Here`s - Valley Daily Post

Valley
The
DAILY P ST
WEEKLY PRINT EDITION
Daily Edition at valleydailypost.com
Vol. 1 No. 6 Thursday Sept. 3, 2015
Pojoaque’s New Superintendent Brings The Best For The Best
By TARIN NIX
Valley Daily Post
Pojoaque - There is a man in Pojoaque
who believes classroom instruction and
curriculum should never be hindered and
teacher evaluations are only as good as the
improvements they foster for instruction.
A man that believes lunchtime is meant to
eat with students and expulsion should be
avoided at all costs. A man that believes
the 'team' is more beneficial than the
individual and anything can be positively
affected through incremental change. That
man is Dr. Mel Morgan, Pojoaque Public
Schools new Superintendent and he is in it
for the long haul.
With over 30 years in the public education
sector, Morgan spent time at the State
level and with school districts in Gadsden,
Dona Ana and Santa Fe before coming to
Pojoaque. As Morgan likes to put it, he
has always had public education in his
blood. His father was an, "outstanding
school administrator in El Paso" and his
mother, "a wonderful elementary school
principal in El Paso."
But Morgan's path to becoming
Superintendent wasn't planned or
anticipated when over two years ago, he
was hired as Assistant Superintendent
for Pojoaque. Morgan recalls many
conversations he had with his former
student and then Pojoaque Superintendent
Adan Delgado. Morgan is very quick to
point out that that he and Delgado were
a team and he, "felt very comfortable
with that." So, when it was time to name
Delgado's replacement, Morgan wasn't
convinced it should be him.
However, Pojoaque School Board
President Jon Paul Romero and Delgado
both agreed Morgan was the right person
for the job. "Morgan's infectious presence
and unique outlook on public education
made him an ideal candidate but it was his
unwavering commitment we witnessed
during the two years prior that solidified
his position as Superintendent and we
couldn't be more pleased," noted Romero.
Pojoaque Valley Schools’ new leadership team, Assistant Superintendent Sondra Adams
and Superintendent Dr. Mel Morgan Photo by Tarin Nix/valleydailypost
Nambé Native Named
Police Call Leads To Udall’s Chief Of Staff
See SUPER on page A-2
Drug Bust And More
Staff Report
Arrests Made For Drug Trafficking:
Suboxyn Strips Not A McDonalds
Hamburger Ingredient
Española Police responding to a report of
an assault against an elderly man Friday,
Aug. 28, ended up finding no assault
but made a drug bust and arresting four
individuals on various charges. Hours later
a family member of one of the arrested
individuals attempted to smuggle narcotics
into the police holding facility and was
also arrested.
Española Police Department Patrolman,
Robert Vigil responded to the initial call
at 5:44 p.m. When he arrived at the scene
Patrolman Vigil said he “found nothing
going on” but a routine ID checks on
individuals present resulted in other
unrelated arrests.
Andrew Chavez, Dwayne Gallegos and
Crystal Rodriguez were arrested for
outstanding warrants. While conducting
the arrest Patrolman Vigil discovered
heroin, other drugs, a large amount of cash
and a gun allegedly in the possession of
Crystal Rodriguez.
Soon afterward Patrolman Vigil observed
a two year old child leave the home
which Rodriguez said was her residence
and attempt to go to another home.
Patrolman Vigil said he walked over to
the doorway to speak to the mother of
that child and inform her that the child
was outside. “While I was speaking to
mother, I observed another little child
in the home. I also observed a bullet
casing - a bullet shell or a whole bullet
on the floor in the home and was easily
accessible to the kids. Due the fact
that the bullet was on the floor, I felt
it was enough exigent circumstance to
enter the home where we found a box
overflowing with used syringes and heroin
in a bedroom, where the door was open
that were easily accessible to the kids,”
Vigil explained. He added that two of the
syringes “had a brown substance” in them,
and subsequently Nuvia Balderrama, the
mother was arrested and charged.
Later that night, while the alleged
suspects were being held at the City of
Española Police Department’s Temporary
Holding Facility, a woman brought
food for one of the individuals arrested
during the assault call. A search of the
food revealed a McDonalds hamburger
containing two all beef patties, special
sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions
and suboxyn on a sesame seed bun. All
ingredients in the hamburger were legal
except the suboxyn strips, and police
arrested Edna Martinez on said charges.
Submitted by Carol A. Clark
WASHINGTON – Monday, U.S. Sen.
Tom Udall announced that he has hired
Bianca Ortiz Wertheim to serve as his new
chief of staff starting Sept. 8.
Bianca Ortiz Wertheim, Sen. Udall’s new
chief of staff. Courtesy photo
A native of Nambé, north of Santa
Fe, Ortiz Wertheim has worked for
Udall for six years as the director
of his state offices, supervising his
constituent service work and team of
local representatives. She will move to
Washington with her husband, attorney
and businessman John Wertheim.
She succeeds Michael Collins, of Taos,
who is leaving for the private sector.
Collins has worked in Udall’s U.S. House
of Representatives and U.S. Senate offices
for 15 years, including three years as his
Senate chief of staff.
"I want to thank Mike Collins for all of his
years of service to New Mexicans -- he
joined my House staff fresh out of college
and worked his way to chief of staff in the
Senate office. While I'm sad to see him go,
I’m proud of the work he has done for our
state and happy for him as he moves on to
a new career challenge,” Udall said. “At
the same time, I am thrilled that Bianca
Ortiz Wertheim will move to Washington
and serve as my new chief of staff. Bianca
has headed up the state offices for six
years, overseeing constituent service and
community representatives. She has deep
roots in New Mexico, and her experience
and knowledge of the state will help me
continue to provide excellent service to
New Mexicans. We're all excited to have
her step into this new role."
Ortiz Wertheim graduated from the
University of Oklahoma and earned an
MBA from the University of New Mexico.
She started in government working for
U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman’s successful
re-election campaign. Continuing her
interest in public policy and community
organizing, she worked with the American
Cancer Society as director of government
relations for New Mexico. She served
in Gov. Bill Richardson’s administration
as director of cabinet affairs, and in
Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez’s
administration as his legislative affairs
director and chief of staff.
Local Casinos Used By Secretary Of State Duran In Illegal Transfers
Staff Report
New Mexico Attorney General Hector
Balderas charged Secretary of State
Dianna Duran Friday in District Court
with 64 counts including embezzlement,
fraud, money laundering, violations of the
Camel Rock Casino. Courtesy photo.
Campaign Practice Act, tampering with
public records, conspiracy and violation of
a Governmental Conduct Act.
The investigation into Duran’s alleged
misuse of campaign funds and withdrawal
of money at casinos around the state began
following a tip. Duran allegedly withdrew
over $400,000 from her campaign account
to pay for gaming debts, including $1000
at Ohkay Owingeh Casino and $62,000 at
Camel Rock Casino. The largest amount
was at Sandia Casino outside Albuquerque
where she appears to have withdrawn
$245,000 over two years.
Gov. Susana Martinez said in a statement
to the media, “I have spoken to the Atty.
Gen. about the charges brought against
the Secretary of State. These allegations
are deeply troubling and concerning, and
all relevant state agencies have and will
continue to assist the Attorney General
throughout the process. It’s important that
New Mexicans understand that no one is
above the law and that every New Mexican
is treated equally throughout our system.”
Duran’s attorney issued a statement
confirming receipt of the complaint filed by
the AG’s Office and asks the public not to
jump to conclusions.
Duran, 59, is married to former Los Alamos
County Chief Deputy Assessor Leo Barraza.
She has served as Secretary of State since
2011 and formerly as a state senator from
District 40, first elected in 1992.
Secretary of State Dianna Duran.
Courtesy photo.
A-2 Thursday Sept. 3, 2015
VALLEY DAILY POST
EDUCATION
Super: We Will Continue To Be The BEST
Continued from POJOAQUE’S NEW SUPERINTENDENT page A-1
Sondra would do this with one year away
from retirement and no kids in school but
with her vast detailed experience, I am so
grateful to have her."
Excellent hires and a supportive School
Board have been essential for the
successful transition of Morgan into the
role of Superintendent. Morgan brags
a lot about the School Board and the
inclusiveness he says is very rare of
boards. Morgan recalls presenting to the
board for over an hour and being awestruck when the first time in his 31 years in
public education that any board had asked
how they could help further programs for
the District.
Pojoaque School Board President Jon Paul Romero agrees that Morgan was the right
person for the job. Photo/valleydailypost
Morgan, who had never been a
Superintendent, might have been wary
about his ability to handle the new role but
he never questioned whether he was in the
right District. As Morgan tells the story, for
years he looked for a District that mirrored
an experience he had at Gadsden ISD. As
he puts it, "It was a rural and a little old
fashioned. Children said yes ma'am and
no ma'am and they tried their best. They
might not have had the best test scores but
they tried."
It was this same culture that Morgan
found when he came to Pojoaque and
the reason he will tell anyone who will
listen that Pojoaque is the 'best.' Not the
best in the region or in the State, just the
'best.' According to Morgan in Pojoaque,
"the kids are remarkable. They are not the
wealthiest students in New Mexico nor are
they the poorest. They are humble. Our
students and teachers give it their best shot
and everybody cares."
But the transition hasn't always been
easy for Morgan. When he took over the
role, Morgan immediately experienced
vacancies on multiple levels and has taken
his time to fill the positions to ensure
they are the right fit for the District.
Morgan cites his optimistic but cautious
approach to filling the role of Assistant
Superintendent as the reason Pojoaque
was able to hire former Santa Fe Public
Schools administrator Sondra Adams with
no objections from the large interview
team. Morgan notes, "I never dreamed
It is this refreshing change for Morgan
that has given him the ability to learn and
grow as Superintendent and create learning
opportunities for students at every level
in Pojoaque. Morgan is extremely proud
of the “Classroom A” that was set up for
students who, for other reason or another,
would be expelled from all public schools
in New Mexico. Classroom A has its own
rules and materials, goes from 9:00 a.m.
to 2:00 p.m., and requires the students
involved to do nothing but focus on credit
completion. Morgan is unrelenting in
his quest to guarantee every student has
access to a quality education and strong
foundation when they leave Pojoaque.
Morgan notes that the students who are
being expelled typically don't want to go
to school and he isn't in the business of
giving those students what they want.
According to Romero, "with an 85 percent
graduation rate last year, 22 percent over
the State average," Morgan isn't in any
hurry to overhaul things in Pojoaque.
"Our teachers here do their very best. It’s
amazing to me what we have accomplished
in this school district with regards to
curriculum and the teacher evaluation
system, none of it is perfect and we can
disagree but when it comes down to it, we
all just get along with it," stated Morgan.
When asked what he hopes his legacy will
be for the District, he is honest to tell you
he doesn't quite know yet. Besides striving
to learn a fact about each of the 141
seniors to mention at graduation, Morgan
isn't the type to rock the boat but tends
to want to make gradual changes over
time. Two things Morgan is committed
to continuing are the advancements in
curriculum and curriculum design. His
goal for the district is to ensure teachers
have the materials they need for instruction
and the curriculum continues to evolve
past common core standards while staying
aligned with the PARCC test students are
required to take by law.
Morgan is adamant about not cutting
classroom instruction on any level. He
believes, "you can't budget on the back of
instruction in schools." He also refuses
to give up that which effects teaching and
learning and for Morgan, learning happens
from the football field to the math class.
In Morgan’s view, "if the budget must
restrict anything in the District, it won't
be at the cost of teachers and students."
Morgan is still moving forward with plans
to build a new middle school and sixth
grade academy through capital outlay
money but insists that no matter what
challenges the District faces, "we will have
our curriculum and teacher evaluations
because our teachers and students deserve
that whether good or bad and we will
continue to be the BEST School District."
Blue Buses And RTD Chile
Line Not Running Labor Day
The iconic North Central
Regional Transit District
Blue Bus. Courtesy photo
VALLEY
DAILY POST
P.O. Box 484
Española, NM 87532
Eric Vasquez
Publisher/Business Operations
[email protected]
Carol A. Clark
Publisher/Editor
Tarin Nix
Government Reporter
[email protected]
Robert Naranjo
Community Reporter
[email protected]
Steven Lovato
Community Reporter
[email protected]
Nancy Coombs
Graphic Artist
Submitted by Carol A. Clark
North Central Regional Transit District
(NCRTD) has announced that the RTD
“Blue Buses” and the RTD Chile Line in
Taos will not be in service Monday, Sept.
7, in observance of the Labor Day holiday.
Regularly scheduled service will resume
Tuesday, Sept. 8.
The North Central Regional Transit
District provides free bus service Monday
through Friday to a service area that
encompasses more than 10,000 square
miles of north central New Mexico
including the counties of Los Alamos,
Rio Arriba, Santa Fe and Taos; the Cities
of Santa Fe and Española and the Towns
of Taos and Edgewood; as well as the
Pueblos of Pojoaque, Ohkay Owingeh,
Nambé, San Ildefonso, Santa Clara and
Tesuque.
The District’s signature “RTD Blue Buses”
provide additional transit connections to
New Mexico Rail Runner, Santa Fe Trails,
New Mexico Park and Ride, Los Alamos
Atomic City Transit, Taos Chile Line and
Red River Miner’s Transit.
All of its buses are equipped with bike
racks and are ADA accessible.
Find the schedules at www.ncrtd.org.
Have your voice heard...
Email your story to
[email protected]
Thursday Sept. 3, 2015 VALLEY DAILY POST A-3
New Mexico Judiciary Endorses Bail Santa Fe National Forest OfReform Constitutional Amendment fices Closed Labor Day;
no matter how dangerous they are―can
Staff Report
Recreational Areas Open
simply buy their release from jail if they
ALBUQUERQUE The New Mexico
Judiciary will ask the Legislature to let
voters decide whether to approve reforms
to the bail system for the release of
criminal defendants awaiting trial.
The proposed amendment to the New
Mexico Constitution will allow judges the
lawful option of denying pretrial release on
bail to defendants who are too dangerous
or unreasonable flight risks. The proposal
also will guarantee that no person entitled
to pretrial release is held in jail simply
because they are financially unable to afford
a money bond.
can afford a bail bond." Pepin said. "But
a money bond does nothing to prevent a
high-risk defendant from committing other
crimes while released.”
Sen. Peter Wirth of Santa Fe, a member
of the Senate Judiciary Committee, will
sponsor the constitutional amendment
during the 30-day legislative session that
starts in January.
If approved by the Legislature, the
proposal would be placed on the
November 2016 general election ballot.
“The bail system in New Mexico is
broken,” Wirth said. “Defendants should
never be denied bail solely because they
cannot pay. And judges should not have
to grant bail when the evidence clearly
demonstrates a defendant is a flight
risk or danger to society. This proposed
constitutional amendment strikes
the correct balance.”
Current provisions of the state Constitution
require the pretrial release of virtually all
defendants, regardless of how dangerous
they are or whether they’re likely to flee
rather than appear in court.
Many low-risk arrestees often remain in
jail before trial simply because they are too
poor to post a money bond.
Administrative Office of the Courts
Director Artie Pepin announced Thursday
that the New Mexico Supreme Court has
endorsed a recommendation by the Ad
Hoc Pretrial Release Committee to seek a
constitutional amendment.
The committee determined earlier this
month that a constitutional amendment
is needed to provide judges with the
lawful authority to deny release to a
criminal defendant when that’s necessary
to ensure public safety or the defendant’s
appearance in court.
The committee was established by the
Supreme Court earlier this year to study
the current bail system in New Mexico.
Members of the committee include lawyers,
legislators, judges and bail bondsmen.
“The proposed amendment will help
protect our community without eroding
the rights of criminal defendants to fair
and impartial justice,” Pepin said. “The
proposal guarantees due process of a
court hearing at which dangerousness or
flight risk has to be proven by clear and
convincing evidence, and also guarantees
that suspects who are not dangerous or a
flight risk should not be held in jail pending
trial simply because they are poor.”
“Under our current constitutional bail
provisions, people accused of a crime―
The Ad Hoc Pretrial Release Committee
recommended a constitutional amendment
in order to give judges the legal authority
to detain the most dangerous individuals
pending trial, said Leo M. Romero, the
committee chairman and professor
emeritus at the University of New Mexico
School of Law.
“Currently, judges have been setting high
money bonds to detain these individuals
although neither the current New Mexico
Constitution nor the rules of procedure
permit a judge to set a high money
bond for the purpose of preventing a
defendant's pretrial release,” Romero said.
“A constitutional amendment authorizing
detention without bail will permit judges
to protect the community from those
defendants who can afford to post high
money bonds but yet pose the most serious
risks of danger to the community.”
Submitted by Carol A. Clark
SFNF News:
SANTA FE – The Santa Fe National
Forest is preparing for one of the busiest
recreation weekends of the year.
All recreation facilities on the forest will
be open with one exception. The E.V.
Long Campground on the Pecos/Las Vegas Ranger District is closed for restoration due to flood damage in 2013.
To check the availability of campgrounds that require reservations, visit
the Reserve America website at www.
reserveamerica.com. The first-come,
first-served sites will likely fill up fast.
With the increase in visitors over the
holiday weekend, please remember that
recreation and camping etiquette is essential to having a safe, fun and enjoyable stay on the forest.
All Santa Fe National Forest offices will
be closed Monday, Sept. 7, in observance of Labor Day. Forest offices will
resume regular business hours Tuesday,
Sept. 8.
For additional information, contact a local Ranger District or the Forest Headquarters at 505-438-5300.
Autumn in Santa Fe National Forest’s High Country. Courtesy photo.
Game Commission Votes
7-0 For Cougar Trapping
New Jersey voters approved a similar
constitutional amendment in 2014 after
the New Jersey Supreme Court and its
pretrial release study group determined
that language in that state’s constitution,
which was identical to New Mexico’s, did
not allow for safe or fair pretrial detention
decisions by judges.
The New Jersey proposal was supported
by Gov. Chris Christie along with the
legislative and judicial branches of state
government and a broad coalition
of citizens, political parties and
community groups.
Supporters of the New Mexico proposal
look forward to the same diverse support.
“The question of whether defendants
should be released from jail while awaiting
trial should be based on what risk they
pose to the community and not on whether
they have enough money to buy a bond,”
Pepin said. “That is a proposition that
should be beyond debate and above
political considerations.”
The cougar (puma concolor) is also commonly known as the mountain lion, puma or
panther. Courtesy photo.
Submitted by Carol A. Clark
New Mexico Game Commission
votes to endorse the NMDGF
recommendations to drastically
expand trapping, snaring and
killing cougar across New Mexico.
Courtesy/APNM News:
SANTA FE – Thursday, the New
Mexico Game Commission voted to
endorse the New Mexico Department
of Game & Fish’s (NMDGF) extreme
recommendations to drastically expand
trapping, snaring, and killing across New
Mexico as part of revisions to the 2016
Bear & Cougar Rule.
By a unanimous vote, the Game
Commission endorsed the NMDGF
proposals to:
• allow cougar trapping using leg-hold
traps and snares on state trust lands,
totaling 9 million acres in New Mexico;
• remove the NMDGF permit
requirement for landowners to use traps
and snares on cougar; and
• allow one person to kill up to four
cougars in game species management
zones where current cougar harvest levels
are not being met.
The Commission’s approval of these
recommendations comes despite NMDGF
biologists publicly admitting in 2015 that
they do not possess any new biological
data on cougar populations and that the
department cannot determine whether New
Mexico’s cougar habitat is below or at
cougar carrying capacity.
These new changes for management of
cougars and black bears are expected to take
effect in 2016 and, under current plans, will
not be up for review again until 2019.
“Today, the Game Commission ignored
public will, common sense, and good
science by allowing for an increase in
cruel trapping and killing of our cougars
and increased killing of bears,” said
Phil Carter, Wildlife Campaign manager
for Animal Protection of New Mexico
(APNM). “We’re astonished and dismayed
Gov. Martinez stayed silent about the
cruel traps and snares that will soon dot
the landscape of our state, capturing and
killing not just cougars and bears, but
many other animals. She chose to ignore
the will of New Mexicans, making us the
only state besides Texas where cougars
will be treated like varmints."
New polling shows that New Mexican
voters oppose the original NMDGF Bear
& Cougar Rule proposals by a three-to-one
margin, and oppose by the same margin
the practice of trapping and snaring on
public lands.
Additionally, this week, APNM delivered
nearly 6,000 petition signatures of
individuals opposing NMDGF’s
proposals for the Bear & Cougar Rule
to the Governor’s Office and the Game
Commissioners.
“Worse yet, the Department has not
explained how it will prevent the cruel
death of cougar kittens and nursing
mothers who could be killed by
indiscriminate trapping and snaring,”
Carter said. “Killing cougar mothers with
nursing kittens is illegal and wrong.”
A-4 Thursday Sept. 3, 2015
VALLEY DAILY POST
OBITUARIES
EMMANUEL
GERARD
MARTINEZ
Aug. 26, 2015
Emmanuel Gerard
Martinez, 50, passed
away at his home in
Velarde, New Mexico, on Wednesday, Aug. 26,
2015. Emmanuel was born to Corrine Bustos Martinez and Ricardo Samuel Martinez on April 12,
1965. He was preceded in death by his parents,
Corrine and Ricardo; his wife, Yvette Martinez,
and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and inlaws. He is survived by his siblings, Gloria Valdez
and children Trisha, Ronnie and Paige, Bob and
Sandra Chavez and children Jaclyn and Leandra,
Marvin Martinez, Richard and Kathleen Martinez
and children Alana and Amanda. Emmanuel is
Amanda’s Godfather. Emmanuel is also survived
by two aunts, one uncle, several cousins; in-laws
and numerous friends.
To all who survive Emmanuel, a special Thank
You is extended for your prayers, condolences
and well wishes. Emmanuel’s life was filled with
many trials and tribulations, many challenges
and successes. He completed all his primary
education through the Espanola Public School
system, graduated from the Española Valley High
School, then he attended and completed some
coursework at the University of New Mexico in
Albuquerque. Emmanuel and Yvette returned to
Northern New Mexico, were married on August 4,
1989, lived for a couple of years in the Española
area, and settled in Velarde. Emmanuel worked
for some medium- and large-sized conglomerates, his most current was with Hilton World Wide.
When he was working, he worked diligently, and
when he was relaxing, he relaxed really well.
Emmanuel had a big heart, was for the most part,
generous, and he truly enjoyed life; however,
for the last two years, he missed Yvette, his wife
and companion of at least 24 years. Emmanuel
will be missed by all who knew and loved him. A
rosary was recited at Holy Cross Catholic Church
in Santa Cruz with a memorial mass and burial at
Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery.
The family of Emmanuel Gerard Martinez has entrusted the care of their loved one to the DeVargas
Funeral Home & Crematory of the Española Valley.
JIMMY “DAVID”
VIGIL
Aug. 27
Jimmy “David” Vigil, 66,
a resident of Española passed away on
Thursday, August 27,
2015. He was preceded in death by his mother
who raised him, Mabel Gallegos and his beloved
dogs, Casper, Patches and Freckles.
David was known in our community of Española
as a Jewelry Artist and craftsman. He enjoyed
riding his Harley Davidson, going fishing and of
course going to the Casino. He enjoyed spending
time with his biker buddies and with his wife. He
always had a smile, and he will be dearly missed
by all who knew and loved him.
David is survived by his wife, Yvonne Trujillo of
Espanola; daughter, Carrie Diehl and husband
Adam of Fresno CA; step-son, Steven M. Griego
of Española, step daughter, Amanda Griego
of Española; brothers, Robert Spiess of Albuquerque, Orlando Gallegos and wife Priscilla of
Alcalde, sisters, Irene Martinez, Frieda Turnner, Rita Roybal, Rosemary Benavidez, Elenor
Martinez, and Carla Gallegos all of Santa Fe;
granddaughter, Jazlin Diehl, grandson, Wyatt
Diehl both of Fresno CA; close friends, Danny
Atencio and wife Lucille of La Mesilla, Elmer
Sanchez of Hernandez, Sheriff, James Lujan and
wife Julie of Española.
Public visitation will begin on Friday, September
4, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. in the Sangre de Cristo
Chapel of DeVargas Funeral Home & Crematory,
with a Memorial Service to follow at 12:00 p.m.
The family of Jimmy David Vigil has entrusted the
care of their loved one to the DeVargas Funeral
Home & Crematory of the Española Valley. 505747-7477 – www.devargasfuneral.com
SAMUEL
CHRISTOBAL
GRIEGO
Aug. 27, 2015
Samuel Christobal “Sam
Goodies” Griego, 89,
a resident of Velarde,
passed away peacefully at home in his sleep on
Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015, one day shy of his 90th
Birthday, he was born on Aug. 28, 1925. Samuel
was preceded in death by his daughter, Geraldine Griego; parents, Bernabe and Elena Griego;
brothers and sisters, Juan Andres Griego and wife
Cipricia, Manuel Griego and wife Elenor, Celestino
Griego and wife Margret, Ernesto Griego and Alice
Griego and husband Eliseo Griego, as well as
numerous other loving relatives.
Samuel was always very cheerful and loved joking.
He always had a piece of candy or sweets for everyone, hence his nick name Sam Goodies. He will
be dearly missed by those who knew and loved him.
Samuel is survived by the mother of his children,
Lorraine Griego-Hernandez of Velarde; children,
Frances Griego of Espanola, Rudy, Ronnie, and
Hector Griego all of Velarde; sister, Lorraine Minnie
Chavez of Albuquerque; sister-in-law, Lugarda
Griego of Dixon, and numerous loving grandchildren, relatives and friends.
Public visitation was at the Apostalic Praise Temple
in Dixon, with a Devotional Service, and then a
Funeral Service. Serving the family as pallbearers
Rudy Griego, Ronnie Griego, Hector Griego, Sammy Griego, Jonathan Lucier and Isaac Quintana,
honorary pallbearers, Yvette Rivera, Veronica Quintana, Angel Quintana, Alexis Knight, Brianna Knight,
Ryan Rivera, Vivian and Jasmine Hernandez.
The family of Samuel Christobal Sam Goodies
Griego has entrusted the care of their loved one to
the DeVargas Funeral Home & Crematory of the
Española Valley.
Commissioner Naranjo Holds
Alcalde Town Hall
Staff Report
Residents were eager to discuss progress on the walking path promised over the last
two years. Many residents were concerned by the lack of road maintenance and urged
staff to do more to address the growth that occurred after weeks of rain. Commissioner
Naranjo announced the addition of a new television for the community center and two
gazebos for the recreation area that would be installed in the upcoming months.
Officer Shane Beckford stopped by the meeting to ask residents to be on the lookout
for a female ona moped scooter believed to be connected to a string of break-ins in
the Alcalde area. Beckford asked residents to report any suspicious activity by calling
505.753.2277.
MARIA-MARY P.
TRUJILLO
Sept. 1, 2015
Maria-Mary P. Trujillo,
resident of Truchas,
passed away on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2015.
Maria was born in Ojo Sarco on Feb. 19, 1949
to her adopted parents, Julian and Genara Sanchez. She was preceded in death by husband,
Eliseo; daughter, Yvonne.
Mary loved life, she loved fishing, going to the
Casino, and her pets. She had her degree in
CNA – Nursing from El Rito. She was a volunteer for the Truchas Food Bank and Cooked for
the Funerals.
She is survived by her sons, Archie and wife
Darlene, Eliseo Jr. and Amber, daughters, Julie
(Eugene), Nancy (Eddie); granddaughters raised
as her own, Francine, Ashley and fiancée Dennis Jr., granddaughters, Franchesca, Heather,
Iesha, Irene, Angelique and Teresa; paternal
step-brothers and sisters, Annette, Yolanda,
Gerlyn, Lillian, Lori, Geneva, Dennis, Tony,
Larry, Michael Manuel and Albert, Albert (Fran),
Eddie (Anna), Jerry, Lucas Jr., Vincent, Jimmy,
David (Anna), and Phillip; special sister, Stella
and husband Glenn Hokanson; 8 great-grandchildren; two special puppies, Taz and Chico
and many friends during her time of illness, Katy,
Donna, Bob, Phillip, Eva, Lorey, Virginia, Jeane,
Sally, Bennie Ron, Jan, Mary Frances, Barbra
and the whole Truchas Community. Also we
would like to thank Amber Care and Ashley her
nurse.
Public visitation was at the Truchas Presbyterian Church in Truchas, followed by a Funeral
Service Burial was at the Los Llanitos Cemetery.
Serving the family as pallbearers, Larry Romero,
Charlie Velasquez, Manuel Salazar, Albert Sanchez, Eddie Lucero and Fred Trujillo, honorary
pallbearer Stella Hokanson.
The family of Maria-Mary P. Trujillo has entrusted the care of their loved one to the DeVargas
Funeral Home & Crematory of the Española Valley. 505-747-7477 – www.devargasfuneral.com
Commissioner Alex Naranjo, joined by Planning and Zoning Director, Lucia Sanchez,
Public Works Director, Napoleon Garcia and Sherriff James Lujan, greeted a room
full of Alcalde residents at Wednesday night's town hall meeting at the Alcalde
Community Center. Photo by Tarin Nix/valleydailypost
Grapes are ripe and
ready to pick at the
Dona Carmelita
Naranjo Vineyard
LLC. This is one of
the many vineyards
in the Espanola
Valley that are part
of the Northern
New Mexico Grape
Growers Association. The grapes are
purchased by local
wineries such as the
Black Mesa Winery
in Vlearde.
Thursday Sept. 3, 2015 VALLEY DAILY POST
B-1
ARTS & EXPERIENCE
San I Pueblo Responds To SF County Commission Vote
Staff Report
SANTA FE - San Ildefonso Pueblo officials released a statement on Wednesday stating that they are both disappointed
and frustrated by Tuesday's (Aug. 25) action by the Santa Fe
County Commission to tie negotiations over road disputes
on Pueblo land to the Aamodt water settlement.
“For two years, we have been working in good-faith to find
a fair resolution to both of these with Santa Fe County. It
is disheartening that after all we’ve put into this, including
hours of face-to-face meetings, they chose to blindside us by
suddenly tying the two together,” Gov. James Mountain said.
“The truth is, separately, these are two very complicated issues
and combining them will only further complicate matters, and
potentially drag out any resolution to either. We believe that is
a disservice to the Pueblo, private landowners who are caught
up in the road dispute, and the taxpayers of Santa Fe County.”
Earlier this Summer, San Ildefonso Pueblo presented a proposal to Santa Fe County that it hoped would once and for
all settle long-standing road dispute on Pueblo land.
Last week, during a scheduled negotiation meeting, County
Officials rejected the proposal which included:
•The Pueblo granting
Santa Fe County a perpetual no cost right-ofway for the portions of
County Road 84B and
County Road 84 from
the intersection of Povi
Kaa Drive and Buu-PinGae to the east Pueblo
grant boundary;
•Renaming the entire
road by the Pueblo;
•No admission of trespass by the County;
•The County acknowledging that the offered right-of-way is
an interest in the land for a roadway and the title does not
transfer to the County and the Pueblo shall retain jurisdiction over the right of way;
•The County agreeing to pave, repave and relocate parts of
County Road 84 as approved by the Pueblo.
This proposal would have resolved more than 50 percent of the
outstanding road access issues on San Ildefonso Pueblo, and the
Pueblo had planned to use an agreement on it as basis to resolve
DWI Checkpoints Coming
Staff Report
vzisit us online
Sobriety Checkpoints Throughout New Mexico This September
New Mexico State Police have announced a major Sobriety Checkpoints, Saturation
Patrols, and Registration, Insurance and Drivers’ License Checkpoints operation in
all New Mexico counties during the month of September.
valleydailypost.com
Española Police Arrests
Staff Report
MICHAEL GARCIA
Aug. 23 / Officer Robert Vigil arrested Michael
Garcia, 25, of Española and charged him with
Disorderly Conduct. MELISSA DeHERRERA
Aug. 23 / Officer Greg Esparza arrested Melissa
DeHerrera, 27, of Vallecitos on an outstanding
Municipal Warrant.
CESAR ARAGON
Aug. 28/ Officer Idalee Lopez arrested Cesar
Aragon, 24, of Española on an outstanding
Magistrate Warrant.
WEEKLY CALENDAR
Ongoing Events
Men’s and Women’s Softball Leagues
Leagues happen every Mon. – Thurs.
at the Sportsplex from 6 – 10 p.m.
Ghost Ranch Box Canyon Hiking Trail
opened July 24th for the first time
since the flood waters, July 7th, Thanks
to the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps
for their work in opening access to the
trail. Safe Hiking.
Thursday, Sept. 3
Senator Udall visiting Española to
Discuss Economic Development.
Udall discusses raising the minimum
wage at 9:30 a.m. at Angelina’s
Restaurant, 1226 N. Railroad Ave.
Española, NM
CFVMS Volleyball vs. Pojoaque @
CFVMS - 09/3/2015 @ 4:00 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 4
91st Annual Burning of Zozobra
on Friday, September 4, 2015.
Ft. Marcy Park in Santa Fe. Call
1-855-ZOZOBRA for more
information
EVHS Volleyball vs. Hope Christian
High School @ EVHS - 09/4/2015 @
6:00 p.m.
Sundevil Football. EVHS Football @
West Las Vegas - 09/4/2015 @ 7:00
pm. Listen to the game live on Radio
KDCE at 9:50 a.m..
Saturday, Sept. 5
EVHS Cross Country @ Del Norte 09/5/2015 @ 9:00 am
EVHS Music Department fund raiserFamily entertainment and car show 11
a.m. - 3p.m. Plaza de Española
CERINA ARMIJO
Aug. 28/ Officer Albert Rael arrested Cerina
Armijo, 49, of Santa Cruz and charged her with
Shoplifting and Criminal Trespass.
Monday, Sept. 7
EVHS JV Football @ Pojoaque 09/7/2015 @ 4:00 pm
JOSEPH JACQUEZ
Aug. 23 / Officer Greg Esparza arrested Joseph
Jacquez, 26, of Vallecitos and charged him on an
outstanding Magistrate and District Warrants.
LOU BAKER
Aug. 28/ Officer Robert Vigil arrested Lou Baker,
54, of Española and charged her with Shoplifting.
Tuesday, Sept. 8
CFVMS Volleyball vs. Los Alamos @
CFVMS @ 4:00 pm
6pm City Hall - City Council meeting
JACOB MAESTAS
Aug. 23 / Officer Idalee Lopez arrested Jacob Maestas,
38, of Medanales and charged him with Aggravated
DWI and Driving with a Revoked License.
NUVIA BALDERRAMA
Aug. 28/ Officer Robert Vigil arrested Nuvia
Balderrama, 27, of Española and charged her with
Abandonment or Abuse of two Children.
‘Books Are Fun Sale’ sponsored
by Presbyterian Española Hospital
Auxiliary, Tuesday, September 8th
from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the
Hospital Lobby.
Money raised from this event goes for
Scholarships for students pursuing a
career in a health-related field and for
the purchase of Hospital equipment.
SARAH JARAMILLO
Aug. 24 / Officer Michelle Ortega arrested Sarah
Jaramillo, 29, of Española on an outstanding
Magistrate Warrant.
ANGELICA VALDEZ
Aug. 24 / Officer Eric Gallant arrested Angelica
Valdez, 29, of Santa Cruz on a Misdemeanor
Warrant.
SANDRA ARIAS
Aug. 25 / Officer Cory Atencio arrested Sandra
Arias, 33, of La Puebla and charged her with
Driving while License Revoked.
LUCAS MARTINEZ
Aug. 25 / Officer Brandon Archuleta arrested Lucas
Martinez, 26, of Ojo Sarco and charged him with
Breaking & Entering, Possession of Controlled
Substance and Criminal Damage to Property.
VANNA ORTEGA
Aug. 25 / Officer Jason Gallegos arrested Vanna
Ortega, 28, of Santa Fe on an outstanding
Municipal Warrant.
GEORGE SANCHEZ
Aug. 26 / Officer Albert Rael arrested George
Sanchez, 30, of Española and charged him with
Driving while License Suspended or Revoked.
MICHAEL AGUILAR
Aug. 26 / Officer Richard Trujillo arrested Michael
Aguilar, 23, of Hernandez on an outstanding
Municipal Warrant.
AALIYAH JACKSON
Aug. 25 / Officer Cory Atencio arrested Aaliyah
Jackson, 19, of Santa Cruz on 3 outstanding
Magistrate Warrant.
RUDY SANDOVAL
Aug. 27 / Officer Greg Esparza arrested Rudy
Sandoval, 40, of Española and charged him with
with Unlawful Use of a License and Careless
Driving.
ANDREW CHAVEZ
Aug. 28/ Officer Robert Vigil arrested Andrew
Chavez, 24, of Española on an outstanding
Magistrate Warrant.
DWAYNE GALLEGOS
Aug. 28/ Officer Robert Vigil arrested Dwayne
Gallegos, 27, of Española on two outstanding
Magistrate Warrants and one District Warrant.
JULIUS GONZALES
Aug. 28/ Officer Greg Esparza arrested Julius
Gonzales, 46, of Española on an outstanding
Magistrate Warrant.
ANGELO MAESTAS
Aug. 28/ Officer Greg Esparza arrested Angelo
Maestas, 46, of San Juan Pueblo on an outstanding
Magistrate Warrant.
EDNA MARTINEZ
Aug. 28/ Officer Robert Vigil arrested Edna
Martinez, 39, of Española and charged her with
Bringing Contraband into Jail.
CRYSTAL RODRIGUEZ
Aug. 28/ Officer Robert Vigil arrested Crystal
Rodriguez, 31, of Española and charged her with
Trafficking - Heroin, Felon in Possession of a
Firearm and on an outstanding Magistrate Warrant.
LEROY RODRIGUEZ
Aug. 28/ Officer Idalee Lopez arrested Leroy
Rodriguez, 23, of Española on an outstanding
Magistrate Warrant.
AMANDA RODRIGUEZ
Aug. 29/ Officer Jeremy Apodaca arrested
Amanda Rodriguez, 31, of Ohkay Owingeh on an
outstanding Magistrate Warrant.
Friday, Sept. 11
Gallery Opening featured artist Heiki
Strobel 5pm-7pm Convento Plaza de
Española ( Theme-Santa Fe Opera
comes to Española)
Tuesday, Sept. 15
UNM-LA Digital Photography Class
6:00-8:00 p.m. Tuesdays, Sept. 15 Nov. 17. Community Education class
for beginning students: image capture
and post processing. Cost is $140.00.
Wednesday, Sept. 16
Community Services, Committee
meeting 6 p.m. City Hall
Saturday, Sept. 19
Show & Shine Car Show on the Plaza
de Española 5-9pm
Sunday , Sept. 20
1st Annual Española Valley Athletics
Booster Club Homecoming Golf
Tournament at 9:00 a.m. Registration
deadline is Sept. 13. For more
information or to register a team,
please contact Eric Vigil at 367.3402 or
visit the Española Valley Booster Club
Facebook page
B-2 Thursday Sept. 3, 2015
VALLEY DAILY POST
COLUMNS
Nature’s Presence
Abiquiu Fire
On The Scene
My Foray Into Natural Health Part Two
Republished here with permission
of the Abiquiu News (www.
AbiquiuNews.com).
By MARCIE MARTINEZ
Seven years ago, when my father-in-law passed away,
we decided to spend the night in Peñasco to spend time
with the family. This is a very large family so there were
many people constantly in and out of the house. Our
decision was a last minute one and one night turned into
three nights. Since it was spontaneous we didn’t have
any of our supplements on hand, including the probiotics
I discussed in the last column. On top of this our diet
consisted of “comfort food” in the form of enchiladas,
frijoles, tortillas, etc. While I absolutely love this food,
by the last day my sensitive tummy had had enough of it.
Fire-fighting is an expensive business.
Want to talk sticker shock? A complete set
of protective clothing for one fire fighter
costs $2800. One self-contained breathing
apparatus for a fire fighter is $5500 and
we have to carry four on each truck with a
reserve air tank for each ($980 per tank).
As for the trucks themselves, even a small
truck for brush and wildland fires may cost
$150,000, while new engines or tenders
will move you closer to a quarter of a
million dollars, and you don’t even want to
know about fuel costs.
By the morning of the day we would finally go home, I
was in the most horrendous pain ever. As most people do
when they’re in any kind of pain, I began thinking the
worst. I was all but convinced that I had stomach cancer.
My mind was racing thinking all sorts of crazy thoughts
and thinking back to my stomach issues and thinking
they might have turned into something more serious.
Photo courtesy
Needless to say I also had an inkling it could have been
related to the food I had been eating and the fact that I had not
taken my probiotics for three days so I made sure to get right back
on them once I got home. I was relieved nearly immediately. This
is when I realized that for me at least probiotics were necessary to
manage the reflux. Since then I rarely, if ever, skip my probiotics.
I have never been the best at consistency with supplements but
probiotics are the exception. Also since then I have never felt
that horrid pain in my stomach or the other awful symptoms
associated with reflux.
Probiotics are live bacteria yeasts that are necessary for overall
health, especially for digestive health. Probiotics are naturally
found in the body but they are also available in foods as well as
supplements. Interest in these amazing microbes, and their use
to address health issues, is fairly recent - since approximately the
‘90s - therefore scientists are still investigating exactly how they
work. What is known, however, is that they play an essential role
in balancing the flora in your body so that your body functions
optimally. With the widespread use of antibiotics today it is
essential that individuals consider supplementing with probiotics,
as antibiotics kill all bacteria, including the good bacteria
necessary for health.
It might seem counterintuitive to take probiotics while on
antibiotics, as it might seem that you are counteracting the
antibiotics, but the opposite is true. It is imperative that anyone
on antibiotics also takes a probiotic supplement. In addition
to helping stomach related issues there is research that show
they help other problems such as prevention of allergies, skin
conditions, oral health and others. It would stand to reason
considering many of those issues are related to yeast, or bad
bacteria. It has also been said that probiotics can boost the
immune system. In my humble opinion, from my research, I think it
actually complements the immune system, meaning that it takes on
part of the immune system’s tasks by doing its thing in the stomach.
Whatever the mode of operation, it has worked wonders for me and
I suspect it would work wonders for many others. In fact, it is my
belief that this is one supplement that we all should take.
Just a quick note to end this post: as with other supplements
not all probiotics are created equal. It is important to do your
research into the best companies and products making sure they
are properly certified and quality controlled. The supplements
sold at large stores recently came under fire indicating the
need for seeking the best supplements. According to Natural
News even Amazon is accused of selling counterfeit and low
quality supplements. In its defense, Amazon allows independent
companies to use its forum to sell their products therefore
Amazon was likely not responsible for the poor supplements.
Still, I would not recommend purchasing supplements from
such a company. A while back Natural News recommended
http://vitacost.com finding that their quality standards are above
average. I have since been purchasing most of my supplements
from that online company. The prices are reasonable and the
products effective.
Nature’s Presence is a column that shares its name with my web site
and gives a nod first to nature’s presence all around us and, second, to
the gifts (presents) that nature has given us for optimal health. Expect
to read about various concepts relating to natural healing and tips for
looking to nature to enjoy whole health and well-being. For a more
detailed look into natural healing concepts you may find my blog at
http://naturespresence.net. I created this column in the hopes of “getting
back to our roots” as well as helping others find ultimate health in this
crazy world of pharmaceuticals and fast food. Here’s to your health!
Disclaimer: The information in this column is intended for informational
and educational purposes only. If you require medical attention it is
imperative that you seek medical advice from a competent practitioner.
The public monies dispensed to volunteer
departments are barely adequate for basic
maintenance of vehicles and equipment.
In recent years the department’s annual
budget has hovered around $60,000--and
that’s for everything from oil changes to
flashlight batteries. Little is left over for
upgrades, improvements and replacements
so resources have to be stretched. Would
you believe that one of our trucks is 28
years old?
The Abiquiu Volunteer Fire Department
is lucky to benefit from the energy and
generosity of several good friends who
work to raise funds to supplement the
budget of the department. Over the years
the Abiquiu Area Emergency Services
Projects (AAESP) has helped to fund
projects ranging from a new fire station to
replacement fire boots for volunteers. The
fire department and the larger community
owe the AAESP and its many donors
a huge debt of gratitude. So here’s a
shout out to the AAESP board: Donald
Banks, Fernando Bayardo, Sam Jewell,
Alphonso Martinez, Louie Martinez, Paula
Narbutovskih, and John Nelson. Thanks.
We couldn’t do what we do without you.
Mark your calendars. The Abiquiu
Volunteer Fire
Department
and the Abiquiu
Area Emergency
Service Project's
Community
Picnic is Sept.
19, 1-5 P.M.
HELP WANTED
Northern New Mexico College seeking applicants for
the following positions:
Adult Basic Education Director
Bachelor’s degree in Education, Business Administration
or related field and two years experience in secondary
education, curriculum review/development.
Assistant Professor of Management
Minimum requirements: Ph.D. or D.B.A is required.
Project Management Professional (PMP) certification
is also desirable but not required. Previous teaching
experience in higher education and experience teaching
web-based courses is preferred.
Northern Rio Grande STEM Collaborative Director
Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, or
related field and two (2) to four (4) years of experience in
advanced accounting principles; grant management training,
and a strong familiarity with federal and state regulations.
Any combination of education from an accredited college
or university in a related field and/or direct experience in
the occupation totaling six (6) years may substitute for the
education and/or experience.
IT Technician
Associates Degree in Computer Science/MIS and two
(2) years of experience in Level II Help Desk support
or four years of experience in Level II support including
current experience in the various information technology
fields with hands-on experience working in information
technology supporting customers in multiple hardware
platforms and experience in use of various enterprise
software packages.
Bookstore Manager
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or a related field
and four (4) years of progressively responsible experience
in retail merchandising, management, fiscal management,
purchasing and/or inventory control, including one (1) year of
personnel supervision. Any combination of education from an
accredited college or university in a related field and/or direct
experience in the occupation totaling eight (8) years may
substitute for the education and/or experience. 0
Nursing Faculty
Minimum of a Master’s degree in nursing. Work
experience in Medical-Surgical and/or Critical Care
preferred. Formal teaching experience in nursing
education simulation is desired. The candidate must be
eligible for RN licensure in New Mexico.
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) Recruiter/
Advisor
Bachelor’s degree in education, counseling or related
field and two (2) to four (4) years of experience in student
advisement and/or mentoring, working with low-income
minority students in rural communities, preparing and
delivering presentations to high school and college
students.
ABE (Adult Basic Education) Data Technician
Associates degree in computer technology, management
information systems (MIS), business administration, or
other related field of study. Three (3) years of hands-on
work experience with data collection/entry/maintenance,
database programs/systems; computer technology and/or
software applications.
For any of the above positions, senda letter of interest
and current resume to: Northern New Mexico College
Office of Human Resources, Attn: Nicole Fresquez, 921
Paseo de Oñate, Española, NM 87532 or email to nicole.
[email protected].
The Española YMCA Teen Center
The Española YMCA Teen Center is seeking a PT teacher
& instructional assistant for its Day Reporting Program
See http://laymca.org/careers.shtml for job descriptions
including pay range & Y employment application
Please send employment application and resume to:
HR Specialist, The Family YMCA, 1450 Iris Street, Los
Alamos, NM 87544 or email to [email protected].
City of Española
Water Operations Administrative - $11.00 - $12.00 DOQ
Aquatics Coordinator - $11.00 to $13.73 per hour DOQ
Detention Officer - $12.00 - $13.00 DOQ and Certification
Equipment Operator - $12.00 - $13.03 per hour DOQ
Certified Police Officer - $17.00 per hour, shift differential,
uniform allowance
Complete job descriptions and applications available at:
Human Resources Department
405 N. Paseo De Onate
Española, NM 87532
(505) 747-6100
City of Española is an Equal Employment Opportunity
Employer
UNM-LA is Seeking Applications for the Following
Full-time Staff Position:
Coordinator of Enrollment Services, Posting #0831407
UNM-Los Alamos is seeking a Coordinator of Enrollment
Services. This position coordinates and performs
admissions, registration, and student records functions as
well as manages the busy reception and customer service
area for the department of Student Services.
Minimum Qualifications:
Completed degree(s) from an accredited institution that
are above the minimum education requirement may be
substituted for experience on a year for year basis. High
school diploma or GED; at least 3 years of experience
that is directly related to the duties and responsibilities
specified.
Salary Range:
$11.64 to $ 16.88 Hourly
For complete details or to apply, please visit https://
UNMJobs.unm.edu and reference the Posting Number.
Questions, please contact UNM-LA Human Resources
Office at [email protected]
Thursday Sept. 3, 2015 VALLEY DAILY POST
B-3
SPORTS
Valley Football Results
by ROBERT A. NARANJO
Valley Daily Post
Los Alamos Hilltoppers - 19
Pojoaque Valley Elks – 13
Pojoaque led the entire game but
lost it in the final minutes to the L.A.
Hilltoppers. Pojoaque led at half time
7-0. The opening kick-off was fielded by
Pojoaque’s Daniel Rael, who took it to the
Los Alamos 34 yard line. Later in the first
half, Pojoaque held the Toppers in a goal
line stand with a tackle on the one-yard
line and Pojoaque took possession. KYRB
“K Bear” Country 92.7 FM’s Casey
Gallegos did the play-by-play and told
Post Sports that Pojoaque “had it until the
end when Los Alamos scored.”
McCurdy Charter Bobcats – 6
Raton Tigers - 42
McCurdy Charter Bobcats got behind
against a bigger opponent early in the
game, according to Alissa Trujillo in the
McCurdy business office. Asked for a
comment from McCurdy’s coach Trujillo
advised, “You can find him at practice in
the afternoon,” and pointed out that Raton
was a 4A division school while McCurdy
Charter is 3A.
Escalante Lobos – NSA
Tucumcari Rattlers – NSA
Game called at halftime due to stadium
lights malfunction. Escalante Lobos, Rio
Arriba County’s defending State Football
Champions in their class, showed that they
are back and ready to defend their title by
surging ahead of Tucumcari before the game
was called.
Cops In The Classroom
Sundevils Lightning Strikes Cathedral
by ROBERT A. NARANJO
Valley Daily Post
EVHS Wins Historic Opener Down
In El Paso, Texas
GEL PASO, TX - A late summer storm,
was accompanied with lightning strikes,
“all-around us” EVHS football coach,
Miguel Medina, told the Valley Daily
Post. The storm and electrical display
delayed, for one and a half hours, the first
football contest ever between the visiting
Española Valley High School Sundevils
and the host, El Paso Cathedral Fightin’
Irish Saturday, Aug. 29. The game was
played at the Cathedral Stadium in El
Paso, Texas.
El Paso HS Stadium. Courtesy photo
The Sundevils were fired up for their
first game with much anticipation for the
season. EVHS athletic director, Eric Vigil,
told Valley Daily Post Sports before the
game, “We’re excited to get going and
play down there in El Paso. It’s something
that has never been done before and we’re
expecting a tough team as football is a big
thing in Texas.” Vigil then added, “But,
we’ve been practicing hard and we feel
confident going into this game in El Paso.”
The storm and the lightening eventually
subsided and officials allowed the historic
game to begin. KDCE AM & FM’s
Richard “RG” Garcia and “Tomas No
Mas” Garcia did the play-by-play and
color commentary, respectively, to bring
the much-anticipated game to the Española
Valley and northern New Mexico.
Espanola Police Officers Jason Gallegos, Cory Atencio, and Detention Officers
German Jacquez spent the afternoon Thursday at Los Ninos Pre-K and kindergarten
speaking to children about safety. Courtesy photos
Staff Report
When asked about having police in the
classrooms, Española Police Department
Chief Richard Gallegos… said “We will
be sending officers throughout the school
year to visit all the schools and begin a
lunch buddy program.” Gallegos said that
the department is growing the lunch buddy
program and classroom visitations to
provide children a chance to interact with
police as public servants and safe adults.
Nationwide incidents of police shooting
and public distrust of the police has fueled
resentiment for the need to ensure police
know how to deal with youth in crisis and
for young people to recognize police as
public servants and public safety officials
rather than adversarial authority figures.
Following the 2014 Espanola police
shooting that resulted in the death of 16
year old Victor Villalpando, the Española
Police Department has pursued an
intensive week long crisis intervention
training for several of its officers and has
plans to train all uniformed police.
The Española Police Department has worked
with the Rio Arriba Health Council to
provide this training to all interested
individuals or groups. Other departments
that have had officers participate in the
training include the Rio Arriba Sheriff’s
department and Los Alamos Police
Post Sports asked Coach Medina how the
game went in general and how Marcos
Flores did as quarterback. He said that
the Sundevils took “charge” with a
lightning strike of their own in their
opening possession. “We did score in the
first quarter--in our first drive we took
it down and scored, but we missed the
extra-point, so we lead 6-0. Quarterback
Marcos Flores had 114 yards in the game-we run a lot of option and he’s a running
quarterback - an option quarterback,”
Coach Medina explained. At the end of the
first Quarter, the Sundevils lead 6-0.
Then Sundevil lightning struck again in
their second possession of the second
Quarter. “In the second Quarter, on our
second possession we scored again and
got the two-point conversion, so it’s
14-0. Then they came back and scored
14 toward the end of the second Quarter
and so at halftime it was 14-14,” Coach
Medina said. Then he added, “ I think
they were kind of surprised that we took
it to them…but they were tough…well
coached, athletic and fast. That’s how they
came back.”
In the third Quarter, “…it was a defensive
battle” with neither team scoring Coach
Medina said. “Our guys got a little tired
on the bus ride. So, we started to rotate
on defense, especially the linemen…
and, it really helped us because when
we started the fourth Quarter, it seemed
like Cathedral was out of breath, “ he
recounted.
In the fourth Quarter, Coach
Medina rotated sophomores into
the game who held their own
giving their teammates a needed
breather. “It was a big test for
us. They were well coached
and had a lot of speed. We had
to grind it out 5, 10 yards at a
time. I think the longest run we
had was 20 yards on a reverse
by Belmontes,” he said.
The end of the game was
“sitting at the edge of your
seat” exciting when Española
Valley scored with under six
minutes to go but missed the point-after
attempt. Unbelievably, the Fightin’ Irish
took the ensuing kickoff into Sundevil
territory. A couple of critical calls against
the Sundevils was almost the decider. But
the Sundevils dug in deep and held on the
one-yard line, then took possession and ran
out the clock according to Coach Medina.
Full back Libdin Vega had 73 yard and
two touchdowns. “He had 5 yards here,
10 yards there and we were able to use
a big chunk of the clock. He played on
both offense and defense and I think he
would be the Player of the Game” Coach
Medina assessed.
“We didn’t pass much but we had 301
yards rushing and 23 yards passing. I’ll
live with those yards rushing,” Coach
Medina reasoned. “This game was huge
for us. It was a big thing there and it was
the first time Española Valley beat a team
from Texas in football. It was a really
tough game, both sides expected to win,”
he concluded. The historic game ended at
11:04 p.m. MST.
A KDCE listener from Española’s
Westside, Horacio Montoya, told the
Valley Daily Post, “I listened on the radio
for the first half of the game. They played
pretty good but it looked like they needed
a kicker because they kept going for the
two-points (conversion). I listened to a little
bit of the second half, 0” Montoya said.
The record now stands at:
ESPAÑOLA VALLEY, NEW MEXICO - 1
EL PASO, TEXAS – 0
Now, that’s BIG!
QB Flores on target for short pass at earlier scrimage. Photo by Robert Naranjo/
valleydailypost
B-4 Thursday Sept. 3, 2015
VALLEY DAILY POST
By STEVEN E. LOVATO
Valley Daily Post
Que Viva
Española is
an online
community that
promotes and
explores the
culture, history,
and traditions
around the
Española Valley area. Que Viva publishes
a weekly column in the Valley Daily Post.
The objective is uniting as a community to
celebrate what makes the valley beautiful
and unique while changing the culture of
crime and drugs.
The Misión Y Convento on the Plaza
On the Plaza de Española you’ll find
the Misión Y Convento, which is the
building that many here often refer to as
the “church.” That identification is pretty
accurate seeing as the building is a replica
of an old mision that once existed here in
the valley hundreds of years ago. When
the city decided to establish a “downtown”
area, the idea of a plaza was enforced, with
the importance of the Spanish influence
being in the forefront. That’s when the
Misión was established.
The inspiration for this building came from
an excavation that was done in the 1940s
by the University of New Mexico, on a
site that once was the Spanish settlement
of San Gabriel. It was established by
Conquistador Don Juan de Oñate when he
colonized the area in 1598, claiming it as
the capital for the newly created Province
of Santa Fe de Nuevo Mexico. That
location is now in modern day Chamita,
across the river from the Ohkay Owingeh
Pueblo or as it was called back then San
Juan De Los Caballeros.
Inside the Misión itself you’ll find art in
traditional Spanish colonial design. This
includes alters with reredos (altar screens),
freestanding reredos, areñas (wooden
candleholders suspended by ropes from
the ceiling), bancos (seats) and wooden
communion rails. The reredos contain
Pets Of The Week
a six month supply of heartworm prevention
for only $20. Meet Dexter today!
Staff Report
Week of Sept. 3 - Sept. 9
Each week the Valley Daily Post features
pets that are ready for adoption.
The Misión Y Convento on the Plaza.
Courtesy photo
beautifully painted images detailing the
history of the Valley including the Pueblo
natives, the entrance of Juan de Oñate and
the Spanish as well as the railroad era.
Also found on the interior walls hang 14
coat-of-arms, representing the 14 surnames
that made the journey with Oñate,
establishing San Gabriel.
The original Mision at San Gabriel was
destroyed by the natives during the Pueblo
Revolt in 1680. This replica is significant
in the history of our Spanish origins,
representing the establishment of a New
World during the inquisition as well as a
lasting reminder of the Spanish lineage
still present here in the valley today.
Take a look at this weeks highlighted pets
and then drop by the shelter to see the
whole selection.
Dexter
Dexter is the
ideal family
dog that has
a lot to offer.
He loves
to go for
leash walks
and is very
enjoyable to
walk. Dexter
Dexter. Photo courtesy
loves the
company
of other dogs and children and will be a
amazing addition to any family.
He is approximately ten months of age
and can grow with you and your family.
Dexter has been neutered micro-chipped,
heartworm tested, started on heartworm
prevention, and vaccinated to adoption
date. His adoption fee has been waived to a
qualified forever home with the purchase of
Jake
Jake is an
adult shorthair
male cat that
would love
to be your
companion.
He is
playful and
affectionate
and would
do well with
another cat
Jake. Photo courtesy
or a small
dog. Jake is
just a big kitten that wants to be loved and
part of your life. He has been neutered,
micro-chipped, and vaccinated to adoption
date. His adoption fee has been waived to
a qualified forever home. Please come and
meet Jake today!
There is one unwanted animal for every
two households in Española. In 2012 the
Española Valley Human Society performed
4,012 spay/neuters, and this year they will
complete 5,000 spay/neuter surgeries.
Please help end pet overpopulation by
donating at evalleyshelter.org.
If you have any questions please feel free
to call (505)753-8662.
Artwork in the Misión by Clare Villa.
Courtesy Photo courtesy
Please take the time to visit this wonderful
exhibit. It’s a great learning tool that’s free
to the public. You can visit their website
www.plazadeespanola.com for more
information on the Misión.
The interior ofthe Misión itself you’ll find art in traditional Spanish colonial design.
Photo courtesy
Valley
The
DAILY P ST
Valley Daily Post Print Edition Available At These Locations
• El Parasol restaurant in Pojoaque
• Kokoman Fine Wine & Liquor in Pojoaque
• Zia Credit Union in Española
• Valley Superette in Española
• Northern New Mexico College Bookstore
• Northern New Mexico College Library
• Del Norte Credit Union branch in Española
• Lucero Center / Española Library
• Big Dawgs Restaurant
• Lovin Oven Bakery in Española
• New Mexico Office Products, 209 N. Riverside
• Accu Copy, 635. N. Riverside
• Classic Cuts by Toner, 416 Riverside Suite G.
• JoAnne's Ranch O Casados Restaurant
• Baskin Robbins in Española
• Mariscos la Playa, 1213 N. Riverside
• Mike's Trading Post in Velarde
• La Tiendita store in Alcalde
• Poe Tsawa Community Library in Ohkay Owingeh
• Abiquiu Inn
• Abiquiu Library
• Bodes Store in Abiquiu