Majestic Living Summer 2016 by Majestic Media

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contributors MarGareT CheaSebro has been a freelance writer for over 30 years. her articles have appeared in many magazines across the country. She was a correspondent for the albuquerque Journal and worked for several local newspapers. She has four published books of children’s puppet scripts. a former elementary school counselor, she is a reiki Master and practices several alternative healing techniques. She enjoys playing table tennis.

DoroThy NobiS has been a writer and editor for more than 25 years. She authored a travel guide, The insiders Guide to the Four Corners, published by Globe Pequot Press, and has been a frequent contributor to New Mexico Magazine.

Debra Mayeux, of Farmington, is an awardwinning journalist with recognitions from the associated Press of New Mexico and Colorado and the New Mexico Press association and the Colorado broadcast association. She has covered stories throughout the Southwest and in Mexico and Jordan, where she interviewed diplomats and the royal family. after nearly 20 years in the business, she recently opened her own freelance writing and media business. Mayeux enjoys the outdoors, reading and spending time with her family. She is the coordinator of Farmington Walk and roll, a Safe routes to School organization. She is married to David Mayeux and they have three children: Nick, alexander and Peter.

beN braShear has called the Southern San Juans home for most of his life. he holds a b.a. in Creative Writing from Fort Lewis College and has worked for Cutthroat: a Journal of The arts, as assistant poetry editor. he is currently working as a freelance writer and photographer based out of Durango, Colorado.

JoSh biShoP is a graduate of San Juan College with an associate degree in Digital Media arts and Design. he currently works at Majestic Media as a video producer and photographer.

WhiTNey hoWLe was born and raised in Farmington and is proud to call San Juan County home. The richness of the landscape and the diverse people, culture and traditions are a photographer’s dream. Whitney has his ba in Visual Communication from Collins College in Tempe, ariz. he is a co-owner of howle Design and Photography—a family owned studio offering graphic design, photography, market research and consulting.

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Clint Alexander Tonya Daniell

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writers Dorothy Nobis, Margaret Cheasebro,

MAGAZINE Celebrating the Lifestyle, Community and Culture of the Four Corners Vol. 8, No. 3 ©2016 by Majestic Media. Majestic Living is a quarterly publication. Material herein may not be reprinted without expressed written consent of the publisher. If you receive a copy that is torn or damaged call 505.516.1230. 6 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SUMMER 2016

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summerfeatures: 10

Gear heads, motor heads, street rodders and rat rodders

We all love what is familiar, and a car is a tangible representation of a specific time in our lives â&#x20AC;&#x201D; especially our first car. By Cindy Cowan Thiele

A walk with dinosaurs

As the environmental protection specialist and paleontology coordinator at the Farmington Bureau of Land Management Office, Sherrie Landon spends lots of time outdoors. By Margaret Cheasebro

Leaving it better than he found it

For Mark Duncan, the road to incorporation of his community began long before the final incorporation was approved by voters in January 2015. By Dorothy Nobis

Alpacas and Antiques

As far as she knows, Susan Rempe has the only alpaca farm in San Juan County. Called Four Corners Alpacas, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s located in West Hammond, south and west of Bloomfield. By Margaret Cheasebro

Stamp of approval

Bonnie Candelaria loves stamps.Thirty years ago, Candelaria made regular trips to the Farmington Post Office to check out the newest stamp and to make it part of her extensive collection. By Dorothy Nobis 8 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SUMMER 2016

one’s a 38 This game changer Family game night took on a whole new meaning in August 2015 when the Gjedde family opened Game Changers Games in downtown Farmington By Debra Mayeux

40 Cultivating Creativity From the time Daniel Fear earned his music education degree at New Mexico State University in 1999, he has taught music related courses in the Farmington School District By Margaret Cheasebro

46 Strength, independence and “the Boss” While Shannon McConnel-Nygren owns Aztec Towing, she’s quick to say she’s not the “boss.” By Dorothy Nobis

52 Country music in his soul Few people love radio the way Roscoe Hooper does. By Dorothy Nobis

Dark Java, Bright Heart

Imagine for a moment your earliest memories of drinking coffee. How deeply are your emotions connected to that instance? By Ben Brashear SUMMER 2016 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 9

GEAR hEADS MOTOR hEADS STREET RODDERS AND RAT RODDERS 10 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SUMMER 2016

San Juan County’s car aficionados create automotive works of art Story by Cindy Cowan Thiele Photos by Curtis Ray Benally/Josh Bishop We all love what is familiar, and a car is a tangible representation of a specific time in our lives – especially our first car. Anytime I’m with a group of friends – or new acquaintances, for that matter – and the conversation turns to their vehicle, the discussion inevitably ends up in stories about their first car. And why not? It is a shared experience of our first real feelings of independence and our first real freedom from our parents. The car culture took

root in 1950s. From 1950 to 1970 the U.S. automobile population grew four times faster than the human population, and the automobile culture has had an everlasting influence on America. Between May and September, there are few days here in San Juan County when you won’t see a classic car driving through town. Our terrain and weather are magnets for people who want to “get their motor runnin’ and

get out on the highway.” We also have our fair share of gear heads, motor heads, street rodders and rat rodders living here. Many of these car enthusiasts can hear a car coming down the road and tell you the make of the vehicle before ever laying their eyes on the car. For members of the car culture in the Four Corners, one of the highlights during the summer is the Annual Northern New Mexico Street Rodder's Association Car Show/Block Party, hosted in conjunction with the city of Farmington, held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on July 16 in downtown Farmington. The show usually brings to town about 300 cars and anywhere from 15,000 to 20,000 people. It boasts some of the best examples of classic cars and new cars in the country.

Dennis and JoAn Wheeler When Dennis was a kid growing up in Durango, Colorado, his father owned a Standard filling station. Dennis and his friends would work on their cars after business hours. “Pop was good to let them work there. He always told them to respect the privilege and not to steal from me and all will be good,” Wheeler said. “So I grew up with a bunch of gear heads in the ’50s and ’60s.” SUMMER 2016 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 11

One of original 1969 Dodge Charger that played a screen role as the “General Lee,” the car that starred on the 1970s-era TV show The Dukes of Hazzard owned and restored by Kory and Randy Jensen.

“The car culture has a strong following in the area. They may not all have the exact philosophy, but most are community oriented.” — Dennis Wheeler

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Denis and his father were always tinkering with cars. He remembers one particular build at the gas station. “Dad took a two-door 1940’s Kaiser, then installed a Plymouth V-8 in it. He called it a Plyzer. That was a huge hit with the young guys that hung around with my cousin,” he said. In 1997, he and his wife, JoAn, moved here from Mancos, Colorado. They have built numerous cars throughout the years, but their favorite is a 1934 Ford three-window coupe. He has just finished a 1961 Ford F-100, but what would be his dream build if money were no object? “Car Guys all have that dream ride. Mine would still be a 1934 Ford three-window coupe,” he said. “It would have to be an allsteel car, with only Ford power. I’m a stickler about that and I like to keep it true to its origin.” Since money is no object in this scenario, he would have pro builders Chip Foose, Troy Ladd or Dave Kindig build the car to his specifications. Dennis has been a member of the NMSTRA twice for a total of about nine years. “The car culture has a strong following in the area. They may not all have the exact philosophy, but most are community oriented. The Northern New Mexico Street Rodders are proud of who we are and what we offer our community. We work each year to raise funds to help support a local organization,” he said.

Bob and Yvonne Fuller Many car enthusiasts trace their roots back to watching their father work on cars as a kid. Bob Fuller is no different. He helped his father rebuild his old cars, and it became his hobby as well. Bob has rebuilt a lot of cars in his life. He doesn’t describe restoring classic cars as a hobby. “I buy them and do things to them to make them the way that I like them, just custom for myself.” He has nine cars right now and would probably have more, except “I ran out of room to store them,” he said. A Marine Blue 1966 Chevy Malibu four-speed with a 424 motor is his dream build. Bob moved to Farmington after retiring from his job in California and has been a member of the

Celebrate the Fourth of July in Farmington with, Live Music Electric Light Parade Gem and Mineral Show Fantastic Fireworks Display

Visit FarmingtonNM.org for a full schedule of events. SUMMER 2016 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 13

Northern New Mexico Street Rodders for 10 years. The club has been around since 1979. Bob and his wife, Yvonne, attend about 10 to 15 shows a year. “My wife loves driving them and showing them at car shows,” he said. The debate over whether or not car enthusiasts are a dying breed comes to the surface every few years, but Bob is hopeful for the future. “There are some young people interested in building and restoring cars, but not as much as I would like. It is my hope to see the younger guys take over the hobby and carry on where us older guys left off and keep the hobby going.” Bob added that here in Farmington the support for the club and the shows is high.

The Rat Fink On every poster for Northern New Mexico Street Rodders events you will see a crazy character that looks like a little monster from a Looney Tunes cartoon. It looks a little like a character that would be friends with the Tasmanian Devil, or like someone Wile E Coyote would enlist to join him on his quest to catch the roadrunner. This little guy is called the Rat Fink and was created by Ed “Big Daddy” Roth. Roth was an artist, cartoonist, illustrator, pinstriper and custom car designer and builder credited with creating the hot rod and hot rod movement of the late 1950s and 1960s. Roth has been described as a hot-roddin’, gear head, mad scientist, and struggling artist who financed his inventions by selling drawings and T-shirts at drag events, fairs, and car shows. He is credited with a lot of firsts that changed the world of hot rodding. Roth was born in Beverly Hills, California, on March 4, 1932. He purchased his first car, a 1933 Ford Coupe, in 1946 shortly after WW II ended. He graduated from high school in 1949, and went on to college majoring in engineering so he could advance his knowledge in automotive design. Roth would draw cartoons of monsters that he created and pictures of cars, but when he 14 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SUMMER 2016

“There are some young people interested in building and restoring cars, but not as much as I would like. It is my hope to see the younger guys take over the hobby and carry on where us older guys left off and keep the hobby going.” — Bob Fuller

personally airbrushed T-shirts with the monsters driving the cars, people went crazy and would line up at his booth. This helped pay for his car builds. He died in 2001, but he still has a loyal following. His wife, Ilene Roth, keeps his spirit alive at the Ed Roth Museum in Manti, Utah. This year, June 2 to 4, the museum hosted the 14th annual Rat Fink Reunion. Rat Fink artists and visitors come from all over the country. In 2015 more than 75 artists came to the reunion. Ilene also will be in attendance at the Northern New Mexico Street Rodders block party this year, as she has for many years, according to club President Bob Fuller. She brings with her a lot of Rat Fink T-shirts that can be purchased at the event.

A walk with dinosaurs Sherrie Landon loves showing people our area’s amazing paleo resources Story by Margaret Cheasebro Photos by Whitney Howle

As the environmental protection specialist and paleontology coordinator at the Farmington Bureau of Land Management office, Sherrie Landon spends lots of time outdoors. She loves taking people on field trips to show them remarkable aspects of the surrounding area and its geological history. Along the way, she often spots successful reclamation projects with which she has been involved – restoring the land after a well pad was built or after a road or pipeline was constructed. “We have an amazing variety of fossils here,” she said. “We have the dinosaurs, and we have the earliest mammals. The dinosaurs we find here are unique. Those particular species are found nowhere else in the world. A lot of the early mammals we find are unique to here too.” Among those unique dinosaurs are an abundance of hadrosaurs (duck billed dinosaurs), some allosaurs with big knobby heads, and a

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T-rex known as the Bisti Beast, which is now on loan to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

Loves to lead field trips It thrills her to take people on field trips to the spot where the first baby skull of a Pentaceratops was ever found worldwide, along with two adult skulls and partial skeletons. During the Cretaceous Period between 145.5 and 65.5 million years ago, this was a very tropical area. As the Cretaceous period moved toward a close and drifted into the Paleocene Period, the area became semi-tropical. There were many conifers, no grasses, and an explosion of flowering plants and insects. Eventually the earliest mammals found life here. It was toward the end of the Cretaceous Period that the baby Pentaceratops died. It was found in a sandstone deposit, so it may have been caught in a flood.

“Scientists are not done with that research yet,” Sherrie said, “but if it was found in sandstone like that in a stream channel. It probably drowned.”

Experts study baby dinosaur Now experts at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science in Albuquerque are examining the baby dinosaur. “It will go on display when they’re done preparing it, and it will be used for education within the museum,” Sherrie said. “A lot of scientists will come from all over the world to work on it and study it. I love to think that I can take people out there and show them where this was found and tell them what the environment was like then. We do a lot of field trips with the public and with school kids.”

Sherrie said. “The environment selects what’s going to live.” Among other early mammals were multituberculates, tiny mouse-like creatures with teeth so small you can glue them on the sharp end of a pin. Some other fossilized remains of animals found in this area are crocodiles, turtles, and gar fish. Two early marsupials have been discovered here too. Sherrie found the palate of one of them, a lemur, while she did an extensive survey in a fossil-rich area where a company wanted to build a well pad. The well pad site had to be moved to protect the rare find. “It’s at the museum in Albuquerque now,” she said. “They’re studying it. They removed what was on the surface and weathering out. I keep checking the site to see if more is eroding out, but I haven’t seen any more.”

Early mammals found One of the earliest mammals found in this area had both a canine skull and hooves. “It didn’t last very long in the fossil record,”

Extraordinarily passionate BLM District Manager Victoria Barr is impressed with Sherrie. “She is extraordinarily

passionate and enthusiastic about the paleontological resources within the Farmington Field Office,” Victoria said. “She’s very dependable and good at listening to diverse points of view. We appreciate her commitment to the agency’s mission to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the public land for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.” The fossil-rich San Juan Basin has been drawing people since the 19th century. “Fossil collecting started here in the late 1800s,” Sherrie explained. “A lot of those fossils were sold and are in museums in Sweden. It got to a point where there had to be some control on collection. Now on public land, you can’t sell fossils. Everything that’s collected on BLM land belongs to the public. The New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science houses them. It’s a repository for the BLM, so any scientist has the right to go there and study them.”

Involved with land reclamation Part of her job involves working on land reclamation when the ground gets disturbed for projects such as a well pad, right-of-way pipeline, film undertaking, or a road. “I can drive all over out here and see reclamation successes,” she said. “Reclamation is tough to do in this type of environment because we don’t get much moisture. We’ve spent years working on a seed mix that’s effective and successful. I deal with a lot of the companies out here, and they’re good to work with.” One of those companies is WPX Energy in Aztec. WPX Senior Regulatory Specialist Staff Andrea Felix has worked with Sherrie for more than 10 years. “In regards to paleontology, she knows her stuff,” Andrea said. “Her knowledge base is so extensive. She works with us on the ground. She has done a great job educating us on the surface, fossils and petrified wood so we can plan our development and preserve the resource while developing the minerals. She’s a great team player. She is very easy to work with, but she is not afraid to stand her ground and do her job.” 18 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SUMMER 2016

to work with. “She is fair with the companies and works with them,” he said. “While considering the fossils, she also makes it possible for companies to get their permits and do the work they need to do.”

Grew up in Montana

Good communication Figuring out how to use storm water run-off control and other techniques to protect the surrounding landscape is a task that Sherrie and representatives of many companies discuss together. “Compared to 13 years ago, companies are so much more concerned with the

environment,” she said. “It’s good to see. They do not argue. They can see the successes. When their project is a success, it saves them money because they don’t have to go back and fix it or make it right.” Dr. John Burris, professor of geology at San Juan College who also has a paleontological consulting business, described Sherrie as easy

When Sherrie took the BLM job, she arrived here after living most of her life in Montana. “My father was a very outdoor person,” she said. “We were always exposed to fossils. I had an uncle who was an archeologist, who was also into fossils. I grew immersed in the beauty of Montana, but I always wondered, ‘Why are the mountains here? Why are we seeing what we’re seeing?’” After she graduated from high school in a class of 16 seniors, she worked as a guide for several outfitters, taking people on outdoor recreation trips, among them photography, camping, hunting and fishing. It was a year-round job, and she loved it. In the back of her mind, however, she’d always wanted to go to college.

SUMMER 2016 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 19

Injury sets her on college path

“I love to think that I can take people out there and show them where this was found and tell them what the environment was like then.” — Sherrie Landon

“I was guiding when I was 39 and got bucked off a horse on top of a mountain in a blizzard and messed up my hip and pelvis,” she related. “I took that as an opportunity to go to college.” So she went to Dillon, Montana, and enrolled in adult education classes. “I didn’t have the best high school education, and that had been so long ago,” she said. After four months there, the teachers told her she should apply at the University of Montana Western in Dillon. Thrilled, she went to the university to enroll.

Adviser said she’d never make it

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“They gave me an adviser who was the head of adult education,” she recalled. “I never dealt with that man. I had just dealt with the women who were teaching. I told him I wanted to get a degree in geology. He said, ‘You’ll never make it. You need to take this two-year outdoor adventure course.’ I drove home bawling. It was such a let-down. By the next morning, I was mad. I went back and told him I didn’t want him as an adviser. I went over and spoke to one of the geologists, and he was more than happy to have me on. It was wonderful. I had the best professors, and the geology in Montana is spectacular.”

Graduates with honors She garnered several scholarships, graduated with honors, and had a full-ride scholarship for her master’s degree at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. Four universities accepted her into their master’s program partly because of the huge undergraduate thesis project she did to restructure the headwaters of the ancestral Missouri River drainage in Montana for a distance of 100 miles. “I did endless field mapping and then interpreting the data,” she said. “I could actually reconstruct that moment in time due to the fossils. I did a lot of provenance on the gravel. I did drain-point reduction to see how far a specific mineral traveled to be worn like that. I could rebuild that part of Montana exactly. As a result of that project, it changed a lot of the timing for the basin and range topography in Montana – when those mountains

* Landon 63

Leaving it better

than he found it

In business and public service Mark Duncan is an advocate for people and his community Story by Dorothy Nobis Photos by Whitney Howle For Mark Duncan, the road to incorporation of his community began long before the final incorporation was approved by voters in January 2015. The road has been long and there were obstacles along the way, but Duncan – and countless others – knew that the community needed revenues if it were to grow and provide its residents with a better quality of living. Duncan was part of a sewer board that needed money to improve the sewer system in Kirtland. Looking for help, Duncan went to Bill Sharer, New Mexico State Senator from Farmington, and asked how the board could get the funding necessary for improvements to the system. 22 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SUMMER 2016

“He said without being incorporated, it would be difficult for us to get money from the state,” Duncan said. “The sewer board decided we needed to do something. We’d talked about incorporation for the last few years and decided it was time.” In December 2014, the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration approved Kirtland’s petition to incorporate and, in January of 2015, voters approved incorporating the 337-acre strip of land along Highway 64. The incorporation means the new town can collect gross receipts taxes, which will allow the town to pay for the infrastructure necessary for the town to grow. Kara Wood met Duncan when her

youngest child signed up for first grade soccer in the early 1990s and Duncan was the volunteer soccer coach. “Mark’s objective was first to teach team play and concern for one’s teammates and, secondly, to do what he could to teach the sport to 6-year-olds,” Wood said. “Although my child was not particularly athletically inclined, she came away with a good experience and some fun memories.” Wood’s family settled into the community and she began to develop and grow her real estate brokerage at Kirtland Realty. “I became familiar with Mr. Duncan’s involvement with the County Commission and the western side of San Juan County,” she said. “He always seemed to advocate for the best

interests of his constituents.” “I believe his background in public service as a county commissioner and county treasurer and in his real estate and private sector businesses are probably two of the main driving forces that have led him to work so diligently on the incorporation of the Town of Kirtland,” Wood added. Wood believed that Kirtland and the Lower Valley would benefit from the structure, services and identity that incorporation would bring. “I was glad to see the success of the incorporation of the Town of Kirtland last year,” she said. “I admire the hours of volunteer effort and energy that Mark Duncan has given to his community and, although my home and business are not yet included in the incorporated area, I am hoping that annexation is in my future.” There were others who weren’t as supportive as Wood when it came to incorporating the area, however. “We knew if we incorporated, we’d change

24 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SUMMER 2016

the face of Kirtland forever,” Duncan said. “It wasn’t an easy decision to make. “ With the incorporation came the need for a mayor and Town Council. With the urging of friends and family, Duncan decided to run for mayor. In an interview before the election, Duncan said, “I believe in Kirtland. I believe we can do things that the county or the State of New Mexico can’t do for the town. We’re in a crunch. As a town, we can do things for ourselves and that brings with it the community, to draw closer and work on common goals.” Duncan was elected – but has said he’ll only serve one four-year term, although he’s willing to serve again, if asked. “It (might) be time for someone else to come in,” he said. “People have seen and heard enough about Mark Duncan.” That may just be Duncan’s opinion, however. His election as mayor of Kirtland isn’t his first election to a public office. In 1994, he was elected to serve as a San Juan County Commissioner.

“I knocked on doors and I wore out two pairs of tennis shoes walking (door to door),” Duncan said with a laugh. “I spent 900 bucks, and I found out most people are not at all happy with government.” Duncan served two terms as a commissioner (state statutes mandate county commissioners may only serve two consecutive terms). He enjoyed his work as a commercial real estate broker and as a partner in a family RV park. In 2012, he was asked to run for San Juan County Treasurer. “I’m not a bean counter,” Duncan said. “And I knew I’d need someone with the education and work experience to be my Deputy Treasurer. I found Carol Taulbee, who was working in the county’s Finance Department, and we’re doing great things.” “We’re bringing the Treasurer’s Office into the 21st Century,” he said. “We got new software to take payments, created an easy payment plan for property owners and we hired an investment group to take care of the county’s investments.”

“I’m working for my 5-year-old grandson,” Duncan added. “I want him to go to college and I want him to come back home (to San Juan County) to work and live.” Duncan can serve one more four-year term as treasurer and is running unopposed for that seat in the November General Election. Scott Eckstein is the San Juan County Commission Chairman. “I’ve known Mark for about 20 years,” Eckstein said. “I’ve always had a lot of respect and admiration for him.” “I first got to know Mark in his capacity as a county commissioner when I worked at the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office,” Eckstein said. “I found him to be fair, honest, and hardworking, and he has a great sense of humor. Mark isn’t afraid to make difficult decision in his effort to make our community a better place. When I decided to run for Bloomfield City Council in

“We knew if we incorporated, we’d change the face of Kirtland forever. It wasn’t an easy decision to make.” — Mark Duncan

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2004, it was Mark Duncan who I went to for advice on how to run my campaign – and he gave me great advice!” In spite of his public service, Duncan is reluctant to talk about himself (see ‘people have seen and heard enough about Mark Duncan’ above). He is much more willing to talk about his faith and his family. Duncan was 9 years old when his family moved to Fruitland in 1967. “My dad was hired at APS (Arizona Public Service) and we moved from Taylor, Arizona. I graduated from Kirtland Central High School in 1976, and went on a church mission to the Chicago-Milwaukee area. It was the first time I’d been to a big city other than Phoenix and it was a culture shock.” He served two years on the mission. “I loved it,” Duncan said. “I met a lot of great people – they were industrious, genuine and kind. I learned most people are good and it was the greatest experience of my life and helped make me who I am.” “Mark Duncan is an ordinary guy who wants to leave his part of the world better than he found it,” he said of himself. His relationship with his father is a special one. “My dad (Paul Duncan) and I are partners in a family-run business and we believe family is everything. My parents (his mother is Betty Duncan) are older now and every year, we take one thing off their bucket list. Mom wanted to go to Niagara Falls and do a church history tour. We enjoyed that. My dad wanted to go around Cape Horn and we took that trip.” Trips to Alaska, Nova Scotia, Hawaii, the Panama Canal, and South America have also been enjoyed by the Duncans. Paul Duncan said being a business partner with his son has been a positive one. “Mark usually sniffs a business out and brings it to the table,” the elder Duncan said. “We discuss it, and then we decide.” “But we have more than that,” he added. “We have become good friends over the years. I think we respect each other and each other’s opinion.” The duo consults on “everything from

“I’m not a bean counter. And In knew I’d need someone with the education and work experience to be my Deputy Treasurer. I found Carol Taulbee, who was working in the county’s Finance Department, and we’re doing great things.” — Mark Duncan

peanuts to hunting,” Paul Duncan said “(Mark) is one of my best hunting partners. He has quite a good sense of humor and is also a very good cook. We use his talent quite often.” Paul Duncan said his son has Kirtland’s best interests at heart. “Mark has been a people person all his life. He has a great love for his country and for the people in it.” Duncan and his wife, Becky, have four children – Brittany (her husband is Steven), Amberlee Van Valkenburg (her husband is Korby), Taylor Eddy (her husband is Cory), and Macinzey. “When the kids were little, we’d go to the La Plata (Mountains), blow up air mattresses and look at the stars. We made great memories,” Duncan said. With his children older, Duncan looks forward to serving his final term as the county’s treasurer and his wife’s graduation from nursing school – and then retiring. “We’d like to serve another mission for the church. We’d like to go to a part of the world where they need a nurse, and I’ll do anything else.” In the meantime, Duncan will continue serving his friends and neighbors as the mayor of Kirtland and the residents of San Juan County as treasurer. And, just like that young kid who discovered good and kind people in Chicago and Milwaukee, Duncan continues to find good and kind people in his own backyard.

Alpacas d n a Antiques Rempe n sa Su r fo fe li ct e rf e p e th This unique combo is Story by Margaret Cheasebro Photos by Whitney Howle As far as she knows, Susan Rempe has the only alpaca farm in San Juan County. Called Four Corners Alpacas, it’s located in West Hammond, south and west of Bloomfield. “Alpacas mean a lot to me,” Susan said. “Every night after I eat, I go outside and sit with my alpacas. They’re calming. I call them my tranquilizers. Even if you had a bad day, it kind of fades away because you concentrate on the alpacas.” She has them sheared every year and carries yarn and other alpaca products in her antique and collectible store, Memory Lane Antique and Indoor Flea Market, at 302 S. Bloomfield Blvd. across the highway from Roadside Inn in Bloomfield.

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SUMMER 2016 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 29

Store has good bargains “This store is wonderful,” said Kay Joyal of Bloomfield. “They have good bargains, and they have a good layaway program. We’ve done our home with a lot of different things from here that have added a lot of character. I think this a great place. I would recommend it to anybody.” The store has a room that features alpaca items, including yarn made from the alpacas Susan raises. “I love the alpaca dryer balls,” Kay said. “Put them in your dryer, and there’s no static, and you don’t have to replace them.” “I’ve sold them all out!” Susan exclaimed. “Shove three or four of them in your dryer, and it makes your clothes come out softer, less wrinkled – and it absorbs the moisture so your clothes dry faster. You can use them forever.”

Many alpaca fiber products The alpaca dryer balls are made of alpaca 30 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SUMMER 2016

fiber from her own animals. She’s trying a new item in the store – round alpaca wool cat toys stuffed with catnip. She also sells bath soap bars that she makes. They’re wrapped in felted alpaca fiber. In her alpaca room she also carries scarves, socks, mittens, gloves, hats, headbands, sweaters and a variety of other items made from alpaca fiber. “When the oil field was going, the guys used to buy the socks like crazy,” she said. “I couldn’t keep enough socks in here. They’re hypoallergenic, they don’t itch like wool, they breathe so you’re still warm but don’t sweat, and they’re fire retardant. They’re the softest thing ever.”

Measures fiber for softness She sends off her fiber to a place that measures its micron count, which tells how soft the fiber is. The lowest micron count isn’t always the best, because the yarn will flatten and turn into a felt-like material. “The 22 to

26 micron count is the most useful fiber because you can do the most with it,” she said. “It’s still soft, and it doesn’t itch.” Colleen Edge of Bloomfield often shops at Memory Lane. “I love her store, and I love her,” said Colleen. “I love all the things she picks out. I buy all my stuff there all the time. I fill my home with it, and it’s very reasonable. I love her way of doing business. I hope everybody goes to that store.”

Used to raise horses Susan and her husband, Jim, once raised horses. They eventually raced thoroughbreds and quarter horses when they lived – for decades – in Long Island, New York. But they hadn’t raised alpacas until they moved to Bloomfield in 2006. Bloomfield lured them because their only child, State Police Sergeant James Rempe, his wife and two children, settled here. In both New York and during a four-year stay in California, Susan managed movie theaters. Jim managed grocery stores. They owned

Jim took a CDL (Commercial Driver’s License) class offered through San Juan College. Once he earned his CDL, he found a job driving a Deli Express truck on a route extending from Utah to Pagosa Springs, Colorado, delivering sandwiches, muffins, hot dogs and pizzas to 7-2-11 stores.

Discovered alpacas

their own deli in New York and once had a fish market. They even owned half of a movie theater. But when they moved to Bloomfield, neither could find work in their areas of expertise.

Look for jobs in the area Susan found a job in a chiropractor’s office

until she became so successful selling her products at Dusty Attic in Farmington that she gave up her job with the chiropractor. She had booths at Dusty Attic from 2006 to 2010 until she and Jim found a vacant building that had been a gym. They turned it into Memory Lane Antique and Indoor Flea Market. Susan took care of the antique store, and

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Their interest in alpacas grew when they lived in California and flew into Farmington looking for a place to live. They watched TV commercials in the Farmington airport about how great it was to raise alpacas. That was 2006, when one alpaca could sell for anywhere from $10,000 to over $600,000. They couldn’t afford alpacas at that price, but Susan liked the idea of having an alpaca farm. After they found a couple of acres and a house in West Hammond, Susan found three pregnant alpacas that she and Jim could afford. “They’re like Lay’s Potato Chips,” Susan said. “You can’t just have one, two or three.

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You’ve got to keep adding. We had to get a herd sire because we had three girls. We found a package with him and two girls. So now we were up to six.”

Recession hits They were ready to breed and sell as other alpaca owners were doing in the lucrative alpaca market. Then along came the recession in 2008 and 2009. “The recession knocked the bottom out of the alpaca market and just ruined the industry,” Susan said. “At that point, we had quite a bit invested in fencing, buying the alpacas and whatever. You couldn’t sell them for even close to what they used to sell for. I still tried to build up the herd, because everybody thought it would come back, but it never really did.” The alpaca industry adapted by changing its focus from breeding alpacas to selling their fiber, the soft fur that has made alpaca fiber famous all over the world. “It’s now become the number one desirable fiber in the country – over cashmere,” Susan said.

Alpaca fiber industry grows Though it’s still somewhat of a cottage industry in the United States, she said, the alpaca fiber industry is growing. Her alpaca room at Memory Lane draws customers. They like to buy items using fiber from her own alpacas. Though Susan loves her alpacas, Jim doesn’t share her passion for them. Still, because he loves her, he takes care of them on the weekends he’s off to give her a break. Every year she has her alpacas sheared and sells much of the fiber on the Internet. She often trades several blankets of fiber (fur sheared from certain sections of an alpaca) to a spinner, who agrees to spin half of the fiber for Susan while keeping the other half for herself. She held up yarn spun from fiber that came from her appaloosa alpaca named Patch. “This is Patch,” she said. “He’s handspun. See the different colors in his fiber? He’s very soft.” Fiber from appaloosa alpacas, which are

hard to breed, is popular because of its spotted brown and beige colors.

Alpacas sheared by Cortez couple Her alpacas are sheared by Tom and Monica Iamonico of Cortez, Colorado, who travel to her farm to shear her alpacas and those from Blue Mesa Alpacas, an alpaca farm in Santa Fe. “There’s not many alpaca farms around this area,” Susan said, “so you’ve got to make it worth the shearer’s time to come here.” Between her 32 alpacas and Blue Mesa’s 60 alpacas, she keeps Tom and Monica busy shearing when they come to her farm. She lets people on Facebook and Craig’s List know when they’ll be there so people who own two or three alpacas can bring theirs to be sheared as well. “I love animals desperately, probably to the point of too much,” she said. “I get very upset when I see llamas or alpacas in fields for years at a time without being sheared. It’s like torture for them. I try to get people to bring their llamas and alpacas to me to be sheared so they won’t die in the heat.”

Three alpacas in tiny car A woman from Grants once drove her three alpacas in a Toyota Corolla to a shearing at Susan’s farm. “She pulls into the field, opens the door and takes three full-size alpacas out of this little teeny car,” said Susan. “It was hysterical.” Tom likes to shear Susan’s alpacas because he’s impressed with how well she treats them. “She cares a lot about the animals and the products that come from the animals’ fibers,” said Tom. “The love that she gives them is very apparent. You put quality in and get quality out, and she definitely does that.” Susan loves her alpacas so much that one winter she raised a baby, called a cria, in the house after his mother rejected him. She called him Brinkley, and he’s still part of her herd.

Showed her alpacas at state fair She loved to show her alpacas at the state

fair when the New Mexico Alpaca Breeders sponsored an annual show there. It drew alpacas from several states. The show ended about 2012, and Susan said its demise hurt alpaca farms. “Having shows helps sell your alpacas, helps the fiber, helps the farm stores, helps people become aware of it in this state,” she said. “When people used to go to the shows, you’d meet other alpaca farmers. You’d arrange breedings. You’d say, ‘I love your boy, he just got a blue ribbon. I’d like to buy him.’” Now the closest show is about seven hours away. Susan and Jim can’t travel that far because they both work.

Alpacas are time consuming The alpacas take up lots of time. Susan rises early every morning to list alpaca products and antique items on Craig’s List and Facebook. Then she does household chores before cleaning alpaca pens and giving the animals hay and water. When that’s done, she takes care of antique store business such as preparing bank deposits. She arrives at the store between 10 and 10:30 a.m. Memory Lane opens at 10:30 Monday through Saturday and at 11 a.m. on Sunday so the couple can attend church. The store has become a gathering place for people who like to chat and shop. The back of the store includes small spaces that Susan rents to vendors who sell a variety of items, including antiques. During the late spring and summer months, she sponsors a free flea market in front of her store. People set up tables and sell their items. They and their customers often wander into Memory Lane to make purchases.

“Alpacas are like the opera, you either love them or hate them, and once you love them, you’ll always love them.” — Susan Rempe

Cleaning pens never ends When the store closes at 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and at 4 p.m. on Sunday, she heads home to feed and water the alpacas and clean pens all over again. She loves Memory Lane and Four Corners Alpacas and has no plans to slow down. “Alpacas are like the opera,” said Susan. “You either love them or hate them, and once you love them, you’ll always love them.” SUMMER 2016 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 33

Stamp of approval

The post office is the perfect fit for a philatelist like Bonnie Candelaria Story by Dorothy Nobis Photos by Whitney Howle Bonnie Candelaria loves stamps. Thirty years ago, Candelaria made regular trips to the Farmington Post Office to check out the newest stamp and to make it part of her extensive collection. Over the years, Candelaria’s passion for stamps hasn’t changed, but her ability to get the latest one is much easier. As a window clerk at the Bloomfield Post Office, she still collects her favorite stamps – and she also sells them. “It was the stamps that got me started (with the Post Office),” Candelaria said. “I kept going in to the Post Office, looking at the new stamps. I loved the history behind each stamp and I think each of them is a work of art.” Candelaria belonged to a stamp club, but the club is no longer active. “Most of the older members have passed away and the young people don’t seem to have an interest in stamps,” she said with a shake of her head. A true philatelist (the fancy word for stamp collectors), Candelaria said stamps offer a history of our country that the older generation has experienced, but is of less interest to younger people. The American Philatelic Society doesn’t encourage people to collect stamps as an investment – the organization supports stamp collecting as a hobby. It does state on its website that “. . . stamp collecting is a better investment than many other hobbies. As stamps are miniature works of art, it’s nearly impossible to collect them without gaining a large amount of knowledge. Stamps also provide a much greater return on your investment than other hobbies.” Candelaria managed to take her love of stamps to another level. “I visited the post office so much that I got to know the people who worked there,” she explained. In fact, she got to know the post office staff so well that when an opening occurred, they encouraged her to apply for it. SUMMER 2016 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 35

“I wanted to learn more about the Post Office,” she said. “In Farmington, I worked nights and weekends. When there was an opening in the Bloomfield Post Office 27 years ago, I took it.” The smaller office in Bloomfield gives Candelaria the opportunity to get to know her customers. “I have the best customers,” she said with a big smile. “They’re so nice. I have some favorites – older people who need help – and I consider Bloomfield to be my family. My customers share stories with me, how they’re feeling, if there’s been a death in the family. I’ve gone to many rosaries and funerals lately. I’m so attached to so many (customers) and it breaks my heart to see them sick or to have lost someone.” Carolyn Smith has known Candelaria for about 35 years. “I worked with Bonnie for a long time and she is the most pleasant person I’ve ever met,” Smith said. “She’s really cheerful and has excellent customer service skills. She’s always cared about the customers and she likes to help them – and she does a great job.” Smith has since retired, but the bond between the two continues to grow. “I go into the post office to see her often,” Smith said. “And we get together several times a year.” “Bonnie really is a good person,” Smith added. “I really enjoyed working with her and I’m glad we’re friends.” Candelaria was the recipient of the Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce Customer Service

Award in 2011. Janet Mackey is the chamber’s President of the Board of Directors. “Bonnie exemplifies customer service,” Mackey said. “You walk in to the Post Office and she is always smiling and greets you by name. She really listens and takes the time necessary to answer your questions. You are never a stranger with Bonnie.” “Bonnie is the complete opposite of what you expect when you go in to the Postal Service,” Mackey added. “We always hear the term ‘going postal,’ but not if Bonnie is involved. She is a kind, caring and empathetic person.” Candelaria has seen many changes in the United States Post Office in the 30 years she’s served. Districts have changed – Farmington was under the Denver district, then fell under Albuquerque, now Phoenix. Bloomfield is in the Phoenix district as well. “We now send everything to Albuquerque, where all the sorting is done by machines,” Candelaria explained. “Those machines don’t call in sick – they just read and sort. All of our mail is now postmarked Albuquerque.” Identity theft has created challenges and many rules and regulations have changed. “Those rules and regulations are hard and fast,” Candelaria said. “We need to see an ID for everything and we don’t give out anything over the phone. It’s a different world we live in (than 30 years ago).” Picking up a package is easier now, though. “We have a parcel locker in the (post office) lobby that is open 24 hours a day, so you

don’t have to come in during regular business hours to get your package.” Candelaria said self-adhesive stamps is a big improvement, and reminds customers that the cost of stamps went down on April 10 – from 49 cents to 47 cents. The future “snail mail” will likely continue to change, but Candelaria said there will always be a need for it. “We love bulk mail,” she said with a laugh. “It’s our bread and butter and it’s job security. We see a lot of bulk mail locally. But now, bulk mail targets an area and the address does not have to be on it, with Every Door Direct Mail.” In spite of her love of her job and her customers, Candelaria is looking forward to retirement. “I think about it,” she admitted, “and maybe I’ll retire soon. I have so much to do – we have real estate investments, a garden that needs work, and in-laws who need some care.” “I’d like to travel, too,” she said. “I haven’t had a vacation in 10 years. I’d like to travel all over the U.S. – especially Las Vegas (Nev.) and back east in the fall, so we can enjoy the history and the fall colors.”

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“It was the stamps that got me started (with the post office).” — Bonnie Candelaria Candelaria’s husband, Elliott, has retired “several times,” she said with a grin. “And he wants me to retire, too.” Elliott said he hopes his wife will retire so they can “do some fun stuff.” “I look forward to retiring,” he said. “Bonnie and I have a lot of common interests, so we can do a lot of things we both enjoy.” Traveling, exploring and spending time together are a benefit of retirement, Elliott added. “But she cares a lot about her customers,” he said of his wife. “She’s pretty dedicated and the Postal Service is fortunate to have her.” With retirement comes more time to do the things Bonnie Candelaria would like to do – spending time with family, traveling – and continuing her love of stamps.

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SUMMER 2016 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 37

Craig and Randi Gjedde bring family fun to downtown Farmington Story by Debra Mayeux Photos by Josh Bishop Family game night took on a whole new meaning in August 2015 when the Gjedde family opened Game Changers Games in downtown Farmington. The storefront at 217 W. Main St. became the only board game parlor in the Four Corners, and it was built by a bond shared between a husband and wife who have been playing games together for two decades. Craig and Randi Gjedde began collecting board games several years ago. “We’ve always played games – even as a couple, before kids,” Randi said. “We started collecting games with the purpose of wanting to open the store,” Craig added.

Not your typical game shop This store, however, is unlike a typical game shop. One wall is covered with more than 500 different board games. In one corner there is a large table with a medieval landscape, built by Craig, for the purpose of playing a dungeon crawl game with miniature characters selected and hand painted by the game players. There is a small coffee bar in another corner, and in the back groups can set up their own adventures for such games as Dungeons and Dragons or 38 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SUMMER 2016

historic miniature battle games, which are Craig’s passion. “We re-enact historic battles with these miniatures,” Craig said, pointing behind the counter, where he has a hand-painted miniature Muslim army from the Crusades, as well as another set of soldiers and mercenaries to battle in the Carthaginian Wars. “It is another aspect of fantasy,” he said. Some people even have re-enacted the Civil War with miniature soldiers. “This is about bringing people together, getting strangers to meet, and making new friends.”

Table top games Craig’s favorite game is Mage Wars, a tabletop game played as two mages battle. They are armed with a variety of spells, including summoning creature attacks, casting enchantments and firing lightning bolts or fireballs at their enemies. Randi’s favorite is the Legend of Drizzt, a dungeon crawl with 49 miniatures. “It is a cooperative game where everybody works together to beat the big monsters,” she said. The most favored game played at Game Changers right now is Frostgrave, with the classic Dungeons and Dragons coming in second.

Dayton Plumb, 17, of Farmington, is at Game Changers nearly every weekend with a group of friends. He plays “to be around good company and good friends and go on the imaginary adventures we long for,” he said, adding the shop is in a great location. Plumb enjoys Dungeons and Dragons with Llyr Biehler, 17, Nick Mayeux, 16, and Jordan James, 16. “I come down here to get out of the house and away from the screaming children,” James said. “Playing Dungeons and Dragons is a way for me to escape my troubles and be someone I could never be.” Mayeux said he has fun “entering a world that is different from the real world, and I'm able be someone else and do it with friends.”

Creativity and imagination Biehler added, “It’s a wonderful way to exercise creativity and imagination.” All four said they enjoy the customer service and welcoming atmosphere of Game Changers. “It’s a great hangout spot, and Craig is a super nice guy and great conversationalist,” Biehler said. This is exactly the feeling the Gjeddes hoped to bring to downtown. They wanted a

business where their three daughters would feel comfortable, and where there was a focus on hospitality. “I worked as a restaurant manager for years,” Craig said. He also managed a bread warehouse in Durango, Colorado. “We wanted to open a game store and bring in the hospitality side of the business. We are approaching it from a customer service point of view.”

Something new for downtown The Gjeddes also wanted to invest in Downtown Farmington, despite the fact that they live in Red Mesa, Colorado. “This is a new concept for Farmington. We wanted to introduce something that had never been seen before,” Craig said. “It’s a good time to get into downtown. There is a renaissance happening (in Farmington) and we wanted to be a part of it.” So every Wednesday through Sunday afternoon the Gjeddes drive into town with their 15-year-old daughter Amarine Gjedde and 9-month-old baby girl Camaryn Gjedde, and they open their doors to families, school groups, business people and friends who want to play games. Camaryn is fondly called “the game changer,” because the shop opened on August 12, 2015, one week after she was born. The couple’s other daughter, Jasmine, 18, also stops in sometimes to help out. “I brag about this place a lot. I think it’s cool that my parents are able to do this,” Amarine said. “They see the issue with people and their technology, and they are doing something about it. It’s about human interaction.” Amarine also loves playing games, and looks forward to the summer months. “Every now and then over the summer I sit down with Dad and learn a new game,” she said with a smile. “I like the miniatures games.”

* Game Changer 57

Cultivating Creativity in kids and community Daniel Fear: Farmington’s first full time coordinator of fine arts Story by Margaret Cheasebro Photos by Whitney Howle From the time Daniel Fear earned his music education degree at New Mexico State University in 1999, he has taught music related courses in the Farmington School District. Today, he is the district’s first full-time coordinator of fine arts. He replaces Les Leach, who was the district’s half-time coordinator of music for many years. The full-time coordinator position includes not only music, but all areas of artistic endeavor. “I think he’s going to do an outstanding job,” said Les. “He’s very well organized. He deals well with people. He’s a positive person. I hired him when I was coordinator of music. I was impressed with him then, and I have had the privilege of watching him mature as a teacher.” Daniel’s position is funded partly from Fine Arts Education Act money that the Farmington school district applies for, and part of it comes from other sources within the district.

Huge growth in music and art “School districts in New Mexico have seen huge growth across the state in elementary music and arts programs because the Fine Arts Education Act gives them money to start music, art, theater and dance programs. It also provides funding to bridge those programs into sixth and seventh grades,” said Amy Summa, arts education coordinator for the Santa Fe Public School District. The Fine Arts Education Act (FAEA) was passed in 2003; since then it has provided the means for school districts all over the state to expand their music, art, theater and dance programs. Districts apply for the money, which is distributed in a complicated formula that is part of the State Equalization Guarantee.

Fine Arts Advisory Council Daniel is in the process of developing a fine arts advisory council made up of teachers, parents,

SUMMER 2016 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 41

community members and various stake holders. “We’ll use that group of people to define how we want arts education to look,” Daniel said. Anyone who would like to be on that council may contact him at 505.599.8611. Besides managing some budgets for professional development, supplies and materials, he also sees himself as a support person for arts education teachers in the community. “I will be able to observe teachers in the classroom, give them feedback on how they’re teaching, and learn from them – because I have a lot to learn on the visual arts side,” he said. “I’ve been a musician all my life.”

Community, schools need stronger bridge The community has a strong arts culture, and the schools have strong arts education programs, he said, “but I don’t think there’s a strong enough bridge between the two yet. I would like to work together to make the

“If we can do this strong enough and well enough, I think there’s an opportunity for arts to impact the economy of the Four Corners,” he said. “It’s always kind of been this underlying thing that we’ve had a really strong arts community here, but if we do it well enough with the right people we could actually make a bigger impact on our economy.”

Daniel plans ahead

community more aware of what’s going on in the schools and let the schools have a better idea of what’s going on in the community.” He wants to develop the arts in the schools and the community so that they become a more viable way for people to make a livable income.

In 2012, Daniel was talking with former Piedra Vista band director Doug Brown about Les Leach’s position and what would happen when Les eventually retired. “Doug told me, ‘You should consider doing that,’” recalled Daniel. “So I had a conversation with Janet Hunter, who at that time was my principal at Heights. I said, “’If this was something that I was to pursue, how would you recommend going about doing it?’” She suggested he get an administration degree. So he enrolled at Eastern New Mexico University and over the next three years earned his master’s degree in administration, graduating in December 2015. He applied for a scholarship through the Connie Gotsch Arts Foundation, which helped him pay for his schooling.

He gets the job In spite of a budget crunch, Farmington School District administrators recognized the importance of a full time coordinator of fine arts and sent out a request for applicants. Daniel applied in March of this year and learned a few weeks later that he had the job. “I was very excited,” he said. He’s impressed that the state of New Mexico is supporting the arts in such a strong way, especially since music has been so important in his life. Born in Ogden, Utah, he moved to Artesia, New Mexico, when he was 5 years old, and grew up there. “I’m pretty much a native New Mexican,” he said. “I tell most people that I was born between the alien crash site (Roswell) and the big hole in the ground (Carlsbad).”

42 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SUMMER 2016

Plays cornet in sixth grade In sixth grade, he began playing the cornet and continued playing it through half of his freshman year in high school. “I was a terrible cornet player,” he said. “I kept signing up for band because I enjoyed being around music, and I enjoyed the social aspect of the people I got to sit with every day and play music with. There were three of us cornet players my eighth grade year who would argue about who was going to sit last chair.” Things changed when a new director of music, Brion Johnston, arrived during his freshman year.

Discovers the tuba “I was suffering through another year of being a bad cornet player,” Daniel related. “We were getting close to winter break, and the director called me into his office. He was a tuba player, and his tuba was sitting in the office. He said, ‘Here, pick it up.’ I picked it up. He said, ‘Play a note.’ So I blew a beautiful, perfectly round, warm concert F. I thought that was pretty cool.

He said, ‘You should switch to tuba.’ So I did. From there, I had a lot more fun playing.” Daniel has played the tuba ever since. When he decided to go to college to get a music education degree, Brion told him what he needed to do and guided him through the process. “He was a very big influence on my life,” Daniel said. “I still talk to him every

now and then.”

Spends five years at NMSU It took him five years to earn his degree at NMSU. “It was five years of marching band, five years of wind ensemble, five years of performing in different university bands in the Las Cruces area,” he said.

SUMMER 2016 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 43

“If we can do this strong enough and well enough, I think there’s an opportunity for arts to impact the economy of the Four Corners.” — Daniel Fear

He met his wife, Andrea, there. They were in marching band together, and she was one of the color guards. Andrea teaches sixth grade gifted classes and sixth, seventh and eighth grade social studies at Heights Middle School. She has coached color guard in Farmington, Bloomfield and Central Consolidated Schools on and off for the last 15 years. Daniel and Andrea have two children, Jazzlyn, 8, a third grader at Mesa Elementary, and Decland, 4, a preschooler at Kidz First. Jazzlyn got her name because her parents love jazz music. “A lot of our best dates in college involved jazz music,” Daniel recalled. “We enjoyed watching the live jazz bands in the Las Cruces area.”

Teaches band in Farmington After Daniel graduated from NMSU, he accepted a job in Farmington teaching band at Heights and Mesa View the last year they were junior high schools. Now they’re both middle schools. “Growing up in Artesia and going to college in Las Cruces, most of my time was always south of Albuquerque,” he said. “The most traumatizing memory of that first year in Farmington was freezing to death. I was extremely cold, and I’d never had a big coat.” For seven years he taught band at both Heights and Mesa View. The second year that Piedra Vista High School was open he also became its assistant band director. Later he added teaching strings at Heights. In 2008 he took the opportunity to teach orchestra and band at Heights all day.

No longer teaching in classroom In his new job as coordinator of fine arts, he will no longer teach in the classroom. “I’m learning as I go,” he said. “The ultimate goal is to increase awareness of the arts education that’s going on in our district and at the community level. I’d like to get it out there at the state level, too. I want Farmington to be recognized as an exemplar and model of arts education around the state. So I’m going to be pushing for that and trying to get people into our area to help our teachers learn how to do that and then push our teachers into other areas so they can show what we’re doing.”

* Fear 63 44 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SUMMER 2016

Strength,

independence

AND “THE BOSS”

Perseverance and love key ingredients in Shannon McConnel-Nygren’s success Story by Dorothy Nobis Photos by Josh Bishop While Shannon McConnel-Nygren owns Aztec Towing, she’s quick to say she’s not the “boss.” That title – although not the responsibility – belongs to a tiny blonde dynamo who happens to be 4-going-on 5 years old, Kinley Sno Nygren, Shannon’s daughter. And anyone visiting Shannon’s office on Sandstone Avenue is aware of who the “boss” is the minute they drive up. Play equipment greets visitors at the entrance and, inside, the presence of a loved child is evident everywhere. Born July 22, 2011, Kinley’s birth followed 46 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SUMMER 2016

the purchase of Aztec Towing in 2010. Shannon and her then-husband, Cody Nygren, ran the business until the couple separated. In 2012, Shannon took over as sole owner.

Owning her own business “Before I took over, I helped run trucks and learned how to load cars,” she said, with a shake of her head. “When I took over, I had four trucks, I dispatched them all, did all the bookkeeping and upkeep of the trucks, released cars and worked 24/7.” “Owning my own business is the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Shannon said. “You

don’t get to put in your eight hours and go home and forget about the day. You worry about everything.” Shannon and Kinley stayed with Shannon’s parents, Jolee and Dennis Arellano. “I was mentally and emotionally spent,” Shannon said. “I worried about how I was going to make the loan payment and how we were going to survive. For two years, I didn’t take a paycheck.”

Family support means everything For Shannon’s mother, watching her daughter go through the struggles of being a single

mother and the owner of a business was heartbreaking. “There were a lot of sleepless nights for Shannon,” Jolee Arellano said. “Nights that she cried all night, worrying and stressing about everything from trucks breaking down to payroll. This was – and is – extremely hard to see your child go through.” “Dennis and I would stay up with her, reminding her that we were there for her and she could do it,” Arellano said. “Nothing is more reassuring than the support of family. We would talk to her about her options and goals. And, most of all, we always remind her to never underestimate the power of prayer.” Shannon’s stepfather, Dennis, has been especially supportive of her daughter, Arellano said. “Dennis is a stepfather, business adviser and mechanic (to Shannon),” Arellano said. “He is also self-employed and owns his own trucks. He knows and understands her fears, the ups and downs, and he knows there is

“I started my daughter in rodeo because I wanted her to learn responsibilities and hard work.” — Shannon McConnel-Nygren light at the end of the tunnel for her. I think he has provided her with a strong sense of security, believing that everything was going to be all right, one way or the other.”

Kickin’ butt and takin’ names Things got better, business improved, and so did Shannon’s mental and emotional state of mind. “I started going to the gym and decided to compete in a bikini competition,” she said. “That took away some of the stress of the business.” “I had 12 weeks to work out and train (for the competition),” she said. “I had a trainer out of Albuquerque who got me ready for the Mid-USA Show (of the National Physique

Competition). There was a lot of bodybuilding involved.” Shannon placed first in her first competition in July of 2015, which gave her the opportunity to compete for her professional competition card. But the mother of the “boss” had other things to do.

Back to her soccer roots “I had stopped coaching high school soccer, and wanted to get back into that,” Shannon explained. “I have played soccer my whole life and played varsity for Bloomfield High School for five years.” Shannon is now the head coach for the BHS girls’ soccer team. Jarley Lopez coaches with Shannon and is a big fan. “Shannon’s brought those kids to a higher” level," Lopez said. “She’s made the kids more disciplined and they have a better attitude. She's a good coach what it takes to be an elite athlete because she's been there. This year was the first year in many years that the team made it to the first round of state competition and it’s because Shannon took them there.” “I enjoy working with her because she's not afraid to ask questions,” Lopez added. "She's an awesome coach and an awesome young woman. I don’t know how she does it, owning her own business, coaching, and”being a mother."

Adding rodeo to the mix Shannon’s talents don’t end in the towing yard, in bikini competition or on the soccer field, however. Shannon also enjoys rodeoing. “Both sides of my family have deep rodeo roots,” Shannon said “My dad was an amazing bull rider and my mom ran barrels. I started to rodeo at 5 (years old), riding sheep. Then, at 9, my parents bought me my first horse, Rocky.” “My mom and my aunt Jeri taught me everything I needed to know about riding. I participated in many Bad Moon Rodeos, San Juan Junior/Senior Rodeos and I can’t forget the many Rez Rodeos that became all of our favorites. The annual rodeo at Nageezi was 48 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SUMMER 2016

SUMMER 2016 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 49

always a blast. They had a food scramble that was so much fun to watch. My older brother got wiped out by a girl going after a bottle of soda!â&#x20AC;? Shannon gave up rodeo when she was 12 to pursue her interest in soccer. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I continued to ride my familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s horses from time to time, but just for pleasure, which is what I do now as well.â&#x20AC;? Riding horses takes her mind off the stress and gives her a break from life, Shannon explained. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I started my daughter in rodeo because I wanted her to learn responsibilities and hard work,â&#x20AC;? she added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wanted her to learn something from me that meant the world to me growing up.â&#x20AC;?

Love and business

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Keeping it all together is easier with the help of her boyfriend, Kory Jensen, Shannon said. Jenson owns Interstate Towing, which just happens to be Aztec Towingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s major competitor. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We work together and heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s awesome,â&#x20AC;? Shannon said of Jensen. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know a soul who works harder than he does. The month I bought the business, all the towing companies had a meeting at McGee Park. Kory came in and I thought â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a rebel if I ever saw one.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? Fierce business competitors, Shannon said Jensen is her best friend and her biggest supporter. While Jensen is a loved member of her inner circle, that circle still includes her exhusband and Kinleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s father. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m very respectful of my ex-husband and his family,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They are outstanding and Cody is a wonderful father. We parent Kinley together and I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ask for a better dad. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always there. Kinley comes first for both of us.â&#x20AC;? Shannon has grown the business and loves the people. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something new every day,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made so many new friends and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve learned so much about people.â&#x20AC;? With two women helping her â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Tanya

enjoying success. “Those women are hard workers and are great to me,” she said. “They’ve been with me through the hard times and they’re great girls.”

Mom lesson: Independence and responsibility But it isn’t just Jensen or Nygren or the Bridges who have made an impact on Shannon. ‘My mom is a huge reason I am the way I am,” she said, her eyes tearing with emotion. “I learned from my mother to pay my bills and be responsible. I learned that your kids always come first, no matter what. I learned that mothers may go without, but their kids never do.” “She taught me to be kind and loving and she gave me a step-dad who is absolutely amazing,” Shannon added. “Shannon has always been strong and independent,” Jolee Arellano said of her daughter. “My mother and sister also played a part in shaping Shannon’s willful attitude. I was

“I admire her so much. She’s a great mother and a great coach and is successful in a business that is made up mostly of men. Shannon can hold her own, though, and I’m so proud of all she’s done and accomplished.” — Erikka Martinez raised to believe that I could accomplish anything I set my mind to, with hard work. I raised my children the same way.” “Words cannot describe the pride I have in Shannon,” Arellano continued. “She is hard working, responsible, compassionate – and she’s the best mother. I am blessed to have her and Kinley in my life. Every day, Shannon makes a difference in someone’s life. She is my rock and is always there for me.” Erikka Martinez has been friends with

Shannon for years and admits she never thought her friend would own a towing company. “I always thought she’d be in administrative work, because that’s what she was doing when I met her,” Martinez said. “She’s very detailed and very organized and I knew she’d be successful in it.” “But I’m not surprised she owns a towing company,” Martinez said with a smile. “It fits her. She’s a hard worker and she’s not afraid to get her hands dirty.” Martinez and Shannon were pregnant at the same time, and Martinez said, with the business and her coaching, it is motherhood that will always be most important to her friend. “I admire her so much,” Martinez said of Shannon. “She’s a great mother and a great coach and is successful in a business that is made up mostly of men. Shannon can hold her own, though, and I’m so proud of all she’s done and accomplished.”

SUMMER 2016 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 51

country music in his soul

Roscoe Hooper has an undying love for radio and Farmington Story by Dorothy Nobis Photos by Whitney Howle Few people love radio the way Roscoe Hooper does. And fewer people have enjoyed the success Hooper has enjoyed. Hooper came to Farmington in 1962 when his then-father-inlaw, Boyd Whitney, was a partner in KRZE and KRAZ radio stations. Hooper was married to Whitney’s daughter, Cheryl, and had worked as a janitor for radio station KRZY in Albuquerque. “I came up here to fish, because I love to fish, and I got looking around and saw a beautiful little town with fishing, hunting, camping and motorcycle riding and I fell in love with Farmington,” he said. “The oil field was rolling then.” Roscoe with legendary country western star Ray Price.

SUMMER 2016 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 53

Whitney and his partner John Burroughs (who was then governor of New Mexico), had seven radio stations, Hooper said. Getting up at 3 a.m. every weekday morning, Hooper hosted a radio show from 4 to 6 a.m. “I was awful,” he said with a laugh, adding that the music he played – which included Merle Haggard, George Jones and Ray Price – made it worth the listener’s time.

Livin’ the dream “I got to live my dream,” Hooper said, sitting comfortably in a chair behind his desk at the American General Media’s sales office on Apache Street. That dream included the disk jockey job, which he loved. However, when he discovered the people in the sales department at the station weren’t getting up before dawn and were making more money than he was, Hooper decided he’d give up the jockey job. “I went into sales,” he said, “because that’s where the money is. I haven’t talked in a microphone in 24 years. I’m done (with on-air work) and I love sales.” Hooper said he was lucky to work with “some of the sharpest radio people I’ve ever known in my life.’’

The radio family Boyd Whitney, Jim Gober, Ken Kendrick and Bob Williams “were more like family, not competitors. I watched them and how they operated, talking to people and how they sold their product.” Gober owned (and still owns) KWYK radio, Kendrick and Williams had KENN radio, and Whitney had KRZE radio.

The truth as he sees it Bill Krueger is a regional director for American General Media and works out of the Farmington station. Krueger said he enjoys his friend because “he always makes me laugh. And he works very hard and is dedicated to his (radio) stations.” “Roscoe speaks the truth as he sees it,” Kruger said. “He has a positive attitude and a couple of funny jokes to share. He loves sales, 54 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SUMMER 2016

and for Roscoe it takes honesty, conviction and hard work. His 50 years of (radio) experience doesn’t hurt!” “Roscoe played great country music (as a disc jockey),” Krueger added. “He was able to choose the songs (he wanted to play) without any corporate interference. What you see in Roscoe is what you get – a very outstanding friend.”

done to its artists what rock music did – you’re just as good as your last record. If you don’t sell (music), you don’t get contracts. It’s all about the money now, not about the music.” Today’s country music artists target the 18 through 35 age group, Hooper said. “Those are the people who go to nightclubs, have parties and spend money,” he said. “It’s not my music, but I’ve learned to open my mind to it.”

Friends for 20 years Don Vaughan, owner of Majestic Media, knew Hooper before Hooper lured him away from the local television station to run KTRA radio. The two have been friends and colleagues for more than 20 years. “If you’re having a bad day, you just call Roscoe,” Vaughan said with a laugh. “You can’t be around him and not laugh. He brings so much energy, humor and life to everything and he is a ball of fire.” Vaughan appreciates Hooper’s abilities as a sales professional, but it is Hooper’s ability to promote events that makes him special, he said. “Roscoe has done more for the promotion of radio in this town than anybody,” Vaughan said. “He’s brought so many concerts and events to Farmington and he’s the greatest promoter radio has ever seen.”

Buddy Holly isn’t country

that remain his favorite. “I love the people who stayed country – Ray Price, George Strait, George Jones, Bob Wills, Buck Owen and Hank Williams – the traditional country boys,” Hooper said. “Country music has

Hooper’s all-time favorite singer, however, didn’t have his roots in country music. “I love Buddy Holly,” he said with a huge smile, adding he’s also a fan of Billy Joel, Elton John and Rod Stewart. While radio stations have moved away from on-air personalities and disc jockeys who spun 45 rpms (revolutions per minute) and 78 rpms, radio was originally designed as a public service to deliver news, Hooper said. “Then someone said ‘we’ve got listeners, let’s advertise’ and everyone went commercial,” he said, and that changed radio forever.

No such word as retirement The word “retirement” doesn’t exist in Hooper’s vocabulary, either, Vaughan said. “Roscoe will never retire because he’s not ‘working’ now,” he said with a smile. “Roscoe loves what he does and he’ll be in radio at some level as long as he lives.” In addition to sales, concerts, country music, family and promotions, Vaughan said Hooper has one other love. “He’s an absolute maniac about dogs,” Vaughan said with a smile. “As long as I’ve known him, he’s had dogs – bull terriers. He loves his dogs!”

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If his love of sales has helped him professionally, it is Hooper’s love of country music that feeds his soul. And while he enjoys most of today’s country music, it is the music of the ‘60s SUMMER 2016 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 55

“I was very fotunate to find this valley with its great fishing and hunting. It’s been a great place for me and my family.” — Roscoe Hooper

It is the ads on radio – and his passion for the music it provides – that keeps Hooper busy and happy at the age of 73.

His passion “I have a great time,” he said. “I love radio and I’m not going anywhere, I can’t stop – it’s my passion. I’m healthy, I have a lovely wife and a fabulous life. I’ve made a few enemies, but not many. A customer has to know you, like you and trust you or they won’t buy your product. That’s why I stay here – I know everybody and everybody knows me.” But it’s not just radio or his customers that makes Hooper happy. “I raised my kids here,” he said. “My kids are great because of their Farmington values and I’m proud of all of them. I could never give back to Farmington what Farmington has given to me.” His children include Cody, Cole, Piper and Lori, and he is also proud of his 14 grandchildren and his three great-grandchildren. “I was very fortunate to find this little valley with its great fishing and hunting,” he added. “It’s been a great place for me and my family.” 56 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SUMMER 2016

Game Changer continued from 39 Sit down at a table and communicate Randi said it is about getting people to sit down at a table and communicate with one another – to make eye contact. “It’s about building community, because the more we use technology the more distance we put between each other,” Craig added. “We are bringing back into focus how much we enjoy each other's company. When you are playing a game of skill you have to be focused on the game and your opponents. There is not time for social media updates and texting.” Randi said, “We had people in here the other day and there was just laughter. … It’s a joy to watch people laugh together.”

Try out games before you buy them The best part of the shop is the opportunity to try out all of these games without having to invest money in buying them. All of the games are available to use for an unlimited amount of time at a flat rate of $4.99 per visit, and it is half off for children 12 and under. The Gjeddes decided to charge a flat rate for unlimited play, because “You can’t kick somebody out when they are in the middle of game,” Craig said. There are a variety of games for all ages and skill levels, including the subject areas of science fiction, fantasy, history, children, family, trivia, strategy and more.

“We have a lot of games that would cost $80 and up, but here you can come in and give them a trial run before deciding to buy them,” Randi said. “If you don’t like it, put it back on the shelf and try another,” Craig added. Game Changers Games is open from 2 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, and from 2 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. The store might have expanded hours in the summer, and the Gjeddes also hope to add a full-service coffee bar with sandwiches and pastries in the near future. For more information about Game Changers Games, stop in at 217 W. Main St., or call, 505.330.8479.

SUMMER 2016 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 57

Coffee and conversation help Joe and LeAnna Lloyd make a difference in peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives Ben Brashear Story and photos Imagine for a moment your earliest memories of drinking coffee. How deeply are your emotions connected to that instance? Your sense of camaraderie or community? Feel the way the ceramic mug warmed your hands as you watched the steam rise languid into the early morning bustle of the kitchen or as that dark liquid flowed like the late night conversation with loved ones. Think back to how each sip carried with it the aroma of hazelnut or cinnamon paired with the whispered undertones of raw soil or even chocolate. Can you feel in that moment, in your memory, what coffee

58 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SUMMER 2016

meant to you? What it still means to you? For Joe and LeAnna Lloyd, owners and proprietors of Durango Joe’s Coffee, it was significant enough for them to change the entire course of their lives. “I can remember,” LeAnna said, recalling the cup of coffee that changed the rest of her and Joe’s lives.” We walked by the Art Institute in downtown Seattle with a couple of friends and we came across a coffee cart and the guy asked Joe if he wanted a latte. It was Joe’s first latte and I could see it in his eyes, the way they lit up,

and I knew that it was going to cost me.” Joe had spent most of his youth growing up in Montana, relocating from town to town as his father Leo senior moved with his work at JC Penney. Eventually the family would make their move to Washington state where Joe was an All American football player in high school. He had the talent to play professionally, but with two ACL surgeries Joe was no longer able to play football and went on to attend Northwestern University where he and LeAnna would later meet.

LeAnna marvels at the intricacies of her life’s path and how things have ultimately lined up to create the life she and Joe now live. “None of this should have happened,” she said, gesturing with her hands spread wide, sweeping them through the air of her office at Durango Joe’s headquarters, “It’s as though God parted the heavens to make it all come together.” LeAnna left her childhood home and family in Oregon to attend Northwestern University and, as the fates would have it, she also happened to be employed at the same

SUMMER 2016 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 59

JC Penney that Leo senior was managing. “It’s interesting to see all of the connections,” LeAnna said. Joe and LeAnna, during their time in Washington, both cultivated a passion for community and for the youth of the area. They developed a youth advocacy program that catered to over

%%% $"" & 60 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SUMMER 2016

200 area teens. Joe would also provide the foundation for several citywide youth-centered events that would draw in crowds numbering over 1,000 teens at a time. The couple was passionate for their community but when LeAnna asked Joe if there was anything that was missing, anything that he longed to do, he

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simply replied that it was coffee. He still wanted to impact the lives of his surrounding community; he just wanted it to be ministered one cup of coffee at a time. With their affinity for the coffee culture beginning to take shape during the rise of the sit-down coffee shop and the revolution that was Starbucks, Joe recognized how the entire paradigm was taking precedent of what coffee was and to what societal purpose the coffee house could serve. It was a role into which he and LeAnna had to invest themselves. The coffee house was, in Joe’s mind, the hub of society. It was a neutral territory where people could come in to debate religion and politics, to celebrate or to mourn, no matter one’s sexual orientation, political view, or religion – Catholic, Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, or what. “We saw that coffee culture and appreciated the craft, but we saw it as something that provided a platform to be able to make a difference in people’s lives,” he said. “That’s what I love about the sit-down coffee shop – you get so many people. At any point in time you’ll have senior citizens, moms with kids, the business guy, the guy that stayed up all night still curled up asleep in the corner – just an eclectic variety of people,” Joe said. Joe’s parents and siblings had made the move from Washington back to the family’s old stomping grounds of Durango, Colorado, some years earlier, making it somewhat easier for what was to come next in Joe and LeAnna’s life. The couple decided to do what any rational couple with two young children and a vision would do – they took a massive leap of faith. They sold their house and everything they owned, deciding then and there that the Desert Southwest would become their home and the place of what would be the first Durango Joe’s Coffee. “I had a friend from college that started a coffee business, Dutch Brothers Coffee. I saw that and I knew what was possible, but I knew that I had to get out of the Northwest; there was just too much competition,” Joe laughed. Once arriving in Durango, the family faced difficulty getting settled and finding a place to

live. They were also met with the hardship of finding an affordable place to grow their business. For their first year in the area they lived in Bayfield, Colorado, with Joe’s parents, until they landed their first big break – a home for Durango Joe’s. It was a small buildingon College Avenue, once a 7-2-11 where Joe had shopped as a kid, and it was up for rent. The building was built and owned by the Frazers, a local Farmington, New Mexico, family – and, according to Joe, it was the perfect spot for a coffee shop. Joe’s zeal and vision, however, met with some resistance. “I called Bonnie Frazer, who owned the building, saying that I wanted to rent it, and she said, ‘Well, what do you do?’ “I said ‘Well, I am going to sell coffee.’ “And she says, ‘Oh my goodness no! You’re not going to make it. Young man, if that’s all we sold from our 7-2-11 we’d be broke,’” Joe laughed remembering the tough facade Bonnie presented. “She offered the place to me for $1,500 a month knowing that it was a good deal and would help me out, but she played like it was a lot. She didn’t want me to know that she was giving me a good deal. There was no contract. She never raised the rent, and for ten years it was all on a handshake. You don’t see that anymore,” Joe said. Their adventure wasn’t magic and the fairytales of a Tony Robbins miracle after that handshake, though; it was simply the beginning of what was going to be a rewarding yet difficult time, full of hurdles met headlong with a strict dedication to hard work. Joe argues that success does not come about whether we deserve it or not, that we are not entitled to career or financial successes without putting in a substantial effort.

LeAnna shared that very same work ethic Joe possessed as she ran the coffee bar and worked as assistant, helping with orders and payroll, all the while taking care of the two kids who would do their homework at the coffee shop before and after school. “I’ve done every job here, right down to the employees mopping the floor. I actually slept here in this room,” Joe said of the community room located at the flagship store. “For the first 3 or 4 years I assisted and managed. I was a barista and I closed. Back then I was probably one of the best non-profits in town,” he joked. It wasn’t until the recession of 2007 to 2009 hit that Joe had to take a hard look at the viability of his business. They were doing marketing and logo design on napkins and business operations had several holes in it where money was leaking out. The company at the time had been paired up with the then new local roaster, Desert Sun Roasters of Durango, Colorado, which, Joe says, was great. The two companies even contemplated a partnership, but they soon had to part ways because, as Joe said, “Each of their babies was too young to let them go.” It was going to take a major rebranding for Durango Joe’s to bring in a profit, Joe said. So, they partnered with Dillano Roasters of Sumner, Washington, which shared similar community-oriented principles alongside offering marketing and business assistance to independent coffee shops, plus coffee that originated from organic fair trade farms. Joe has been to over 85 percent of the coffee farms from which he sources his coffee beans. “It’s called going to origin,” he said. Doing so has allowed him to cultivate relationships with the farmers and to get a broader sense of a world community. It allows him to recognize the greater impact his business has on the vast number of people and communities involved to produce the coffee that he sells. “Unfortunately, the coffee industry is a crooked industry,” he said. “It’s the second highest traded commodity on the market next to oil, so you can imagine that there is a lot of corruption. If you don’t intentionally go out of your 62 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SUMMER 2016

way to do the right thing you are essentially turning a blind eye, and we intentionally go out of our way to do the right thing by paying them (the farmers) a fair wage. We want to take care of everyone all the way from the bean to the cup,” he said. And that is exactly how far Joe’s philanthropic gestures extend, from the farmers growing his coffee beans to the deep roots within his local community that, if Joe’s 10 plan reaches its goal of 20 stores within Colorado and New Mexico, will be quite extensive. “If you want to pull on our heart strings,” he said, “just mention anything to do with helping kids.” The company donates to the Boys and Girls Club, helps fund area churches and missions and

the Rotary Club, assists with local scholastic fundraisers and auctions, and gives teachers a discount on their purchases. They even have hosted a community Thanksgiving at their flagship store and offer up the community room to groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. “Life’s tough and there are a lot of people who really get beat up by life and we are here for them,” LeAnna said as she recalled one customer who approached her with tears in his eyes as he thanked her for Durango Joe’s hosting the AA meetings. “He said that if it weren’t for us he’d probably be dead,” she said. That’s a powerful shot of espresso to contemplate on the major influence that passionate and community-oriented people can have. It’s an impact that Joe and LeAnna hope to continue to exert for many more years to come. When asked what Joe plans to do with the business after he meets his 10-year goal he simply laughed. He might hand it over to his kids if they want to run the business, he might sell it, or he just might continue to work. “My kids have witnessed this business for the last 13 years so they know what it takes, what goes into this business. I don’t know if we have intrigued them or scared them away, we’ll see what happens,” He said, “maybe I’ll end up like my father and just keep working until I am 79 years old. I can see that happening,” he laughed.

Landon continued from 20 came up, when those valleys formed, what processes were involved.”

Gets master’s degree at age 47 She graduated with her master’s degree in sedimentology and paleontology in December 2000 at the age of 47. “I had offers for a Ph.D.,” she said, “but I felt at my age I needed to get a job where what I know could make a difference.” She took a job with the Geological Society of America. One project took her to Kayenta, Arizona, where big chunks of sandstone were splaying off the ceilings of alcoves that housed ancient Anasazi dwellings. “This area was so different from Montana!” she exclaimed. “There’s so little water. But being educated in sedimentology, all we have here is sediment, no hard rock down here. A lot of fossils. It was great.” She also worked for the Institute of Energy Research at the University of Wyoming. The job opportunity with the BLM presented itself in 2003.

Fear

continued from

Ready for new adventure “Everybody thought I was crazy leaving Montana,” she said, “but I was ready for a new adventure and the type of geology and paleontology here. I work on projects that are really rewarding, and they have been ever since I started here.” She also loves to hunt and fish. Hunting gives her an excuse to explore different parts of the state and their geology. Sometimes she goes to southern Texas to catch gar fish. “I drive everybody nuts in the boat when I get one,” she said. “To be able to fish for something that goes that far back in the fossil remains is truly amazing. You’re going back a hundred million years or so, and they hardly have changed since then.” When she catches one, she turns it loose after taking a picture of it.

Helps with sister’s volunteer projects Her youngest sister, Andrea Landon, lives with her. Sherrie has gotten involved with

some of Andrea’s volunteer projects that include collecting items such as clothes, blankets and jackets for people in need and delivering them. “She does the heavy lifting, and I do the organizing,” said Andrea. “She’s the best sister ever.” Andrea is impressed by how Sherrie cares about the community. “Anybody can call the BLM, and she will return their calls,” Andrea said. “She’ll meet with them and show them where to go or what to do. She’s an advocate for the paleo resources. She always makes time for anybody, especially kids.”

Loves clean mountain air Besides helping people understand the amazing paleo resources in the area, Sherrie also loves to spend time outdoors. She enjoys clean mountain air, the kind she breathed when she was a guide for outfitters. “To this day,” she said, “I have to go the mountains to recharge.”

As a musician, he’s active in the community. He plays tuba with Celebration Brass at the First United Methodist Church, and he plays in both the Freedom Days Kismah Brass Band and Southwest Civic Winds, a regional community concert band. He was the featured tuba soloist in the February concert of the San Juan College Band. He also has worked with the Farmington High School band at the invitation of band director Chris Argotsinger. He has assisted the new San Juan College band director, Dr. Teun Fetz, during a couple of rehearsals. He’s trying to build relationships with as many artistic groups as he can.

help me get better as a teacher and help my students get better as musicians.” Farmington has been a strong sports community for many years, but some of the same kids who are successful in sports are also successful in music at school. “We need to keep nurturing and fostering the ability for the kids to do both,” Daniel said. “Friday night they’ll go to the symphony concert, and Saturday morning they’ll be at the soccer field.”

Art is worth paying for

Gives good feedback “Every time he’s worked with my kids, he’s given me good feedback that is easy to communicate to the kids, and they pick it up quickly,” said Chris. “I’ve always liked work-

ing with Daniel. He’s professional and positive. He always has something to say that will

Traditionally, people in fine arts do not get well compensated, but Daniel hopes to have a positive impact on that. “My focus isn’t going to necessarily be on how much we’re making,” he said. “It’s going to be on educating the students to knowledgably consume the art that’s out there and to ultimately realize that it’s worth paying for.” SUMMER 2016 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 63

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Coolest Things TAKE IT OUTSIDE!

Summer’s coming and its time for you and your kids to enjoy the great outdoors. So pry the game controllers and cell phones out of their hands and send them outside. Many of us have fond memories of playing outside until dark in the summer. Over the past few years there has been a lot of research about kids and outdoor play, and the general consensus seems to be: they don’t get enough of it. Besides the health benefits it gives kids an opportunity to discover things with all their senses and use their imagination. Not to mention the interaction with other children. Below are some items for you and your kids that are great for outdoor activities.

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ramming speed

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THis one’s a liTTle sHady

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sombrilla Beach shade Big Time Toys sumo Bumper Boppers poof pop Fly www.thegrommet.com or Toys R Us, eBay, amazon eBay, amazon, Walmart, Toys R Us www.hayneedle.com The ultimate 2016 summer collection by While this toy doesn’t require your kids to Poof Pop Fly is a great learning tool for Hollie & Harrie provides effective beach be outdoors, it works best outdoors bethose with baseball aspirations. It’ll help shade and sun protection for you and your cause you need a lot of room (unless you them practice their throwing and catching, family. These sun smart beach products inwant to break stuff in your house). Your as they have to throw the beanbags at the clude the stylish Sombrilla, an ideal alterkids can put these Sumo Bumper Bopper- paddle in order to get a pop fly thrown into native to the common beach tent, the son and bump into each other as much as the air. It’s great for practicing hand/eye must-have Sunshirt, protecting your chilthey’d like. The objective of the game is to coordination, and it’s just generally fun. dren’s delicate skin from the burning sun knock your dog out of the circle. They’re $28.37 and the gorgeous Hammamas Turkish made to protect your kids as they fall and beach towel, completing your kit this sumroll all over the ground, and they’ll have mer. Enjoy our Sombrillas at the beach, endless amounts of fun. use them as a cubby in the backyard, take $14.99 them camping or on a picnic. The options are endless. $168 64 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SUMMER 2016

Be a summer swinger!

Cacoon Tree Hanging Tent www.cacoonworld.com Bored of the usual pitch up tents? Keep falling out of your hammock? Meet Cacoon the tree hanging tent. This versatile outdoor pod can be hung from anywhere for you to relax, take a siesta or even sleep in. A single Cacoon pod packs down to a portable 20cm x 70cm for you to take to festivals or out in the woods on your camping trips. It's like your own little nest in the trees, where you can have a bird’s eye view of nature. Available in a wide variety of colors. $200

6 5

7 5

8 WalkING refIllS

Backpack drink dispenser www.rocketman.com and amazon

GO INTO THe lIGHT, all are WelCOme!

TONy STark NeedS mOre pOWer

NOW SHOWING – in your backyard

Iron man mark V armor Suitcase mobile Inflatable outdoor movie screen Solar-powered Inflatable light Battery Charger Target, Amazon, WalMart www.gizmag.com or www.amazon.com www.amazon.com, www.thinkgeek.com Ideal for outdoor gatherings, music festiand www.ebay.com Enjoy a theater-like movie watching expevals, and sport events, the ingenious Tail- If you’re looking for a smart and sustainrience in your backyard with the Airblown gater Dual Tank Backpack Drink Dispenser able source of light for your next advenA unique Marvel-inspired gadget, the Iron deluxe outdoor widescreen inflatable allows you to kick off the party by pouring ture, look no further than LuminAID. After Man Mark V Armor Suitcase Mobile Fuel movie screen. Watch your favorite movies, mixed drinks for friends and family straight 6-7 hours of charging in the sun, this inno- Cell comes equipped with a12,000 mAh TV shows, family videos and slideshows from your backpack. vative inflatable lamp produces up to 16 battery capacity, helping you power your on its 16:9 screen to feel the larger-than$39.95 hours of LED light. It’s portable, watermobile devices on the go. The charger is life effect. It self-inflates with a built-in fan proof, inflates to 8.5 x 0.2 x 12.2 inches, compatible with most smartphones and to become a wide, full-size, 12-foot-high movie screen in a few seconds. Plus, it measures only 5 x 3 x 0.25 inches when any other USB-compatible gear, and its folded; weighs under 2.9 ounces two USB ports allow you to charge two de- comes with stakes, tethers, and a spare $19.95 vices simultaneously. fuse and AC adapter for quick set-up. A storage bag is included for convenience. $94.99 $169 to $1,000 depending on size SUMMER 2016 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 65

ADVERtISERS DIRECtORy Animas Credit Union ........................................19 2101 E. 20th St., 3850 E. Main St. Farmington, N.M. 505-326-7701 405 W. Broadway Inside Farmer’s Market Bloomfield, N.M. www.animascu.com

Four Corners Community Bank. ........................54 Six Convenient Locations Farmington • Aztec • Cortez NM 505-327-3222 CO 970-564-8421 www.TheBankForMe.com

PMS................................................................48 1001 West Broadway Ave., Suite E Farmington, NM 505-327-4796 www.pmsnm.org

Reliance Medical Group ...........................32 & 56 Highlands University .......................................49 3451 N. Butler Avenue 505-566-3552 Farmington, N.M. Arlon L. Stoker................................................24 nmhu.edu/farmington 505-566-1915 2713 E. 20th St. 1409 West Aztec Blvd. Farmington, N.M. Jack O. Smalley, DDS........................................67 Aztec, N.M. 505-326-0404 505-334-1772 2650 E. Pinon Frontage Rd., #300 www.stokerlaw.net www.reliancemedicalgroup.com Farmington, NM 505-327-3331 Basin Home Health..........................................43 www.smile42day.com ReMax of Farmington ........................................7 505-325-8231 108 N. Orchard Ave. www.basinhomehealth.com Kitchen and Bath Artworks...............................50 Farmington, N.M. 505-324-8269 505-327-4777 7525 E. Main St. www.basincoordinated.com www.remax.com Farmington, NM 505-860-8166 Beehive Homes ...............................................55 Sage Meadow Realty .......................................44 400 N. Locke, 508 N. Airport Kozi Homes ......................................................4 920 NE Aztec Blvd. Farmington, N.M. Aztec, N.M. 4301 Largo St. Suite F 505-427-3794 505-334-4148 Farmington, NM 87402 www.sagemeadowproperties.com 505-327-9039 Budget Blinds ...................................................2 825 N. Sullivan, Farmington, N.M. Magic Roofing.................................................60 Smiles 4 Kids ..................................................26 505-324-2008 1206 E. Murray Farmington, N.M. 505-592-0226 Farmington, NM Desert Hills Dental Care.....................................5 505-324-1094 2525 E. 30th St. Southwest Obstetrics and Gynecology ..............51 www.magicroofing.com Farmington, N.M. 634 West Pinon 505-327-4863 Millennium Insurance ........................................3 Farmington, NM www.deserthillsdental.com 2700 Farmington Ave., Building A 505-325-4898 www.Southwest-OBGYN.net Desert View Family Counseling ........................31 Farmington, NM 505-325-1849 6100 E. Main St. Sun Glass........................................................36 www.millnm.com Farmington, NM 602 West Main Street 505-326-7878 Morgan Stanley/Ron Dalley..............................20 Farmington, N.M. www.desertview.org 505-327-9677 4801 N. Butler, Suite 14-101 www.sunglassfarmington.com Employee Connections ....................................15 Farmington, N.M. 505-327-6201 2901 E. 20th St. www.morganstanleyfa.com/ronald.dalley Farmington, NM SunRay Gaming ...............................................15 505-324-8877 No Worries Sports Bar & Grill ...........................21 On Hwy 64. www.ecistaffing.com Farmington, N.M. At the Airport 505-566-1200 Farmington Civic Center...................................57 Farmington, NM 505-436-2657 Farmington, NM Uniform Kingdom ............................................18 505-599-1148 Orthopedic Associates PA................................27 910 San Juan Blvd. www.fmtn.org/sandstone Farmington, NM 2300 E. 30th St., D-10 Farmington CVB ..............................................13 Farmington, NM 505-564-4990 Farmington, NM www.myuniformshop.com 505-327-1400 www.farmingtonnm.org www.oa-pa.com Vernon Aviation ..............................................14 Farmington Family Dentistry............................42 Partners Assisted Living..................................25 1080 W. Navajo, Hanger 11 703 N. Dustin Avenue Farmington, N.M. 313 N. Locke Ave. Farmington, NM 505-564-9464 Farmington, N.M. 505-564-9700 www.vernonaviation.com 505-325-9600 www.myfarmingtondentist.com www.partnerassistedliving.com Ziems Ford .....................................................37 Pinon Hills Community Church..........................68 5700 E. Main 505-325-4541 Farmington, N.M. www.pinonhillschurch.com 505-325-8826 66 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SUMMER 2016