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YOUR FREE ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE
MAGAZINE
‘PETER AND THE STARCATCHER’
SPOTLIGHT: ‘INTO THE WOODS’
ALSO INSIDE: RAIR ANDREA JESPERSEN EXHIBIT, HERITAGE DINNER, BENEFIT CONCERT, HISTORY AND LOOKING UP
JULY 20, 2017
Culture
In the Light of History
The 36th annual heritage dinner of the Historical Society for Southeast New Mexico By Christina Stock Vision Editor ickets are on sale for the 36th annual heritage dinner of the Historical Society for Southeast New Mexico. Have you ever imagined what it is like to be a pioneer? What was it like living in Southeast New Mexico and in Roswell during the turn of the 20th century? Temperatures this weekend reach close to 100 again, just as it was in 1904. The difference is, no electricity, which means no swamp coolers or air conditioners. It is hard to imagine how tough those early Roswellites were to be
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able to live and work here in the heat. A change was launched in 1904. New Mexico was still a territory when Maynard Gunsell was granted the first electric franchise to serve the growing city of Roswell. The company became known as the Roswell Electric Light Company, which combined in 1910 with the Roswell Gas Company, rebranded as the Roswell Public Service Company, which then became the Southwestern Public Service Company in 1925. Wes Reeves, media r e l a t i o n r e p r e s e n t ative is the best person
to ask about the history of the companies which belong to Xcel Energy, the umbrella company under which today’s utility companies are held. “Roswell in 1904 had 2,000 inhabitants,” Reeves said. “That was about the size Amarillo had.” “Yes, it was pretty minimal,” Mike Mcleod said. McLeod is the regional manager working out of Roswell. “The first generating plant was 25KW. In today’s world, that would serve about eight houses, and it served the entire town then.” In the ‘20s and ‘30s
Sunday, July 23
Great Service, Free Parking, Quality Products at the following merchants:
Plains Park Shopping Center Gifts for Mom & Dad at
Terrestrial Communications Farmers Country Market Lopez Insurance Agency Just Cuts Beauty Shop La Familia Care Center Bank of the Southwest
Postal Annex (Located in Just Cuts) Plains Park Beauty Shop Roswell Community Little Theater ICON Cinema Fitness For $10
Located on West Hobbs at Union and Washington. Serving Roswell for over 40 years. Your friendly neighborhood center.
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Christina Stock Photo The Southwestern Public Service Company Showroom of 1938. linemen were the quiet heros, connecting towns, houses, farms and ranches to the early generators, bringing light to streets and homes. Early on, security for employees and customers became the company’s focus. Nobody wanted to see the headline, “Lineman electrocuted,” in the local newspaper. Amazingly, though it was improved and expanded over the next several decades, the old Roswell power plant served area electricity customers until it was finally retired in 1980. A fascinating aspect of the pioneer days for electricity was that SPS did not wait for its customers to come up with new products and ideas to use the electricity with, the company itself became a supporter of inventors and inventions. A novel idea was born. SPS installed showrooms and introduced the public to new products that would make life easier, per example,
electric irons, washing machines, toasters and stoves. Items such as electric stoves logically needed a kitchen and someone who could teach others how to cook on those stoves. Television and newspapers brought SPS’ mascot into the lives of Roswellites. “Sparky was a part of our lives,” Amy McVay-Davis, executive director for HSSNM said. The mascot taught the viewers and readers how to preserve energy and soon became an icon in the region. SPS remained a company though the headquarters migrated east to Texas. In 1997, SPS merged with Public Service Company of Colorado, based in Denver, creating New Century Energies. A little more than three years later, New Century merged with Minneapolis-based Northern States Power Company to form Xcel Energy. Merging of companies sounds very dry, but in real life, it was a merger of families and cultures.
A unique aspect of those “In New Mexico, we have one employee over in Hobbs who worked for us 44 years,” McLeod said. “Here in Roswell, it is our supervisor out in construction, Gary Burnett, who got 38 years.” “Most employees that went to work for this company have stayed with this company. To me, it says a whole lot. We have not had a lot of turnover.” “I think it is very important to know on behalf of the Historical Society that, when we came to this nomination, it’s so much more for us,” McVay-Davis said. The event takes place at the Convention & Civic Center, 912 N. Main St., on Aug. 29, live music by the group Hot Club on the Pecos. There will be also a silent auction and dinner. Reservations are required no later than Aug. 11. For more information and reservations, call 575-622-8333.
Content
Roswell Daily Record’s
Spotlight: Thursday, July 20, 2017 Volume 22, Issue 7
‘Into The Woods’
Publisher: Barbara Beck Interim Editor: Jeff Tucker Vision Editor: Christina Stock Copy Editor: Vanessa Kahin Ad Design: Sandra Martinez Columnists: Donald Burleson, Elvis E. Fleming, Sara Woodbury Get in touch with us online Facebook: PecosVisionMagazine Twitter: twitter.com/PecosVision Pinterest: pinterest.com/VisionMagazine Email: vision@rdrnews.com www: rdrnews.com/vision-magazine
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For advertising information, call 622-7710 Correspondence: Vision Magazine welcomes correspondence, constructive criticism and suggestions for future topics. Mail correspondence to Vision Magazine, P.O. Drawer 1897, Roswell, N.M. 88202-1897 or vision@rdrnews.com Submissions: Call 622-7710, ext. 309, for writers’ guidelines. Vision Magazine is not responsible for loss or damage to unsolicited materials. Vision Magazine is published once a month at 2301 N. Main St., Roswell, N.M. The contents of the publication are Copyright 2017 by the Roswell Daily Record and may not be reprinted in whole or part without written permission of the publisher. All rights reserved. One copy of each edition is provided to 13,000 weekday subscribers to the Roswell Daily Record in the third Thursday newspaper of each month. An additional 3,000 to 5,000 copies are made available free of charge to county residents and visitors and select site newsstands, and direct mailed to non-subscribers in the retail trade zone. Subscriptions are available by mail for $2 a month or free through subscription to the Roswell Daily Record. The Roswell Daily Record and Vision Magazine are represented nationally by Paper Companies Inc.
On The Cover
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AUGUST 4 TICKETS FROM $25
Roswell Artist-in Residence Andrea Jespersen exhibit
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Calendar
5
Culture
Music Benefit Concert for The Unity Center 6
TICKETS $55 (INCLUDES DINNER)
END OF SUMMER BASH SEPTEMBER 3 FREE FAMILY EVENT
Theater ‘Peter And The Starcatcher’
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‘Into The Woods’
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From The Vault 10 UFOlogy
Neverland Theatre Company presents ‘Peter And The Starcatcher’
JUSTIN SHANDOR AUGUST 26
Heritage dinner of the Historical Society for Southeast New Mexico 2
Looking Up
WARRANT WITH WINGER
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BREWS, BLUES & BBQ SEPTEMBER 23 FREE TO ATTEND (WRISTBANDS $25)
For tickets visit InnoftheMountainGods.com or or call (575) 464-7053 Mescalero, NM | Minors must be accompanied by an adult.
Submitted Photo From left, Dominic Batista, Kylie Breedyk and Simeon Neeld. Breedyk, who is cast as Molly, has her hands full with the boys.
Theater
‘Peter And The Starcatcher’
Neverland Theatre Company presents the story that shows “Peter Pan” before he became the boy who didn’t want to grow up. By Christina Stock Vision Editor
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ickets are now on sale for Neverland Theatre Company’s production of “Peter And The Starcatcher.” Dates are Aug. 18-20 and 25-27, with evening performances on Fridays and Saturdays and matinees on Saturday and Sunday at The Liberty Club, 312 N. Virginia Ave. There will be no alcohol or dinner service. Snacks and refreshments will be available at a concession stand. For more information, visit neverlandtheatrecompany. com. A wild adaptation of Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson’s best-selling novels, Tony Award-winning “Peter and the Starcatcher” upends the century-old story of how a misera-
ble orphan comes to be Peter Pan. T h e pl ay w as c o n ceived for the stage by directors Roger Rees and Alex Timbers and written by Rick Elice, with music by Wayne Barker. From marauding pirates and jungle tyrants to unwilling comrades and unlikely heroes, “Peter and the Starcatcher” playfully explores the depths of greed and despair — and the bonds of friendship, duty and love. A young orphan and his mates are shipped off from Victorian England to a distant island ruled by the evil King Zarboff. They know nothing of the mysterious trunk in the captain’s cabin, which contains a precious, otherworldly cargo. At sea, the boys are discovered
by a precocious young gi rl n am e d M o l ly, a starcatcher-in-training who realizes that the trunk’s precious cargo is starstuff, a celestial substance so powerful that it must never fall into the wrong hands. When the ship is taken over by pirates — led by the fearsome Black Stache, a villain determined to claim the trunk and its treasure for his own — the journey quickly becomes a thrilling adventure. Rehearsals for the show started early June. “We had a slow start because we had a lot of kids out for summer activities for the first two weeks. We are on a tight schedule,” Maryl McNally, director of the show and president of Neverland Theatre Company, said. “There are a couple
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challenges with this show. It’s an ensemble show and everyone is on stage all the time, having an even footing. In addition to that, we are doing the show at The Liberty. It’s is an amazing space for this show, but we have some technical limitation, such as lighting that require us to get creative with staging,” McNally said. “It’s something new that Roswell has not experienced, at least not in my time here that I can remember. It is going to have a semi-immersive feel to it. “It is pretty much a troop of actors with a box of props, creating a world for the audience. There is a lot of breaking of the fourth wall. There is going to be a lot of audience interaction, of them being engaged and participating,” McNally said. “We picked it as part of our original season with Neverland because it is certainly on point with our company’s name. But also because it was on point with our mission to bring theater education to kids in Roswell. And, it has so many fun, creative aspects to it. It’s a really funny, tender-hearted, sweet story. The cast has a chance to grow as a team,” McNally said. “We have 11 kids, ages from 10-18 years old. Then we have three adult acting coaches who are cast in the show as well. Those are Sara Woodbury, Dominic Batista and Colin Butts.” McNally and the coaches give the children room to experiment and make the show their own. “While they all know that I’m directing the show, it is an open
rehearsal process where ideas are welcome,” she said. “We have some rules on how ideas are pitched, but everyone is alloud to contribute with their ideas. At the end of the day, I may say ‘yay’ or ‘nay.’ I don’t have all the answers and I am not the most creative person on the planet. Nobody is, right? It takes collaboration. These kids have phenomenal ideas that I could never come up with. That’s such a theme in the show, the idea of imagination, exploration and adventure. I didn’t want to limit them by the limits of my imagination. I wanted to let them use theirs as well. “It is not a musical but there is some music, some singing in the show,” McNally said. “Part of it is to get that sort of pirate fantasy feel. We have a really talented composer by the name of Jonathan Roberts who I went to college with, who lives in New York now and has his own nonprofit. He has agreed to do the sound design for us. Because we are limited on the lighting side, he is branching out and creating a whole world of sound for us. It’s going to be spectacular. We are very excited. “Another cool thing we did for this production was, we got one of the voice dialect professors from the University of New Mexico to come down with his assistant and do a full day voice and dialect workshop with the kids and work on British accents. They’ve done standard, British and Cockney and then a couple of the characters are Italian, so we have that. Then we have one Spanish
character as well. Zelia Santos speaks beautiful Spanish,” McNally said. “For the first time we are going to do a Saturday matinee and evening show,” McNally said. “The reason we’re doing that is during ‘Shrek’ (Neverland Theatre’s previous show) so many people voiced the desire to come to the Sunday matinee, which was our biggest show. So many people complained about the lateness of the hour on Friday and Saturday nights for bringing their kids. We thought there needed to be more of a matinee ability. “We are also starting the show at 7 instead of 7:30 p.m. if you want to bring your kids late. The other reason why we decided to do two shows in one day is, I want these kids to know what it feels like to be a professional actor, when you are doing eight shows a week and two shows a day on one day a week. This is a good opportunity because it is not a musical and their voices will not get tired,” McNally said. Don’t miss the next edition of the Vision Magazine on Aug. 17 including interviews with the cast of “Peter And The Starcatcher.” to be continued
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Calendar Albuquerque July 19-23 New Mexico Senior Olympics State Summer Games The New Mexico Senior Olympics State Summer Games take place at the Balloon Fiesta Park. Spectators can watch athletes compete in huachas, soccer accuracy, softball distance and shuffleboard. There will be also a Sport Health Fair Expo with free health screenings. For details, visit nmseniorolympics.org or call 575-6235777. Weeds July 21 Rally In The Weeds Every year the little town of Weeds turns into the center of attention during its annual Rally In The Weeds. There will be live bands, DJs, food and retail vendors, as well as mud boggs. The town of Weeds is located eight miles West of Artesia on Highway 82. For more information, visit its Facebook event page. Artesia July 21-23 Early Days gas engine and tractor show The Pecos Valley Classic AG Tractor Club is hosting the 2017 Early Days Gas Engine &Tractor Association Southwest regional show at the Eddy County Fairgrounds. There will be antique tractors, machinery and engines from all over the Southwestern United States. Interested individuals can get further information from the Club website, at classicag.org or by contacting Ralf Cunningham at buckeyeret2@gmail.com. Ruidoso July 21-23 Ruidoso Wine and Art Festival Starting this year a hand-
ful of New Mexico wineries are joining the festival. There are different choices for tickets. The tickets that include the wine tasting also includes a free wine glass and free tastings at each vendor. Onehundert of the nation’s most talented artists showcasing a broad spectrum of mediums including sculpture, photography, glass, paintings, ceramics, jewelry and mixed media. This year there will be a variety of new artists participating in the show. The festival takes place at the Ruidoso Convention Center, 111 Sierra Blanca Dr. For more information, visit ruidosonow.com. Artesia July 22 National Day of the Cowboy Artesia Arts Council invites the public to celebrate the National Day of the Cowboy at the First American Bank Parking lot, 303 Main St. There will be craft and food vendors, music and prizes. Learn how to rope and meet cowboy poet, W.C. Jameson at Bennie’s Western Wear. The festivities start at 9 a.m. and go until 4 p.m. A show with W.C. Jameson follows at the Occotillo Performing Arts Center, 310 W. Main St., at 7 p.m. Tickets for the evening show are $20. For more information, visit artesiaartscouncil.com or call 575-746-4212. Hobbs July 22 Free Family Fun Day The Western Heritage Museum and Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame, 1 Thunderbird Circle, invites the public to a free Family Fun Day — Summer of Love celebration — to remember the 50th anniversary of the summer of 1967 in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. Families
can enjoy crafts from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., including a tie-dye station with tiedye bandanas for the first 200 people, a love-bead making station, face painting, mural painting, flower-making and at 2 p.m., the movie “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” will be shown. For more information, visit nmjc. edu/museum or call 575492-2678. Artesia July 24-July 29 Eddy County Fair The 72nd annual Eddy County Fair takes place at the Eddy County Fairgrounds, 3402 S. 13th St. June 30 is the deadline for 4-H inside exhibits, 4-H and FFA livestock forms. Bull riding will take place at 8 p.m. on July 28. The carnival is open each day from 5 p.m. There will be a dance on July 27 and 28 starting at 8:30 p.m. On July 28 a Chili Cook-off takes place at 4 p.m. Hobbs July 29 2017 Downtown Sounds: Battle of the bands As part of the 2017 Downtown Sounds Summer Concert Series, the Lea County Commission for the Arts, Hobbs Hispano Chamber of Commerce, Hobbs Chamber of Commerce and City of hobbs present, Battle of the Bands, noon to 7 p.m. Six band compete for prizes. A large part of the judging will be based on crowd participation. Winner will get free studio recording time at the New Mexico Junior College’s new musical technology studio, as well as the opportunity to perform during the 2017 Hobbs August Nites Downtown Sounds Summer Concert. For more information, visit lccanm. org or call 575-397-2787.
Roswell
Roswell
July 29 Free family movie night St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 505 N. Pennsylvania Ave., hosts its free family movie night at 6 p.m. All ages are welcome. Free admission — snacks and drinks, too. The movie is “Zootopia” (rated PG). After an otter suddenly disappears in the animal metropolis of Zootopia, by the book bunny police officer Judy Hopps reluctantly joins forces with fast-talking fox Nick Wilde to unravel the mystery. For more information, visit standrewsroswell.com.
Aug. 7-8 Auditions for “Guys And Dolls” Way Way Off Broadway Theatre Company is holding auditions for the musical “Guys And Dolls” at Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell Performing Arts Center, 52 University Blvd. For more information, visit waywayoffbroadway.com or its Facebook page.
Ruidoso/Mescalero Aug. 4 Warrant and Winger in concert Warrant and Winger are going to rock the Inn of the Mountain Gods, 287 Carrizo Canyon Rd., at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $25. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. For more information and tickets, visit innofthemountaingods.com. Lincoln Aug. 4-6 Old Lincoln Days The Old Lincoln Days include “The Last Escape of Billy the Kid” at the pageant grounds next to the museum. Their will be also free wagon rides in the village, arts and crafts, music and colorful characters from the wild days when Lincoln was the center of the Lincoln County War. For more information, visit billythekidpageant.com. Roswell Breakfast fundraiser The Roswell JOY Center, 1822 N. Montana Ave., is holding a breakfast fundraiser, offering free children’s haircuts, 8 - 11 a.m. For more information, call Alex at 575-914-0285.
Artesia Aug. 7 - 12 Missoula Children’s Theatre “Peter and Wendy” Due to the popularity of the Aladdin-Missoula Children’s Theatre Camp a second camp was added. Children who have registered for “Aladdin” are welcome to register for “Peter and Wendy” as well. Participation Fee is $65 and includes a T-shirt, one Love Note (additional Love Notes, $2), lunch for all participants on Friday and Saturday. It is open to all school age children 5 years and up. Rehearsals are from Aug. 5 - 11, 10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Performance is Aug. 12 at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. To register or for more information,call the Ocotillo Performing Arts Center, 575-7464212. Santa Fe Aug. 19-20 The Zuni Show 2017: Art of the Pueblo The Zuni Show 2017 takes place at the Scottish Rite Temple, Aug. 19 from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Aug. 20, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Zuni is the largest of the pueblos in New Mexico and most of the Zunis’ income is from the sale of their artwork. This 2nd annual show expands exposure to the public, and once again artists will receive 100% of the proceeds from their sales. This is a fair trade event. Ethnographic films from 1924 depict-
Vision Magazine |
ing the Zunis’ past will be screened continually in the auditorium of the Scottish Rite facility. For more information, to donate or to volunteer, call Robin Dunlap at 505-660-0981 or visit TheKeshiFoundation.org. Artesia Aug. 26 Red Dirt Black Gold Festival The free all-day festival takes place downtown Artesia and celebrates the oil and gas industry. This year’s concert lineup is as follows: Whiskey Myers, Bri Bagwell, Dalton Domino, The Statesboro Revue and Callahan Divide. For more information, visit artesiaacd.com or call 575746-4212. Carlsbad Aug. 25-26 San Jose 52 Family Fair The San Jose Catholic Church Carlsbad, 1002 De Bace St. is hosting its San Jose 52 Family fair. Doors open on Aug. 25 at noon and on Aug. 26 at 11 a.m. Music will be provided by Michael Salgado and La Sombra. For more information, call 575-885-5792. Roswell KAPS fall art classes Sept. 11 The Roswell Kids’ Arts ProgramS offer art classes each Monday from 4:305:30 p.m. The classes are open to kids in Kindergarten-6th grade. Registration is now open at roswellkaps.org. Classes take place at Church of Christ on Country Club Road. If you would like your event listed on the entertainment calendar, please email vision@rdrnews. com or call 622-7710 ext. 309.
Thursday, July 20, 2017
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Submitted Photo Hip-hop artist Psycadellic is going to perform for the first time at the benefit concert at The Unity Center.
Music
Benefit concert
Artists are coming together for a benefit concert supporting a new recording studio at The Unity Center. By Christina Stock Vision Editor he Unity Center is one of the few places that provides a safe, drug- and alcohol-free environment. They hold gaming tournaments, have free games on-site and, throughout the year, are the hosts of low-cost concerts of all kinds of music genres. Next plan for the center is to have its own recording studio to help artists who are just starting out or don’t have a large budget. On average, studio time can cost $500 and up said Hank Sisneros, vocalist for the band Amy’s Not Breathing. For Bobby Garcia, The Unity Center manager, the sound studio is a dream five years in the making. “I needed the right people to help with this.” Garcia found the right help in Sisneros. “We don’t want to spend too much money,” Sisnero said. “We want to get really professional equipment, because there are many musicians in Roswell that need to be heard, that don’t come to shows. As for technology, I need something that is easy to use and also has good sound and engineering.” “Roughly, we are thinking $5,000
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- $8,000 that we want to put into it,” Garcia said. Part of the project is rebuilding two rooms at The Unity Center. “Ernie Romero Construction are donating their time and material,” Sisneros said. “We are pretty excited about him helping out with this,” Garcia said. To get the money, Garcia is hosting a benefit concert at The Unity Center. One of the musicians performing is Psycadellic. He is exactly the kind of musician that Garcia and Sisneros want to encourage with the new studio. Behind Psycadellic — which is on purpose misspelled for better identification — is young Roswell family man and hip-hop/rap musician, Raymond Espinoza. “I like the older rap compared to the newer generation,” Espinoza said. “In our days it’s just money, women and drugs. It’s bad.” Roswell is Espinoza’s home, ever since he moved here from Denver as a child. “I went to a few elementary schools because I was raised in a tough family, bad situation,” Espinoza said. “I went school-to-school elementary-wise; I went to Mesa Mid-
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dle School, I went to Goddard High School and then University High School. I graduated from University High School in 2012. “It was kind of difficult. I didn’t have support from anyone family-wise, I didn’t have anyone to look up to or as a role model. I kind of figured it out by myself. Observing and taking it, putting it into perspective and decided for myself, I didn’t want to live the way I have seen other people live. I didn’t want that life. Because I knew one day I’d have my own family and I didn’t want them to be around that. “This is going to be my first performance,” Espinoza said. “I am new to music. I always had the passion for it, deep down inside of me. Music is in everyone actually. Creativity is in everyone. You got to put that out there. You got to be you and not care what everybody else is thinking and just do it. This will be my first performance. I am excited. Listening to his songs, one can hear the struggle of Espinoza’s life reflected. On the surface it looks as if it glorifies drug use, but the real message is about the ugliness and desperation. The words are raw and pointing out the dark side of Roswell. “I want to keep them (young people) away from it.” Espinoza said. “I did this so you don’t do it. Learn from that; I teach you all that so you stay away from it. “There are some things I want to point out,” Espinoza said. “A lot of people try to ignore it. They don’t want to see that. It’s the scary truth. That is what hip-hop was created on; they try to expose what is really going on. I put some of it into my music. But I also put it in stuff that is going on around the world. This doesn’t only happen in Roswell. It happens all over. I want people to hear it out. This isn’t something you just push aside. This is something we’ve got to face. Because it is going to hurt the future and generations after us. “If you look around, children, teens in our days are acting and dressing like they are 20, 30 years old. It is sad. They are cussing, it’s bad. I know my music is a little obscene too (some F-words and rated R language),” Espinoza said. “I got three kids,” he said. “One is 5 years old — my only son — I have a daughter that is 8 months and I have another one on the way, due July 31.” Espinoza assists selling plants to earn enough money for his family.
“It’s good, gardening is therapeutic,” he said. “ I try to teach my son about gardening but he is little, he likes swimming and water. It is good to teach them when they are young. They are like a sponge. If you teach them the right things they are going to learn from those things and use them in their daily lives. “Roswell is just a piece of the puzzle,” Espinozo said. “It is just downgraded. But Roswell does have a good environment. There are good people here. With my job, I am always out there. I meet new people every day, everybody is kind and friendly but then, there are days when you get the grumpy person and their negativity is just trying to rub off on you. You just need to say, ‘I got this. I am not going to become negative because you are negative.’” Asked how he heard about the event, Espinoza said, “I have a friend that is really close to Bobby (Garcia), Picasso The Kid. He is a friend with Bobby and had a couple shows there. He introduced me. I’d seen that Bobby tried to do something good. He is trying to help the youth in a positive way. It just sucks, because a lot of youth doesn’t go there because they rather be with their friends doing dumb stuff. “I got in contact with Bobby because he posted on his status (on Facebook), he is looking for musicians and bands and artists to help with this benefit. I thought that would be a good idea for my first performance, to be helpful.” Other artists performing are Examiner, Amy’s Not Breathing, The Houses We Die In, Beast Boii! Fin The Crazy Town King, J Killz & Zion50 and Neckwringer. It is a mix of known rap/hip-hop, rock and hardcore groups of Roswell and the region. “Music brings a lot of people together,” Sisneros said. “That’s one thing I really like about this idea. To bring people together and give them a place where they can show their art.” Garcia and Sisneros are also open for old equipment donations from churches and radio stations. All donations are tax-deductible. The event is for all ages and takes place July 29 at 6 p.m. at The Unity Center, 108 E. Bland St. For more information, call 575-208-8603 or visit The Unity Center’s Facebook page.
Christina Stock Photo Summer Souza, far left, is working with the cast of “Into The Woods.” It is a detailed process to synchronize the music with the timing of the actors.
Spotlight
‘Into The Woods’ in Roswell
By Christina Stock Vision Editor he PG-13 musical “Into The Woods” is Way Way Off-Broadway’s bonus show and will be shown in full Broadway quality. Remember being a child and watching Disney’s version of the Brothers Grimm tales? The prince was a brave hero, the girls get saved and become princesses and all ends well, but what if all wishes come true and end up disastrous? The first act of “Into The Woods” stays true to the idea of living happily ever after but then, just as in real life, comes the wake-up call. The musical throws all kinds of favorite characters of the Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault together, following a baker and his wife, who wish to have a child; Cinderella,
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who wishes to attend the king’s festival; Little Red Riding Hood, who wishes to bring wine and cake to her grandmother, and Jack, who wishes his cow would give milk. This musical — at least in the second act — goes back to the roots of fairy tales, which were told as precautionary stories and warned children, rather violently, not to stray off the path and get lost or killed. The Broadway version by James Lapine and Steven Sondheim of “Into The Woods” is different than the 2014 movie it was based on. “This (the stage production) has a lot more humor in it. It is hysterical. They left a lot out in the movie which made me sad because it’s really funny. It’s dark but it’s comedy at the
same time. It’s a really fun show,” WWOB’s president Summer Souza said. Souza is directing the musical and is performing too acting. “I saw the musical when I was about 9 or 10, I watched the DVD of the Bernadette Peter cast my mom got for me,” Souza said. “That was one of the shows I watched over and over. I loved it. My daughter, who is 10 now, she watches it. We still have it. She loves it. She was like, ‘Mommy, I want to be in it.’ But she is a bit young for that one. “It gets dark during the second act so we don’t recommend it for the little kids because they may not understand,” Souza said. “But it’s a beautiful story, a beautiful message. One of my favorite songs in the show is, ‘Children
Will Listen.’ Jessica (Haynes) actually sings it as the witch (from “Rapunzel”). It’s a beautiful song and a really good lesson. Souza said that the music of Sondheim is brilliant but difficult to perform. “Usually the biggest challenge is the set or the costumes but with this one it’s the music,” she said. She called the show a grand slam musical. “We started rehearsing last month. But they (the actors) had the scripts and the music, for a while. I told them, ‘You look it over, learn your stuff and then we’re going to come together. That’s why this one is really unique. I picked the group of people (performers) and had no auditions. I wanted to know that they could take on this challenge. And I knew that this group could. It wasn’t that I thought anyone else couldn’t handle it, but it is such a challenging show,” Souza said. Time was also an issue for Souza’s decision not to have auditions. “This one is not a big ensemble cast. We are doing ‘Chicago’ next year and we are probably going to cast a couple in advance. Additionally, we are going to have a full audition for that one. It’s the first bonus show we’re holding auditions for, because it’s a bigger ensemble with dancers,” Souza said. “The bonus shows are really neat,” Souza said. “We donate to a charity of our choice. It’s Down Syndrome Foundation this year. That’s another reason you should come out and support the arts. It’s just a fun night out and supports a good cause. You’re sup-
porting theater, you are supporting the Down Syndome Foundation. It’s all good. Just leave the little kids at home. Older kids probably will enjoy it, but the little ones should be better left at home. There are some deaths, without giving away too much. The original Grimm Fairy Tales did not always have happy endings. This was especially for witches, evil sisters or creatures. It’s not like the Disney movies or in reality. You wanted it? Well, here are the consequences. This is what his musical is, it teaches you lessons. In a very unusual, funny, fastpaced way,” Summer said. Tarra Morgan is
known for being the talent in charge of the hair and makeup for the WWOB actors. “I am doing that here as well. It is going to be easier, so I am going to be in the show,” she said. Asked when Morgan got interested in helping out at the theater, she said, “That’s been about 10 years ago. This is probably my 15th production and the seventh or eighth I have been in. I usually do chorus numbers and things like that. “I grew up in Roswell, went to Roswell High here. I am the director of the Olympian Academy of Cosmetology in the Roswell mall. I have been the director for see woods on page 9
Christina Stock Photo Pam Engelhard, left, and Nicholas Featherstone are going over their lines during rehearsals of Way Way Off Broadway Theatre’s “Into The Woods.”
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Christina Stock Photo Andrea Jespersen became fascinated with Robert H. Goddard and especially his wife, Esther Goddard. Jespersen’s research turned into art which became part of her new exhibit.
Art
Finding Australia in Roswell
The Roswell Museum and Art Center presents: Roswell Artist-inResidence Andrea Jespersen’s new exhibit By Christina Stock Vision Editor
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n July 28, the exhibit “Grasping the air of not (yet) knowing” opens with a free talk and reception by Roswell Artist-in-Residence Andrea Jespersen. Originally from Denmark, Jespersen lives and works in London. She found her way to the RAiR program through an artist friend. The first impression visitors to Jespersen’s studio get is a welcoming, broad smile. Every artist is different in their approach to their art. Jespersen considers herself a cerebral person, a researcher who jumps off at a certain point into the art. “I work conceptional,” Jespersen said. “I am a conceptional art-
ist in a contemporary sense. My work has a reason to be there, but it’s not an illustration. I am not illustrating anything, I am an artist. There is a certain point where that is put in the background and something else takes over. That is when it becomes art.” Asked about her artist background, Jespersen said, “I came to art in a roundabout way, because I didn’t have any inspiration from home,” Jespersen said. “I actually went via architecture. I started studying in London interior architecture. Halfway through that I thought, ‘No, I don’t want to be an architect, I want to be an artist.’ I quit the course and went to New York (City).
“My dad worked for IBM. America had always a rosy glow in my family,” Jespersen said and laughed. She was not worried about her family not approving her plans for travel. Rather that she would not finish her education. “I do remember that call I made at Christmas and I was saying, I am going to New York. And they were good with it,” Jespersen said. “After that (her stay in New York City), I knew what I wanted to do and that I needed some art education. Jespersen decided to go to the Glasgow Sch o o l o f A rt wh e re she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in fine art photography. Her decision was made learning about the
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school’s strong philosophical and theoretical approach to teaching. “That is when I knew what I’d be interested in. I am interested in what the viewer gets from what I am doing. Does the work have potential for thoughts rather than being just a static experience? That was the directory I took in my art,” Jespersen said. After Glasgow, Jespersen continued her studies at the Royal College of Art in London were she received her master’s in fine art. She received her PhD from Northumbria University in Newcastle, England. For Jespersen, being in a small town in New Mexico is a new social experience. “Coming from London, you think, ‘there is nothing going to happen and it’s just me and my studio and lots of time,’” Jespersen said. “But there is so much happening in Roswell. People are so social and welcoming. I almost feel like I have to lock myself into my studio to spend time working,” she said and laughed. “I spent a year in West Australia and this reminds me a lot of that. The distance as well,” Jespersen said. espersen’s exhibit at RMAC includes clay, which is due to Aria Finch, who is part of the board of directors for the RAiR and teaches a clay workshop at RMAC. Jespersen took part in that workshop. “Unless you seek it, you are really not going to mingle with locals,” Jespersen said. “You need to seek that out. The great thing about that evening course of Aria is that you meet lots of people. You hear them chat and you get
a feel for the clays and the people. It is kind of a communal thing,” Jespersen said. “I do work in kind of long projects,” Jespersen said. “I don’t see one thing as separate. I see my whole practice as a continuing journey. This show and working here is the beginning of a new project. “That is how I work. When I came here, that is what I was looking for. For a new project, a hook, something I could build on and continue to build on after I leave here. I want to share Roswell with the world,” Jespersen said. Jespersen had previously been a guest curator at the Medical Museum in Copenhagen. She recognized here the lack of women in its history. “That became a curiosity and definitely became a theme in my practice of notion, the female knowledge and the lack of it in those institutions of knowledge and how it was presented to the world,” Jespersen said. She is continuing this project in Roswell. “I was curious but also find it interesting that space that we are having the exhibition in at the museum. I find it interesting the way they (RMAC) can have all kinds of different things all in a tiny museum like that. Like the Goddard’s workshop and then local history, then there is the contemporary art,” Jespersen said. Jespersen especially became fascinated with Goddard’s wife, Esther. Jespersen has built her exhibition parallel to the Goddard workshop theme with a focus on Esther Goddard. “It is laying bare her work in this context,”
Jespersen said. “But, it is also kind of a celebration of them.” Jespersen plans to visit the ruins in the Four Corner-region of New Mexico, doing more research in the AMoCA library before heading back to London with Roswell’s clay as the beginning of the next project. Jespersen has an impressive background that includes more than 40 fellowships, residencies and shows in Europe and the U.S., such as the AngusHughes Gallery in London, The Museu da Cidade, Pavilhao Preto in Lisbon, Portugal, the Overgaden Institute of Contemporary Art in Copenhagen, Denmark and apexart in New York City. Jespersen’s awards include the PhD Award from Northumbria University in England (2011-15), The 2005 British Art Fair Award and the Postgraduate Grant from the Awards Agency for Scotland, Exhibition Grand of The British Council, among others. The talk and reception for “Grasping the air of not (yet) knowing” are set to take place at 5:30 p.m. on July 28 at the RMAC, 100 W. 11th St. For more information, visit roswellamoca.org, roswell-nm. gov/308/Roswell-Museum-Art-Center, or call 575-624-6744. The interviews and contents of this story had to be shortened because of limited space. A more detailed version is available online at rdrnews. com/category/news/ vistas/.
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four years and been working there for 11 years,” Morgan said. “I just love the theater, it gives me something to do and it brings life to my life. I think I was always into theater as a little kid, I was always dancing around the house. I am playing one of Cinderella’s stepsisters. It gives me a chance to have a little attitude on stage. Be a little evil,” Morgan said and laughed. Julie Martinez is 14 years old and plays the other stepsister. “It is kind of a challenge,” she said. “I never played a role where I had to be blind. I really like the role. I like being the mean girl. I am really nice, so it is fun to be able to play a mean girl.” Martinez is going to be a sophomore at Goddard High School. “When I grow up, I want to be a nurse and go to nursing school,” Martinez said. “I definitely want to keep acting as a hobby. It is something I always liked to do, ever since I was little.” Miranda Stroble is cast in several roles: Cinderella’s dead mother, the grandmother in “Little Red Riding Hood” and a female giant. “I played in the production in Lubbock a few years ago and I played all these three roles. I am very familiar switching back and forth from each one. I am trying to add some new flair to each character to give them some more differentiation. I really enjoy working on it again,” Stroble said. This is her second performance with
WWOB, she recently was cast in “Mary Poppins.” “I am the theater teacher at Carlsbad High School,” Stroble said. “Theater is my life, it is my job, it is my everything. It is absolutely what I love. I wanted to get more involved on the performance side of things and timing-wise it worked really well before I got my theater teaching job. I am going to start my second year in August. “One of the great things about the company (WWOB) is, as soon as I got here everybody was like, ‘Oh, stay at my home, please don’t drive.’ So I have an endless choice of couches to sleep on whenever I come over.” Cydni Vandeburg plays the good girl, falling for the bad boy, or in this case, big bad wolf. “I am Little Red Riding Hood,” Vandeburg said. “It is based on the original fairy tale, it is a little bit dark. She is getting led astray by the wolf. I guess my favorite thing about this show is that it has all of these underlying lessons for you to learn. Each character has its own lesson, that just because you think you want something, that might not be the case. So they each learn their lesson in their own way. Little Red Riding Hood is played by an adult in most stage productions. I am a firm believer in that because of where they take this. It implies that she and the wolf have a liaison of some sort. “One of the favorite lines she says is, ‘Being nice is not always good,’” Vandeburg said. “It is an important lesson for her to learn
that just because one plays nice doesn’t mean they are actually good characters or good people in real life. I think that is my favorite part in this, that it weaves lessons in and each character learns their own lesson.” Nicholas Featherstone recently appeared as cheese grater in “Beauty and the Beast.” In “Into The Woods” he was cast as Jack with the beanstalk. “I started with ‘Music Man,’ did ‘Beauty And The Beast,’” Featherstone said. This is my first lead. I am really excited about it. “My favorite part of the role is that he is starting out as this naive, dim-witted child. Throughout the story he becomes strong, independent, thoughtful and wise in the ways of the world,” Featherstone said. Featherstone is going to be a senior at Goddard High School. “Up until my first audition for the ‘Music Man” I really didn’t have a singing voice. But something happened. I guess it was a gift from God. It really allowed me to open myself up and get involved with these amazing people,” Featherstone said. “I am a trombone player and a section leader at school. Other than that, I spend most of my time here (at the theater). I would love to do it (acting) for the rest of my life. Not as a job, per se, but I would love to be involved in it. Asked what his future plans are, Featherstone said, “It’s a little iffy right now but I think architect. I want to do something artistic and I feel like drawing and creating or designing houses is something I
really want to do.” Featherstone has a message for anybody interested in joining the theater. “Don’t let your selfdoubt get in the way, or you never try anything or achieve anything. Go for your dreams,” he said. Other actors for “Into The Woods” are: Boyd Barrett, John Bitner, Kyle Bullock, Devon Bullock, Brady Crump, Pam Engelhard, Cheyenne Hellmers, Tony Souza, Jason Stewart and Julie Washichek. “Guys and Dolls” auditions are already announced on WWOB’s Facebook page. These will take place on the weekend of “Into The Woods.” “My biggest advice is, do it,” Souza said. “You may audition for one show and don’t make it the first time, but don’t give up. Keep auditioning. It can be scary, it might be a little intimidating though we try to not make it intimidating. You can choose your own songs from musicals to audition because we want you to be comfortable. We try to make it as warm and welcoming as it can be. “Never give up if it is something you really want to do and dream about,” Souza said. “We get so many new people at every show. They come out to audition and we cast new ones every show and some of the old ones come back. It is always a great mix. “It gets new people involved that may have never done it (acting) before. I always say, just come and try it, you never know. It may be a passion you’ll love and you never knew,” Summer said. “For the kid show, we don’t go younger
than age 7 because we feel that younger than that they are not really ready for the stage, rehearsals and all that. Because it does get tiring and is a lot. Depending on the show we do an age range for each show,” Souza said. “As with ‘Guys and Dolls,’ we are doing age 14 and up because it is more mature versus ‘Peter Pan,’ we got kids in that including the Darling family, then there’s all the lost boys. It will be an age range from kids to teenagers,“ Souza said. “I pick the seasons. When I pick shows, I really try to balance it out. We have shows for kids with parents to come watch and some for adults because Tony (Souza’s husband) and I, we always try to find shows and go on a date night and keep the kids at home and just go and
watch. We want to do that for Roswell, where we have a show and can leave the kids at home and come enjoy it. But then we have shows like ‘Beauty And The Beast’ to bring the family. We try to balance it out,” Souza said. There will be only one weekend performance of “Into The Woods.” The show will take place Aug. 11-13 at the Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell Performing Arts Center, 52 University Blvd., with evening performances Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and a matinee on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. For tickets or other information, visit waywayoffbroadway.com.
Christina Stock Photo From left, Tony Souza, Devon Bullock and Miranda Stroble are listening to the directions of Summer Souza during the rehearsal of the new Way Way Off Broadway Production “Into The Woods.”
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‘Crustose Lichen on Sandstone’ by Gussie DuJardin From the Vault By Sara Woodbury RMAC Curator of Collections and Exhibitions
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hen we open a new collections-based exhibition I like to use this column to let people know about it. Today, we’re going to highlight 50 Years of RAiR: Works from the Roswell Artist-in-Residence program, by taking a look at one of the works currently on view, “Crustose Lichen on Sandstone” by Gussie DuJardin (1918-2006). DuJardin was the professional name of Gertrude Schooley. She grew up in the Southwest, living in Arizona, Colorado and Nevada. While studying art at the University of Colorado, she met and eventually married Elmer Schooley (1916-2007), who would also become a renowned artist. Both would go on to the University of Iowa to get their master’s degrees. Both lived in Las Vegas, New Mexico from 1947 to 1977, where Schooley was the head of the art department at New Mexico Highlands University. From 1977-78, DuJardin and Schooley participated in the Roswell Artist-in-Residence program. They would settle permanently in Roswell afterwards. Like her husband, DuJardin was a landscapist interested in deconstructing the traditional, hierarchical formula of foreground, middle ground and background, but where-
as he created large, tapestry-like paintings of forests, fields, and other views, she focused on the microscopic world of lichen and other flora. She was an avid amateur botanist and dedicated much of her time to collecting and identifying plant specimens. Among her discoveries is a rare yellow species of Penstemon, or Beardtongue, located near Las Vegas. Her close-up landscapes have a wonderfully abstract quality, reveling in both scientific identification and the formal interactions between line, shape, and color. Printed in 1980, “Crustose Lichen on Sandstone” is exemplary of DuJardin’s botanical and artistic interests. The work presents an en“Crustose Lichen on Sandstone” by Gussie DuJardin. larged yet intimate view of small plant forms that are often overlooked the aesthetic qualities reer, the grant attracts a dium and geography, when exploring the out- underpinning the natu- diverse group of people highlighting the diverwho come to New Mexi- sity of the program’s doors. By increasing the ral world. “Crustose Lichen on co to form a unique cre- participants. From the size of the lichen, DuJardin gives the tiny plants a Sandstone” is currently ative community. The re- energetic lithographs of sense of scale and gran- on view in the exhibit, sult of this gift of time is Luis Jimenez to the condeur that focuses our at- 50 Years of RAiR: Works a mutually-beneficial re- templative landscapes tention while also evok- from the Roswell Art- lationship for both RAiR of Elen Feinberg, visitors Pro- artists and Roswell itself. can enjoy RAiR’s creative ing the experience of ist-in-Residence viewing objects through gram. For five decades, Grant recipients can fur- output while learning a microscope. The RAiR has empowered ther their artistic devel- about this special procropped composition, in artists by enabling them opment, while locals can gram. In October, RAiR experience alumni will submit new turn, removes the lichen to focus exclusively on regularly from its original context, their creative practice. contemporary art from works to the museum for a special anniversaturning the work into an Established in 1967 around the world. In anticipation of ry exhibition. Stay tuned abstract composition by oil businessman, as well as a plant study. philanthropist and art- RAiR’s 50th anniversary for updates on that show. 50 Years of RAiR will Colors such as pink, yel- ist Donald B. Anderson, celebration in October, low, and gray guide our the RAiR grant offers its this exhibit will intro- be on view until Sept. 3, eyes around the purple participants “the gift of duce visitors to the RAiR 2017. For more questions ground, while the differ- time,” providing hous- program by highlighting on upcoming exhibitions ent shapes and details ing, studio space and works from its past par- or programs, call 575on the lichen forms add income that gives artists ticipants. Drawn from 624-6744 or visit roswellvisual interest. Simulta- the financial and person- the Roswell Museum and museum.org. neously representational al freedom to concen- Art Center’s vaults and and abstract, this print trate on their own art for spanning five decades, embodies DuJardin’s on- a year. Open to all artists the selection is diverse going fascination with at any stage in their ca- in terms of subject, me-
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Submitted Photo
History
Wildy was the forgotten founding father of Roswell
By Elvis E. Fleming
E
arlier generations of Roswell historians gave short shrift to one of the leading “movers and shakers” in the early development and growth of Roswell. Maj. William W. Wildy might be called the “Grandfather of Roswell” because he was the father of Sallie Wildy Lea, the wife of Capt. Joseph C. Lea, who is known as the ”Father of Roswell.” Despite Wildy’s prominence, relatively little space is devoted to his accomplishments in the history of Roswell, and therefore much of Wildy‘s story is scant and incorrect. Roswell even has two streets (Wildy Street, Wildy Drive) bearing the Wildy name. The name is pronounced “WILLdy,” but most local folks mispronounce it “WILD-dy.” The streets likely were named after Wildy’s son, Ernest Wildy, who was a wellknown real estate agent in Roswell around the turn of the 20th century. Van C. Smith is credited with being the founder of Roswell, but Lea came to be called the “Father of Roswell” because he was the one who developed the town ca. 1877-1904. But who was behind Lea? None other than his father-in-law, Wildy. Wildy was a native of Northumberland County, Virginia, where he was born to William and Sarah Wildy Oct. 9, 1809. The family was a part of the great migration to Yazoo Coun-
ty, Mississippi. Some of the family members achieved considerable wealth and built large plantations. Wildy married Laurena Hall Childress about 1840, and they had seven children. How Wildy got the title of “Major” is unknown. He served in a local militia during the Civil War, but he was not an officer. The opinion of his relatives in Mississippi is that he probably conferred the title upon himself in order to have a title that was commensurate with his stature and honored position in the community. The traditional version of the events surrounding Wildy’s role in the early development of Roswell is that he took a little jaunt from his Mississippi plantation home to the territory of New Mexico in 1877 in quest of possibilities for investing in agricultural endeavors. He was very impressed with the area around Roswell and the Pecos Valley in general. Wildy knew a good deal when he saw it. He proceeded to purchase 480 acres of land from Marion Turner, who was then one of the owners of the Roswell store, which had been established by Smith some years earlier. The land was north and west of the present corner of Fourth and Main streets and included the Smith/Lea adobe hotel and store in the present 400 block of North Main Street. By 1877, J. C. and Sallie Lea were living in
the high country of Colfax County in northern New Mexico Territory, where he was striving to make a living raising sheep and cattle. Wildy convinced Lea to move his ranching operation to Lincoln County, New Mexico. So here they came, with a sizable flock of sheep, a small herd of cattle, several sheepherders and cowboys — some with families — and the Leas: J. C., Sallie and their infant son, Wildy. Apparently no one recorded the date of this move, but it probably was sometime in the fall of 1877. Had it not been for the influence of his father-in-law, the “Father of Roswell” may have never set foot in this part of New Mexico territory. Some of the incorrect history of early Roswell regarding Wildy is the idea that Wildy gave his Roswell lands to his daughter, Sallie Lea, Aug. 1, 1878, soon after the Leas moved to Roswell. According to the story, Sallie Lea and her husband then owned the entire townsite. The deed records of old Lincoln County show a different scenario. They indicate that the Aug. 1878 date is actually when Wildy bought s e v e n tr ac ts o f l an d totaling 440 acres from Marion Turner. There is no evidence in the deed records that Wildy ever turned the land over to his daughter. Roswell historians have viewed Wildy as an outsider who lived on a plantation in Mis-
sissippi. There is some evidence that Wildy and some other people in the Roswell area considered him to be a resident and citizen of the locale, as well as a successful farmer and developer of the Pecos Valley. For example, some of the land deeds refer to him as a farmer and resident of Lincoln County. Other evidence suggests that some of his children were also residents of the Roswell area as they came from Mississippi to help their father develop his holdings as well as their own. Ash Upson, an early settler and longtime postmaster of Roswell, wrote in a letter in 1878 that “... we have a colony of Mississippi and Missouri people at Roswell now, wealthy, intelligent, and educated ... Several from here have gone back to Mississippi to harvest their cotton. They come from Satartia, Yazoo County and Warenton.” Wildy’s children who had a connection with Roswell were John, Ernest, Ada and Mattie. Ada was a widower, and Mattie was married to James Bonney. There could well have been some in-laws and friends in this colony. Wildy died Feb. 7, 1881, in Yazoo County. When his estate was settled Nov. 1883, his daughter Sallie Lea received a 200-acre tract, which included the present 400 block of North Main Street where the hotel and the store were located at the
Submitted Photo courtesy of the Historical Society for Southeast New Mexico Maj. William W. Wildy (1809-1881). beginning of Roswell’s existence. Sallie Lea’s siblings each received a title to a tract of their father’s lands. Sallie Lea’s plot was obviously more valuable than the others because the store and the hotel were located there. In order to even out the value received by each sibling, she paid $2,400 to her brothers and sisters; they each retained their respective tracts. Because of the historical events that happened on that block, it was officially named “Pioneer Plaza” on March 28, 2001, along with the dedication of a large sculpture depicting John Chisum on a horse and hazing a big steer. These few accounts of Wildy and his children illustrate how
Vision Magazine |
Wildy used his money, his land and his experience to advocate for the growth of Roswell in its early days. As the “Grandfather of Roswell,” Wildy and his sons and daughters bought and sold much land in his efforts to attract settlers to the Pecos Valley. Wildy deserves more credit for his part in developing Roswell, Lincoln and Chaves counties and the Pecos Valley. Much of the research for this article was conducted by the author when he was writing his award-winning book, “Captain Joseph C. Lea: From Confederate Guerrilla to New Mexico Patriarch,” (2002).
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UFOlogy
Correlations in UFO sightings: Easier now than ever
Looking Up
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i t n e s s reports of UFO sightings come in unlimited varieties but are not all equally compelling or informative to the UFO investigator. It has long been rather unfortunate that so many sighting reports reflect the isolated, uncorroborated experience of lone observers, because such reports may often be more difficult to evaluate than reports by multiple witnesses, especially witnesses in different places who don’t know each other. The classic Roswell UFO incident has hundreds of wit-
By Donald Burleson
nesses who collectively tell a fairly consistent and cohesive story. But with regard to the limited verifiability of sightings, things have been changing dramatically in recent years. Isolated observations are not necessarily so isolated any more, at least not with a little luck and perseverance. The Mutual UFO Network uses an online case management system that not only provides a fast and easy means for UFO witnesses to file sighting reports and an efficient way to get those reports into the hands of exam-certified case
investigators, but also — and maybe even more importantly — establishes a searchable archiving system by which investigators and researchers can find correlations that otherwise might never have been known to exist. Let me give some hypothetical but realistic examples. Suppose someone sees a UFO in a certain area but waits two years to report it, perhaps not knowing at first where to file such a report. (This happens a lot). During that twoyear period a couple of other people file late
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reports on sightings that occurred at about the same time and in the same general area as the first one. Any of the three reports examined individually would fail to reflect the other two because of the different submission dates, but when an investigator asks CMS about sightings at that time and place, all three come up. Now we have three independent witness accounts, corroborating the aerial event and providing more detail about the object seen. Or suppose, hypothetically again, that an investigator is looking into a UFO sighting
report describing an object that was seen in 2011 and had a bank of blue lights. Already this is interesting, because blue lighting isn’t legal on conventional aircraft. The investigator wonders whether that kind of lighting may have been prevalent in UFOs during the time period involved. She tells CMS to search its files for objects with blue lights reported in 2011, and 25 different cases come up, scattered from California to Kansas to Ohio to Vermont, establishing that objects of a certain appearance may predominate the skies at certain times, over
widely diverse geographical settings. The indexing system in CMS is so variegated, so detailed and so flexible that this kind of research has become more manageable today than ever before. Ultimately, of course, the purpose is to find out as much as we can about these strange airborne objects that people see, and it certainly helps to be able to search a database containing tens of thousands of case files. In the past this would have been virtually impossible.