away from attempting the go-ahead shot just outside the box. Instead he was tripped from behind by a Valencia defender and the play was called dead. The Warriors crowd thought a penalty kick was upcoming, but the referee thought differently.

Socorro was awarded a free kick from around 15 yards out, but John Carilli sailed the attempt over the crossbar.

The Jags turned up the offensive pressure in the final five minutes of regulation, but couldn’t punch one in.

In the third minute of the first 10-minute overtime period, Valencia’s Alan Ramirez beat Schaffer from the right side, and Socorro couldn’t match the goal.

Schaffer said the loss was upsetting, but the n See Overtime, Page 11

Lady Warriors best Mag in county rivalry Both teams show promise, poise

By Jonathan Miller El Defensor Chieftain Reporter

jmiller@dchieftain.com

Socorro It had been eight days since the Lady Warriors volleyball squad had taken the court for an actual match, but there were virtually no signs of rust as they defeated the Magdalena Lady Steers in four sets at home on Tuesday night.

Aside from some mental mistakes and a few errant balls in the third set, Socorro looked mostly sharp against their inter-county rival en route to a 25-11, 25-21, (25-27), 25-16 victory.

It was a team-wide improvement compared to last week’s fiveset win over East Mountain.

“It was better,” head coach Joni Mauldin said. “I’m pleased, but I just told them in the huddle I’m not satisfied yet, and (they) shouldn’t be satisfied either, and they’re not, which is good. That’s positive.”

And even though Magdalena is a young team with a new head n See Rivalry, Page 11

Taste the Flavor of New Mexico!

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ATTENTION PARENTS!

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this deal includes a photo and message to your athlete. Call our office to send your message.

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