Vision Magazine Feb. 15, 2018

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YOUR FREE ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE

MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY 15, 2018

SPOTLIGHT: FIRST VISION MAGAZINE 2017 AWARDS ALSO INSIDE: ARABELA HISTORY, ART CLASSIFIEDS, BETTY JO ALLEN II, FIRST VALENTINE’S BALL — ELEGANT DINNER AND DANCE, FROM THE VAULT, GRUPO MALDAD, GUY PENROD, LOOKING UP, ‘NUNSENSE,’ POPOVICH PET THEATER, SCOUTING IN ARTESIA, THEATER PART 2 AND ‘WRONG TURN TO ROSWELL’

Content Spotlight:

First Vision Magazine 2017 Awards

Roswell Daily Record’s

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Art Classifieds

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From the Vault

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Calendar

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Culture

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Betty Jo Allen, part II

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History Arabela History

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Scouting In Artesia

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Music

Grupo Maldad to perform at Tejano Music Award Fan Fair

Publisher: Barbara Beck Vision Editor: Christina Stock Copy Editor: Misty Choy Ad Design: Sandra Martinez Columnists: Donald Burleson, John LeMay, S.E. Smith, Sara Woodbury Photographer: Trevier Gonzalez 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 For advertising information, call 622-7710

First Valentine’s Ball Elegant Dinner And Dance

Guy Penrod concert

Thursday, February 15, 2018 Volume 23, Issue 2

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Theater

‘Nunsense’

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What’s new for 2018?

Part 2

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Popovich Comedy Pet Theater

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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 2018 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

Story S.E. Smith’s ‘Wrong Turn to Roswell’

UFOlogy Looking Up

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Roswell Community Little Theatre presents “Nunsense” Christina Stock Photo

Submitted Photo From left, Yarbrough Band members Jason Yarbrough, Bill Radcliffe, Dawson Yarbrough and Mike Matthews will perform at the Valentine’s Ball — Elegant Dinner and Dance.

Culture

First Valentine’s Ball ­— Elegant Dinner And Dance to support veteran’s burials

By Christina Stock Vision Editor or many widows and families of local veterans, it can be difficult to visit the graves of their loved ones in one of the national cemeteries in New Mexico. The nearest national cemetery is about 40 minutes away in Fort Stanton. That cemetery opened Nov. 6.

To raise money to help cover the cost of burying veterans here in Roswell at the Gen. Douglas McBride Veteran’s Cemetery, the first Valentine’s Ball — Elegant Dinner And Dance will take place Feb. 17, at 6:30 p.m. in the Farm Bureau Building at the Eastern New Mexico State Fairgrounds, 2500 S. Main St. Gen. Douglas McBride Veteran’s Cemetery,

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which is located at the north end of the South Park Cemetery on South Main Street, was a longtime in the planning, with Roswell having a large number of veterans moving here when they retired.

One of the first supporters and sponsors was Darrel Bethany of Anderson-Bethany Funeral Home and Crematory.

“They approached him long time ago when they were wanting to get McBride Cemetery up and going,” Jeremy Hurley, the vice president of operations at Anderson-Bethany Funeral Home and Crematory. The Gen. Douglas McBride Veteran’s Cemetery officially opened in 2014.

“It has been a pas-

sion for Darrel to help them,” Hurley said.

“What we’ve done is to take it to the next level.

We were only paying for indigent veterans to be buried. Now we are wanting to pay for every veteran, because the city of Roswell charges to be buried in McBride Cemetery. We want it to be more like a national cemetery where there is no charge to be buried.

We want it to be that way so families would stay here or keep their loved ones here in the veterans cemetery at home. They don’t have to go to Santa Fe or the other cemeteries. They can have them here where their family is.”

The Chaves County Veterans Cemetery Board had been working on convincing the

Department of Veteran Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration to include the Gen. Douglas McBride Veteran’s Cemetery as one of the four new national cemeteries to cover Southeast New Mexico.

Roswell’s Gen. Douglas McBride Veteran’s Cemetery was denied the status of national cemetery.

On April 15, 2014, Gov. Susana Martinez announced plans to seek construction of four state cemeteries for deceased veterans in Fort Stanton, Gallup, Angel Fire and Carlsbad.

According to a recent article in The New Mexican, the Department of Veteran Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration plans to build a cemetery near Albuquerque to meet burial needs once the Santa Fe National Cemetery

runs out of plots, which is projected to happen sometime in the mid2020s.

Asked if there is any news from the state to get the status for Gen. Douglas McBride Veteran’s Cemetery, Hurley said, “I doubt that happens.”

Not waiting for any support, Anderson-Bethany Funeral Home and Cremetory is

moving forward with the fundraising.

The Valentine’s Ball — Elegant Dinner And Dance fundraising is different than similar events. “The tickets are $100 a couple, that’s dinner and dancing and open bar,” Hurley said. “You can sponsor a table for $1,000 (seats eight) and that includes four tickets. Basically, if see veterans on page 4

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Christina Stock Photo Betty Jo Allen with a copy of one of her paintings. In the background a new painting is in the works.

Culture

Betty Jo Allen — A part of Artesia’s history and a family connected in art part II

By Christina Stock Vision Editor ontinued from V i s i o n M a g azine, Jan. 18, 2017.

“My uncle had a 40 acres ranch out there.

My dad took care of all nine windmills from down here clear to Hope.

“My uncle’s name was Dallas McCasland, that was my mom’s maiden name. It is Scottish.

We’re Scottish and English and Irish. All these years my mother

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thought, she was part Indian.”

Allen said that her grandmother grew up in a reservation of the Choctaw and always said she was Choctaw.

Naturally, Allen was drawn to paint Native American motives when she started out painting.

Her belief was shaken when her son called.

“My son had his DNA done, he lives in Dallas where he has an engineering firm. He thought he could get

Veterans

Continued from Page 3 you will be waited on. Your drinks, your food, everything.

“After that, there is a $600 table,” Hurley said. “You can pay $600 and you get four tickets, eight people at the table. You won’t get bar servers, but you’ll get food servers.

“Then, there is $200 to be a table sponsor. That doesn’t include any tickets. It’s just that we’ll put your name or business plaque in the middle of the table. The people that buy the $100 tickets, that’s where they are sitting at,” Hurley said.

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listed as a minority business and he called me, ‘Momma, I got my DNA back and they say I am not part Indian.’ I said, ‘Well you have to be.’

He asked, ‘Mom, would you do yours, so I can see?’ Nothing,” Allen said and laughed. “Not a drop of Indian blood.

Irish, Scottish, English and northern European.

One-tenth of a percent said that it had Chinese/ Native American and more of it Chinese. That was funny.”

Asked how and when she met her husband, Allen said, “In Ruidoso.

He was born in Odessa and raised in West Texas. They came to Ruidoso in 1962. His stepdad had a sister and brother-in-law who had opened a restaurant.

“It was a little cafe and he went up there to cook,” Allen said. “His stepdad, Raymond, was a cook. And to this day, Smith won’t eat chili or beans. That was what Raymond fed them, chili and beans. Those were his specialties.

I asked Allen why she calls her husband Smith when their last name is Cox. She said, “My husband’s name is Smith Allen. He had an uncle during World War II, his name was Smith Allen, too. He was killed during the war in Africa fighting against Rommel’s troops. When Smith was born in 1947, just a couple years after the war, he was the fifth or sixth of his mother.

She had seven children and his stepdad had seven, putting them altogether, that was a bunch of kids.

“When he came, his mom said that she ran out of names. Her husband said, ‘Well, it’s time that we had another Smith Allen.’”

Smith Allen worked four years in the oilfields with his brother

According to Hurley there will be a silent auction and a live auction. Anybody, individuals and companies are welcome to donate items to the auctions. “They can contact me or Darrel,” Hurley said.

“I am shooting for $10,000 to $15,000 that we can donate to Chaves County Veterans,” Hurley said.

Chaves County Veterans is the organization that helps families with opening and closing costs of gravesites or niches for their veteran who passed on.

Entertainment will be provided by the award-winning Yarbrough Band from Las Cruces at 8 p.m.

Yarbrough Band’s goal is to keep the

and when he and his wife returned to Artesia for good, the gas company remembered him because of his name.

Betty Jo Allen had been working in Odessa at a school as a substitute teacher. When she returned to Artesia she concentrated on raising her children and continued developing her painting style. As soon as her boys were old enough, she started teaching again.

“I had this art class for 30 years or longer,” she said. “Off and on. I moved it around town.

Right now I am at Hermosa Baptist Church.

They are so good to us out there.

“I loved working with children. If you can get ahold of a child before they are 10 years old, they are still so creative,” Allen said.

“By the time I was 53, they (the Roswell Senior Center) were wanting me to come and teach or help the teacher there, but I wasn’t old enough. I was turning 54 when they dropped the age to 50, so I got to go.

Today, next to her art and teaching, Allen enjoys watching her granddaughters thriving artistically and following in her footsteps.

tradition of classic country dance music alive in the Southwest. The band is going to perform songs from their two albums, Heroes From the Past and Honky Tonk Trifecta.

“Contact us, buy tickets and bring lots of money,” Hurley said and laughed. “Catering will be by Peppers (Grill & Bar).”

For more information, call 575-6225888.

Christina Stock Photo From left: Linda Jones, Pamela Engelhard, Samantha Thorsted and Sandy Stacy.

Who says that a nun can’t be a ballerina? The musical comedy “Nunsense” comes to stage at the Roswell Community Little Theatre.

Theater

Nuns are people, too

By Christina Stock Vision Editor his is the second time that the Roswell Community Little Theatre is performing the funny and charming story “Nunsense.”

“Nunsense opened in 1985 and ran Off-Broadway for 3,672 performances, becoming the second-longest running Off-Broadway show in history. According to Wikipedia, by the time the musical closed, it had become an international phenomenon translated into at least 26 languages with more than 8,000 productions worldwide. It

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has grossed more than $500 million worldwide and more than 25,000 women have played in “Nunsense” productions worldwide. The five-woman production won four Outer Critics Circle Awards, including best Off-Broadway musical, best book and best music.

“RCLT has done this play years ago and the lady that directed it, Betty Lou Cheney, suggested it. I gave it a look and sure enough, it was hilarious. The jokes are timeless. All of these nuns are very sincere in what they do. Most

of the time it’s funny,” director Louise Montague said.

One of the nuns is Sister Robert Anne. “She is the mischievous troublemaker, so during auditions I picked a very mischievous type of person, Sandy Stacy,” Montague said.

“This is Stacy’s first role on stage as an actress, though she has plenty of experience as a singer. She sang with The Enchanters and can sing a capella and harmony.”

Pamela Engelhard was recently cast as Mrs. Paroo in Way Way

Off-Broadway’s “The Music Man.” “I am Reverend Mother,” Engelhard said and laughed. “I am the boss.

We all have our stories, which will come out in the musical.

“They (the nuns) sing a little song that questions their vocation, but at the end, they are happy with the lives they chose,” Engelhard said. “I was raised Catholic, and when I was very young, I had a dream about God giving me the choice to be a nun or to be a layman (a non-ordained member of a church). I chose not to be a nun.

Gina Montague is the assistant director of “Nunsense.” “It is not so much about nuns being nuns,” she said about the musical’s theme.

“It is more about nuns being human before they are nuns. They like to have fun, too, and they have a humorous side and they love life. That’s what got me interested in this show.

“Sister Hubert was cast with Linda Jones,” Louise Montague said.

“She is an amazing singer. I heard her singing at the Senior Olympics, she has performed there before and she had done such a fine job. That’s why I picked her. She is second in charge and the head of the novices.”

Jones was raised Catholic. “It is more funny when you are Catholic because you understand it better, really. It makes a lot more sense,” Jones said and laughed.

“Ali Martinez plays Sister Amnesia, a crucifix fell on her head, so she has amnesia,” Gina Montague said. “She’s a little comic-relief character, she has several numbers that are a riot.

She even has a puppet friend. We look forward to that performance.”

Louis Montague said, “She is also our choreographer and she is our music director. She has a long history of performance in professional theater and community theater and she also has a music degree and we are certainly blessed that she came and auditioned.

“Her husband heard the announcement on the radio that we needed somebody. So he is here working and she didn’t have a job, so I told her, ‘I’ll give you something to do,’” Louis Montague said and laughed. “Now she is all three things. She is amazing and we are just so fortunate to have her.”

Youngest actress is Samantha Thorsted.

Despite her young age, she is an experienced singer and actress, having recently performed as the orphan Annie in “Annie” at RCLT. “I am Leo and I play the novice, which is the youngest member in the group,” Thorsted said.

“Leo has always strived to fulfill her dream of becoming a nun-ballerina. That’s what I am playing in this part and trying to portray her as the best I can. It has been really fun so far, especially since I get to do ballet. It’ll be interesting,” she said and laughed.

Asked what her favorite part in the musical is, Thorsted said, “Honestly, the first song we do, because we get to introduce everyone to the nuns and how they act.

It is so great, especially the singing part. That’s my favorite part to do.”

The public has three weekends to see “Nunsense” at RCLT, 1717 S.

Vision Magazine |

Union Ave., March 2-4, March 9-11 and March 16-18 with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and matinees on Sundays at 2 p.m.

For more information, visit roswelltheatre.com or call 575-622-1982.

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Theater

What’s new for 2018?

Part 2

By Christina Stock Vision Editor In part 2 of what’s new for 2018 for the theater company the theaters present their plans for education, events and challenges. everland Theatre Company Plans for education: “I am so excited about our partnership with The Studio+.” Maryl McNally said. “For so long, dance in Roswell and musicals have been separated, and it is in large part because the dance schedules are so busy. They’ve never done any musical theater, so it’s really limited to the theater companies’ selection of shows. You can’t do big Broadway dance musicals such as, ‘I’m crazy for you’ or ‘West Side Story,’ because you don’t have the dance support you need to do it.

For 2018, Neverland is about to launch its theater education workshop series. The first artist coming to town is a professional dancer, Jonathan Ragsdale, who was here in April last

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year.

“He is coming Feb. 16 to the 18 and is going to do a theater workshop,” McNally said. “Then we are working with about five other professional artists to bring them to New Mexico. It’s for adults and children, anybody is welcome.

The age limit depends on the subject matter.

“We are hoping to do a workshop on playwriting. The playwright we are working to have come down here is a Hispanic playwright.

His work is very much founded in New Mexico.

I am looking forward to getting him down here to diversify what we do.

Other workshops in the planning are Shakespeare in performance, voice and music and a few others, but we are still working to finalize schedules with artists.”

Neverland has expanded beyond its theater program.

“In April, we are doing a New Mexico’s Got Talent competition.

We are very excited.

Neverland will host it, but the community will

vote. We’ll have the final 10 acts, we have not finalized that, performing. It is going to be fun,” McNally said.

“The other thing I noticed, with three theater companies in town, we are facing a bit of over-saturation, so Neverland has been brainstorming on ways that we can reduce our role in that to get ticket sales back up and find other creative ways to get theater education and theater performances out to Roswell without over-saturating the market,” McNally said.

“What we like to focus on is to provide the theater education and support to feed into the performing arts in Roswell in general, so we are not hindering anybody else, we’re helping.

“I feel so good about that, when I asked how great it would be if they all worked together. I think there is that spirit in every company and finding ways to support each other.

“Every organization, not only the theater companies in town, everybody is conscious about everybody’s calendars. Everybody is very respectful of it.

Respectful of venue and accommodating each other, it’s impressive, it’s nice. It opens up the

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door for so many opportunities because you are not alone in your efforts,” McNally said.

McNally is sponsoring a young local talent, Rose Thorstad.

“I have been working with Rose. She is really quite brilliant. She’s had a musical in her head for a really long time. Neverland decided to commit to working with her to train her and develop it. We’ve been meeting on a consistent basis to go over her work and try and make it happen for her,” McNally said.

“For ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’ and for ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes,’ we worked with a sound designer out of New York, his name is Jonathan Roberts and he is a friend of mine from college. So talented. I would like to hopefully work with him on developing the music side for Rose’s musical. Rose is so thoughtful, she really thinks about her characters. I love her. It’s magnificent. That entire family is amazing. They are spectacular and their support of the arts and the way they support their kids is really astounding,” McNally said.

That is a goal of Neverland, to keep developing programming that is open for everybody, but target the 10 to 18 age range that don’t get serviced a lot.

Challenges: “The challenges to sustainability and I think, all of the theaters are facing this, with the exception of RCLT who have their own venue, is the cost of venue. It is expensive and balancing ticket sales with the cost of production is challenging,” McNally said. “That is one of the

reasons that Neverland is focusing on inclusion.

Not because we want to generate more income, but because there are different creative ways to get theater to a community without those kinds of expenditures.

“I wonder if Neverland or any theater companies, any performing artists can draw a different audience by say, performing in the park for free,” McNally said.

“Theater is powerful, it calls people. It takes love to be part of it — visit us, check us out,” McNally said. “We are in the process of revamping our website for the new year. Those changes will come out soon.“ For more information, visit neverlandtheatrecompany.com.

Roswell Community Little Theatre Theater plays, education and events: “We are going to kick off our new season with a bang, with ‘Willie Wonka — The Musical.’

We are very excited,” Montague said. “We are in the process of putting together the rest of the season.”

Other information about the season’s plays is still not firm. “We haven’t got the rights yet. We are looking forward to a really exciting season,” Montague said.

However, Montague said that there will be a mix of plays and musicals. “And some new and different things that we have never done before,” she said and laughed.

A s k e d h o w R CL T ’ s December performance of “A Christmas Story” went, Montague said, “It was very well received.

Of course, the story is a cult classic and people love it. It was a great way to get new people

into the theater to experience that for the first time.

“We had a really good response from the community and of course, we had the leg lamp raffle,” Montague said and laughed.

“That was so fun. There was a lot of buzz about that. Ruben Loza won it.

He wasn’t there at the drawing, but we called him and he was there within minutes to claim his prize. He said he is putting it in his window.

I don’t know if it is just for Christmastime.”

RCLT is also having plans to add a behindthe-scenes tour: “We want to have it really nice for our 60th anniversary,” Montague said. “Doing a lot of organizing in the back with our props and costumes and furniture. I think it will be really cool if we can get it super nice and organized and maybe give tours of the theater.

I think people would enjoy that, because not many people know what’s going on backstage. It’s pretty interesting. They don’t realize how much work and time and everybody’s talent it takes, that’s the amazing thing, it’s the pooling of talent.

“The actors on stage are just the tip of the iceberg. We have this huge amount under the water, that’s not even seen by the audience.

It all goes into the making of each and every production,” Montague said.

Challenges: “We are always looking for people and there are all kinds of opportunities,” Montague said. “There is backstage with costuming and makeup and set design, there is sound see 2018 on page 11

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Vision Magazine |

Thursday, February 17, 2018

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Theater

Pets are people, too The world famous Popovich Comedy Pet Theater comes to Artesia on its 25th anniversary tour

By Christina Stock Vision Editor he world famous Popovich Comedy Pet Theater is a family-oriented blend of the unique comedy and juggling skills of Gregory Popovich, artists from the Moscow Theater and the talent of his furry costars. Each of the pets in the show have been rescued from animal shelters and given a new leash on life.

Popovich is originally from the Ukraine. A fourth-generation circus man in the Soviet Union, he had not been able to stay longer than a couple of months outside communist Russia before having to return.

This changed 27 years ago when he was asked to join The Ringling Brother’s traveling circus as a juggler.

“I’ve been awarded twice the title Best Juggler In The World, that’s how The Ringling Broth-

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Submitted Photo From Las Vegas to Artesia — Gregory Popovich with two of his pets.

700 A W. Hobbs Street Roswell, NM 88203

Ph: (575) 755-3310 Membership as low as $10 a month 8 | V i s i o n M a g a z i n e | Thursday, February 15, 2018

er’s found me,” Popovich said. “This happened right after Gorbachev announced Perestroika and Glasnost.”

The grip of the Soviet Union control over its citizens loosened and many artists and athletes took advantage, among them Popovich.

“I was the first who officially left and not defected, like ballet dancer Baryshnikov,” he said.

Adding to his juggling act, Popovich created a new act with pets that brought him to Las Vegas. He is in the 10th season performing in Planet Hollywood.

“It is a long story for me with pets because of my family,” Popovich said. “My mom worked with dogs and I worked with most of the pets of my mom.”

Traveling in a circus is a lonely lifestyle for a child. While on

the road, Popovich befriended the dogs and other animals, which gave him the ability to communicate with them on a deeper level.

Asked which animal is hardest to train, Popovich said, “It depends on the personality of each animal. The pets are very smart and they catch on very quickly what I want them to do.

Cats are more sensitive and it takes more time to bring them on the stage,” Popovich said.

“Believe it or not, cats are sometimes smarter than dogs and smart enough to ignore me,” he said and laughed.

His pets’ performances will not be typical, instead he created sketches and situations for the pets where they can show their personality. “It looks like they are acting in all situations. From boarding a train with tickets and conductors to dogs sitting behind a desk at school, answering math and geographical questions.”

Popovich is bringing 27 pets to Artesia, 14 cats, 12 dogs, birds, geese and white mice.

“Geese are very smart, funny birds and funny pets,” he said. “I like working with them.

“I like to mention that it is not only a pet show.

We present a lot of variety acts, physical comedy and a combination of human talent. The audience can decide who is more talented.”

There will be eight other performers. “I have acrobats from the Moscow Circus and I will be juggling,” Popovich said.

“My main message and what I try to send to my audience is, animals are people too,” Popovich said. “If after my show, some audience member decides to visit the animal shelter and gets a pet, I feel my message hit the target.

“That’s my goal, as a pet lover and advocate for homeless pets. We try to show the audience, look, those are ordinary pets, but they are smart, they are talented and if you guys want a pet, you should first visit your local shelter,” Popovich said.

Popovich Comedy Pet Theater will perform at the Ocotillo Performing Arts Center, 310 W. Main St. For more information, call 575-7464212.

Submitted Photo Guy Penrod, international gospel singer returns.

Music

Roswell’s own, Guy Penrod, returns home for concert

By Christina Stock Vision Editor he Historical Society for Southeast New Mexico is sponsoring the concert of gospel music singer Guy Penrod. The performance will be at Grace Community Church, 935 W. Mescalero Road, March 6. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the concert starts at 7 p.m.

Guy Penrod became internationally known for his powerful vocals and broad singing range. He started out in the ‘80s as a studio background singer for giants in the music business such as Carman, Steve Green, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Garth Brooks and Shania Twain to name a few.

In 2011, he was inducted into the Texas Gospel Music Hall of Fame. In 2013, Penrod won Soloist of the Year

T

from the National Quartet Convention. In 2014, Penrod was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame Amy McVay-Davis, executive director of HSSENM, said, “Guy has many local ties to Roswell as his father preached, not only here in Roswell, but Hobbs and Las Cruces. He is a true, unique and miraculously gifted and talented man.”

Penrod’s musical roots reach deep into Roswell and Southeast New Mexico, where he grew up as the son of Baptist pastor Joseph Penrod. His father had served in the Air Force, which brought him to Roswell where he met his future wife Barbara Gray. Gray’s parents were descendants of pioneers who came on covered wagons to Roswell. G & G Auto Sales was owned by Penrods

grandfather, Guy Gray.

In a phone interview, Penrod talks about his music, values and the center of his life, his faith and family.

Penrod’s father became a pastor in Hobbs. The family settled there and Penrod attended high school.

“A choir director over there was named Ben Canfield. He has passed away now. He had a profound influence on my life and helped push me towards music.”

When Penrod turned 15, he found support with his greataunt, Velma Waldrop.

“Velma was most helpful for me as a young teenager,” he said. “She believed in my voice and she paid for the first recorded project I made.

“I traveled and sung in churches, meetings and civic events as a young teenager and up into my high school years.God has been really kind and gracious to me throughout my life,” he said. “I believe to acknowledge the Lord, he’ll direct our steps, the Bible says. I can say firsthand that’s

been the case for us.

We haven’t done it perfectly, but we try to get up every morning and acknowledge whom we serve and that God is the head of our lives and if he would just guide us through this day. He has done it beautifully for my entire life and I am thankful for that.”

Family is very important to Penrod, “I have eight children, seven sons and one daughter. It is wonderful,” he said.

Penrod is planning to perform a wide variety. “We just finished a second hymns record, titled ‘Blessed Assurance,’” Penrod said. “It is a collection of 12 or 13 of my favorite hymns that we just finished and it will be out Feb. 22. I like to mix some of that old spiritual music in forms of hymns with the newer worship material and create a little bit more of a larger environment instead of one specific type of music.

Asked what Penrod is most looking forward to, he said, “Honestly, the people. Having grown up and spending

a lot of years and time in and around Roswell, making a lot of relationships through the years.

It’s going to be nice to come back and shake hands with folks I haven’t seen in a while.

“Both of my parents are deceased and in heaven, but we have the grave markers out in the cemetery (South Park Cemetery). It’ll be nice to be able to go and just stand a few minutes there and reminisce with my aunt and uncle that live in Roswell. Their children will be there as well. Being able to see them and hug some friends, that’s what I look forward to,” Penrod said.

“Our goal is to come and lift up the name of Jesus in the community and to encourage the audience to trust God with all the different challenges and situations that arise through life,” Penrod said. “And we pray that our music is a tool and an avenue and a conduit for the spirit to show up that night and to encourage people and empow-

Submitted Photo Joe Penrod, Guy Penrod’s father. er them and embolden them to go out and share the love of Christ all throughout the community.

“We are excited to be there. It will be good to get down there and see the wide open skies,” he said.

For more information, call HSSENM at 575-6228333.

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All meals are served with your choice of regular, low fat or chocolate milk. Menu subject to change.

Vision Magazine |

Thursday, February 15, 2018

| 9

>>7

Calendar

Lincoln Feb. 18 Tunstall murder site visit The Friends of Historic Lincoln are hosting the Tunstall murder site visit. This event is in support of the site and the Museum of New Mexico. The tour will be begin at the Lincoln Historic Site Visitor Center at 1 p.m. with a brief lecture and then move south to the actual site where John Tunstall was killed 140 years ago.

Transportation will not be provided by the historic site, so personal vehicles are required. Call 575653-4025 for more information.

111 W. Country Club Roswell, NM. 88201

Visit us today!

Ph: 575-622-6308 Fax: 622-6383

Alamogordo Feb. 20 National Players present ‘The Great Gatsby’ Celebrating its 68th season, National Players is a unique ensemble bringing innovative theatre to communities large and small across the United States. This year, National Players bring “The Great Gatsby” to the Flickinger Center for Performing Arts, 1110 New York Ave. The show starts at 7 p.m.

For more information, visit flickingercenter.com.

Roswell Feb. 20 Roswell Next Proximo!

Join the Roswell Next event at El Toro Bravo Restaurant, 102 S. Main St., from 6 to 8 p.m. This is a networking event for young professionals in the

Wakefield express Lube & Wash

3204 N. Main Roswell, NM 575-623-3057

region, held monthly at diverse locations in Roswell.

For more information, visit its Facebook event page.

Artesia Feb. 24 ‘Alice in Wonderland’ The Ocotillo Performing Arts Center, 310 W. Main St., presents “Alice in Wonderland” at 2 p.m.

For more information and tickets, visit artesiaartscouncil.com or call 575-746-4212.

Artesia Feb. 24 ‘The Great Gatsby’ The Ocotillo Performing Arts Center, 310 W. Main St., presents “The Great Gatsby” at 7 p.m. For more information and tickets, visit artesiaartscouncil. com or call 575-746-4212.

Roswell Feb. 24 Elks Lodge celebrates The Elks Lodge No. 969, 1720 N. Montana Ave. celebrates the 150th anniversary of the founding of The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the USA. As part of this event, they will be having a free brunch between 9 and 11 a.m. This event is open to the public. For more information, call 575-622-1560, ext. 5.

Jayton Wakefield, Owner www.wakefieldoilexpress.com

FEATURING TABLE SIDE GUACAMOLE!

Hours: Mon-Sat 7am-9pm Sun 7am-5pm 2103 N Main St. 575-622-4919 10 | V i s i o n M a g a z i n e | Thursday, February 15, 2018

Roswell Feb. 26 Jazz night Highland Jazz and Blues is performing at Stellar Coffee Co., 315 N. Main St., at 7 p.m. For more information, visit its event page on Facebook.

Roswell Paint and relax party for DA Dogs The DA Dogs Foundation is hosting a paint and relax party for the DA dogs, Beaumont, Lincoln, Lydia, Max and McKenzie at The Liberty, 312 N. Virginia Ave., at 6 p.m.

There will be appetizers.

Limited to 60 participants.

Signup and pre-payment required. For more information, visit its Facebook event page or dacourthousedogs.org or call 575-626-2422.

Artesia March 1 Theatre ballet ‘Storytime’ The Ocotillo Performing Arts Center, 310 W. Main St., presents an evening of ballet classics. The theatre ballet “Storytime” starts at 7 p.m. For more information and tickets, visit artesiaartscouncil.com or call 575-746-4212.

Alamogordo March 9 Brigham Young University Theater Ballet The Brigham Young University Theater Ballet to perform at the Flickinger Center for Performing Arts, 1110 New York Ave., at 7 p.m. Students in BYU Theatre Ballet perform regularly on and off campus in both traditional full-length classical ballets and innovative contemporary choreographic works. For more information, visit flickingerartscenter.com.

Artesia March 9 and 10 Wait for What?! concert Wait for What?! is performing at the Adobe Rose Restaurant, 1614 N. 13th St., Wait for What?!

Grupo Maldad

March 15-18

Tejano Music Awards

Roswell’s own, the group Maldad, has been invited to perform at the Tejano Music Awards Fan Fair in San Antonio, Texas. Maldad is a four person group which specializes in Tex-Mexx. This year Maldad celebrates their 20th year as an active touring act.

Performances will be at the TMAF on Friday night and Sunday afternoon on the main stage. For more information, visit grupomaldad.com or call Fabian at 575-910-4774 or Priss at 575-914-3554. For updates on the line-up, visit tejanomusicawards.com/ fan-fair. calls its music new grass.

The audience can enjoy classic rock, country, and a crazy variety of music, mixed in with originals songs. For more information, visit waitforwhat. com.

Roswell March 12 and 13 Auditions for ‘Hello Dolly’ Auditions are held for the musical “Hello Dolly!” at the Roswell Community Little Theatre, 1717 S. Union Ave., on both days at 6 p.m. They are looking for six women and seven men who are able to sing and dance. For more information, call 575-6262999.

Roswell March 15 Rise with Roswell The Roswell Chamber of Commerce is hosting the annual Rise With Roswell 2018 Agriculture breakfast at the Farm Bureau building at the Eastern New Mexico Fairgrounds (south entrance on Southeast Main Street), from 6 to 8 a.m. Guest speaker is inspirational cowgirl Amberley Snyder. RSVP at 575-623-5695.

Roswell March 16 Roswell Artist-in-Residence: Julie Alpert Roswell Artist-in-Residence lecture and opening reception of Seattle-based artist Julie Alpert takes place at the Roswell Museum and Art Center, 100 W. 11th St., at 5:30 p.m. For more information, visit roswell-nm. gov or call 575-624-6744.

Roswell ‘Peter Pan’ March 16 to 25 Way Way Off Broadway Theater Company presents the classic stage production of “Peter Pan” at the Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell Performing Arts Center, 52 University Blvd. Performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. and on Sundays at 2:30 p.m.

For more information, visit waywayoffbroadway.com.

If you would like your event listed on the entertainment calendar, please email vision@rdrnews. com or call 622-7710 ext.

309.

2018

Continued from Page 6 and lights; of course there is onstage, there is directing, assistant directing, there is publicity. “People undervalue theater and how important it is for the community, because of all those things it can teach you, and it’s fun.

It’s not like working,” Montague said and laughed. “If you are new to town, what better way to meet a whole new gamut of people, right off the bat, instant friends,” Montague said. “We meet on the first Tuesday of every month in the lobby at the theater at 6:30 p.m.

I encourage everybody to come to our meetings. Like our Facebook page, I post audition announcements. If you are interested in working backstage or doing anything other than acting, I encourage you to come to the auditions and you can fill out an application and let the director know what you are interested in. For more information, visit roswelltheater.com Way Way Off-Broadway Theater plays, education and events: “I am working on some out-of-town workshops later in the year for the Broadway Bound Kids program, just to get them some other experience, other than from us,” Summer Souza said. “I have some friends that have worked on tours and worked on Broadway. said.

“Also, we are starting Broadway Bound Littles, which is 4- to 6-yearolds,” Summer Souza said. “We didn’t want to leave the little ones out.

BBL will begin in February It will even out

where their final week will be the same final week for BBK, so they can perform together.

“I am excited. I always wanted to work with children. My passion, when we were starting this company, was to really reach out to bring theater education to kids, because it was a great part of my life growing up. I feel it is really important for them,” Summer Souza said.

The BBLs will perform a smaller performance before the BBK show.

“They will look adorable,” Tony Souza said.

WWOB is planning to add more workshops and education in the future, which, according to Summer Souza, will be spread out to not interfere with rehearsals and productions. The first workshop planned is the auditioning workshop.

“We know that everybody runs auditions differently,” Summer Souza said. “We find that people come with something that is operatic, but they are not an opera singer. Why did they choose it? It’s those kind of things we want to talk about.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to bring in some people we work with locally, who have had experience in auditioning,” Tony Souza said.

“Ideally the super-talented kids and people in this town could go on to do great things in big venues, regional theaters and even Broadway. We want to equip them with the ability to perform well in an audition. That’s the idea of the workshop. We are looking in bringing in — and this would be probably a free workshop — a behind the scenes view. The audition shop

will probably also be free.”

There are a limited amount of knowledgable people helping behind stage. Tony Souza is planning to have a behind the scenes technical theater workshop for “Peter Pan.” “I enjoy teaching, it will be a chance for me to share some of my knowledge, Tony Souza said. “We also want to stress, we are experts in our own world of theater. What works for WWOB doesn’t necessarily work for others.

There are some universal truths for theater.

It is an opportunity for people to gain some perspective, some experience, some fun.

That is our 11th rule.

“We have 10 rules and then the 11th rule, which is always: Have fun,” Tony Souza said.

Another workshop planned is in preparation for “Singing In The Rain.”

“We are going to put on a tap workshop,” Summer Souza said. She used to teach tap dance.

“This will probably start around summertime.

Challenges: This fall, Way Way Off-Broadway is planning to bring the iconic musical “Singing In The Rain” on stage.

“Technically speak-

ing, it is going to be an interesting challenge to create the famous scene, the ‘Singing In The Rain’ scene,” Tony Souza said. We already brainstormed the plans on actually having water drop off the ceiling. The hardest part is to figure out, where does that water go? We tapped into some old-school theater tricks with a false floor to actually make that water drain into a subcontainer and then being able to drain it.

One of the things we are really going to focus on developing, which again has been kind of on the back burner ever since we started, was what we call a cabaret series.”

These cabaret series would be smaller events and, according to Tony Souza, ideally be in restaurants, local venues, the Roswell Museum and Art Center, Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art. “We bring in some performers from our shows,” Tony Souza said. “Not necessarily the same ones every time. And to do kind of a mixer with entertainment, art and hors d’oeuvres. We always joke, that we are always are looking for an excuse to go sing.

In the early stages of

planning is a “Shakespeare in the Park” WWOB version.

“We want to do more c o m m u n i ty o u tr e a c h and really work with the community more,” Summer Souza said.

“Theater is one of th ese things, it’s an art form, but it’s also very much a business, and we have to come up with titles that are going to interest both performers; we’ve got to find a good cast, and going to appeal to audiences,” Summer Souza said. “That can be challenging, especially in a smaller town.”

“This year we are essentially having five separate productions, because we have the three productions, the bonus production and the kids production other than BBK,” Tony Souza said. “We are doing ‘The Lion King, jr.’ for them. This year it’s their production.

“Trying to keep things affordable for the participants, wether you are a performer in the kid’s workshop, whether you are an audience member, but also not compromising on quality is a challenge, because unfortunately, and it’s a dirty word, money,” Tony Souza said.

A big challenge are the regulations to perform licensed plays.

Vision Magazine |

Tony Souza uses the upcoming show “Peter Pan” as a model to explain the difficulties. “Peter Pan” had been on the wish list of WWOB for a long time.

A big challenge is to find support.

“When you hear theater you always assume you are talking about performing,” Tony Souza said. The performer is the astronaut in the space program.

The astronaut is the visible person of the much larger team that gets you to the moon. I would guess for any one person on stage, there are three to five people backstage working on them.

For more information, visit waywayoffbroadway.com.

Telco crediT U nion

MAKE 2018 BRIGHTER WITH A LOW INTEREST LOAN! Apply online at www.telcoroswell.org 110 N. Washington Ave. (575) 622-4444

Thursday, February 15, 2018

| 11

‘Wrong Turn to Roswell’

C

ontinued from the January edition of the Vision Magazine “Can you see anything, dear?” Diamond asked, running a hand along her coils.

Copper shook his head. He frowned when he heard a rattle. His gaze brightened and he turned to look behind him. Carbon was fumbling to remove her seat straps that she had secured earlier.

He frowned when he didn’t see Iron.

“Where’s your brother?” he asked, turning his seat around.

Carbon grinned and pointed up. Copper’s gaze followed where she was pointing. The twin beams glowing from Copper’s eyes locked on his son. Iron grinned and wiggled his fingers. It was the only part of his body that he could move. The rest was attached to the ceiling.

“I, uh, meant to hit the button for the seat strap,” Iron explained with a slight grimace. “I must have hit the magnetic control instead.”

“Oh, Iron,” Diamond replied. “Copper, you see if you can get the lights working. I’ll help Iron.”

“Aw … Can’t we leave him up there? He makes a good ornament,” Carbon replied, trying not to laugh.

“That might not be a bad idea. At least it w o u ld k e e p h i m o ut of trouble,” Copper chuckled before he bowed his head and turned away. “Every-

Episode 4: Unexpected Visitors

By S.E. Smith thing is dead. I can’t get a reading on anything outside. Not even the view screen will turn on.”

“Well, I guess we’ll have to do it the old-fashioned way,” Diamond replied with a grunt as she stood on the chair. “This might hurt a little, dear,” she added, pressing the button on Iron’s utility belt.

The shriek, followed by the clanging of metal against metal sounded very loud in the small confines of the bridge.

Iron’s groan was smothered by Carbon and Copper’s barely muted laughter.

The light of Diamond’s eyes turned from a soft white to a brilliant red.

Copper’s expression quickly cleared, and he began to hum under his breath as he tried to troubleshoot the issue.

He knew his wife well enough to know that when her eyes turned that color of red, it was time to duck and hide.

“Carbon, sweetie, why don’t you and your brother go make sure Rover One is alright,” Diamond suggested. *.*.* Carbon nodded in agreement. She stuck her tongue out at Iron when their mom turned her head. Carbon stood up and stepped over Iron who was now lying on the floor. She turned on the lights in her eyes, and dimmed them to a light blue. Behind her, she heard Iron’s muttered groan and the scraping sound from his body sliding across the floor as he pulled him-

self up.

“Thanks for helping me up,” he muttered as he followed her.

Carbon tossed her brother a grin over her shoulder. “You’re welcome,” she replied.

Iron dragged his feet along the corridor. “I was being sarcastic,” he retorted, shoving his

ing and slid down. She retracted the rollers and stepped back, waiting for Iron to follow her.

She watched as he almost fell again when one of his shoe locks didn’t completely disengage. She rolled her eyes, causing the light from them to dance across the walls and

Submitted Art by Heather Donahue The boy Alan can’t believe he found a spaceship with robots on board. hands in his pockets.

“So was I,” Carbon laughed.

At the end of the corridor, she twisted the hatch to the emergency stairs that led down to the next level. Pulling it open, she locked the rollers on the side of her shoes into the rail-

12 | V i s i o n M a g a z i n e | Thursday, February 15, 2018

ceiling before returning her gaze to Iron. Iron needed to work on his personal maintenance, she thought as she turned and headed for her bedroom.

“So … ,” Iron began, jerking his leg free from the railing and stumbling after her.

Carbon frowned. “So what?” she asked, pausing outside of her door.

She grunted when Iron ran into her. “Will you turn on your lights?” she growled, popping the panel keyboard off and manually opening the door to her room.

“So, what do you think the planet we landed on is going to be like? Do you think it might have some cool stuff on it?”

Iron asked.

Carbon shook her head. “Like lots of saltwater? Oh, no! Rover!” she groaned in dismay.

A dark spot in the middle of her bed told her that Rover had leaked some oil. He always did that when he got nervous or scared.

She rushed forward when Rover stood up on her bed and started to lift his back wheel.

“Oh, no you don’t,” Carbon growled, rushing forward and scooping the small pet, which she and her mom had made, up in her arms.

“You need to use the oil pan.”

She bent and placed him on the floor. Rover’s twin beams of light came on, and he took off across the room and out the door. Carbon wasn’t expecting that.

“Come on,” she snapped, grabbing Iron’s hand.

“Where are we going?” Iron asked, confused.

Carbon took off at a run down the corridor.

“He’ll leak all over the ship if we don’t catch him. Do you want to have to clean it up?” she shouted over her shoulder.

“Oh, man. I’ll really be grounded then,” Iron groaned, taking off after his sister. *.*.* Thud ... Thud ... Thud ...

“Will you knock it off?” Alan snapped.

“But, it’s fun,” Matt complained, stepping forward again.

Alan groaned and shook his head. “Only you would think it was fun to knock yourself silly on something that no one else can see,” Alan pointed out.

Matt’s muffled laugh made Alan grit his teeth.

Alan wouldn’t have thought twice about what Matt was doing if he could see what the other boy was hitting.

As it was, Alan was afraid Matt was destroying the last of his working brain cells. The only saving grace was that Matt was still wearing the stupid helmet he put on earlier.

Swallowing, Alan lifted his hands. He froze when he felt something hard and warm under them. Curling his fingers into a fist, he knocked on it.

“It sounds like metal,” Alan said, gazing straight ahead.

Matt staggered and placed both of his hands on each side of the helmet. Alan watched the other boy walk in a wobbly circle. That last bang must have knocked Matt senseless.

“Whoa, ringing in the ears,” Matt said, falling to the ground.

Alan rolled his eyes.

“I told you there were see

Roswell

on page

13

First Vision Magazine 2017 Awards

On Feb. 9 the winner of the first Vision Magazine 2017 Awards were announced at the Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art. Readers of the Vision Magazine voted: Winner in the Category Music: Flying J Wranglers “White Mountain Christmas,” Ocotillo Performing Arts Center Winner in the Category Event: Artesia’s “Art in the Park” Winner in the Category Theater Performance: “Into The Woods,” Way Way Off-Broadway Theater Company Here an impression of the evening:

Roswell

Continued from Page 12 probably alien spiders in that thing,” he muttered. “You’ll be lucky if you ...”

Alan’s voice faded and he staggered back, tripping and falling over Matt’s outstretched legs. Both boys scrambled across the ground when a door suddenly appeared out of thin air. Alan automat-

Trevier Gonzalez Photos ically opened his arms when something small jumped out of the dark opening. He fell back onto the rock and sand strewn ground.

“Oh, wow!!” Matt whispered, his voice barely carrying through the helmet.

“What? I … It’s a …,” Alan stuttered, searching the ground near him

for his glasses, which were knocked off when that thing came out of the dark hole and hit him. When he found them, he wrapped his fingers around them and struggled to get them on while the thing was wiggling in his arms.

“Robots,” Matt said in awe.

Alan blinked as the world came back into focus. He held the small, metal body firmly against his chest. His mouth fell open as two robots, one obviously a girl, the other a boy, skidded to a stop and stared at him and Matt in shock.

“Dad is never going to let me grow up at

this rate,” the robot boy groaned in dismay.

The story continues with episode 5: Guess who’s coming to dinner?

Author bio: S.E. Smith is a New York Times, USA TODAY, internation al and award-winning bestselling author of science fiction, fantasy, paranormal and con-

Vision Magazine |

temporary works for adults, young adults and children. She enjoys writing a wide variety of genres that pull her readers into worlds that take them away.

Readers can check out her website at sesmithfl.com and chat with her on Facebook at facebook.com/se.smith.5.

Thursday, February 15, 2018

| 13

Art

From the Vault: ‘Bulls Fighting’ by Anna Hyatt Huntington

By Sara Woodbury Curator of Collections and Exhibitions Roswell Museum and Art Center

W

hen I arrived at the Roswell Museum and Art Center in 2013, one of the first exhibitions I curated was an installation called “Subject to Change.”

This show explored the permanent collection from the viewpoint of change and fluctuation, whether it’s depicted through the passage of time, the suggestion of transient physical move-

ment, the evolution of fashion or technology, or other means. One of the works on view was a bronze sculpture by Anna Hyatt Huntington, “Bulls Fighting,” which depicts a pair of bulls in the midst of combat.

Today, we’ll take a closer look at this piece and this artist who made it.

Anna Hyatt Huntington (1876-1973) was from Cambridge, Massachusetts, later living in Connecticut and South Carolina. Her father, a professor of paleontology and zoology at Harvard University and MIT, encouraged her lifelong interest in animal anatomy. She later studied at the Art Students League in New York with such sculptors as Gutzon Borglum, the creator of the Mount Rushmore monument in South Dakota.

Always interested in animals, she did numerous sketches and studies on her own at such places as the Bronx Zoo.

As an artist, she specialized in sculpture, becoming one of the few American women of the early 20th century to do so successfully.

Huntington specialized in representations of animals and worked in both bronze and stone. She initially worked on a smaller scale, creating intimate statuettes, but expanded into larger, monumental works as her career progressed. As an animal sculptor, or animalier, she represented a wide range of creatures, from elegant cranes to powerful jaguars and other predators. In addition to their anatomical accuracy, her works are highly regarded for their sense of fluidity, with her animals seeming to move effortlessly in a variety of complex poses.

Many of her works are in New York, appearing in Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum

of Art, the Bronx Zoo and other places. In addition to animals, she depicted strong women such as Joan of Arc, or the Roman goddess Diana. Her 1915 sculpture of the armor-clad Joan of Arc was among the first public sculptures in Manhattan to be created by a woman.

Active for about seven decades, she was still making work in her 90s. In conjunction with her husband, Archer Milton Huntington, she also founded almost 20 museums and wildlife preserves, including Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina, the first sculpture park of its kind in the United States.

Bulls Fighting, created in 1905, is among her early, intimate statuettes, measuring 8.5 inches by 25.5 inches by 9.5 inches. Showing two bulls with their horns locked in combat, this work has a strik-

ing sense of movement and fluidity. The bulls charge at each other in opposite directions with their bodies tilted at angles, balancing the work while also giving it a dynamic character.

The surface treatment of the bronze is smooth, allowing light to reflect clearly off of the animals’ taut musculature.

Both bulls have raised a back leg into the air, underscoring the transitory movement of their poses. Connecting the two animals, as well as the overall composition, is the meeting of their heads in the center, with one bull pushing itself into the other. In subject matter and form the work is an exciting one, showcasing Huntington’s understanding of animal behavior as well as her formal skills as an artist.

“Bulls Fighting” was one of the first objects to be catalogued in the RMAC collection.

Listed as a gift from the artist, records of its history here date back to 1941, when the museum was a federal community art center. While I’m still researching the story of its acquisition, we do know that Russell Vernon Hunter, the state director of the Works Progress Administration in New Mexico, helped to secure its acquisition. The piece was officially unveiled to the public in December 1941, and it’s been part of our collection ever since. Although the details behind this work’s acquisition remain unclear, the subject matter does speak to the ranching tradition here in Roswell, and we’re glad to have it here. In the meantime, if you find yourself in New York, be sure to keep an eye out for Huntington’s work there.

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“Bulls Fighting” by Anna Hyatt Huntington

14 | V i s i o n M a g a z i n e | Thursday, February 15, 2018

Submitted Photo

History

Arabela History

By John LeMay

R

ecently, Tom Krumland has taken up the very pertinent and personal mission of preserving our local area history. Krumland is working to preserve and record the area history of Arabela, where he has some property. Unlike other areas of Lincoln County, very little is recorded of Arabela — though it does have the perennial rock house that Billy the Kid slept in at one point.

Krumland recently hosted a history day at his property inviting longtime residents of

Arabela to tell their stories. On hand was Alan Trevor and his film crew from Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell to record the proceedings. Fascinating stories were told that day.

As always, the most interesting stories are those that cannot be proven. A popular legend persists that David Koresch (the infamous cult leader from Waco, Texas) visited a commune in the area with his mother when he was a young child. The commune was said to inhabit a three-story lodge,

History

‘Scouting In Artesia’

Honoring the Artesia Boy and Girl Scout troops.

By Nancy Dunn Artesia Historical Museum and Art Center Manager rtesia Historical scout helped him cross a Museum and Art street and refused a tip.

This impressed Boyce Center “Scouting In Artesia” so much that he went to is on display at the Arte- the club to learn more sia Historical Museum about the organization. and Art Center, 505 W. Four months later, Boyce Richardson Ave., from returned to the United Feb. 6 to March 31. The States and founded the exhibit features photos, Boy Scouts of America artifacts and memorabil- (1910).

Artesia’s first troop ia from past Artesia Boy was started in 1923 after and Girl Scout troops.

B o y S c o u t i n g w a s a recruiter from the f o u n d e d i n 1 9 0 7 i n National Scout HeadE n g l a n d b y L o r d quarters visited southBaden -P o we ll an d in east New Mexico, mak1910 the American Boy i n g p r e s e n t a t i o n s t o Scout Club was founded. local groups. Artesia’s W. D. Boyce was an Rotary Club had just American newspaper started, and they quickly man and entrepreneur voted to sponsor a troop w h o h a d s t o p p e d i n ( No. 8) as a club project.

Girl Scouting was London on the way to a safari in Africa. A boy f o u n d e d b y J u l i e t t e

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which is abandoned today. Though most sources say Koresch’s visit was just a rumor, it can’t be proven that it didn’t happen either.

It is certain some strange cults, religious sects and hippie communes had set up residence in the Hondo Valley back in the late 1960s and the 1970s.

Locals remembered seeing teepees, sweat huts and lights in the trees at night from the practitioners — whoever they may have been.

In a nearby valley locals say eagles called Gordon Low in Georgia in 1912, and came to Artesia in 1927. The Artesia Woman’s Club voted to sponsor a Girl Scout organization and the first troop formed quickly. A week later, this troop competed in a field event and picnic in Roswell with Girl Scouts from Dexter and Roswell — they did pretty well for a troop that was brandnew, placing second in the obstacle race.

Camping is an important component of scouting, and Boy Scout Camp Wehinahpay and Girl Scout Camp Mary White were both established in 1927 on donated land in the Sacramento Mountains. Camp was really camping in those early years — scouts slept in tents and helped to construct the first cabins and facilities.

“Scouting In Artesia” features vintage uniforms, photographs, handbooks, patches and even a handout with the original Girl Scout cook-

their home. Those eagles supposedly were so large the locals feared that they could take away small child r e n . S om e c h i l d r e n had, for that reason, a screened-in play area.

It was also said that back in the old days, Arabela had trees so l a r g e tha t “ f i v e m e n couldn’t wrap their arms around it.” There was also talk of a man who had found a mummified Native American, decorated with turquoise, in a cave.

There were new stories told as well,

that may grow into old legends one day.

Recently, some area youths had intriguing new stories of Slender Man. The kids had been talking about Slender Man late one night, when suddenly a dark figure darted from an abandoned old shack and ran away into the darkness. Perhaps 20 years from now, the kids will tell their children how they encountered Slender Man. The Historical Society of Southeast New Mexico would like to thank Tom Krumland and his family

for their efforts in preserving local area history and, like the Gonzales family, would like to encourage more community members to do the same and work to preserve their own history.

If anyone has any information on historic Arabela, or has stories because they or their family used to live in the area, they are asked to contact Tom Krumland through his assistant, Iva Martinez, at imartinez@ kagnm.com.

Artesia’s Mayor Creighton Gilchrist with an unidentified Brownie Girl Scout and two unidentified Junior Girl Scouts, ca. 1965. The Artesia Museum is asking if anyone can identify the girls. ie recipe (Sorry, it isn’t sia for loaning many of 748-2390 or email us at: the Thin Mints recipe). the artifacts on display artesiamuseum@artesianm.gov. Large groups We have notebooks for — we appreciate you. visitors to record special “ S c o u t i n g i n A r t e - are requested to let us memories, and any help sia” exhibit can be seen know in advance of their we receive on identify- during regular museum visit, so that we can be ing some of our photos hours: Tue.-Fri. from ready for you. will be appreciated.

9 a.m. to noon and 1 to W e a r e g r a t e f u l t o 5 p.m.; Sat. 1 to 5 p.m.

Maria Landrie of the After-hours group/troop Girl Scouts of the Desert tours are available — Southwest office in Arte- just give us a call at 575-

Vision Magazine |

Thursday, February 15, 2018

| 15

UFOlogy

Pentagon’s unusual admission: They’ve investigated UFOs

Looking Up

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t’s a commonplace observation in the field of UFO studies that the government would probably rather fall head-first down a well than tell us what it knows about unidentified flying objects, or even admit that they exist. So it was rather a surprise in mid-December 2017 when the New York Times broke a story to the effect that the Pentagon acknowledged it had studied the UFO phenomenon for five years.

In a way, this is a little like hearing a swarm of honeybees confess that they have secretly been making honey. If the Defense Department,

By Donald Burleson

after all, didn’t concern itself with what’s flying around in our skies, it wouldn’t be doing its job.

According to the newspaper story mentioned, the Pentagon from 2007 to 2012 pursued a classified Advanced Aviation Threat Identification Program, instigated at the urging of former Nevada Senator Harry Reid and his aerospace entrepreneur friend Robert Bigelow. The reported cost of the program was 22 million dollars, which leads me to suspect that the effort was not one on which anybody expended the highest energy, since

government typically gets very little done for that amount of money.

Nevertheless, it can scarcely be altogether without significance that a government agency has finally made such an admission. The announcement has even come with the release of some videos taken by military pilots, notably including footage captured near San Diego of a Navy F/A-18 encountering a glowing, rotating object that was clearly not a conventional aircraft, though the Pentagon has never suggested the object might be extra-terrestrial.

Reactions to these

16 | V i s i o n M a g a z i n e | Thursday, February 15, 2018

revelations have been varied. UFO skeptics have called the Pentagon program a waste of time and money.

Indeed, if one takes all their pronouncements seriously, Pentagon officials themselves may have come to feel this way, since the reasons given for the program’s demise had to do with the funding being more urgently needed for other things. On the other hand, in 1969 when the Air Force’s Project Blue Book was discontinued, it hardly meant that the government was no longer investigating UFOs. They just stopped saying they were.

Among people not so skeptical about UFOs, the more optimistic ones have speculated that this new Pentagon revelation may be destined to presage a coming flood of disclosure, while others like myself are more inclined to think this unlikely.

I keep remembering that researcher John Greenewald (originator of the now famous Black Vault, dedicated to the release and dissemination of government UFO documents) has produced, so far, 1.7 million pages of documents from a government usually disinclined to express any interest in UFOs. So even as

encouraging as the Pentagon disclosure is, one must understand it, in context, as an intriguing gesture but one of very limited scope in the scheme of things.

The released videos, relative to the wealth of UFO information the government has, are the proverbial tip of the iceberg, If they do turn out to represent a glimmer of more government openness to come, so be it.