Focus on Lea County Winter 2016

WINTER 2016

SPOTLIGHT ON LEA COUNTY

YOUTH

Stop Bullying - Speak Up! Boys & Girls Club of Hobbs The Sound of Strings The School of Hard Knocks Empowering Girls of Lea County Golf, Theater, Cooking & More!

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WINTER 2016

04 05 06 10

FROM THE EDITOR TIDBITS & TRIVIA FOCUS ON STANDING TOGETHER

STOP BULLYING - SPEAK UP! FOCUS ON OUR FUTURE

LEA’S YOUTH - THE MORNING AND EVENING STARS

12

FOCUS ON PLAY

16

FOCUS ON MUSIC

20

FOCUS ON BOXING

23 24 26

FOCUS ON RECIPES

28 29 30

FOCUS ON GOLF

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A DAY AT THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF HOBBS THE SOUND OF STRINGS THE SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS LET’S EAT!

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FOCUS ON ROBOTICS

HERE COME THE ROBOTS! FOCUS ON GIRL EMPOWERMENT

THEIR POWER: CREATING A FUTURE FOR HOBBS GIRLS TEE PARTY

FOCUS ON FOOD

KID CHEFS OF LEA COUNTY FOCUS ON THEATER

SCHOOL THEATER FROM ELEMENTARY ON UP!

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ABOUT THE COVER Participants took advantage of Lea County’s MyPower program, which aims to reduce the county’s teen pregnancy rate.

Read their story on page 26.

Kyle Marksteiner, Editorial Director - Adrian Martinez, Advertising Photography by Various Photographers - Submitted for Use in Focus on Lea County Special Contributors: Jonathan Sena, Susan Waters, Leah LM Wingert, Lovington Mainstreet, Jim Harris & Ruben Baca

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WINTER 2016 | A COMMUNITY MAGAZINE

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F O C U S from the editor

Spotlight on Lea County Youth KIDS THESE DAYS......

You know what the problem with kids these days is? Absolutely nothing.

KYLE MARKSTEINER Editorial Director

FOCUS ON LEA CO.

I know, I know, I’m breaking the rules that say we’re supposed to talk about how terrible things are now compared to when we were kids, because kids these days are spoiled, don’t show respect to their elders or have any ability to focus on one project.

There’s a certain truth to that. There’s generally less reverence to adults and an increased need for immediate distraction, in my opinion.

You know who isn’t responsible for any of that? Kids, that’s who. They came into the society we created and they are following our lead. Kids are just absorbing what’s around them. We’re the ones responsible for any changes in values.

Here’s an experiment. You can’t try this at home and there’s no way of replicating it, so I’m convinced that I’m right.

Take a group of kids from 1750 and a

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FOCUS ON LEA COUNTY | WINTER 2016

group of kids from 2015 and a group of future kids from 2100. Just to mix it up a bit, add a group of kids from Mongolia and a group of kids from Africa and a group of kids from the United States. Put them all in a room together with a bunch of toys and balls. Within 45 seconds, I bet you the kids would be mostly bonded together, playing catch and climbing stuff and asking to use the bathroom. Now, perform the same experiment with grown-ups. There’s a pretty good chance that many of them will threaten to sue you for magically transporting them away from their homes.

I’m going to take things a step further and say that the present is actually a really good time to be a kid. Jumpy house technology is at all time high, and there are more snow cone flavors than ever. In fact, our society practically worships our children, almost to excess. There are tragic examples of abuse and neglect where this is not the case, but the positive is that we as a society strongly believe in righting this wrong.

This edition focuses on a few of the many accomplishments of youth in Lea County and on the programs aimed at youth.

There was one moment during the preparation of this column that was by far my favorite moment, and I think it perfectly captures a magazine celebrating youth. It was during a tour of the new Boys & Girls Club facility in Hobbs, and I walked around for some time marveling at all of the new high tech gadgets.

While they were impressive, the facility’s true treasure showed up just before 3 p.m., in the form of a stream of elementary school kids headed to the commons for a snack. I was struck by how friendly everyone was. One little boy wanted to show me his Character Counts award, and a trio of girls loved the idea of posing for pictures. One giggling first grader came up to me and invited me to join him in a game of freeze tag, and then a couple others explained how the club’s outdoor laser machine works.

Every single kid I spoke to was extremely friendly and respectful, and they certainly seemed to be focused on their computers and freeze tag and jump ropes. Nobody seemed spoiled, though I admittedly didn’t spend enough time with them to really render judgement. They were, based on what I saw, all pretty likable.

I also enjoyed putting together a story about a golf program that teaches kids how to be responsible. We covered robotics programs where Lovington and Hobbs children are developing engineering skills, and a barbecue competition that is all about youth. Leah Wingert, Susan Waters, Jonathan Sena, Jim Harris and newcomer Ruben Baca also spotlight some of our great youth activities.

Kids these days are doing just fine!

A B O U T T H E E D IT O R

Kyle Marksteiner is the editorial director of Focus on Lea County and Focus on Carlsbad. He can be reached at editor@ad-venturemarketing.com.

PHOTO: Kids enjoying the playground at the Boys & Girls Club of Hobbs. Read the story on page 12.

This edition of Focus on Lea County is all about child prodigies, so here are a few trivia questions about kids who got off to an early start. (questions from funtrivia.com)

2 • Did you know that I was an avid reader as a child and at age 12 wrote a play called Avadar based on the Iliad? In spite of a debilitating bone disease, I became one of the most celebrated English poets of my time and was known as “The Wicked Wasp of Twickenham.” Can you guess my identity?

3 • In the 1999 film Magnolia, a sub-plot deals with a former television ‘quiz kid’ who as an adult struggles as a human being. Who played the role of quiz kid Donnie Smith as an adult?

4 • I came from a poor family in Georgia. I was blessed with a great singing voice and began to sing for the public when I was six.

Everyone called me “Little Miss Dynamite,” but do you remember who I am?

5 • I was born to a couple of vaudevillians who noticed my sense of rhythm banging spoons and put me in their act as a drummer when I was only two. By the time I was 11, I had my own band. I was completely selftaught as a drummer, as I felt that lessons would interfere with my creativity. Many consider me to be the best drummer of all time.

6 • I was born in 1806. I was largely home taught and by the age of three had learned Greek. By ten I had mastered all the elements of a classical education. At a young age I began to produce scholarly papers on logic and was teaching younger children. Can you guess my name?

7 • Born in 1623, I wrote a scientific paper on vibrating bodies at age nine. Then, I produced my first mathematical proof at 11 and a theorem by 16. Additionally, I am famous for many other contributions in mathematics, philosophy, physics and religion. What is my name?

ANSWERS 1A. Michelle Wie 2A. Alexander Pope 3A. William H. Macy 4A. Brenda Lee 5A. Buddy Rich 6A. John Stuart Mill 7A. Blaise Pascal

1 • Believe it or not, I began golfing at the age of four. By ten, I became the youngest player to qualify for the United States Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship. At 16, I was one of the youngest players to be admitted to the LPGA. Who am I?

F O C U S on standing together

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FOCUS ON LEA COUNTY | WINTER 2016

STOP BULLYING

by Susan Waters

BULLYING, ALWAYS A SNEAKY ACTIVITY, HAS BECOME MORE LETHAL. CYBER BULLYING IS ON THE RISE BECAUSE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE CONNECTED TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND CELL PHONES. Adolescent society is complicated and secretive, and those being harassed are usually not likely to tell parents or other adults. What complicates the issue is the connection young people now have with phones. It is a relationship that borders on obsessive, and for many adolescents it is the life they have.

Bullying is different now. Back in the day, bullies were dealt with often using violence: a brother or friend would corner the offender and pummel the person. Sometimes a verbal threat was enough. Today, laws seem to protect the bully more than what most would like, but schools would be in a legal dilemma if they allowed retribution.

Also, instead of one or a few kids bullying, the nature of social media allows the victim to be hounded by scores of people—way too many for a young person to handle.

Hobbs is unique in that it has a local organization, the Ethan Lee Foundation, to assist in efforts to educate young people and the community about the dangers of bullying. It is the hope of the

foundation that it will help prevent children and parents from the torment and anguish of the very worst outcome of this type of victimization, a young person’s suicide. Scholarships are given to Hobbs High School students so that they can conduct and participate in programs which raise awareness of the bullying problem. Sponsors in the Hobbs community help the foundation support yearly events such as 5K runs, antibullying rallies and golf tournaments.

k a e p S Up!

Stop Bullying: Speak Up is a national effort of the Boys & Girls Clubs of

PHOTO LEFT: Coach Shelby Reeves, left, and Breanna Ellison are co-founders of the Stop

Bullying Initiative in Hobbs.

WINTER 2016 | A COMMUNITY MAGAZINE

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America in response to what has become a national crisis. In Hobbs, high school coach Shelby Reeves and Breanna Ellison partnered with the Stop Bullying initiative to start the Hobbs program. According to Reeves, attempts to alter how young people behave started 15 years ago with the Character Counts program. Basketball players and cheerleaders participated in the program that encouraged ethical behavior. Now that the two programs have merged, the focus is on preventing bullying. Not only is Stop Bullying a Hobbs effort, but it also takes place in other towns and cities in Lea County, with plans to reach more areas as well.

Coach Reeves is a modest, likeable person who relates well with young people. As he talked about his feelings regarding bullying, Coach stated, “I hate to see anyone in pain. If I can help someone, that’s what I want to do.”

The coach has an athletic build and talent that hints at his time with the Harlem Globetrotters and Marques Haynes, when the players would speak to young people about the dangers PHOTOS: Modern anti-bullying programs address the threat of cyber bullying. According to statistics, 83% of girls report being bullied.

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FOCUS ON LEA COUNTY | WINTER 2016

of gangs and drugs. Actually, Reeves’ experience was perfect training for what he does now. His wish now is to “get the community more involved.”

If bullying is to be stopped, “everyone needs to be part of the effort,” he declared.

Programs include back to school gatherings at the local park and events in the schools. How many young people have been reached?

Ten thousand! Participants are given reminders not to bully in the form of t-shirts, balloons, pencils and stickers.

include what bullying is exactly.

Adolescents sometimes reach erroneous conclusions, and he works to make issues understandable. Skits are used to illustrate the differences between conflict and bullying, and tattling versus telling. Always, he said, he encourages students to be positive, “Give a thumbs up and a smile!”

Students are involved in both the planning process and the programs; they then have an investment in seeing that the program is successful.

Stop Bullying, Speak Up’s Hobbs co-founder Breanna Ellison exudes the bright air of optimistic, untainted youth trying to make a difference. A college student now, she is brimming over with enthusiasm for the Hobbs program. Reeves had her speak at a gathering, and she took to it like the proverbial duck to water. She was bullied in school, and she wants to make sure that others do not suffer.

Her experiences may have led her to her course of study at Northern Arizona University: adolescent psychology.

Coach Reeves related, “Statistics in 2015 indicate that 83% of girls report that they have been bullied.” Boys do not fare much better, however: 79% are harassed. “Our mission is to stand together so that no one stands alone,” Coach added. Cleverly, he is using the group mentality that surfaces in adolescence to stop bullying; if the majority of students are against it, it will be diminished. “Kids are now coming forward to report bullying,” he summarized. “Our strength is in numbers.” At this point, the community needs to be educated and involved in the effort for it to have maximum effect.

Some of the issues Coach Reeves tries to clarify through programs

Breanna is concerned about the long-term effects of bullying. “It is

something that never leaves you,” she shared, and she is right. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently conducted a long-term study, and the results surprised researchers. Most people believe that bullying is a childhood phenomenon, its effects dissipating with time.

In the NIH study, of the 1,420 students followed over a ten-year period, about 25% said they were bullied. Ten years later, researchers discovered that they had “14 times the risk of panic disorder, five times the risk of depressive disorders, and ten times the risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior.”

Bullies are not exempt from effects: they are much more prone to ending up with an antisocial personality disorder, a condition whereby a person hurts others without any remorse.

William Copeland, Ph.D., author

of the study, asserted that a “large number of people express lasting effects decades after their childhood experiences. Beyond the school years, the effects obviously hurt individuals, and it also can result in long-term health concerns and costs.”

Breanna wants young people to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, that they can have bright futures. “You can change the outcome. Be the good person you are and don’t let a bully define you or take away your future,” she concluded.

The world needs more people like Breanna and Coach Reeves. It would be a better place.

ABOU T THE AU THOR

Susan Waters is a professor in the Department of English at New Mexico Junior College.

Coach Shelby Reeves’ Message I am the founder of the Stop Bullying: Speak Up program here in Hobbs. I, along with the help of some high school students, have been working on shows that will speak to kids about bullying. We know that bullying has become a big problem and an issue in our schools that needs to be addressed. I am hoping that by putting on shows we will educate students and that they will walk away with the confidence to speak up if they are being bullied.

While our main goal is educating the children, we also want them to be entertained. We would like to give away prizes during the show, some of which include t-shirts with the Stop Bullying slogan.

Each child will also be given a sport pack, a pen or pencil, a beach ball, a sports bottle, a bracelet, and a lanyard, all sporting our Stop Bullying logo or a phrase. It is our hope that leaving these tokens for the children will give them a constant reminder of the message we are trying to spread. A disposable camera is also given to one child in each school. The camera will be integrated into the skits and given to a child to capture his or her memories of that day.

Our mission statement:

WHEN WE STAND TOGETHER, NO ONE STANDS ALONE! You can follow the Hobbs Stop Bullying program on FACEBOOK: Stop Bullying Speak Up INSTAGRAM: @hobbs_knockout bullying TWITTER: @kbullying EMAIL: knockoutbullying15@gmail.com

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F O C U S on our future

Lea’s Youth g n i n r o m e th

s r a t s g n i n e and ev I

by Jim Harris

like the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer’s take on the subject of youth. He wrote, “Each day is a little life: every waking and rising a little birth, every fresh morning a little youth, every going to rest and sleep a little death.”

Well, I’m not so excited about his metaphor that rest and sleep are like death, but Schopenhauer’s belief that one can experience “youth” every day of his or her life coincides with my own positive feelings about mornings—an energetic, creative, optimistic period in Mother Earth’s daily cycle.

PHOTOS: Lea County children busy at work and at play

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It is in the fresh mornings of our lives, nature teaches us, that we are most receptive to learning, that we are most likely to learn and to establish the good habits, or bad habits, that will make our lives productive and happy or destructive and sad.

In the waning months of 2015 America, in this year of Lea County, the education of our young people has been at the top of many lists of concerns for the future well-being of our county and our country.

Unfortunately, instead of it being the subject of grave concern that it should be, education has become a divisive and politicized campaign of radical

and hysterical political operatives, conservatives and liberals alike waging battles over what teachers should be doing in our classrooms.

Not surprisingly, American history has some lessons for us about our treatment of students in American schools and colleges. Certain of those beneficial lessons relate to experiences in the second half of the 19th century when the federal government developed policies that particularly impacted youth in the American Southwest.

I am referring to the government schools designed to make Native

American children “good American workers and patriots.”

They were called “boarding schools,” and they were attempts by educators to teach the children one version of European and American history and eliminate any thoughts of Comanche, Apache or Navajo culture, including the native language, beliefs and religion.

Of course, even a stern 19th century boarding school teacher could not accomplish that. We humans are not wired to forget our traditional lives and customs, and when we are under a suppressive hand, we are inclined to cut off the hand that wants to rule us.

The Lea County Museum exists to preserve history. It is a historical museum, and it is an educational institution whose mission is to teach through artifacts, programs and publications.

The young people of Lea County make up a smaller percentage of our museum visitors. Senior citizens and retirees account for a much larger portion of those who come to the old structures—a 1909 home, a 1918 hotel, a 1931 business—to see what they might offer from our past.

However, there is never any doubt about which of those visitor groups will carry our stories from the past into the next generation. The novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, “My idea is always to reach my generation.

The wise writer writes for the youth of his own generation, the critics of the next, and the schoolmasters of ever afterward.”

In addition, just having young people in the hallways of old hotels, behind desks from historical businesses and in the living rooms of centuryold homes is a good setting for educational experiences. It’s an old idea about youth, and as Aristotle said over 2,000 years ago, “Good habits formed at youth make all the difference.”

There may be a few grumpy old men around who do not like to hear talk about youth, but the old among us should know of the urgency of focusing on the young among us. Before we know it, the young will be mature and in control of all our operating systems.

Having said that, however, I continue to think positively about youth as a state of mind rather than a brief period in only one of our stages of life.

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As the American poet and businessman Samuel Ullman wrote of youth, “It is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees; it is a matter of the will, quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness of the deep springs of life.”

ABOU T THE AU THOR

Jim Harris is the executive director of the Lea County Museum.

Open to all who live, work, worship or attend school in Lea County.

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F O C U S on play

A Day at the Boys & Girls Club of Hobbs

by Kyle Marksteiner

YOU’VE REALLY GOT TO SEE IT FOR YOURSELF. When the Boys & Girls Club of Hobbs moved into its new $10 million, 30,000 square foot facility on Broadway, most adults celebrated the fact that there was a nice, new place for kids to hang out after school. What most adults who haven’t seen the inside of the building may not know is that the new digs are not simply a nice facility. The new building is pretty darn close to being a kid’s paradise.

A work day at the Boys & Girls Club can easily be divided into two segments: before the kids arrive and after. From 8 a.m. until about 2:30 p.m., members of the staff are busy cleaning things, applying for grants, filling out paperwork and preparing for the afternoon rush.

The club has an agreement worked out with the city transportation

system, which shuttles kids from five elementary schools to the facility once school is out. The club is available to children from kindergarten through high school, but most of the 180 or so kids who come through the door each day are elementary students.

The kids all check in at the front gate, turn in their backpacks and pick up a snack in the large open area called the commons. “That’s when they can start playing or find a place to do their homework,” Clampitt shared.

The roomy commons, with its air hockey array, stylish furniture and snack tables, dominates the center

Actually, scratch that. I’m 40, and the building, with its theater, air hockey array, high-tech playground equipment and multiple gym layout is pretty close to MY idea of paradise as well. When do the grown-ups get a turn?

“I wish I was a kid again,” I jealously told Mike Clampitt, the club’s executive director, during a tour of the new location. The Boys & Girls Club moved into the new facility last June.

“You aren’t the first person to tell me that,” he laughed, pointing out a row of new air hockey tables. A previous set of air hockey tables just weren’t quite what was needed.

PHOTO: Students line up at the Boys & Girls Club of Hobbs to check in and

receive a snack.

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FOCUSNM.COM

of the facility. Administration offices are to one side. Clampitt’s office, as does the athletic director’s office, has a staircase leading up to a crow’s nest, which allows them to survey the entire facility to make sure everything is going OK. Next door to the administrative area, there’s an enclosed area for homework and productions (a few kids were doing their homework!) followed by the snack bar and kitchen.

“We’ve set up the kitchen to be a teaching tool,” Clampitt added. “We teach kids how to cook healthy.”

There’s a cash-only snack bar that opens up after the free snacks are distributed.

The other side of the building includes a theater, an arts and crafts room, the technology center and an indoor fitness center. There are two large basketball gyms in the back and an outdoor area featuring soccer, playground equipment, a walking track and wall-ball.

The wave of elementary school students comes crashing in between 2:30-3 p.m., with the middle school kids trickling in about 30 minutes later. After their snack, many of the children lined up to use one of the facility’s computers. Others, at least during my visit on a Monday in October, played catch, did cartwheels in the gym, fired rubber-bands at each other or attempted to resolve what seemed to be some complicated girl drama. In other words, they were kids.

At some point in time, the kids were told to clear the commons. They needed to either pick a station or go outside. Most took advantage of the beautiful day and went outside, but the computer room remained popular.

The special rooms, such as the art center and the theater, are open on any given day based on staffing.

It costs $20 for a year’s membership to the club. Pickup for most kids is usually between 5-6 p.m. Many of the staffers are part-time employees who are also college students. They show up right before the 2:30 p.m. rush.

Niobe Gonzales, tasked with handing PHOTO TOP: Snack time at the club

PHOTO BOTTOM: Maylee Loya and Allison Montez, friends at Will Rodgers Elementary School, said the art room is their favorite spot.

WINTER 2016 | A COMMUNITY MAGAZINE

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out snacks to incoming visitors, said the most popular areas are usually the gym and the computer room. “And the snack bar area,” she stated, in between organizing stacks of Doritos.

“Especially during the summer, I don’t think they’d ever leave this area unless we made them.”

Then she was back on duty, informing one girl that the cash-only snack bar would not be opened until all the junior high kids first received their free snack.

The Boys & Girls Club isn’t solely about after school care either. Last year, the club had 56 teams participate in the basketball league, and there are 18 flag football team this year. The new split gym features moveable bleachers, goal posts that can be lowered and solar tube lights.

“There are no lights in this gym,” Clampitt explained, pointing out the special skylights designed to funnel sunlight into the gym. Additionally, solar panels on the roof absorb energy, which is then sold back to the power company. In fact, the club received a $900 credit on the previous bill.

The indoor fitness center features a series of Xboxes that are only set up to active games, or a member of the staff can plug in a workout video.

“One of the things we did was visit some clubs in Texas to look for ideas,” Clampitt confided as we continued our tour. “There was a club in Texas that suggested putting all the hand wash machines outside, so the kids

don’t linger in the bathroom.”

The computer room remained perpetually popular. Most of the children appeared to be playing youthfriendly games. There’s also a book nook in the corner.

“Our server is probably the biggest server in this part of the country,” my host beamed. “It’s the equivalent of the one they have at URENCO.” A couple of third grade girls from Will Rogers Elementary School spotted my camera and began posing for pictures.

But they grew shy when they were asked questions, eventually hesitantly sharing with me that their favorite spot in the entire facility is the art room. “I really like playing with the clay!” pronounced Maylee Loya.

The local arts center sends someone to the club a few times a week to conduct classes. The art room wasn’t open during my visit, but the theater—a sort of mini-IMAX—was up and running next door.

Why would any of the kids ever want to leave?

“That’s the way we like it,” smiled Clampitt. “That’s how we can tell if we’re doing a good job.”

I decided to go outside to see what was happening on the playground. The club opted out of slides and swings for more modern fare. “Kids like to climb,” Clampitt had declared to me earlier. Sure enough, every climbing feature on the property was occupied,

PHOTO LEFT: On a pretty day, the club’s playground becomes the most popular spot.

very proud of his Character Counts award that day and asked to be photographed.

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FOCUS ON LEA COUNTY | WINTER 2016

PHOTO RIGHT: Sergio Escarcega was

and a group of boys was setting up a basketball game. The two walls, intended for wall-ball, had become bases for a game of tag.

Not in use that day was the NEOS 360, a futuristic-looking electronic light game in the center of the outdoor area that cost $45,000. You pick one of several games and have to run around in a circle and tag different lights as they pop up.

There are, additionally, 32 video cameras on the property to make sure all the kids are safe.

“OK, now unfreeze me!” demanded a giggling first-grader who darted past me. Freeze tag, he shared, was his favorite thing to do at the club. I asked him for his name, but he was distracted.

“No, that’s base!” he protested to the friend who had caught up to him.

I glanced around one more time at the freeze tag game, at the line of girls taking turns doing cartwheels, and toward the boys playing a pickup game of basketball. Being a kid these days isn’t really all that different than it was 35 years ago.

The laser light games and big screen theaters are undoubtedly great features that will be appreciated by the children of Hobbs for years to come.

But it is also comforting to know that the true favorite feature for most of the kids spending an afternoon at the Boys & Girls Club of Hobbs is the club’s other 179 visiting kids.

The catalyst for revitalizing, beautifying

& energizing Historic Downtown Lovington.

2015 was another busy and exciting year for Lovington MainStreet. We are grateful to live and work in a community of such generous, caring people who enable us to carry out our mission of revitalizing Historic Downtown Lovington. Lovington MainStreet is most fortunate to have outstanding support and resources available from New Mexico MainStreet, the City of Lovington, and various other organizations. As we begin a new year, we would like to thank all of our amazing sponsors, hardworking volunteers and our awesome Board of Directors and Staff.

Potential continues to abound in Downtown Lovington. We are extremely excited to see more amazing projects come to fruition with the continued support of our community.

2016 Events Beautification Day: April 23rd Smokin’ on the Plaza: June 17-18th Live on Love Street Summer Concert Series: June-August Halloween On The Plaza: October 31st Christmas On The Plaza/Light Up Lea County: December

Tabatha Lawson Executive Director 575.396.1418 director@lovingtonmainstreet.org www.lovingtonmainstreet.org

Lovington MainStreet Corp.

@LVTMAINSTREET

Lovington MainStreet 2015 Board of Directors: President Kallie Windsor ♥ Vice President Pat Wise ♥ Secretary/Treasurer Donna Williamson

Andres Arreola ♥ Art Sanchez ♥ David Rodriguez ♥ Anna Bruelhart ♥ Linda Pritchett ♥ Melinda Medellin

The Sound

F O C U S on music

by Leah LM Wingert

school where Holland teaches being defunded, leaving Holland without a job and a community without musical instruction. While the film is a work of fiction, the reality it represents is all too real.

Currently in Lea County schools, aside from private instruction, there is no comprehensive orchestra program for youth.

However, Geni Cavanaugh, executive director of the Southwest Symphony in Lea County, is working to help the city and county change that for its students.

rom the rousing rat-a-tat of the snare drums on Civil War battle fields to the wail of Scottish bagpipes to the haunting call of the Native American pan flute, music is written on the hearts of entire societies. However, American public school systems are increasingly overburdened by shrinking budgets to continue musical instruction. A perfect example of this is found in the 1996 film Mr. Holland’s Opus starring Richard Dreyfuss as Mr. Holland. The end of the film sees the music and arts programs of the high

“The conversations we’re having about strings are very encouraging; we want to pursue the program with excellence. We are very encouraged and hopeful that the schools are seeing strings as important,” Cavanaugh enthused from her office in downtown Hobbs.

“The Southwest Symphony (SWS) is doing important work by bringing culture into Hobbs,” said Bryant Bullard, member of the SWS board of directors. SWS works hard to bring in different activities for students and families. “I love the symphony and what is able to do for the people who live in Hobbs, bringing in high quality musicians to teach and entertain.”

PHOTO: Southwest Symphony Orchestra members (left to right) Keith Rall, tuba; Concertmaster John Madura, violin; and Sarah Mayne, oboe, perform for Lea County students during the Annual Tour of Schools, which introduces symphonic orchestra through an interactive and educational experience.

Even the federal government is getting in on the value of musical education for secondary students.

The U.S. Department of Education suggests at least “a year of arts or music instruction to college-bound middle and junior high school students,” emphasizing that most colleges consider “participation in the arts and music as valuable experience that broadens students’ understanding and appreciation of the world around them.”

Cavanaugh agrees and noted that the school system is beginning to understand that “arts and core curriculum work in tandem,” not in competition. Indeed, the current trend in public education is to push STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), and the chant of “no child left behind” has placed the emphasis on testing and scores rather than practical application.

According to Daniel Pink, author of the 2005 New York Times and Business Week bestseller A Whole New Mind—Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future, “The era of ‘left brain’ dominance, and the Information Age that it engendered, is giving way to a new world in which ‘right brain’ qualities—inventiveness, empathy and meaning—predominate. That’s what business is about today. This is a hardheaded argument that arts education is not ornamental but fundamental for economic reasons. We should be adding and not cutting the arts.”

THE BENEFITS FOR ART AND MUSIC INSTRUCTION ARE OVERWHELMING. Students who participate in music programs are more likely to graduate from high school and score higher on their SAT and ACT exams. Despite their socioeconomic backgrounds, they are more likely to go to college and earn a bachelor’s degree.

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FOCUS ON LEA COUNTY | WINTER 2016

FOCUSNM.COM

of Strings The benefits for art and music instruction are overwhelming.

Students who participate in music programs are more likely to graduate from high school and score higher on their SAT and ACT exams. Despite their socioeconomic backgrounds, they are more likely to go to college and earn a bachelor’s degree.

However, since the late 1990s, arts programs, music, visual arts, drama and dance have been the first programs targeted when schools face budget issues, to the detriment of schools and communities. In Lea County the string program was an unfortunate victim of a recession nearly 40 years ago and has not yet been able to rebound back to full-time orchestral instruction. Fortunately, Lea County has an advocate in the director and staff of SWS, who are working diligently to partner with the county and city in the fledgling steps to bring orchestral instruction back to the area.

“We get calls all the time about why Hobbs and Lea County doesn’t have an orchestra program. It’s a complex issue, and one that the Southwest Symphony and Lea County can’t solve alone,” stated Cavanaugh. “If parents want these programs, they need to make their voices known.”

Currently, SWS pairs with University of the Southwest (USW) in Hobbs

to bring strings into elementary schools through its youth series programming. Each year SWS brings in USW music students to instruct fifth graders on the basics of stringed instruments. The youth series also does a yearly Tour of Schools Youth Outreach Program, which takes symphony music into elementary schools in Hobbs, Lovington and Tatum.

“We’ve been able to have some exciting conversations about what can be done, and we continue to be positive about the outlook for being able to bring orchestra here,” Cavanaugh enthused. “We’re looking forward to future conversations, but we really need the community to be involved.”

Fortunately, there is a new wave of musicians seeking to expose youth to the joys of string music. YouTube sensations The Piano Guys have a cult fan following on the internet with millions of hits on their over 200 videos. The Piano Guys have taken classical music and made it contemporary by reimagining songs for piano and cello while adding a classic twist. Rachel Platten’s hit “Fight Song” incorporates Scottish bagpipes, for instance, while Disney’s epic “Let

it Go” is combined with “Winter,” Vivaldi’s classic concerto from The Four Seasons.

The digital age also offers the denizens of Lea County another option: the ability to take the funding of an orchestra program into their own hands. Viral marketing, fundraising websites such as GoFundMe and grants from such programs as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as well as the Save the Music campaign are available to the community at large.

Lea County is living in a different world than that of just twenty or thirty years ago, when cuts to a music or arts program meant that the program no longer existed. The citizens of Lea County have the power to fund a dynamic orchestra program themselves. Nothing is impossible, and a grassroots push by the community of Lea County could be just what is needed to allow the dream of a youth orchestra to become a reality.

“We are very hopeful for the future of strings and orchestra in Lea County,” concluded Cavanaugh. “Lea County has always been ahead of the curve about taking care of our own, and [an orchestra program] will happen for our youth eventually.”

PHOTO LEFT: Dr. Mark Jelinek, a Hobbs native, conducts the Southwest Symphony Orchestra.

PHOTO RIGHT: Cellist Ari Friedman of the Hanneke Cassel Trio performs for students at Will Rogers Elementary in Hobbs. Photos courtesy of the Southwest Symphony Orchestra

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The Baumann Marionette Project: Surfacing Museum Treasures through Technology November—January An exhibit developed in collaboration with New Mexico Highlands University, New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, AmeriCorps Cultural Technology Program, New Mexico Museum of Art, and the New Mexico History Museum.

Supported by the City of Carlsbad & Carlsbad Lodgers Tax

Showing how technology can make fragile museum collections accessible, this exhibit invites you to a digital experience with Gustave Baumann’s wooden marionettes. Carved by the famous Santa Fe artist, the marionettes are now digitized and brought to life at the museum through new interactive technology.

Integrated into this exhibit is Gustave Baumann and Friends: Artist Cards from Holidays Past, the popular exhibit from the New Mexico History Museum.

418 W. Fox St. Stay informed about upcoming exhibits, events, and classes at your museum!

www.cityofcarlsbadnm.com

Carlsbad, NM 88220 575.887.0276 museumstaff@cityofcarlsbadnm.com

F O C U S on boxing

JONATHAN SENA Commissioner

CITY OF HOBBS

Passion. Respect. Courage.

These are characteristics that I discovered when I visited Coach Isidro Castillo’s School of Hard Knocks boxing gym in south Hobbs.

Two of the participants, Doroteo Garza and Syan Salazar, are the embodiment of these ideals taught so fervently by Coach Castillo and Assistant Coach Luis Mora.

As I walked into the gym, I saw a young man drilling a punching bag with rapid left and right punches. It was evident that this young man was on a mission. That young fighter was Doroteo Xavier Garza IV, and he has been boxing for five years at the School of Hard Knocks. Doroteo is focused, energetic, and hard to hit.

Coach Castillo declared, “I’ve been teaching him since he was about seven or eight years old. He is one of the kids who comes in here and trains the hardest. He’s very dedicated to his craft. He’s a very elusive fighter. He’s more of a defensive-minded fighter.”

Coach Mora added that Garza’s record is 13-4 as an amateur, and three of the four fights he lost were against nationally ranked fighters. “He’s the first one here and the last one to leave,” he quipped.

Doroteo is the son of Victoria and

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FOCUS ON LEA COUNTY | WINTER 2016

Doroteo Garza III. He is 13 years old, homeschooled, and a fourth generation boxer. For him, boxing is a personal passion as much as a family tradition. When asked what made him want to start boxing as a child, Doroteo answered that his father had boxed. He also stated, “Boxing always caught my attention. It’s my passion.

It’s the only sport I’ve ever been serious about.”

His father shared, “We noticed right off the bat that Doroteo had a knack for [boxing].” So, after trying out a local gym in town, Doroteo began training at the School of Hard Knocks.

Interestingly enough, Coach Castillo’s grandfather trained Doroteo’s dad in boxing many years before.

Doroteo trained for a solid year before his first fight. That first fight was a challenge he relished. “I was too young to be nervous,” he noted. “I didn’t take it as serious when I was eight years old. I was more excited to do it.”

Although he lost in decision at that fight in Abilene, Texas, he didn’t feel discouraged. “I had a lot of fights still

to go....So I came back and got ready for my next fight.”

What Doroteo likes most about boxing is the challenge. He works out vigorously seven days a week with intense calisthenics such as jumping jacks, pushups, sparring, etc. He has sparred with individuals who are as old as 17 and with boxers 30 to 40 pounds heavier than him.

“It gives me experience,” Doroteo remarked. His father even drops him off a mile away and lets him run home. His diet would make any parent proud, with a regimen that includes no fried food or sodas, but lots of fish, vegetables and water.

Doroteo admitted that the hardest thing about boxing is getting hit in the face or losing. However, he doesn’t get discouraged easily. Doroteo turns his losses into opportunities for improvement. “I think, ‘What can I do better in the next fight?’ And I work on my weaknesses,” he revealed.

His father added, “We watch videos over and over.” Doroteo’s father readily gives pointers on progress, and his family as a whole is a massive part of his motivation. His older sister Taylor is his biggest fan, proudly providing encouragement to her scrappy younger brother.

The rigorous training and encouragement led Doroteo to a memorable victory by decision at the state Silver Gloves fight at an exhibition in California. Boxers traveled from seven states, including

PHOTO: Syan Salazar (left) and Doroteo Garza face off at the School of Hard Knocks boxing gym in south Hobbs.

WINTER 2016 | A COMMUNITY MAGAZINE

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Hawaii, to test their ability against some of the best fighters in the West.

This fight was an exciting experience for the young fighter. At that time, he had only about 12 fights to his name.

His opponent weighed more and had participated in some 60 fights, but that didn’t stop Doroteo from fighting hard. Although he didn’t win the fight, it was a learning experience that he is using as a motivational stepping stone for future success.

In addition to training and wise eating habits, Syan draws strength from his family and his faith. His parents are supportive of his boxing, even though his mom doesn’t like when he takes a hit. His experience includes a recent victory over an opponent in September. He beamed as he recounted the pride of representing Hobbs and knocking his opponent down in front of family and friends.

He describes this fight as his best boxing experience. “I got to fight in front of my family and friends. That was a blessing.” Syan, who attends Taylor Memorial Baptist Church, contended that although he felt nervous before the fight, he overcame the trepidation by praying.

Doroteo’s humility is seen in the way he defers to his family and his coaches.

He appreciates his family, Coach Castillo and Coach Mora in the way they provide time and support.

Syan, like Doroteo, comes from a family tradition of boxing. Syan is close to his grandfather who was also a boxer. When Syan started boxing, his grandfather encouraged him.

Coach Mora pointed out, “When kids go to California, it’s an experience they will never forget.” Doroteo also had the opportunity to meet professional boxers and to experience well known boxing gyms.

As I finished visiting with Doroteo, I looked across the gym to see 14-yearold Syan Salazar punishing a punching bag with furious blows. Syan is an eighth grade student at Houston Middle School and has been boxing for three years. He has an infectious smile, a radiant personality, humility and a glowing respect for his coaches and others around him.

When recounting his first day at the gym, Syan mentioned, “Coach told me that we will stay respectful to our elders.” That wasn’t hard, “because I learned that at home.”

Syan enjoys boxing and began his career with what he calls “backyard boxing,” saying, “We would have barbecues or family gatherings, and we would get paired. If we had a conflict, they would pair us up and let us settle it that way....I kinda liked it.”

Described by Coach Castillo as a “very talented” boxer, Syan’s favorite part about boxing is training. His normal workout routine includes stretching, calisthenics, hitting the bag and sparring. Syan said that although sparring is the most challenging element, he has learned and grown as a fighter due to sessions with Doroteo.

Also, when preparing for his last fight, Syan ran two miles per day. As part of a healthy diet, he tries to stay away from junk food, but admitted that it can be difficult.

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Syan plans to fight in the state Silver Gloves exhibition one day soon, but continues to work hard in the meantime under the tutelage of Coaches Castillo and Mora. When referring to Coach Castillo, Syan confessed that he has learned respect and how to “polish up my boxing skills....In all honesty, I owe it all to him.” He claimed that Coach Castillo has helped him become a better person in general, especially in the areas of discipline and respect.

In describing the two pupils, Coach Castillo acknowledged, “Both of these kids are very respectful. They are both very hard on themselves. They expect a lot out of themselves.”

Coach Mora boasted, “They are hard workers. They come in here with dedication. They love the sport. If they didn’t love it, they wouldn’t be here.

Sometimes their parents have to pull them out of the gym.”

As I closed my laptop and finished the interview, I felt humbled to have experienced this conversation with two young men and two coaches who live out the characteristics of passion, respect and courage in their daily lives.

The values represented at the School of Hard Knocks inspire me personally and are a beacon of encouragement to people throughout the community.

PHOTO TOP: Syan Salazar PHOTO BOTTOM: Doroteo Garza

FOCUS ON LEA COUNTY | WINTER 2016

LET’S

Eat!

It will be a long time before the next Smokin’ on the Plaza comes around, but here are some easy barbecue recipes you can make with your kids. Originally compiled at mykidsadventures.com

Bacon-Wrapped with Chipotle Shrimp BBQ Sauce (Serves 6) Ingredients: • • • • • • • • • •

20 strips bacon (about 12 ounces) 20 medium-large shrimp, shelled, deveined (about 1 pound) 1/2 cup barbecue sauce 1/4 cup canola oil 3 Tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 3 Tablespoons chopped chipotles in adobo sauce 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1. Soak 5 to 8 bamboo skewers in water for about 20 minutes to keep them from burning on the grill or under the broiler. 2. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet until halfway done, about 4 minutes. Drain and cool on paper towels. 3. Wrap a piece of bacon around the middle of each shrimp; skewer with bamboo through the point where the bacon ends meet to keep it from unraveling. Thread 3 to 5 shrimp on each bamboo skewer. 4.

Puree the barbecue sauce, oil, lemon juice, mustard, chipotles, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper and freshly ground pepper in a blender. Set aside half of the sauce for dipping. 5. Preheat grill, grill pan or broiler. Grill or broil shrimp (on a foil-lined baking sheet, if broiling) for 5 minutes, basting with the sauce once they begin to turn pink. Flip, baste again and grill or broil until just cooked through, about 4 more minutes. Serve with extra sauce.

Ranch Burgers Ingredients: • • • • •

2 pounds lean ground beef 1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix 1 egg, lightly beaten 3/4 cup crushed saltine crackers 1 onion, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the grill for high heat.

2. In a bowl, mix the ground beef, ranch dressing mix, egg, crushed crackers and onion. Form into patties.

3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place patties on the grill and cook 5 minutes per side or until well done.

F O C U S on robotics

Here Come the Robots!

by Kyle Marksteiner

TELL SOME OF LOVINGTON’S JUNIOR HIGH KIDS TO TAKE OUT THE TRASH AND THEY JUST MIGHT TRY TO HAVE THEIR ROBOT DO IT FOR THEM. In October, about 30 local seventh and eighth grade Quest students represented Lovington at a BEST Robotics Competition in Lubbock.

BEST Robotics stands for Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology.

The group placed third overall in an event that included competing against high schools. Their robot finished fifth.

“There is a playing field,” explained Quest Instructor Shawn North. “The robot has to complete different tasks.

There are four teams competing at once for three minutes.”

For the overall score, teams are also

PHOTO LEFT: Lovington’s robot “Steve” PHOTO RIGHT: Members

of Lovington’s Quest Group pose after a busy day at the BEST Robotics Competition in Lubbock. Photos courtesy of Shawn North

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FOCUS ON LEA COUNTY | WINTER 2016

judged on their engineering notebook, marketing, spirit and sportsmanship and a display booth.

North added that it is a once-a-year competition in which students have six weeks to prepare. “Every year it changes a little bit,” she shared. “We don’t find out until the kickoff what our supplies are.” So it’s kind of like the television cooking program Iron Chef, only with robots. Teams receive one box of returnable parts and one box of consumable parts.

“Each year has a different theme, and this year our theme is mining repair and commodity retrieval,” noted team member Aileen Lujan in an article

describing the event. “Our company is ‘Quest Mining Industries.’”

The team was divided into three departments: an engineering team, a marketing team and a construction team.

“Our robot’s name is Steve Retrieval and Repair Robotic System, or S3R System,” continued Lujan. “Steve was designed to retrieve items in the mine such as bauxite, coal, magnetite and spodumene. It was also designed to repair damage found in the mine.”

Lujan mentioned that another robotics team, the Rio Rancho Robo Runners, visited Lovington in September to offer advice.

North said the Quest [gifted] program meets during regular school hours, but the project took significant dedication and required after school meetings as well. “It’s our third year to compete,

and we’re really proud of the kids,” she declared. “We’ve gone from not really being sure about what we’re doing to winning third.”

Norma De La Cruz and Arturo Payen also serve as Quest instructors. Navajo HollyFrontier sponsors the robotics competition.

Lovington’s Quest program isn’t the only robot game in the county, however.

Hobbs High School has a SkillsUSA program that also focuses on robots.

Hobbs High School instructor Oscar Contreras pointed out that there is a tech lab at the junior high level that teaches some of the basics of robotics in Hobbs, but added that things get more in depth at the higher level.

Call today for more information:

PHOTO LEFT: Caedon Figueroa uses a Solidworks CAD program to design Lovington’s robot. PHOTO RIGHT: Justin

Hazel, James Allen, and Arturo Payen construct the game field. Photos courtesy of Shawn North

The SkillsUSA organization provides a lot of different types of training and leadership, Contreras emphasized, and also trains kids in different grades to find employment immediately after graduation. “It’s similar to FFA,” he clarified. “We do community service and have fundraisers.”

Robotics is one of the “Energy Tech Level 1” offerings at the school, he revealed, and there are currently eight participants.

Another Energy Tech Level 1 option is a renewable energy course.

“Basically, what we do is we look at

575.736.8106

other competitions and watch videos of what we did,” he began. “We have a set of standards we have to meet, and our competition is based on those standards.”

So if that year’s competition involves an obstacle course, the Hobbs students will build a similar course and make practice runs over and over. “We’re already starting to build and practice,” he maintained.

The big competition is in April, but Contreras acknowledged that one goal for next year is to add some more events to the list. You can stay pretty busy as a robot in Lea County!

F O C U S on girl empowerment

THEIR POWER:

Creating a Future for Hobbs Girls One Dream at a Time

by Leah LM Wingert

IN

2009, according to the Centers for Disease Control, New Mexico was number one in the country for an alarming reason: the rate of teen births and pregnancies. Learning that Lea County was leading the charge in New Mexico for new teen moms gave members of the Hobbs community pause. Why were so many Lea County teenagers getting pregnant? This question led to a life changing conversation and ultimately to the creation of MyPower, Inc., an organization leading the way in attempting to change the lives and fates of Lea County’s girls.

“It all started as a backyard conversation,” said Phoebe Spencer, the president and founder of MyPower, Inc. “Dr. Gary Dill, the former president of University of the Southwest (USW),

PHOTO: Elaine Sena (middle), executive director of MyPower, Inc., poses with some of the MyPower students.

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FOCUS ON LEA COUNTY | WINTER 2016

and Dr. Mary Harris, dean of students at USW, [and I] were standing in the backyard and started asking each other why so many teens in Hobbs were pregnant at such young ages. Dr. Dill said he would get some people together to do some research.”

What Dill’s research found was disturbing. In 2009, the year of that first conversation, there were 263 teen births at Lea Regional Hospital alone.

Annie Wimbish, a two-year board member at MyPower as well as a retired school teacher, feels that a lot of the problems with teen pregnancy begin when parents attempt to shield their children from the truth of sex and its consequences.

“Parents need to be educated as well,” Wimbish insisted. “They want to keep [sex] hidden from their children, especially girls, because [in their minds] if sex is not talked about then nothing

will happen. They’re not realizing that the kids their children go to school with have a lot of information. Too much information.”

Just turning on the television or going to the movies can be a learning experience for teens with such television programs as 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom, The Secret Life of the American Teenager and even the Academy Award winning film Juno.

Nationally, teen pregnancy is no longer the taboo it once was.

“When I was girl, there was no going back to school if you got pregnant.

You became a maid or a cook or a housekeeper. There was nothing for you,” Wimbish remembered. “These girls are so blessed, but they need to know the realities, the consequences of how pregnancy at such a young age can affect your life.”

The reality is a stark difference from the glamour portrayed on television. In

addition to the lifelong consequences of being a parent, there are significant health and economic risks to becoming a teenage mother. According to WebMD, teen girls who get pregnant are less likely to have adequate pre-natal care, which can lead to consequences for both mother and child. These include such pregnancy complications as pre-eclampsia, low birth weight and higher instances of prematurity as well as the mother’s death during childbirth.

In addition, most teen mothers do not go on to finish their education with the majority ending up on welfare, resulting in a huge economic burden for the mother.

According to Tara Culp-Ressler in an online article “Teen Pregnancy Negatively Affects the National Economy” (thinkprogress.org), “Thirty four percent of young teen mothers earn neither a college degree nor a high school diploma, and less than two percent of teen mothers earn a degree by the time they turn 30. Because teenage pregnancy deters increased education, it leads to significant amounts of lost earnings, which negatively affects the economy as a whole…”

It was these consequences that weighed heavily on the mind of Spencer as she sought a solution to Lea County’s high teen pregnancy rate. “Our first thought was that we needed a camp to teach these girls and give them the skills they needed to avoid pregnancy,” she confided.

She approached the Maddox Foundation with statistics and research and received the funds that fueled research trips across the country. These trips helped her study the successful strategies of other communities to see what they were doing well and what could be adapted for Lea County.

While researching in Los Angeles, Spencer observed one key element in the Quantum Learning Camp. “It was a mixed boy and girl camp,” Spencer noted, “and while that’s not a bad thing, it does prevent girls from speaking up as much. Girls inherently allow boys to take over, and we knew that our program would need to be girl centric.”

Armed with passion and research, Spencer moved forward with the inaugural MyPower camp starting with 24 girls of elementary school age (and who are all now seniors in high school). MyPower is an “abstinence plus” program, meaning that while the program does teach abstinence as its

primary goal, it also offers solid and factual information to the girls about what sex is, including talks about biology and the troubling trend of “sexting.”

The inaugural camp grew with Southern Heights Elementary adding programs and summer day camps over the years.

However, the addition of Elaine Sena as executive director of MyPower, Inc. in December of 2012 began to transform the organization from a grassroots effort to a tsunami of activity.

“I grew up in very humble circumstances,” Sena stated from her office at the newly refurbished MyPower office in Hobbs. “However, I was raised by parents who had absolute faith that I would be able to do great things in the world through education.”

MyPower is passionately laser-focused on the plight of young girls and teens, helping them navigate their way to successful futures. “MyPower is all about giving girls the power to make their own choices. We are here to teach girls that your present is not an indicator of your future.”

Under Sena’s leadership, MyPower has grown to include 10 schools in Hobbs and one in Eunice. As of fall 2015, registration for the program has reached more than 700 middle school girls.

Beginning with the original 24 girls in 2010, over 3,100 girls have been served by the MyPower program with a 92% participation rate in the schools in which the program operates.

PHOTOS: Lea County’s MyPower aims to reduce the county’s teen pregnancy rate.

“Our hope is that someone would partner with us and create a similar program for boys,” revealed Wimbish. “It is definitely needed.”

“Our focus from the beginning has been on girls, but boys need these skills too,” Spencer reiterated.

“I was happily working for my previous employer,” Sena recalled. “I had just finished my master’s degree when this opportunity came up, and I politely declined.”

“Our youth need to know that there is a bright future out there for them, and that avoiding teen pregnancy and risky sexual behavior will help them reach their goals,” added Sena. “We spend time making and setting goals with the girls, doing journals, teaching them that the things they want for the rest of their lives are attainable and real.”

However, something continued to nag at Sena and she realized that the opportunity to work with MyPower was “everything [she] prayed for to see happen in this community,” and that if she “did not take this position [she] would regret it for the rest of [her] life.”

“However, it does take a village,” declared Wimbish. “The entire community needs to come together to help solve this problem: parents, teachers and churches. There must be a community outreach to help keep these girls safe.”

Whether it is because of the direct effect of MyPower or Lea County is simply following the declining trend of teen pregnancy across the country, the county has seen a 50% drop in teen pregnancy rates since 2009. However, even though there has been such tremendous success with the program, there is much more work needed.

MyPower took a backyard conversation and turned it into a dynamic, life changing ministry for Lea County girls.

To raise women, one must start with the raw materials—young girls. MyPower is taking these girls and empowering them to not only reach for a life without the burden of teenage parenthood, but to reach for the very stars.

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F O C U S on golf

Tee Party

by Kyle Marksteiner

Life has its share of divots and time in the rough as well as days where everything just seems to be up to par.

The First Tee Program at the Rockwind Community Links golf course aims to take advantage of the overlap between life’s lessons and golf ’s learning experiences with a characterbuilding program for youth. The program is currently offered at Rockwind four days a week.

Linda Howell, general manager and head golf pro at Rockwind, said the program has a good national track record of teaching integrity and sportsmanship to participating youth.

“When I applied for the job, it was already in their mission to having the whole facility be dedicated to the community, and most importantly, the youth,” she explained.

Hobbs city manager J.J. Murphy was the first person to mention the First Tee program, and Howell made the program one of her goals.

Adrienne Fields, executive director of the regional First Tee of Southeastern New Mexico, brought the whole program together and provided Howell with the training she needed to flip the switch. “Emilio Lucero has been a huge core of this program,” Howell remarked.

“He’s shown incredible enthusiasm and that has been beneficial to all of us.”

This past June, Rockwind proudly hired Yonatan Demissie to run the First Tee program.

“He really ramped it up,” added Howell. “He has increased the scope of what we’re offering.

He had about ten years of experience with the First Tee program.” The program is a lot of work, she noted, and when Demissie isn’t on

28

the course, he stays busy organizing schedules, developing web sites and visiting area schools.

Each First Tee session begins with a lesson in the clubhouse. “It’s very organized and it makes sense,” declared Howell. “Golf easily brings in these ideas of integrity and sportsmanship, so this is a perfect match.”

According to First Tee’s website, the program is designed to reinforce values such as integrity, respect and perseverance, and research backs up the program’s effectiveness.

In one recent lesson, Demissie had his participants, mostly third and fourth graders, take turns reading from the program book. The lesson was about good judgement. “Who can give me an example of good judgement?” he asked, and the discussion that followed began with golf examples and then moved into the rest of the world. “Now, how do we make good judgements?” he then continued.

Demissie revealed that the program focuses on nine core values of life skills. There’s a structured curriculum, but he also comes up with correlating lessons, and the kids even have homework.

Classes are $70 for a 10-week session of once-aweek instruction, but scholarships are available based on family income and need.

The program’s complete age range is actually from 5-17, with the youngest kids participating in what’s called a target class. At most levels,

FOCUS ON LEA COUNTY | WINTER 2016

there’s a stretching routine and short jog before the players are divided up into groups to hit the golf course.

“Since this is a relatively new program, everyone starts out at the first level right now,” Demissie noted. “We’ll then go into a little more advanced program.”

Demissie previously ran similar programs in Connecticut and Tampa Bay, Florida. He explained that he was drawn back to a career in golf. “I loved it when I was younger, and then after college I was hired as a coach,” he shared.

“I didn’t want to use my degree, because golf was more fun.”

During the summer, 220 local children participated in the First Tee program, Demissie mentioned. The half day summer program focused on the same mixture of life skills and golf.

But that was only the beginning. Demissie is currently visiting 13 elementary schools to establish First Tee programs there. “Right now, I’m working with PE teachers and snagging equipment,” he acknowledged. “By the end of the year, we’ll reach at least 5,000 kids.”

For more about the First Tee program, visit www.thefirsttee.org.

For more information about Rockwind Community Links, visit www.rockwindgolfcourse.com.

PHOTO ABOVE: Yonatan Demissie, left, observes two members of Monday’s First Tee program during a round at the Rockwind Community Links golf course.

Also pictured are Jacksen Raines and Tripten Roberts.

PHOTO BELOW: Members of the First Tee program warm up prior to their trip to the course. The program also includes life instruction.

F O C U S on food

Kid Chefs of Lea County

by Kyle Marksteiner

You might say Lovington’s kid chefs have learned to mind their “peas and Qs.” During the summer, Lovington and Lea County youth line up to participate in the Kids’ Q component of Lovington MainStreet’s annual Smokin’ on the Plaza competition.

the judges don’t know who cooked what,” maintained Lawson. “There are a whole list of judging requirements such as taste, presentation and texture.”

The pork chop cook-off is divided into two age categories: 5-10 and 11-15.

The entry fee is $10.

Siblings Ayden and Emily Williams each placed second in their respective pork chop categories this year. Their father, Lovington City Manager James Williams, provided the adult supervision at the event.

“We provide them with four pork chops,” explained Tabatha Lawson, executive director of Lovington MainStreet. “Each entrant requires adult supervision, but they (adults) are not allowed to prepare or cook meat.”

Entrants must provide their own cooking device and all ingredients.

After two hours, contestants hand in their two best pork chops, which are then judged in accordance with IBCA (International Barbecue Cookers Association) rules.

“Each container looks the same, so

It was Ayden’s third time to compete.

He used a chipotle sauce, while younger sister Emily used a sauce made out of A.1. Steak Sauce. The two children experimented at home with different recipes prior to the competition. “We do it at our own tent,” declared Ayden, 13. “It’s all timed, and our dad helps us make sure we don’t burn ourselves.”

When it isn’t Kids’ Q time, Ayden’s favorite thing to make is hot dogs, while Emily enjoys making a good

salad. The two also learn to prepare different dishes through involvement in the 4H program.

There are plenty of chefs at the Williams household, but the two children were not sure whose turn it was going to be to make dinner the evening of their interview. However, Ayden confessed that there’s a family secret for barbecue. “We brine it and cook it low and slow,” he concluded.

The adult competition of Smokin’ on the Plaza includes sanctioned brisket, pork spare ribs and chicken competitions, along with unsanctioned, jackpot beans, jackpot desert and an “anything goes” category.

Of course, Smokin’ on the Plaza isn’t the only culinary opportunity for area youth. Area high schools also offer extensive culinary arts programs, and the Lea County fair is always just a few months away.

PHOTOS: Photos from last summer’s annual Kids’ Q competition at Smokin’ on the Plaza. Photos courtesy of Lovington MainStreet

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F O C U S on theater

School Theater F R O M E L E M E N TA RY O N U P !

by Ruben Baca

E

ach year, two directors from Missoula, Montana come to Hobbs. Their goal is to direct elementary school students through a theater production in two weeks.

This lofty goal has been achieved over 20 times during the last seven years since the initiation of the Missoula Children’s Theatre program (MCT) in 2009. In the years that the MCT program has been in motion, it has enriched the school-hood of elementary students by providing

PHOTO BELOW: Middle school students (at right) audition for

parts in Unplugged, a drama that will be cast and directed

by HHS studio theater students (at left). PHOTO RIGHT: Natalie Faulkenberry and Darby Cavanaugh won the title parts in the 2009 elementary school production of Princess and the Pea. Photos from Hobbs Municipal Schools

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FOCUS ON LEA COUNTY | WINTER 2016

them the chance to study acting.

Hobbs isn’t the only city receiving Missoula’s services, either. “The Missoula Children’s Theatre program goes to all 50 states and over 17 countries around the world,” said MCT Director Ashraf Dahud in a 2015 interview with Taylor TV. The MCT program started traveling in 1970 and has since enriched the lives of more than 200,000 students internationally. Many of the Hobbsian children exposed to MCT have sought to lengthen their study

of theater by enrolling in the middle school’s bridge program.

This middle school musical program was imagined in 2008 when the coordinator of the school district’s elementary fine arts program, Tyson Ledgerwood, approached Hobbs High theater arts instructor Summer Rickman about the two-year gap of

theater arts instruction between elementary and high school. After consideration, Rickman decided a musical would best fit the vision of “bridging the gap,” and in 2009 Princess and the Pea became the first production.

Six years later, the middle school musical program has accomplished a lot, with six productions thus far and each with a roster of about 30 kids.

Aside from providing more experience for the blossoming actors, the program also benefits students by allowing them to participate in more serious productions, become acquainted with the hands-on aspect of the art, and get to know each other as the students will likely cross paths again.

The very young actors aren’t the only ones who have benefited from the middle school musical program. In fact, the studio theater students at HHS have, for the last five years, directed and choreographed a musical every January starring students from all three middle schools. The production is structurally similar to the MCT program except that the students are given a month to go from planning to production.

Additionally, rather than having two traveling directors, the studio theater class divides key aspects of the production evenly into teams. Studio theater students are even awarded scholarships for their efforts through the Fine Arts Education Act. The middle school musical program isn’t the only program Rickman’s actors are involved with. Last year, the studio theater class initiated what are called “studio sessions,” which serve as workshops to enrich the middle school students’ theater education. With three workshops a year, it will further anchor the students in theater arts and provide better leadership and understanding if they decide to stick with their pursuits.

“We are starting to see a core group of actors who started acting with major roles in Missoula and [who are continuing to] stick with their interest through middle school,” stated

Ledgerwood. Like a few other theater students, Hobbs High School student Darby Cavanaugh started acting through MCT and is currently in Rickman’s studio theater class.

Tell me a little about your start in Missoula.

Cavenaugh: “My first performance was with MCT, and I had the role of Ringmaster in Jack and the Beanstalk. I’ve been in about 15-20 shows.”

How do you like mentoring children?

“I love mentoring children and helping them grow! There’s nothing better than seeing a child you helped through a hard time get up on stage and show the world what they’re made of. I’m extremely invested in my kiddos’ lives, and I love every single one more than myself.”

How did you like it when you were younger? Has it changed? “I loved acting

when I was younger, but it’s grown into a passion that I want to continue professionally. I’ve wanted to be an actor ever since I can remember, and that’s what I wanna be for the rest of my life!”

Tell me more about the studio theater program.

“Studio theater is not always a walk in the park. We organize a lot of shows and do more than other classes [do]. Right now we’re working on our Christmas show and our Dramafest show which is for competition. I have a lead in that this year and I’m ecstatic for the community to see it.”

How many people do you know of that, like yourself, have stuck through acting from the start or for a long time? “My friend Sara was in my

first high school production with me. She is insanely talented.”

Do you have anything else you want to add?

“We couldn’t have been more blessed with the theater program and teacher we have, honestly.

I look forward to studio theater every day.”

Classically Refined+Classics Redefined 2016 PERFORMANCES

CHANTICLEER Tuesday, January 19, 2016 Tydings Auditorium 7:00 pm SOUTHWEST SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA with guest soloist Dr. Charisse Baldoria Sunday, February 21, 2016 Tydings Auditorium 3:00 pm DONALD SINTA QUARTET Friday, March 11, 2016 First United Methodist Church 7:00 pm SOUTHWEST SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Sunday, April 17, 2016 Tydings Auditorium 3:00 pm

Tickets -$20 on sale at: Center for the Arts Music World Lovington MainStreet Office or at www.swsymphony.org 18 & Under FREE College Students with current ID FREE For more information call (575) 738-1041 www.swsymphony.org

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HOBBS MEDICAL CLINIC IS NOW OPEN! At Nor Lea, we believe that exceptional healthcare for the entire family should always be a primary focus.

That’s why we expanded our primary care services by opening the Hobbs Medical Clinic. You can expect the same level of healthcare that Nor-Lea is known for

with more primary care physicians to meet your needs right here in Hobbs.

Call (575) 433-3000 to schedule an appointment.

| 1927 N. Dal Paso | Hobbs, NM 88240 | www.nor-lea.org |