Majestic Living Winter 2017

Technology today continually delivers endless information to your desktop, mobile phone and laptop.

Magazines, however, strive to paint you a picture of a situation, person or event. If we do our job well, we give you a complete and, sometimes, much broader point of view.

All of this is based on trust between the writer, the photographer and the subject, in addition to the graphic designer, the editor, the reader.

This issue marks our 10th year of discovering the places and people of our area. To date we have showcased well over 325 people. We could not be more grateful for all of the trust our readers and the people we write about have shown us.

Storytelling is as old as humanity itself. Stories help us connect to one another and the world.

It takes courage to tell someone’s story, and even

more courage for that person to share their story not only with the writer, but with the reader as well.

It never gets old for me, and so many times the story doesn’t end at all where I thought it would go when we make the initial assignments. Those twists and turns are what life is all about.

It has been my great privilege and honor to present these stories to you for the last 10 years.

Part of what I consider my calling is to help people understand the commonality we all share. We are all so much more alike in our triumphs and failures and there is never a reason to feel alone. I find that more important now than ever before.

A special thanks to our readers, the advertisers, and all the staff. None of this would be possible without you.

Here’s to 10 More!

Cindy Cowan-Thiele 4 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2017

contributors MarGareT CheaSebro has been a freelance writer for more than 30 years. her articles have appeared in many magazines across the country, some of those articles have won state and national awards. She was a correspondent for the albuquerque Journal and worked for several local newspapers. She is the author of the young adult fantasy/reality novel, The healing Tree, set in aztec. She also wrote the non-fiction book, healing with Trees: Finding a Path to Wholeness. a retired elementary school counselor, she is also a reiki Master and practices several alternative healing techniques.

She enjoys playing table tennis.

DoroThy NobiS has been a writer and editor for more than 25 years. She authored a travel guide, The insiders Guide to the Four Corners, published by Globe Pequot Press, and has been a frequent contributor to New Mexico Magazine.

Debra Mayeux, of Farmington, is an awardwinning journalist with recognitions from the associated Press of New Mexico and Colorado and the New Mexico Press association and the Colorado broadcast association. She has covered stories throughout the Southwest and in Mexico and Jordan, where she interviewed diplomats and the royal family. after nearly 20 years in the business, she recently opened her own freelance writing and media business. Mayeux enjoys the outdoors, reading and spending time with her family. She is the coordinator of Farmington Walk and roll, a Safe routes to School organization. She is married to David Mayeux and they have three children: Nick, alexander and Peter.

beN braShear has called the Southern San Juans home for most of his life. he holds a b.a. in Creative Writing from Fort Lewis College and has worked for Cutthroat: a Journal of The arts, as assistant poetry editor. he is currently working as a freelance writer and photographer based out of Durango, Colorado.

WhiTNey hoWLe was born and raised in Farmington and is proud to call San Juan County home. The richness of the landscape and the diverse people, culture and traditions are a photographer’s dream. Whitney has his b.a. in Visual Communication from Collins College in Tempe, ariz. he is a co-owner of howle Design and Photography — a family owned studio offering graphic design, photography, market research and consulting.

publisher Don Vaughan

sales

Clint Alexander

editor Cindy Cowan Thiele

administration

designer Suzanne Thurman

Lacey Waite

writers Dorothy Nobis, Margaret Cheasebro,

MAGAZINE Celebrating the Lifestyle, Community and Culture of the Four Corners Vol. 9, No. 4 ©2017 by Majestic Media.

Majestic Living is a quarterly publication.

Material herein may not be reprinted without expressed written consent of the publisher. If you receive a copy that is torn or damaged call 505.516.1230.

6 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2017

For advertising information

Ben Brashear, Debra Mayeux

Call 505.516.1230

photographers

Whitney Howle, Ben Brashear

Cover photo Comments

WhiTNey hoWLe Majestic Living welcomes story ideas and comments from readers. email story ideas and comments to editor@majesticmediausa.com.

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winterfeatures: strength of family 10 The and faith It was a much-anticipated new chapter in their lives and Kristen and Billy Houston were excited and ready for the adventures to begin.

By Dorothy Nobis

18 Farmington American Indian Ambassador Promoting the Farmington community and encouraging young people to make wise decisions and do well in school are priorities for Christopher Benally, 18. He is the current Farmington American Indian Ambassador.

By Margaret Cheasebro

23 Christmas Events 30 Allyouyouneverknowknowis that Cindy Cowan Thiele has always been proud of growing up in a small Kansas community.

By Dorothy Nobis

8 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2017

36 Donation helps pets in need When an animal leaves the Aztec Animal Shelter, it is the hope of Director Tina Roper that the pet is going to its forever home.

By Debra Mayeux

42 Teaching

is healing

extraordinary 50 The dog whisperer Kelly Everett has been around dogs all her life, so it wasn’t surprising that she eventually began training dogs for search and rescue activities.

Today, Claire James Wilson teaches K-4 in one room at La Vida Mission south of Farmington. But 51 years ago, she and her unborn baby were casualties of the first mass shooting, which took place on the University of Texas, Austin, campus on Aug. 1, 1966.

By Margaret Cheasebro

By Margaret Cheasebro

no such 66 There’s thing as can’t

70

Paralympic biathlon coach training for Winter Games

72

Really big Diehls

60

She did it her way

After trail blazing her way to becoming the first female San Juan District Attorney and the first female district judge in the state of New Mexico, Sandra Price is about to retire.

By Margaret Cheasebro WINTER 2017 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 9

strength of family and faith

The

For Kenadi beating cancer was never a question of if but of when Story by Dorothy Nobis Photos by Whitney Howle It was a much-anticipated new chapter in their lives and Kristen and Billy Houston were excited and ready for the adventures to begin.

Billy and his children, Tymberlynn, 6, and Rowdy, 5, lived in Eunice, New Mexico, and Kristen and her children, Mason, 14, and Kenadi, 7, were joining them in June of 2016. Billy worked as a pumper for Blackbeard and Kristen worked for the New Mexico Oil and Gas Division as an environmental specialist.

Billy and Kristen planned to get married in the spring of this year.

The family settled in together and Mason and Kenadi were adjusting to new schools. In December, Kenadi began having leg aches at night, Kristen said. During a visit to the doctor, Kenadi 10 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2017

was asked to lift her leg up, but she couldn’t.

“The doctor didn’t want to do an X-ray because of the radiation exposure,” Kristen said. “I begged them to do one because she couldn’t lift her leg, and she finally agreed to do the X-ray.”

An unexpected turn of events For an hour and a half Kristen and Kenadi sat in a room and waited. A physician’s assistant at the Eunice Health Clinic, Nickie Blevins, finally came into the room and invited them to her office. Blevins said the X-ray showed a “fluffy, cloudy and chalky” bone – and that it could be a malignant neoplasm – an abnormal growth of tissue, a tumor.

WINTER 2017 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 11

12 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2017

The clinic called an oncologist in Lubbock, Texas, who instructed Kristen to bring Kenadi to the hospital because he was going to admit her.

“I was devastated and scared,” Kristen said, her eyes tearing at the memory. “At first, I told Kenadi she was just going in for tests.”

For three days, little Kenadi endured a barrage of tests. Then, the oncologist and his team called Kristen into the office. It was the news no parent wants to hear.

“They said Kenadi had stage four metastatic cancer and they sent us to M.D. Anderson in Houston. They sedated Kenadi and did an MRI,” Kristen said, tears filling her eyes once again.

The next day, the doctor told Kenadi she had cancer.

The strength of family “She started crying and she said, ‘I don’t want cancer,’” Kristen said.

Her heart hurting and her mind racing, Kristen turned to her family in Bloomfield.

“She called, crying, and said she needed us in Lubbock to be with her and Kenadi,” said Dona Lynch, Kristen’s mother. “I called Curtis (Kristen’s dad). He was devastated, too, and off we went. But we knew that God would take care of it.”

“I couldn’t keep from crying,” Curtis Lynch said. “All I could think about was getting Kenadi the best treatment possible.”

Not knowing what was ahead of them, wondering what kind of treatment Kenadi would have and praying for her survival, Dona and Curtis Lynch had four other concerns – Mason, Tymberlyn, and Rowdy, and Kristen’s new husband, Billy.

“It happened that I was going to have my foot operated on and was going to be off work for six weeks,” Curtis said. “So we were able to spend a lot of time with them.”

In a new home, attending a new school and with a new father, 15-year-old Mason felt the void of not having his sister and his mother at home.

“I missed her,” Mason said of his mother.

“She wasn’t there, and we had a new ‘situation.’ Sometimes I got to go with her (to Kenadi’s treatments). It was hard on me, but I knew it was even harder on Mom.”

A special bond Mason and his mother share a special bond with Kenadi, Kristen said. Kristen was a single parent when Kenadi was born.

“Mason helped me with her and we used to say Kenadi was our beautiful angel,” Kristen said.

Tymberlynn understood that her new sister was sick, and she was very sad about it, Kristen said.

“They used to play school and house and when Kenadi got sick, she was too tired to play,” Kristen explained.

Six-year-old Rowdy just wanted to know if Kenadi was better yet, Kristen said of her younger son.

Kenadi knew she had cancer, but at just 7 years old Kenadi also knew she had a friend.

When asked if she was ever afraid of the can-

cer, there was no hesitation with her response.

“No,” she said with a shake of her head.

“Because Jesus loves his little children.”

That little girl, with a body that was hurting, but with a heart full of faith, added, “I knew Jesus would help me.” While Kenadi had no fears about the cancer, she did shed some tears – on the day her thick blonde hair began to fall out.

“It was horrible, just horrible,” Kenadi said.

But Kenadi had made friends in the Lubbock hospital. One was Abigail, who also had cancer, but was in remission, and Brittany Henley, Kenadi’s nurse. Abigail’s hair was just starting to grow back, and she encouraged Kenadi to have her head shaved. Abigail’s mother brought the shaver and Henley shaved Kenadi’s head.

Bald and beautiful Kenadi embraced her shaved head and enjoyed the many hats people gave her. In every photo her family posted of her, Kenadi was always smiling and always wearing a fun hat.

WINTER 2017 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 13

While the treatments weren’t fun for Kenadi – the chemo treatments “tasted gross” – it was her mother’s reaction to her treatments that affected her.

“Every time I had chemo, Mom cried,” Kenadi said. “And every time I had a treatment, we prayed that Jesus would heal me.”

Those prayers for healing came from Kristen’s family as well. Dona and Curtis Lynch made the trip to Eunice regularly, to help with Kenadi’s treatment and to care for Billy and the other kids. Dona quit her job as an EMT at San Juan Regional Medical Center to help Billy, Kristen, Kenadi and the other kids. Billy’s parents, James and Shirley Houston, who also live in Bloomfield, were frequent visitors and helpers, too.

Miles in between Having the family move to Eunice was difficult enough, Dona Lynch said, but Kenadi’s diagnosis made it even harder.

“But I truly believe God has a plan,” Dona said. “Kenadi got the help she needed in Eunice and in Lubbock. God sees the whole picture and that’s where (Eunice) Kenadi needed to be to be taken care of.”

“Billy (Kristen’s husband) has been really good,” Dona said. “It’s been hard for him, too, and Kenadi loves him to death.”

“Billy has the biggest heart and loves Kenadi as his own,” Kristen said. “He has done what any dad would do to care for his child. He was always thinking of Kenadi’s needs above his own and did whatever he could to help her be comfortable and happy.”

“God made no mistake when he placed us in Billy, Tymberlynn and Rowdy’s lives, and He knew what he was doing when He gave them to us. God worked everything out perfectly so we could all focus on getting Kenadi well,” Kristen said.

Making Kenadi’s favorite meals, joking with her and making her laugh – even when there wasn’t much to laugh about – strengthened the bond between Billy and Kenadi.

Great progress Kenadi’s treatments went well, and the 14 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2017

doctors were impressed. Doctors discovered the mass was getting smaller in March and that the lesions in her lungs had gone from hundreds on each lung to only nine in total.

In addition, the primary pelvic had also shrunk 75 percent. But the doctors were still not certain they could save Kenadi’s leg.

“I believe it was God’s plan to leave those few lung lesions so Kenadi could still function and have mobility like a normal kid,” Kristen said. “I couldn’t imagine the agony had she lost her right leg.”

Despite the positive tests, Kenadi still has not been released to go back to school. It is hoped that the November visit with her oncologist will get her that release so she can return to her classroom.

The Eunice Municipal Schools set up a home bound service situation for Kenadi.

“A teacher would come a few days a week to work with her throughout her treatment,” Kristen explained. “When she was diagnosed in December, she was in second grade, but was testing at a third-grade level, so they knew she wouldn’t be behind (in her school work) even if she didn’t have the home bound services.”

On Kenadi’s eighth birthday on April 3, she was admitted for a six-day chemo treatment.

The nurses had her hospital room decorated when Kenadi arrived.

“That small act of kindness made it OK for Kenadi to spend her birthday hooked up to an IV (intravenous) pole to receive her treatment.” Kristen added.

Remission The scans that were done in early September confirmed that Kenadi is in remission. She will still see the doctor each month to get her port, where the treatments are given, accessed and to have her blood counts checked. The port will remain, Kristen said, until Kenadi is in remission for a year.

“She will have scans every three months and will have a scan done in November,” said Kristen. “She has an 85 percent chance of a relapse, but God is bigger than that and it (the cancer) does not have to come back.”

“Her doctor said (during a visit several

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months ago) that somebody must have heard our prayers and that we had a miracle sitting on that bed,” Kristen said. “He also said that some people put their faith in the doctors, but doctors aren’t miracle workers. You need to have faith in something bigger than doctors.”

Grateful for the support Kenadi’s hair is beginning to grow back and the sparkle in her eyes – which, like her faith, never left – continues to look ahead to a future that is cancer free. Her classmates celebrated Kenadi’s remission by writing positive messages on balloons and, with Kenadi watching, they released the balloons, which filled the sky above.

“Kenadi waved and cheered goodbye and watched until she couldn’t see them anymore,” Kristen said.

Because of the time Kristen needed to care for Kenadi, she was let go from her job in August. The loss of her income created a financial difficulties for the young family.

“The communitys in Eunice and in Bloomfield

gave us so much support,” Kristen said, “and they had fundraisers and provided donations that were out of this world.”

“This has been overwhelming,” Kristen said of Kenadi’s cancer. “But I don’t dwell on the past, I look forward to the future. But I wouldn’t wish this (having a child diagnosed with cancer) on my worst enemy.”

“Despite the fact that we’re a blended family, we function as one that is not,” Kristen said with pride. “New marriages are usually hard the first year with everybody adjusting, but this was, by far, the easiest part of our lives we’ve had to deal with. The hardest part was having to be apart while Kenadi received treatment.

Strength and faith Disney World The generosity of others gives Kenadi and her family something to look forward to in the near future. The Houstons will go to Disney World in December or early in 2018. Kenadi’s wish to the Make a Wish Foundation has been granted and it is a trip the family is looking forward to.

While Kenadi will be monitored and treated for 10 more years, the family unit that was so unfortunately disrupted when she was diagnosed, has bonded and is much more than a “blended” family. It is a family that circled Kenadi with their love and their prayers.

The faith of a 7-year-old, facing cancer and the treatment that goes with it, gave strength to a newly united family. And while the chemo treatments were difficult for Kenadi, she never lost faith that she would be cured.

“The chemo helps and Jesus helps,” Kenadi said, with her eyes still sparkling and that ever-present smile. “We pray Jesus will heal me, but sometimes He heals us here on Earth and sometimes He heals us in heaven.”

Her mother, her dad and her grandparents all prayed and hoped for Kenadi’s recovery. But for Kenadi, it was never a matter of if she would be cancer free, it was a matter of when.

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Farmington

american indian ambassador Christopher Benally encourages youth to strive for success Story by Margaret Cheasebro Photos by Whitney Howle Promoting the Farmington community and encouraging young people to make wise decisions and do well in school are priorities for Christopher Benally, 18. He is the current Farmington American Indian Ambassador.

Crowned on June 9, he is the first male to hold that position. Eligibility requirements were expanded in 2015, and the title was changed from Miss Indian Farmington to Farmington American Indian Ambassador so both males and females could compete.

“I plan to represent Farmington the best I can and to show what Farmington is,” Christopher said. “I will go out of my comfort zone, go to Albuquerque, travel all over New Mexico and bring tourists to Farmington.

We have the rivers here, we have Berg Park, and people love to walk there by the river.”

He will tell them about Aztec Ruins National Monument, Salmon Ruins, and other nearby places containing evidence of ancient inhabitants. He also will promote the Farmington Indian Center and American Indians.

Farmington has unique stories “Promoting Farmington, even though it’s easy, probably might be hard because Farmington has so many unique stories,” Christopher said. “I was on Facebook one

day, and there was this historical Farmington page I came across. I didn’t even know there was once a drive-in movie theater in Farmington. I wish they still had that. I saw Mr. Muffler and other pictures that I thought were really unique. They had these other pictures of places that I didn’t know about.

My mom said, ‘Oh, that was right here, but now it’s a house or a different building.’”

When Christopher heard about the ambassador competition and mentioned it to his mother, Edwina Sandoval, she encouraged him. “I told him go ahead, whatever makes you happy as long as it doesn’t interfere with your schooling,” she recalled. “When he got it, I was surprised. He has all these talents.

He’s such a good kid. He’s always working hard, always helping everybody else.”

Duties require commitment His duties as ambassador require commitment. “He will volunteer at the Farmington Indian Center and other city of Farmington events,” said Myra Newman, who is division manager of the Farmington Indian Center at 100 W. Elm St. It is part of the city of Farmington’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs.

“He is a positive young leader who will

educate people and help break down stereotypes of American Indians,” said Myra. “He must also be a positive role model for young people in our community. He will encourage people to visit Farmington and educate them about our culturally diverse community.”

She has confidence he will succeed.

“Christopher is enthusiastic and willing to absorb all he can through this chapter of his life,” she said.

He was PVHS’s Diné King Being ambassador won’t be completely new to Christopher, because he was the Piedra ,Vista High School Diné King during the 2016-2017 school year when he was a senior. That position gave him practice traveling to other communities and encouraging young people to do their best.

Growing up in Farmington and spending weekends on the family ranch at Dzilth-Na-ODith-Hle, or DZ, south of Bloomfield, helped him appreciate all the area has to offer. As a high school senior, he was on the Piedra Vista High School’s track team. He ran the 3,200meter (two miles), the 1,600-meter (one mile) and the 800-meter (half mile).

He trained in Lions Wilderness Park, and on weekends he ran at the family ranch.

WINTER 2017 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 19

“Young people need to spend time with their elders, learn the language, learn their stories that they can cherish with them.”

— Christopher Benally

Track coaches pushed him “My coaches were determined to have great athletes,” he said. “They pushed us. You weren’t just a team member. It was like a family with them. That’s the way I saw it.”

Sebastian Hogue, PVHS assistant track coach and distance coach, was impressed with Christopher. “One of his great qualities was that he was a very good teammate toward his teammates,” said Sebastian. “He also encouraged athletes from other schools. That’s something cool I got to see him do. He worked hard at practice. He never complained about anything.”

As ambassador, Christopher hopes to become a motivational speaker for young people, encouraging them to work hard as students, to participate in sports if that is their interest, and to set their sights on college if that’s where they want to go.

“I’m going to enjoy being around people, being around Native Americans and others, being able to talk to them about who I am and

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where I’m from, and to represent them,” he said. “I look forward to doing that and traveling and getting to see other places and other things.”

Learn native language He wants to encourage young people to learn their native language. “I encourage not only the young Native Americans but also the Hispanics and other ethnicities in Farmington to learn their language because there are not that many youth who can speak their own language,” he said. “The grandparents or the elders, some of them are going. Young people need to spend time with their elders, learn the language, learn their stories that they can cherish with them. In World War II we had the Navajo Code Talkers. Our language helped win

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the war. One thing the kids need to recognize is if it wasn’t for the Navajo language, there probably would have been a whole different twist in the war. That’s the way I see it.”

He added, “My mother and my grandparents spoke Navajo to me growing up. I can speak Navajo, but not as well as these older people.

I want to be able to do that.”

When he and his younger brother, Dylan, go to the DZ ranch, they ask their grandparents a lot of questions. They carry notepads and pens to write down what their elders tell them.

Values education Christopher has always valued education.

He is a product of Farmington schools, having attended Esperanza Elementary, Mesa View Middle School, and Piedra Vista High School, from which he graduated this May. “Elementary and middle school were rough because of the way I dressed, so there was bullying,” he said. “But my high school was completely different. I noticed kids dressed the way I dressed. It was different than I expected.

Being in sports really made me a good student, because if you didn’t have the grades, you didn’t get to play the sport.”

It was his goal to make all A’s. “One day I came home with two B’s,” he recalled. “I was freaking out. My mom said, ‘That’s two B’s.

You have a 3.5 grade point average. You’re

good.’ I said, ‘No, that’s not good enough.’”

Dylan strengthened Christopher’s desire to do well, especially when Dylan made the honor roll. “I wanted to show him that I can do it and that he can push himself to graduate too,” he said. “He looks up to me, so I have to be the best role model and the best big brother for him.”

and used some of it to buy a car when the time came.

Later, another relative, Judy Begaye, gave him a roping horse that he calls Thomas. “The tricks I used to do with Pepper I can do with Thomas now,” he said. “That’s how good my bond is with Thomas.”

Love for horses helped him win Unwound on DZ ranch After working hard at school all week, Christopher unwound when he spent weekends on the DZ ranch. “Growing up out there, it’s like you have a big old playground and play anywhere you’d like,” he said. “I loved taking my horse and riding out there. As long as you have water, you can go, go, go and not come back until later on.”

As a young boy, he learned from his grandfather, Edison Sandoval, and his great-uncle, Emerson Sandoval, how to take care of horses, cattle, and many smaller animals. Today, he helps administer the animals’ vaccinations.

As a child, he helped his great-grandpa, Kee Sandoval, herd sheep. “My other siblings and my cousins and I used to help him herd sheep and get water,” Christopher said. “We would ride with him in his truck. That’s one thing I’ve always treasured to my heart is being able to see him drive his truck, take us back there to the sheep, and eat ice cream with him.”

It was his love of horses that helped him win the Farmington American Indian Ambassador competition. For his traditional talent he sang a horse song. It told about his relationship with his horse throughout the day. “I would say in the morning my horse would be looking to the east. Then my horse is looking at me. Then the horse will neigh to the east as the sun comes up,” Christopher explained. “When the sun is up higher in the day, it will neigh again. It just describes the whole day and how productive the horse is with me.” For his modern talent, he demonstrated his horse training skills.

“He has loved horses ever since he could

walk,” said Edwina. “I thought it was a phase and he would grow out of it, but he still loves them. Ever since he was little, he wanted to become a veterinarian, a large animal doctor.”

Mom wanted to be a veterinarian When Edwina was growing up, she wanted to be a veterinarian too, but life took her on a different path. It means a lot to Christopher to pursue becoming a veterinarian so his mom can fulfill her dream through him.

For now, he plans to take classes at San Juan College this fall, and at the same time fulfill his mission as the Farmington American Indian Ambassador. As he encourages young people to work hard in school, to pursue athletics so they can challenge themselves, and to learn their native language, he hopes they will listen and learn from what he has to share.

“I want to be able to have a child come up to me,” Christopher noted, “and say ‘You opened my eyes to this, and I took it, and I did it.’”

Rides and trains horses He learned to ride and train horses as a child. Edison Sandoval gave him his first horse, Pepper, for Christmas when Christopher was 8 years old. “I had known him as a colt,” he said.

“When we were younger, we used to crawl into the corrals and find him and his mom. We used to pet him because the mom would let us.

Over time, he came walking to us when he was not even a year old. He would let me pet him, brush him, and groom him. I rode him when he was 8 months old.”

He trained Pepper to be gentle with children and to work cattle. When Christopher was 12 or 13, he sold Pepper for a sizable sum of money. He put the money aside for college WINTER 2017 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 21

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It’s begInnIng to look a lot lIke ChrIstmas!

Pack up the family and head to these jolly Durango and San Juan County holiday events farmington

It’s a Holly Jolly time of year and if you are looking for some fun holiday activities to get you into the Christmas spirit then San Juan County is the place to be. There are a lot of special events and opportunities for you to get out and join in the Christmas Cheer in the area, so take a look at the ideas below, and get ready for the best Christmas ever!

holiday art walk November 25 5 to 9 pm DowNtowN FarmiNgtoN Holiday Art Walk and Small Business Saturday in Historic Downtown Farmington is coordinated by the Farmington Downtown Association, and sponsored by Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs.

Visit downtown and celebrate the season amid holiday lights, art receptions and open houses at many downtown locations. While you stop to appreciate the art, take some time to visit all that Downtown Farmington has to offer and support Farmington’s Small Businesses. For more information: 505-599-8442 wiNter 2017 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 23

farmington

festival of trees

riverglo

November 29 To DeC. 2 FArmINGToN CIvIC CeNTer

DeCember 1 berG PArK 6 To 8 Pm

Explore a winter wonderland amid an indoor forest of artfully decorated Christmas trees at the annual Festival of Trees. Enjoy special events including Teddy Bear Tea, Storytelling, Family Night and more at the Farmington Civic Center. This event is organized by Presbyterian Medical Services. For more information call 505-566-0408.

All day Wednesday, November 29 All day Thursday, November 30 All day Friday, December 1 December 2

christmas parade November 29 DoWNToWN FArmINGToN 5:45 To 7:45 Pm The 2017 Farmington Christmas Parade theme is “Christmas Around the World.”

Parade will begin at 5:45 p.m., route will run along Main Street in Historic Downtown Farmington. Best place to view the parade?

Anywhere near the intersection of Main Street and Orchard. For information about the parade contact the Farmington Chamber of Commerce, 505-325-0279.

24 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTer 2017

The River Walk trails in Berg Park are illuminated by hundreds of luminarias along the edge of the Animas River. Visitors walk the trails with a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy the lights, night sky, and festive music!

This is a free family friendly event.

For more information call 505-716-4405

sjc luminarias DeCember 2 SAN JUAN CoLLeGe 6 To 11:30 Pm This is the largest luminaria display of a non-profit entity in New Mexico. Visitors can drive or walk through the display, with walkers seeing much more of the display, while enjoying a stroll of the inner courtyards.

The sounds of Christmas ring campus-wide as the San Juan College radio station, KSJE 90.9-FM, broadcasts holiday carols.

Cups of hot chocolate are also provided for walkers. For more information call 505-326-3403

miracle on main street DeCember 3 FArmINGToN CIvIC CeNTer 2 To 6 Pm This family friendly holiday event offers lots to do inside and outside the Farmington Civic Center, and will put you in the holiday spirit. Activities include ice skating, caroling, holiday movies and a visit with Santa. There will also be a giant snow globe, perfect for holiday photo ops! The evening will wrap up with beautiful holiday tree lighting at 5:45 p.m.

farmington ice skating DECEMBER 4 To JanuaRy 15 faRMinGTon CiViC CEnTER noon To 8 PM The outdoor ice skating rink will be located in Downtown Farmington, December 14 - January 15, across the street from the Farmington Civic Center on Arrington. Admission will be $5 for one hour skate and skate rental. The rink will be open to the public weekdays noon to 8 p.m. and weekends 11 to 8 p.m.

Times and Rates Admission: $5 for one hour skate and in-

cludes skate rental.

Hours: Monday - Friday Noon to 8 p.m. and Saturday - Sunday 11 to 8 p.m. For more information call 505-599-1148

reindeer romp DECEMBER 16 DoWnToWn oRChaRD PaRK 4 To 6 PM This is a family-friendly event with activities such as children's winter carnival games, holiday music, hot chocolate and apple cider, cookies, and a chance to meet Santa! Registration is $15 if completed by December 13 and $25 on December 14 and 15. Register

online at www.fmtn.org/WebTrac under “Sports & Athletics.” For more information call 505-599-1184

live navajo nativity DECEMBER 16 anD 17 fouR CoRnERs hoME foR ChilDREn

6 To 8 PM This live nativity uses traditional Navajo clothing and live animals and is presented entirely by children at the Four Corners Home for Children. This is a free event, donations and canned food are collected onsite. For more information call 505-325-0255, or 888-325-0255.

WinTER 2017 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 25

aztec Fun, food, music, arts and crafts and other activities will fill downtown Aztec in early December to help celebrate Christmas.

aztec sparkles DECEMBER 7-9

Thursday, Dec. 7 6 to 8 p.m. there will be an Evening of Lights at the Aztec Ruins National Monument, 725 Ruins Road. Admission is free. Park your car in one of the ruins parking lots. Follow the trails that will be lighted to help you enjoy a nighttime experience at the ancient Pueblo dwelling.

Friday, Dec. 8 • 3 to 5 p.m.

The Aztec Boys and Girls Club, 311 S. Ash ave. , will have a holiday carnival. It’s open to all youth, and Santa will make an appearance.

The Aztec Public Library, next door at 319 S. Ash, will have a fun family winter celebration from 6-8 p.m. It will include live music, crafts, face painting and activities for all ages.

Saturday, Dec. 9 Activities galore will keep Aztec hopping on this day.

There will be the annual craft fair from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Aztec Senior Citizen Community Center, 101 S. Park Ave. It will include many homemade crafts and a concession booth. For more information, contact community center director Cindy Iacovetto at 505334-2881.

At 10 a.m. the 5K Santa Dash will begin on Main Avenue and finish in front of City Hall on Chaco Street. Early bird sign-ups cost $25 per person or $65 for a family of four. If you 26 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2017

sign up on the day of the dash, the entry fee will be $30 per person or $75 per family of four and $10 for each t-shirt. There will be men’s and women’s overall prizes.

Businesses and guest artisans will have a variety of arts and crafts, food, and other wares in the downtown area and in the downtown plaza from noon-6:30 p.m. Vendors may get a vendor form at the Aztec Chamber of Commerce, 110 N. Ash. Food vendors must have a state food permit. Booth space is $35 for a basic space with an approximate 10’x10’ area. For more information, call 334-2881.

There will be hay rides and music most of the day. The hay rides will take people down Main Avenue and Chaco Street from noon-5 p.m.

Soundmachine DJ and Event will provide music and games on Main Avenue and Chaco St.from noon ti 6 p.m. Watch for carolers serenading the crowds during the day.

There will be an antique trucks and tractors mini-show on Chaco Street from

noon-5 p.m.

Members of the Aztec Presbyterian Church will serve hot cocoa, coffee and cookies at 103 S. Main from 2-7 p.m.

The New Harvest Christian Fellowship of Aztec will serve hot cocoa, coffee and cookies from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Main Ave. And finally, the Aztec Sparkles Light Parade will begin at 6 p.m. and travel down Main Avenue. People may pick up parade forms at the Visitors Center. Call 505-334 9551 for more information about the parade.

aztec When people shop in Aztec before and during Aztec Sparkles, they will have a chance to enter a drawing for Santa’s Gift Bag. The drawing for the gift bag worth more than $1,000 will be on Dec. 14. Check The Aztec Local News (TALON) for fill-in entry tickets. Drop the completed tickets at participating Aztec businesses for a chance to win the drawing.

aztec high school playmakers DECEMBER 15 to 16 The Aztec High School Playmakers will put on the play, “A 21st Century Christmas Carol,” Thursday to Saturday in the AHS multi-purpose room at 7 p.m. all three days. Tickets cost $7

for adults, $5 for senior citizens, and $3 for young children. Entrance is free for students with identification.

Lighting contest The city of Aztec will feature commercial businesses in a holiday season lighting contest.

All commercial businesses in Aztec are eligible to enter. Applications are due at the city’s utility office no later than 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30. All businesses that participate will receive a $75 credit on their utility bill to encourage them to participate. Businesses must have their lights on every night from Dec. 431 to receive that credit. Winners will receive utility credits with the first place winner getting a $3,000 credit, second place a $2,000 credit, third place a $1,000 credit and honorable mention a $250 credit.

WINtER 2017 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 27

bloomfield December 4 – January 2, 2018

November 1-December 15 Collecting Food for Families annual Holiday Food Drive.

Drop off non-perishable items at the Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce office located at 224 W. Broadway, Bloomfield between 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

For more information call 505-632-0880.

November 11- December 15 “Bloomfield Caring Tree” for Bloomfield/Blanco School District.

Select a gift tag from the tree located inside Farmers Market and deliver your gift to the Bloomfield Fire Dept. or the Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce.

Call 505-632-0880 for more information.

“Celebration of Lights” Christmas displays at Salmon Par 501 N. 5th St., Bloomfield.

Official lighting of displays immediately following parade on December 4th.

For more information call 505-632-5600 if interested in purchasing a display.

santa in the park DECEMBER 7 Multi-CultuRal CENtER4 to 7 PM Come visit Santa Clause and tell him what you want. Free pictures with Santa and his elves. The elves will hand out free coloring books and candy. Drive or walk thru Bloomfield to view our luminarias that line our streets and parks. Free hot air balloon tether outside the Cultural Center while you wait.

Call the chamber office for more information. 505-632-0880

durango

the polar express train ride NovEMBER 19 to JaN. DuRaNgo & silvERtoN NaRRow gaugE RailRoaD

christmas parade DECEMBER 4 6:30 PM Parade entry forms can be picked up at the Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce office.

Call 505-632-0880 for more information.

28 | MAJESTIC LIVING | wiNtER 2017

The award-winning book by Chris Van Allsburg, the story of a child's Christmas Eve journey comes alive onboard THE POLAR EXPRESS™. All ages can enjoy the experience, warmth and fun of the Christmas season on a special trip to the North Pole! http://www.durangotrain.com/polar-express

noel night DECEMBER 1 5 PM Local First invites you to Durango’s annual downtown Christmas Party! A holiday celebration sponsored by over 93 downtown Durango merchants. It’s our way of saying thank you to the community for supporting our historic downtown throughout the year. Each participating merchant creates their own unique Noel Night celebration with discounts, raffles, holiday refreshments, parties and more. Live music and entertainment will be seen and heard all over downtown.

durango & silverton narrow gauge railroad DECEMBER 2 9:45 aM to 2:45 PM Ride the regular Cascade Canyon Train but come prepared to cut your own Christmas Tree to be hauled back to Durango on the steam train. Maybe this will be a romantic couples day to choose your first Christmas Tree together. Or make it a family day with mittens and hot chocolate for everyone!

To reserve your seat on the Christmas Tree Train, you must call1-888-872-4607

* Christmas Events 80

Child Development Cent er

All you know is that you never know Cindy Cowan Thiele’s goal is to bring people and the community closer together one story at a time Story by Dorothy Nobis Photos by Whitney Howle Cindy Cowan Thiele has always been proud of growing up in a small Kansas community.

Raised in Arma, Kansas, about one and a half hours from Kansas City and 40 miles from Joplin, Missouri, Cowan Thiele loved all there was about her home town. Farms and farm families were numerous and Cindy admired their hard work and dedication.

Leave it better than you found it “Farmers know that it’s important in life to leave the land in better shape than when you got it,” she said. “They consider a good life one in which you leave the planet better than you found it and farmers have done that their whole lives.”

It was those farmers that helped Cowan 30 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2017

Thiele appreciate the good things in life, even as a child.

She won a soil conservation essay contest when she was in the seventh grade, honoring those farmers and the love of the land she shared with them.

A lot of questions need answering But it wasn’t just farming that piqued Cowan Thiele’s inquiring mind when she was growing up. An eighth grade class assignment was to write an essay on current events. While her classmates chose other local topics, Cowan Thiele detailed the Watergate Scandal in 1972, a scandal which ultimately led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

“I loved it,” Cowan Thiele said of her essay.

“I was fascinated by it and I’ve always been a little nosey.”

That nosiness and need to know ultimately led Cowan Thiele to a career. She began working at the local newspaper when she was 14, working nights and weekends writing obituaries and police reports. That led her to become the editor of her high school newspaper at Northeast High School in Arma. She graduated in 1981. She went on to attend Pittsburg State University, and had a double major – journalism and printing.

The death of her beloved mother while she was in college had a huge impact on the then 19-year-old.

WINTER 2017 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 31

“I decided I would devote the rest of my life to making my mother proud of me,” she said. She went on to be the editor of her college newspaper and worked as a full-time employee at The Morning Sun newspaper in Pittsburg, Kansas, for 12 years.

Moved to Farmington Cowan Thiele got married, and when the couple’s friend, Curtis Gurley, suggested they join him in Farmington, New Mexico, where the oil field was enjoying a boom, they packed up and moved to Farmington in 1989.

Cowan Thiele worked as a transcriptionist for a local doctor, but wanted to return to journalism. She took her resume to then editor Jack Swickard at The Daily Times and was hired. When pagination – designing pages on a computer instead of on paper – was introduced to the paper by then-publisher Eliot O’Brien, it was Cowan Thiele’s background and experience that helped make it a success.

In the 21 years Cowan Thiele was at The Daily Times, she was instrumental in many

aspects of the paper. As the design editor, a news editor, special projects editor, business editor and production director, the only departments at the paper in which she wasn’t involved were advertising and accounting.

“I’ve never been very good at math,” Cowan Thiele said with a laugh regarding the accounting department.

The money’s good but the pressure’s not When she moved into a management position with the paper, however, she discovered that while she was gaining good experience, she was losing what has been her passion for years – making the planet better than she found it.

“Management means you do less and less of what you love, and employee issues, budgets and meetings take up most of your time,” Cowan Thiele said. “You make more money, but you don’t get to do as much fun stuff. I have always loved making a difference in how people read and understand issues

and make decisions based on the information you provide them.”

For Kids Sake When The Daily Times and KOBF TV (the local television station) worked together to create an expo for children called For Kids’ Sake, Cowan Thiele work on the project with Don Vaughan, the sales manager at KOBF and Karla Matheny, the advertising director at The Daily Times. The event included a special publication for the event along with a weekend expo at the Animus Valley Mall.

The collaboration was a big success and the event continued for three years.

Media begins to change But as the area entered an economic slowdown, events like For Kids Sake were the first to go.

“Don worked at KOBF and I was still at The Daily Times,” Cowan Thiele remembered.

At that time the news business was starting to change. As corporations began looking for ways to save money, no news organization was immune.

“Hubbard Broadcasting had cancelled Farmington’s local news broadcast and moved it to Albuquerque and Eliot (O’Brien) had sold The Daily Times to Media News and Gannett, and corporate was squeezing out jobs.”

Vaughan and Cowan Thiele began brainstorming about how they could use their talents without the distractions of working for a large corporation. Vaughan started a digital (electronic) billboard business and when the business took off, he left KOBF.

The first cut is the deepest “When Media News Group took over the paper, we lost 45 people the first day; we all called it Black Friday. As the newspaper revenue continued to decline, more deep (financial) cuts were made,” she said.

Majestic Media Vaughan had established his business, Majestic Media, and he and Cowan Thiele discussed the possibility of starting a magazine.

32 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2017

The business added more electronic billboards and Vaughan decided it was time to revisit the idea of a magazine.

By 2008, Cowan Thiele grew tired of the corporate newspaper business and left The Daily Times to join Vaughan at Majestic Media.

“By 2008, for me, the newspaper business wasn’t as much about making a difference in people’s lives as it was about maintaining the bottom line. It was a different atmosphere.

We could make fewer and fewer decisions at the local level. Corporate had a template we had to fit into and local control and local news suffered.”

10 years and going strong Majestic Living magazine made its debut in San Juan County and the Four Corners with its first winter issue that year.

“Our goal was to write stories about people in the community who had interesting and inspiring stories that impact on the community,” Cowan Thiele said. “If you know the people who live in your community, you feel connected to them.”

WINTER 2017 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 33

“Whether they know it or not, everybody has a fabulous story,” Cowan Thiele continued.

That first issue of Majestic Living was a major success. Its reputation as the premier feature magazine was solidified quickly. The community appreciation and acceptance of the magazine led Vaughan and Cowan Thiele down another path. They started the Tri-City Tribune, a weekly newspaper, in 2013.

“By that time, Farmington and San Juan County didn’t have a local television station and, because of the corporate structure of the local paper, there was less local news, with the focus on national news,” Cowan Thiele said.

The Tri-City Tribune While the Tri-City Tribune was supported and distributed throughout San Juan County, it was expensive to print. When the economy took a dip and advertisers were forced to be careful with their advertising dollars, the newspaper ceased publication.

34 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2017

By then, Basin Resources, an energyfocused magazine, had garnered a significant following in the oil and gas industry.

Vaughan continued expanding his work with electronic billboards and he began managing a large billboard company in North Dakota.

His schedule left him little time to focus on the magazines in Farmington.

Majestic Living and Basin Resources With his electronic billboards and other business ventures in North Dakota and, because of the success of those ventures, Vaughan was happy to turn the magazines over to his friend. The popularity of both magazines offers Cowan Thiele the opportunity to expand them and provide more advertising potential for businesses in the area.

The energy industry “Basin Resources is geared to the oil and gas industry companies and the businesses

that support the industry,” Cowan Thiele said.

“I also support the industry and want to continue to provide stories, columns and photos that spotlight the businesses, the issues, and the people that have made such great contributions to our community.”

Majestic moving forward In addition to focusing on people in the community, Majestic Living will also include features on sports and, eventually, businesses.

An “about town” column and photos taken by members of the community will also be added to the magazine, Cowan Thiele said.

The deadline dance The challenges of putting together magazines – which include getting photographers, freelance writers and advertisers to meet deadlines – are something Cowan Thiele knows all to well.

“It takes a lot of people to make it happen,” she said of a magazine. “There are stories to

write, photos to take, ads to design – and a graphic designer who can put it all together.”

“It’s a hard dance to dance to, but it’s a rewarding one,” Cowan Thiele added with a smile.

overhear some of our conversations,” Thurman continued. “Cindy is passionate about her work and considers Majestic Living magazine her baby.

I know that, in her hands, the magazine will continue to tell great stories.”

Doing what she loves Cowan Thiele’s friends and co-workers are happy to share the dance with her.

“I’ve known Cindy for about 12 years and I can say she is one of the most genuine people I’ve ever met,” said Jodi Stamper, adding that she worked with Cowan Thiele at The Daily Times. “She’s moved on with Majestic Media and, just like she was at The Daily Times, she’s the glue that holds everything together.”

Stamper added, “I believe that Cindy will not only grow Majestic Living and Basin Resources, she’ll make them better than ever. Cindy is a great friend and I consider her family. She’s got a great big heart and a wonderful sense of community and she’ll do great in this next endeavor.”

Lisa Hutchens is also a longtime friend of Cowan Thiele.

“I feel like I’ve known Cindy forever and I know I can rely on her for anything at any time,” Hutchens said. “Cindy is tough on the outside and sensitive on the inside. Cindy ‘gets it,’ and that’s not a quality many people have.”

“Cindy is as loyal as the day is long and is a great listener. I also appreciate the fact that she will tell me when I’m wrong, but in a kind way.

She leads me around to the right answer subtly, yet in a manner I will still get,” Hutchens added.

“I have learned a lot from this friend and mentor.”

Commitment to the Four Corners Joe Garcia is a former editor of The Daily Times, but is now the Director of Communication and Community Impact, Morrison Institute for Public Policy at Arizona State University.

"Having worked alongside Cindy, I can attest to her being a true professional,” Garcia said of his friend. “Her commitment to the Four Corners area is demonstrated by the passion she puts into everything she does. Her leadership is based on the desire for all to succeed and grow through the collaborative experience. She sets the standard for excellence and then raises the bar via ideas and innovation. She is a genuine gem."

Nathan Gonzalez also worked with Cowan Thiele at The Daily Times. He is currently the Public Information Officer for the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

“Cindy has dedicated her entire career to serving Four Corners residents with information to better their lives and their communities,” Gonzalez said. “I have known her as a consummate professional and award-winning journalist who has strived to provide readers with stories and coverage that perfectly reflect the needs, issues and events in their community.”

“Not everyone can do such a thing,” Gonzalez added. “It takes an especially dedicated person, such as Cindy. Such dedication reflects on every

story she brings to her thousands of dedicated readers, because she’s invested in the Four Corners and calls it home. I couldn’t think of anyone better suited to lead the helm of Majestic Living and Basin Resources than this truly talented, dedicated woman.”

Whitney Howle is the “go to“ photographer for the magazines. While Howle admits he is likely one of Cowan Thiele’s challenges on meeting deadlines, he is also quick to share his admiration and respect for her.

Worker bee “Cindy’s a worker bee,” Howle said. “She’s always right there, working with you and beside you to get things done. There is nothing fake about Cindy. She’s genuine and she wears her heart on her sleeve, but you also always know where you stand with her.”

“Cindy cares about this community and she wants the best for everybody,” Howle said, adding with a laugh, “and she’s the only person I know who cusses more than I do!”

Great support from family and friends With the support of her friends and family (Cowan Thiele is married to Scott Thiele), Cowan Thiele will continue to provide the people of San Juan County and the Four Corners with stories of their friends and neighbors.

And she’ll do it with that same dedication, that same “nosiness,” and the same enthusiasm and pride as she did telling the stories of the farms and farmers in Kansas.

Purveyor of useless information Suzanne Thurman has worked with Cowan Thiele for years.

“I first met Cindy when I started working at The Daily Times many years ago – I’d say the year, but I don’t think Cindy would want to do the math,” Thurman said. “Over the years, she’s been a co-worker, a boss, back to a co-worker, but always a friend with whom I’m lucky enough to work.”

“We both share a talent for useless information, which can be hilarious when people WINTER 2017 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 35

36 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2017

Donation helps pets in need Retired veterinarian Barney Oldfield donates all his equipment to Aztec Animal Shelter Story and photos Debra Mayeux When an animal leaves the Aztec Animal Shelter, it is the hope of Director Tina Roper that the pet is going to its forever home.

“I want you, when you take that baby home, make it that baby’s last home,” said Roper, who has worked at the shelter for 14 years and been the director the past 13. She started as a kennel technician and moved up to an animal control officer before taking over the directorship, and in her years there she has experienced all types of heartbreaking cases. “The hard part

is to see what some people are capable of doing,” she said.

“The crap that some of these poor babies have endured, it will tear you up. It will break your heart. This job takes a piece of your soul.”

For Roper, however, a successful animal shelter takes in even the most tragic cases with staff and the shelter veterinarian doing everything they can to save a life and provide the animal with respite until they are transferred to rescue or adopted.

WINTER 2017 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 37

Medical care runs the gamut The animals at the Aztec Animal Shelter receive the full gamut of medical care including tests, surgeries, vaccinations and spay-neuter services. This means the facility needed an on-site animal clinic complete with surgical packs, cages and an X-ray machine.

These were put into the design of the new building when it went up in October 2008.

Since that time, 12,857 animals have been spayed or neutered. “That’s a lot,” said Kellie Willits, veterinary assistant at the shelter.

All of the animals need care and Roper sees that they receive it, so when the shelter’s X-ray machine broke, it was going to be financially difficult to replace it.

“The cost was staggering,” said Mary Fischer, who has saved several animals brought to the Aztec Shelter with multiple injuries and amputations.

“I am always impressed with the very good work Aztec does,” Fischer said. When she learned the X-ray machine was broken, she knew it would be “out of the realm of possibility for a small municipality” to replace it.

Barney Oldfield to the rescue

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38 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2017

Fischer had been a long-time patron of Dr. Barney Oldfield, a Farmington veterinarian, who recently retired. She asked Oldfield what his plans were for his X-ray machine and told him Aztec could really use it.

Oldfield, who had practiced veterinary medicine for 45 years, did not want to sell the machine or his office supplies, so he decided to donate everything to the Aztec Shelter.

“We got his X-ray machine; chairs from his reception area, surgical instruments, surgery lights, exam lights, a big set of stainless steel kennels, syringes, needles, pill vials – tons of stuff,” Roper said. “It was really cool. This was such a kind and generous thing for him to do.”

Oldfield, who never even visited the shelter, said the staff at Aztec helped him. “It was a great thing for me,” he said, adding they came and cleaned out his office.

Donation was a godsend Roper said the donation helped the shelter save a lot of money. “I don’t think he realizes the impact he’s made on the lives of these little animals.”

Oldfield had practiced medicine in Farmington for the past 22 years. Prior to that Oldfield worked as a veterinarian in the Air Force and had a dairy cow practice in Minnesota. “The dairy cow practice was very enjoyable,” he said. “You get to know farmers and their families.”

He returned to Farmington after the dairy business slowed down, and Oldfield also wanted to be closer to his family. His practice in Farmington consisted of the care of small animals, and now that he is retired he is enjoying living on his family’s homestead in Southwest Colorado.

Oldfield does plan to visit the Aztec Shelter in the future. “I’d like to stop out there and visit them,” he said.

Fischer, who helped facilitate the donation, said she thinks it is “the most unselfish act I’ve ever seen.”

Mary Fischer gives homes to the hard to adopt pets In many ways, Fischer has acted unselfishly taking in animals from the Aztec Shelter that might not have otherwise found a home.

She has adopted many of the dogs that were horribly injured and has provided them with a safe and loving home.

That is Roper’s goal for every animal that leaves the shelter. This is why she helps people make informed decisions about adoption. She uses the services a cat named Wei-Wei, who works for the shelter.

“Wei-Wei came in with a tail that got caught in a motor,” Roper said. Wei-Wei’s tail had to be amputated, and then he was diagnosed with ringworm and an upper respiratory infection. “He works here. He is a dog tester.”

Wei-Wei visits with shelter dogs to see if they like cats, before they are adopted into a family with cats.

40 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2017

Always looking for volunteers “Most of these guys don’t come in with a backstory,” Roper said. It is up to shelter staff to spend time with the animals and get to know them. “We’re with them every day.

We know their temperament. We know if they are food aggressive. We learn about them.”

This helps potential adopters make informed decisions. It also helps when Roper is dealing with animal rescue groups. She shares this type of information and the rescues decide whom they might be able to help.

The Aztec Shelter has sent 790 animals to rescues throughout the country in 2017. They send animals to Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming – “anywhere that will help us out.

We’ve sent dogs as far away as California and Florida,” Roper said.

The more time she and her staff have to work on rescue, the more animals the shelter

is able to save. This is why volunteers help a lot.

“We could really use volunteers,” she said.

“It would mean the world to us to have dedicated volunteers.”

There are six shelter employees who take care of everything at the shelter. A volunteer, who could dedicate fours hours a day once a week, could change everything, according to Roper. There is a form on the shelter’s website to fill out for volunteering.

“It gives us an idea of what your interests are. We give you training, and hope you come back,” she said.

The Aztec Animal Shelter is located at 825 Sabena St., in Aztec. It is open from noon to 4 p.m. Monday through Sunday. More information is available online at http://www.aztecnm.gov/animal/shelter.html, or by calling, 505.334.6819.

Visiting Angels 1515 E. 20th St. Farmington, NM

505-516-1150

Visitingangels.com/southwestcolorado

WINTER 2017 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 41

Teaching is healing Survivor of the 1966 University of Texas school shooting, makes a positive influence in the lives of her students Story by Margaret Cheasebro Photos by Whitney Howle Today, Claire James Wilson teaches K-4 in one room at La Vida Mission south of Farmington. But 51 years ago, she and her unborn baby were casualties of the first mass school shooting, which took place on the University of Texas, Austin, campus on August 1, 1966.

How she put her life back together and what she learned through the process carry nuggets of wisdom for anyone who has faced being present at a mass shooting or who has suffered any traumatic situation.

These days she makes a positive influence in the lives of her students.

“She is very hands on, kind and loving,” said April Wright, a dorm mom and art teacher at La Vida Mission. “She really loves her students. She has set up a classroom that has animals and is very hands-on and fun. She’s very creative.”

18-year-old freshman Claire was an 18-year-old freshman at the University of Texas, Austin, and eight months pregnant when she and Tom Eckman, her boyfriend of two months, left an anthropology class early after taking a test. They walked to a cafeteria inside the student union where fellow campus leftists WINTER 2017 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 43

involved in the civil rights movement and in Students for a Democratic Society enjoyed meeting. Before agreeing to shoot some pool in the student lounge, they left the building to feed the parking meter. As they reached the

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Claire didn’t realize it, but they had been the first two victims of a shooter in the tower.

Charles Whitman, 25, an architectural engineering major, had killed his mother and his wife so they wouldn’t live with the embarrassment of what he was about to do.

Then he climbed to the clock at the top of the tower with an arsenal of weapons, intent on killing as many people as he could.

Claire’s child dies Ninety-six minutes later when police and a volunteer civilian finally shot and killed him, Whitman had taken the lives of 15 people, including Claire’s unborn child, and injured 31 others.

Two of them later died.

At first, people around them didn’t know what was happening. One man, who saw Claire

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and Tom lying on the pavement, said, “What are you doing? Get up from there.”

He ignored Claire’s pleas for a doctor.

Later, a brave student named Rita Starpattern approached Claire and lay on the pavement beside her to talk to her and keep her from losing consciousness while bullets spattered around them.

An hour into the shooting, two teenage students, James Love and John Artley Snuff, risked their lives to lift Claire by her hands and feet and carry her where she could be taken by ambulance to the hospital. Another student carried Tom to safety, but he was already dead.

No one knew what to do No one knew how to handle the situation.

Police had never been faced with such an event. An airplane flying over the tower couldn’t get a clear shot of the sniper because of air swells, and police on the ground didn’t have rifles high powered enough to reach the top of the tower. Off-duty police officer Ramiro Martinez heard about the shooting.

He drove to the tower. His Army training told him it was essential to get into the tower and stop the shooter. He, another officer and a volunteer civilian climbed the inside steps and finally ended the carnage.

Because it was the first school shooting, people didn’t realize the importance of letting

those who had been wounded and who witnessed the event talk about their experiences. They kept it within themselves for decades, doing their best to recover on their own. Anger, guilt and other emotions often smoldered near the surface, sometimes damaging personal relationships.

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Unwarranted guilt Those who helped the wounded and who shot Whitman suffered for years with an unwarranted sense of guilt. Why didn’t they act sooner? What could they have done differently?

Claire spent seven weeks in the hospital, recovering from the bullet that had entered her left side just above the hip. The bullet splintered the tip of her pelvis, punctured her small intestine and uterus, lacerated an ovary and filled her internal organs with shrapnel.

A bullet fragment pierced her baby’s skull, killing the boy, who was stillborn following a Caesarian section.

After the initial 12-hour surgery, five more operations followed to repair the damage caused by the bullet. Several feet of her intestines were removed as well as one ovary and part of her pelvic bone. Doctors told Claire she could still have children, but in spite of two marriages that followed, Claire never got pregnant. She always wondered if the shooter had taken her ability to conceive from her.

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Hospital stay helped While Claire was in the hospital, Rita, the girl who comforted her on the pavement, brought her a beautiful painting she had made especially for Claire. That generous act and the time spent quietly in the hospital helped Claire to partially heal.

After Claire was released from the hospital the first week of November 1966, she returned to school. She tried talk therapy through the university but did not find therapists who could work effectively with her.

In 1969, she dropped out of school and moved to Colorado, where she settled in the mountains outside Boulder with a University of Colorado student named Ernie. They lived in a house in the woods with no indoor plumbing or heating.

Elderly woman changes Claire’s life Nearby lived an 82-year-old woman named Emma Spencer whom neighbors called Ma. She was a Seventh-Day Adventist, and she grew her

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46 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2017

own food. She wove rugs by hand. Claire, who grew up in a family of nonbelievers, found Emma fascinating. Ma gave her a Bible, which Claire read voraciously. One day she knelt in prayer beside Emma, trying to find words to communicate with the God Emma loved so much. In that moment for the first time, Claire was able to shed tears for her dead son.

Emma’s influence on Claire led her to join the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. In 1971, she went to Eden Valley, a Seventh-Day Adventist spiritual retreat 12 miles from Loveland, Colorado. She stayed there for six years, nurturing her new faith and learning many life skills, including the realization that she could be a teacher. She spent most of her time teaching the residents’ school-age children.

Becomes a teacher

in order to get Sirak the medical care he needed. If she could adopt Sirak with his parents’ blessing, she could help him get the medical treatment he needed in the U.S. She and Sirak bonded immediately, and two years later Claire and her husband, Brian, officially adopted him.

Adopts Ethiopian child Though she and Brian divorced in 1999, Claire kept Sirak with her as she continued to teach in Seventh-Day Adventist schools across the country. She scraped together enough money to give him piano lessons. He proved to be a gifted player. When he was 14, he underwent successful open heart surgery to repair his aorta. Sirak attended college, playing the piano for many college events.

Not long after his surgery, Claire was hiking

in Wyoming when she discovered a tree whose trunk formed a huge C curve. It had suffered a catastrophe of some kind but had managed to right itself and thrive. Claire recognized in that tree some of her own life trauma. It gave her hope.

When Sirak graduated from college, Claire recognized what his teachers had known for some time. He was struggling with signs of mental illness, which plagued his biological family. Eventually, he was diagnosed as bipolar with schizophrenic affect. Now 32, he lives with his biological family in Atlanta, Georgia.

Documentary provides healing In spite of several attempts to seek counseling for the shooting and its effects, Claire did not find the help she needed until she was approached by film maker Keith Maitland of

She left Eden Valley when she was 30.

Eventually, she enrolled in Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, where she lived with her grandmother and finally graduated from college at the age of 35 with honors and a degree in education.

She taught in Seventh-Day Adventist schools in several states. It was during her second marriage that, at the age of 41, she discovered the possibility of adopting a four-year-old Ethiopian child, who was living in the United States while undergoing emergency surgery for a congenital heart defect. The child’s name was Sirak, and his parents had overstayed their visas WINTER 2017 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 47

Texas, who wanted to do a documentary called Tower about the University of Texas, Austin, shooting as it approached its 50th anniversary.

That documentary is available for check-out in the Farmington Public Library.

It was in 2013 that plans for the documentary began to take place. Through the process of its creation, the documentary drew survivors together who had never spoken to each other after the 1966 event. It was incredibly healing for Claire to meet the people who were still alive at that time. The teenagers who had carried her from the hot pavement an hour into the shooting lived with remorse that they hadn’t acted sooner.

“I felt guilty,” Artley Fox told her as they sat at a picnic bench in Austin across from each other.

“Oh, Artley,” Claire replied as she reached for his hand.

Film got them talking “The film is what changed everything,” she said. “The film is what first got us all to talking.”

subject,” Claire said.

People who were witnesses didn’t think they had a right to talk about the shooting because they weren’t physically wounded. Claire went up to the top of the tower with some of them about two years before the 50th anniversary.

“I know some people that went up into the tower with me are more damaged and suffered from PTSD in a much greater way than I ever did,” she said. Sometimes it was because they’d experienced a previously unhealed trauma that brought all those memories back.

Police have carried guilt because they didn’t reach the sniper sooner to end the carnage.

Today, the University of Texas, Austin, tower shooting is part of police training all over the country as officers gain a better understanding of how to handle mass shootings that have become too common across our country.

When they met during the making of the documentary, it was obvious how damaging the isolation had been. “We saw families of people, and they said in almost every family we never talked about it. It was just a forbidden

Finds baby’s grave site Besides meeting with fellow survivors, Claire found comfort in learning that her baby has a gravesite at Austin Memorial Park in Austin, Texas. Thanks to research by the author, Gary Lavergne, who wrote the book, A Sniper in the Tower, she learned that the burial place had been purchased by Lyman Jones, her mother’s second husband.

Once Claire found her way to a belief in God, she also found a way to be of service through her teaching. “Having somebody besides yourself to think about is a wonderful antidote,” she said. “Probably that’s why so many people that had horrible experiences did pretty well through slavery, through the Holocaust, through wars. If you have a family and you’re trying to take care of them or if you have a profession or you can have some way to try to help other people, that’s what helps me the most.”

Long ago, she forgave the sniper for what he did. “How can I not forgive him?” she asked “I’ve been forgiven so much.”

Why did sniper do it?

Even so, she has struggled to understand why he chose to take other people’s lives. She asked Gary Lavergne that question. “He told 48 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2017

me some people say he was taking a lot of amphetamines just to stay awake, but people take amphetamines and they don’t go around shooting people. He was really abused as a child, but many kids are abused and they don’t do this. He had a little brain tumor, and some people claim that could put out chemicals, but people have brain tumors and they don’t do this. Gary thinks he did it because he could.”

Claire disagrees. She believes he was scarred by a horrible childhood.

“We can see when kids have that much anger, and it needs to be addressed early,” she said. “They become that way, I think, because they don’t have enough love. They don’t have enough care.”

She urges people to report anyone who says they want to harm others.

Teaching is healing for her Claire retired from teaching six years ago but got back into the profession, something that continues to help her heal. When the pastor at La Vida Mission called in December

2016 and asked her to be a teacher there, she accepted the challenge. She has only six children in her classroom of kindergarten through fourth grade children, all American Indians, but each of them brings considerable challenges.

“The majority are from very difficult homes,” she said. “Their grandparents are taking care of them. Some people say each child is equal to five or ten kids because you’re working with a

lot of cultural things.”

As she thought about the UT sniper, she added, “I want to do the best I can with each of those children so they won’t feel so alienated from the rest of the world that they have to do something like he did. I want them to know how deeply loved they are, that they know how much God loves them and that they can be assured of that so they don’t ever feel that alienated.”

Ronald Dalley Associate Vice President Financial Advisor 4801 N Butler, Ste 14101 Farmington, NM 87401 505-326-9327 www.morganstanleyfa.com/ronald.dalley ronald.dalley@morganstanley.com © 2017 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC. BC007 CRC1935430 11/17

WINTER 2017 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 49

The exTraordinary

dog whisperer Training search and rescue, services dogs keeps Kelly Everett with her dogs 24/7

Story by Margaret Cheasebro Photos by Whitney Howle Kelly Everett has been around dogs all her life, so it wasn’t surprising that she eventually began training dogs for search and rescue activities.

“My mother, Pat McFadden, was a fantastic animal lover,” Kelly said. “She taught me to communicate with animals very early in my life. She’s the reason I do this. My grandmother believed that everything has a light and a soul and a place and it is not beneath me and is not be treated bad. I grew up learning that.”

If a dog bit Kelly, her mother never blamed the dog. She’d say, “Were you talking to the dog? Did you communicate what you were trying to do? Did you tell them what was wrong?”

Dogs understand a great deal, Kelly explained. They communicate through body language. They read the body language of humans, and they tell humans what they are thinking and feeling through their own body language.

50 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2017

Don’t blame the dog “I grew up – rather than making an excuse and saying it’s the dog’s fault – learning to communicate,” Kelly said. “I have to credit my mother with that. She rescued everything.

When my dad brought home fishing worms, my mother put them in a pot and fed them good dirt and coffee grounds and kept them on the front porch with a lamp. She would not let Dad use them for bait. People would say, ‘Wow, Kelly, where did you learn to do that?’

I’d say, ‘Did you meet my mom? She could do anything with an animal.’ So I come by it naturally.”

When she was about 40, Kelly began to have trouble with multiple sclerosis. She fell frequently. When she went to the doctor, he suggested she train a service dog to help her keep her balance. So she did.

Mom runs out of oxygen She didn’t think about training service dogs for other people until her mom called her one day from the back of a Wal-Mart store. A heart patient, Pat had run out of oxygen, and she 52 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2017

decided it wasn’t safe for her to ever go out again on her own. That’s when Kelly trained her mom’s Labrador, Casey, to carry two oxygen tanks for her. Pat felt confident to go out on her own again, something she did until Casey died unexpectedly at the age of 6.

Thanks to a generous dog trainer who decided to give Kelly a Labrador for her mom, Kelly was able to train that dog to help her mom until the last few days of her life.

One day, Pat told Kelly she needed to give the dog a new job because Pat was going to die in a few days. Pat gave her daughter a new job as well. “She told me, ‘Kelly, people can’t afford $30,000 service dogs. You need to train service dogs for other people. You listen to what I’m telling you, because this is my deathbed request.’”

Service dog trainer That promise led Kelly to the job that now supports her. She works seven days a week in three states as a service dog trainer. “It doesn’t

pay a lot because I don’t charge a lot,” she said. “But that’s my job. Now my life is with dogs 24/7. Not that it ever wasn’t, but now it’s with lots of dogs.”

Among the many dogs she has trained is a Belgian Malinois owned by Tyra Lopez, a Farmington resident who recently moved to Chicago. “Kelly is an amazing trainer,” Tyra said. “She has so much knowledge about any type of dog you could imagine. He immediately responded to her commands. She had an instant connection with him. She has that kind of magic with a dog and a rapport with the animals.”

Cop suggests search and rescue About five years ago, Linda Johnson of Farmington hired Kelly to train one of her dogs for obedience and was impressed with Kelly’s skills. “We got to be friends, and we thought maybe we should do some shows together,” Linda said. “We were working our dogs in the park when a cop came by and said we should

do search and rescue.”

When the officer first proposed the idea, Kelly and Linda laughed. “Linda was 61 or 62 at the time, and I was 41 or 42,” Kelly explained. “When you imagine search and rescue people, I picture big strong firemen.

We don’t fit that picture. I thought it would be a very challenging thing to consider.”

They read everything they could find to help them learn what to do, and they visited teams in Colorado to see how they practiced search and rescues. “We went back and forth on whether we should even try it,” Kelly said.

“Since I had trained dogs forever, we flew by the seat of our pants and figured out how to do it.”

New Mexico Badlands Search and Rescue So they organized the New Mexico Badlands Search and Rescue Team, and Kelly became its canine specialist.

“Kelly is very dedicated,” Linda said.

WINTER 2017 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 53

“She understands animals and understands people. On search and rescues, she’s real good. She understands her limitations, how much she can do. If she’s reached a point

where she can’t do any more, she’ll say so.

We’re all volunteers. We work together well, and our dogs work well with each other.” They trained the dogs in bite work, obedience and

tracking. They trained them how to follow a scent. “In this part of the country, scent doesn’t stay on the ground that long,” Kelly said. “Air scent works better, so our dogs had to be trained to find somebody using air currents. We don’t have the moisture to hold scent on the ground or on vegetation very long.”

People hide to help train dogs They took the dogs to Animas Park and started teaching them to find each of them.

Linda would hide, then Kelly. If people came by and said, “What a pretty dog!” the women would say, “Would you hide for our dog?

We’re training them for search and rescue.”

People relished working with us.”

In order to help with a search, the New Mexico Badlands Search and Rescue Team must be called out by the State Police, which oversees search and rescue activities. The team grew with volunteers. Many of them didn’t have search dogs, but they served as trackers and provided other services necessary for a successful search and rescue.

“We had to become part of the New Mexico Search and Rescue Council and be trained in field certification and lost person behavior and different classes,” Kelly said. “We had to learn 54 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2017

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how to build fires and haul water and keep warm and traipse through rough country, things I’d never imagined myself doing. If I wanted to go somewhere, I usually got on a horse or drove. I didn’t hike everywhere. But with my dogs I have to hike because my dogs are searching.”

Everyone is a volunteer Everyone on search and rescue is a volunteer. “We raise money, like we have a side of beef that we’re going to raffle off,” Kelly said.

“We do little fund raisers, and we spend a lot of our own money. We never ever charge a family for what we do.” Each search and rescue team is its own 501(c) (3) organization.

They’ve looked for lots of lost people in a variety of terrains. “We were called out to the Ashlyn Mike case, but they found her before we could rally to get out there,” she said.

“We’re not supposed to go out on crime scene cases, but we do get calls that turn out to be crime scenes.”

Most hikers go missing in New Mexico

56 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2017

because they misjudge distances. “They’ll say they’re going to walk over to this rock outcropping and they’ll be back in an hour,” she said. “Well, that rock outcropping isn’t an hour away. It’s five hours away on foot. Or the terrain is so much more rough than you can imagine. It happens a lot when people come up here hunting. It happens to people who want to go on a picnic. The desert is unforgiving, and it lies and says it’s closer than what it is.”

after he went to the La Plata area to look for the Conger Mesa Treasure, something Kelly had never heard of.

The story is that in 1933 a Mexican millionaire decided to hide sixteen tons of solid gold in New Mexico because he thought that, during the Great Depression, the United States would devalue the dollar and send gold prices skyrocketing. That hope never materialized, and the millionaire never revealed where he hid the gold.

Conger Mesa Treasure

Shiprock Alert

In late September 2016, they expanded their activity to include the Shiprock Alert Search and Rescue Team. Kelly is its canine captain. Joining Shiprock Alert happened because of a package Kelly received in the mail. She thought it was a jacket she had ordered, but when she opened it, the package contained scent articles such as a coat, hat, shirt and keys. A woman from Washington state had sent them to her with a note that they belonged to her father-in-law, who was missing

Finally, after three days of making phone calls, Kelly connected with the Washington family and began looking for the missing man.

“We got coordinates, which led us to the back of Hogback on the reservation,” Kelly said.

“I tried to get the sheriff’s department to do what they could, but they couldn’t call it in as a missing person because his vehicle hadn’t been found. They weren’t sure he hadn’t just driven to some other state. So I called the reservation for help and told them I would not like to get lost on your land, so can you please send me somebody who can help us.

They did. Then they tried to call us a few weeks later on another situation, and they had to call State Police to get us. So Shiprock Alert asked how do we stop that because we don’t normally call State Police for tribal. How can we make it where we can call you?”

Kelly explained they would have to have a mutual operations agreement so the New Mexico Badlands Search and Rescue could be covered under their insurance when they were on searches. That became a reality, and Kelly and her group joined Shiprock Alert. “Now we can deploy to the Navajo Nation at the request of the Navajo Nation directly,” she said.

“It means services get out quicker on the reservation, which is a harsh area. If you go missing on the reservation, it’s pretty difficult.

It’s not like there’s water everywhere.”

Some of the Shiprock Alert members also joined the Badlands Search and Rescue, so both groups increased the number of people available to help others.

Much needed resource Bob Rodgers, Search and Rescue Officer for the New Mexico State Police, called Kelly a driving force in filling a major need with SAR resources. “By developing the New Mexico Badlands Search and Rescue in conjunction with Shiprock Alert, it helps provide a much needed resource in that area for search and rescue,” he said.

Kelly urges any hikers, hunters or picnickers to dress warmly and bring enough water. It’s usually the elements that overcome people. She urges anyone who gets lost to stop and stay still. Don’t move around. “We’re going to come,” she said. “Just stay still.” She encourages everyone to

wear boots, pants and proper hiking clothes. Carry a jacket all year round and always keep at least two liters of water with you. Carry sunscreen and a first aid kit.

Teaches free obedience classes Beyond her service dog training and search and rescue activities, Kelly also teaches free obedience classes from November through spring before the weather gets too hot. She and Linda alternate teaching. Their classes are at 1 p.m. Sundays at Kiwanis Park in Farmington, weather permitting. The classes last 45 minutes to an hour. She asks that people WINTER 2017 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 57

bring treats, a leash and collar, that they wear good shoes and bring a jacket and gloves in case the weather turns chilly.

The idea for free dog training classes began after Kelly went to the animal pound to adopt a dog for search and rescue for another handler.

“As I stood there, this woman came dragging in this dog,” she recalled. “She said she couldn’t handle him even though she had just adopted him, that he was a pit bull and untrainable. The dog looked shattered. I said, ‘Will you try if I help you? I’ll do it for free. I’ll fix him. Don’t take him back.’ So I started working with her, and he became wonderful.”

Classes are basic The classes are basic. They involve the commands of heel, sit, down, stay and come.

“That’s all there is to it, but sometimes that’s all it takes to let a dog keep its home,” she said.

“Dogs are intelligent creatures, and they need to work. It makes people have a bond with their dog.”

Kelly never tires of being with her dogs 24/7. For her, it’s a mission and a calling.

58 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2017

She did it her way

District Judge Sandra Price blazes the trail for women to become district judge Story by Margaret Cheasebro Photos by Whitney Howle After trail blazing her way to becoming the first female San Juan District Attorney and the first female district judge in the state of New Mexico, Sandra Price is about to retire.

Between her state employment in the District Attorney’s Office and as a district judge, she has racked up more than 26 years, so she’s eligible to retire.

“I decided I would like to retire,” she said.

“I’ll take a little time to figure out what I’d like to do, and go from there.”

High on her list is enjoying her rural Aztec 60 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2017

property, where she grows a garden, flowers, herbs, fruit trees and has three hives of bees.

She also looks forward to spending more time with her two grandchildren, ages 5 and 2.

Didn’t plan on being a trail blazer Sandra didn’t grow up thinking of ways to be a trailblazer. Her parents and their four children, of which Sandra is the third, moved to the small town of Quemado, New Mexico, when Sandra was in third grade. Her parents bought the small ranch once owned by

Sandra’s great grand-parents. Her mother was a high school teacher. Her father worked in construction and eventually purchased the town’s hardware store. The family raised horses, cattle, sheep, pigs and chickens on the ranch, and the kids had no shortage of animals to raise as 4-H projects.

“I don’t know that I was the best ranch girl,” Sandra said. “I loved my animals okay, but I liked activities in town. Any chance I got I would join any team or activity I could so that I could hang out in town to be with

people. I was kind of social.”

It was that small town atmosphere that helped to shape Sandra’s belief that she could be anything she wanted to be.

Small town had advantages “You could do whatever you wanted because the town was so small,” she said.

“If you wanted to be class president, you ran and probably had a good chance of being class president.”

Sandra was president of her junior class and was president of the student council.

“I wasn’t very athletic, but I played every sport that they let you sign up for,” she said.

“I was a cheerleader. I played basketball.

I high jumped even though I’m only five feet, one-and-three quarter inches tall.”

From the time she was little, she knew she wanted to be a lawyer. “I was kind of argumentative,” she said. “My mom said I would argue with a fence post. I liked to talk.

I figured if you could get paid talking, that was the job for me. I wanted to be a lawyer, but I was very concerned that I wouldn’t be smart enough or be able to do that. My mom said just have a back-up plan in case it doesn’t work out. So that’s what I tried.”

Parents killed in auto accident Shortly after she started college at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, her world came crashing down around her when both her parents were killed in a car accident.

“It was very hard,” she said. “I think from

that I learned that you can get through anything. That happening in my life made me think that life can be short, so you’d better do what you want to do while you can. The other thing it taught me is you can be handed very hard things and do just fine and get through them as long as you choose to. It really is how you handle adversity that determines your life.”

Sandra got married the year before she started law school at UNM in 1986. Her son and daughter were both born while she was in law school. She graduated in 1989, and her marriage ended in 1990. She moved to San Juan County in 1991, where her first job was as a prosecutor for the District Attorney’s Office.

Boss runs for re-election She’d been working there for seven years when her boss ran for re-election as District Attorney.

“My intent was not to run against my boss, but I was concerned he was going to lose the election,” she said. “I thought I would put my name in the hat so in the event he was not successful in the primary, someone who actually worked at the DA’s office might be elected. I thought that would help with continuity and running of the office.”

She is a Democrat, and her boss was a Republican. She didn’t expect the fireworks that came with her decision to run against him.

“It didn’t go over well,” she said. “It was horrible. It became nasty politics at its worst.

That’s not what I intended.”

False claim A false claim was made against her then boyfriend – now her husband – that he had failed to pay child support. The charge resulted in his arrest, but it was later dismissed because it wasn’t true. The District Attorney suspended her from her job, but she kept on campaigning. She won the election handily in 1995. In 1996, she took over as the first female District Attorney in the state.

Though she enjoyed courtroom work, she didn’t relish handling the personnel and budget issues that were part of being district attorney.

In spite of that, overall she enjoyed the job, which she held for four years. Instead of running for the position again, she worked for another four years as Deputy District Attorney for the newly elected DA Greg Tucker.

Bucks the system Then she turned her attention to the job of district court judge in the 11th Judicial District. “It was another heated race,” she said.

“I must bring that out in people. I have to say in San Juan County I bucked the system a little bit. There was a process of how things worked here, and I didn’t always agree with it, so I just did it my own way. Sometimes that didn’t go over well.”

The accepted process about how people became judges in San Juan County, she explained, was that you worked your way up, became accepted in the legal community by certain people and then moved on to become a district court judge.

WINTER 2017 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 61

“That’s not what I decided I wanted to do,” she said, “so I just threw my hat in the ring even though I was told by people that’s not how it’s done in San Juan County. I just did it.”

Accepted by judges She was elected in 2004 and became a district court judge in 2005. “The judge’s community was really good,” she said. “Once you’re there, they figure you’ve earned it, I guess, and it’s a very accepting community.

I think sometimes the lawyers can be tough on new judges, but that’s all right.”

She has been retained twice as district court judge, which happens every six years.

“I just went through a retention not long ago,” she said, “so I could easily have stayed on the bench, but I chose not to. I’m eligible to retire.”

She pushed open a door People tell her she opened the door for other women to become district judge.

She’s not so sure. “I don’t know if I opened a door,” she said. “I probably pushed a door.”

Later, Karen Townsend became the second female district court judge in San Juan County, and Daylene Marsh became the third judge.

Now of the five district court judges in San Juan County, three are women.

While Daylene worked at the District Attorney’s Office, someone told her the story of how Sandra became the first district court judge. “She bucked the old boy system and

62 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2017

won,” Daylene said. “When the opportunity arose that there was a position, I thought maybe I should run for district court judge.

I thought about Judge Price. If she did it, maybe I can too.”

Once Daylene was elected, Judge Price became her mentor. “I asked her what to do with a disruptive person in the court room or how to handle people in the office or how to do scheduling or all the stuff they didn’t teach you in judge school,” Daylene said. “She gave me guidance. She always gave me good advice.”

Learns rules of civil procedure When Sandra first became a district court judge, she didn’t have much experience with civil cases. At one time, when she worked for a local law firm, Roberts and Jolley, Val Jolley

gave her good advice.

“He told me that just for fun he would get out the rules of civil procedure, which are the rules that apply to civil law, and skim over them routinely,” she recalled.

So when she became district court judge, she began doing that to teach herself about civil law. “I would take home the rules of civil procedure and read through them,” she said.

“Anytime I got motions or briefs, I would make a point to look at the actual section of the case law that they cite. I would read through all of it, because I knew that I would need to really familiarize myself with the law.”

Sandra was the whole package From the start, she made an impression on Karen Townsend. “My first recollection of Judge Price was at a continuing legal education class in Albuquerque almost 30 years ago,” Karen said. “I was sitting in the back feeling mostly out of place when I saw Sandra up in front. She was, to my recollection, the whole package, pretty, smart, outgoing, a real attorney. I was jealous from the start. Then she started hanging out with my friends, just regular Aztec folks that I had known forever. Sandra fit right in, and everybody loved her.

“Then she ran for DA, and the fireworks started. Never one to back down from a challenge, she soundly beat her former boss. There

is no one who can out-campaign Sandra Price.

After serving as DA, Sandra decided to be a judge. We had never had a female district court judge. I was amazed. Women in San Juan County weren’t judges. That wasn’t allowed, was it? Judge Price didn’t break down that barrier. She crushed it. I was appointed and elected next, then Judge Marsh was elected.”

“I think what I learned is that you can do anything you want to do, or you sure can try.”

— Sandra Price

Sandra loves adoption cases Sandra’s field as a judge has primarily involved children’s court cases, though she handles about a third of the district’s civil cases as well, such as road and easement disputes and injury torts. Of all the cases she’s heard, she enjoys adoptions the most. “It’s nice to see a positive thing happening,” she said.

Cindy Gray, who attends Bethany Baptist Church, has worked with a group of people there to make quilts that are donated to children who are adopted through district court cases.

“The church keeps me supplied with quilts

to hand out during my adoption proceedings,” Sandra said. “Now other people have started donating quilts too.”

Officially retires December 31 She officially retires December 31, and people who want to apply for her position, may get applications at the Judicial Selection website, http://lawschool.unm.edu/judsel/ application.php. Deadline for applications is 5 p.m. January 10, 2018. The Eleventh Judicial District Court Judicial Nominating Commission

will meet beginning at 9 a.m. January 25 to interview applicants in Farmington.

Once Sandra retires, she will continue going to Karate classes at the Aztec Karate Club.

After more than a year of classes, she’s a blue belt.

She also will continue her work with the Benevolent Patriotic Order of Does, a group of women who help to keep her solidly grounded by giving back to the community.

“It’s been a good balance, being a judge, to have that group of people who do something for no other reason than they want to give back to the community, which I love and appreciate,” she said. “They’re a normal group of people who are not in any way necessarily associated with the court system. It’s kind of nice having that balance in your life.”

Every year the group raises money and gives much of it back to organizations such as Childhaven, the Boys and Girls Club, Shop with Cops, Muscular Dystrophy, and the Cancer Walk-a-Thon.

WINTER 2017 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 63

One of my best bosses “Judge Price is probably one of the best bosses I’ve had,” said her secretary, Katrina Campbell. “I really like her because she’s not only a judge; she’s a community member. She does things for the community, and I really like that. I think that’s something we should all aspire to.”

If Sandra could leave a message to people about what she’s learned in her life, it would be to try doing what you want to do. “I think what I learned is that you can do anything you want to do, or you sure can try,” she said. “And if you really want to do it, you should be trying. If you don’t try it, you certainly will never get to do that dream or that goal. You’ve got to set goals, and you’ve got to strive to reach those goals, whatever they are. If it doesn’t happen, there’s probably a bigger purpose out there that you will move toward, whatever that might be.”

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There’s no such ThinG as can’T Snowboarder Brittani Coury hopes to inspire a person to do someone that’s outside their comfort zone Story by Dorothy Nobis Photos by Whitney Howle Nine surgeries in eight years. A foot that wouldn’t fit into a regular snowboarding boot.

A determination that defied all odds. And an enthusiasm that would let nothing keep her from returning to the sport she loved. Nothing.

Born and raised in Aztec, New Mexico, Brittani Coury moved to Durango, Colorado, when she was 18 years old. The move to the southern Colorado community was a no-brainer for Coury; the mountains of Durango offered a dream and a challenge.

Coury loved snowboarding.

Doing what she loved Purgatory Mountain Resort hired Coury as an instructor. On Christmas Eve, 2003, Coury was doing what she loved best – racing down 66 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2017

the mountain on her snowboard. She hit a piece of ice and fell, knowing immediately the injury was serious.

Tough and determined, Coury didn’t share her injury with her family that day. On Christmas Day, however, she told her family and went to the emergency room. She discovered the injury to her ankle wasn’t bone related, but her tendons and ligaments were torn. The doctors told Coury she would have to be on crutches for between six and eight weeks.

Snowboarding was put on hold, but the fire in Coury’s spirit continued to flame. The first of the nine surgeries removed bone spurs. But the ankle didn’t heal. When the need to return to the slopes on her snowboard became a priority, Coury moved once again – this time

to Mammoth, California.

“I had outgrown Purgatory (regarding challenges) and I knew all the best snowboarders went to Mammoth,” Coury said. “My foot would fit into a snowboard boot when the swelling went down, so I started snowboarding again.”

The ankle hurt, but Coury overlooked the pain. “As long as I could snowboard, I was OK,” she said.

Coury worked three jobs at Mammoth to keep her on her snowboard, but the ankle continued to give her trouble.

Ankle fusion?

When a doctor in Mammoth suggested an ankle fusion procedure, Coury decided to get

a second opinion.

“The doctor in Denver told me an ankle fusion was for a 70-year-old who just wanted to water her yard,” Coury said. “That just was not an option for me.”

“I spent three years on crutches, having a surgery every three to eight months, trying to repair my ankle joint,” Coury said. “The pain my ankle was causing me didn’t bother me as much as not being able to be active on my feet.”

She knew what she decided to do “I did some research on amputation and I decided that was what I needed to do,” Coury said. “I wanted and needed to be active.”

In June of 2011, at the age of 25, Coury had her ankle amputated.

“I was ready for it,” Coury said of the amputation. “I wasn’t scared.

I knew it was going to be great and It was going to be positive.”

Her usual courageous and optimistic self, Coury didn’t tell anybody she was having the surgery.

Coury’s determination to recover and rebound was helped by three little people – her two nieces and her nephew.

“I didn’t want them to see me without that part of my leg, but to see it when I got fitted with the prosthetic leg,” she said.

Prosthetic leg Coury was fitted with the prosthetic leg in late summer of 2011 and was walking on it by fall. Adjusting to the new leg was relatively easy.

“The hardest part was walking in the grass at dark,” Coury said with a laugh. “But on the slopes, I could do everything I did before (the injury).”

“I am determined, and that’s my character,” Coury said of herself. “If I set my mind to something, I do it.”

“I was excited to see where I could go with it, and not be limited,” she said. “I knew it might be difficult and it might be different, but I knew everything was possible.”

Endless possibilities The possibilities for Coury are endless. “I was watching the Olympics in Sochi (in 2014), and I said, ‘”I think I can do that.’”

68 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2017

Next year, in 2018, Coury will be doing just “that.” She left Durango for Europe on November 2, where she will train for a series of World Cup races. The Paralympics are set for March in PyeongChang, South Korea.

“I decided to try to make the Paralympic Games to show my nieces and nephew that you can follow your dreams no matter how big those dreams are,” Coury said. “I’m a Christian and I look forward to being able to show the world what God has done in my life.”

“I get overwhelmed with emotion thinking about the fact that I get to represent my country in an event,” she said of the Paralympics. “This will be such an honor for me.

I have loved snowboarding since the first time I put a board under my feet and it is amazing to think that, after all the surgeries and lost time riding, I have been given the opportunity to try to make the Paralympic Games.”

Her greatest inspirations It is her nieces and her nephew – Brianne, 13, Erica, 11, and Jake, 8 – who have motivated her and given Coury much of the determination she needs to succeed at the Paralympics.

“They have been the greatest inspiration for

me,” Coury said. “My goal as an aunt is to make lasting memories with my nieces and nephew and for them to never use the word ‘can’t.’ Being on the snow with them is the best thing in the world and, hopefully, they have great memories of their childhood and their Aunt Brittani.”

Persevere, no matter what the day may bring Tiffani Roberts is Brittani’s sister and the mother of her young “fan club.”

“It was beneficial for my family to be able to support Brittani through her injury,” Roberts said. “She taught us to be strong and persevere, no matter what the day may bring; and to wake up each day and make it the best you can, regardless of how you feel physically or mentally.

“Britt’s journey has been so long in recovery that it gave her an opportunity to sit still and watch the kids grow,” Roberts said of the close relationship between Coury and her nieces and nephew. “They watched movies together, lay on a blanket and watched the clouds, and built a strong relationship. She rarely missed a rodeo, soccer game, track meet or gymnastic performance of theirs. They could count on

Brittani for being their biggest fan.”

“In addition,” Roberts added, “the kids helped her through each day. When she was unable to get up, they would give her a pedicure, show off their gymnastic moves or bring her grapes from the vines outside, and always at the right moment, which distracted her from those hard days.”

The first race Kep Koeppe of Adaptive Action Sports is Coury’s coach. Koeppe started working with Coury in December 2016, at the Dew Tour – an invitation-only snowboarding event, an innovative contest series and a content platform that brings together the world’s best skateboarders, snowboarders, skiers, artists, brands, and fans, in Breckenridge, Colorado.

“It was the first year for an adaptive banked slalom racing at the Dew Tour, and Brittani’s first competition since her amputation,” Koeppe said. “It was a great experience for Brittani, and from then on she decided to devote her energy towards racing.”

“We trained together last season, and when I gave her tips she was able to make adjustments on the spot, which quickly improved her riding skills,” Koeppe continued. “She pushed to increase speed while maintaining control, getting her closer to picking up where she left off with her previous snowboarding, pre-amputation.”

because I spent so much time rehabbing.”

“I gave her suggestion some thought and decided to go to school to become an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician),” Coury added. “I figured the adrenaline rush would be something I would enjoy.”

Pausing, Coury added with a smile, “Plus, I could be a ski patroller at the mountain.”

Inspiring others more important than medals People who don’t know Coury and her story are surprised to learn she is an amputee.

Bubbly and enthusiastic energy Coury trains at least 12 hours a week at the gym and, once the snow falls, she’ll be training on the snow as well.

Coury’s coach has high hopes for his friend and student.

“Brittany brings her bubbly, enthusiastic energy to everything she does and she is able to see the positive outcome with sports after having her leg amputated,” Koeppe said.

“Through dedication and hard work on and off the snow, she has become the top snow-

boarder in the lower limb two category.”

EMT With World Cup races and the Paralympics to train for, Coury has also prepared for her future off her snowboard.

“Through all of my surgeries, I was inspired

“Usually, they’re surprised and say something like ‘you walk so well,’ or ‘I never would have guessed.’ They’re also surprised about my decision to amputate and the fact that my amputation hasn’t slowed me down or affected my self-esteem.”

While competing in the World Races and

to become a nurse,” Coury said. “I lived with

the Paralympics is important to Coury, it isn’t

a nurse, Vicki Kelly, in Durango, and she told

the medals or appearing on the podium or

me that I should go to school during my years

the media attention that drive her to succeed.

of having surgeries. She told me to think

* Brittani Coury 81

about becoming a physical therapist assistant WINTER 2017 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 69

GaryColliander U.S. paralympic biathlon coach training for Pyeongphang Winter Games Story and photos by Ben Brashear In sitting down with Gary Colliander, U.S. Paralympic Biathlon coach, you will quickly learn that the athletes he coaches are just that — dogged, determined, persistent and chasing the podium as all Olympic athletes do. But, he is quick to add, it is their back-story and the extra hurdles that they must clear on a daily basis that is truly inspiring. “Don’t look at them as disabled, but able in their own way and in their own capacity with different backgrounds and stories,” he says.

There are six athletes and one visual impairment guide on the U.S. national biathlon team: Jake Adicoff (visually impaired stand-up skier), Dan Cnossen (sit skier), Sawyer Kesselheim (guide), three-time Paralympic medal winner Oksana Masters (sit skier), Aaron Pike (ski skier), Andy Soule (sit skier), and Kendall Gretsch (sit skier). Their injuries and stories range from that of Army and Navy combat veterans who have had limbs amputated to congenital paralysis, visual impairment and in utero defects incurred from the 1986 Chernobyl incident to those who have incurred spinal injuries from accidental gunshot wounds.

All medal hopefuls Every member of the national team is a medal hopeful Colliander says. There are an additional six athletes from the U.S. Nordic development team also vying for a spot on the 2018 U.S. Paralympic Biathlon team. The Paralympic Winter Games will run from March 9-18 in PyeongChang, Korea hosting over 600 athletes competing in 80 medal events that range from alpine skiing, snowboarding, 70 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2017

hockey, to nordic skiing and biathlon.

The amount of dedication and effort required of Colliander, head coach Eileen Carey and that of each athlete to place well at the upcoming world cup championships and to secure their spot on the Paralympic team is stunning. Team members are scattered across the states and reside in states as far apart as Alaska to Massachusetts. This leaves Colliander traveling consistently to get one-on-one time with skiers and to help them establish relationships with their respective local Nordic ski clubs.

Dry-land training In the North American off-season athletes will ‘dry-land train.’ Stand up skiers utilize roller skis, which look like glorified inline skates with Nordic bindings attached and sit-ski athletes

train on what looks like an oversized longboard Colliander says. The downside to dry-land training is that it doesn’t really prepare them for skiing on snow and how to manage their ski chair and poles while shooting, which all becomes vital when seconds count, he says.

On-snow training begins early in May in Bend, OR and then moves on to New Zealand and what is affectionately called the Snow Farm. October saw the team at the famous Snow Tunnel in Torsby, Sweden where they worked to refine their skiing technique, shooting mechanics and breathing technique.

On-snow training concludes just before the first world cup championship hosted in Canmore, Canada on the very same course called Frozen Thunder, a 1.5 kilometer manmade ribbon of snow.

“I tried to sit-ski last year and it’s totally humbling, it’s really difficult to do. I don’t know how my athletes do it.”

— Gary Colliander “Some of my athletes have their core strength but several of them have very little to none and that makes on-snow training essential, Colliander says. My athletes learn how to control the sit-ski, how to corner without losing momentum and how to use the chair as an anchor to help them steady their shooting position. I tried to sit-ski last year and it’s totally humbling, it’s really difficult to do,” he says. “I don’t know how my athletes do it.”

Never shot an air rifle One of the most recent additions to the national team was Kendall Gretsch who had never shot an air rifle before. Colliander laughs.

“It’s good in a way because each of my athletes require different instruction on how best to shoot their rifles and it keeps me always thinking of how to best teach dependent on their needs,” he says. “I go to my wife, Tracy, who has been to the 2006 Olympics in Biathlon and get her insight all the time. I’ll ask her about basic logistics, shooting in the wind, shooting positions and how to compensate for the athletes that have to lay sideways while shooting rather than prone, which is a big disadvantage.”

A shape up for the games in Beijing Qualifying for the U.S. Paralympic team begins in Dec. 9-17 with the first of three world cup championship biathlon events and then Jan. 20-28 it’s off to Oberried, Germany and finally Feb. 2-10 in Vuokatti, Finland.

“We will just compete at the Canmore and

Oberried championships and then will we train in Bozeman, MT for the time remaining before the Games in March,” Colliander says. “We have a strong team this year and every one of our athletes has a shot at medaling. At least, I

hope they do so I can keep my job,” he laughs. “Seriously though, we’re excited for the Games and then it’s back to training and recruiting to shape up our team for the next Games in Beijing.”

WINTER 2017 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 71

Really Big

Diehls

Twin brothers qualify to play in PGA Champions Tour at Pebble Beach Trey and Tyler Diehl have personalities that are as different as the side of the golf ball they stand on to hit their shots (Trey is a righty while Tyler swings lefty). Yet as different as they are, what is remarkably similar about the twin brothers is their work ethic, passion and will to succeed both on and off the golf course.

Those qualities have pushed them to set some lofty goals for the rest of their high school careers. These goals include winning the New Mexico Activities Association (NMAA) 6A State Golf Championship in May 2018, as well as earning a college golf scholarship in the not too distant future.

72 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2017

The relentless pursuit of these goals allotted them another opportunity just recently that they worked incredibly hard to achieve — both recently qualified for the Pure Insurance Championship Impacting The First Tee at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Hard work and determination Rewinding to July, the Diehls were about to find out whether or not their hard work, determination and love for the game of golf was going to pay off in the form of an all-expense paid trip of a lifetime. The announcement was going to be made for 81 lucky participants of The First Tee on The Golf

Channel that morning. Trey was up at 5 a.m. with the television on, while Tyler was still in bed hoping for the opportunity, but afraid that his brother would get to go and he would not.

“When the morning came I went to the living room at 5 a.m. sharp,” explained Trey. “Tyler didn't want to watch because he didn't think we would get picked and he was nervous that only one of us would get picked so he went back to sleep.”

The wait was agonizing as each region of The First Tee’s qualifiers for the Pure Insurance Championship were being announced throughout the telecast of “Morning Drive”. Finally a commercial break and one last five minute

segment announcing the Mountain Region’s qualifiers. As the names flashed, pandemonium within the Diehl household ensued as

the list during the announcement on Golf Channel. Our whole family screamed, yelled and celebrated together in our living room.”

both Trey and Tyler found out that they would fulfill a goal of playing Pebble Beach

The journey

and Poppy Hills Golf Course with a PGA

Trey and Tyler Diehl have had golf in their blood since birth. Their mother and grandmother (Ann and Karen) are accomplished players, their father (Cody) grew up working at various golf courses playing the game, and their Uncle Bobby played Division II college golf at Fort Lewis College in Durango. With so many family ties to golf, it seemed destined that the boys would be drawn to the game.

That bloodline got infused more as the

Champions Tour player as their partner.

“When it came up on the screen, we were two of the seven from our region,” added Trey. “It was so awesome. My mom went and woke Tyler up and told him to watch.

When he saw our names he looked like he was in shock…as were the rest of us.”

“I was so excited,” said Tyler. “I could not believe that both of our names were on

brothers enrolled in The First Tee of San Juan County in 2007 and started their journey towards greatness.

Living on the course at San Juan Country Club also helped, as the brothers would be out playing golf with their family after school and on the weekends. That is, when they weren’t immersed in all the other sports such as baseball and basketball. Even then, golf seemed to be the sport they kept coming back to the older they got.

“When we were younger, Tyler and I spent every evening in the summer playing holes 5, 6, 7, 3 and 4 at San Juan Country Club,” said Trey. “As we've gotten older we have spent pretty much every summer day and every day after school at the golf course. It’s so convenient just to be able to walk out the door and be at the practice range or the first tee in 30 seconds. That kind of accessibility has made us into the golfers we are today.”

As Trey and Tyler got older, they started to realize how good they were getting at golf.

Winning various local and statewide tournaments, competing against one another at a level only fellow twins would comprehend and 74 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2017

appreciate.

“In golf, they are always trying to be the first to the next accomplishment whether it be breaking par or winning a tournament,” explained their father, Cody. “We have been fortunate that they have both had their share of success. They rarely show it, but deep down inside it is a constant battle between the two of them to top the other’s goals and accomplishments.”

With baseball and basketball garnering most of their attention in elementary and middle school, the time came to turn that focus to golf, making the varsity team at Piedra Vista High School as mere eighth graders. That eighth grade year, PV finished fourth in the Class 5A State Championship in Roswell. The year wasn’t without its share of disappointment however, as Trey was chosen to compete for state while Tyler was left off the team.

“You always want your kids to be successful, but the game of golf is like a roller coaster,” said Cody. “You certainly have to learn to deal with losing more often than winning.

But it wasn’t always that easy for one to enjoy success while the other was unhappy

about losing.

“They took it much harder when they were younger,” added Cody. “Whether it was three putting to lose a match play event or losing a ball on the last hole when all you have to do is make par to win, it created some stressful rides home from the course. They have figured that part out and have matured to the point where they are proud of each other and celebrate each other’s successes.”

Trey and Tyler focused more and more attention to golf. It also helped that childhood friend and fellow classmate, River Smalley, formed a trio that has been a constant for the past five years. The three friends continued on their path through their freshman and sophomore years, trading wins and accomplishments as they kept pushing each other to improve.

The trend would continue with Tyler playing well in one tournament and Trey playing well in the next.

Tyler would play fantastic golf as a freshman in the fall season, while Trey played extraordinary in the spring on his way to finishing second individually in the 2016 5A NMAA State Championship at Pinon Hills GC. Their sophomore year was more of the same, only this time Tyler topped his brother earning a fourth place finish in the 2017 6A State Championship in Roswell, while Trey finished 5th. The goal of winning the first ever team title for PV in boys golf was put on hold for another year as a scorecard error resulted in a second place finish.

The event Their constant involvement with programs like The First Tee and PGA Junior League Golf set the brothers up to apply for some national opportunities within the organization. The application process is much akin to applying for college, consisting of: oral interviews, essay questions, compiling their golf resumes, their academic accomplishments, community service

and letters of recommendation. Trey and Tyler submitted their application to The First Tee for the grading process, competing with over 150 young men and women with the same (if not better) golfing ability.

“It took a lot of time and effort for the entire application to be completed,” said Trey.

“There were a lot of questions that we had to answer in detail. It took a couple of weeks, working a little bit at a time to gather all the information to finish it all.”

Once the brothers were selected, the process turned to planning as flights, hotels and rental cars were booked for family members to head to the Monterey Peninsula for a weeklong experience that would provide memories for a lifetime.

Hallowed ground The Diehl family arrived on a Tuesday into San Jose Airport and drove the 90 minutes to Pebble Beach. Stepping foot on the hallowed grounds of one of the most famous golf courses in the world was slightly overwhelming for the entire family.

“It was as amazing as everyone said it was going to be,” explained Tyler. “When I first walked down to the 18th green and saw the view I knew it was going to be an unbelievable week.”

The sense of awe wore off quicker than expected as the brothers realized how crazy the schedule for the week was — filled with participant obligations, golf practice rounds, conferences, meetings, activities and the actual golf event.

“It was the busiest week of my life so I didn't really have time to think about what was going on,” said Trey. “Every day we woke up and left our hotel at 6 a.m. and didn't get back to until 9 or 10 at night. It was tiring but definitely all worth it.”

“Every single night after the practice rounds and tournament rounds there was some kind of event that was mandatory for all junior golfers

to attend,” added Tyler. “They were really interesting and fun but it was very tiring. I could not wait to get into my bed at the end of the day…which is not normal for me.”

Tuesday Evening came and the excitement for the rest of the week would start with the tournament pairings dinner and concert. That evening, Trey found out that his PGA Champions Tour partner would be Michael Allen from Scottsdale while Tyler found out that he would be playing with Bart Bryant. Bryant grew up in Alamogordo and played college golf at New Mexico State University.

Wednesday brought a practice round at Poppy Hills Golf Course in the early afternoon followed by the Champions Dinner near the 18th green at Pebble Beach. Thursday, the brothers got to fulfill a lifelong dream by playing a practice round at Pebble Beach before getting swept off to the Legends and Leaders Dinner and Conference.

Legends and leaders The Legends and Leaders Dinner featured nine famous people from around the country in all facets of careers speaking on behalf of The First Tee’s Nine Core Values. The emcee for the evening was Chris Harrison, the host of The

Bachelor and guest speakers included Condoleezza Rice, Leon Panetta, actor Kevin Sorbo, and 2015 Miss America Kira Kazantsev.

“When we first arrived at the event I noticed Chris Harrison talking to other guests and couldn't believe my eyes,” explained Tyler.

“I had to call my Mom and Grandma because they love The Bachelor. Listening to the guest speakers talk about the Nine Core Values was very entertaining and motivational as they talked about their lives and how those values impacted them on a daily basis.”

Finally, the tournament was starting on Friday morning with Trey and Michael Allen teeing off at Pebble Beach at 8:21 a.m. while Tyler and Bart Bryant were teeing off in the afternoon at Poppy Hills Golf Course.

“Leading up to the tournament most of my nerves were from thinking about hitting my first tee shot at Pebble Beach,” said Trey.

“I wanted to make sure I hit it good and then I could calm down. When I arrived at the first tee I was pretty nervous, but with the excitement of the situation, I was able to overcome my nerves and hit my first tee shot right down the middle.”

Round one Upon completion of Round 1, Tyler got the upper hand on Trey leading his brother by six shots heading into Saturday’s second round.

This time Tyler had to get up super early on Saturday to play at Pebble Beach in hopes of finishing in the Top 23 teams to make the cut to Sunday. Saturday saw a positive push from Trey and Allen to finish 4-under par, but it wasn’t enough to pass Tyler and Bryant or make the cut to Sunday. Tyler and Bryant finished strong with a two-day total of 11under par to finish in 14th place and secure their spot for Sunday’s final round at Pebble Beach.

“I was super excited to make the cut and

* Diehls 80 WINTER 2017 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 75

M L

Coolest Things

One of the most fabulous messes of all time is the living room on Christmas Day! That feeling of togetherness and the magical of family and friends is like no other.

Here’s wishing you and yours the best holiday season ever.

Happy Holidays!

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Parrot - MAMBO Quadcopter www.bestbuy.com The Parrot Mambo minidrone comes equipped with two new accessories that help turn the sky into a playground! Fire miniature balls at moving objects with the Cannon, or move objects through the air using the Transporter claw. You can also enjoy acrobatic tricks and flips in flight.

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6

LIGHTS! CAMERA! MAKE A STATEMENT!

www.amazon.com Turn weddings, birthdays, and clever turns of phrase into feature film-worthy displays with this retro light box. Back-lit like a real marquee, this lightweight, battery-operated design offers three slotted lines to accommodate the included letters and symbols.

Set up the portable piece at your wedding reception’s welcome table, in front of the birthday cake, or in your little one’s bedroom, and let the creative messaging begin! Original Lightbox includes a total of 100 letters, numbers and characters. See what’s included here. $39.99

7

LET THERE BE LIGHT, A PEN AND OH YEAH SOMEONE TO CHARGE MY PHONE

All In One Place Lamp www.uncommongoods.com Among humankind’s most revelatory inventions: The wheel, the telephone, the cup lamp. Not all ideas are created equal, but when your next big one hits, you’ll undoubtedly need light and something to scribble with. This convenient vessel holds your favorite tools — from pencils, to scissors, to lucky talismans — all in one place.

The modern design also features a dimming knob and USB port so you can set the mood and keep your devices charged up and ready for inspiration research. $100

8

CAN’T STOP, WON’T STOP

Obstinate Headstrong Girl Framed Art Block www.uncommongoods.com Headstrong women make good heroines.

This artful piece incorporates the quote “obstinate, headstrong girl,” which describes Elizabeth, the lively protagonist in Jane Austen’s classic Pride and Prejudice. Give it to the central female character in your own life who always writes her own destiny. Illustrated by Alena Hennessy.

Made in Portland, Oregon. $50 to $65

WINTER 2017 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 77

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DON’T TOUCH THAT DIAL!

10

FOR THE LAUGHS A LOT GUY

What do you MEME www.amazon.com. Wwwwalmart.com This recycled cardboard stand gives your iPad the look of a retro TV, recreating the golden days of tuning in with family. Designed by Luis Rodrigalvarez. Made in Charlottesville, Virginia. $30

78 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2017

Move over ‘Cards Against Humanity’ there’s a new hysterical card game in town! Compete to create the funniest meme by pairing the caption cards with the photo card in play. A rotating judge picks the best combination each round. For anywhere between 3 – 20 players! Laughs and hijinx, of course, ensue. $30

11

WOW, WHAT A SIX PACK NO WE’RE NOT TALKING ABOUT YOUR ABS

www.uncommongoods.com Like an insulating wetsuit for frosty bottles and cans, this neoprene tote is the perfect companion for a cold six-pack of your favorite beverage. Six interior compartments hold any bottle or can (up to 20 oz.), while a seventh in the center accommodates an ice pack to keep everything icy while you’re on the go. Six holes in the top flaps fold over bottle tops to keep them secure, and an exterior side pocket holds a bottle opener or other small accessories. Just add thirsty friends and a laid-back, sunny day. $20

12 IMAX Worldwide Tidus Clock www.amazon.com, www.themine.com Fashioned after a ship’s propeller, this clock adds a nautical touch to your décor .

Made of aluminum and brass, the clock measures 11"h x 12"w x 2.25" $30 to $42

13

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13

GETS BETTER WITH AGE

Shore Break Pack www.puravidabracelets.com These are the bracelets you’re seeing everywhere now (hello, Today Show!).

Pura Vida bracelets only get better with a little salt & sun. Hand made in Costa Rica, these bracelets symbolize enjoying life’s beauty, celebrating the simple things in life and living in the moment. Wear them all together or mix and match your favorite combinations. Every bracelet is 100 percent waterproof. Go surf, snowboard, or even take a shower with them on. Wearing your bracelets every day only enhances the natural look and feel. Every bracelet is unique and hand-made, therefore a slight vary. $60

14

WARM FEET, HAPPY MOM

15

A SENSITIVE SOLUTION

UGG ‘Scuffette’ Comfy Slippers in Suede www.Amazon.com, www.Ugg,shoes.com, www.nordstrom.com

FOREO LUNA Go Portable Facial Cleansing Brush for Sensitive Skin www.amazon.com, www.foreo.com, www.ebay.com

Luxuriously comfortable, the women’s UGG Scuffettte II Slipper is a total musthave. Designed with plush suede upper with an ultra-warm 17mm sheepskin lining and cuff. The insole of this UGG slipper consists of a wool sock liner that prevents moisture and odor, keeping your feet dry and fresh all day long. The outsole is made with clear rubber and cork for a durable look and feel. The Scuffette II is stitched at the seams with an embossed UGG® logo. $85

This is the facial brush that everyone is talking about this Year. Perfect for sensitive skin, small enough to bring with her on the go (like a weekend getaway, to work, the gym, or just for home use), and has a cool anti-aging mode that helps smooth and firm the skin. $99

16

SOMETHING TO CHIRP ABOUT

Painted Blossoms Hummingbird Feeder www.uncommongoods.com This floral feeder is bound to bring all the birds to the yard. You’re not the only one drawn to Mexico’s beautiful pottery and glass art. Hummingbirds are sure to be lured by this artisan-crafted feeder, which holds a trio of hand-blown recycled-glass bottles topped by red flowers. The metal frame is weather-resistant, and the glass flowers are easily removed for cleaning.

Hand painted by artisans in Mexico. $ 60

WINTER 2017 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 79

Christmas Events

continued from 28

nutcracker

the mountain offering demos of skis and snowboards all day. Demos start at 9 am.

DECEMBER 8-10 foRt lEwis CollEgE 7:30 PM

bar d wranglers

Holiday ballet, “Nutcracker,” performed by the highly-acclaimed State Street Ballet of Santa Barbara, will usher in the holidays with two matinees and two evening performances.

Artistic Director Rodney Gustafson holds true to the original classical ballet in this Tchaikovsky masterpiece, creating a traditional “Nutcracker” set in Victorian times and suited for all ages. The ballet will feature a live orchestra with the San Juan Symphony. http://www.durangoconcerts.co

demo day purgatory DECEMBER 10 9 aM $10 for unlimited demos, and it all goes to charity. Your favorite local shops will be on

Diehls

DECEMBER 14 7:30 to 9:30 PM Bar D Wranglers return to the Community Concert Hall stage for their traditional cowboy Christmas show. Founded by Cy Scarborough in 1969, the Bar D Wranglers offer their own unique style of Western music, cowboy poetry and humor. The Christmas Jubilee is a warmhearted and fun-filled show that inspires the entire family to remember the true meaning of the holidays. http://www.durangoccncerts.com

santa claus DECEMBER 23 PuRgatoRy REsoRt 2 to 3:30 PM Bring the kids for an afternoon with Santa and Mrs. Claus! They’ll be on the beach giving

out candy canes and finding out who has been naughty or nice.

snow sculptures DECEMBER 26-29 PuRgatoRy REsoRt Watch as world-renowned artist Keith Martin creates another masterpiece out of snow, right before your eyes in the plaza. Stop by after your day of skiing and watch as his art comes to life out of a block of snow.

fireworks & torchlight parade DECEMBER 31 6 to 6:30 PM Join us for our favorite holiday tradition.

Watch as the entire team of instructors traverse the mountain lighting up the slopes with torchlights.

continued from 75

play Pebble Beach one more time,” explained Tyler. “It was exciting to play with two senior tour players and another junior who was also left handed. The highlight of that day was seeing my name on the leader board behind the 18th green.”

Sunday’s final round saw Diehl and Bryant move to 8th place during the round, but the duo couldn’t string birdies together and ended up finishing in a tie for 15th place at 13-under par.

Regardless of finish, the Diehl boys represented themselves, The First Tee of San Juan County, NM and their community with grace and class. The experiences and memories gained from that week, coupled with the contacts that the brothers made will last a lifetime. But more than anything else, the experience provided a learning opportunity and perspective into what Trey and Tyler Diehl need to do to be successful on and off the course.

“Over the course of the week I learned that if you want to achieve your goals you have to work 80 | MAJESTIC LIVING | wiNER 2017

extremely hard,” said Trey. “From all of the successful people I met, to playing with Michael Allen, I noticed how hard they have had to work to get where they are today. It gave me perspective on what I need to do if I want to achieve the goals that I have set for the future.”

Great learning experience “I learned that playing at that level takes a great deal of hard work and intentional practice,” added Tyler. “I realized that I am capable of making this commitment to one day achieve at that level. I will continue to work on my game with purpose with the intent of achieving my goals of playing college golf and playing on the PGA Tour.”

It also offered the Diehls an invaluable opportunity to spend the week together as a family immersed in the one activity that has been the common thread over the past 17 years — the game of golf.

“Our family has been very fortunate to have

the game of golf in our lives,” added Cody. “The time they have spent on the course learning and growing prepared them for the experience at the Pure Insurance Championship. Ann and I couldn't have been more proud of the way they represented themselves, The First Tee and their community. The experience was surreal and has motivated them to reach new goals in the game of golf and life. These experiences will shape their lives forever on this journey toward achieving their goals.”

And since returning, the brothers have made an immediate impact on their high school golf team with Tyler setting an individual school record, shooting a 6-under par, 65 and helping the team fire a school record of 289 strokes (combined for 4 players) at Coyote del Malpais GC in Grants.

Their goals now are turned toward May, where the Diehl’s plan to lead Piedra Vista HS to the first ever boys golf state championship in school history.

Brittani Coury

continued from 69

“If I’ve impacted other people in a positive way or inspire someone to do something that’s out of their comfort zone, that’s really what I want and need to do,“ she said.

“When I started this, it was ‘OK, Brittani, let’s see how you do.’ If I don’t do well – I tried and have no regrets. If I do well, it is something I will continue to pursue.”

She’s in it heart and soul Coury’s friend and coach believes she will do well.

“Brittani is constantly working toward building and maintaining good strength to be in the best shape possible,” Kep Koeppe said.

“It is a long season and she is hoping to make the team for the 2018 Paralympic Games.

Brittani has the potential to be on the podium and she will be going for gold in Korea.”

Coury’s sister is also confident her sister will do well in whatever snowboarding event

Competing with the bets

“If I’ve impacted other people in a positive way or inspire someone to do something that’s out of their comfort zone, that’s really what I want and need to do.”

— Brittani Coury she competes in.

“Brittani has a drive to be successful in all she does,” Tiffani Roberts said. “She puts her very heart and soul into her interests, jobs, family, and friends. Since she was small, she has never met a stranger. Others love her from the moment they meet her, sparking the beginning of a life-long friendship.”

“Brittani is very kind and compassionate,” Roberts added, “always putting others above herself. She’s also tougher than anyone I know.

When I want to whine about my circumstances or feel down, Brittani’s example helps me through.”

No matter what kind of medal Coury brings home from any event, her family appreciates her dedication and her ability to take any challenge and make it an opportunity.

“Brittany is unique,” Roberts said. “Her heart is golden and my family is blessed to have her.

She wants others to be inspired and dream big.”

“Her previous experience has now catapulted Brittani into a career as a snowboarder,” Kep Koeppe said. “With a few podiums at the World Cup level, Brittani has proven she can compete with the best.”

“She is one of the toughest women I know,” Koeppe said. “Despite being injured twice, last season Brittani persevered and continued to race. She achieved enough points to earn a spot on the US Parasnowboard Team.”

The Best Local Search!

In Prin Print. t. Online Online.. Digit Digital. al.

DirectoryPlus.com WINTER 2017 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 81

ADVERTISERS DIRECTORy Affordable Electric .............................65 Four Corners Community Bank............39 Seven Convenient Locations Farmington, N.M. Aztec • Cortez • Durango • Farmington 505-427-3606 NM 505-327-3222 Animas Credit Union...........................55 CO 970-564-8421 www.TheBankForMe.com 2101 E. 20th St., 3850 E. Main St. Farmington, N.M. Good Samaritan Society......................48 505-326-7701 Farmington, N.M. 405 W. Broadway 505-334-9445 Inside Farmer’s Market Bloomfield, N.M. Kristin Harrington ..............................22 www.animascu.com 413 N. Auburn Apexnetwork Physical Therapy ...........39 Farmington, N.M. 505-564-4789 Five Locations Bernalillo • Bloomfield • Cuba Highlands University ..........................59 Gallup • Kirtland 505-566-3552 204A West Broadway nmhu.edu/farmington Farmington, N.M. 505-333-7217 www.apexnetworkpt.com Bar D Wranglers.................................27 Brown’s Shoe Fit Co. ..........................22 124 W. Main St. Farmington, N.M. 505-327-9330 www.farmingtonshoes.com Budget Blinds ......................................2 941 Schofield Lane, Suite A Farmington, N.M. 505-324-2008 www.budgetblinds.com/farmington The Chile Pod ....................................22 121 W. Main St. Farmington, NM 505-258-4585 Cross Roads Community Church ..........84 2400 N. Butler Ave. Farmington, N.M. 505-325-2600 www.crcnaz.com Directory Plus....................................81 www.directoryplus.com The Dusty Attic ..................................20 111 W. Main Farmington, N.M. 505-327-7696 Employee Connections .......................24 2901 E. 20th St Farmington, N.M. 505-324-8877 www.ecistaffing.com Farmington Civic Center......................25 FarmingtonNM.org 82 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2017

Partners Assisted Living.....................34 111 N. Behrend Farmington, N.M. 505-325-9600 www.partnerassistedliving.com

Serious Texas Bar-B-Q ........................62 3475 E Main Ave Farmington, N.M. 506 W Broadway Bloomfield, N.M. www.serioustexasbbq.com

Pinon Hills Ministries..........................29 5101 N. Dustin Ave. Jack O. Smalley, DDS...........................83 Farmington, N.M. 2650 E. Pinon Frontage Rd., #300 505-327-2395 Farmington, NM 505-327-3331 Presbyterian Medical Services ............13 www.smile42day.com 1001 West Broadway, Suite E Farmington, N.M. Smiles 4 Kids.....................................16 505-327-4796 4337 E. Main St., Ste. 205 www.pmsnm.org Farmington, N.M.

505-592-0226 Pro Image Sports...............................72 Animas Valley Mall Southwest Obstetrics and Gynecology.53 Farmington, N.M. 634 West Pinon Hima One ..........................................44 R.A. Biel Plumbing & Heating..............63 Farmington, NM 505-427-3308 505-325-4898 Farmington, N.M. www.Southwest-OBGYN.net 505-327-7755 Jae-Geo’s Bridal & Tuxedo ..................22 www.rabielplumbing.com 302 W. Main St. State Farm/Ginny Gil ..........................32 Farmington, N.M. Reliance Medical Group ..............14 & 58 3060 E 20th St., Suite D 505-326-5240 Farmington, N.M. 3451 N. Butler Avenue www.jaegeosformalwear.com 505-327-3771 Farmington, N.M. www.statefarm.com 505-566-1915 Kim’s Tae Kwon-Do ............................54 1409 West Aztec Blvd.

480 CR 6100 Arlon Stoker ......................................46 Aztec, N.M. Kirtland, N.M. 2713 E. 20th St. 505-334-1772 505-860-7685 Farmington, N.M. www.reliancemedicalgroup.com 505-326-0404 Kitchen & Bath Artworks.....................33 ReMax of Farmington ...........................5 www.stokerlaw.net 7525 E. Main St. 108 N. Orchard Farmington, N.M. SunRay Gaming..................................52 Farmington, N.M. 505-860-8166 On Hwy 64.

505-327-4777 Farmington, N.M. www.remax.com La Mesa Chiropractic Center................64 505-566-1200 2904 N. Hutton RMC Benefits Professionals ................35 Farmington, N.M. Sussex Chiropractic ............................45 2110 Sullivan Ave. #8 505-327-4845 4740 N. Butler Farmington, N.M. www.drrowse.com Farmington, N.M. 505-258-4577 505-325-2604 Leavitt Group .......................................3 Sage Meadow Properties....................38 www.sussexfamilychiro.com 300 W. Arrington, Suite 100 920 NE Aztec Blvd.

Farmington, N.M. Uniform Kingdom ...............................19 Aztec, N.M. 505-325-1849 910 San Juan Blvd.

505-334-4148 www.leavitt.com Farmington, NM www.sagemeadowproperties.com 505-564-4990 Morgan Stanley/Ronald Dalley ............49 San Juan County Kids .........................47 www.myuniformshop.com 4801 N. Butler, Ste. 14101 www.sanjuancountykids.com Farmington, N.M. Visiting Angels...................................41 505-326-9327 San Juan Oncology...............................7 1515 E. 20th St. www.morganstanleyfa.com/ronald.dalley Farmington, N.M. 735 W. Animas St. 970-264-5991 Farmington, N.M. On the Spot Cleaning..........................56 505-564-6850 visitingangels.com/southwesterncolorado Farmington, N.M. www.sanjuanoncology.com 505-327-0592 Woods Insurance ...............................15 www.onthespotcleaningnm.com Sanchez and Sanchez Real Estate .......17 4801 N Butler, Suite 12101 Farmington, N.M. 4301 Largo St. Suite F 505-326-1111 Farmington, NM 87402 www.woodsins.com 505-327-9039