Focus on Carlsbad Winter 2009

WINTER 2009

Carlsbad Gets Artsy Focus Takes a Look at a Variety of Local Artists

A Road Trip to McGary Studios

Bronze Sculpture Artist in Ruidoso

Little Cavemen Football

Where it All Begins for Young Athletes

Bealls LA Nail s Sears Big 5 Spo rtin Balloons-a- g Goods Poppin GNC Social Secur ity Admin.

Athlete’s F Office Extreme A oot udio Fish’s Claire's Party Jung le Cloud 9 Connie’s Sn ac Turquoise n k Shack Average Ja Things n Play it Gam e’s Gym eR Neish & N eil Clothing oom & Accessor Southwest T rophies & G ies ifts

table of contents focus on the Chamber. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7

Focus on a carlsbad character. . . . . . . 22

FROM THE EDITOR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Focus on business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Community Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Focus on the arts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Business directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 restaurant guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 More tidbits & trivia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Tea Shop has High Hopes

Carlsbad Artists Show Their Colors

focus on schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Local Students Learn About Alternative Energy

Tidbits & trivia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Focus on the road. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Sculptures Come to Life at McGary Studios

Focus on sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Little Cavemen: Where it All Begins

Focus on history. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 History at Home

Music Lover Still Rocking to the Beat of His Own Drumming Events Supplier, Downtown Boutique Both Running Smoothly

Editorial Content by Kyle Marksteiner Photography by Kyle Marksteiner - along with submitted photos Special Contributors: Jeff Keller & Mandy Marksteiner

Focus on Carlsbad is published quarterly

by Ad Venture Marketing.

Ad Venture Marketing, Ltd. Co. toll free: 866.207.0821 www.ad-venturemarketing.com All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without permission of the publisher is prohibited.

Every effort was made to ensure accuracy of the information provided.

The publisher assumes no responsibility or liability for errors, changes or omissions.

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on the chamber

tourism corner

Christmas on the Pecos is just around the corner! Ticket sales have already begun and over 3,000 tickets have been sold. The season will begin on November 26th and run through December 31st. New this year is our “Sail with Santa” program on December 6th and December 13th at 7pm on the Noelle. Ticket prices for “Sail with Santa” are $15.00 per person for both adults and children. This year’s ticket prices are Sunday through Thursday children ages 2-11 are $7.50 per person and adults are $12.50 per person; Fridays and Saturdays children are $12.50 per person and adults are $17.50 per person. Tickets on the George Washington - which operates on Fridays and Saturdays only - are $7.00 per person for both adults and children. Tickets may be purchased on line at www. christmasonthepecos.com or by calling 575-628-0952. Don’t wait come and experience what has been voted as a top 100 must see event in North America 8 years in a row!

Travel Leadership Summit Washington DC

Representatives of the New Mexico travel industry traveled to Washington DC in September to the annual Travel Leadership summit hosted by the US Travel Association.

Accompanying NM Tourism Dept. Cabinet Secretary Michael Cerletti were Tourism Dept Agency Development Director Mona Medina, Lisa Boeke Tourism Director of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce, Cathy Gonzales and Mary Ann Joes of the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber, Jill Lane of Events Unlimited by Jill, Johnny Riley of Bowlin Travel Centers, Carol Wight of the New Mexico Restaurant Association, Sharon Shultz from TANM, and Dale Lockett of the Albuquerque CVB. The delegation was fortunate to have productive meetings with each of the five members of New Mexico’s Congressional delegation: Congressmen Lujan, Teague and Heinrich, and Senators Bingaman and Udall.

The main topic of discussion was the Travel Promotion Act which would establish a public-private partnership to generate over $200 million in marketing funds to bring more international visitors to the US. This will be the first time a U.S. promotion and communications program will send a welcoming message to international travelers. Estimates by Oxford Economics suggest a well executed travel promotion program could result in up to $4 billion in additional travel spending and 1.6 million new visitors.

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on carlsbad

Letter from the ceo

Happy Holidays!

Welcome!

It’s the busy time of year, and we have been busy! Christmas on the Pecos is going strong, and it is always fun decorating for Christmas. A great big THANK YOU goes out to all the home owners who do a wonderful job decorating their yards each year and this year is no exception. So many individuals and companies help and volunteer their time for this very special event, and the Chamber could not make this happen without all of you! We appreciate your hard work and devotion!

- From all of us at Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce

Matt Leroch,

Chairman of the Board URS Washington Division

Russell Hardy,

Incoming Chairman of the Board NMSU-Carlsbad

Susan Crockett,

City Council Representative City Council

Mayor Bob Forrest, City of Carlsbad Mayor City of Carlsbad

Chris Bird, Board Member

Young Business League Chairperson Carlsbad National Bank

Art & Soul

Benchmark Business Solutions

Robert P. Defer Executive Director, Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce Wes Carter,

Alan’s Auto & Cycle Shop

Baby Me Baskets

May this Holiday Season find you and your family safe and happy!

2009-2010 Board of Directors

New Members

Carlsbad Caverns Trading Company Brenda Suggs, Board Member Western Commerce Bank Judith Waters, Board Member First United Methodist Church

Ernie White, Board Member

Individual

Bob Yeager, Board Member

Century 21 Associated Professionals

Tina Britain, Board Member Curves International

Divine Cottage Hester Agency Little Miss Everything Lynn Tusha Mike Currier/Linnie Davis

Treasurer & Positively Carlsbad Chairperson Springtime Cleaning & Janitorial

Janet Carbary, Board Member

Carlsbad Medical Center

Honorary Board Members

Roxanne Lara,

Kirstin Carlson, Board Member

John Benjamin,

Park View Motel

Rudy Dominguez, Board Member

Alison Bryant

Reece Chlumsky

Past Chairman of the Board Lara Law Firm

Dave Rogers,

Ambassador Chairperson CARC, Inc

Bonnie Bakal,

Governmental Affairs Chairperson Individual

Michael Calvani,

Christmas on the Pecos Chairperson Calvani’s Carpets

Marsha Drapala,

Retirement Council Chairperson Landsun Homes, Inc.

Bobby Forrest,

Tourism Chairperson Best Western Stevens Inn

Ken Britt,

Lodger’s Tax Representative Living Desert State Park

Carlsbad Mental Health

Intrepid Potash NMLLC

Darold Haug, Board Member Washington TRU Solutions Tom Hollis, Board Member

Carlsbad National Bank

Jerri McTaggart, Board Member Simply Enchanted Events & Rentals

Carlsbad Caverns National Park Carlsbad Community Anti-Drug/Gang Coalition

John Lujan

Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Guy Lutman

VIP Self Storage

Eddy County Commission

.................................................................

Susan Owen, Board Member Lakeview Christian Home

Ernie Mendoza

Tom Saulino, Board Member

Jim Stovall

Mark Schinnerer, Board Member

John Waters

CARC, Inc

Carlsbad Department of Development

Johnna Stephens, Board Member

Dr. Sheri Williams

Sousorrone Viento Bed and Breakfast Inn

Carlsbad Mental Health

Eddy County Sheriff Office

For more info or to join the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce

Bureau of Land Management

Carlsbad Municipal Schools

Thin & Healthy Total Solutions/Xtreme Fitness

Drop In: 302 South Canal Street Call: (575) 887-6516 Online: www.carlsbadchamber.com

Your Chamber Staff Robert P Defer, CEO

Janell Whitlock, Director of Retirement

Albert Elizondo, Administrative Assistant

Brenda Whiteaker, Director of Operations operations@carlsbadchamber.com

Roland Caudill, Director of Facilities Maint. facility@carlsbadchamber.com

Lisa Boeke, Director of Marketing & Tourism

Donna Cass, Administrative Assistant

Gilbert John Gonzalez, Facilities Maintenance Albert “Dewey” Griffith, Facilities Maintenance Justin Brown, Facilities Maintenance

director@carlsbadchamber.com

tourism@carlsbadchamber.com

retirement@carlsbadchamber.com

carlsbadnm@carlsbadchamber.com

temp@carlsbadchamber.com

5

Grand Openings ribbon cuttings ground breaking events

The Stock Exchange Restaurant Corner of Fox & Canal Streets - Held their Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting in mid-September

Carlsbad Medical Center broke ground on October 15 for their expansion project including a new surgical suite, renovations to the main lobby and Women’s Care Facilities.

The Divine Cottage celebrated a Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting at their new location 117 S Canyon St - on August 21

Family, friends, and Chamber Ambassadors helped cut the ribbon at Jaime’s Welding - 209 W. Wood

A Grand Opening / Ribbon Cutting for Little Miss Everything - 904 W. Pierce, Ste B was celebrated on October 30

The staff and Chamber Ambassadors participated in the Grand Opening celebration of Thin & Healthy Total Solutions located inside Xtreme Fitness at 1101 W Mermod

Treasured Events & Rentals - 5903 Million Rd Hosted an Open House and Ribbon Cutting on August 14

Enjoy an Active Retirement Fall is a wonderful time to take a drive or hike and enjoy the beautiful scenery in our area. Some trips to consider are the McKittrick Canyon Fall Color Tour or the Frijole Foothills Trail. With the changing of the leaves, our thoughts turn to fireplaces, family gatherings, Thanksgiving and Christmas. In addition to Christmas on the Pecos, we encourage retirees to attend the downtown holiday stroll, electric light parade and Calico Christmas as well as numerous Christmas concerts and pageants.

We enjoy near perfect weather in Carlsbad and welcome the retiree “snowbirds.”

Our city has tremendous opportunities for retirees to live an active lifestyle.

Recreational experiences abound on public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The Carlsbad Field Office has areas designated for off highway vehicle use. Golfing and tennis are available year round along with walking and biking trails.

If you are planning a retirement move, contact the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce Retirement Initiative at 575-887-6516 and let us show you why Carlsbad should be your Place to Call Home.

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on carlsbad

The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce hosts the 12th Annual Business Fair Approximately 3,000 people attended the Chamber’s 12th Annual Business Fair on October 3 at the Pecos River Village Conference Center. Seventy-nine vendors showcased their services and merchandise from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Chamber of Commerce Positively Carlsbad Council thanks all who attended and participated in this popular event – and are already making plans for next year!

Blake’s Restaurant sets up their “mobile” unit

The crew for Cable Channel 23 prepares to capture the Business Fair activities

Staff members of Navarro Research & Engineering get ready for the Fair

Staff members of Landsun Homes get ready to sell burgers, sausages and quesadillas

Jerri McTaggart of Simply Enchanted and the Little Tea Pot

Mobile Safety Solutions demonstration at the Business Fair

United Blood Services brought their mobile unit from Roswell

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from the editor

Tea Shop has High Hopes This whole having a daughter thing is going to take some adjustment.

See, I come from Boyland. On a rainy day, my brothers and I would play “You can’t touch the ground or else you are Strawberry Shortcake,” which basically involved throwing a bunch of stuff onto the living room floor and jumping from item to item until mom told us to clean it all up. Turning into Strawberry Shortcake was the worst possible punishment we could conceive.

Our G.I. Joes and stuffed animals would team up to fight off imaginary invasions by the forces of Rainbow Bright.

A huge sign in the bathroom, “Flush or No He-Man,” pretty much said it all. (It was for my brother, not me. I swear.)

So I always welcome any advice when it comes to understanding girls, of any age. At a recent Friday Focus presentation, Brandy Martin and her family shared some ideas.

Dressed as princesses, Martin and her mother, Jerri McTaggart, spoke about their upcoming business, The Little Tea Pot. “We went and had high tea in Denver, and we adored it,” said Martin, who will manage the Little Tea Pot. “My mom said, ‘Let’s have a tea room.’”

High tea, because I know you are wondering, doesn’t just involve climbing up one of Colorado’s mountains and then drinking some tea. “High tea is a whole experience, not just a cup of tea,” Martin explained, noting that a good high tea can take a few hours.“ There are different teas, scones, finger sandwiches and all sorts of other stuff.”

It will also be a good place to eat, as The Little Tea Pot will feature bagels for breakfast and soups, salads and sandwiches for lunch. “We’ll be available for rent for private tea parties, birthdays, bridal showers, baby showers, Red Hat Society meetings, that sort of thing,” Martin said. “We want to be able to give little girls their dream-themed birthday party. We have all the costumes you could possibly want.”

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Saturday. The store will be located at 512 N. Canyon Street, and Martin hopes to be open by late November.

She said the business will also be available for outdoor events once the back patio landscaping is complete. For more information, call 302-4218.

Sometimes you just have to face the music.

I wish I could say that the “dinning,” which appeared in the dominant headline of our last edition, was deliberate.

Perhaps I could claim that since the cover article was about two excellent restaurants instead of one, we went with twice as many “n”s to emphasize that point. The fact of the matter is, “dinning“ was just an error we failed to catch, and I apologize.

On a brighter note, it was nice to finally get to meet author Anna Jane Hays, who made an appearance recently at Candlewood Cards and Gifts.

She was there to help celebrate Sesame Street’s 40th anniversary.

Candlewood threw a party, while Hays read several of her books.

Originally from Carlsbad, Hays went on to become an author and publisher with Sesame Street Magazine and Sesame Street Books.

She’s now an author in Santa Fe, and I was honored to get to interview her a couple of years ago for a feature story.

I was also pleased to see that the Larez Restaurant opened its doors again in November. The south Carlsbad Mexican restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch and 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. for dinner. Welcome back!

Focus editor Kyle Marksteiner can be reached at editor@ad-venturemarketing.com Experienced marketing consultant and Carlsbad resident Alyx Duncan has joined the Ad Venture Marketing team. Duncan, a graduate of Ruidoso High School, has six years of experience in advertising and marketing. She’s also a graduate of cosmetology school.

The costumes will be an important part of the experience, and Martin has already loaded up on Alice in Wonderland, Queen of Hearts and other princessytype outfits for the staff. Little girls are encouraged to also wear their princess-of-choice costume from home while attending events.

Duncan and her husband, Ryon, have two children, Ryley, 5, and Zakery, 16 months. “I love what I do because I get to help businesses and business owners market their business to make more money and get more customers,” she said. “I’m excited to work for a company that lets me put my family first. I get the best of both worlds this way.”

The Little Tea Pot will be open Tuesday through

Alyx can be reached at alyx@ad-venturemarketing.com

on carlsbad

community events DECEMBER

JANUARY

Other Events

Nov. 26 – Dec. 31 Christmas on the Pecos

9th (1-3 p.m.)

Maggie’s Birthday Party

Fridays (9:30-10:30 a.m.)

Preschool Story Time

In its 18th year, the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce-sponsored Christmas on the Pecos will see pontoon boat tours departing from the Pecos River Village Conference Center each evening during the holiday season except for Christmas Eve. Patrons will view over 100 homes along the banks of the Pecos River, festooned with holiday lights and decorations. Each boat ride lasts between 45 and 50 minutes. For reservations, call the Chamber at 575-887-6516 or visit www. christmasonthepecos.com.

5th (2-3 p.m.)

Holiday Bells Concert

Spend a beautiful afternoon listening to music and enjoying the wonders of the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park. There is no fee to attend the event at the Visitor’s Center. Regular fees apply to enter the park. Call the park at 575-887-5516 for more information.

6th & 13th (7 p.m.)

Sail with Santa Aboard the Noelle

$15/person for adults & children (non-refundable). Cameras are allowed. Photos can be purchased with Santa prior or following the cruise. Reservations are required. For reservations, call the Chamber at 575887-6516.

6th (Noon – 4 p.m.)

Christmas Home Tour

The Assistance League’s annual Christmas fundraiser includes three selected homes with Christmas trees and decorations galore, as well as handmade holiday items for sale at the Chapter House. For more information, call Sandra at 885-3333.

12th (1-3 p.m.)

Holiday with the Animals

Children are invited to enjoy activities and make holiday cards for their favorite Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park animals. There is no fee to attend the event at the Visitor’s Center.

To enter the zoo, each visitor may bring a non-perishable food item, new book or toy in lieu of park admission fees.

Donations collected go to local charities.

Call the park at 575-887-5516 for more information.

Help Maggie, Living Desert Zoo and Gardens’ famous painting bear, celebrate her fifth birthday and learn about Bear Awareness. Watch Maggie unwrap her special edible presents at 2 p.m. The lucky visitor who guesses Maggie’s weight will win a free Maggie painting. There will be children’s crafts in the Visitor’s Center. Regular entrance fees apply. Call the park at 575-887-5516 for more information.

Other Events Fridays (7:30-9:30 a.m.)

Friday Focus

(CONTINUED)

Story time takes place every Friday morning when school is in session at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens Visitor’s Center. Songs, a story, a short walk in the park and crafts are offered for preschool children and accompanying adults. Free. For more information, call the park at 575-8875516.

NOW – December 31 United Way Annual Community Campaign

Call Laurie Roche at the United Way office at 575-887-3504.

Friday Focus is a great opportunity to market your business and network with other Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce members at the Stevens Inn. Place a business card in the basket, and when called on, introduce yourself and your business. Distribute business and promotional material on tables (collect before leaving). Networking opportunities are endless. Call the Chamber for more information at 575-887-6516.

Interested in listing your community event?

Email the information to editor@ad-venturemarketing.com.

Ready for a new career path?

Make this the winter you begin your journey.

Register at NMSU Carlsbad.

Classes begin Jan. 14 in Carlsbad, in Artesia, online.

(575) 234-9200 www.carlsbad.nmsu.edu Building Brighter Futures Together

9

on the arts road

Carlsbad Artists Show Their Colors

From sculptor to actor, from potter to spray painter, the arts in Carlsbad are alive and well. For this edition, “Focus” took a look at a variety of local artists to explore what motivates them, how they got involved and why they selected a specific form of art.

She often visits the library to clean the statue. When she does, someone passing will typically ask her if the sculpture is hers. “One of the most fun things is what happens when you put things like a sculpture out. It becomes a part of other people’s lives,” she said. “They’ll always say, ‘My daughter comes from the East coast every year, and the first thing she wants to do is come down to the library to see the bronze.’ Every time I come down there I get stories. That’s what makes it so fun.”

People also photograph “The Reader” wearing graduation caps in the spring and Santa hats in the winter. “It’s become a part of everybody else’s life,” Prather-Stroud said.

Wren Prather-Stroud: Sculpting Local sculptor Wren Prather-Stroud is responsible for the Carlsbad library’s most loyal customer. “The Reader,” a bronze sculpture that sits outside of the Carlsbad Public Library, depicts a dedicated young woman resting happily on top of a mountain of books. Over the past decade, “The Reader” hasn’t put down her book to update her MySpace page, watch reality television or send text messages. Her mind is focused on books.

Prather-Stroud is the communications director at Carlsbad’s Center of Excellence for Hazardous Materials Management, but in her free time, her mind is focused on sculpting.

Prather-Stroud has been involved in the arts from the time she was little, but it took an overseas trip to eventually bring her to sculpting. In her youth, she received scholarships through the Miss New Mexico Pageant. She used those scholarships to study in Israel. “We traded with other exchange students around Europe and the Middle East,” she noted. “I got to see all of the great museums in Egypt and across Europe.

It was unusual for someone from a rural

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on carlsbad

area like this to have that exposure.

When I saw what was out there in the world, I just fell in love with it.”

Prather-Stroud returned to the United States and obtained a degree in English from the University of Denver. She didn’t want to teach, so she returned to college and studied design. That got her involved in interior design in Denver, but it didn’t take her long to realize that she would probably have an aptitude for other forms of three-dimensional design. “I thought, ‘I bet I could do sculpting,’” she said.

She met with a teacher in Colorado and received some instruction. She turned out to be a natural-born sculptor. “I could just do it,” she noted. “My first ones look the same as the ones I do now. This was something that was just already a part of me.”

Her first sculpture was a portrait, and portraits remain her specialty. “The Reader” will always be one of her personal favorites. “The Carlsbad library was such a special place to me when I was a little kid. It was just a joyful thing to be able to do that,” Prather-Stroud said about the sculpture.

The woman rests on a large pile of books with visible titles. “Almost everybody I talk to says, ‘You have my favorite book on there,’” Prather-Stroud noted. “They’ll ask me how I picked the books. What I did is I took all the filing categories from the library, and then I just asked my family and friends and picked some of my favorites.”

The library books are arranged in a specific design, she said. “I made a bunch of blocks and kept shuffling them until they hit the right composition.

Then they got to be books. It actually took me a lot longer to arrange and sculpt the books than it did the figure.”

In addition to “The Reader,” PratherStroud also completed “Apache Way,” a bronze sculpture on display at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park. “There are figures of an older woman passing on the traditions to a younger one,” she said. “They are harvesting a mescal plant. It took ten times as long to make the little mescal plant as it did the diggers.”

“Apache Way” also has a sister sculpture on display at the Mescalero Apache Cultural Center in Mescalero.

Prather-Stroud also has a bronze relief

portrait, “Mr. Sprout,” on display at the Pennsylvania Railroad Museum in Strasbourg, Penn. She has numerous fired clay and bronze portraits in collections internationally. “I always have something going, usually portrait commissions,” she said.

When preparing to craft a sculpture of an actual person, Prather-Stroud will usually meet with the individual she is sculpting to get a sense of who they are.

“I’ll take a bunch of pictures at unusual angles. I’ll take some measurements, that sort of thing. I’ll generally get a pretty good likeness, and then I’ll have them come back again.”

The meetings, she said, also give her a feel for the subject’s personality. “If you get a really happy person and you do a somber portrait of them, it doesn’t look like them. If you get a really quiet, shy person and you make them look all happy, it won’t be them. It’s funny how people’s personalities come out.”

Prather-Stroud said she tries to capture what’s best in a person. “The portraits always look like the person, but I have an optimistic outlook on people, and it comes through.”

“Their goal for this project sounds like something that would be really special for me to do,” Prather-Stroud said. “It’s something I’d really like to do for the community.”

The group (pictured on page 10) is currently conducting fundraising efforts. For more information, call 706-6995 or 361-3076.

Prather-Stroud is working on a conceptual design. “I’ve started looking at pictures of what’s going on in the conflicts,” she said. “I ran across this one picture that was what I was looking for.”

The photograph that inspired PratherStroud is of a United States soldier shaking hands with a young child while an older child looks on.

“I think it would be interesting to do the memorial about why they (the soldiers) were there as opposed to the standard kind of war memorial,” she said. “I think this picture really kind of says it.”

The idea is just a concept, PratherStroud stressed, and she will continue to

work with the committee as the project develops.

As a credit to her abilities, PratherStroud was recently appointed to the New Mexico Arts Commission. The commission serves as the advisory body for New Mexico Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs.

Prather-Stroud said it is an appointment she takes very seriously. “We work with legislative funding and advocacy for the arts,” she said. Because of the difficult economic times, Prather-Stroud understands that everybody is facing budget cuts. She said she sees it as her job to make sure the state’s artistic endeavors aren’t hit especially hard.

“But what people need to understand is that it’s a job. People make money.

People think ‘just cut funding for the arts in school,’ but it’s been proven a zillion times over that if you teach children art they do better in math and science. That’s just the way the brain works.”

Prather-Stroud does her work in a studio that features a large mirror, so she can see all the sides of her project. She’ll typically work in two to three-hour intervals. “When you start thinking about what time it is, you are done because then the focus is over. You should leave and do something else for awhile and then come back.”

While in the studio, she works with an oil-based clay. Her works are ultimately shipped to a foundry in Santa Fe for completion.

Prather-Stroud’s latest local commission may be her biggest yet. She’s working with a group of parents, friends and supporters of the military men and women from Eddy County who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The group, headed by Fernando Santana, Armando Chavez and Rosa Onsurez, intends to install a figurative sculpture accompanied by architectural elements that will include soldiers’ names. It will be located on the war memorial island on Park Drive near the Pecos River in Carlsbad.

Peggy Norman: Pottery

Now that Patrick Swayze really has moved on to the afterlife, local potter Peggy Norman says with a smile she hopes his ghost pays her a visit when she’s seated at the pottery wheel.

Why is that? “Just because,” she says, drawing laughs from the other artists participating in a Monday night session at the Carlsbad Area Art Association’s pottery studio. The four people present that evening included a couple who recently moved to Carlsbad from Wisconsin.

Norman said the studio is set up as a coop. To use the equipment and facilities, art association members pay a monthly

fee. Artists sell their creations at The Artist Gallery, located in downtown Carlsbad, and the association keeps a percentage of the money made.

“Everybody (who has items for sale) also has to work at the store about once a month,” she noted.

Norman, who has worked in pottery since 1981, typically comes into the studio twice a week for at least four hours each time. “I had a cactus collection, and I needed pots,” she said.

“But when I got interested in the pottery, it was a lot more interesting than the cactus.”

Norman said she experiences “all of

11

the above,” when asked what emotions she feels while working at the potter’s wheel, but she was hesitant to label it a spiritual experience. “I had a minister come in here one time (to work on pottery), but he left town before he could get started,” she recalled. “There was one girl here who was supposed to be my speech guard when he came in because I might come up with some ‘fancy’ language and get in trouble.”

What does Norman typically make?

“We can make everything but ashtrays,” she said, pointing as another woman in the studio asked if she was telling the truth. “Look at that sign over there. It says no smoking!”

In a process called throwing, a ball of clay is placed in the middle of the potter’s wheel, which resembles a large turntable. During the throwing process, the wheel rotates rapidly while clay is pressed and pulled gently upwards and outwards into a bowl shape. “It takes a lot more strength than you think it does,” Norman said, sharing what sounds like words of wisdom.

“You have to make it rough to make it smooth.”

“The ‘throw down’ frees you from all of your inhibitions,” she noted. “If you wish, you could throw something at somebody. You can just throw the clay and picture that person.”

The pottery is set out to dry after it is shaped. One of the advantages of living in a desert climate is that it doesn’t take very long to dry. “I’ve had people come in from the East or West coast, and they are amazed when they can throw one (pot) down and set it aside to dry for just two hours,” Norman noted. “It has to sit until it gets leather hard.”

Clay scraps and pottery rejects are returned to the clay bucket, but the completed work is sent to an electric kiln, where it is fired at about 1,800 degrees. The pot is then glazed and fired in a second kiln at about 2,300 degrees.

Norman said she’s pretty much saturated her family and friends with pottery. She’s made all of her own dinnerware and the dinnerware used by both of her daughters. But that’s probably not going to slow her down.

“It’s creative,” she said with another smile. “It’s a lot better than watching TV.” Unless, perhaps, it’s a television show featuring Patrick Swayze.

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on carlsbad

Arturo Lopez: Spray Painting

Give Arturo “Spraycasso” Lopez a few spray paint cans and about 20 minutes, and he can create anything. Add a video camera and a web site and he can teach anyone else how to do the same thing.

Lopez is a spray paint artist, which means he creates landscapes and other works of art on a poster board using spray paint and a few other tools. It is not the same thing as graffiti art, which is performed on buildings and other public places.

“I don’t think I could even do graffiti,” Lopez said. “The techniques are very different. We have to do a lot of layer manipulation, and even the spray paint we use wouldn’t work very well.”

Spray paint art, also known as Aerosolgrafia or Sadotgrafia, originated in Mexico City in the early 1980s when Ruben “Sadot” Fernandez began making paintings. Sadot’s public art creations often also included music, poetry and philosophy.

Lopez said he participated in art competitions when he was a college student. “But I wanted to do something different,” he said.

During a trip to Mexico, he witnessed an artist use a couple of bowls and spray paint to make a planet. “I was fascinated by that. I just decided to pick it up and start all over again.”

He returned to college and ultimately obtained his engineering degree. “But on weekends I’d go out in my backyard and do a spray painting. Along the way, he developed his own spray painting techniques and Southwestern flavor.

Lopez also wanted to teach, so he took courses in film and editing and obtained a license as a producer. He began filming himself painting while offering instruction on the process. A public

broadcasting station in Albuquerque began airing some of his “Spraycasso” instructional shows. Today, Lopez has “Spraycasso” instructional videos airing on several public television stations and presented on several Web sites. He also creates a lot of his content on his own web site at Spraycasso.com. At one point, he even had his own brand of spray paint.

What about spray painting drew his interest? “Even though I was pretty advanced in art, it all took me a long time to learn. The beauty of spray painting is that you don’t have to have a perfect artist’s hand to do it.”

A beginner’s painting can take about five minutes, he said, while an advanced painting will take 15-20 minutes. “It’s all so quick, but they are all different and all very unique. It’s not like somebody can take your painting and duplicate it.”

Lopez is also enjoying the art of producing his instructional videos.

He displays many of the painting techniques he has come up with through years of experimentation.

“I was always inclined toward the teaching side of things, even in the engineering field,” he said. “When I first started (the videos) there weren’t too many different (spray painting) techniques.”

He uses Spraycasso.com to sell instructional DVD’s and spray painting tools. He said materials teaching people about the art technique are always the most popular. He learned that years ago when he’d do demonstrations at a local store. “I’d paint my painting, and people would say, ‘What if I want to make it myself?’” he noted.

Lopez keeps in touch with many of the budding artists who have purchased his instructional DVD’s. “Sometimes they’ll contact me and say, ‘We want to create

a building. How do we do that?’ and I’ll create a video,” he said.

As far as Lopez’s own creations go, many of his favorites are on display at his home. Others he sells in galleries.

One of his goals is to expand his web page, Spraycasso.com. “I’m trying to get it to be a community of spray painters,” he said. “I want to set it up where advanced spray painters can put in their two cents and other spray painters can go to get advice.”

Phil Tozier: Theater

Phil Tozier said he’s never been shy about standing in front of a group of people and talking, but he’d never really been involved in the theater until he saw a Carlsbad Community Theatre performance in 1997.

“I’d always been interested in theater and the arts. I just didn’t realize I could take part in something,” he said.

The play, “Charlie’s Aunt,” was directed

by Randy Milligan. “I just loved the idea of getting on stage. I found out the summer musical was coming up, and that sounded like fun,” Tozier said.

Ever since then, it’s been pretty hard to get Tozier off the stage. He’s acted in 29 productions, been a crew member for eight, helped as an assistant director for four and sat in the director’s chair for two productions-“The Importance of Being Earnest” and “Proof.”

“I guess you could say I went gung-ho for theater,” said Tozier, who works for KCCC radio and also enjoys poetry.

He said the art of theater appealed to him partly because of the teamwork element. “From production to production the theater has these little communities spring up,” he said. “You could always count on everybody to come together and work toward that ultimate goal-something for the public to come out and see.”

And not only must the show go on, but after every project there is always another new one to start working on, according to Tozier.

He’s taken a lot of unusual roles over the past decade or so. He was a gorilla in “The Secret Affairs of Mildred Wild,” a jury foreman in “Twelve Angry Men,” an aged seneschal in “Courtly Love,” and Mark Twain in “Big River.”

Tozier has learned a lot from the theater’s experienced directors. Ellen Friesen, he noted, is a perfectionist.

“Ellen teaches you to get all your ducks in a row and makes sure you know where you are going.”

“The art to me is in the way you tell the story. The bottom line element in theater is storytelling. It’s the old man sitting at the fire telling stories to all of the people in the village. It’s very elemental. It’s a way to connect to other people.”

LaWanda Scholl, he noted, has a different directing style. “When you do a LaWanda play, you get a lot of chances to play around. It’s one of those plays where everything doesn’t work until everybody’s there and they are all together on stage.”

If a production is going well, the director has a clear vision of how the production is going to come across, and the actors are so invested in their roles that they begin to hear the voice of their character in their head.

“I was really pleased with the way ‘Proof’ sounded. It sounded real,” he noted. During the performance of the play, Tozier said, he was up in the lighting booth, but he could tell how well the actors were doing just by looking at their hands.

Tozier said there is a moment in each play where you can tell if it is going to be a successful production. “In ‘Big River’ we got to that moment where they shoved off onto the raft. They were headed down the river and we just knew everything was going to flow smoothly from that point.”

Sometimes the most fun is watching actors think on their feet, he noted.

There was a point, for example, in “Murder of Crows” when a character appeared on stage at the wrong time, but all of the characters involved managed to improvise dialog perfectly to adjust.

Blocking is another important part of the performance and a talent that involves understanding each individual involved.

“Learning how to read what the actors are telling you and to adapt to what they bring to the table is important. It’s important to be able to work as part of the team.”

Another veteran director, Manny Bemis, is also a blast to work with, according to Tozier.

Bob Scholl has a low-key directing style, and Tozier said he learned from him to watch how a scene is developing and then gently direct it.

Three out of the four times Tozier has been an assistant director it has been for Milligan, the guy who inspired him to get involved to begin with. “Randy likes to work you until you have a good clue where the character is and what the character is doing. In ‘Courtly Love,’ I had to have a voice for that, and we worked on it for a long time.”

Tozier also enjoys the unique nature of a theater performance. “Each performance is just a little different. Theater has that immediate tone you can’t find anywhere else. So much of what we do these days comes to us through video or television, and you just don’t get a chance to see the performers up close and personal.”

According to Tozier, the community theater is always looking for additional help, Tozier said. Individuals shy about going on stage can always do things like help built sets, create costumes or sell tickets.

“I guess the best thing I can say about the community theater is that for a little bit you get to be someone else. For a little bit, you get to create a world and bring it to life and then you can put the world to bed and you still have the memories. “Some of the plays have been really silly, but some of them really touch you.”

on schools

Local Students Learn About Alternative Energy Abel Montoya just couldn’t stay retired. Montoya, a long-time teacher and principal with Carlsbad Municipal Schools, said he’d been retired for about a year and a half when he noticed an opening with Carlsbad’s Center of Excellence for Hazardous Materials Management. The center, known nationally for being a leader in biodiesel research, was looking for an educational outreach coordinator and curriculum writer.

Executive Director Doug Lynn said Montoya’s 29 years of experience in education made him an obvious fit for the position. “I want to see kids learn, and I want to see these new emerging technologies excite the kids,” Lynn said. “When you hire someone like Abel and ask him to build a curriculum, you don’t have to worry about it. He’s probably going to do it correctly. He has the ability to look from an educator’s perspective.”

Montoya’s job is to put together different grade levels of curriculum involving a variety of alternative energy programs: wind, hydro, solar, biofuel and nuclear. While it’s a different arena, it’s similar in many ways to what he did before. “What we’re doing is going into the public schools and making presentations,” he said. “We participated in the Craft (Elementary) American Education Week activities. We presented curriculum to close to 200 students.”

According to Montoya, several scientists with the center helped set up stations to teach the students about a variety of alternative energy forms.

Additionally, the center is working closely with a high school instructor who has implemented her own alternative energy program. “She’s received a grant, and she asked us to provide some technical advice. We went over there a few weeks ago, and they were inoculating the algae (for biofuels).”

Montoya’s curriculum is currently being reviewed by the center’s board, he said. After that, the content will be presented to Carlsbad Municipal Schools. “Our goal is to eventually get this curriculum to where the teachers can teach it themselves.

Eventually, what we’d like to do is have our curriculum be the benchmark for the alternative energy program for the state.”

Lynn said the center is already working with one local elementary school principal to have the curriculum tested.

“We’d really love to develop a four year curriculum (at NMSU-C),” he noted. “I would love to have a bachelor’s degree program here that includes nuclear energy in Carlsbad, with kids coming from other towns to here to get their education.”

The center has expanded its educational efforts beyond Carlsbad. “We did a presentation at Earth Day in Tucumcari for about 300 students there that went very well,” Montoya said, giving an example. “We are also involved in helping Santa Fe Community College with some technical advice. Lovington’s school district is also very interested.”

Still, Carlsbad will always come first when it comes to testing out new curriculum, Lynn noted.

Lynn, also a former educator, said it has always been his goal to expand the center’s educational efforts. An alternative energy program, he noted, incorporates understanding of agriculture, industrial arts, chemistry, biology, mathematics and many more subjects. ”It’s important to note that with emerging technologies like algae, there is zero available workforce right now,” he noted.

“Everyone that comes in has to be trained.”

A good alternative energy program, Lynn stated, could prepare Carlsbad students for a wide variety of growing careers. “It’s a new, emerging technology in a new, emerging industry with new, emerging jobs,” he said,"and these are well-paying jobs.”

“One thing about students is that they are more apt to think outside of the box, and that’s what renewable energy is all about,” he added.

Lynn said the center has brought close to 500 visitors to its algae ponds in Atoka, north of Carlsbad, where many of the center’s experiments and commercial test runs are taking place.

“More than 300 of them have been kids,” he said about the visitors. “They’ve all been impressed, even the ones you don’t think will be. They get so excited and start asking questions.”

For more information on the Center of Excellence for Hazardous Materials Management, visit www.cehmm.org.

14

on carlsbad

Lights, camera, action!

Here are a few of the movies or television shows that have been filmed in or near Carlsbad over the years:

“King Solomon’s Mines” released in

1950, was filmed at a variety of locations, including Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Congo, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The adventure film is loosely based on the 1885 novel by Henry Rider Haggard.

This version starred Deborah Kerr, Stewart Granger and Richard Carlson. The movie won Academy Awards for Best Cinematography (Color) and Best Film Editing and was nominated for Best Picture.

“Earth vs. the Spider”

Carlsbad Caverns National Park also makes an appearance in this 1958 movie.

It goes without saying that the spider is big and highly mutated. Carlsbad Caverns was also used for “Unknown World,” released in 1951. Finally, the legendary national park makes an appearance in “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” a 1959 adventure film based on the novel by Jules Verne. It starred Pat Boone, James Mason, Arlene Dahl, Peter Donson and Gertrude the Duck. It was nominated for three Academy Awards, all of them related to special effects.

The 2008 Brendan Fraser version of the movie, by the way, was filmed in Iceland and Canada.

“The Honkers” a 1972 Western starring James

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Coburn and Slim Pickens, is about an over-the-hill rodeo champion who is so self-centered that he ignores his wife, son and best friend. “The Honkers” is also one of the few movies filmed in the area that didn’t somehow involve a cave, and it probably had one of the highest levels of community involvement of any movie filmed locally.

“Gargoyles” was also released in 1972. A father

and his daughter remove a mysterious carcass from the desert for further study. In response, the town is attacked by a colony of gargoyles living in some nearby caves.

“Gargoyles” won a primetime Emmy for outstanding achievement in makeup.

“Jonathan Livingston Seagull” came

out in 1973 and chronicles the spiritual journeys of an adventuresome seagull. Inspired by the book of the same name, the film includes Carlsbad Caverns National Park as a filming location. It is one of the films included in “The Fifty Worst Films of All Time (and how they got that way)”

by Harry Medved and Randy Lowell. The movie also was nominated for Academy Awards for film editing and cinematography. The score won Neil Diamond a Golden Globe and a Grammy.

“I’ll Be There with You” came out in 2006

and was written by, directed by and stars Akihiro Kitamura.

The movie chronicles a spring break retreat to a ranch near San Diego for a young couple and their friends. The group’s misadventures with sex and alcohol are ultimately eclipsed by the demented owner of the ranch (Daniel Baldwin) where they are staying and a trio of escaped convicts.

15

on the road

Sculptures come to life at McGary Studios

By Mandy Marksteiner

S

ome of the nation’s most authentic bronze representations of Native American life and the American West are sculpted just a few hours away at the McGary Studios in Ruidoso.

Regionally, bronze sculptor Dave McGary is perhaps most well known for “Free Spirits at Noisy Water,” an equine masterpiece located at the entrance of the Hubbard Museum of the American West. However, he’s renowned across the nation for his ability to capture the human spirit in his sculptures of Native Americans.

“I’ve been to numerous ceremonies where I’m the only white person there,” said McGary. “You step back 150 years. People aren’t supposed to take pictures—or notes. Luckily, I have a photographic memory. I usually don’t start a sculpture until it’s complete in my mind.”

The McGary bronzes begin as a wax sculpture. He sculpts an unclothed human and then layers the intricate clothing and jewelry over that. The wax sculpture becomes a bronze monument through the “lost wax method.” At a bronze foundry a rubber mold is made of the wax sculpture, which they use to make a wax replica. The wax replica is dipped into white slurry that dries to make a ceramic shell. The shell is heated until the wax melts away, leaving a hollow cavity where they pour the molten bronze.

Because of the detail and size, sometimes it takes up to 160 separate rough castings to make a single sculpture. “My work is very difficult to cast,” said McGary. “One foundry just does the feathers and beads and sends them to Ruidoso in little bags. They’re like jewelry.”

Artisans grind, weld, resurface and sandblast the bronze at the foundry and finishing studio McGary opened in 1981.

This is done to remove imperfections and to make it as close to the original wax sculpture as possible.

Subtle differences in skin tone are created by speeding up the oxidation process. This involves heating the bronze and applying chemicals one small section at a time. Each feather, gun, sword, and the unique beadwork for each statue is individually hand painted by artists, using techniques that McGary has developed over 30 years.

There is a sense of purpose behind McGary’s attention to detail in documenting Native American history as realistically as possible.

For the past 30 years, McGary has spent significant time at reservations, attending and studying ceremonies. But, to the Native Americans, he wasn’t just an outsider doing research, he became a family member.

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on carlsbad

“As an artist, I am looking for inspiration. I love history.

I’m happy to devote my artistic talents towards that,” said McGary. “That’s why I’ve been accepted. They see me as someone who can document their culture.”

McGary’s interest in Native American cultures began in Santa Fe, where he moved in 1978 after studying in Italy.

He became friends with Kevin and Ken Yellow Mountain, two students at the Institute of American Indian Arts. They invited McGary to spend a week at Fort Peck Reservation in Poplar, Missouri.

He wound up spending the entire summer at the reservation.

There, he discussed history with their uncle, the Sioux historian, Gerald Red Elk. “Gerald knows everything about their people;” said McGary, adding, “they’re very skeptical when you first go there. It takes a while to get their trust. But once you do, they’re so supportive.”

Impressed with his desire to learn, the Red Elks brought McGary into their family by giving him an adoption ceremony with a feast and a new name, Big Eagle. Eagles are spiritual messengers, and Gerald Red Elk believes that McGary is a messenger with his artwork.

In the years since, McGary has gained the trust and respect of numerous other Native American groups.

In 1999, McGary was selected to sculpt Shoshone warrior and peacemaker Chief Washakie for display at the U.S. Capital Rotunda in Washington, D. C. The selection committee included several members of the Washakie family, and afterward, the family asked McGary to sculpt another depiction of Chief Washakie, “Battle of Two Hearts,” which is

PHOTOS:

(Pictured on previous page) Dave McGary puts some finishing touches on one of his sculptures. (Center) This epic sculpture, “Battle of Two Hearts” is located in front of the Washakie Center at the University of Wyoming. It was created by McGary in 2001. (Right) Sculptor Dave McGary’s “Free Spirits at Noisy Water,” is located at the entrance of the Hubbard Museum of the American West. The sculpture, created in 1995, is a string of eight larger-than-life horses, each weighing between 3 and 5 tons, bounding down a hillside led by a 2-ton thoroughbred that is balanced on a single hoof.

installed in front of the Washakie Center at the University of Wyoming.

After spending time with the Washakie family, McGary received another nickname. “They call me Two Chairs because I’m big and take up so much space."

While in Washington, D. C. for the dedication, he was invited to tour the photo archives at the Smithsonian Museum. He was fascinated by the old photos and one of them inspired his latest sculpture, “Pow Wow Limo.” In it, three Plains Indians are taking a road trip to a pow-wow in a 1932 Ford Roadster. Sculpting “Pow Wow Limo” gave McGary the chance to express his love for classic cars and share his happy memories of being a guest at numerous pow-wows.

McGary continues to receive invitations to sculpt from

Fordtown

across the nation. Recently, a holy man of the Karankawa tribe, Larry Running Turtle, commissioned McGary to sculpt a monument for the Hans and Pat Suter Wildlife Refuge in Corpus Christi where Hurricane Ike unearthed more than 5,000 graves at an ancient Native American burial site dating back over 2,000 years.

And who knows? Big Eagle, Two Chairs McGary just may pick up another new nickname.

McGary’s Ruidoso gallery, located at 2002 Sudderth Drive, is open Monday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.davemcgary.com.

Editor’s Note: Author Mandy Marksteiner graduated from Lawrence University in 2004 and now lives in Los Alamos with her husband and son.

For more information, visit www.mandymarksteiner.com

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17

on sports

Where it all Begins

By Jeff Keller

Although the team names and league sponsors have changed throughout the decades, children in Carlsbad have had a place to learn the sport of football for more than 30 years thanks to the Little Cavemen football program.

Lance Ridgway, league co-chairman along with Tim Estrada, has also played and coached in the league.

Ridgway said the program has been around since the 1970s.

“I will tell you what, when I was in the sixth grade, which would have been in about 1979, I know it was going then,” Ridgway said. “Just to take a wild guess, I would say that it started in the early 1970s. That is a good ballpark (figure) anyways.”

ranged over the years from five teams all the way up to the league having 14 teams at one time. It really all depends on what the schools are doing with the kids. Like right now, they are utilizing the seventh graders in their school program, so that is going to decrease our numbers. But we really support the schools in that we serve the kids that don’t get served by the schools. Our numbers will vary each year, and, of course, that will decide the number of teams that we have each year.”

The league has been sponsored by the Carlsbad Elks Lodge since 1986, said Elks member Kent Hitchens, and the league has gone by the name of the Elks Little Cavemen Football League since that time. Hitchens said the Elks Lodge finances and supervises the league. Ridgway noted that many sponsors have led the league throughout its history.

“Through the program, Carlsbad kids can learn the fundamentals of the game, but other areas of learning are just as important in the league”, Ridgway said. “We try to teach all of the kids respect,” Ridgway said. “Not only for the game itself but for their coaches, for their elders and for their parents. We really preach the importance of school and doing well in school. Sportsmanship is definitely an important element we want to teach the kids and, of course, the fundamentals of the game. Winning is also important because life is like a sport in a sense, but that kind of takes a back seat to everything else, but we do promote success if you can accomplish all of those other things in the process.”

“It has gone through some various sponsors,” Ridgway said. “When I played in it, the mines each sponsored a team.

I know it moved on to the Jaycees who were a sponsor for some time. It has moved on to the Elks.”

Ridgway has served as the chairman of the league for 11 years. He states that the league has reached several goals over the last decade and strives to continue a high level of success each year.

As far as the age range for the league, that has also changed throughout the years. Ridgway said kids ages 10-13 currently compete in the league, but that often changes, along with the number of teams to fit what the school football programs are doing.

“The biggest goal is just to continue to put a good product on the table. We want to provide a good, safe environment that promotes sportsmanship and respect. When I took over as the chairman, we had a lot of goals. Our goal was to create a Super Bowl that the kids could strive for and have that Super Bowl played at the high school. We wanted to get them uniforms they could really be proud of, and we have

“Right now there are nine teams,” Ridgway said. “That has

18

on carlsbad

achieved those goals. It gets to the point where you really can’t go much further, but just maintaining that level would be our goal at this point.”

As Ridgway has participated in the league in one form or another for almost 20 years, he said team names are one of the things that have changed since he participated as a player. Today, teams such as the Buckeyes, Jayhawks and Trojans face each other on the field. That wasn’t the case when Ridgway played.

“Back when I played, we used professional football teams,” Ridgway said. “I don’t know exactly when they went to the college football team names, but I know we have been going with the college team names for at least 13 years now.”

With kids participating in the Little Cavemen program, it is inevitable that many of them will go on to become Cavemen football players at the high school level. Watching their players progress is a treat for all of the coaches in the league.

“I haven’t coached in a few years, but the kids from the last year that I coached are now juniors and seniors. I can go to the Cavemen games, and that is one thing that all of the coaches have in common. We can go to the P.R. Leyva games, the Alta Vista games and the high school games and see all of our kids that we coached competing at that level and having success,” Ridgway said. “Not all of them make it all the way up through high school football, but a good portion of them do, and we all like to think we played a little part in that.”

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With a program that has helped kids in Carlsbad for going on four decades, there has to be some formula for its success. Ridgway said making sure things are done right within the league is definitely a main reason for its longevity, “I think it is a really well run program,” Ridgway said, “and that is not just because I am running it. It probably has nothing to do with that.

It is just we have some really great coaches in place and we have a great sponsor in the Elks. We serve kids regardless of their ability to pay. Every year, we have anywhere from 10 to 20 cases where the parents of the children can’t afford to pay anything. Others pay a small portion of the entry fee, but we let them play regardless of their ability to pay. Obviously at some point there is the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

At some point you don’t make enough to sustain the program if there are too many of those cases, but we have been very fortunate over the years that there haven’t been too many, and that has allowed us to take care of the few cases we do have every year.”

Editor’s note: Contributor Jeff Keller is a former sports editor.

19

on history

As the story goes, a few of Carlsbad’s founding fathers (and mothers) were sitting around playing cards one evening, when one of them, a relative newcomer by the name of Dr. Fletcher, suggested a name change for the community of Eddy. “Mr. Tansill,” he allegedly said to the host. “Why don’t you give this town a name which means something?”

When asked to explain, the doctor said he’d previously spent two years in Karlsbad, Austria (now part of the Czech Republic), drinking spring water there to help his stomach condition. The town of Eddy, he noted, had a similar spring.

Why not go with a similar name, to help with recruitment purposes?

The card players all liked the idea, and they managed to convince a slight majority (they won by seven votes) of the town’s 712 residents to vote in favor of the name change.

Carlsbad’s naming was no doubt one of many monumental decisions made by Robert Weems Tansill, Mary Elizabeth Tansill and their cronies. Such pioneer conversations can easily be relived while sitting on the porch of one of Carlsbad’s most historic locations, the Tansill House at 1612 Guadalupe Street.

Today, the Tansill House serves as “Casa Milagro”- a tranquil bed and breakfast in the La Huerta subdivision of Carlsbad.

The house and property are on the National Register of Historic Places and the State Register of Cultural Properties.

Rob and Mary Kamerman have owned the home for the past 15 years. Note the identical first names. “One interesting thing, three of the owners have been named Rob and Mary,” noted Rob Kamerman.

The owners and staff of Carlsbad’s Casa Milagro relax in the property’s backyard.

Pictured, from left, are Rob Kamerman, Mary Kamerman, Jeremy Moore and Margaret McQuiston.

The large yard appealed to the Kamermans when they moved to Carlsbad. It seemed like a good place for their five children to grow up. “I’d been looking at property along the river, but somebody took me by this house, and I liked the romantic look,” Rob said.

Rob is a doctor and Mary is a nurse, and the two are often on the road, but the bed and breakfast is currently maintained by hosts Margaret McQuiston and Jeremy Moore.

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aggressive about it,” Rob said, noting that their daughter had operated the bed and breakfast for some time. “We started doing it again about six or seven months ago. We’re looking to see if they (McQuiston and Moore ) enjoy it. As long as they are enjoying it, we’ll keep doing it.”

The two hosts handle breakfast, dinner and the cleaning of the five bedroom, 4,500 square foot facility. “Most bed and breakfasts just set out food,” Mary said. “We let them pick what and when they want to eat.”

The 1 3/4 acre yard includes a hot tub, a gazebo, and numerous benches, gardens and other ideal napping or reading spots. Aged elm, cottonwood and cedar trees dot the property.

The two story, Craftsman style house also features a sun room, library, dining room, living room, office, breakfast room and kitchen. Detailed menu information, rates and pictures of rooms are at http://www.casa-milagronm.com Visiting guests are also drawn to the allure of the house’s unique history.

According to Casa Milagro’s history files, the home’s first owner, Robert Weems Tansill, was a wealthy businessman who moved to the area to combat his tuberculosis.

Tansill came from a famous family. His maternal grandfather, Parson Mason Locke Weems, was responsible for the story about George Washington’s cherry tree. Tansill’s father, Col. Robert Tansill, was a colorful veteran of the Mexican War. Robert Weems Tansill earned his millions from his nationally popular “5-cent Tansill’s Punch cigars.” His family moved to the Carlsbad area in 1888, and he was frequently persuaded to invest his fortune into the area’s budding irrigation efforts by other ambitious pioneers such as Charles B. Eddy and Pat Garrett.

The Tansill family moved into the home on 25 acres about a decade after they first came to Carlsbad. According to family records, they bought the house for $1,500 from two English men who’d never lived there, William Ellice and Ernest Every.

The Tansills remodeled the house by adding a solarium and glassing the porch.

“I know he (Tansill) had Napoleon’s snuff box sitting on a bookshelf in his office,” Rob Kamerman noted. Tansill died of a heart attack on Dec. 29, 1902, in his study at the house.

His wife, Mary Tansill, continued to lobby for Carlsbad’s irrigation development efforts for the next four years. In 1906, however, she sold the Tansill house to John Green and Marry Ussery, local ranchers, and returned to Chicago.

She died 38 years later.

When the Ussery family purchased the property, according to Casa Milagro records, it included “a 100 barrel cistern underground, wash room and service room. For downstairs, there was an outside three-hole privy, to be used when water lines were frozen.”

Members of the influential Ussery family lived on several ranches around the area, and young cousins would stay at the home so they could attend school.

“They sounded like a really nice family,” Rob said.

Mary Kamerman said the Merchant family occupied Casa Milagro for much of the home’s history. More recently, Carlsbad’s Jenkins family sold the house to the Kamermans 15 years ago.

“There have only been five families that have actually lived here,” Mary said. “All five of them etched their initials into the glass in different places. We’re going to have to do the same.”

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on a carlsbad character

Carlsbad Character: Curtis McKinney

Mr. Hughes gave me a shot, and I ran with it.”

By day, Curtis McKinney is the computer specialist at the Eddy County District Courthouse. By night, he’s one of those guys that hip clothing outlets get to wear their stuff so other people will want to wear it, too.

About seven months ago, McKinney moved his show to KTUM Coyote 107, a Tatum-based station that serves Southeastern New Mexico and West Texas. He then changed the name of the show to “The Metal Shop.” The show airs from 8-11 p.m. every Friday night, and is broadcast from a studio set up at McKinney’s Carlsbad home.

The long-time drummer moonlights in the evenings as both a popular radio jockey and a successful rock and roll promoter for the region. If it has music, chances are pretty good that McKinney has had his hand in it.

McKinney said his love of music began at a very young age.

“My parents were always really supportive of everything I did musically,” he said. “I really liked drumming, so I’d get some wash rags on the bed and play with screwdrivers because I didn’t have a drum set.”

The makeshift sessions ultimately impressed McKinney’s father, who bought Curtis a used drum set when he was 13.

“He said, ‘If you can play it, I’ll get them for you,’” McKinney said. “He didn’t know I’d been practicing on the wash rags.”

While in high school, he sang in the choir. He also played drums for a number of rock and country bands he and his friends started. “We were terrible,” he confessed. “But we thought we were really cool. As we got older, we grew a lot.

We started playing some decent music.”

As an adult, McKinney played the drums for Black Six, a hard rock band that brought an entertaining show and carved out its own sound. At some point, McKinney decided to retire as a drummer and pursue other musical endeavors. “I still tinker a bit, but I’m getting too old now to lug drums around. I started consulting other bands, and I get a lot satisfaction from that.”

McKinney wanted to get involved in promotion, but he wasn’t sure where to begin. He spoke with Don Hughes, owner of Carlsbad radio station CD-104, and started a once-a-week rock show. “Back then, I did the whole show from my laptop– song selection, production and commercials,” he said. “I put together skits, great music and incorporated it with a talk show– I compared it to a big city morning show, just at night.

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on carlsbad

“Coyote 107 has been great and they have really allowed me to take the show to a new level,” McKinney said. “The show’s really taken off due to all the support Coyote gives it. Alan Pistole is the co-host with me and he is a natural. We’ve had live interviews with some big name bands such as Godsmack, Creed, Hinder and many others. The Metal Shop is growing and there are now plans to have a Metal Shop segment on a new morning show starting in January on Coyote with Will Rooney.”

McKinney said The Metal Shop takes calls from as far away as Lubbock, Odessa and Vaughn. “On any given show, we may get a couple hundred calls,” he noted. “Every time I answer the phone I’m surprised. With our show you are going to be entertained because we try to keep it live and funny.”

McKinney added “Sometimes we’ll break for a commercial and it will really be a joke. I call it all the ‘best rock and worst talk on radio.’”

The weekly show also includes contests, commentary and giveaways. While “The Metal Shop” has featured plenty of big-name bands, the show has also helped boost interest in a number of up-and-coming acts. “There are a lot of really good bands that are being overlooked,” he said. “That’s why I feel like we’ve got a good thing going. We offer these guys a place to play, and we’re also meeting national bands and getting to do some big things with them. The unsigned, independent bands across the country need a station that plays their music mixed with the big-name groups.” McKinney said. “(Helping) the independent bands was ultimately what led me in the direction of doing promotions.”

With The Metal Shop’s success, McKinney began to grow as a promoter. In fact, his primary role in the music industry has

become his work with MCD Promotions, which handles acts throughout New Mexico and Texas.

“I’ll work with the band management,” he said. “They’ll call me up and say, ‘We’re running a tour through central Texas and New Mexico and we want to give you a block of dates.’ I’ll take over from there and book venues, take care of advertising, ticketing, opening bands and make sure the show runs well.”

McKinney’s main goal is to bring not only rock music, but music of all genres to Carlsbad. MCD recently brought an Arizona band, The Sammus Theory, to perform in town.

“Sometimes, I’ll get off an eight hour day with the court and I’ll have another eight hour work night,” he said, noting that his wife, Brenda, has been highly supportive. They’ll often attend road shows together that McKinney is helping to promote.

“My wife, daughter and parents have really given me their absolute support during this crazy ride.” McKinney said.

“Their support means everything to me and it drives me to achieve all of my goals for myself and the community.”

The good news is that McKinney gets to save some time in not having to shop for clothes.

“I was recently endorsed by Dirtbag Clothing. They’re one of the largest brands of rock clothing in the industry,” “Carlsbad has been starved for live he said. “They give me my clothes to entertainment,” McKinney stated. wear when I show up at venues and “We’ve been doing some free shows in have been a valued sponsor of all of my Carlsbad to give our community a taste concerts. Dirtbag, along with Rockstar of what’s out there. So far, the response Energy Drink and Jager Music, have has been very good.” offered unbelievable support for my shows and I am proud to be associated McKinney’s success as a promoter and with all three companies. I am also radio host have earned him a measure very proud of Carlsbad’s local business of fame. He was recently featured by a McKinney stands in front of the famous Whisky a Go Go, a rock ‘n’ roll club in Hollywood, CA owners such as A-Best Bail Bonds and rock magazine out of Phoenix, and he’s Advanced Pest Management who have even received a VIP invite to the 2009 stepped up to the plate and contributed in huge ways to bring Los Angeles Music Awards. the music back to Carlsbad.”

“It’s a big red carpet event,” McKinney said. “They’ve heard Down the road, McKinney wants to help bring even more about the concerts we’ve been doing throughout New Mexico big name acts to the region. “That’s the really cool thing,” and Texas and the success of the radio show and sent out the McKinney said. “A lot of these big bands would never come invite. The Los Angeles Music Awards is an all genre event at the Avalon Theatre on the corner of Hollywood and Vine. It is a this way, but now they have a reason to. Next year, we’re going to try to bring in some independent groups that are on the huge honor to be invited to an event of this size.” verge of making it and we’re going to try to bring some big national bands too. I am in contract talks with several major Being a promoter and having a radio show are a good mix, acts that are excited about coming to see what Carlsbad has to McKinney noted, as he often will have bands visiting the offer. It is very exciting, and I hope all of Carlsbad enjoys what region phone in on his radio show for an interview to help get is around the corner.” the word out.

The multiple jobs do keep McKinney busy. He’s worked at the district courthouse during the day for the past 13 years.

For more information, visit McKinney’s MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/mcdpromotions

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on business

Events Supplier, Downtown Boutique Both Running Smoothly Sheila Walterscheid is now a year into her “second life,” and business couldn’t be better.

Last year, Walterscheid opened La Bella Boutique, a shop on Mermod Street that was inspired while she was purchasing materials for Treasured Events & Rentals, her event planning business. She’d always told her husband that she wanted to open a boutique in her second life, and a trade show in Dallas inspired her to go for it.

“I was sitting there looking at all this stuff, and the wheels in my mind did not stop. I called my husband and said, ‘Remember that second life I told you about?’ He said, ‘What have you done?”

businesses that Walterscheid and her husband, Ronnie, run.

The committee went on to pick Treasured Events & Rentals as New Business of the Year.

Walterscheid said Treasured Events all started a few years ago, when she got pretty into helping to plan the wedding of her daughter, Katie. She couldn’t put down photos of some of the décor options. “I was just mesmerized by the pictures,” she said. “I’d have a magnifying glass and look at them, trying to find different things.”

After the wedding, some of Walterscheid’s friends began calling her asking for help with decorating at other events.

“One thing led to another, and I ordered more stuff. The next thing I knew, every weekend I had stuff going out.”

She returned to Carlsbad with $5,000 worth of merchandise and opened up the boutique, and things have been growing since then. “Carlsbad has been very kind to us,” she noted.

Walterscheid began storing her event equipment in her bedroom. Then she moved to In fact, this year, Walterscheid the garage, then the garage received the Carlsbad and utility room, then her Business owner Sheila Walterscheid stands inside of La Bella Boutique in Chamber of Commerce’s New downtown Carlsbad. The boutique has been open for a little more than a year. husband’s shop. Finally, Ronnie Business of the Year award for built her a separate heated and Treasured Events & Rentals. cooled building for her supplies. She still runs Treasured She was nominated by Bonnie Bakal, who currently helps Events & Rentals out of her home. her run La Bella Boutique. “Because Sheila’s always doing things for people in Carlsbad,” Bakal said, explaining the Treasured Events has helped decorate at Christmas parties, nomination. “I felt like she never got the recognition she weddings, 50th anniversaries, surprise parties, chamber deserved. It’s the perfect opportunity, and evidently the events and even 2008’s community event to honor former selection committee thought so, too.”

Senator Pete Domenici.

Bakal said she provided a broad overview when she Many of the brides Walterscheid has worked with noted completed the nomination form and mentioned several

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that there were no longer many options for bridal registries in Carlsbad. This observation ultimately helped lead to the creation of La Bella Boutique, which opened last fall.

Popular items at the store include Lady Primrose bath products, Nambe nativity scenes, kitchen gadgets, bowls, Dead Sea beauty products, Le Creuset products and giant Tabasco jars. “A lot of my lines are exclusive,” Walterscheid said. “We’ve been very blessed. I can’t complain.”

Some of the items are available year round, while others are seasonal. Some are dessert. “People have started coming in to get candy,” Bakal noted. “It’s a nice way to say thank you.”

Walterscheid is adding a line of robe baskets for mothers-tobe that include teddy bears for the baby who is joining the family.

What’s the key to keeping a business healthy? “The number one thing is customer service,” she said, noting that Bakal kept the store running smoothly while Walterscheid was out of town. “I never worried about the boutique because I knew Bonnie’s heart was in this place,” she said.

Free gift wrapping, delivery to showers and a willingness to

assist the individual are all important parts of the boutique’s customer service package. “It’s just being in a small town, knowing people and helping people out,” she said.

Another key to success is a willingness to change, Walterscheid said. If something isn’t selling, the smart thing to do is replace it and move on.

La Belle Boutique will have twice the inventory this Christmas as it did last year, Walterscheid said. Gift certificates are also available. “We’re also doing layaways,” Walterscheid said, noting the struggling economy. “People can come in and make sure they get that really neat gift set aside.”

Walterscheid said she looks forward to investing more of her time into both Treasured Events and La Belle Boutique.

“I’ve really enjoyed seeing the people and learning about them. There are always ways to grow. You can only go as far as your mind is willing to let you go, and mine doesn’t shut off.”

La Bella Boutique is located at 318 W. Mermod Street.

For more information, call 234-9940 or e-mail labellacbad@gmail.com. To speak with Walterscheid about Treasured Events & Rentals, call 361-6302.

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Christmas on the Pecos trivia questions 1. What year was Christmas on the Pecos established?

2. How many homes are there along the river?

3. How many awards has Christmas on the Pecos received?

4. What boat only does the half trip?

5. When does the season start and when does it end?

6. What night does Christmas on the Pecos not operate?

7. What is the name of the boat that was purchased in 2008?

8. What are the names of all four boats?

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Pecos Valley Physician Group, in partnership with CMC, is pleased to welcome Julia Caldwell, M.D., to Carlsbad. Dr. Caldwell, a board eligible anesthesiologist and pain management physician, received her medical degree from the University of Cincinnati and has recently completed her training at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, with a fellowship in interventional pain management. Prior to her fellowship, Dr. Caldwell completed anesthesiology residency training at the University of Michigan and an internal medicine internship at St. Joseph’s Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She has conducted extensive research on the effects of gender and ethnicity on chronic pain and was given the American Pain Society's Young Clinical Investigator Award in 2007.

Dr. Caldwell will be treating patients at Pecos Valley Physician Group’s Southeast New Mexico Pain Management Center, located inside the office of the Surgery Group of Carlsbad, at 2410 W. Pierce Street.

PROCEDURES OFFERED FOR VARIOUS TYPES OF PAIN: Botox Injections for Pain • Bursa/Tendon Injections • Cranial Nerve Blocks • Epidural Steroid Injections • Facet Joint Injections/Median Branch Steriod Injections Trial • Intrathecal Pump Trial/Implant • Kyophoplasty/Vertebroplasty with and without spine wand • Peripheral Joint Injections • Peripheral Nerve Steroid Injections • Radiofrequency Ablation for Neurotomy • Neurolytic Blocks • Sympathetic Blocks • Spinal Cord & Peripheral Nerve Stimulator Trial/Implant Trial • Trigger Point Injections •

Questions/comments, e-mail us at: pain_management@carlsbadmedicalcenter.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL (575) 887-1223