historic historic

Transcription

historic historic

Complimentary
Winter ’06
QUITE
SIMPLY
THE
BEST!
15
LONGTIMERS
Share Their STORIES
La Capilla
A Dream Becomes Reality
SILVER CITY’S
HISTORIC
BUSINESSES
HOMESTYLE
Recipes
Ghost Stories
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“Trusted care for the ones you love”
Luis Terrazas of Terrazas Funeral Chapels in Santa Clara has been in the funeral business for the past 18 years with most of that time serving our community.
His goal is to provide excellence in service at an affordable price. Terrazas offers funeral and cremation services to meet everyone’s budget and needs.
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The East chapel is the largest in this area, to accommodate larger families and the West chapel is for smaller gatherings with a
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We can get you to Amtrak or Greyhound in Deming
and Lordsburg. Also the Grant County Airport.
Regular and Fixed Routes • On Demand Service
524 Silver Heights Blvd. #1 • Silver City, NM
505.388.3180 • 866.934.3866
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Sponsors:
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Silver Leaf Floral
Millennium Therapy
Bryan Truck and Auto
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Gila Regional Medical Center
Family Dental Practice - Palomas, Mex.
“Get on the Bus!”
SILVER CITY LIFE
WINTER 2006
contents
features
No One Knows
The Country
Like We Do!
ON THE COVER:
11 Nine Historic Grant County Businesses. Our then-and-now
salute to hometown businesses that have withstood the
test of time and continue to offer personalized service.
20 La Capilla. The story of the “little chapel on the hill” with
Joe & Senovia Ray and the other members of the “gang of
five” who brought it to life.
On a sunny day’s trip
through time, Lanny and
Jill Olson roll past City
Hall and its recently
refurbished antique clock
in their beautifully
restored 1931 Chevrolet
Independence fire engine.
24 Grant County’s Long Timers. We look back to a different
era in Grant County’s history through the eyes of 15 living
treasures who helped make this a special place.
We have 3 locations to serve you.
2 in Silver City.
1 in Rodeo.
Open Weekends!
40 Historic Fort Bayard. Originally a military outpost, Fort
Bayard has been an important health care facility for over
100 years.
S1-S16 Silver City Source. Shops and Services, Galleries
and Attractions, Salons & Spas, Products, Restaurant
Menus.
41 Homestyle Recipes. From entrees to desserts, these
readers’ winter recipes delight the eye and soothe the soul.
46 Homestyle Cooking. A pictorial feature highlighting downhome dishes from Silver City dining establishments.
Main Office
Open Mon.-Sat. 8:30 to 5:30
2700 A Hwy.180 East
Silver City, NM 88061
505.538.3789 • 800.827.9198
Downtown Office
Open Mon.-Sat. 9 to 5 & Sun. 10 to 2
414 North Bullard Street
Downtown, Silver City
48 Silver City Treasures. A special tribute to six departed
friends who we hope will never be forgotten.
54 Grant County Ghost Stories. Five local legends as retold
by Cobre High School students from 1957 through 1962.
60 Charro Horses. A visit with Carlos Herrera, an amazing
man who has trained some equally amazing animals.
66 Extravagant Makeover. The results are in, and they’re
impressive.
68 Medical. Gila Regional Medical Center has become one
of only 25 hospitals in the country to offer “navigated”
knee surgery.
79 The Lighted Christmas Parade. We trace the origins of a
downtown holiday tradition.
505.534.4616
877.MIMBRES
departments
Rodeo Office
52 Outdoors. Early pioneers of the Gila region.
199 Hwy. 80 • Rodeo,NM 88056
505.557.1244
www.mimbresrealty.com
www.unitedcountry.com/silvercitynm
10 Editor’s Note. A few words from Managing
Editor Arlene Schadel.
58 New Faces in Business.
62 Pets. Recent adoptions, a new animal
rights organization and a versatile
pet-sitting service.
72 The Arts. Profiling Fred Barraza, a prolific
multi-media artist born and raised in
Grant County.
75 Out & About. Snapshots of local events.
78 Openings, Performances and Special Events.
6 – SILVER CITY LIFE
1310 S ILVER H EIGHTS B LVD. S ILVER C IT Y, NM 88061
505-538-5328
Monday-Saturday 9-6 • Sunday 12-5
Locally Owned and Operated.
W W W. S E A R S D E A L E R S . C O M / 3329
SILVER CITY LIFE
Terri Menges
President &
Managing Director
Joseph Burgess
Vice President
Arlyn Cooley
Staff Accountant
Arlene Schadel
Managing Editor
Brett Ferneau
Staff Writer
Jean Benzine
Joseph Burgess
Donna Clayton Lawder
M. H. “Dutch” Salmon
Pat Young
Contributing Writers
Joseph Burgess
Photography except
where credited
Robin Arellano
Jean Benzine
John Conners
Judy DouBrava
Brett Ferneau
Barbara Gorzycki
Alice F. Pauser
M. H. Dutch Salmon
Bill Warren
Contributing Photographers
Graham Dodd
Database Administrator
Friendly Hometown Service With All Your Banking Needs!
•
•
•
•
Savings & Checking Accounts
Loans ( Installments, Auto, Commercial, Construction, etc.)
IRA’s & CD’s
Mortgages
LeAnne Knudsen
Erin Schadel-Oldham
Project Coordinators
Debra Luera
Jennifer Rivera
Designers
Lynn Janes
Arlene Schadel
Advertising Sales
Graham Dodd
LeAnne Knudsen
Distribution
www.fnmbsc.com
505.388.3121 or 1.888.388.3121
FREE On-Line Banking •
Home Of: Copper Country Escrow • 505.388.0668
Two Convenient Locations: 1928 Hwy. 180 East and Wal-Mart.
Sav-On HOBBY
R.C. Cars, Trucks
and Airplanes
1306 N. Hudson
534-0560
Tues.-Fri. 10am to 6 pm
Sat. 10am to 2pm
©Zia Publishing Corp., 2006.
This issue of Silver City Life is
copyright under the laws of the
United States of America. All
rights reserved. Reproduction
in whole or part without permission of the publisher prohibited. For permission to use
any portion of this publication
email:[email protected].
All submissions of editorial or
photography are only accepted
without risk to the publisher for
loss or damage. Every effort
was made to ensure accuracy
in the information provided.
The publisher assumes no
responsibility or liability for
errors, changes or omissions.
Special Thanks to:
Della Acosta
Ben Altamirano
Gabby Armendariz
Fred Barraza
Eugene Bustillos
Allison Bateman
Jean Benzine
Dorothy Blalock
Duane Brockett
Bob Brockhausen
Curtis Bullington
Karen Campbell
Nick Chintis
Patrick Conlin
Arlyn Cooley
Margaret Crumbley
Sharleen Daugherty
Richard Deaton
Judy DouBrava
Tommy Foy
Juanita Franks
Ray Garcia
Consuelo Gonzales
Barbara Gorzycki
Grant Co. Humane Soc.
Mike Harris
Carlos Herrera
Holley Hudgins
Rosie Humble
Paul Hunter
Pedro Iniguez
Chris & Bobby Jackson
Jane Janson
Nancy (Thompson) Johnson
Scott Kennedy
Michelle Kessler
Dr. Shelby King
James Koons
Jimmy McCauley
Dorothy McCray
Sunny McFarren
Judy & Vernon McOsker
Albert Madrigal
Marla Mead
Christy Miller
Bobbie Neal
Jim and Debbie Nennich
Harold Oberg
Erin Schadel-Oldham
Joanne Perez
William Perez
Joe & Sanovia Ray
Beverly Redwine
Sue & A.D. Richins
Linda Rowse
Sudie Kennedy-Ruhne
Murray Ryan
Arlene Schadel
Jim Schadel
Esther Scherf
Dr. John Sherman
Jan Sherman
Whitney Shoup
Jean Spears
Brittany Topmiller
Mikey Torrez
Nancy Trinkel
Carrie Wallin
April Weitlauf
Cray Werner
John Werner
Frankie & Moose White
Jan Whitfield
Dr. John S. Wilson
Silver City Life is
published bi-annually
by Zia Publishing Corp.
with offices at:
611 N. Hudson Street
Phone: 505-956-1560
Fax: 505-956-1580
e-mail:
[email protected]
Website:
www.ziapublishing.com
Subscriptions: $7.00. Add $2
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or Mexico. $3 for other
countries. Back Issues $3.50.
Subscription telephone:
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308 N. Bull ard • 505.388.54 28
EDITOR’S NOTE
AS WE WERE CLOSING THIS ISSUE, I KEPT THINKING,
“WHAT IN THE WORLD WILL WE FOCUS ON FOR THE
next issue that we didn’t already do in this issue?” I think they feel like
that after every issue. I can’t tell you how exciting it has been learning
about all these folks who have lived here all or most of their long lives!
These long timers know so much of the history of our area, I am just
sorry that we only had room for fifteen of them. We are planning to
continue our feature on at least one Silver City long timer in upcoming issues. It was really important
to me to do our tribute to our Silver City Treasures that have left us within the last year or so. Jo
Dunn, Coach Fox, Willie Gonzales, Walter Biebelle, Bill Acosta and of course Johnny Banks were
such special people and they have all touched my life as well as many others I’m sure.
Thank you to our old businesses that have served our community for so long! You are the main
stay of Grant County. You support our local clubs and organizations, our schools and have hung in
there through good times and bad.
The story on Senovia and Joe Ray and their passion for the La Capilla Project makes the whole
project that much more important. I can’ t tell you how much I’ve grown to love this couple, who
work so desperately on a daily basis to move this project closer to reality. And my friend Fred Barraza
has done so much for our community through his beautiful spirit as well as his art.
Duane Brockett, thank you so much for sharing your precious ghost stories with us. We know how
much they mean to you.
I was so glad to include Carlos Herrera, a truly magical man who is so humble and certainly
talented with his own secret language in working with his beautiful horses.
It has been such a pleasure working with the talented crew of designers and writers at Zia
Publishing. I am very thankful for the opportunity to work with all of you and especially Terri
Menges, who is a genius!
Thank you to all the advertisers, without you this book would not be possible! I truly hope that
the advertising in this book serves you well!
God Bless,
Arlene Schadel
Managing Editor
9
Looking Back at
HISTORIC
Grant
County
BUSINESSES
THE HISTORIC HERITAGE OF OUR AREA IS APPARENT NOT ONLY IN ITS PEOPLE, CULTURE
AND BUILDINGS, BUT IN ITS DEDICATED AND DYNAMIC HOMETOWN BUSINESSES.
BY JEAN BENZINE, BRETT FERNEAU AND DONNA CLAYTON LAWDER
above, left to right,
top row:
The Buckhorn Saloon,
circa 1985
The Palace Hotel,
circa 1900
Blackwell’s Jewelers in 1958
Lusk Flower and Gift
Shop in 1986
Home Furniture in 1946
bottom row:
Sav-On Drug Store,
circa 1957
Werner Tire Service in 1965
The Drifter Motel in 1966
Snappy Mart Stores in 1965
You won’t see much corporate fraud in Grant County. Stock swindles and hostile
takeovers are activities in which we don’t seem to engage. While cutthroat
competition, overseas outsourcing and slipshod service practices are
commonplace throughout the world, we have been blessed with an abundance of
local and family-owned businesses that have stood the test of time. Perhaps it isn’t
so remarkable that such enterprises still exist as it is that we have so many of
them. Join us on a stroll through a few of our historic hometown establishments,
where personalized, friendly service is still just part of “business as usual.”
www.ziapublishing.com – 11
THE
BUCKHORNSALOON
BY JEAN BENZINE
VISITORS TO PINOS ALTOS SOMETIMES
hesitate to enter the Buckhorn Saloon due to its
timeworn façade, but according to manager Karen
Campbell, “When they come inside they are
impressed with its authenticity.” The old wooden
bar was brought over the Black Range by horsedrawn wagons. The antique National cash register,
paintings of dance hall girls brandishing guns and
the pot-bellied stove that has stood there since
1867 all transport patrons back to the days of the
Old West.
Then, there are the “residents” of the Buckhorn; “Indian Joe,” a sullen wooden
figure seated at the end of the bar, and “Debbie ‘DeCamp’ Moore,” a mannequin
outfitted like that notable lady of the night, welcoming visitors from her seat on
the balcony.
The Buckhorn has been a part of Pinos Altos for over a century. Karen
explains, “It’s one of the original bars, dating back to the silver/gold mining era
of the late 1800s.” In its heyday, P.A. boasted six or more saloons but the others
succumbed to fire.
Today’s Buckhorn offers a full bar and two different menus. The bar serves
casual fare like Buckhorn Burgers and Blackened Chicken Salad, while the
dining room has a first-class full menu including seafood, choice steaks and
homemade desserts.
“The dining room serves 120-150 people on an average weekend, not counting
the people who choose to have a burger in the bar,” Karen is pleased to report.
Karen also has a long history with the Buckhorn. She began as a bus girl in
1967 and became manager in 1998. When asked about her long-term association
with the Saloon and P.A., she states simply, “I never thought about leaving.”
top: Main Street in Pinos Altos. The Buckhorn is on the left. inset: Manager Karen Campbell.
THE
PALACE
HOTEL
BY JEAN BANZINE
HISTORICAL
SIGNIFICANCE,
OLD-WORLD
CHARM AND A
great downtown
location make the
Palace Hotel a
favorite lodging
choice for visitors.
It is the oldest
surviving hotel in
Silver
City,
housed in one of the oldest buildings in the
historic district.
The building didn’t start out as a hotel,
however. In 1882, Hartford Meredith and
Henry Ailman purchased the property at
the corner of Broadway and Bullard to
build a bank. The bank opened in the
spring of 1882 and was in operation until
December of 1887. The building was then
purchased and remodeled by Max Shutz. In
1900 he converted the second floor into 40
hotel rooms, the first floor into a lobby and
BLACKWELL’S
JEWELERS
BY DONNA CLAYTON LAWDER
dining room and opened the Palace Hotel.
In 1928, the building, then known as the
Clark Hotel, once again underwent a
major exterior and interior renovation.
In 1988, on a trip through Silver City,
Nancy and Cal Thompson saw the real
estate listing and began discussing
purchasing the building. A year later, they
returned to Silver City and saw the
building was still for sale, so they
purchased it to once again be used as a
hotel. They rehabilitated it back to its
1928 appearance and named it the Palace
Hotel once more.
In addition to its location and charm,
owner Nancy Thompson Johnson says she
and the long-time staff of the Palace
believe that their success lies in providing
the personal touch. “This is truly a familyrun business and we treat our guests like
family. We have many repeat customers
and a high occupancy rate, so that speaks
for itself.”
top: A large wood-burning stove
stands at the foot of the staircase in
the lobby of the old Palace Hotel.
inset: Owner Nancy Johnson.
IN THE EVOLUTION OF BLACKWELL’S
JEWELERS, A SILVER CITY FAMILY BUSINESS
the name is the constant that lets current owner Curtis
Bullington trace the store’s roots. Across the glass cases,
he spreads black and white photos, ancient postcards,
bills of sale, and newspaper clippings — all lovingly
preserved. Records of old Blackwell’s piano and
typewriter rentals are written in fountain pen.
John and Mary Blackwell were the founders of
Blackwell’s Books, and the earliest evidence of them
and their business is a sales slip dated July 23, 1924.
Watchmaker Earl Patton bought Blackwell’s Bookstore and turned it into a jewelry
store. He was a partner with William Droke, the man who took over the store,
married Curtis Bullington’s mother and eventually brought her son into the business.
Curtis Bullington became a watchmaker-jeweler and developed that aspect of
the business, buying Blackwell’s from his widowed mother. His son Keith, one of
the company’s current three employees, is a Jewelers of America Certified Senior
Bench Jeweler.
Blackwell’s has resided at 218 Bullard Street since the 1950s, just down the street
from its first location at 300 Bullard. Huff ’s Dress Shop and Lusk Flower and Gift
Shop (still a downtown Silver City business) were next door.
Curtis plans to rearrange the store to reflect the “old style jewelry store” layout, with
customers shopping in an outer ring, between glass-topped counters and glass wall
display cases. The staff will work from the center of the circle of cases.
In addition to quality goods, Blackwell’s has a reputation for fine jewelry repair.
Underscoring his business philosophy, Curtis says, “You’ve got to give your customers
good treatment.”
top: In a 1958 photo, William Droke identifies recovered jewelry taken in a robbery. Left to
right: Mr. Droke, Police Chief Stewart Pinkerton, Patrolman Danny Dunagan and Assistant
District Attorney Dave Serna. inset: Curtis Bullington at the jeweler’s bench.
LUSK FLOWER
& GIFT SHOP
ESTABLISHED FOR 77 YEARS, LUSK
FLOWER AND GIFT SHOP IS SILVER
City’s oldest continuously operated
business. Frankie and Moose White
purchased the store in 1985 and moved it
to the lovingly restored former home of
Moose’s grandparents, Alvin N. and Louise
White, where it has been located for the
past 20 years.
The shop has two employees and
occasional temporary help, “except for
holidays, when we might have up to 17,” Frankie laughs. She describes Valentine’s
Day and Mother’s Day “rushes” when the long-time temporary staff joins in to fill
the orders. “It’s busy, and very satisfying,” she says. “People who buy flowers are
making someone else happy, and it’s great to be a part of that.”
The shop is also a purveyor of fine gifts, and the exclusive Silver City outlet for
Dolona Roberts originals and serigraphs. Sweet teddy bears, baby gifts, fine works in
Nambé, crystal and porcelain provide the gift-giver a plethora of options.
Lusk Flower and Gift Shop celebrates Good Neighbor Day annually by giving
away over a thousand flowers in increments of one dozen. “Each person gets to keep
one flower, and they must give away the other eleven,” Frankie explains. “I hear back
from people things like ‘I gave my flowers to patients in the hospital’ or ‘I gave mine
away to total strangers and it made them smile.’ ”
“Customer service makes a difference,” Frankie declares. “We’ll deliver outside our
normal delivery area and beyond store hours if it pleases the customer. Excellent
service is our greatest asset. That’s how we’ve built our reputation.”
Moose adds that they try to apply the shop’s motto, “Simply the best…
since 1928.”
top: the remodeled home originally belonging to Alvin N. and
Louise White. inset: Owners Frankie and Moose White.
HOME
FURNITURE
BY JEAN BENZINE
HOME FURNITURE
HAS BEEN OWNED
AND OPERATED BY
the same family for 68
years and counting. It
began in 1937 when
Nelson Wygant of
Silver City and E.L.
McCoy of Hanover
opened the Home
Furniture Co. at 202
N. Bullard Street. As a
young girl, Nelson’s
daughter Sudie Wygant
Kennedy recalls traveling with her father on
furniture-buying trips.
“The railroad depot was right next door,”
Sudie recalls. “Twice a year we’d just walk
out the door, step aboard the train and go
straight to Chicago from Silver City.”
In 1941, Nelson bought out Mr. McCoy
and thoroughly remodeled the store. In
1948 he opened a second store, the Bargain
HOME FURNITURE
APPLIANCES & CARPETING
Family owned and operated in historic downtown Silver City since 1937
Annex, featuring reconditioned used
furniture and appliances.
In 1967, the Home Furniture Co. was
sold to a Deming concern and closed.
Nelson’s son Paul managed the Bargain
Annex until he passed away in 1975,
when Sudie and her husband Richard
Kennedy moved back from San Diego to
take charge. Their son Scott joined the
business in 1986 and the Bargain Annex
celebrated its 50th anniversary a year later.
Scott took over as manager after the
passing of his father in 1989. In 1990, the
business readopted the original name
Home Furniture and the building’s façade
was redone to a Main Street design.
These days Scott still manages the store
and his wife Denise is also very much
involved in the business. Sudie divides her
time between Silver City and Santa Cruz,
CA and the Wygant/Kennedy family
continues the downtown business legacy
and tradition of community involvement
at Home Furniture. With 26,000 square
feet of showroom space, the store carries a
full line of furniture, appliances, bedding,
floor coverings and electronics.
top: The home appliance department of a
bygone era. Inset above: Scott Kennedy
Inset below: Sudie Kennedy
Largest Showrooms in Southwestern New Mexico
207 South Bullard Street • 538-3767 • 1-800-286-3767
Wind Canyon Estates
L
It’s why people move to Silver City!
ocated approximately 5 miles west of Silver City on Hwy. 180 W. bordering
the Gila National Forest, Wind Canyon Estates boasts breath-taking views,
some as far away as Arizona. Enjoy the native vegetation of beautiful wild
flowers, yucca, and stately piñon, juniper, cedar and oak. 10 acre parcels
priced from the low $80’s. Definitely a place to explore!
Enchantment Realty
501 Silver Heights Blvd.
1-800-456-3132 • 505-538-2931
www.silvercity-realestate.com
SAV-ON DRUG STORE
BY JEAN BENZINE AND ARLENE SCHADEL
IN BUSINESS, THE SECRET TO SURVIVAL IN A
COMPETITIVE MARKET CAN SOMETIMES BE AS
simple as providing superior customer service and doing
what you love. This formula seems to have worked well for
pharmacist Rosie Humble and business manager Ray
Garcia, owners of the 55-year-old Sav-On Drug Store.
Over the last half-century, the proliferation of chain-store
pharmacies has forced small independent drugstores to
reinvent themselves. “In addition to stocking the typical
items, we had to find a unique product niche. Adding the
hobby line seemed the logical choice and it has worked well
for us,” states Ray. A radio-controlled racing enthusiast
himself, his knowledge of the hobby field made the line a
perfect addition to the store.
Sav-On Drug was established in 1950 at 1306 Bullard
Street. In 1965, pharmacist Dr. Whitney Shoup and his wife
LaVera purchased the business, moving the store to its present location at
316 N. Hudson in 1976. Rosie began working there in the early 80s and Whitney
became her mentor. With his encouragement she became a pharmacist, and with
Ray’s help she carried on the Sav-On customer service legacy.
Rosie sustained injuries in a 2003 accident and in October, 2005 the pharmacy
portion of Sav-On was sold to the Medicine Shoppe so that she could have time to
heal. “We had to sell the pharmacy for health reasons” says Ray. “We just have to
get Rosie better. Sav-On Hobby will still carry on the Sav-On name and good
customer service.” The store will offer a full line of radio control cars, trucks and
airplanes along with other hobby items. It’s just one more step in the evolution of a
small-town business.
The Medicine Shoppe of Silver City, located at 1123 N. Pope Street, will gladly be servicing all
Sav-On Pharmacy customers.
top: Customers relax at the old drug store on Bullard Street.
inset, top: Business manager Ray Garcia. inset, bottom: pharmacist Rosie Humble.
WERNER
TIRE SERVICE
W H E N
WERNER TIRE
S E R V I C E
relocated from
the hub of the
business district
on Bullard St. to
its present location on Highway
180 East in
1962, some people questioned the wisdom
of the move.
“People thought we were crazy, moving so
far out of town,” recalls Cray Werner, who
co-owns the business with his brother John.
“City limits were at the bottom of the hill.
There was almost nothing up here back
then. Now look at it!”
Silver City’s growth aside, the biggest
change in their tire business has been in the
auto industry itself. “When dad started the
business, there were maybe seven different
sizes in a 16-inch tire,” Cray says as he scrolls
through pages of tire models on the Internet.
Hometown Community Spirit
Hometown Community Pride
“There are more like a hundred today!”
He notes that Werner Tire can get “pretty
much anything in the next day.”
Excluding engine work, the shop does
everything mechanical for vehicles,
including shocks, brakes, alignments,
front-end work, mufflers and, of course,
all brands of tires. The brothers pride
themselves on their capable, long-term
staff. “One of our front-end men worked
for us for 27 years,” Cray says.
Employees aren’t the only ones who
remain loyal. On a busy Thursday
morning, the brothers greet customer after
customer by name. “I’ve been bringing my
cars here for 20 years,” a senior gentleman
announces proudly. “Wouldn’t go anywhere else!”
The company services all kinds of
vehicles. “Our guy is going to Cliff right
now to service a backhoe,” John says. “We
do everything from a wheelbarrow on up.”
Both brothers enjoy doing business
in Silver City, where the best things, they
agree, are “the mountains and
the people!”
top: A representative from Goodyear™ presents
the Werners an award on the business’s 25th
anniversary in 1985. That’s Don “Pop” Werner
receiving the plaque, Cray to the right of Pop,
and John on the far right. inset: John and Cray
in their showroom.
Silver City Offices
610 Silver Heights Blvd. • 1609 N. Swan Street • Silver City, NM 88061
505.534.0550
Hurley Branch
Bayard Branch
512 Carrasco Ave.
Hurley, NM 88043
102 Hurley Ave.
Bayard, NM 88023
505.537.2111
505.537.2481
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505-533-6838
DRIFTER
MOTEL
SNAPPY
MART
STORES
BY JEAN BENZINE AND BRETT FERNEAU
BY JEAN BENZINE AND BRETT FERNEAU
THE
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exercise, a game room and pool tables for entertainment,
and a restaurant serving all three meals including breakfast
anytime - all this available at The Drifter Motel. Manager
Carrie Wallin attributes these amenities, along with the
personal service, to the business’s long-term success.
Kenneth and Gyland Wallin built the original structures
in 1962, adding a second wing in 1963. Carrie began
working at the motel in 1977 and has been there ever since. Hays B. and Patricia D.
May, known to all as Mr. and Mrs. May, bought the establishment in 1978. Mr. May
passed away on December 31, 2004 leaving the business to Mrs. May.
Last remodeled in 1988, the motel is again undergoing major changes. “We are
replacing all the furniture and bedding and buy locally whenever possible,” says
Carrie, adding that she only buys U.S.A. made towels and linens.
Carrie takes pride in the level of service the staff offers. “We like to give things a
personal touch. We help visitors plan their stays here, letting them know what there is
to see and do. We also do a good job of remembering our repeat customers. A man
told me that it had been 10 years to the day since his last stay with us and that when
he walked into the lobby, he was greeted with, ‘Welcome back, Leonard.’ We want this
to be a home away from home. We have a salesman who has been staying with us for
35 years, so we must be doing something right!”
top: The Drifter in its early days. Note the wideopen spaces around it. inset: Manager Carrie Wallin.
SNAPPY MART STORES, INC. BEGAN
IN 1965, WHEN OWNERS WESLEY
and Della Mae Little opened their first store
on Market Street. Wesley, a butcher, ran the
meat department and the store also offered
deli and grocery items. The couple soon
opened Snappy #2 on 12th Street, which
later moved across the street to where it
stands today. Snappy #3 opened around in
1966 in Bayard. In 1967, Wesley and Della
Mae’s son Steve, Sr. became involved in the
company, managing Snappy #4, which
stood where Geronimo’s Restaurant is now.
It was later relocated to the corner of
Hudson and Broadway.
The Snappy Mart chain added links
quickly. The first corporate office was
housed in Snappy #5, where Laurent’s Shoe
Store now operates. Snappy #6, also known
as the “Hilltop Snappy” is still at the same
location on Hwy. 180 East. Snappy #7, on
College Avenue where the Grinder Mill is
today once sold hamburgers called – what
else? – “Snappy Burgers.” In all, Snappy
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502 Silver Heights • Silver City, NM 88061
Bus: 505.388.1969
[email protected]
LIKE A GOOD NEIGHBOR, STATE FARM IS THERE.
Providing Insurance and Financial Services
State Farm • Home Offices: Bloomington, IL
Mart opened 19 stores throughout
southwest New Mexico.
Steve, Sr. took over the company in the
early 1980’s, moving the corporate offices to
Hwy. 180 in 1991. Current owners Jim and
Debbie Nennich bought the company in
1999 and formed W & N Enterprises, Inc.,
doing business as Snappy Mart Stores.
W & N Enterprises acquired Bailey’s Food
Market in Bayard in 2000, and the Silver
City Furr’s Supermarket in 2001, renaming
them the Food Basket stores.
Jim and Debbie credit much of the success
of this long-term business to its employees,
saying, “We recognize that our greatest asset
is our people.” The company offers
insurance and bonus/incentive plans to its
workers, and currently employs 130 people.
Unfurnished Long Term and Fully Furnished Short Term Rentals.
Competitive rental rates for single family homes
with 2 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms and a one car garage.
Dishwasher
Garbage Disposal
Clothes Washer & Dryer
–
–
–
Refrigerator with Ice Maker
Gas Range & Self-Cleaning Oven
Landscape Maintenance Provided
top: One of nineteen Snappy Marts. Those
gas prices look pretty good. inset: Debbie and
Jim Nennich
JOE & SANOVIA RAY
LA CAPILLA
BY PAT YOUNG
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JUDY WUTHRICH
above, top: The “little
chapel on the hill.”
above: A close-up of
La Capilla’s inscribed
plaque. opposite, top:
Joe and Senovia Ray.
opposite: A walkway
leading to the chapel.
THE HEART OF LA CAPILLA PARK IS “THE LITTLE CHAPEL ON THE HILL.”
But at the inception of this Silver City park, the pulse of the project beat within Joe and
Senovia Ray and three other people who became known as “the gang of five.” Most of them
grew up in the shadow of Chihuahua Hill, where the park is located.
Joe Ray, 77, has lived here since he was 6 months old. Senovia, 74, moved here in 1941.
Standing next to the rebuilt chapel at the top of Chihuahua Hill, the Rays can literally point
to every home, including their current home for almost 40 years, where they grew up or
raised four children. They can even see the downtown area, where Joe’s mom had a
restaurant and Joe and Senovia ran a grocery store.
Willie Gonzales, a gang of five board member, also grew up in the historic Chihuahua Hill
residential area. According to Earl Montoya, another of the “gang,” Willie would find
arrowheads and pottery shards when he roamed the hill as a child.
“So the hill must have been special to the Indians, too,” says Montoya, who moved to
Silver City in 1943 and grew up near Chihuahua Hill.
The fifth member of the gang of five was John Luna, who grew up in nearby Kingston,
YOUTH
CONSERVATION
CORPS
BY PAT YOUNG
but moved to Silver City as a young man.
About five or six years ago, the town of Silver
City acquired approximately 23 acres of land
that included Chihuahua Hill for the Trails and
Open Spaces program. Part of this land had
previously been earmarked for a construction
yard. When the city solicited proposals for the
land, the gang of five galvanized.
“The more I heard about it, the more I thought
about it,” says Senovia, a bundle of energy with
bright bespectacled eyes, cell phone in one
hand and walking cane in the other.
The five original board members for La
Capilla Park got together and came up with
16 elements, according to Montoya, who says
he suffers from “OAI” (over active imagination).
It was Montoya who suggested a park rather
than just trails, and the Rays who suggested rebuilding the chapel.
The board wanted to get the city’s attention. Montoya says, “nothing would get their
attention like telling them a gang is coming to make a proposal.” The title stuck. They went
before the city, stunned them with their comprehensive plan, and La Capilla Park started on
the road to reality.
Before going to the state legislature to tackle monetary issues for the park, however, the
board metamorphosed into the La Capilla board of directors. Montoya grins and says that
“board” appealed more than “gang” for that task.
The Rays, the only original members still on the board, remain sparkplugs for La Capilla
Park. Senovia enthusiastically displays an artist’s rendering of the park illustrating all
16 proposed elements - the rebuilt chapel, trails, picnic areas, grottos, gardens, a unique
retaining wall and more.
Main goals for the park include cultural, historical and educational aspects, as well as lowmaintenance features and tourism. “We want something for everyone of all ages,” says
Senovia, who currently serves as board chairperson.
From the beginning, she wanted the chapel to be the heart of the project. She walked
When a “gang of five” area
residents made a proposal to Silver
City fathers to develop 23 acres of
land into La Capilla Park, the idea
met with enthusiasm. The “gang”
then went to Juvenile Probation to
see if they could help provide labor.
According to Gary Stailey, chief
juvenile probation officer with
Juvenile Justice Services, Youth and
Family Services, this turned out to
be a timely request. Concurrently, he
says, the Youth Conservation Corps
(YCC) request for proposal came out.
“We saw that as an opportunity to
dovetail (the La Capilla project) with
YCC, where kids could actual-ly get
paid for their work,” he says.
He explains that YCC partnered
with Cobre and Silver school
districts to reach youths who might
be encouraged to apply. The city,
Juvenile Probation and school
districts interview youths between
16 and 25 years of age who have
either dropped out of school, are at
risk, and are unemployed.
YCC has provided labor for
everything completed at La Capilla
Park except the chapel, which was
constructed by HolRay Construction, with adobes provided by Mule
Creek Adobe.
“By helping build (the park), it
creates a sense of ownership,”
Stailey says. “They’re part of it and
it’s part of them.”
Some of the YCC participants
have told Stailey that they look
forward to taking their own children
to the park someday.
above: The chapel has
a panoramic view from
Chihuahua Hill.
this area with her children, and recalls seeing remnants of the original chapel foundation.
Chihuahua Hills is special to those who have lived here so many years, both the Rays and
Montoya say, as is the original chapel and the stories and legends that go with it.
Two sisters, Hipolita and Beatriz Manquero, journeyed here from Chihuahua City, Mexico in
the1800’s, and eventually commissioned the building of the original adobe chapel, dedicated
in 1885. Whether they were prostitutes, as some claim, or just single Mexican women who
were alone, as others say, and whether the chapel was built out of love, guilt, or to spare the
older sister who became ill, it became a beacon for Mexican-American residents living
in the Chihuahua Hill area of Silver City, according to Larry Godfrey, former La
Capilla board member. The chapel was dismantled in 1914, but never forgotten
by residents.
La Capilla board members lobbied in Santa Fe for funding. Joseph Gendron,
coordinator of Trails and Open Spaces, was able to get an EPA grant to help.
Other help came from the Youth Conservation Corps (see sidebar).
The “little chapel on the hill” was dedicated in May 2004. Red brick
walkways lead to this adobe replica, situated next to scant remains of the historic
original chapel.
Metal artwork on the windows includes flowers and hummingbirds. Heavy wooden
doors invite visitors into a simple chapel with polished wooden pews.
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“The chapel connects us to the past,”
Senovia says. “We all have connections to
the past. That’s why we’re here.”
She continues to envision new ideas for
the park, and hopes to see many of them
completed “before God calls me.” To
Senovia, “nothing is impossible.”
La Capilla chapel keeps silent vigil over
continuing work on the park. This year,
walkways, pavilions and picnic areas near the
adjacent Senior Citizens Center and
El Refugio will give these facilities easy
access to the park.
Many of the 16 elements for La Capilla
Park are still hopes and dreams. But then,
aren’t hopes and dreams what started this
whole chain of events so long ago when two
sisters arrived from Mexico?
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Carol Gardner, Agent
Lisa Parker, Agent
505-534-7926
505-590-6196
505-313-4185
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505-590-2224
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A tribute to
15
Grant
County
LONG TIMERS
BY BRETT FERNEAU AND JOE BURGESS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOE BURGESS AND BILL WARREN
WE LOOK BACK TO A DIFFERENT ERA IN GRANT COUNTY’S HISTORY THROUGH
THE EYES OF 15 LIVING TREASURES WHO HELPED MAKE THIS A SPECIAL PLACE.
above,
left to right:
Juanita Franks age 39
Jim McCauley age 9
Tommy Foy age 25
Dorothy McCray age 19
Nick Chintis age 24
Paul Hunter age 22
Dorothy Blalock age 23
Murray Ryan age 23
Jim Schadel age 58
Gabby Armendariz age 36
Ben Altamirano age 20
Dr. John Wilson age 26
Beverly Redwine age 16
Bobbie Neal-Little age 41
Harold Oberg age 33
They were artists, businesspeople, cattle drovers, doctors, miners, ranchers and
teachers. Some speak of days when men paid for groceries with raw gold. Others
remember an era when horses were ridden often, but seldom for pleasure. Though such
times may seem worlds away, it all happened in Grant County within just one lifetime of
the present day.
In a modern culture that seems to worship youthfulness, our community’s long-time
residents deserve recognition as part of the foundation of our life here and now. They
endured their share of poverty and hardships, and many displayed more than their share of
courage. All of them were just ordinary people, dealing with events as they happened. Their
stories remind us that Silver City was once just two miles across in either direction, and
nobody bothered to lock their doors. To cover paydays, mining company storekeepers –
without armed guards – regularly made huge cash withdrawals at the bank in broad
daylight without incident. Children cheerfully worked at the jobs of grown men away at war
and considered it simply as ‘doing their part.’ Through good times and bad, the people on
these pages have remained joyous about life and the place they chose to live.
At Zia Publishing, our staff compiled a list of questions we wanted to ask 15 of these
people, whose combined experience totals over 12 centuries. Some of those questions
and individual answers appear on the pages that follow. Together with the stories and
photos, they provide a glimpse into the lives of 15 Grant County long-timers who helped
make this area what it is today “a wonderful place to grow up, live and raise children.”
102-year-old Juanita Franks lives
with her loyal dogs Cocoa and
Butch on a ranch originally homesteaded by her
grandparents, Swiss immigrants Christian and Anna
Flury. Juanita’s parents, William C. and Maggie Franks,
were ranchers near the Continental Divide, where
Franks family members still raise cattle today. Juanita
and her husband established the Rocky Mountain
School for Boys at the ranch in 1928. In 1932 Juanita
changed the school to a boarding house and restaurant,
which later became Bear Mountain Lodge.
Juanita was a social worker and supervisor for the American Red Cross during
World War II. Stationed at a London hospital during D-Day, she remembers the
hundreds of wounded soldiers who came through the ER afterward. With no time
for paperwork, nurses used their lipsticks to write the letter “P” on the foreheads
of their patients, indicating that the young men had been given the new wonder
drug penicillin.
After the war, she was a social worker at Fort Bayard and later served as the
director of the Grant County Welfare Office for many years. Long before the civil
rights movement gained acceptance, she was responsible for a policy reform that
was instituted at government hospitals nationwide. Under the new policy, patients
were assigned to floors in the hospitals based on the nature of their ailments rather
than their race.
Juanita is the oldest living graduate of WNMU, then New Mexico
State Teachers College. A confirmed lifetime voter, she plans to vote
for a woman for president if a woman runs next time.
“Women should be given a chance at everything,”
she says.
JUANITA
FRANKS
BY BRETT FERNEAU
Your age? 102.
Where are you from originally, and how
long have you lived here? I was born in
Ivanhoe, NM. It was a mining town
located between Hurley and Santa
Rita. It’s under one of the tailings
dumps now. I’ve lived in Grant
County off and on my entire life.
As a child, what was one of the things
you enjoyed most? We worked,
because we lived on a ranch. Ranch
people have to help each other. We
made our own games. We took
care of horses, cattle, pigs and
chickens and had fun doing it.
you enjoyed least? I don’t remember
one. My mother was a wonderful
person. She kept us busy with all
sorts of chores, but none of them
was disturbing to us.
What has been one of the biggest
changes in southwestern New Mexico
over the years, and how do you feel
about it? Population growth would
be the biggest thing.
What is your favorite place to visit in
Silver City? Diane’s Restaurant is a
wonderful place. I like to go there in
the mornings when Diane is there.
She’s a great person. I also like the
Buckhorn in Pinos Altos.
Do you have a favorite actor or movie?
No. I have a hard time with movies
these days, and all the old movie
stars have died off.
If you had all the money in the world,
what would you do with it? Travel,
travel, travel. I’ve never taken a trip
I didn’t enjoy.
What event or occurrence do you feel
had a large impact on our area or on
you personally? The Hispanic population has increased tremendously,
and I think that’s been for the good.
They are interested in politics and
community affairs.
Is there something in life you’d still like
to do? I can’t think of one. Right now
I’m interested in getting a plumber
out here to fix the pipes and in
getting my dog well.
What decade did you enjoy the most?
Why? All of them. I enjoy life.
What do think of current technology,
like computers and cell phones?
I bought a computer and tried to
learn to use it, but I saw I couldn’t
do it. It just didn’t click. I eventually
gave up and gave it away. My
12-year-old great-great niece is
a whiz with one. She’s a bright
little girl; I think all the kids are
these days.
Is there something helpful you
would like to say to young
people who are just starting
out?
Get a good education.
JIM
McCauley
BY BRETT FERNEAU
Your age? 92 this November.
Where are you from originally, and how long have you
lived here? I was born here when there was no
hospital. Except for four years in the army in
World War II, I’ve always lived here.
What sort of work did you do? I feel that I was lucky
to be able to be a rancher.
Were the “good old days” really all that good? In a
way. It had drawbacks too, but I liked the
independent life. I’ve never answered to a
whistle. My dad was the only boss I ever had,
and that was when I was a kid.
As a child, what was one of the things you enjoyed
most? Riding horses with my dad. I started when
I was six.
least? Well, there’s building fence. I’ve dug a few
thousand postholes, that’s not fun. There are
200 postholes to a mile of fence. Also, I never
liked going back into the hot kitchen with my
sister after supper and washing dishes.
Was life better/simpler then? Simpler, pretty much.
We just worked all the time. We got two days
off per year: Christmas and the Fourth of July.
What has been one of the biggest changes in southwestern New Mexico over the years, and how do you
feel about it? There are a lot more people. They’ve
covered up a lot of good ranch land with houses
and trailers.
What is your favorite place to visit in Silver City? The
Kountry Kitchen.
Do you have a favorite actor or movie? I’d only seen
two picture shows before I went into the army.
Will Rogers was a comical guy. In the army I saw
Judy Garland, and I liked her. On the ranch, we
could listen to the radio back then, so that’s
mostly what we did.
If you had all the money in the world, what would you
do with it? Give it away. Hell, I couldn’t spend it.
A lot of people like to travel. I like to sit here and
look up the hill.
What event or occurrence do you feel had a large
impact on our area or on you personally? The war
(WW II) changed everything. It had a tremendous
impact on Grant and Luna Counties. We lost our
finest young men.
What do think of current technology, like computers
and cell phones? You can burn ’em up as far as
I’m concerned. (Laughs.) There are too many
dumb people entering stuff on computers and
messing up the computers. I did learn to use
one of those hand adding machines. I used to
like TV shows like ‘Bonanza’ and ‘Green Acres’
but TV hurts my eyes now and most of the
shows are filthy.
Is there something helpful you would like to say to
young people who are just starting out? One thing:
be honest. I don’t believe in being a liar or a
cheater. Learn how to do something and give an
honest day’s work for a day’s pay. When my
grandfather was ranching, there were a few
thieves among the homesteaders. My dad was
complaining about it one day, and my granddad
told him, “Don’t worry about the thieves. They
won’t be around long. You can’t make it around
here unless you’re honest.” I believe that. And
you know what? That was in 1901, and the
thieves weren’t around long. The honest families
are still there today. Be fair with your fellow man
and you’ll have no trouble in life.
When
21-year-old
Jim
McCauley entered Silver
City’s first professional rodeo n 1934, he rode
his horse from White Signal just to reach the
rodeo grounds to compete.
His father was a cattle rancher, and Jim
never wanted to be anything else. At that time
there were no trucks to take the cattle to
market. Cattle shipped by rail, and they had to
be herded to the railheads by drovers on
horseback. On Jim’s first cattle drive – to Whitewater at age nine – the
men rounded up brush cattle along the way and made camp near the
corrals at Hogback. During the night the half-wild cattle spooked and tore
the corrals down. After the stampede, cattle were scattered across a
15-mile radius around the camp.
Jim rode horseback to attend various county schools. He carried a
lunch, but preferred to visit the Diamond A Cattle Co. chuck wagon if it
was nearby. The cook, Sourdough Johnson, specialized in steaks with
sourdough Dutch oven biscuits and gravy.
Attending high school in Silver City, Jim spent three hours daily riding
the school “bus” – a pickup truck with metal side-panels, curtains and
benches mounted in the back. “You wouldn’t think we could get 35 kids
in the back of a half-ton Dodge
pickup,” he said, “but we did.
On warm days there’d be five
kids sitting on the tailgate.”
Ranching is a hardworking
life, but Jim has few regrets.
“I feel sorry for kids today
who don’t know what they
want to do in life. I was doing it
by the time I was nine.”
Many New Mexicans who
survived the horrors of the
Bataan Death March returned to fill leadership roles
in their state. Former attorney, bank co-founder,
district attorney and longtime state legislator
Tommy Foy is one such man.
Tommy grew up in a local ranching family. “I grew
up loving horses and jumped at every chance to
help my uncle whenever he was moving cattle,” he
says. He attended high school in Silver City and went on to Notre Dame,
where he worked at a variety of jobs to help with expenses.
After serving his country in World War II, Tommy returned to continue
his law practice and to court his future wife, Joan Carney. The couple was
married in 1948. “We raised five children and had a wonderful life,” he
adds, noting, “She was an amazing woman.”
In 1946, Tommy saw the need for a bank in the mining district, where he
has lived all his life. He drew up the papers establishing Grant County State
Bank, became one of its first officers, and served as Chairman of the Board
for 14 years. He also served two terms as Grant County District Attorney
and was a charter member of the Bayard Lions Club.
Tommy entered state politics in 1970, serving in the State House of
Representatives. There, he chaired the Judiciary Committee for 16 years,
and was appointed to the National Conference of Commissioners on
Uniform State Laws in 1987. He retired from the legislature in 1998 but he
is still a member of the state bar and The National Conference of
Commissioners.
TOMMY
Foy
BY JOE BURGESS AND BRETT FERNEAU
Your age? 91 in October 2005.
Where are you from originally, and how long have
you lived here? I was born in Silver City and
lived my entire life in the mining district.
What sort of work did you do? I am a retired attorney. I am a retired chairman of the Board and
one of the co-founders of the Grant County
State Bank, which is now Bank Of America. I
served 28 years as a state representative and
two terms as district attorney. I served my
country during World War II and am a survivor
of the Bataan Death March.
Were the “good old days” really all that good? I will
answer “no,” because during the depression,
Dad had to work several jobs just to take care
of the family.
most? I loved to ride horses and enjoyed helping round up the cattle. I also loved baseball
and served as mascot for the Ft. Bayard Vets.
least? I was part of a cohesive family and had
a car, so there was really nothing I didn’t enjoy.
Is life better/easier now? Life is much better,
now. My family helped educate me, my wife
was a great influence on my life and we raised
five wonderful children.
What has been one of the biggest changes in
southwestern New Mexico over the years? There
has been a noticeable growth in the number
or organizations and individuals promoting the
area and it is making a difference.
What is your favorite place to visit in Silver City?
Joan and I enjoyed dining at the Country Club
and at El Paisano. Whenever I was working in
town, I would eat at the Manhattan Café.
Do you have a favorite actor or movie? John
Wayne, Gunsmoke, Matlock, Perry Mason…
I have more time for television, now.
If you had all the money in the world, what would
you do with it? I want to be comfortable and I
want my children to be comfortable, beyond
that, I would simply do what I am doing now,
give to my church, my school, veterans
organizations and help my war buddies.
Is there something in life you’d still like to do? In a
broad sense, I would like to see children have
equal opportunities for the best education and
training to suit their abilities.
impact on our area or on you personally? World
War II took a huge toll on New Mexico and
Grant County by eliminating the cream of the
crop of a whole generation. Those of us who
returned have contributed as much as
possible to the state.
What decade did you enjoy the most? The period
that included returning from the service alive,
meeting Joan and raising a family.
What do think of current technology? I haven’t
learned how to use that “whatever-it-is”
(laughing and pointing at a laptop), but I can
still use a typewriter.
young people who are just starting out? Get a
good education, work hard, have a good moral
compass to guide you, and serve your fellow
man. Accept responsibility for the good that
you do as well as the mistakes that you make.
Enjoy life.
DOROTHY
McCray
There was never any doubt
that Dorothy McCray was
BY BRETT FERNEAU
an artist. She began drawing and painting as
Your age? I turned 90 in October.
you lived here? I was born in South Dakota. I
came here from the University of Iowa to
teach at Western New Mexico University.
That was in 1948.
What sort of work did you do? I’m an artist, of
course.
Were the “good old days” really all that good? I
enjoyed them. They weren’t necessarily better
than present times, but they were different.
most? Painting, drawing, swimming and
playing tennis. Mostly painting and drawing.
least? Math. I wasn’t good at it and panicked. I
avoided it all the way through school. I still do.
Is life better/easier now? It’s never been hard,
has it? It’s always been interesting, but that
doesn’t mean it’s always been pleasant.
Was life better/simpler then? For me it was
completely different when I was teaching.
Teaching is a very involved occupation, and I
was doing my own artwork as well. It was a
very busy time.
What has been one of the biggest changes in southwestern New Mexico over the years, and how do
you feel about it? The university campus and
student body have grown considerably. There’s
been a dramatic population growth around the
outskirts of town, and an extreme surge of
interest in the arts in the last 15 years or so.
Right here. (Indicates her gallery.)
you do with it? I’d probably put it into animal
shelters and scholarships for art students.
Possibly medical research, but that’s too
distant. It’s really not a practical question.
I certainly wouldn’t buy anything. I’ve got
enough stuff.
Is there something in life you’d still like to do? Of
course. All the paintings and prints I haven’t
done yet.
impact on our area or on you personally? The mine
strike in the 50s certainly had an impact on
the area, and the Big Ditch – I wasn’t here
then but that must’ve been something.
What decade did you enjoy the most? Why? Well,
the 50s was the most exciting time, because
of the students at the university. A lot of them
were ex-GI’s. There was a spirit of
experimentation and excitement among them.
In the 60s there was more unrest. It was an
interesting and frustrating time. In the 70s I
got my own etching press and did a lot of
traveling in the summertime. I retired from
teaching in ’81.
What do think of current technology? Oh, it’s not
going to go away, is it? I have a digital camera
that I use to photograph my artwork and
upload it to my website. It’s all quite amazing,
but I could live very nicely without it.
young people who are just starting out? Be
curious about things. Use your imagination.
Whatever you wonder about, try it. It takes a
lot of courage, but it’s worth it.
a young girl. Now 90, she continues to
pursue her passion and shows no signs of
being ready to quit.
Dorothy was hired as an art instructor at
New Mexico State Teachers College – now
WNMU – and moved here with her husband
in 1948. At that time, she says, the grocery stores were downtown,
there were prospector’s burros on the streets and some people still
carried guns on their hips. The Murray Hotel was the swankest place in
town and the Branding Iron Saloon was in its heyday. Laughing, she
adds, “I guess that makes it sound like a long time ago.”
Dorothy taught for 33 years and several of her students became wellknown artists. She enjoyed teaching, but viewed her retirement in 1981
as an opportunity to spend more time on her own artwork.
She calls herself an “action painter,” meaning that she doesn’t set out
with a precise plan in mind, but allows the painting to evolve as she
works. She is also an expert stone lithographer and has her own
etching press at her home studio. Her work sells well at her Atelier
Gallery on Broadway, but that’s not the only reason she displays it.
“People look at my larger pieces and say, ‘I love it, but I don’t have
space for it.’ I tell them ‘You don’t have to take music home to enjoy it;
you can just enjoy it where you are.’ It’s the same with the visual arts.”
Like several of his teammates,
Chicago-born Nicholas Chintis
NICK
came here from Indiana in 1938 on a basketball
BY BRETT FERNEAU
scholarship to New Mexico State Teachers
Your age? 88.
Chicago and came here from Indiana.
I was recruited to play college
basketball. I also played football.
Except for the war, I’ve been here
since then.
What sort of work did you do? I was a
teacher and supervisor for Grant
County Schools before I joined the
staff at Western New Mexico
University. At WNMU, I worked
in everything from student
recruitment to the Alumni Association. So I’ve had the chance to
know a lot of students throughout
their entire careers.
Were the “good old days” really all that
good? In some respects they were,
although that includes my years as
a POW. It was a different atmosphere then.
what would you do with it? (Chuckles.)
Exactly what I’ve been doing. The
field of education is not known for
making money, but it’s gratifying. I
enjoyed the work.
Is there something in life you’d still like to
do? Not really. I think my work in
education pretty much ran the gamut
of things to do and accomplish. I feel
good about my history.
What event or occurrence do you feel
had a large impact on our area or on you
personally? For me personally, it was
being a prisoner of war. A bunch of
us from the university joined the
National Guard. The whole football
team signed up together. We signed
up for one year. There are only four
or five of us left now. We were the
most decorated regiment in World
War II. We received the Bronze Star,
the Purple Heart, and three
presidential citations. When I was
working at the shipyard in Yokohama,
we witnessed the air raids on
Yokohama and Tokyo. They
incinerated Yokohama.
What do think of current technology, like
computers and cell phones? I don’t use
them.
Is there something helpful you would like
to say to young people who are just
starting out? Get an education. You’ve
gotta have it. It’s a necessity – not
just from the standpoint of
knowledge, but of social integration,
of fitting into a way of life. I was
always student-oriented. I’d try to
see the student’s side of a
controversy, and give him or her the
benefit of the doubt. Some people
aren’t student oriented; they’d rather
kick them out than keep them in. I’d
rather keep them in.
College, now WNMU. The 1939 team beat UCLA,
won the Rose Bowl invitational and was ranked
10th in the nation.
Nick recalls his first trip to Silver City: “Indiana
is pretty green, and the farther west we got the
more desolate-looking the landscape became. We were having serious
misgivings until we pulled into the T&H drive-in restaurant at the edge of town,
where Miko’s Tacos is today. The carhops were girls in white Stetsons™ and
white cowboy boots. They were the prettiest things we’d ever seen. We
decided then and there that this was the place for us.”
In 1941 Nick joined the New Mexico National Guard, becoming part of a
chapter in history that is too often forgotten. Captured by Japanese forces in
the Phillipine Islands, he survived the infamous Bataan Death March and spent
the remainder of World War II laboring in a shipyard as a prisoner of war.
Returning in 1945, Nick resumed his studies at New Mexico State Teachers
College, graduating in 1948. He taught at the county school in Bayard, and
then served as Grant County School Supervisor from 1951-53. A 20-year
career in the administration department at WNMU followed. Nick earned M.S.
degrees in both Administration and Counseling, which eventually led to the
position of Director of Admission – Placement and Field Services. He retired
in 1973.
Nick’s 1939 basketball team, the best in the
school’s history, was inducted into the WNMU
Hall of Fame in 1993.
Chintis
PAUL
Hunter
BY BRETT FERNEAU
Your age? 85.
Where are you from originally, and how long have you lived
here? I was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. My father
was a World War I veteran with tuberculosis. In those
days there was nothing to do for TB but move to a
dry climate. We came here when I was a young boy.
I’ve lived here off and on ever since.
Were the “good old days” really all that good? Yes. People
helped each other. Our doctor made house calls. It
was the attitude of the people that made the west
such a good place to be.
As a child, what did you enjoyed most? Sports.
As a child, what was one of the things you enjoyed least?
One of my jobs was to carry the woodstove ashes
out. I hated it because that fine dust would get in
my eyes and nose and everywhere, and then I had to
clean that up too.
Is life better/easier now? It’s better in a lot of ways.
There have been a lot of technical advances. There
are no ashes to carry out. But I think the values of
people have slipped a lot.
Was life better/simpler then? It was certainly simpler.
What has been one of the biggest changes in southwestern
New Mexico over the years, and how do you feel about it?
People are not interested in politics like they were in
the early days. We had better, more effective people
in state and municipal jobs, even though many of the
early jobs had no pay. So many things were done
with a handshake then. The big ranches traded back
and forth, and nothing was ever written down. I’m
not saying there weren’t some big court actions, but
the general atmosphere was one of mutual trust.
What is your favorite place to visit in Silver City? The
Kountry Kitchen for coffee and food.
Do you have a favorite actor or movie? I always liked
John Wayne. Jane Russell went to UCLA at the same
time I did. She didn’t make many movies but I
thought she was great.
If you had all the money in the world, what would you do
with it? I’d try to spend it wisely and do good things
politically. I’d certainly donate to the Salvation Army,
and I’d be very active – I’d spend all it took – for
research to find a medical cure for alcoholism. It has
ruined so many good people who just couldn’t stop.
Is there something in life you’d still like to do? I’d like to
have a big thoroughbred horse that would run in the
Kentucky Derby and win. (Chuckles.) That goes along
with having all the money in the world.
What event or occurrence do you feel had a large impact
on our area or on you personally? For me personally, it
was when Kennecott selected me to go to the
University of Pittsburgh to get a master’s degree. It
was a special program for large company executives.
I was away from my family for three or four months
at a time. The course was taught by experts in a
variety of fields from finance to law. It taught me to
think differently about what motivates people.
What do think of current technology? It haunts me that
telecommunications have changed to the point
where it actually discourages communication. With
large companies, you can go weeks without getting
in touch with the person you’re trying to reach.
Is there something helpful you would like to say to young
people who are just starting out? I think today’s young
people should be provided with a more realistic
education in business. To get ahead, you have to
realize how to get ahead. That’s done by satisfying
demand. For example, the work you do in school is
done to create a demand for your employment later
on. Never overlook the importance of demand.
If Paul Hunter owned a
different hat for every
occupation he’s had, he’d need a bigger house
to hold his collection. He’s been a professional
football player, a new car dealer, a miner, an
executive, a public servant, a broadcasting
entrepreneur and an author. He estimates that
he and his wife Gene – short for Imogene –
have moved 25 times, but they always
returned to Silver City. “It was a great place to
grow up,” he recalled.
Young Paul Hunter made his mark here as the first freshman ever to
earn letters in three sports during his first year at New Mexico State
Teachers College, now WNMU. Following navy service during World
War II he played pro football for the Washington Redskins, who paid
him a whopping $50 signing bonus. Returning home, he founded a
successful Nash automobile dealership here before going on to a
career in various aspects of the mining industry. He served as a city
councilor, on the WNMU Board of Regents and was appointed to the
U.S Labor Department Advisory Board.
Paul is probably best remembered locally as the past owner and
driving force behind radio station KNFT-AM and FM. He told us he
wasn’t looking to get into the broadcasting business, but just looking to
get some breakfast at the Kountry Kitchen when he learned that the
station was for sale.
“I’d been a part-time disc jockey at KSIL in college,” he said, “The
price was right, so I said, ‘I think I’ll
buy it.’ I bought it over breakfast.
It was a lot of fun.”
When
economist
Dorothy
Blalock came to New Mexico
Western College, now WNMU – to teach in 1950,
the student body totaled 270, about one-twelfth its
number today. She taught there for over 42 years,
and says that one of the greatest rewards of an
educational career is hearing someone say, “I’m
using what you taught me.”
Dorothy was recently honored at a reception
hosted by Dr. John Counts, President of the
University, and his wife Barbara. Professor Blalock received the “Lifetime
Achievement Award” issued by the WNMU Alumni Association and the
WNMU Foundation for her many contributions to the school and community.
She also received a commemorative plaque to be displayed on WNMU’s newly
established Wall of Honor.
“It’s very humbling,” says this great-great grandmother. “There have been so
many good teachers at WNMU.”
As a student, Dorothy interrupted her education to join the U.S. Navy in
1942. Since she’d already completed secretarial school and knew shorthand,
she expected to be assigned as a yeoman or a storekeeper. Instead, tests
showed she had an aptitude as a mechanic. She served as an aviation
machinist’s mate until 1945.
Returning to school after the war, she graduated from the University of
Minnesota during an era when many still considered economics to be
exclusively a man’s field. “People thought I should be
at home, cooking,” she says with a laugh. “I was
cooking at home. I happen to be a good cook!”
Why did she choose economics?
“We live it every day. It’s changing every day. It’s
the essence of what happens, the center of the
social sciences.”
DOROTHY
Blalock
BY BRETT FERNEAU
Your age? Closer to 90 than to 80.
good? Every age is a good age. You
just have to accept change.
As a child, what was one of the things you
enjoyed most? I enjoyed learning, going
to school and reading. There are many
lakes around Duluth. We could go
swimming in the summer and iceskating in the winter.
Is life better/easier now? Look at all
the paved streets, and all the
additions. The boundaries of the old
historic district were only a mile in
each direction from the intersection
of Broadway and Bullard. The town
had no sewer system east of
Hudson Street.
Was life better/simpler then? Simpler,
maybe. There were no washers, driers
or dishwashing machines. Those
solar-powered clothes driers were
more work.
What has been one of the biggest changes
in southwestern New Mexico over the
years? An increased tendency toward
acceptance of all peoples.
Silver City? I think Shevek & Mi has
marvelous food.
Is there something in life you’d still like
to do? Well, I haven’t taken the train
from Toronto to Vancouver yet. I
haven’t been to Japan or India. I’d
like to spend a week on a dude ranch
in Colorado.
What event or occurrence do you feel had
a large impact on our area or on you
personally? I think one such event was
when the railroad stopped passenger
service to Silver City. The train never
had real passenger cars, but there
were seats in the caboose where you
could ride. Since Silver City was at the
end of the line, the train always
backed into the station here.
Why? I enjoyed all of them. One should
do that as you go along in life. You
don’t say, “I wish I were again.”
computers and cell phones? They are
necessities today. I do not have a cell
phone yet, but I was one of the first
professors at the university to have a
computer in my office.
What do you know about people and life
today that you wish you had known when
you were younger? I always kept up
with my generations. You have to
change with change, but don’t let go
of what was good in the past.
starting out? It’s important to obtain an
education. It’s also important to have
a faith for guidance.
MURRAY
One of Murray Ryan’s childhood memories of Silver City
BY BRETT FERNEAU
was watching the circus train unload at the depot
Your age? I turned 83 in July.
Central. The town is called Santa Clara
now. I’ve always lived in this area,
except for my years in the military.
good? Yes. There was more collegiality.
There was more mutual support and
respect in the community. I think
there was also more effective
community leadership.
enjoyed most? Weekend picnics with
Dutch oven biscuits.
enjoyed least? I can’t think of anything. I
really had a marvelous childhood. Our
entertainment was all self-designed:
marbles, kites and rubber gun battles.
Is life better/easier now? It was easier
then, less strife and stress.
What has been one of the biggest changes
in southwestern New Mexico over the
years, and how do you feel about it? We
have a changing population, and a
marked difference in cultural diversity.
Silver City? We’re fortunate to have
several excellent restaurants. There is
also a variety of art and cultural
possibilities sponsored by both the
Mimbres Region Arts Council and
Western New Mexico University.
Do you have a favorite actor or movie? I’d
say my favorite movie was “Shane.”
My favorite actor would probably be
Jimmy Stewart.
what would you do with it? First I’d
provide a secure financial future for
my four children. Then I’d support
some very important charities, such
as cancer research.
Is there something in life you’d still like to
do? Not specifically. I wish I had more
time to travel.
Why? The 40s. After West Point, I was
part of the occupation forces in
Europe. My wife and I did quite a bit
of traveling.
computers and cell phones? To my
embarrassment, they’ve all passed
me by.
What do you know about people and life
today that you wish you had known when
you were younger? Most individuals
tend to take a very short view of
things instead of looking ahead into
the future.
starting out? Never give up your confidence and optimistic view of the future.
in the late 1920s. The handlers unloaded the
Ryan
elephants and used them to push the wagons up
the hill.
Murray’s maternal great grandfather, Timothy
Murray, was a civil war veteran who brought his
family to Fort Bayard in the 1880s. His son, W.D.
Murray, started a general merchandise business in Central (now Santa Clara)
where Murray Ryan was born. Murray’s parents named him for his mother’s
family surname. He was educated at West Point, graduating in 1945.
The family had built the Murray Hotel in 1938, and in 1960 the hotel
assumed sponsorship of a little league baseball team.
“Having a restaurant, they felt they were in a good position to supply the
team with hamburgers, fries and sodas,” says Murray with a smile. He and
lifelong friend Jack Hill coached the team and are well remembered by
former players.
Murray is a director at 1st New Mexico Bank and had a 20-year career with
Kennecott Copper Corp., but he’s probably best known for his other career:
30 years as our state representative, beginning in
1969. He notes that he usually made the treks to
Santa Fe accompanied by his family and dog,
Snoopy. Murray also served as State Chairman of
the Republican Party in 1973, which led to
personal meetings with the president, vice
president and two future presidents.
These days, Murray volunteers at the Chamber of
Commerce and the Visitors Center that bears
his name. You’ll find him there every
Thursday. Drop by and say hello!
The closing of Schadel’s Bakery
in the early 90s was the end of
JIM
an era in Silver City’s lifestyle. For 87 years, the
BY BRETT FERNEAU
family-owned bakery provided the area with
countless fresh donuts, rolls and loaves of bread.
Jim Schadel’s uncle bought the business in1906.
His father took over when his uncle died and ran
the business for another 35 years. Jim grew up in
it, wrapping and delivering bread before and after
school. He estimates that he personally made 4,000 wedding cakes during
his own tenure as owner.
As a kid working in the bakery, I knew two things for certain,” he says.
“When I grew up, I never wanted to live in Silver City and I never wanted to
be a baker. It only took me seven years to realize my mistake.”
He moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma as a young man in order to be near his
future wife, Carolyn. They were married in 1949 and Jim worked as a delivery
driver for WonderBread™. In 1955 the couple came back to Silver City to stay.
Jim went back to work at the bakery, starting his workdays at 2 a.m.
Jim took over the operation in 1965. His sons Steve and Jeff worked at the
bakery growing up, and Jeff later returned to work there for another 10 years.
Jim retired in 1993.
Jim and Carolyn have been
married for 56 years. They were cofounders and charter members of
the Silver City Country Club,
where they enjoyed many
a round of golf together.
These days they enjoy
fishing and RVing.
Schadel
Your age? 77.
Were the “good old days” really all that good?
Not necessarily. I enjoy retirement. When I
was working, though, I’d work from 2 am
to 12 or 12:30 pm. My wife and I would
go play nine holes of golf, and then I’d
sleep for two or three hours. We’d have a
normal evening, and I’d go to bed about
nine. I did that for 20 or 30 years.
enjoyed most? Going to the picture shows.
enjoyed least? I never enjoyed school. If
I hadn’t had some lenient teachers I’d
probably still be in high school.
Was life better/simpler then? Yes, simpler.
There have always been wars and threats
of wars, but it seems like the world is in
worse shape now than it’s been in a long
time. Or maybe it’s just that I have more
time to think about it.
southwestern New Mexico over the years,
and how do you feel about it? The weather.
When we moved back here in ’55 there
was no air conditioning and we didn’t
need any. We always wore sweaters
outside at night. We didn’t even buy a
swamp cooler until we put the addition
on the house about 30 years ago. When
people talk about global warming, I
believe them.
If you had all the money in the world, what
would you do with it? (Chuckles.) Probably
sit right here. It’s a nice home, and it’s
still a nice neighborhood.
What decade did you enjoy the most? Why? I
think we enjoyed the time we were age
40 to 60 the most. We were very social
then. Along with about 20 other couples,
we helped start and open the country club
here. We played golf and went to the
dances there. We’re charter members.
computers and cell phones? It’s great. I
should mention that we have a computer
that does nothing but play solitaire, and
we have a cell phone that we don’t
understand, but we carry it with us when
we travel because we know how to dial
911. But it’s fantastic what they can do
now. When we used to listen to the radio,
you’d tune in your favorite program and
then sit and stare at the knobs. Now
there’s television.
Is there something helpful you would like to
say to young people who are just starting out?
Yes. If you’re going to succeed you’re
going to have to work, and if the job requires going in at 2 a.m. then that’s when
you go in. No matter what job you have,
you’re still going to have to work at it.
“I was only eight when I
began selling home-made
GAVINO (GABBY)
Armendariz
bread, tortillas and piñon door to door to
BY JOE BURGESS AND ARLENE SCHADEL
Your age? 76 on October 5, 2005
you lived here? I was born in Hurley and spent
most of my life in the Mining District.
What sort of work did you do? I managed
Bailey’s Market and later, along with son
Steve, owned both the market and Bayard
Shopping Center.
Were the “good old days” really all that good? We
enjoyed life and each other more than the
newer generations.
most? Baseball…we would walk to Hurley,
Central and Santa Rita to watch weekend
baseball games. I have since attended two
World Series games.
least? Chopping wood in winter. It was one of
the few things my parents had to keep after
us to do.
Is life better/easier now? Modern conveniences
make life simpler today but, of course,
younger generations don’t realize where we
have come from.
southwestern New Mexico over the years, and
how do you feel about it? There have not been
too many changes. We appreciate the
peacefulness of the area, but we suffer from
lack of jobs to hold the children here.
Rosenda and I used to go regularly to
Mi Casita for Mexican food.
Do you have a favorite actor or movie? Since
you are allowing me to include baseball…
the old Brooklyn Dodgers and now the
Diamondbacks, Don Drysdale, Luis Gonzales
and Mike Garcia.
you do with it? I would give to charitable
organizations that help people in need,
especially victims of hunger. We help as we
can through our church and support an
orphanage in Chihuahua.
Is there something in life you’d still like to do?
I would like to have obtained a college
degree. We encourage the grandchildren to
finish college.
impact on our area or on you personally? World
War II impacted our business because the
nation needed lead, zinc and copper. A lot of
people from northern New Mexico came here
to work in the mines.
What decade did you enjoy the most? Why? I
enjoyed the early 50’s when Rosenda and I
were starting our lives and our families were
making the adobes for our house.
and cell phones? It is all very good, and very
frustrating. I don’t understand how so many
cell phone conversations take place at one
time without getting all jumbled up.
honest, apply yourself to whatever you do and
complete your education.
help the family,” says Gabby (Gavino)
Armendariz. “When I was a sophomore at
Hurley High School in 1946, Vivian Wright
told me she needed help at Bailey’s Food
Market. She hired me as a carryout and I’ve
been in the grocery business ever since.”
Gabby was eventually made partner in the business with the owners,
Mr. Roy Bailey and his daughter, Mildred. Years later, Gabby with his son
Steve formed a corporation that would own the Food Market as well as
the entire Bayard Shopping Center.
The store was known to carry what the mining district people liked,
including the best in red chili and “Mexican type baked goods and
breads”. They always carried credit business, which eased the pain of
the strikes for many mining families. Gabby says, “good credit is
better that cash… you see, good credit lasts when cash runs out.” He
says it worked well for his store, as most of his customers were good
honest people.
Customers were like family as they patronized the store for
generations, as were some of the long time employees that worked
there for decades. Gabby retired officially in 1998 but could still be
spotted at the store working from time to time
until 2000, after which the store was sold to
Jim and Debbie Nennich.
“Taking care of people’s needs was the
key to our success in the grocery
business,” Gabby continues. “We served
two and three generations of people in
the mining district. Conversely, God took
care of us and we never had to leave
the area.”
State Senate President Pro
Tempore Ben Altamirano’s
first job – hauling water after school – paid
five cents a day. “A nickel isn’t much,” he
chuckles, “but in those days it kept me in
Taffy Giraffes.”
At seven, Ben began working at W. A.
Watson General Mercantile near his home in
Pinos Altos. Along with cash, the store
accepted raw gold brought in by miners.
In the early 60s Ben opened his own grocery store and meat market,
Benny’s Market in Silver City. He borrowed money on his 1949 Dodge
truck in order to stock the cash register with change. Like many other
businesses, Benny’s offered store credit accounts, and not long
afterwards a mine strike began that lasted eleven months. For the
duration of the strike the store had no cash flow, but Ben carried his
customers’ accounts and kept them supplied with fresh meat and
vegetables until the strike ended and they were able to catch up.
His public service career began about that same time, when he was
appointed to the city council. Re-elected, he served on the council for
ten years and then served two terms as a county commissioner. Elected
to the state senate in 1970, he has been there ever since. He is the
subject of a CD produced by El Centro de la Raza at
UNM and has even had a song written about
him.Ben’s wife Nina was a successful businesswoman in her own right. For many years she
owned Nina’s Guys and Gals, a
downtown
store.
retired
The
from
clothing
couple
the
clothing business
in 1997.
BEN
Altamirano
BY BRETT FERNEAU
Your age? 75.
Where are you from originally, and how long have you
lived here? I was born in Silver City and grew up in
Pinos Altos. I’ve lived in Grant County except for
four years in the Army. I joined when I was 16.
What sort of work did you do? I’ve worked in retail
grocery, retail clothing, insurance, timbering,
cattle roundups and I was a firefighter for the
Forest Service.
Were the “good old days” really all that good? You
know, those days were kind of a hardship time. My
family was very poor. But I can’t remember an
unpleasant day as a child, so they must have been
the “good old days.” Everyone was friendly then.
most? Just growing up in Pinos Altos. Rabbit
hunting, trading comic books, ordinary things.
We’d walk over to a swimming hole on Cherry
Creek about four miles away and get so tired
swimming that it was hard to walk back.
southwestern New Mexico over the years, and how do
you feel about it? The industrial phenomenon. New
Mexico’s economy used to be based strictly on
ranching, mining and farming. With modernization
has come a change in people’s lifestyles.
Do you have a favorite actor or movie? The movie
would be “Air Force.” I like Sean Connery as an
actor. I liked the old comedians a lot too.
If you had all the money in the world, what would you
do with it? I’d build a compound full of nice
houses where we and all our kids and grandkids
could be together. The rest would go to a number
of charitable causes.
Is there something in life you’d still like to do? I always
dreamed of being a coast-to-coast semi truck
driver. I also wanted to attend law school and
become a pro bono lawyer. If I had the education
and could afford it, I’d have a free law office and
just help people.
impact on our area or on you personally? When they
detonated the A-bomb at White Sands in the 40s,
we felt the tremor in Pinos Altos. I think that was
when I realized that while planning is necessary,
you’ve got to go one day at a time and not take
things for granted.
What decade did you enjoy the most? Why? I enjoyed
the years I was in business, when my kids were
growing up. My wife and I were able to work
together. Those were busy times. Besides the
city council, I worked with LULAC and was on the
hospital board.
What do think of current technology? I can’t operate a
computer yet. I like to type a letter on a typewriter, then sign it and mail it. I think you lose the
personal touch doing everything by Email. When
Nina and I travel, we listen to a lot of audio
books. We enjoy those very much. One thing is
certain: technology is here to stay, and keeping
current with information technology is a big issue
in state government.
young people who are just starting out? Just a basic
thing: Get educated. Go to school. Technology is
here and it’s become a way of life. Nina and I got
married young in 1949. I did some college work
in night school, but never got a degree. I think
the more educated kids get, the sooner we’ll get
rid of the gangs and drugs.
DR. JOHN S.
Wilson
BY BRETT FERNEAU
Your age? 74.
you lived here? I grew up in Hartford,
Connecticut. I’ve been here for 42 years.
Were the “good old days” really all that good? I think
it’s a matter of selective memory. As you grow
older you forget the trials of a younger age, and
remember good health. There’s probably no
such thing as the “good old days.”
most? My father was a doctor, and he made
house calls. I started going along with him as a
child. When I was little I had to wait in the car,
but when I got older he let me carry his bag.
least? Delivering newspapers in Cedar Rapids,
Iowa in the wintertime. We went there to stay
with my grandmother while my father served in
the navy during the war. I had a paper route.
My fingers were always frozen.
Is life better/easier now? There are more opportunities for young people, more scholarships
and support. When I was an intern I made $25
a month and sold blood to get by. On the other
hand, there are more and greater hazards now.
Substance abuse is more apparent.
Was life better/simpler then? When I had my
practice, life was more regimented. There was
more of a routine. I was married for 47 years,
and my wife took care of a lot of things.
What has been one of the biggest changes in southwestern New Mexico over the years? The climate.
There’s less snow now. We have a more
affluent community. It’s easier to get water. The
people are not all that different than they were.
The Little Walnut picnic ground. It’s quiet and
there are lots of bluebirds there. I’m a birder,
too. I have 475 on my list.
Do you have a favorite actor or movie? Gary Cooper
in “High Noon.” John Wayne. Linda Darnell.
Most movies now are made for kids 14 and
under. There are very few movies made for
adults, and I’m not talking about pornography.
Is there something in life you’d still like to do? I was
injured recently and postponed a trip to the
Lake District in northern Italy. I’ll go next year.
impact on our area or on you personally? There was
a steelworker’s strike at the mines in ’68 or ’69.
Times were hard. The opening of the Tyrone
Mine was a shot in the arm, and retirement and
tourism have brought revenue to the area. The
Chamber of Commerce has successfully
marketed Silver City as a good place to come to.
What do think of current technology? We’re
continually confronted with a tremendous
amount of knowledge, and it’s hard to
concentrate on what’s important. I think in ten
years all phones will be cellular and the
landlines will be gone. I hate to see people
driving and talking on cell phones, though.
optimistic about life. Try to see the bright side
of things. Psychologists call it “learned
optimism.” Survive your difficulties. Things will
work themselves out if you keep on plugging.
Friends are important. Personal relationships
are important.
Dr. John Wilson always knew
he would become a man of
medicine, as his father and grandfather had
done. He started ‘making the rounds’ with his
father as a boy. At 14, he began volunteering at
Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut, his
hometown. Accepted at several universities, he
trained at the Columbia School of Medicine and
performed his internship at Bellevue Hospital in
New York and Hartford Hospital.
Dr. Wilson came to Silver City in 1963 after serving in the U.S. Army
Burn Unit at Fort Sam Houston. At that time there were virtually no
medical specialists in the area, and he saw an unfilled need for a surgeon.
“I came here to work hard,” he told us, and that’s exactly what he did.
He attended to his own practice during regular hours and worked in the
hospital ER at night. Despite the long hours, he grew to appreciate Silver
City and never left.
Dr. Wilson assures us that old age is not for sissies, but don’t take this
wiry 74-year-old lightly; he’s in better physical
shape than many people half his age. This
swimmer, runner, weight lifter and bicyclist
has competed in 25 marathons and can still
run a seven-minute mile. He has climbed the
higher peaks in the U.S. and Europe and once
bicycled from San Diego to New York City in
51 days.
“On that trip,” he said, “I learned
what a good place Silver City is. I plan
to stay here. It’s a great place to live,
and the people make it so.”
In the years following World War
II, downtown Silver City was a
busy and exciting place. With three theaters, three
drugstores and a multitude of restaurants and
businesses, it was a shopping and supply hub for all of
the area’s ranchers and miners.
Beverly Redwine’s mother, O’Bera Click, bought the
Model Shop in 1946. The women’s clothing store
would become a downtown Silver City tradition for the
next 55 years. Located on Bullard Street, it had an
apartment at the rear of the building where the two women lived while Beverly was
growing up.
O’Bera became the first female member of the Chamber of Commerce Board of
Directors. As her business grew, she bought the Circus Shop, a children’s clothing
store across the street. The two stores were later combined under one roof.
Young Beverly worked in her mother’s store, eventually assuming ownership in
1981 while O’Bera remained active in the business until age 87. “She enjoyed every
single day at the Model Shop,” says Beverly.
Beverly was active in the Main Street Project and on the Street Light Committee.
She helped to organize Silver City’s first
Lighted Christmas Parade and still
chairs the Parade Committee 15
years later. She, like her mother, is a
prolific, accomplished artist; her
home is filled with her own exquisite
porcelain art objects and an array of
O’Bera’s paintings.
Beverly remembers life in the 40s
and 50s well, but her fondness of the
area isn’t confined to memories. “Silver
City was a wonderful place to grow
up, live and raise children,” she
says. “I think it still is.”
BEVERLY
Redwine
BY BRETT FERNEAU
Your age? 72.
Ft. Worth, Texas. We moved here in
1941 so that my father could receive
medical treatment.
Were the “good old days” really all
that good? They were wonderful.
Silver City was a fun place during
those times.
you enjoyed most? Living downtown
in the back of the Model Shop.
As a child, what was one of the
things you enjoyed least? I can’t think
of anything I didn’t like, growing
up here.
Is life better/easier now? I don’t know
if it’s better. Being retired is easier.
Was life better/simpler then? Life
was really good then, even though
things were tough. The townspeople were united. It was a
wonderful relationship.
What has been one of the biggest
changes in southwestern New Mexico
over the years, and how do you feel
about it? One big change has been
the reduction in mining and the influx
of retirees to the area. Because of
that, new people are coming in with
new ideas. I feel that they’re very
supportive of the community and
contribute a lot to it.
Silver City? I like to go to the Mimbres
just to get out and see the country.
Do you have a favorite actor or movie?
“An Affair to Remember” with
Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant.
what would you do with it? I’d give
a lot to charity and see that my
great grandchildren had a really
good education. I’d still live right
here in Silver City.
Is there something in life you’d still
like to do? As far as accomplishments, my goal is to be a fine
porcelain artist.
Why? The 40s and 50s. There was a
lot going on here. People were more
tolerant of each other. Everyone
worked together. It may have been
an effect of the war.
computers and cell phones? I kind of
like them. They’re both necessary.
I really like cell phones.
starting out? Just be kind and tolerant
to your fellow man. Set your goal
and try to achieve it.
BOBBIE
Neal
BY BRETT FERNEAU
Your age? I turned 70 on Flag Day, June 14.
you lived here? I was born here. We lived briefly
in Deming and Shreveport, Louisiana. Other
than that I’ve always lived here.
What sort of work did you do? Real estate. I got
my license in 1968.
thought they were. There wasn’t as much fear.
most? We had animals, and we got to be in the
4th of July parades. We raised the flag every
morning at the fire station. My father blew the
noon fire whistle so people knew when it was
time to eat lunch, and I occasionally got to
ring the evening curfew bell.
least? Taking out the garbage was a fearful
adventure. We had to get from the back door
to the back of the property, and we had a
mean rooster that would flog you. You had to
keep the garbage can between you and the
rooster at all times.
southwestern New Mexico over the years, and how
do you feel about it? I’d have to say the rapid
population growth in just the last six years.
The museum. I volunteer there part time.
Do you have a favorite actor or movie? These
days, not really. I’m kind of disgusted with the
whole thing. When I was a girl, the mayor
owned the movie theater and we were down
there every Saturday. My favorite actors were
John Wayne and Roy Rogers. I didn’t like Dale
Evans because she married Roy.
you do with it? I’ve thought about that. I’d
police the Big Ditch and redesign the whole
length of it to make a river walk.
Is there something in life you’d still like to do? I’ve
seen most of the United States, but not all of
it. I’d like to do that.
impact on our area or on you personally? I was a
member of the Grant County Sheriff’s Posse
for years, and Southwest Horseman’s Assn.
when they got pro rodeo started here. I also
feel the Main Street Project is very important.
and cell phones? Sometimes it stinks. It’s
wonderful in one sense, because I can talk to
my grandchildren instantly on my computer or
cell phone. There’s way too much information
coming in, though. I don’t like to watch war as
it happens. There’s a lot of stuff I don’t need
to know, because I can’t do anything about it.
What do you know about people and life today that
you wish you had known when you were younger?
I think it would be to try to focus more on
myself and what I’m doing wrong than on
other people and what they’re doing wrong.
Looking for someone else to blame is not a
good idea. Just deal with what’s happening.
young people who are just starting out? I teach
junior high and high school Sunday school,
and young people today seem to want proof
of everything. I would urge respect, courtesy
and less emphasis on material things.
Bobbie Neal-Little was born
in what is now the gift shop
in the Silver City Museum building. At that
time it was the Silver City Fire Station and the
residence of her parents, Fire Chief Rowland
Ball and Bessie Violet Ball. Volunteer
firefighters lived upstairs. In the back yard,
which ran to Yankie St., the family kept
horses, chickens, rabbits and an occasional
cow or pig.
Bobbie remembers young men stopping in to say goodbye before
leaving to fight in World War II. A Saturday movie matinee cost 25 cents
then, including popcorn and a cola. Residents didn’t lock their doors.
Youngsters were off the streets by 9 p.m. when Rowland rang the fire
station’s curfew bell.
Bobbie married Meredith Neal in 1956. After careers spent working for
others, the couple opened their own business, Neal Real Estate, in 1980.
“I’ve sold most of the buildings downtown at least once,” jokes Bobbie.
Meredith passed away in 1994. Bobbie later married Dr. Howard Little,
a Silver City native. These days she volunteers at the Chamber of
Commerce and the Silver City Museum, and was instrumental in raising
money to build a permanent memorial to well-known local resident
Johnny Banks.
Bobbie and other Silver City longtimers are
also trying to locate a set of wooden posts
and panels that were erected at the fire
station during World War II. The panels
were inscribed with names of local
soldiers, and Rowland added gold stars to
the names of those killed in action. The
markers are still believed to exist, but
their location is unknown.
Daily Press photo by Jack Walz
Harold
Oberg’s
parents,
Ernest and Almeda S. Oberg,
brought him here at age five. Ernest, a veteran,
was treated for tuberculosis at Fort Bayard
Veteran’s Hospital. As a young man, Harold
recalls square dancing with his future wife Greta
and a group of others around the flagpole in
front of the Silver City firehouse. He and Greta
were married in 1959.
Harold worked for the weekly Silver City
Enterprize as a printer before beginning a 20-year career at the Silver City
Daily Press in paper makeup, as a linotype setter, in circulation and other
functions. For several years during that time he was also the projectionist
at the Silco and Gila Theaters, and later became a partner in the Southwest
Offset print shop.
Greta, a career schoolteacher, says of Harold’s years as a projectionist:
“Harold is a good man. He took a second job so I could be home while our
two sons were growing up.”
Harold has battled diabetes since childhood, finally losing his eyesight to
the disease in the early 1980s. Despite health problems, he has spent his
life backing up his belief in community service with personal action.
Formerly active with the Cowboy Poets Jamboree, he is a lifetime member
of the Silver City Optimist Club and the Western New Mexico University
Club, where he was the number one ticket salesman for the annual Car
Party until just two years ago.
“When we moved here in 1944, my mother
thought we were coming to the end of the
world,” he says. “Today I wouldn’t live
anywhere else.”
HAROLD
Oberg
BY BRETT FERNEAU
Your age? 66.
you lived here? I was born in Pierson, Iowa. I
moved here with my parents when I was five.
think we just lived the best we could on the
money we could make at the time. That was
all anybody could do.
most? We always went to Cherry Creek above
P.A. for picnics. We’d look for Indian artifacts.
There were no laws about that then. We’d be
out all day Sunday, even in the coldest
months. If you were cold you could always
find a low arroyo and build a fire.
southwestern New Mexico over the years, and
how do you feel about it? The amount of
people, traffic and stop signs. Also, Western
High School used to be run by Western
University. I remember when it changed over
to Silver High. That was a significant change.
Mi Casita for dinner on Friday nights. It’s a
family tradition. Greta taught school for 33
years, and she didn’t need to be cooking by
the end of the week, so I’d take her to dinner.
We also go to the Grinder Mill for coffee.
Do you have a favorite actor or movie? John
Wayne was the one we all went to see. I
don’t think they can replace him.
you do with it? Live off the interest.
Is there something in life you’d still like to do?
Drive downtown. (Laughs.) My activities have
been curtailed by blindness, but I think I did
all that stuff already.
impact on our area or on you personally? When
my father was in the hospital at Ft. Bayard,
we’d go to see him but they wouldn’t let kids
in. So my mother would go see my father and
I’d go outside and talk to the caretakers or
the fireman. They were all German prisoners
of war. That experience gave me a much
bigger view of the world.
What decade did you enjoy the most? Why? The
60s. I was woodworking then. I made a lot of
the furniture in this house.
computers and cell phones? I guess it’s all fun,
but I don’t want any part of cell phones.
Is there something helpful you would like to
say to young people who are just starting out?
I’d politely suggest that everyone turn off
their TV sets and get involved in their
communities.
Is there something helpful you would like to say
to someone who has just found out that they have
diabetes? Fight it. Keep your blood sugar
under control. It seems like the days you try
the hardest are the days you can’t do it. What
works today might not work tomorrow. It’s a
constant battle, but it’s something you must
do. I’ve had 14 eye surgeries, but if doctors
had known what they know today when I
started having eye problems, I’d probably still
be able to see.
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Located 8 miles from Silver City, Fort
Bayard is not only an important part of our
area’s history, but an important part of area
health care as well. It began as an
encampment during the Apache wars in 1866
and was part of a line of posts across southern
New Mexico. After the surrender of
Geronimo and his people twenty years later, it
was no longer need as a military post, and
was eventually abandoned in 1899.
That same year, Surgeon General George
M. Sternberg proposed that Fort Bayard be
transferred to the U.S. Army medical services,
due to the healing properties attributed to
high altitude and a dry climate. It became the
first sanatorium dedicated to treating Army
personnel suffering from pulmonary
tuberculosis and hosted a number of
important research discoveries.
Under the Veteran’s Administration in
1922, the sanatorium became a central
veterans’ hospital. German prisoners of war
housed there during World War II helped
maintain the grounds and buildings. The
State of New Mexico assumed control of Fort
Bayard in 1965, and the present day longterm health care facility employs about 400
people. The adjoining military cemetery
became a National Cemetery in 1976. Fort
Bayard was named a National Historic
Landmark in 2004.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOE BURGESS AND DONNA CLAYTON LAWDER
A delicious recipe is made all the more
precious and enjoyable when it is a family
recipe handed down with love and tradition.
Here, Christy Miller offers two special
recipes that were handed down to her from
her mother, Minnie Triviz Horcasitas, and
her grandmother, Guadalupe Cuaron Triviz.
Make something traditional this season!
You’ll be glad you did!
Grandma Horcasitas’ Biscochitos
Christy Miller
1 lb. lard
4 cups flour
1 jigger wine
1 tsp. anise flavor or anise balls
3
⁄4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1
⁄2 tsp baking powder
1
⁄4 tsp. salt
Cinnamon sugar mixture to roll
cookies in
Cream lard. Add sugar, cream again.
Add eggs, wine and anise. Mix.
In a separate bowl, mix together the
flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually
add the combined dry ingredients.
Knead. If dough is too sticky to form into
little balls, add more flour with a little
baking powder.
Minnie’s Flour Tortillas
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
11⁄2 tsp. salt
11⁄2 cups warm water
3 Tbsp shortening
Sift all dry ingredients
together. Add water and
shortening. Knead
dough until
thoroughly mixed.
Form into balls. (Size of balls
will be determined by how big a tortilla
you wish.)
Roll out into round, flat cakes and cook
on griddle, first one side and then the
other, until both sides are spotted
medium brown.
Makes about 12 or 13 tortillas,
depending on size.
Rubbed Holiday Roast
Rob Connoley
For many families, the holiday feast is not complete without a perfectly cooked
roast. Crisp dark brown on the outside and juicy on the inside, the secret to
perfection is in two things: temperature and timing.
Putting the prepared meat into a very hot oven for the first 20 minutes is key to
searing in those precious juices and ensuring a satisfying crisp exterior. Then the
cook must lower the oven temperature and simply keep an eye on the clock and
meat thermometer.
Rob Connoley, co-owner of the Curious Kumquat with his partner Tyler, shared his
“secret family recipe” for holiday roast with a simple dry rub, which adds delicious
sweetness and spice to the roast’s crusty outer layer.
Rob said he sometimes likes to add a twist to the holiday tradition by substituting
buffalo tenderloin for the beef.
“Buffalo is one of the best meats around - lean in fat, heavy on flavor,” Rob said.
“Tenderloins are a great introduction to buffalo as long as you remember to go ‘low
and slow’ by not overcooking. With so little fat, it’s easy for the meat to dry out.”
Cooks who want a short-cut can substitute a purchased dry rub mixture for the
spice recipe below. Rob favors a sweet and spicy blend called “Mama Africa” by
Cape Herb Company. Enjoy this holiday favorite!
Spice Mixture:
1
⁄2 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1
⁄2 Tbsp ground cumin
1
⁄2 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1
⁄2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp paprika
(or if you prefer buy a spice mix such as the Cape Herb Co. rubs)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
If using buffalo, thaw tenderloin completely.
Mix the spices in a bowl. Press spices into meat by rubbing all over firmly.
Roast at 450 degrees for 20 minutes, then lower to 325 degrees. Roast until
internal temperature is 120-130 degrees (about an hour and a half). Let stand
10 minutes and serve with roasted root vegetables (carrots, onions, parsnips,
new potatoes).
Scalloped Winter Vegetables
This rich cold weather vegetable casserole is actually low
in fat! Delightful to the eye, it makes a wonderful impression
at the holiday table and is wonderfully easy to serve--four
vegetables and a creamy sauce, all from one dish!
“This is a family favorite that has been handed down at
least four generations,” said Donna Clayton Lawder. “My
Great-grandma Clayton had written it down, thank
goodness!, but with less than specific details, like ‘put in
enough potatoes to feed your family.’ “
“My family farmed, and we grew and stored all our own
vegetables, including mountains of potatoes which we
stored in the root cellar. I remember going down there with
a colander and bringing up as many potatoes, parsnips,
carrots and beets as we needed for that evening’s meal.”
Though Donna’s Great-grandmother served this dish for
holidays or company “because it was ‘special’,” Donna
likes to serve it “as soon as the temperature drops,
because it warms the house as it cooks, and it’s just so
satisfying!”
Donna worked as a cook at Green Pastures Estate, a
retreat and conference center in chilly New Hampshire,
where this hearty dish was always welcomed on the
buffet table!
1 medium onion, peeled,
top and bottom removed
1 bay leaf
2 cloves (whole)
1 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp olive oil, plus
extra for oiling baking
dish
11⁄2 Tbsp unbleached
white flour
Great-Grandma’s Favorite Cranberry Sauce
Updated Cranberry sauce:
What’s old is new again!
This traditional holiday side dish
gets a spicy update in this treatment
from Brad Diemer, a chef at the
famous Biga on the Banks, among
other eateries along the historic River
Walk. He recently moved to Silver
City from San Antonio, Texas.
Brad’s recipe capitalizes on the
cranberry’s tartness, adding zing with
Red Zinfandel wine and spicing things
up with whole black peppercorns.
Donna Clayton Lawder grew up near New Jersey’s southern shore,
land of the Pine Barrens and cranberry bogs. “There were still plenty of
bogs when I was a child, and every year I went cranberry bogging with
my Dad and grandmom, scooping our own berries for the Thanksgiving
table,” she says. “We made my great grandmother’s recipe, scrawled
on a yellowing piece of paper. Great-granny liked her sauce smooth,
and put the berries through one of those big metal sieves. But I like
whole berry sauce with the skins and all, so I don’t strain mine.”
“Great-granny’s recipe was not too specific. Well, none of her
recipes was,” Donna laughed. “She’d written things down like ‘put in
enough sugar so it thinkens up right’ or ‘cook it just long enough.’ The
only way I can reproduce these heirloom dishes is by adding my
memories to the written recipes. How lucky I was to grow up cooking
at her elbow and seeing what she’d done!”
An old-fashioned traditional cranberry sauce, this dish fills the house
with wonderful holiday smells as it cooks. Donna said her family’s
holiday table wouldn’t be complete without several bowls of cranberry
sauce to satisfy everyone’s craving for their favorite style, chunky
whole-berry or smooth
11⁄2 cups apple cider (fresh, if available)
11⁄4 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
5 whole cloves
16 oz. fresh cranberries
1
⁄2 cup finely chopped fresh orange peel
In a medium heavy bottomed pot, combine all ingredients except
the cranberries and orange peel. Bring to a boil over medium heat,
stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat so the sauce is
just simmering, and let simmer for at least 20 minutes. With a
large slotted spoon, remove the cinnamon sticks and cloves.
Add the cranberries and chopped orange peel, and cook over
medium heat till the berries burst. Transfer the sauce to a bowl,
cover and refrigerate until cold. Serve well chilled! It’s nice to
scoop the sauce out in large dollops into a serving bowl.
11⁄2 cup evaporated skim or fat-free
milk (unsweetened)
1
⁄2 cup water
1
⁄4 tsp dried thyme
1
⁄8 tsp nutmeg
3
⁄4 tsp salt
1
⁄4 tsp ground black pepper
21⁄2 cups thinly sliced potatoes, about
3 potatoes (peeling optional. I like to
mix yellow, white and red potatoes!)
Brad’s Spicy Zinfandel
Cranberry Sauce
Brad Diemer
13⁄4 cups red Zinfandel
1 cup brown sugar
3 whole black pepper corns
5 whole cloves
5 whole allspice
2 cinnamon sticks
12-16 oz fresh cranberries
3-4 inch strip of orange peel
In a medium saucepan combine all
ingredients except the cranberries.
Bring to a boil over medium heat,
stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Reduce the heat so the sauce is just
simmering. Reduce the sauce to
about 13⁄4 cups. Strain the sauce into
a large saucepan.
Add the cranberries and cook over
medium heat, till the berries burst.
Transfer the sauce to a bowl, cover
and refrigerate until cold. Serve
well chilled.
1 cup peeled and thinly sliced
parsnips
1 medium sweet white onion, peeled
and thinly sliced, top to bottom
3
⁄4 cup thinly sliced carrots
(1-2 carrots, peeling optional)
1
⁄2 cup unflavored bread crumbs
1 tsp onion powder
1 Tbsp Fines Herb Mix
Affix the bay leaf to the whole onion by stabbing it with the 2 cloves.
Set aside.
Make a simple roux, as follows: In a small, heavy-bottomed pot melt the
butter over a medium heat. Add the tablespoon of olive oil. When the butter
starts to bubble, stir in the flour to completely combine, keeping on the heat
and stirring for two minutes, being careful not to scorch. Whisk in the milk,
thyme, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Lower heat. Drop in the prepared onion,
cover pot and simmer mixture on very low for 20 minutes, stirring
occasionally to prevent sticking. By now the mixture will be quite thick.
Remove the onion, whisk in the water, cover the pot and set the mixture
aside, off heat.
Combine the bread crumbs, onion powder and herb mix in a small bowl.
Set aside.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil a 11⁄2-2 quart baking dish. Layer the
sliced vegetables into the dish. Pour the sauce mixture evenly over the top.
Cover tightly with foil or a tight fitting lid and bake for 40 minutes. Lower
heat to 350 degrees, uncover, and sprinkle bread crumb mixture on top. Bake
for about 30 minutes more, until vegetables are tender and top is golden.
Mammaw’s Rum Pie
Arlene Schadel
Until now, this favorite dessert that has been a
favorite of the Schadel family for generations has
remained a family secret. When Ella Schadel wrote
down the recipe she purposely left out an
important part that would ensure the success
of the dish. Within the last couple of
years, Ella’s aging daughter-in-law
sat her own granddaughter down
to pass on this family secret.
Crust:
12 double graham crackers
4 eggs, separated
1
⁄3 cup of melted butter/margarine
1 envelope of Knox Gelatin
Filling:
4 eggs, separated
1 envelope of Knox Gelatin
1
⁄2 cup of undiluted canned milk
1 cup of sugar
4 Tbsp of rum
Topping;
Whipped cream
Grated semi-sweet chocolate
Roll double graham cracker until
fine crumbs; mix with melted
butter or marg. Press mixture to
line bottom of square baking dish.
Bake in 375 degree oven for
10 minutes. Stir egg yolks, then
add 1 envelope of Knox Gelatin and
Cornish Game Hens with Cranberry Wild Rice Stuffing
Alice Pauser
Not needing to serve Scrooge’s huge holiday goose, Alice Pauser took an old family
recipe for cornish hens, and stuffed them with an old fashioned wild rice stuffing.
“Cornish hens are great little birds,” Alice said. “People don’t often think of them,
but they’re tender and succulent, truly worthy of the holiday table. And they make
such a presentation on the plate, each person getting his or her own perfect little bird!
I got this recipe from my father’s mother. She’s the one who taught me how to cook
cornish hens, and a lot of other wonderful things!”
An award-winning culinary professional, Alice learned her love of the kitchen from
cooking with her grandmother. This special holiday recipe incorporates Alice’s
trademark fresh herbs. The wild rice stuffing is an exciting alternative to cubed bread,
and the seasonal cranberries add a sweet-tart surprise!
4 game hens, rinsed and giblets removed, pat dry
4 cups prepared wild rice
1 cup dried cranberries
1
⁄2 cup minced shallots
1 Tbsp fresh minced rosemary
1
⁄2 cup butter or margarine
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter and rosemary together, rub hens with
butter. In a bowl blend together rice, cranberries, shallots and remainder of
butter. Stuff cavities of hens with mixture. Cover ends of drumsticks with foil.
Place hens on rack or broiler pan so juices go into drip pan. Bake at 375
degrees for 1 hour, basting every 20 minutes. Check drumstick area to make
sure juices are clear. If not, bake an additional 15-20 minutes. Serve whole on a
plate with rosemary garnish.
⁄2 cup of sugar. Last, add 1⁄2 cup of
undiluted canned milk,
then place over boiling water and
beat for 6 minutes. Cool!
Beat egg whites and 1⁄2 cup of
sugar until stiff. Add cooled
custard & rum. Pour over graham
cracker crust. Set in icebox three
hours before serving.
1
Serve with whipped cream and
sprinkle with grated chocolate.
Bear Mountain Spice Cookies
Esther Scherf
As many cooks do, Esther Scherf brought
recipes from home to work, including one for
spice cookies that her family has long
enjoyed, especially at holiday time.
“The cookies are a real hit with the
guests,” said Maura Gonsior, manager of
Bear Mountain Lodge where Esther cooks.
With inviting chunks of fruit and nuts, the
cookies “just draw people to them,” she said.
A nice compliment to any holiday feast,
Esther’s Holiday Spice Cookies would be
most welcome to a holiday cookie exchange
or given as a present in a cheerful tin!
⁄2 cup unsalted butter
4 Tb molasses
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1
⁄2 tsp ground cloves
11⁄2 tsp ground ginger
1
⁄2 tsp salt
13⁄4 cups flour
1 Tbsp baking soda
1 cup medium chopped walnuts or
pecans
1
⁄2 cup dried tart cherries or cranberries
extra sugar for rolling and a small bowl
of cool water
1
“Looking Forward - Reaching Higher”™
In Business Since 1954.
• The Oldest Financial Institution in Grant County
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Cream together the butter, molasses and
sugar. Add the egg, vanilla, spices and
salt. Mix well. Add flour and soda, then
nuts and dried fruit.
Ken Walters - CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Freeze for half and hour or chill several
hours in the refrigerator. Roll into small 1inch balls. Dip tops of dough balls in
water, then sugar. Place on cookie sheet
lined with parchment paper (or spray
sheet with vegetable coating).
Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
NOTE: For altitudes over 5,000 feet, add
3 extra tablespoons of flour.
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A bed of spring greens and fresh
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If you can’t stand
RED CHILI CHEESE ENCHILADAS
Cheese enchiladas smothered in red chile
served with rice, beans, salad and tortilla
LA COCINA
210 W. COLLEGE AVE. • 388-8687
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PORK TENDERLOIN
Tortilla encrusted pork tenderloin topped with
peach jalapeno sauce served on a bed of rice
with fresh vegetables
COPPER CREST COUNTRY CLUB
720 FAIRWAY DRIVE • 538-2712
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WRITTEN BY JEAN BENZINE AND ARLENE SCHADEL
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF FAMILIES
These “Treasures” are truly remarkable people
whose legacy has, and we hope will, continue to
inspire generations to believe in themselves,
their heritage and their community.
Many people have made Silver City and
Grant County what it is today. This group
represents a cross section of individuals, each
of whom has left their indelible mark and
unique contribution to the community.
Many will recognize these names as people
who were either experts in their fields,
champions for the “common man,” strong
community supporters, or simply friends to
all of humans (and animals) with whom they
came in contact.
While
individually
different,
a
commonality in all, was a strong support
network of giving family and friends. The
contributions made would not have been
• Power Lift Recliners
• Orthopedic Supports
• Bathroom Safety Aids
• Motorized 3 Wheelers
• Diabetic Care Supplies
• Hospital Mattresses & Beds
• Oxygen & Respiratory Equipment
• Personal Healthcare Disposables
possible without the love and support of
wives, husbands, daughters, sons, friends
and a caring community.
Many thanks to all those who opened
Medicare/Medicaid Certified
Private Insurance Accepted
FREE DELIVERY • 24 Hour Emergency Service
their hearts, homes and offered assistance in
gathering information for these pieces
505.534.4013
especially Bobbie Neal Little, Bobby and
866.534.4013
Chris Jackson, Marla Sue Mead, Consuelo
910 E. 32nd St. • Silver City, NM
Gonzales, Della and Billy Acosta.
BILL
ACOSTA
WALTER
BIEBELLE
1941-2005
BY BRETT FERNEAU
1922-2005
BY ARLENE SCHADEL
FOR 36 YEARS, RADIO PERSONALITY BILL “THE LEGEND”
Acosta’s cheerful voice was a familiar
sound in Silver City’s homes, businesses
and autos. Listeners who were feeling sad
could always count on Bill’s ready wit
and love of life. During his long career he
hosted three different evening shows,
including “Serenata Mexicana,” after
putting in a full day’s work at Texas-New
Mexico Power Company.
Bill was also an active and enthusiastic
promoter of live music, responsible for
bringing many top Tejano, Mexican, and
Country Western artists to the area. He
believed in preserving local culture and
encouraging the exchange of ideas, and
always had something good to say to
people. A dialysis patient himself, Bill
was also instrumental in raising public
awareness of the need for a dialysis center
in Grant County.
A mayoral proclamation declared September 8, 2005 as “Bill Acosta Day,”
citing “his selfless dedication to his
family, friends and community.” In
speaking of Bill’s legacy of laughter, fun
and music, State Representative Dianne
Hamilton said, “He was so loved because
he loved so.”
AFTER WALTER BIEBELLE’S
MOTHER GAVE BIRTH TO HIM
at Mimbres Hot Springs in 1922, she
placed him in a shoebox and returned
with him by horseback to the family
ranch in Gallina Canyon. It was a
singular beginning for a man well
loved for his sense of humor and
community involvement.
Walter was a World War II Veteran
serving in Army Intelligence with the
Navajo Code Talkers. He was held as a
prisoner of war while in the Philipines
and later served on the War Crimes
trails at the conclusion of the war.
Mr. Biebelle claimed to have been
chased from California to the waters
of Florida but he couldn’t swim
and that’s how Frances his wife of 60
years caught him. They left Florida
in 1947 to return to the Gallina
Canyon Ranch.
He was a rancher and a farmer and
spent the rest of his life promoting
both occupations through teaching
and the numerous clubs and
organizations he served. Those who
knew Walter will always remember
him by “NO BAD WORDS” and
“YA MERRO”.
JAMES
“COACH”
BAIRD FOX
1912-2005
BY JEAN BENZINE
AND ARLENE SCHADEL
JIM FOX TAUGHT MATH AT
WESTERN HIGH SCHOOL AND
New Mexico Western College (now
Western New Mexico University) and for a
year at Silver High School. But it was
coaching, which he did in some way, shape
or form from age 19 to 92 which earned
him the title of simply “Coach”. He
coached football and track at NMWC and
WNMU and also formed the Votress
Running Team. Under his leadership and
guidance, many area youth competed at
state, regional and national USA track and
field competitions. He inspired and
coached a local man, George Young, who
competed in the Mexico City Olympics.
““Coach” was an excellent coach of
course,” states Nancy Trinkel who assisted
him for the last ten years while her
daughter ran with Votress. “But the main
thing that he taught the kids was the value
of being a good person. He gave them a
focus whether they had talent or not. He
made them feel good about who they
were.”
Coach always said, “I try to always
remember that I do not coach events that
I COACH KIDS.”
WILLIE
GONZALES
JO
DUNN
1925-2004
BY JEAN BENZINE
1915-2004
BY ARLENE SCHADEL
“HE WAS ALWAYS VIGILANT IN
HIS SUPPORT OF ANYONE - OR
ANY cause - he saw to be the underdog,
the under-represented, or simply the
average citizen, the common man. He
was a hard worker, devoted family
person, proud of his heritage, his family
and his home.” According to Consuelo,
his wife of 58 years, that quote from
friend Carol Beth Elliot sums up the life
of Willie Gonzales. “He was short man
who would never back down to the
tallest man if he believed in the cause.
He spoke his mind and his truth,”
Consuelo says.
Willie valued education, and to instill
that value in his children he attended
WNMU, graduating at the age of 46
while continuing to work two jobs. He
was one of the original “gang of five”
behind the La Capilla project (see page
20.) Willie also enjoyed working with
his hands and used his mastery of
masonry, woodworking, carpentry to
build the family home, a home full of
wonderful memories for his wife
Consuelo. “He loved working on this
house, being with his children and
grandchildren,” she says. “I feel his
presence here.”
MARTHA JOSEPHINE MILLS
(JO JACKSON DUNN) LIVED A
LIFE full of love and laughter. She
met the love of her life, Bobby
Jackson of Silver City, at Whittier
College in California. She moved to
Silver City to marry Bobby when
her life changed drastically as Bobby
went to fight for his country in
WWII. He was captured by the
Japanese and held prisoner while Jo
waited for him to return for five very
long years before they were finally
reunited and married.
Jo was widowed in 1969. She
soon returned to WNMU and
received her Bachelor’s degree and
moved to San Miguel de Allende,
Mexico where she received a
Master’s in Art. She was an artist in
painting with oils, chalk, and pencil
as well as an avid weaver and
welding sculptor.
She loved playing tennis, golf and
most of all, dancing. Jo traveled
near and far but always loved
coming home to Silver City. While
at home her community time was
spent energetically. Jo lived by the
saying “Thy Will Be Done”.
JOHNNY
BANKS
1925-2001
BY JEAN BENZINE
IT TAKES A SPECIAL KIND OF
PERSON TO ATTAIN THE TITLE of
“Silver City’s Ambassador of Goodwill
and Hospitality” and that’s who Johnny
Banks was.
“Johnny Banks (was) a character in town
for decades, the man with the jaunty step,
a hundred hats, an uptown wardrobe, and
a smile and a greeting for anyone…” stated
Stephen Siegfried, in an article for the
Silver City Daily Press. Siegfried
successfully nominated Johnny for Citizen
of the Year, saying, “Banks did more to
promote Silver City and good will in this
community than anyone else.”
Johnny took in and fed numerous stray
cats and dogs, and was a source of
encouragement to three generations of
local children. He attended most athletic
events in the community to cheer for the
teams and was named president of the
unofficial “Western New Mexico Fan
Club.” The student government presented
him with a WNMU class ring, making
Johnny an honorary student and permaent
member of the campus community.
“Everybody looked after him. He was a
fixture in town and everybody’s friend,”
according to long-time friend Bobbie
Neal-Little.
Photo from M.H. Salmon collection.
Outdoors
Mountain men in camp. Left to right, Jack Thompson, Ben Lilly (with beard), Walter Hotchkiss, Stokely Ligon.
MOUNTAIN MEN
and other Pioneers of the Gila
BY M.H. Salmon
VARIOUS REGIONS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS HAVE THEIR OWN HISTORIES AND TALES OF
THE MOUNTAIN MEN, MUCH OF THE INFORMATION PASSED DOWN AND RECORDED AS ORAL
history and campfire tales. Southwest New Mexico is unusual in that so much of our mountain man history and lore
has been put into print. These were some of the most interesting, inscrutable, and controversial characters in Western
History and we can read all about them.
James Ohio Pattie, 1804 -- ? was the first of the anglo mountain men to explore the Gila forest. A failed
beaver trapper, and nebulous Indian fighter, he nonetheless ranks high in mountain man history for leaving a
document, The Personal Narrative of James Ohio Pattie, that gives vivid images of the Gila Wilderness before
European settlement.
James Kirker, 1793-1853 was quite successful as a beaver trapper and later infamous as a scalp hunter. His
descendents still live in southwest New Mexico and carry the Kirker name. His biography was ably told by William
McGaw in the book Savage Scene, an old West tale that might seem unbelievable if it were so well documented.
Montague Stevens, 1859-1953 was the most literate of the Gila mountain men and was of Catron
County. A one-armed British adventurer and graduate of Cambridge University, Stevens ranched, fought the Apache,
and hunted grizzly bears with hounds. His memoir, Meet Mr. Grizzly, is a master work of frontier life.
Ben Lilly, 1856-1936 was the most
well known character of the Gila
Mountains. Another hound-man, and
hunter of bear and lion, Lilly followed the
pack on foot, wouldn’t hunt on Sunday,
and took on peculiarities that endeared
him to contemporaries and historians
alike. His hunting diaries and letters are
preserved in Ben Lilly’s Tales and his
biography was finely done by J. Frank
Dobie in the Ben Lilly Legend.
Nat Straw, 1857-1941 was the
congenial mountain man. Virtually all his
contemporaries liked his company, his
story-telling ability, and admired his
facility in living in the mountains as
hunter, trapper, and prospector. Carolyn
O’Bagy Davis has collected his life in
Mogollon Mountain Man. Nat’s tall tales
will make you laugh but his real life was a
series of remarkable adventures.
G.W. Dub Evans provides a transition
to a more modern era. He ranched in the
Beaverhead area into the 1950s and left a
strong memoir of his hunts for grizzly,
black bear and lion in the book Slash
Ranch Hounds. He writes of a time when
ranching was king, lions and bears were
varmints, and the few remaining wolves
were the scourge of the western range. Not
all modern readers will align with his point
of view but anyone can appreciate his
narrative skills in describing a wilderness
that is still with us today.
Our mountain men and other
characters are not lost to time but live on
in valuable books available today in
bookstores new and used.
Photo Courtsey Bob Pellum
James “Bear” Moore, 18501924 came by his nickname honestly.
After wounding a grizzly bear cub in the
San Mateo Mountains, he was attacked by
the mother bear. He killed the bear with a
knife but was left mutilated and disfigured
in speech and face. Shamed, and turning a
bit mean and very reclusive, he lived out
his time as a hunter and survivalist in the
wilder reaches of the Gila Wilderness.
Recollections of those who knew him can
be found in Wilderness of the Gila by
Elizabeth McFarland.
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Duane Brockett’s Aunt Rebecca
came to Silver City in 1934. After
graduating from New Mexico State Teachers College –
today’s WNMU – in 1939, she taught English at Cobre High
School. Each year, one of the assignments she gave her
students was to write their own short version of a local
ghost story.
When she retired in 1973, Rebecca Mahala Curty Gamblin
had accumulated 576 pages of ghost stories, painstakingly
retyped by Millie Clark at WNMU. Duane, a master
mechanic, moved here in 1976 and eventually became the owner of the only surviving copy
of the book. Rebecca’s sister-in-law, Helen Curty of Phoenix, painted illustrations for some
of the stories, including “La Llorona” shown here.
Edited for space and content, here are a few local stories according to Cobre High School
students from 1957 to 1962. Some, like La Llorona “the weeping woman,” are told with local
variants in many locales in New Mexico, while others such as the famous “chicken woman”
of the Beehive Bar seem to be pure Grant County. Several claim to be true, and to have
happened to friends or relatives of the storyteller. Others are retold or handed down
ancestrally. In others the names have been changed to protect the innocent and guilty alike.
Meanwhile, though, the fire has died down. The moon has gone behind a cloud, and
there’s a soft moaning in the trees. ¿Quien sabe? Who’s to say what’s real and what’s not?
Settle back, relax, and enjoy a few Grant County ghost stories.
La Llorna by Helen Curty
AT THE
DEVILbee hive
By Horacio Garacia
English II
May 2, 1957
Several different people have told me
this same story. The incidents happened
a few years ago during a Saturday night
dance at the Beehive Bar.
The dance had started around nine
o’clock and everything was going
along fine. All the men that were
present had been drinking for quite
some time and by now were drunk or
“feeling good” as one would say.
At about midnight a beautiful
woman appeared in the middle of the
floor. Her complexion was very delicate
and her face had an irresistibly
haunting quality. She wore an alluring
red dress which was embroidered
around the skirt with black satin. Her
hair was a light brown color and long
enough to reach down to her waist. Her
figure was almost “perfect” as termed
by the men that were present at the
dance. Everybody stared at her, but
nobody had seen her enter through
either door. All the men wondered who
she was and from where she came.
Anyway, they all wanted to dance with
her but were afraid to “break the ice.”
Finally a drunk, who was falling all
over the place, invited her to dance.
While dancing, the man happened to
glance down and saw that the woman’s
feet appeared like those of a rooster.
They were very scaly and dry and gave
him a shivering feeling when he looked
at them. When he saw this, he got so
scared that he sobered up and left
immediately for home. He was afraid to
talk about it, and besides he thought it
probably was because of his drinking
too much.
Later on another drunk invited the
woman to dance and after they finished
dancing he invited her out to his car.
Suddenly everybody inside heard
crying and yelling coming from the car.
When they all went out to investigate,
they saw a big ball of fire inside of the
car. They were about to extinguish the
fire when it suddenly went out by itself.
They found that the woman was no
longer there and that the man’s face was
all scratched up. He told them that while
they were alone the woman had turned
into the devil and scratched up his face.
The people that heard this sobered up
and decided to leave for home after they
had doctored up the man’s face.
To this day nobody knows whether
it was the devil or not, but the people
that were present say it was the devil
himself.
— Maybe it was only an illusion.
¿Quien sabe?
The Snake
By Frank Contereras
march 9, 1960
My paternal grandmother told this story to my mother, who in turn
has related it to me.
In Casas Grandes, Mexico around the year 1910, there lived a certain
Doña Carlota. She was the beautiful and loving wife of Don Martín and
the devoted mother of three young boys.
Juan was a dashing gentleman from Mexico City. Several years
before, he had visited Casas Grandes and had fallen in love with Doña
Carlota. She had spurned him, however, so he had returned to his home
in dejection.
Now in the summer of 1910, he came once again, hoping that he
could return to Mexico City with Doña Carlota. He hoped in vain, for
Carlota would never leave her loved ones. Juan swore that she would
pay dearly for rejecting him.
Soon Doña Carlota began to have very severe headaches, especially
during the night. Many doctors were consulted but none of them could
find even a clue to what ailed her.
One of her friends was said to be a sorceress, so Doña Carlota’s
relatives asked this woman to help the sick lady.
But the sorceress said, “He who has our friend in his power is far
superior to me. There is no remedy for her.”
Then one evening the people of Casas Grandes saw a huge burning
sphere suddenly alight on top of Doña Carlota’s house. Soon the entire
town was there to put out the fire. But the flames did not abate when
water was thrown upon them, yet they did not spread.
Around midnight, when all but a few had gone, the woman caring for
Doña Carlota stepped into the kitchen intending to get some coffee. But
just as she entered the kitchen door, she heard a terrorizing scream
coming from Doña Carlota’s room. She hastened to see what was the
matter. She found Doña Carlota dead, and turning toward the door that
led to the garden, she saw a snake crawling away. On Carlota’s arm
were the fang marks of the snake.
LA LlORONA
LLORONA
By Albert Lopez
English II
October 9, 1958
I heard this legend from one of my friends on a night when we boys
gathered to tell stories to each other.
Many years ago, during a long period of famine, many families were
living in despair. It is only logical that people driven by hunger
sometimes act insanely.
It was during this time that a mother of two children couldn’t find
enough food to keep herself and her children from starving to death.
One day, maddened by hunger, without consciousness of what she was
doing, she drowned them by dropping them into a well, so that she
might be rid of the thought that they would die of hunger. After this, she
thought she would also die, but somehow she lived.
As time went on she had almost forgotten the hunger she had
suffered in her past years, but she never forgot the children and she
began to repent having drowned them. So for the rest of her life she
lived with the thought of the mortal sin she had committed.
When she died her soul was not admitted into the Dominion of
Heaven nor was her sin pardoned. The only way she could ever go to
heaven would be by finding her two children.
So on all rainy nights or wherever water can be found, she has looked
for them. Many people claim to have heard her shrill cry and her
mournful wail. Perhaps you too have heard her while she was searching
for her children and you have thought it was just the shrieking wind.
Rosa Maria
By Cecila Lucero
March 5, 1959
This story was told to me by mother, and for the
convenience of telling it I have named the
characters in my story.
Alberto and Juan had just come home from the
army about a week before. It was Saturday night
and there was a dance at the local dance hall. They
decided to go, for it had been a long time since they
had attended a dance in their hometown.
On their way to the dance as they were driving
along a deserted road towards town, they saw a girl
going the same direction. They felt sorry for her and
gave her a ride. After they had been driving for a
while in silence, Alberto who had like the girl right
away, asked her name and why she was walking to
town all by herself on a deserted road.
She told him that her name was Rosa Maria and
that she was walking to town because her parents
wouldn’t take her to the dance.
When they got there, the dance had already
started. By this time Alberto was in love with Rosa
Maria and made sure that Juan didn’t get a chance
to dance with her. They danced all night until the
early dawn.
After the dance was through, Alberto asked Rosa
Maria if he could take her home if she didn’t have
a ride. Rosa Maria accepted since she didn’t have
a way.
On their way to Rosa Maria’s house, she said she
was cold and Alberto lent her his jacket. When they
got to Rosa Maria’s house, Alberto walked her to
the door. There he declared his love for her and
found out that she loved him too. Before he left, he
tenderly kissed her goodnight. He left his jacket
there as an excuse to come again the next day.
Alberto was very happy, for he had found a
beautiful girl who loved him the way he loved her.
He had met her but a few hours before, but he knew
she was the one for him.
The next day before he went to see Rosa Maria,
he decided to ask her parents for Rosa Maria’s hand
in marriage. When he arrived, he intended to knock
on the door but didn’t because he saw an elderly
woman sitting on the porch sewing. He asked her if
Rosa Maria was home and if he could speak to her.
After a moment’s hesitation, she told him that Rosa
Maria was dead and had been dead for five years.
Alberto told her that it was impossible because he
had danced with Rosa Maria the night before and
had lent her his jacket when he had brought her
home because she was cold.
The woman asked him in and showed him a
The Blacksmith
The following legend was told to me by
one of my friends, who heard it from his
grandfather. The grandfather, being very
mean, claimed he heard the story from
old “Scratch” himself.
The incidents of this story took place in
a small village in Northern New Mexico in
the late 1840’s when the gold rush was
occurring and much blacksmith work was
required to keep the wagons rolling.
The village blacksmith, Dan, had a
small but booming business in and
around the community. He was known for
his honest and hard work. Any time of the
day a person could go by Dan’s shop and
see him toiling very diligently. But it
seemed as though he was never happy.
Every evening after he went home his
wife was always nagging and griping at
him. She griped and complained until
Dan, driven into a maddened rage,
choked her to death. No one ever saw his
wife very much so her disappearance was
hardly noticed.
As he went to work the next morning,
he was thinking how he could enjoy his
work and not have to worry about a
nagging wife after a hard day; however,
ROSA MARIA continued
picture of a girl. She asked him if that was
the girl he sought. Alberto said that it was
Rosa Maria, and that she was just trying
to keep him from his beloved. He told the
lady that it was no use because he would
find another way to see Rosa Maria.
The lady saw that it was useless to
argue with Alberto and told him that she
would take him to Rosa Maria. They got in
Alberto’s car and she told him to follow a
certain road. They were passing a
cemetery and the lady told him to stop.
There in the cemetery she showed him to
a grave. On top of the gravestone, there
was Alberto’s jacket and the words on the
gravestone read: “Rosa Maria, born 1928,
died 1945.” Alberto just stood there, too
stunned to say anything
After the trip to the cemetery, Alberto
seemed to be in a state of shock. Soon
after that, he died. It was believed that he
died because he went out of his mind
from thinking that he had danced with,
kissed, and fallen in love with a spirit.
By Larry Hatler
English III
April 17, 1962
he became very irritated when he
realized that he could not sit in his old
rocking chair when a break came in his
work. It seemed as though his
blacksmith shop had become a
gathering place for all the men who
weren’t busy at the time. It was a place
where everyone that wasn’t busy
would come and discuss anything that
came to their minds. Nevertheless, Dan
ignored them and started back to work.
But as he started, he could not find his
hammer. He went outside and found it
lying beside a pile of rock where some
child had left it.
That afternoon when a man was
taking his horse from the shop he cut
off a branch from a little willow tree that
grew out front. This also angered Dan
very much because he watered the
tree every morning and had grown to
love it.
As he was about to lock up at the
end of a very trying day, a stranger
came to the door and asked if Dan
could put him up for the night. Dan
consented and told him he would bring
him some supper in a little while. The
man turned out to be Saint Peter, who
said to Dan, “Because of your kindness
I will grant you three wishes.”
Dan thought for a minute and said, “I
wish when anyone grabbed my
hammer that it would start hammering
and the person holding it couldn’t let go
until I gave him permission. Also, when
anyone sits in my rocking chair that it
would rock until I told it to stop.”
Saint Peter said, “Okay, and what is
your last wish?” Dan thought a minute
and said, “If anyone cuts another
branch from my willow tree that the
branch will whip the person who cut it
until I have given the branch
permission to stop.” Saint Peter
granted the three wishes.
Now Dan was very happy and he
started enjoying life. He would laugh
heartily at anyone who got caught in
his traps. People left him alone after
the first few got their punishment for
angering Dan.
One day down in hell the Devil told
one of his helpers to go get Dan. He left
and came to earth, found Dan and told
him he had come for him. Dan was
busy shoeing a horse and he said to the
Devil’s helper, “If you will take this
hammer and help me we can leave
sooner.” The Devil’s helper took the
hammer and it started hammering. After
two hours, the helper begged Dan to let
him go back. So Dan let him go back
after he had promised not to bother Dan
again.
The helper got back home and told
the Devil what had happened. The devil
then sent another one of his helpers to
get Dan. When the second helper got to
the earth, Dan was again using the
hammer. When Dan asked him to help,
the second helper said to Dan, “You are
not going to fool me that way so I will
just sit down over here in this rocking
chair and wait.” He soon found that he
too was tricked and after one night he
began begging Dan to let him go. Dan,
thinking that he had already outwitted
the Devil, let him go.
When the second helper got
home, he reported to the Devil on his
failure. The Devil, being very
dissatisfied, decided to go himself.
When he arrived Dan was again
working. After trying to pull the same
two tricks on the Devil unsuccessfully,
Dan thought he had seen his last day on
earth. But the Devil, getting very
impatient, told Dan to hurry up or he
was going to cut himself a switch from
the tree outside and switch Dan all the
way to hell. The Devil cut off a branch
from the little willow tree and it started
switching the Devil. After a little while,
the Devil also begged Dan to let him go
and promised he would never bother
him again.
Dan lived happily the rest of his life.
When he died, he tried to get into
heaven but was refused. When he
knocked on the door of hell, the first
helper answered the door, looked at
Dan, and fainted. The second helper
came to see what was causing the draft
and when he saw Dan, he ran to the
other end of hell. Finally the Devil
himself answered the door. Seeing Dan,
the Devil said to him, “You are too mean
to come in here so you must go find
your own place to spend eternity.” With
that he shut the door and that was the
last that was known of poor Dan.
SERVING SILVER CITY, GRANT COUNTY & SURROUNDING AREAS
FACES IN BUSINESS
WRITTEN BY BRETT FERNEAU
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL WARREN AND JOE BURGESS
James Koons
AllGlass MD
1775 Hwy. 180 East
Five years ago,
Detective
Sergeant
James Koons took a
year’s leave of absence
from the Silver City Police Department to
try his hand at auto glass repair. With a
customer-oriented service philosophy,
AllGlass MD grew into the largest full
service glass shop in southwest New Mexico.
“We go out of our way to help our
customers,” he says. Meanwhile, James has
kept informed on law enforcement
principles and techniques. He plans to run
for Grant County Sheriff in 2006.
APRIL WEITLAUF
Executive Director
Silver City Grant County
Chamber of Commerce
1775
1775 Highway
Highway 180
180 East
East
“I’m happy to be back
in New Mexico,” says
April Weitlauf. The
native Oregonian brings 18 years of
hospitality, tourism and business experience
from around the country to her position as
Executive Director of the Silver City Grant
County Chamber of Commerce.
“I’m excited about collaborating with
Grant County’s businesses and organizations
to forge a stronger, sustained community,”
she continues. April’s priorities include
increasing membership benefits and
promoting visitor activities such as ecotourism and motor coach tours.
Albert Madrigal &
William Perez
Satellite Solutions
& Cellular
1780 Hwy. 180 E., Suite A
Albert and Pamela
Madrigal’s career in
satellite television sales began with two
satellite dishes. “I sold them both in an
hour,” Albert recalls, “so I got five more.”
Their store, Satellite Solutions & Cellular,
soon became the #1 Pegasus TV dealer in the
state, ranked third in 2700 nationwide.
Pursuant to other business interests, the
Madrigals have recently made longtime
employee Will Perez a partner in their
satellite division, while Jerry Gonzales heads
up cellular phone sales.
Judy & Vernon
McOsker
Curves
2045 Memory Lane
Experienced Curves™
franchisees Judy and
Vernon
McOsker
visited Silver City for three hours and
decided to live here. “It was partly the
climate,” Judy says, “but mostly the
people.”Curves™ features a 30-minute
workout combining sustained cardiovascular activity with strength training through
safe hydraulic resistance. With benefits that
include weight loss, increased energy and
improved quality of life, Curves™ supports
women in achieving their goals. The
McOskers recently moved their Silver City
facility to a larger location on Memory Lane.
Patrick Conlin,
CRS
Prudential Silver City
Properties
120 E. 11th St.
“We’re a new real estate
business, but we’re not
new to real estate,” says broker/owner Patrick
Conlin of Prudential Silver City Properties.
Patrick notes that his staff is comprised
entirely of seasoned real estate professionals
specializing in residential and commercial
property and land sales.
Located in a crisply remodeled historic
adobe house, the pleasant office is an
interesting mix of local artwork and high
technology.
“The technology frees us to concentrate
on what we do best,” he explains.
Our expanded inventory now includes framed prints, rugs, fountains, as
well as kitchen and bar accessories in addition to all types of lights.
Design Consultation by Julie Maben. – Ask about our Bridal Registry.
10AM-6PM • MON. - FRI. – 10AM-2 PM • SATURDAY
388.1226
1304 N. HUDSON
Richard Deaton
Gila House Gallery & Hotel
400 N. Arizona St.
The recently opened
Gila House Hotel and
Gallery 400 offers a
three-room bed and
breakfast and spacious gallery.
“Located in the heart of downtown
Silver City, The Gila House Hotel is an
excellent choice for those desiring to be
walking distance from galleries, restaurants, and nightlife,” says Richard Deaton,
proprietor. This renovated historic
territorial adobe is fast becoming is a
popular gathering place. Guests should
expect a buzz of activity and may have the
opportunity to meet local artists.
&
Carlos Herrera
his
CHARRO
HORSES
WRITTEN BY BRETT FERNEAU AND LEANNE KNUDSEN
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JUDY DOUBRAVA
SAJAMALI THE ARABIAN STALLION
ENTERS
THE
ARENA
WITH
THE
attitude of royalty. He prances, rears, whirls and
dances sideways, but never bucks. With the reins
held in the teeth of his rider by a handkerchief,
he walks backwards in a straight line for 200 feet
without hesitation. On a cue he bursts into a
forward gallop that ends in a 29-foot long
sliding stop. After a series of these maneuvers, he
politely sits down on his hindquarters, front legs
stiff and head erect, and allows his master to
dismount easily. The man moves alongside the
horse’s shoulder with arms outstretched, and the
crowd cheers.
The ornately dressed charro with the silver
mustache standing beside the silver-gray stallion
is Carlos Herrera of Charros de North Hurley.
He began training Sajamali in the proud
traditional style of Mexican horsemanship when
the horse was just a colt.
He explains that while the stallion was yet
unborn, he agreed to purchase the foal based on
the appearance of its mother. After the foal was
born Carlos went to Wilcox, Arizona to pick him
up. Carlos was in for a surprise. The colt was
dark brown, not gray, and didn’t resemble his
mother at all.
left: Carlos Herrera of Charros de North Hurley takes a
bow beside Jit Ku. Carlos still trains and performs with
the horse, now owned by Gilbert Mora. opposite:
Carlos spins a lariat while standing atop Sajamali. Later
in the performance he will crawl underneath the horse
and around the feet while Sajamali stands perfectly
still. “I trust the horse,” he says.
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703 N. Bullard
538-5324
“He was so ugly. Skinny body and a big head. But we had already made the deal, so
I took him.”
Carlos took the ugly little horse home and patiently began the training process.
Sajamali gave his first performance at a family gathering at age 21⁄2. By that time, his coat
had turned gray and he had grown into the conformation of a classic Arabian stallion.
Carlos has been working with horses all of his life. He shod horses and broke
riding horses to saddle for other people before deciding to train his own performing
horses some thirty years ago. He has trained five so far. Quiet and soft-spoken, he
moves with an easy, unhurried manner around his animals. His training methods are
his own and he does not discuss them. Though he is a humble man, his pride in his
horses is obvious.
He starts the training when the horse is still a colt, explaining that it is much easier
for the animal to learn to sit and lay down before it gets to be too heavy. He does much
of his training in the open, without benefit of a corral to confine the animal. Sandy
arroyos are excellent training areas, and riding the unshod young horses in the
mountains develops the leg strength that they will need as performers. The horses and
their trainer are in demand for performances and parades around the region and have
performed by invitation in El Paso.
At age 73, Carlos is looking to start and train another colt. “My friends say ‘Carlos,
you’re old for this,’” he says, “But it’s what I do.”
FULL LINE OF PET FOOD:
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FEEDS FOR SMALL ANIMALS & PETS
• Horse Feed
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• Electric Fence
Supplies
• FREE coffee
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CORNER OF 90 SOUTH & TRUCK BY-PASS
Happy
Endings
Written and photographed by Donna Clayton Lawder
Silver City Life thanks the people
on these pages for the chance to hear
and feature their stories, and to meet
the wonderful animal companions
they have taken into their homes. All
are tales that remind us of the critical
needs of the animals in our Animal
Shelter -- dogs and cats, puppies and
young kittens, all looking for homes
and a second chance at Life.
It is a pleasure to share these
Happy Endings, and to remind pet
lovers in our community that
rescuing an abandoned animal and
adopting it into a warm and loving
home enriches our own lives.
Gus
Rob & Michelle Kessler
Mo
Jean Spears
Michelle Kessler went to the Grant County
Animal Shelter looking for a dog to keep her
mother company. Instead she found Gus, an 8week-old mostly Chocolate Lab for herself and
husband Rob.
“They said he’s a Lab mix, but he seems all Lab
to me,” Michelle laughed, noting Gus’ energy
level and playfulness. “He has these beautiful
blue eyes, and he ran right to me that day.”
Michelle said the household’s two adult cats
“might like him better when he gets older and
settles down!”
Rob and Michelle are looking forward to
spending lots of time outdoors with Gus.
Jean Spears began walking dogs at the
Grant County Animal Shelter a few years ago.
What started as a kindly volunteer gesture
for Jean ended in a happy adoption for Mo,
a husky mix.
Asked how she picked Mo, Jean laughed,
“I didn’t! He picked ME!”
“I just walked Mo a few times,” she said.
But after those few walks, Jean said she
happily lost her heart to Mo and opened her
home, where he was easily accepted by her
three adult cats. Mo now delights seniors
and hospital patients as well, as a visiting
therapy dog.
18 Ethel Lane
505-388-2269
[email protected]
Harry and Linda Bright
(505) 388-1911
Fax: (505) 388-1600
[email protected]
210 W. College Avenue
P.O. Box 1258
Silver City, N.M. 88062
Bandit
Margaret Crumbley
Augustus, Catron, Ulysses
Jane Janson
A self-proclaimed “cat person,” Margaret
Crumbley saw Bandit’s picture in the newspaper,
called the shelter to see if he was still available for
adoption, and told them not to let him go.
“My daughter-in-law and I hurried down and
got him,” she said.
Rehabbing a broken hip, Margaret didn’t need
a kitten underfoot. Thirteen-year-old Bandit, a
Birman cross with “beautiful blue eyes” has
turned out to be “a total lap cat” and the perfect
companion.
Bandit is an indoor cat who enjoys the view
from Margaret’s enclosed patio, where he sits
with her for coffee every morning.
Jane Janson’s cats have risen from
humble beginnings to royalty, in name
and with the royal treatment at home!
Living in San Francisco in 1998, Jane
adopted an older cat, Ulysses, and a kitten
she named Ike, at one shelter visit.
Living in Silver City and walking dogs
with a friend, Jane heard a cry from under
a bush, reached in and pulled out a
bedraggled kitten, now Augustus Caesar.
Catron the Great, a Siamese, was
abandoned at a campground. Catron’s
healthy coat today shows no sign of her
impoverished beginnings.
Digby & Blaze
Bob Brockhausen
Since opening the Silver City Brewing
Company just over a year ago, Bob
Brockhausen decided Blaze, the rat terrier
who moved with him from Seattle, needed
company. “I work a lot,” he explained.
Digby, a wire haired Jack Russell terrier
about a year old, seemed a good match.
“There were only a couple of small dogs
at the shelter that day,” Bob said, “and he
seemed the most excited.”
A bit of an escape artist at first, Digby’s
recent tangle with a skunk “seems to have
encouraged him to stick closer to home,”
Bob said.
LeRoi, Princess Grace
Betty Grimaldi
Jane Janson
When her adoption of a pure breed terrier fell
through, due to the tragic death of the litter, Jane
Janson said the puppy came to her in a dream.
“He said, ‘What are you doing, adopting some
pure breed? Go to the shelter!’ “
At Grant County Animal Shelter, Jane found
LeRoi, a Rottweiler-Chihuahua cross.
LeRoi has appeared in the $1.98 Follies and
Silver City Pet Parade, and is “the happiest dog in
the world,” Jane said.
LeRoi loves romping with his royal “sister,”
Princess Grace Betty Grimaldi. Both “tolerate
well” Jane’s four cats!
Codah
Brittany Topmiller
Gus
Jean Benzine
Codah, a Blue Heeler mix, didn’t realize
he was auditioning when Brittany Topmiller
came to check out dogs at the animal shelter.
“Our house was broken into, so I wanted
a dog who barked a lot for security,” said
Brittany. “He barked a lot, so I picked him!”
Named after a character in the Brother
Bear movie, Codah was shy around the
family’s horses at first, but has gotten used
to them.
“The entire family has fallen in love with
him. He keeps us entertained,” Brittany said
of the energetic pup. “He really makes my
brother laugh.”
Two paws on her shoulders and a lick on
the face were all it took for Jean Benzine to
decide she’d found a new animal companion
in Gus, an Australian Shepherd-Border
Collie mix.
“I was living alone in Wind Canyon and
wanted a watchdog,” Jean said. “He’s a
good barker, if a little overprotective.”
Jean said she’s sure Gus had been a family
dog who was lost or abandoned, as he
already knew how to sit and shake hands.
Thanks to Gus’ genes, he sometimes tries
to herd Jean’s two cats, with whom he gets
along well.
w w w. w e l l s f a r g o . c o m
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Corner of 12th & Pope • Silver City, NM
505-538-5302
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Dogs
Deserve
BETTER
BY BRETT FERNEAU
Grant County animal aficionados
have a new venue for helping man’s
best friend. Silver City Dogs Deserve
Better is part of the national non-profit
DDB organization, which seeks to
1155 Hwy. 180 East
improve public understanding of the
Open: M-Sat.
Phone & Fax:
(505) 538-9001
505-538-3807
Stop by and
check our prices!
perils – to both dogs and humans – of
chaining or penning dogs for life.
The group explains that a dog’s
mind instinctively equates ostracism
with death. This results in a variety of
1805 Little Walnut Road
Toll Free: 877-538-9001
Web: www.royalscepter.com
abnormal or obsessive behaviors,
including aggressiveness. Chained
dogs are 21⁄2 times more likely to bite.
FRUMPY
FOX
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY BARBARA GORZYCKI
From October 2003 through the
present, 51 children in the U.S. have
been killed or seriously injured by
chained dogs. Besides being inhumane,
forcing a dog to live outside alone for life
is downright dangerous.
Dogs Deserve Better does more than
talk about the problem. Wherever
possible, it provides materials and
volunteer labor to help owners build
fences and housetrain their dogs, or it
will foster and return or relocate the
dogs. Silver City DDB representative
Judy DouBrava emphasizes that the
group seeks to augment the efforts of
other humane organizations, not to
compete with them.
Participation
on
all
levels
is
welcomed. You can meet other local
members
on
the
Internet
at
groups.msn.com/silvercitydogsdeservebetter, or view the national website at
www.dogsdeservebetter.com.
above: Pet-sitter Barbara Gorzycki is
shown caring for a variety of critters.
From top: donkeys Ely and Cisco,
formerly owned by the LeBlond family;
Magic, a BLM mustang owned by
Cassie Carver; Smokey, a Boxer
belonging to Kate Watson and Tim
Garner; an assortment of Karen Carr’s
goats – note the one eating Barbara’s
shirt! – and Desmond the Pug, who
belongs to Amelia R. Barbara.
“Had I known this was so much fun I’d
have started doing it sooner!” Barbara
Gorzycki is speaking of Frumpy Fox Pet
Sitting LLC, the company she started last
April. She named the business after
Frumpy, the female fox who visits
occasionally from the national forest that
adjoins the Gorzycki’s property.
Barbara and her husband Tom first
bought land in Wind Canyon in 1986,
knowing that they would want to retire
here one day. Over a period of two years
they built their own house here, finishing
it in 2003.
“It took a lot longer to do it that way,”
she says, “but we’re proud of it.”
With the house finished, Barbara found
she had time on her hands. Wanting a
part-time business, she started Frumpy
Fox Pet Sitting, which quickly grew into a
fulltime occupation. The service is an
outgrowth of Barbara’s enjoyment of her
own dogs, cats, donkeys and chickens.
“Yes, we do chicken-sitting too,” she
says with a smile. Her brochure also
mentions fish, gerbils, goats, horses,
llamas – you get the idea. Besides
offering in-home care for a wide variety
of animals, Barbara waters plants, picks
up mail and newspapers, and
manipulates lighting and sound sources
to give absent owners’ homes an
“active” appearance. Pet owners are
updated daily by e-mail or phone
messaging. The corporation is bonded,
insured and a member of the Silver City
Grant County Chamber of Commerce. It
has also been accepted for membership
in Pet Sitters International, an educational
and trade association comprised of over
6,600 professional pet sitting services
around the world. Initial consultation is
free, references are gladly provided and
rates are available on request.
Silver City’s
Extravagant Makeover
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF SILVER IMAGING
Look who’s smiling now!
REMEMBER JOANNE PEREZ FROM THE LAST ISSUE OF SILVER CITY LIFE? SHE WAS
the young woman who refused to smile for her own wedding photos because of her crooked teeth. Or
Allison Bateman, with low energy levels and sore feet? Those women don’t exist any more. The new
Allison and Joanne transformed themselves into the women they are today with the help of the Silver
City Extravagant Makeover team.
The Extravagant Makeover project grew out of the inspiration and passion of its organizer, local
top left: Allison
Bateman (top) and
Joanne Perez show of
their new figures and
outfits. top right: a
smiling Allison (left) and
Joann with makeover
organizer Dr. John
Sherman. above: hard
at work in the gym with
trainer Pedro Iniguez.
cosmetic dentist Dr. John Sherman. Courtesy of several local businesses, the two-year-old program
selects deserving area residents and treats them to the works. This year’s head-to-toe makeovers included
physical training, nutritional counseling, cosmetic dentistry, a new hairstyle, makeup advice and color
matching, laser hair removal, safe tanning and new clothes with accessories.
Joanne’s dentistry was a labor-intensive project for Dr. Sherman. Basic repair, including reshaping her
gums, had to be done before her teeth could be straightened to prepare them for the application of
Cosmetic and
Aesthetic Dentistry
John B. Sherman, DDS
3115 North Leslie Road, Silver City 505.388.2515
Laser Bleaching • Smile Makeover • Orthodontics • White Fillings • Porcelain Veneers and Crowns
American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry • Academy of General Dentistry
ZOOM™ tooth whitening and Gold Dust™ porcelain veneers. Dr. Sherman found a
cooperative patient in Joanne.
“Adherence to doctor’s instructions is the key to great results,” he says. “Joanne’s results speak
for themselves.”
Allison also received a new smile, and lost an impressive total of 28 pounds during the
program. She likes both the people and the equipment at Iniguez Physical Therapy and Fitness
Center, which provided the physical training and nutritional counseling for the makeover.
“Allison is focused, responsible and committed,” says owner Pedro Iniguez. “Since the
makeover she’s joined the fitness center on her own, and continues to work toward her long-term
goal of losing another 20 pounds.”
“I’d have never done it on my own if not for the makeover,” Allison affirms. “I’ll keep going to
the gym.”
With thousands of dollars in goods and services involved, the Extravagant Makeover team
places a high priority on selecting candidates with the desire and commitment to see the program
through. The makeover isn’t a lark. It requires time, temporary discomfort and plain hard work
from the recipients. The results, however, are dramatic and long lasting. Many of the health
benefits are permanent.
Besides Pedro Iniguez and his staff, Allison, Joanne and Dr. Sherman would also like to thank
á la mode fine fashions etc., Broadway Boutique, Shear Reflections and Sparks Laser Hair
Removal Center for their help with this year’s Extravagant Makeover.
above: Dr. John Sherman has been
trained in the latest techniques and
technology available in cosmetic
dentistry today including the
Hornbrook Group. He is a member
of many aesthetic societies including the American Academy of
Cosmetic
Dentistry,
American
Orthodontic Society, Southwest
Aesthetic and Restorative Dental
Society, American Dental Association, New Mexico Dental Association,
Academy of General Dentistry,
Southwest District Dental Society
and the Silver City Dental Society.
Gila Regional Medical Center
Leading the Way:
Navigated
Knee Surgery
BY BRETT FERNEAU
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK ERICKSON
MEDICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IS CONSTANTLY IMPROVING,
and Gila Regional Medical Center in Silver City continues to help point the way toward
the future. This past year it became the first hospital in the state of New Mexico to host a
“navigated” knee surgery.
Dr. Brian Robinson of the Southwest Bone and Joint Institute was the first and is still
the only surgeon in the state to perform the operation. To date he has done 27 of the
computer-assisted surgeries, which eliminate the need for jigs to hold the patient’s leg in
position during knee-joint replacements.
above: Dr. Brian Robinson and a surgical team prepare to perform navigated knee surgery at Gila Regional Medical Center.
In this procedure, two electronic sensors
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are attached to the leg, one to the femur –
the thighbone – and one to tibia, or shin
bone. Infrared light beams capture images
that are transmitted to a computer, which
helps create a precise reference point for the
placement of the prosthesis and provides a
simulation of the resulting range of motion.
The difference in results using surgical
navigation is not immediately apparent, but
becomes more so with the passage of time.
An artificial knee is subject to stress and
friction just like any other moving part, and
a difference of just two or three degrees of
rotation in the placement of the prosthetic
will affect how long it will last before it
SILVER CITY OB/GYN
wears out. While orthopedic surgeons are
Fellow American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
extremely skilled at aligning the bones and
DONALD H. MONTOYA, M.D.
joints, the virtually perfect alignment that
Board Certified
results from the navigated procedure means
PROFFESIONAL • CONFIDENTIAL • CARING
that a replacement knee can last up to 50
505-388-3200
per cent longer than before. Since the
1290 East 32nd Street • Silver City, NM 88061-7229
longevity of the population is greater than
ever and increasing, this benefit will only
become more important as time goes on.
The technique is a new application in
joint
replacement
surgery,
but
Dr.
Robinson is no stranger to surgical
navigation. A board certified orthopedic
surgeon, he was educated at the University
of New Mexico School of Medicine and
also completed his internship and residency
in orthopedics there. It was at UNM that
Dr. Robinson first used surgical navigation
to repair pelvic fractures.
“This new technique is an amazing
complement to knee surgery,” he says. “It
helps us determine the best prosthetic fit for
each individual patient and is particularly
helpful with patients who have abnormal
bone
structure
or
mal-alignment
problems.”
Gila Regional Medical Center is one of
only about 25 hospitals in the entire
country using the new technique.
“BRINGING CARE HOME”
• Skilled Nursing Care
• Physical Therapy
• Infusion Therapy
• Certified Home Health Aides
• Medical Social Services
• Speech Therapy
• Occupational Therapy
Covered by Medicare, Medicaid and Private Insurances
Serving the Grant County area since 1996.
214 WEST
BROADWAY
P.O. BOX 2307
SILVER CITY,NM
505.538.0912
1.888.538.0912
Toll Free:
Dr. Shelby
KING
BY BRETT FERNEAU
DR. SHELBY KING ESTABLISHED
HIS GENERAL PRACTICE HERE IN
1967. THE TYRONE MINE HAD
just reopened and Silver City was a
boomtown.
Dr. King is one of the physicians locally
remembered for making house calls, and
often recognizes area adults that he saw
professionally when they were children.
Among the thousands of visits in his
career, he recalls making two night house
calls to Millie’s. The nighttime madam
had acute asthma episodes but was unable
to leave the establishment because Millie
didn’t trust the girls. Dr. King treated her
symptoms and waited there until she felt
better. If anyone in the community saw
his car parked outside, no one ever
mentioned it.
Silver City eventually became “too
crowded,” so Dr. King moved his
practice to the Mimbres Valley in 1981
and “semi-retired” there in 1985. These
days he fills in at the Mimbres Clinic,
and still makes an occasional local
house call.
“You don’t want to completely retire,”
he told us. “You lose your purpose in life.
That’s when you start to get old.”
G R E G O R Y K OURY , M. D .
Dr. Whitney
SHOUP
FA M I LY P H Y S I C I A N
A DU LT • PE D I AT R I C • PR E G N A N C Y CA R E
O B U LT R A S O U N D • M I N O R S U R G E R Y • VA S E C T O M Y
AC T I V E LY
I N V O LV E D I N YO U R FA M I LY ’ S P R I M A R Y H E A LT H C A R E .
BY BRETT FERNEAU
“LAVERA AND I ORIGINALLY
PLANNED TO STAY IN SILVER CITY
for two years,” says well-known area
pharmacist Dr. Whitney Shoup. He
chuckles and adds, “That was 41 years ago.”
Whitney and LaVera Shoup purchased
the Sav-On drugstore on Bullard St. from
Bobby Jackson, Sr. in 1964. They built the
current store on Hudson St. in 1976 and
were there for another 20 years before selling
the business to their longtime employee,
pharmacist Rosie Humble, and her business
manager Ray Garcia. The Shoups are semiretired now, but seem as busy as ever.
Whitney returned to the University of
Arkansas, earning his Doctor of Pharmacy
degree in 1998. He is a consultant
pharmacist for several community
organizations and also a volunteer
astronomy teacher in the public schools.
Both he and LaVera are past presidents of
the Community Concert Association and
are active in community affairs.
Before they both became semi-retired,
Whitney and Dr. Shelby King (see opposite
page) shared numerous adventures together
piloting a light airplane back and forth f
rom Silver City to care for patients at the
Playas Clinic.
505.388.9141
1 0 0 0 N . HUDSON S TR E E T • S I LV ER C ITY , N M 8 8 0 6 1
AUTO
UTO ACCIDENTS
CCIDENTS • WORKERS
ORKERS COMP
OMP • SPORTS
PORTS INJURIES
NJURIES
Headaches & TMJ • Neck & Back Pain • Hip & Leg Pain • Shoulder & Arm Pain
Disk, Muscle & Joint Pain • Sciatica & Chronic Arthritis • Post Surgical Rehab
MEDICARE & MOST MAJOR INSURANCES ACCEPTED
A
“ sk your doctor to send you to MILLENNIUM”
M-F 8AM - 6 PM • TIMELY APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE • CALL TODAY
Suzanne Thomas • BS, BA, MPT
310 W. 11th • Silver City
505.534.1187
˜
fred
BARRAZA
BY PAT YOUNG
BOOKS LINE THE WALLS AND COLORFUL ARTWORK
brightens the office of Fred Barraza, manager of Rural Bookmobile
Southwest and a multi-media artist born and raised in Grant County.
Landscapes and clouds, even bookmobile patrons, forever frozen in
time by Barraza’s skilled paintbrush, are testimonials to a love of art he
has pursued since grade school.
The books, on the other hand, illustrate his love for a job that just fit after he graduated
from Western New Mexico University with a Bachelor of Academic Studies with an
emphasis on art. He has been with the bookmobile for over 20 years.
Barraza, 50, was born in Silver City and raised in Santa Clara (formerly Central). He
above: Artist Fred
Barraza stands in front of
his oil painting entitled
“Lower Mimbres.” left:
Fred’s alabaster sculpture
called “Encontar.”
opposite, top: opposite,
top: Fred enjoys working
with bronze, which is his
current focus. opposite,
bottom: A wood
sculpture named “The
Song of Meloncholia” is
evidence of Fred’s
versatility. far right:
From Fred Barraza’s
Bookmobile Series, a pen
and ink rendition of “Jack
Vreeland and Friend.”
will
travel
HAVE BOOKS
BY PAT YOUNG
lived part of his childhood at Fort Bayard where his mother, Susie Yniguez, served as
personnel director. Except for a four-year stint with the U.S. Marine Corps from 1973-77,
he has lived nowhere else.
“Grant County has been my home,” he says.
Barraza, whose art has been displayed in a number of area
galleries, paints in a variety of mediums (oil, acrylic and
watercolor). He also does linocut prints and sculpture.
“I think with every medium I do a little different style,“ he says.
“But I do love sculpture more than anything. There’s just not
enough time to devote to it.”
At the Arenas Valley home he shares with his wife, Jennifer, and
two sons, Scott, 18, and Luis, 16, he has an art studio, an etching
press for print making, and a foundry for casting bronze.
In addition to cast bronze, he does welded metal, stone and
wood sculpture.
His office is filled with posters and art he has created for
Tour of the Gila, the U.S. Forest Service, Fort Bayard,
El Refugio, N.M. State Library and Rural Bookmobile
Southwest, to name a few. He has illustrated thirteen
southwest books and one children’s book. He was also the lead artist on
the Salt of the Earth mural recently created on the union hall in Bayard. (See sidebar.) He
even used his art to create posters for the Marines when he was in the service, with military
His pictures tell the Rural
Bookmobile Southwest story. Fred
Barraza, bookmobile manager and a
well-known local artist, does the
artwork for all of their schedules and
information. Actual bookmobile
patrons provide the inspiration:
grandfather and grandson, mothers
and children, a wheelchair-bound
woman, elderly folks and young
home-schooled students, all rural
patrons of a welcome service that
brings the world on wheels practically
to their door.
The Rural Bookmobile program,
part of the New Mexico State Library,
is divided into four areas, southwest,
west, east and northeast, serving
over 132 communities around the
state. The program has about
22,400 registered users who check
out well over a million items a year.
Barraza says the Rural Bookmobile
Southwest logs about 20,000 miles a
year, serving six counties, Catron,
Grant, Hidalgo, Luna, Otero and
Sierra. He and two other staff
members take turns driving.
Unwelcome snowstorms and
“breakdowns in the middle of
nowhere” happen occasionally, but
this personable bookmobile manager
says the patrons provide great
experiences. “You get to know them
by name. They are almost like family.”
More
information
on
the
bookmobile program can be obtained
by calling 534-4617 in Silver City, or
by email at [email protected].
Fr
X
UNION HALL
vehicles instead of southwest scenery as
HISTORY
the focus.
While attending WNMU, Barraza
BY PAT YOUNG
says artists/instructors Cecil Howard,
Just off Highway 180 in Bayard, a moment from history is
visible, painted across the side of the Bayard Union Hall.
From old photographs recording a miners’ strike against the
Empire Zinc Mine in 1950, local artist Fred Barraza sketched the
mural on butcher paper. His sketches were scanned and
projected onto the side of the building. This is where teens in the
Youth Mural Arts Project brought the artwork to life. Barraza and
Diana Ingalls Leyba, another local artist, provided mentoring and
finishing touches.
The Youth Mural program began several years ago,
spearheaded by Ingalls Leyba. It is sponsored by Mimbres
Region Arts council and Grant County DWI. It involves youth in
a positive community activity, and perhaps enlightens them on
area history and culture as well.
The 15-month-long miners’ strike was made famous by the
film “Salt of the Earth” in 1954. While going through the old
photographs, Barraza even found his own grandfather in the
picket line. If anyone recognizes someone pictured in the mural,
please contact Ingalls Leyba at 388-5725. She would like to put
names with this piece of history.
Dorothy McCray, Ruben Gonzalez and
top: The historic mural along US 180 in Bayard was created by Fred
and applied by participants in the Youth Mural Program of Grant County.
right: Fred Barraza provided the artwork for the linocut print entitled
“Filman Blues Technique,” created for the Silver City Blues Festival.
Claude Smith were his inspirations and
pushed him to do his best. Still with ties
to the university, he has served on the
WNMU Foundation since 1995 and as
president in 2002-04. He also served for five years as part of a
group working with New Mexico Arts in Santa Fe, reviewing
applications for funding from art organizations around the state.
Barraza says inspiration for his art frequently comes from
scenery and skies he observes while driving the bookmobile, or
from hiking southwest New Mexico all of his life. He has fond
memories of going out to Big Tree, Twin Sisters and the
petroglyphs while living at Fort Bayard, or backpacking along
Sapillo Creek.
When he does retire, he says he is thinking of writing and
illustrating a children’s book, mirroring his own childhood
adventures roaming area canyons and creeks. The title, he says,
with an easy smile, might even be “Further Up the Creek.”
Frank & Betty Quarrell and Brett & Greta Kasten
Xout
Christine Rickman and Michael Metcaf
& about
Out and About is about the people,
people who support community functions.
We managed to catch a few of those folks
out enjoying Silver City events.
The Mimbres Region Arts Council
Weekend at the Galleries Wine Gala held
this year at the Ikosaeder Gallery was a
huge success. We caught Frank and Betty
Quarrell visiting with Brett and Greta
Kasten , Christine and Michael Metcaf,
Bruce Helmig with the Elemental Spa gals
Mari King and Lynette Hanson. You can
tell that everyone was having a great time
with the smiles on Jennifer and John
Mahl’s faces, as well as the faces of Chris
and Sally Rafael, Gabe and Utta Ortiz
with Larry and Joan Debickish, Faye
McCalmont with her twin sister Raye, and
Sudie Kennedy and husband Carl Ruhne.
Also enjoying the gala were Bobby and
Theresa Carillo, Suzi Calhoun with David
Mulvenna and Jane Jansen, and Desert
Exposure’s Lisa and David Fryxell.
Out and about the galleries during
Weekend at the Galleries were Henry and
Miriam Cwieka, with Frank Milan and Jay
Hemphill, Debbie Harrington and friend,
Sue Ann visiting from Texas. Don and
Karen Hamlin were checking out some of
the extraordinary art and artists Lois Duffy
and Michael Metcaf pose with fellow
artisan Robert Winston. Also posing for
our camera was Marsha Smith with
featured artists and John Gary Brown and
Turid Peterson and Marsha’s husband
David Fiernas.
Winners of the Kurious Cumquat Cook
Off Contest during Taste of Downtown
were Babara Striepeke, Lisa Burgess, and
Joan Debickish.
Proud as he can be is Mike Casaus
showing off his car at the Run for Copper
Country Car Show.
Shelly Crook and Richard Deaton threw
a great bash at the opening of their new
B & B and Gallery, Gallery 400 and The
Gila House.
During our cover shot we also caught a
pose from Mike Gutierrez and his car.
Spectators line the streets early one
Bruce Helmig, Mari King and Lynette Hanson
Jennifer and John Mahl
Chris & Sally Rafael
Gabe & Utta Ortiz and Larry & Joan Debickish
Faye McCalmont with twin sister Raye
Bobby & Theresa Carillo
Suzi Calhoun, David Mulvenna
and Jane Jansen
Lisa & David Fryxell
Sudie & Carl Ruhne
Mike Casaus
Mike Gutierrez
Shelly Crook and
Richard Deaton
Henry & Miriam Cwieka,
Frank Milan and Jay Hemphill
Tour of Hope
Red Hat Ladies
Debbie Harrington and friend Sue Ann from Texas
Karen &
Don Hamlin
Robert Winston, Lois Duffy
and Michael Metcaf
morning hoping to get a glance at Lance
Armstrong as the riders came through
town on their Tour of Hope.
We’ve got quite a few groups of Red
Hat Ladies in our area and they always
seem to be having a good time.
Speaking of a good time, that’s what is
happening with Mike Elgin, Rita Piedras,
John Brinker and Pattie Reed at the
DouBrava wedding. We caught Byrl
Wilson being served wedding cake by
bride Judy DouBrava and then we see
Diane Hamilton posing with the happy
couple, Judy and Jesse.
Getting ready to perform for the Alumni
in the WNMU Homecoming Talent Show
we caught Christy Miller and Laurie
Romero Jones.
April Weitlauf and Leon Brown
were on hand with Richard Deaton
for the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for
Gallery 400.
Enjoying a nice sunny day at the
Farmers Market are Eloy and Ida Perea
and Ruben and Dolores Castillo.
All dressed for the occasion we captured
Lisa Fryxell, Barbara Gorqychi and Arlyn
Cooley at the Fort Bayard Tea during
Fort Bayard Days.
Out and about the Pinos Altos Festival
we found Jack Galbrath from the Copper
Thistle Bag Pipe Band, Brandon Perrault
entertaining the crowds and our gun
fighters Dana Smolens, Jim Jones, Frank
Ferrara and Skip Thacker.
Those Red Hat girls sure like to have a
good time. Jan Sherman and her friends
are taking a Corre Caminos bus trip to have
a Victorian lunch at the Customs House in
Deming. Then we found Jan Whitfield and
her Red Hat Friends with her Red Hat Car.
The WNMU Coaches Party brought out
a lot of people in support of our university
sports, including girls softball coach Freddy
Flores, Dr. Farren and Belinda Mills.
Also on the scene were men’s basketball
coach Mark Coleman with his wife, Jenny
and supporters Dena Flores and Jenny
Montoya. Dr. John Counts wouldn’t miss
this party nor would Valerie Yniguez,
Jackie Cullen, Jessica Johnson or Jan
Cullen. Football coaches Chanelle Jones
and Lonnie Phillips were also on hand, as
were Linda Bright and Maryjo Calendar.
Marsha Smith, John Gary Brown,
Turid Pedersen and David Fiernas
Mike Elgin, Rita Piedras,
John Rinker and Pattie Reed
Barbara Striepeke, Lisa Burgess
and Joan Debickish
Byrl Wilson and
Judy DouBrava
Diane Hamilton and
Judy & Jessie DouBrava
Christy Miller and Laurie Romero-Jones April Weitlauf, Leon Brown and Richard Deaton
Eloy & Ida Pena
Jack Galbrath
Lisa Fryxell, Barbara
Gorqycki and Arlyn Cooley
Bob Mallins
Brandon Perault
Dana Smolens, Jim Jones, Frank Ferrara, Skip Thacker
Jan Sherman & Red Hat Ladies
Jan Whitfield & Red Hat Ladies
LaVera and Whitney Shoup and
Karl and Barbara Giese were at the
Chamber of Commerce to welcome
April Weitlauf as the new chamber
director. That’s where we found this
crazy quartet of Janey Katz, Suzi
Calhoun, John Rohovec and Jane
Jansen as well as Judy Ward,
Christine Stailey, Richard Deaton
and Mary Tarazoff.
Cameras were flashing at the Open
House at Elemental Day Spa with
Dale Lane, Jan Sherman, Neysa
Pritikan, Murray Ryan and Laure
Pankey. We also photographed Tom
and Christine Stewart, Quinn and
Gwen Martin and Ward Rudick.
Last but not least a big congratulations ribbon cutting photo of Patrick
Conlin with staff Tracy Bauer,
Jennifer Fleming, Karen Sheean,
Lisa Parker and Carol Gardner of
Prudential Silver City Properties.
Freddy Flores, Dr. Farren and Belinda Mills
Jenny & Mark Coleman, Dena Flores, Jenny Montoya
Dr. John Counts
Valerie Yniguez, Jackie Cullen,
Jessica Johnson and Jan Cullen
LaVera & Whitney Shoup, Karl & Barbara Giese
Chanelle Jones
and Lonnie Phillips
Judy Ward, Christine Stailey,
Richard Deaton and Mary Tarazoff
Ruben & Dolores Castillo
Janey Katz, Suzi Calhoun, John Rohovec & Jane Jansen
Patrick Conlin and crew at Prudential Opening
Linda Bright
and Maryjo Calendar
Dale Lane, Jan Sherman, Neysa Pritikan,
Murray Ryan and Laure Pankey
Tom & Christine Stewart, Quinn & Gwen Martin
and Ward Rudick
SILVER CITY AREA
PERFORMANCES & SPECIAL EVENTS
NOVEMBER
Nov 1-2. Dia de los Muertos. In Historic Downtown
Silver City. 534-8671.
Nov 4. 7:30pm. Ollabelle. At WNMU Fine Arts Center.
538-2505 or 1-888-758-7289.
Nov 6. Open House at the Gila Cliff Dwellings
National Monument. 536-9461.
Nov 12. 9:30am. Tour of Historic Ft. Bayard. 388-4477.
Nov 15. 7:30pm. Quatrocelli Ensemble, Community Concert.
At WNMU Fine Arts Center Theater. 538-0203.
Nov 18. 7:30pm. Gretchen Peters. At Pinos Altos Opera
House. 538-2502 or 1-888-758-7289.
Nov 26. 7:00pm. Main Street 15th Annual Lighted Christmas
Parade. In Historic Downtown Silver City. 534-1700.
Nov 28. 7:30pm. Babes in Toyland. At WNMU Fine Arts
Center Theater. 538-2505 or 1-888-758-7289.
Nov 30. 7:00pm. WNMU Orchestra and Band Concert. At
WNMU Fine Arts Center Theater. 538-6612.
DECEMBER
Dec 2. 7:00pm. The Western New Mexico Thundering Herd
in Concert. At WNMU Fine Arts Center. 538-6617.
Dec 5-10. Festival of Trees. 534-0261.
Dec 15. 5-9:00pm. 21st Annual Victorian Christmas Evening.
At the Silver City Museum. 538-5921.
Dec 9. 5-6:30pm. MRAC Gallery Exhibit reception for
Seth Goodkind. 538-2505 or 1-888-758-7289.
New Construction •
Additions •
Remodeling •
Restoration •
JANUARY
• Concrete
• Masonry
• Landscaping
• Demolition
Chris Arzate
Free Estimates
Bus: 505.388.4675
Cell: 505.313.6941
303.618.4968
A&E Diesel & Gas Repair
Quality Work by Professionals
• Electrical • Hydraulic • Final Drives • Foreign & Domestic
• Computer Diagnostic • Tractor Trailer Brakes
• Transmission Overhauls • Extensive/Engine Overhauls
Danny Graziano, Owner
505.388.2533
Fax: 505.388.2533
8:30AM - 6PM • MON. - SAT.
24-Hour Emergency Road Service • 505.313.5675
3010 Pinos Altos Road • Silver City, NM
Jan 7-8. 9:00am. 3rd Annual Red Paint Powwow. At WNMU
Intramural Gym. 534-1379.
Jan 13-14. 7:30pm. Greg Brown. At Pinos Altos Opera House.
538-2505 or 1-888-758-7289.
Jan 16. 7:30pm. St. Petersburg Classical Ballet, Community
Concert. At WNMU Fine Arts Center Theater. 538-0203.
Jan 27. Membership Drive Dinner with Commander Dr.
Bushnell by Dr. John Bell. At Fort Bayard.
Jan 28. 7:30pm. Circus Luminous. At WNMU Fine Arts Center
Theater. 538-2505 or 1-888-758-7289.
FEBRUARY
Feb 4. Friends of the Library Book Sale. 534-4210.
Feb 9. 7:30pm. Franc D’Ambrosio’s “Broadway”,
Community Concert. 538-0203.
Feb 10. 5-6:30pm.MRAC Gallery Exhibit reception for Jan
Gunlock and Audubon Show. 538-2505 or 1-888-758-7289.
Feb 11. Chocolate Fantasia. In Historic Downtown
Silver City. 538-2505 or 1-888-758-7289.
Feb 17. 7:30pm. Christine Kane. At Pinos Altos Opera House.
538-2505 or 1-888-758-7289.
Feb 19. Instrumental Recital. At the Episcopal Church of the
Good Shepherd. 538-9532.
MARCH
JuMar 3. 7:30pm. The Coats: A Capella Vocals, Community
Concert. At WNMU Fine Arts Center Theater. 538-0203.
JuMar 4. Victorian Tea. At Fort Bayard.
Mar 9. 7:30pm. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. At WNMU Fine
Arts Center Theater. 538-2505.
Mar TBA. 6-10pm.Silver City Main Street Dinner Dance.
In Historic Downtown Silver City. 534-1700.
APRIL
Apr 2. Medieval-Renaissance Recital. At the Episcopal
Church of the Good Shepherd. 388-4764.
Apr 7. 7:30pm. Tracy Grammer. At Pinos Altos Opera House.
538-2505 or 1-888-758-7289.
Apr 14. 5-6:30pm. MRAC Gallery Exhibit reception for Alicia
Edwards. 538-2505 or 1-888-758-7289.
Apr 20. Earth Day at Penny Park. 534-0261.
Apr 22. 7:30pm. Somei Yoshino Taiko Ensemble. At WNMU
Fine Arts Center Theater. 538-2505 or 1-888-758-7289.
Apr 26. 7:00pm. WNMU Orchestra and Band Concert. At
WNMU Fine Arts Center Theater. 538-6612.
Apr 28. 7:00pm. The Western New Mexico University
Thundering Herd in Concert. At WNMU Fine
Arts Center Theater. 538-6617.
MAY
‘
May TBA. 8:30am. 9th Annual Celebration of Spring Festival.
In Historic Downtown Silver City and Big Ditch Park. 534-1700.
May 6. Friends of the Library Book Sale. 534-4210.
May 6. Premier Yard Sale to support spaying/neutering in
Grant County. At the Animal Shelter. 538-9261.
May 26-28. Annual Blues Festival. 538-2505 or 1-888-758-7289.
SILVER CITY’S LIGHTED
CHRISTMAS
PARADE
A Downtown Tradition
BY BRETT FERNEAU
ON THANKSGIVING WEEKENDS IN
the early 1990s a horse-drawn trolley
ran downtown from north Bullard Street
to Home Furniture and back again.
Tickets cost $1.00. On one such
weekend, three schoolchildren came
into the Model Shop asking owner
Beverly Redwine how they could ride
the trolley. In the Christmas spirit
Beverly gave them three tickets she had.
They returned afterwards to thank her.
“Their faces were flushed and their
eyes were sparkling,” she recalls.
Beverly wanted to see that excited
look on the faces of all the area’s
youngsters. Her inspiration was the
beginning of what would become Silver
City’s largest annual event: the Lighted
Christmas Parade. In conjunction with
the Main Street Program Promotion
Committee, she helped organize the
parade and has been its chairperson
ever since.
“We have a wonderful committee,”
Beverly says. “The people are
cooperative and involved. It has been a
real joy to do it.”
It’s also a joy to watch. Grant
County’s Christmas season would be
incomplete without the nighttime event,
which features about 40 floats and
draws some 10,000 spectators yearly.
above: A horse-drawn carriage is the theme of
the 1st New Mexico Bank float at the annual
Lighted Christmas Parade.
1310 SILVER HEIGHTS BLVD. • SILVER CITY, NM 88061
505-538-5328
Monday-Saturday 9-6 • Sunday 12-5
Locally Owned and Operated.
W W W. S E A R S D E A L E R S . C O M / 3329
We are proud to be listed by the Small Business School as a respected and reputable business in our community and industry.
Member of:
National Home Builders’ Association
New Mexico Home Builders’ Association
Las Cruces Home Builders’ Association
Silver City Grant County Chamber of Commerce
Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce
Three Valley Business Assocation
505-313-5140
•
8 8 8 - 2 17-79 6 2
W W W. T I M B E R L A N D C O N S T R U C T I O N . C O M
The Gold Standard in Silver City
At CENTURY 21 Thompson Realty, find experienced CENTURY 21 professionals who are
dedicated to making the process of buying or selling your home as easy and as
successful as possible. Log onto www.silver-nm.com today to find out more.
Thompson Realty
1-800-358-0021
607 N. Hudson Street
Silver City, NM
505-538-0021
www.silver-nm.com
www.century21.com
www.dosgriegos.com

historic historic

Transcription

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