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fromtheeditor: Connection is the whole shooting match I was watching a show on television the other day about what it means to be happy and what the ingredients are for a happy and purposeful life. One quote really stuck with me. A professor that was part of the Harvard Grant Study said, “It’s a little cliché, but no one we ever talked to has said ‘I sure wish I had spent more time at work’ when we were talking to them about things they wished they had accomplished in their lives.” The study, conducted over the course of many decades, followed the lives of real people from childhood until old age, in order to see how they changed and what they learned. The 75-year study found that the first key to a fulfilling life is love. “It may seem obvious, but that doesn’t make it any less true: Love is key to a happy and fulfilling life,” and added, “There are two pillars of happiness. One is love and the other is finding a way of coping with life that does not push love away." I could have told him that just from reading all the stories we’ve done during the last five years we have been publishing Majestic Living. Every story we’ve ever done on any one of great people in our area involved finding a path to love. Regardless of how any of the people in our magazine started out their lives, they found a way to be happy through doing what made them happy and, most times, doing something that helped others. This issue is no exception. Where you are in your life when you read this will be the determining factor as to whether or not you believe it. When I was young, I would have told you money and success were the most important. But as I get older, I find the years go by faster and faster, and the less I’m interested in doing things that don’t make me happy. The people in this issue are all from different walks of life, different cultures and different age groups. Their paths, careers and life choices have all been different, but they have all come to the same resolution as the guy discussing the Harvard study. "The conclusion of the study, not in a medical, but in a psychological sense, is that connection is the whole shooting match."
Cindy Cowan Thiele
Follow us on
@MajesticMediaUS
majesticmediaUSA
publisher Don Vaughan managing editor Cindy Cowan Thiele staff photographer Tony Bennett, Josh Bishop designers Suzanne Thurman, Jennifer Hargrove,
Michael Billie
MAGAZINE Celebrating the Lifestyle, Community and Culture of the Four Corners Vol. 6, No.1 ©2013 by Majestic Media. Majestic Living is a quarterly publication. Our next issue will publish in November. 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.
Cover photo Comments 6 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2013
writers
Debra Mayeux, Lauren Seip, Margaret Cheasebro Dorothy Nobis, Vicky Ramakka sales staff
DeYan Valdez, Shelly Acosta, Aimee Velasquez For advertising information
Call 505.516.1230 Paul Stewart photographed by Tony Bennett
Majestic Living welcomes story ideas and comments from readers. E-mail story ideas and comments to editor@majesticmediausa.com.
WINTER 2013 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 7
contributors
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.
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. she and her husband live near Aztec.
LAureN seiP is a recent graduate of the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the university of oklahoma. she received her bachelor’s degree in print journalism with a minor in international studies. While in college, seip was a reporter at the university newspaper, the oklahoma Daily, and interned in Washington, D.C. as a communications intern at the National Petrochemical and refiners Association. originally from Dallas, texas, she moved to Farmington days after graduating from college and has fallen in love with the area. seip enjoys traveling, writing, and cheering on her alma mater. booMer sooNer!
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, has been a frequent contributor to New Mexico Magazine.
toNy beNNett grew up in Farmington. he received his bachelor’s degree in photography from brooks institute. he owned and operated a commercial photography studio in Dallas for over 20 years. he was also team photographer for the Dallas Cowboys for 10 years. Now back in Farmington, tony wants to bring his many years of photo experience to photographing families, weddings, events, portraits, and more, to his hometown………and sKi ! he teaches at san Juan College.
ViCKy rAMAKKA is retired from san Juan College where she directed programs and taught teacher education courses. Vicky and her husband reside north of Aztec, where she does free-lance technical writing. Vicky says she meets the most fascinating people in the Four Corners area, and finds them always willing to share their expertise during interviews. she enjoys photographing the flora and fauna that reside in her ‘backyard’ which she considers any place within a mile walk. she is on the board of Directors of the Aztec Museum and volunteers with the citizens’ steering committee to raise funds for a new animal shelter. Josh bishoP is a recent 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.
Majestic Living Magazine is online! Log on to www.majesticlivingusa.com and click on the cover to access an online digital version of our magazine! WINTER 2013 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 8
WINTER 2013 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 9
winterfeatures: 12
Somebody’s got to do it
The patriarch of the Dallas Cowboys has the walls of his home covered with photos taken by Farmington’s Tony Bennett. By Debra Mayeux
18 A path to a better community
Everyone is put on this Ear th for a reason. Dr. Matthew deKay was put here for several. By Debra Mayeux
22
Who needs a plan?
Allen and D’rese Sutherland knew operating their own farm was a dream of theirs after growing up around ranching and farming families and craving to continue that legacy. By Lauren Seip
34
Burbridge’s path to leadership
When this young mother moved to Aztec following her husband’s job in the oil field, she never imagined that she Watching kids ‘get it’ would become mayor and a From the time she was 4 leader in the Four Corners years old, Kathi Stanford wanted to be a teacher. Along Economic Development the way, people discouraged organization. By Vicky Ramakka her, but she eventually found her way back to her first love.
26
By Margaret Cheasebro 10 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2013
38
Sorrel Sky Gallery
Shanan Campbell Wells grew up surrounded by ar t and culture. It has been no surprise that her career path would consist of running a gallery and art consulting business. By Debra Mayeux
50
See the world
For many, the idea of seeing the ruins of Rome, the countryside of Ireland, and Harry Potter’s London is exciting. Traveling in a foreign country can be intimidating, however, and without a guide or travel companions those ideas may always remain just ideas. By Dorothy Nobis
44
54
Sharing bluegrass
Members of Chokecherry Jam play together because they love bluegrass music and want to share it with others.
Support, guidance and training
She is a teacher, a mentor and a cop. Michelle Delese is the supervisor of Farmington’s six School Resource Officers.
By Margaret Cheasebro
60
Weaving work with heritage
When Esther Willetto looks out at the Bisti Wilderness, she sees more than interesting rock formations and fossils from long ago.
By Debra Mayeux
By Dorothy Nobis
64
Strength and spirit
After a roadside bomb in Iraq severed Jeff Roger’s right arm when he was 21, his life changed dramatically. But he didn’t let that stop him. By Debra Mayeux
68
Sharing joy
All the children at Farmington’s Ladera Elementary school love Mr. Paul. He is a teacher, a mentor and an all-around jolly guy, but there is much more to this 28-year-old education assistant. By Debra Mayeux
74
Together in spirit
If you call Glenn and Chris Perica “powerful,” they will exchange an uneasy look, shift slightly in their chairs and pause while they each collect their thoughts. By Dorothy Nobis WINTER 2013 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 11
Somebody’S got to do it As Jerry Jones’ photographer, Bennett’s photos part of Dallas Cowboy history Story by Debra Mayeux Photos by Tony Bennett The patriarch of the Dallas Cowboys has the walls of his home covered with photos taken by Farmington’s Tony Bennett. Jerry Jones hired Bennett in 1990 to work as official photographer for the organization. His job – taking photos of Jones and his guests during some of the greatest moments in Cowboys’ history. “It was all strictly internal for the 12 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2013
family,” said Bennett, who recently spent a week in Dallas contributing some 40,000 photographs to the Cowboys’ digitization process. “The Cowboys are digitizing every document in Cowboys history – documents, photos, film,” Bennett said. His photos are a part of that history, documenting the owner’s reaction to Super Bowl wins, which brought a sort of in-
stant popularity to America’s team. “I had an unusual job for them to photograph people – visitors and guests of the ownership,” Bennett explained, sitting outside the San Juan College Henderson Fine Arts Center, where he proudly wore his Cowboys ball cap and reminisced about the many celebrities and dignitaries he met in a decade’s work.
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Bennett began his work for Jones by happenstance. He was a season ticketholder and received an invitation to travel with the team to Tokyo. The Cowboys were set to play the Oilers in the American Bowl. The cost was exorbitant, but Bennett had an idea. He asked a friend who worked in the Cowboys’ offices to present an idea to the ownership – Bennett would travel with the team to Tokyo and document the entire event on film. “We got back. They got the film and they loved it,” Bennett said. There were personal photos of Jones and his family, and Jones loved it so much he hired Bennett to begin documenting the Cowboys’ story from behind the scenes. “I worked there a year and they started winning,” he said. “We won our first Super Bowl, and we won big. After that every politician or celebrity wanted to be at the games.” The Jones family was from Little Rock, Ark., and suddenly they were being recognized for Cowboys’ success. “They were getting all of these pictures with celebrities,” Bennett said. The walls of the Jones family home are covered with photos by Bennett, and those photos were never released to the media. “What they loved about it was they were getting personal photographs of the family,” he said. The photos came from various locations and various times in the Cowboys’ history. Bennett shot photos in the owner’s suite at the games. He visited homes of dignitaries and attended victory celebrations. Bennett even had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with Nelson Mandela, as he visited with people before and after a Cowboys’ game. “He loved the Cowboys,” Bennett said. Celebrities included Charlton Heston and Mohammed Ali. Bennett also visited the home of a Saudi Arabian ambassador, who was a “huge Cowboys fan.” Bennett even had an opportunity to visit the White House three times, one of which he spent in the Oval Office with President Bill Clinton. The first two White House visits were in the East Wing, Bennett explained. The last one was when Jones took his family along with Emmet
Smith and Troy Aikman to visit the White House. Bennett was along to memorialize the event on film. “We were standing in the White House, when President Clinton came along,” Bennett said. The president took them through a side door and they were standing in the Oval Office. “We visited and he told us stories about being president.” Bennett said it was all about the experience. “It’s something you don’t think you’ll ever get to do. I was a kid from Farmington, New Mexico, standing in the Oval Office with the presi-
dent.” From the White House and back to Dallas and all over the world, Bennett shot photos of the Jones family, but he also became friends with the players. Dion Sanders hired Bennett to take family photos. “He is the nicest man,” Bennett said. Charles Haley asked Bennett to photograph the cover shot for his book, All the Rage: The Life of an NFL Renegade. The next step for Bennett was to photograph the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders for their annual calendars. The woman had been shooting their calendars at a swimming pool in Dallas, but
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Bennett had a better idea. He asked a travel agent friend to sponsor a trip for the cheerleaders to Jamaica. Bennett traveled with them and shot the calendar. When one of the Dallas cheerleaders moved to the Miami Dolphins, she presented to her team the idea of an exotic photo shoot, and Bennett was hired to photograph the Dolphins Cheerleaders, as well. This led Bennett also to photograph the calendars for the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots Cheerleaders, culminating in annual trips to exotic locations for photo shoots with some of the world’s most beautiful woman. The real story, however, was that the Cowboys organization was and continues to be a family business. “They really include the family” said Diane Bennett, Tony’s wife. She had an opportunity to attend three Super Bowls, go on the field with her brother, and even take a trip to London with the Cowboys. continued on page 78
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A
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Matt & Jeanette deKay help those less fortunate build a better life Story by Debra Mayeux Photos by Tony Bennett Everyone is put on this Earth for a reason. Dr. Matthew deKay was put here for several. deKay is a physician who helps peoples’ bodies, minds and souls. His work in this community reaches far outside the walls of Mesa Family Practice on Farmington Avenue. Most recently he has been the driving force behind the Four Corners Foundation, which is building transitional housing and homeless shelter in Farmington. deKay moved his family to Farmington 18 years ago. He and his wife, Jeanette were lifelong residents of Colorado. The high school
r e t t e b a to y t i n u m com
sweethearts grew up in strong Catholic families in Ignacio, Colo. Matt had 10 brothers and sisters. Jeanette had nine siblings. When they graduated from high school, she went on to study business and finance, and secured a job in Denver at First Bank. Matt studied at Creighton University, where he received his bachelor’s degree and began his medical studies. The young couple was separated by distance, but not heart, while he studied medicine. They carried on a longdistance marriage for two years, when Matt decided to move to Denver and WINTER 2013 | MAJESTIC LIVING |19
finish his degree in medicine at the
fit for us and the smaller communities
couples,” Matt said. “I knew I wanted to do
University of Colorado.
around Durango were not a fit,” she said.
something to help them.”
While he studied, Jeanette worked her
“Farmington made sense for us size-wise and
way up in the bank. By the time Matt was
it has a beauty we have come to appreciate.
nearly a decade. He presented the idea of a
ready to open a medical practice, she was a
It’s a different kind of beauty – the sunsets
shelter to Jeanette 10 years ago, when their
senior vice president at First Bank. She
and the people.”
four children were still young. “I looked at
decided to leave the job and become a full-time mom. The deKays looked at various locations
There is a large Catholic community here and that also worked for the deKays. Matt is a devout Catholic and is a spiritual man. He
He considered different options for
him and said, ‘I am raising babies,’” Jeanette said. Matt continued to think about a way to
throughout Colorado to set up Matt’s
attends Mass each day and regularly visits
help the homeless population, and when he
practice, but when they visited Farmington
the Blessed Sacrament, or Body of Christ in
brought the plan up again in 2009,
something resonated with them.
adoration, a devotion to and worship of
Jeanette was ready. “Our youngest was 6
Jesus who is present body, blood, soul and
and in school, so I said, ‘Let’s do it,’” she
divinity in the consecrated host.
said, adding Matt has a good sense of
“I told Jeanette this was the place,” he said. Part of the decision was made because at the time there were 120 doctors
He also served for a number of years on
timing and thinks things through.
practicing in Durango, while Farmington only
the board of Catholic Charities in
had 65 doctors. The other part was the
Farmington. It was there that he became fa-
known it is morally grounded,” Jeanette
spirituality of Farmington.
miliar with the more than 900 homeless
said. “He’s always made good business
Jeanette was not sure of Farmington,
people of San Juan County. “I got to see
decisions. … You cannot train someone to
when Matt first suggested it. “I loved the
the experiences of street people, not just
be that intuitive, and I’ve always thought
beauty of Colorado, but Durango was not a
inebriates, but men, women, families and
that makes him wise.”
“He has a great intuition and I’ve always
Matt knew he needed to set up a foundation that could build a homeless shelter, provide transitional housing and other services to help these street people get on their feet. “I’ve never been concerned with why people are in their situation. I’m just interested in helping them,” he said. “God put us here for a reason. There is no sense in being here if you can’t reach out to people.” The deKays began reaching out to businesses, service clubs and individuals in the community. In 2009, they put together the Four Corners Foundation, a non-profit board, made up of community members including Paul Briones, Bill Clark, Bob Burns, Bettie Archunde and D’Rese Sutherland. Matt began seeking money, and people donated. “I received $600,000 with just an idea in my mind,” he said. To date the foundation has raised nearly $1.7 million from area businesses and individuals. Jeanette said she knew they had to be 20 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2013
“realistic” and know what they would be
said. “It is a serene place, a great place for
throughout New Mexico who are doing great
capable of with regard to raising funds and
healing.”
work in their communities.
putting their personal support behind the
The city awarded the foundation
During the annual Freedom Days’
$588,214 in Community Development
celebration in Farmington the deKays
Block Grant Funds for construction of the
received a business of the year award from
city of Farmington and managed to secure a
houses. The total amount raised so far is
Commander Everett James Noble III, of VFW
piece of property that consists of 5.25
$2.25 million. “We’re still shy of our goal,”
2182. Matt also received the 2013 New
acres along the Animas River, off of Hydro
deKay said, adding the complete project is
Mexico Non Profit Leader Award from the
Plant Road. The property was big enough
expected to cost $3.2 million.
New Mexico Coalition for the Homeless. He
project. The foundation began working with the
to construct the homeless shelter and transitional housing facilities. The project was named A PATH Home,
Matt, however, knows that last bit of
also received the Patient’s Choice four out
money will come. “I have a lot of faith,” he
of four stars from 2008 to 2012, and the
said.
Compassionate Doctor Recognition Award
which will be operated by the organization,
Jeanette shares that faith. “We’ve been
People Assisting the Homeless, or PATH. It
together for 34 years – since I was 16 and
“When we, as grateful Americans, take
will consist of a 60-bed emergency shelter
he was 17 – it’s been a great partnership,”
action and work together to create solu-
and 12-unit apartment facility. There also
she said.
tions to social problems, the effort benefits
will be open space, recreational areas and
All of their work has led the deKays to
from 2009 to 2012.
the community tenfold,” Noble said during
an area to grow food so it can be a
receiving recognition throughout the state.
the award ceremony. “We do well to
self-sufficient community.
He and Jeanette will be given the Luminaria
remember those less fortunate, because by
Award on Dec. 6 in Santa Fe. This award
helping the least of these, we are fulfilling a
make a huge garden, and grow our own
from the New Mexico Community
higher purpose and creating a better com-
food. There also is room to expand,” deKay
Foundation is given to 13 individuals from
munity and world.”
“The property offers an opportunity to
WINTER 2013 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 21
Hard work, love and family created Sutherland Farms’ 20-year legacy Story by Lauren Seip Photos by Josh Bishop Allen and D’rese Sutherland knew operating their own farm was a dream of theirs after growing up around ranching and farming families and craving to continue that legacy. The couple met in Estancia and continued farming within the region, growing pinto beans and alfalfa. Eventually, they moved to the Four Corners because of their love for the area. “We grew up around more conventional farming and so we started growing ornamental (crops). We decided this was an opportunity to move up here so we could do that,” D’rese explained. Since moving to San Juan County, the Sutherlands have owned and operated Sutherland Farms in Aztec, which has turned into a treasured community landmark. Sutherland Farms, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, began as a small stand, where the Sutherlands sold pumpkins and squash to post-sale markets. “Eventually we cut back on post-sale and started to do more retail. We had people come out here wanting to buy from us,” D’rese said. “It started small and just kept growing.” Now Sutherland Farms sells pumpkins, sweet corn, and green chile, and offers festivals and community activities throughout the year including the popular annual Green Chile Festival in September, where people sample the roasted green chile peppers. 22 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2013
WINTER 2013 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 23
“None of this started with a plan. It just happened,” Allen added. During a chilly Saturday morning, children and parents walked through a field of hundreds of colorful pumpkins during the 15th annual Pumpkin Festival. The festival is a time for people to celebrate the harvest and ring in the fall season. “Everything we try to do is geared towards families. It has just been a family tradition,” said D’rese, while sitting on a hay bale watching children select the “perfect” pumpkin to take home. “This farm gives people a sense of what farming is like when they don’t get to see it” every day, added Allen. D’rese and Allen’s children, Amanda and Bobby, said it is remarkable how the farm has grown over the years. “It has been amazing to see it grow and everyone’s creativity at play,” explained Amanda, who is a principal at a school in Estancia. “It is just neat to come out here every year because there always is something new and exciting.” “I work here in the summers and it has been great to see it grow and to be a part of it,” said
24 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2013
Bobby, who is a teacher at Aztec High School. One example that shows Sutherland Farm’s growth is the addition of a retail market near the farm’s entrance. This marketplace sells the farm’s freshly picked produce as well as honey, cider, jams, pickles, and all-natural beef provided by local vendors. Jeanne Stark has managed the marketplace for 17 years and has enjoyed “watching (the Sutherland family) grow. They are like my family,” she said. Stark also sells baking mixes and breads in the marketplace and manages the Purple Cow Kafe, which sells food to the Sutherland Farms guests. Throughout the years, the Sutherland Family has made countless memories at the farm. D’rese and Allen’s grandchildren, Autumn, Hallie, and Dylan Sutherland and Derek Baca, have vivid recollections of playing in the sprinklers and helping their grandparents after school. “I help with the concession stand and ticket booth,” said Hallie, who is a student at Estancia Elementary School. “If my Nana asks me to help we just come out
here and do it,” added Autumn, an Aztec High School senior. While working at Sutherland Farms, the grandchildren also have learned many life lessons. “It has made me less afraid to talk to strangers,” Derek explained. “I was helping with a high school volleyball car wash, and the parents commented on my work ethic and that is because of the farm,” Autumn said. Because Sutherland Farms has drastically impacted her grandchildren’s lives, D’rese said it is important to continue educating the youth. “Someday you feel the family farm won’t be in existence unless we keep the younger generation aware of where your food comes from.” As a way to educate children on the farm’s operations, the Sutherlands have made their farm a popular destination for elementary school fieldtrips. “You ask the (students) ‘Where does milk come from?’ and they reply ‘The grocery store.’ We try to educate them,” D’rese said. “When I lived here and worked for the (Farmington school district)” I knew these fieldtrips “were touching many lives and making kids happy,” Amanda added. D’rese and Allen said they came to the Four Corners to settle down and eventually retire, but that plan has remained on the backburner because of the couple’s continuous love for farming and interacting with the community. “The community has responded tremendously,” said Allen, adding that people have traveled as far as Utah and Cuba and Dulce, N.M., to visit the farm. But even though Sutherland Farms has grown in popularity over the years, D’rese has made a promise to keep the farm family-oriented and a relaxing environment. “We want to keep it small enough so parents can sit here and watch their kids in the corn pit. We don’t want it to be so huge that they can’t relax.” Sutherland Farms is located at 745 Road 2900 in Aztec and is open during the holiday season from Nov. 7 through Dec. 21 on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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Watching kids ‘get it’ Story by Margaret Cheasebro Photos by Tony Bennett
Stanford has spent 20 years finding ways to help kids shine From the time she was 4 years old, Kathi Stanford wanted to be a teacher. Along the way, people discouraged her, but she eventually found her way back to her first love. She has taught at Red Mesa High School in Red Mesa, Ariz., for the past 20 years. In October she was named the Navajo Nation Teacher of the Year by AdvancED, the parent corporation of the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School
Improvement. or NCA CASI. It’s an international corporation that accredits public and private schools in 68 countries around the world. In the U.S., it names a teacher of the year for every state as well as for the Navajo Nation, which is the only American Indian tribe to have its own separate AdvancED designation because it spills into three states – New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. WINTER 2013 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 27
Lead evaluator For the past 12 years Kathi has been a volunteer with AdvancEd, giving educators pointers about how to do an even better job. She is a lead evaluator, in charge of teams that visit several schools. “Many years ago I saw that adhering to what NCA says makes a better school,” she said. “So I’ve been adamant that we need to help all schools be better. If they can get better by following NCA standards, then that’s what we need to do.” Loretta Draper, principal education specialist for AdvanceED, said teachers of the year must meet three criteria. “They must demonstrate dedication to the education community,” she explained, continuing, “They also must be courageous in helping to make changes at their local school to meet high education standards.” The third criterion involves supporting the AdvancED office. “We can call on her even at the last minute, and she steps in,” Loretta said. “She has always been a positive role model. She has gone beyond what one person can do.” Great concern for students Blane Baker, principal at Red Mesa High School, called Kathi a valuable member of their team. “Kathi has a great concern for students,” he said. “She will go out of her way in any way possible to work with them, to help them.” “She’s always open minded and really willing to help students any way she can,” added high school counselor Alvina Tsosie. Every child can learn When Kathi received the AdvancED award Oct. 1 at the NCA CASI Navajo Nation fall conference in Albuquerque, she spoke about her philosophy of education. “I believe that every child can learn, but I believe that every child needs to discover how they learn,” she explained. “I love to ask them why. I like to get kids to think deeply.” She believes every child has worth, that 28 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2013
education should be fun, and she works at making students want to be in her classroom. “You’ve got to listen to what the kids want and give them the chance to shine,” she said. Her philosophy grew out of many life experiences. Born into military family Born on Christmas Day 1953, Kathi grew up in a military family. Her father, Wayne Olson, was a career Marine. She went to school in southern California, where her father was often assigned to Camp Pendleton or Twentynine Palms when he wasn’t deployed. When she was 4 years old, her parents took her to a parent/teacher conference for her third grade brother, Harold. “The teacher let me sit in her big chair
behind her desk,” Kathi recalled. “I remember thinking I want to sit in a chair like this. From that day forward, I would line my dolls up and teach them all the time.” During her early elementary years, she attended public school on a military base, where teachers told students that if they misbehaved it would have a negative impact on their parents’ promotions. So students behaved. It’s okay to have fun As a fifth grader, Kathi had her first experience in a public school not on a military base. She was shocked when students shot spit wads and acted out in other ways. She trembled and found herself on the verge of tears almost every day as she worried that students would keep their military parents from being promoted.
One day her teacher asked Kathi to stay in class during lunch so they could talk privately. He listened to her fears and assured her that students were not damaging their parents’ opportunities for promotion. “He told me I needed to relax a little bit and have fun,” she said. “I left his classroom and skipped all the way home because he let me know it was okay to have fun as well as learn.” That became part of her education philosophy. Teacher encouraged her At Orange Glen High School in Escondido, Calif., she took a class that gave her experience in learning what teaching was all about. The instructor dared to do things that weren’t part of the curriculum, and he told Kathi to follow her dream to be a teacher, because she’d be good at it. She attended Palomar College, then San Diego State, but wasn’t a serious student. “I was more interested in going to classes where the good looking boys were,” she said. Most of her classmates wanted to be teachers. A college counselor told her that school districts probably wouldn’t hire her because she made straight A’s. Districts, she insisted, preferred B students because they were more well rounded. “So I went into archeology, anthropology, sociology, psychology,” Kathi related. “I tried all the ologies, but they just weren’t my thing.” Fell in love Her dad had a heart attack in March 1974 and her mother was diagnosed with diabetes, so she moved to the trailer park they managed in Desert Hot Springs, Calif., to help them. There she met John Stanford, who was taking care of his sick parents and his handicapped sister. They lived in the same mobile home park. John and Kathi fell in love. She was almost 22 and still in college, studying cultural anthropology and working WINTER 2013 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 29
““I thought, I’ll teach there for two years, and then I’ll go for my doctorate. I’ve been here 20 years. Maybe someday I’ll go for it.” — Kathi Stanford
as a waitress when they married. She felt burned out with school, so she quit, promising John she would go back when their youngest child was in first grade. “I thought that was an easy bet to make because how do you know it’s the youngest?” Kathi said with a smile. “There could always be another one.” 30 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2013
Moved to Flagstaff By the time John and Kathi moved to Williams, Ariz., they had a baby girl and another daughter on the way. John and his partner ran an electronic repair business in Williams, and Kathi oversaw a doughnut shop next door. Their third daughter came along when Kathi was 28. By that time, the family
had moved to Flagstaff, Ariz., to give John’s business a better chance to thrive. When their youngest daughter was in first grade, Kathi found a job working for a crisis nursery that took in children who had been removed from home for various reasons. “When the kids had homework, I got to help them,” Kathi said. “I really liked that.”
Important to ask why She disagreed with some of the director’s teaching philosophy. “The director always said, ‘Never ask a child why, because they don’t know why, so that gives them an opportunity to lie,’” Kathi explained. “My thought was if they’re lying, they’re thinking. You need to get kids thinking. That followed me into my philosophy of education.” After the nursery required that employees have a bachelor’s degree in psychology, Kathi lost her job. “When I got my notice, I called my husband, and he called our pastor,” she recalled. “When I got home, the pastor was sitting in the driveway in her car. She said, ‘You made a promise to your husband some years ago, and you have to keep it. You told him you were going back to college when your youngest child was in first grade.’”
Enrolls in college Kathi protested, “I can’t go to college. I’ve got too much to do!” The pastor wouldn’t take no for an answer. She drove Kathi to Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. “She hooked me up with an adviser, got all the forms and had me fill them out and turn them in,” Kathi said. “The next thing I knew I was enrolled in college.” She started in January 1988 and earned her bachelor’s degree in December 1990. The next month she found a long-term substitute job teaching third grade in Leupp, Ariz. All her training had been in secondary education, but she loved it. Throws out textbook Then she was hired in Miami, Ariz., to teach an advanced placement eighth grade, a seventh grade class, and a remedial group of 16- and 17-year-old eighth graders. “Everyone expected there to be problems
with the remedial eighth grade, but we had fun,” she said “There were 31 students in the class, and 28 of them were boys. Two had criminal records for violent crimes.” She quickly recognized the curriculum wasn’t meeting their needs. “We threw out the textbook because the kids couldn’t read it anyway,” Kathi explained. “I brought in job applications and job descriptions from different jobs. I invited community employers to tell the students what they expected when people applied for a job so these kids would realize they needed a high school diploma.” The plan worked well, but the principal didn’t approve. “He was always upset because we weren’t following the curriculum,” she said. “He would come in and yell at the kids, get them riled up, then leave them with me.” The challenges took a toll on her health. She quit in February.
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Left teaching “I left there saying I was not going back into education, that I wasn’t destined to be a teacher,” she said. In Flagstaff, where the family was living, a friend urged her to go back to school and help her teach an ESL reading and writing lab at Flagstaff High School. So Kathi began earning a master’s degree in bilingual multicultural education with an emphasis on second language acquisition and sociolinguistics. While working in the lab, she became curious about how kids learn to read, so she also earned a master’s degree in reading. At Red Mesa 20 years When she graduated in 1994, Red Mesa High School offered her a job as chair of the English department. “I thought, I’ll teach there for two years, and then I’ll go for my doctorate,” she said. “I’ve been here 20 years. Maybe someday I’ll go for it.”
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Teaching continues to attract her. “I always thought I would teach as long as I’m having fun, and when it stops being fun, I’d stop teaching,” she said. “Even though some mornings I just don’t want to go there, once I get there, I have so much fun. The kids are wonderful.” In 1998, she became the math department chair. Now she teaches math and is the school librarian. “I love to watch the kids catch on and go, ‘Wow!’” she said. Advice for others She has advice for people considering a career in education. “Teachers don’t get paid very much, so if you’re doing it for the glory and the money, it’s not the profession for you,” she said. “But if you like being with kids – staying young – and you like the reward of seeing kids get it, of watching them get their diplomas and feeling that you had a hand in that, then do it.”
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With persistence, commitment you can get there from here Story by Vicky Ramakka Photos by Tony Bennett and Josh Bishop When this young mother moved to Aztec following her husband’s job in the oil field, she never imagined that she would become mayor and a leader in the Four Corners Economic Development organization. Sally Burbridge now presides over Aztec City Commission meetings, operates her own Growth Potential business and sits on countywide boards. There’s the old saying – one thing leads to another. When the young couple settled in
Aztec 20 years ago, Burbridge’s main occupation was being a full-time mom, while dabbling a little with day-care. But when daughter, Jessica, was ready to start school, Burbridge became involved in the McCoy Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization – very involved. As an officer for the parents’ group, she coordinated children’s carnivals to raise funds for badly needed classroom supplies. “We did everything from a bean bag toss to face painting –
you name it,” Burbridge recalls with a laugh. Her involvement with McCoy School’s PTO generated community connections. While organizing a children’s carnival is not earth shaking, it does involve marketing, motivating other parents, having a timeline and coordinating with other entities such as reserving the city park. Unknowingly, Burbridge was laying the foundation for her later involvement in city management and her Growth Potential business. WINTER 2013 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 35
A taste for politics As her daughter entered first grade, Burbridge enrolled at San Juan College. It’s hard to say whether a course in political science changed her life, or simply awakened a passion already in Burbridge’s core. Burbridge traces her attraction to the allure of leadership and politics as beginning in third grade, based on a Weekly Reader article about a girl who declared she wanted to be president when she grew up. The same year, Burbridge watched the 1980 presidential election. Young Sally grasped that presidents are real people, they make things happen, have influence. Public office is something real people do, impacting their community. “I had a huge interest in political science. I loved it. I loved the study of politics and the purpose of politics – the true purpose – the determination of how resources in a society are divided up among the society.” When Professor Judith Palier arranged the college’s first political science internship, Burbridge was
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front and center. One of Aztec’s most successful initiatives came out of that semester internship. Erick Aune, then Aztec’s city planner, had obtained a grant for planning an outdoor trail system. “He turned me loose with it, to see what we could do,” recalls Burbridge. “We focused on what is now the stairway that leads down from ‘the money saving bridge’ to connect pedestrian access from central Aztec to the trails in Riverside Park.” Burbridge thinks of Erick Aune as a visionary. He formed a citizens’ group interested in trails around Aztec. This group evolved into the current Aztec Trails and Open Space, or ATOS, a 501(c)3 organization that meets regularly and sponsors workdays on trails in and around Aztec. Their current focus is the proposed pedestrian trail that would connect downtown Aztec with Aztec Ruins National Monument via a footbridge across the Animas River. Kelly Townsend, president of ATOS, cites the group’s accomplishments and lauds Burbridge’s
commitment to ATOS, saying, “There probably wouldn’t be a group if it wasn’t for Sally rallying the troops.” Burbridge’s expanding involvement in the community – such as volunteering for the Fantasy of Lights seasonal fundraiser – helped her get the job of Executive Director for Aztec’s Chamber of Commerce. She said that when she asked the Chamber Board why they chose her, it was “my involvement in the community, that passion for the community that appealed to them.” Has to be a better way On behalf of the Chamber, Burbridge began attending Aztec City Commission meetings, sitting in the back, just listening. She admits, “I remember thinking, there has to be a better way of running a city.” She ran for city commissioner and was elected in 2006, then selected by the Commission in 2008 to serve as mayor. Presiding over a small community, Burbridge learned, has its up and downs. She says, “Aztec is a unique community. When there’s a need, we will definitely come together to take care of our own. But sometimes when new concepts or different ways of thinking are introduced, the response is ‘We don’t need that’ or a wait-and-see attitude.” Relate this to Burbridge’s ability to visualize a better future, and sometimes the mayor’s job becomes a challenge. “When I start talking to someone about where we want to go with something, I have that ability to immediately jump to a picture of the finished project in my head. I get really excited about a project because I see it already as the finished vision in my head. Then I immediately ask, OK what do we have to do to get there?” she said. “I love the challenge. I’m a firm believer that if the rules don’t allow you to get to your final product, then figure out how to go over, around or through the rules. I see myself as that person who can bridge the gap, between what could be and where we are now.” Now in her second term, Burbridge cites the city of Aztec’s progress in implementing its
2010 economic development plan. She says most of the plan consultants’ recommendations, “are not what most folks think of as economic development, but instead emphasize improving quality of life. The concept is, make yourself attractive and have amenities for living here, because startups and relocating businesses want quality of life for their managers and employees.” One noticeable example is the new entryways to city of Aztec, so folks know when they cross into city limits. This includes beautification of medians and the large Anasazi-style sandstone welcome signs. Burbridge did not find being female a hindrance for serving as mayor; she is the third woman to hold that post for Aztec. However, as a mayor at just 35 years old, she says, “I felt like there were some older gentlemen who looked at me like I was out of place.” Still, Burbridge managed to build credibility. Persistence and commitment helped. Also, “I don’t back down,” she says, “when I take something seriously and decide to do something about it, I just don’t back down.”
the cause, and second, her husband insists, “I’ll support you in whatever you want to do, just don’t put me out in front of the public.”
Yet, being a lady mayor has its moments. One day a call came into Aztec’s City switchboard, asking for the mayor. The caller was with the Get Pinked cancer fundraising campaign. Thinking it was a good idea to have the tri-cities mayors’ wives serve as honorary co-chairs of the event, Burbridge had some clarifying to do. Offering up her husband didn’t work – on two levels. First, Burbridge was glad to personally support
Revamp for the future As Aztec Mayor Burbridge was a representative to the previous San Juan Economic Development Board, or SJEDS, and became president during its transformation into the current Four Corners Economic Development. Burbridge admits, “To me, it was one of the most rewarding and, at the beginning, one of the most intimidating things I’ve been involved with.” The process called Burbridge’s change-management skills to the forefront. She participated in discussions of how to structure the new organization. She focused on “How do we get from where we are today, to where we need to be tomorrow? How do we internally make these changes – not just on a different page, but on a whole different book?” The result was a revamping from SJEDS into Four Corners Economic continued on page 72
WINTER 2013 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 37
Wells has made a living out of doing what she loves Story by Debra Mayeux Photos by Tony Bennett
Nighthorse Campbell, a renowned American Indian artist who got his start traveling across the country to Indian markets and art shows to sell his wares.
Shanan Campbell Wells grew up surrounded by art
“I used to sleep under the table at Dad’s art shows,”
and culture. It has been no surprise that her career
Wells said. Her life consisted of watching her father
path would consist of running a gallery and art
create stunning pieces of art jewelry while growing up
consulting business.
in Colorado on a ranch, where her mother, Linda,
Wells is the daughter of former U.S. Senator Ben
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raised cows and tended to the pasture.
WINTER 2013 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 39
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It was the perfect mix of agriculture and art that created the 43-year-old entrepreneur that Wells is today. She has been an art professional for more than 20 years. Her early career in the arts consisted of working as a scout for the Franklin Mint and managing various art galleries in Durango, Colo. On the side, Wells also helped people develop and build their art collections as a private art consultant. By 2002, Wells was ready to branch out on her own. She was a single mother with two young boys, Luke Longfellow, 15, and Saylor Longfellow, 13. She decided it was
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time to expand her knowledge of art, and opened two businesses simultaneously. Wells started Sorrel Sky Gallery in downtown Durango, and opened SCW Art Consulting. The gallery quickly received accolades in the community because of the high caliber of artists Wells was able to secure and
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represent. She also had a way of displaying the artwork as it would be displayed in a person’s home. This was a better way to market the product. The art consulting business was a “natural progression” for Wells, who said she enjoys “working with clients to develop an art collection specific to them.” While she helped people and businesses, her passion was to begin developing art collections for medical centers. Her focus for SCW Art Consulting was to specialize in creating patient-centered healing environments. She received her certification from the Center for Health Design and became a leading consultant in the field of healthcare art. “I was always raised to do what you love and figure out a way to make a living out of it,” Wells said. She has a passion for healthcare and one of the first collections she secured was for Mercy Medical Center in Durango. WINTER 2013 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 41
“My very favorite was Mercy Medical Center.
and New Mexico. The range of artwork found in
drives that home in the business and with her
Some of my most memorable experiences were
the gallery includes everything from jewelry
children, who are high achievers just like their
at that hospital – from happy to sad,” Wells
including bridal pieces, to miniature prints and
mother. Luke is working toward being the next
said. Her children were born there and other
huge sculptures to large painted works.
Justin Beiber. He has two vocal coaches, an
family members received care at Mercy.
“I’m a big supporter of New Mexican and
Developing the art collection was “so
Native American art,” Wells said.
meaningful and so personal,” Wells said, adding
She has monthly art nights, where she
acting coach and a dance teacher. Saylor is busy playing soccer on an Olympic fast-track youth team.
she receives constant feedback from patients
presents the works of a specific artist, and even
and their families about how the artwork has
has had such events as author and celebrity
do, they mimic their parents’ behavior,” she
touched them.
book signings. The gallery has survived a fire, a
said. “I’m a worker. My parents are workers. My
move and an economic downturn, but Wells
kids are following their passion and they’re
said she is here to stay.
busy, but not because I’m making them be. I
Wells has been able to develop these art collections because of her history in the art world. She has a library of 10,000 artists with
“It’s been sheer grit. I feel like I’ve earned
“Your kids don’t do what you tell them to
truly believe when kids are busy, they are
whom she has built relationships since her time
an MBA the hard way,” she said, because
at the Franklin Mint, and she continually seeks
through it all, Wells also has been a full-time
new artists to satisfy her clients’ needs.
mom and a wife to John Wells, a Durango
is the largest in the Four Corners. She also is
realtor.
constantly obtaining new clients for her consult-
While, through her consulting business, she
happy.” And Wells is busy managing her gallery, which
offers her clients access to the thousands of
“I go 100 miles per hour non-stop,” Wells
ing business. In Durango, she is working on the
artists in her library, the gallery is completely
said. “I’m so busy I don’t have time to balance
new Horse Gulch Health Clinic, Mercy Medical
separate from SCW Art Consulting.
it. I’m in the moment of everything, because I
Center’s Pediatric Health Partners Office and
don’t have time not to be.”
the new Hospice facility at Mercy Medical
Sorrel Sky represents 72 artists from throughout the Southwest, including Colorado
Wells said it is all about succeeding and she
Center. Wells serves on the Fort Lewis College Foundation Board, the Public Arts Commission,
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and the Colorado Council of the Arts economic impact panel for the Governor of Colorado, and is the vice chair for arts and culture with the Durango Area Tourism Office. She recently received the Art in the Workplace award from the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts, which recognized SCW Art Consulting for having “exceptional design that advances business objectives.” Wells described herself as a driven business woman. “I don’t miss deadlines and I don’t break promises with my clients or my children,” she said. “I think I have my priorities straight.” Her employee of two years, Margaret
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Hedderman agreed. “I have learned so much from her years of experience in owning and operating her own art gallery and art consulting
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Chokecherry Jam: A merry band of eclectic musicians Story by Margaret Cheasebro Photos by Tony Bennett Members of Chokecherry Jam play together because they love bluegrass music and want to share it with others. Elaine Gapinski, Tom Miller, Sue Coulter and Bob Ashley formed their band in November 2009 and played their first gig at the Cedar Ridge Inn Skilled Nursing Facility. For the past two years, they’ve jammed at the Hiway Grill in Aztec from 1 to 3 p.m. on the first and third Saturdays of every month. Anyone can come, and it’s free. They love performing everywhere, but they have a soft spot for nursing homes. “You see people dealing with physical ailments and mental aging,” said Elaine, “but there is something healing about music that brings them joy. Sometimes they’re clapping, foot tapping and singing along.” Family has lovely memory They performed at Namaste House Assisted Liv-
ing in Farmington on Mother’s Day this year. “Every time they come, they lift the spirit of the residents,” said Rebecca Morgan of Namaste. “We had a woman with severe dementia. She sat up front and sang every word of every song with them and was absolutely glowing. She was on fire while they played. It was spectacular. Her family couldn’t quite believe it. They were in tears about the beauty of what they saw. The woman died a few weeks later. Her family has that lovely memory of watching their mother be so joyful on her last Mother’s Day.” They’ve also played for various Farmington Museum Foundation events, at the Riverside Nature Center, at the Antique Power Show at Gateway Museum, for the Desk and Derrick Society, for a TGIF event in downtown Farmington, at the Aztec Library at Christmastime, for the New Mexico Mission of Mercy Dental Clinic, at the Anasazi Antics to help raise money for Sandstone Productions, at the River Reach Foundation’s apple pie fundraiser, and at birthday parties and funerals. Farther afield, they performed at the 19th annual Durango Bluegrass Meltdown April 19-21 and at a Santa Fe Bluegrass and Old Time Music Festival in Santa Fe.
WINTER 2013 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 45
Great stage presence When attorney and bluegrass musician Damon Weems was chairman of Riverfest in 2012, he hired Chokecherry Jam to play for the event. “They’re wonderful to listen to,” he said. “Their stage presence makes their music even better. They’re fantastic musicians who know what to do and how to do it.” Many walks of life Band members come from many walks of life. Elaine, 49, teaches chemistry at Kirtland Central High School. In between teaching for 20 years, she did research for an eastern New Mexico oil and gas company. Tom, 70, retired this year from the AnimasLa Plata Association, where he developed an equipment maintenance program. Before that, he was a mechanical inspector for Navajo Agricultural Products Industry’s Block Nine, then for the Bureau of Reclamation. Sue, 68, was a veterinarian for 43 years in Lansing, Mich., and in the Colorado cities of Trinidad, Colorado Springs and Durango. Bob, 60, retired six years ago as a music teacher in the Farmington schools.
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All self-taught They’ve been steeped in music from the time they were kids, and they’re all self-taught. Elaine heard her mother play the mandolin and accordion when she grew up outside of Erie, Pa. She sang in high school choir. “I never had any formal lessons,” she said. “My mom said, ‘Three dollars for a piano lesson!? No way! Here’s an accordion book. Maybe you can teach yourself something.’” Just before she turned 19, while living in Santa Fe, she became part of a church choir folk group. She played mandolin and taught herself some chords. She needed to learn guitar to be a group leader, so she set down the mandolin for 25 years and focused on guitar. She took up the mandolin again when she joined Chokecherry Jam, for whom she also sings and plays the upright bass and guitar. She
Tom Miller guitar
Elaine Gapinski mandolin
Sue Coulter upright bass
Bob Ashley banjo
plays in three other bands as well: in an acoustic duet group called Willow Blue and for two groups at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Listened to radio Tom grew up in New Hope, Ky., listening to Hank Williams and other singers on the radio. He plays guitar and sings in Chokecherry Jam. “My dad worked at a distillery, so we didn’t have any musical instruments,” he said. “A big influence on me was my Uncle Jim. He played the guitar and fiddle. I liked when he came to visit us, which was seldom. He drank whiskey, played music, and fought. That’s what he loved to do.” When Tom went to boarding school with Appalachian kids, he was surrounded by their music. In the 1980s he bought a secondhand guitar, picked up a Mel Bay chord book, and started playing. After he moved to Farmington in 1994, Damon took him to the Bloomfield ranch home of R.J. and Opal Henderson. Almost every Saturday night bluegrass enthusiasts jammed at their house.
48 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2013
“I started going kind of regular,” Tom said, “and that’s where it really took off.” At first, he was reluctant to play in front of people. “He was very shy about putting it out there,” said his wife, Roberta Summers. “He always fooled around with the guitar. I thought he was really good, but he didn’t think he was. One night before he went to Opal’s he said, ‘I’m going to leave Bashful home.’ That was the night it changed for him.” Ranch house jam sessions Though the jam sessions ended after Opal died a few years ago, R.J. remembers when about 20 people showed up at the ranch most Saturday nights. “People that loved bluegrass music brought their guitars and banjos,” R.J. said. “They’d sit around and play. It usually ended before midnight. Opal played everything with strings. I didn’t play. I liked to listen to the music.” Tom explained, “Opal and R.J. came from a background of every Saturday night, instead of
watching television, they invited friends over, and had a potluck and picked, played music for three or four hours. That is a very important part of bluegrass tradition – eating and picking.” Hated piano lessons Sue grew up on a dairy farm in southern Michigan south of Hillsdale. Her parents tried to make her take piano lessons when she was a kid. “I hated those lessons,” she said. “I wanted to ride my horse, so my parents finally gave up. I wanted a guitar, but they couldn’t afford one, so I got my first guitar when I was a senior in vet school. I listened to people like Peter, Paul and Mary and the Kingston Trio, so I did a lot of finger picking.” In the mid-1970s, she discovered the banjo after she heard an Earl Scruggs record. She took the record home and taught herself to play the banjo. In the early 1980s, she bought a mandolin for $12 at a flea market and learned to play it.
When friends were selling an upright bass, she bought it for $300 and taught herself to play that too. A friend told her about a fiddle he had, so she bought it from him for $50 and became a selftaught fiddle player. She’s in three bands now and was in four in Colorado Springs. She plays upright base and mandolin and sings with Chokecherry Jam. Sang in school choir Bob grew up in a Chicago suburb, where his mother played the piano and sang in the church choir. He would have started music lessons there, but his family moved to Denver when he was 11, and no music teachers were available. He sang in junior and senior high school choirs. In junior high, his parents bought him a guitar. He learned it with the help of once-a-week PBS television lessons. He graduated from Fort Lewis College with a music degree and taught music for 31 years. Eighteen years ago, he taught himself to play the five-string banjo but didn’t have time to learn it well until he retired in 2007. Damon invited him to the Hendersons’ home for weekly jam sessions, and his banjo skills improved. “Bluegrass is not just musicians,” Bob said. “It’s a social scene. That’s what attracted me to the bluegrass network. You get to know people from all over the country.” He plays the banjo and sings with Chokecherry Jam. Lots of closet pickers He’s also the music coordinator at the First Presbyterian Church where a few years ago he put together a bluegrass jam session that met once or
twice a month at the church. “I was trying to provide a jamming opportunity for pickers here in Farmington,” he said. “There’s a lot of closet pickers, who play their guitars in their bedroom. The first time, we had 22 people at the jam, but it wasn’t meeting often enough to keep them around. After a year it fizzled down to six people. So we said, ‘Let’s go to Tom’s house.’” Chokecherry Jam evolved from those jams. They still meet once a week at Tom’s house, and Roberta supplies the food, artistically laid out on her kitchen counter. When the group camps out while jamming at Viviana Aguirre festivals, Roberta is their camp cook. She also 900 Sullivan Ave Farmington created Chokecherry Jam’s business card. 505-327-4888 Three basic ingredients At those festivals, the characteristic bluegrass harmony prevails. “Bluegrass music has three basic ingredients: three chords, three verses, and they’re sad,” Tom said. “Somebody gets killed, drunk, gone, chopped, buried, broken heart, broken dreams, Kelly J. Berhost 1415 W. Aztec in jail.” Blvd Ste.9 The band knows 60 or 70 bluegrass songs plus Aztec, NM 505-334-6177 28 gospel songs, and they’re learning more. A crowd favorite is one that Bob wrote called The Grass Is Always Greener. “The catch phrase is ‘The grass is always greener near the outhouse,’” he said. “The point is that some people are just full of it. That’s why the grass always looks so green.” Chokecherry Jam plays for food and sometimes Dennis McDaniel 505-328-0846 money, but the band’s motivation isn’t financial. “Most of all, it’s fun,” Tom said. “It’s always fun.”
Johnnie Pete 817 W Broadway Ste B Farmington 505-325-0297
B J Brown 3030 E Main St Ste X9 Farmington 505-324-0480
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CUT COST. NOT COVERAGE WINTER 2013 | MAJESTIC LIVING |49
College Global Studies Program takes people out of their comfort zone Story by Dorothy Nobis For many, the idea of seeing the ruins of Rome, the countryside of Ireland, and Harry Potter’s London is exciting. Traveling in a foreign country can be intimidating, however, and without a guide or travel companions those ideas may always remain just ideas. If you’re among the many who would like to travel, but are hesitant, the Global Studies program at San Juan College may be the step in making those travel plans come true. With its Travel Study program, students and members of 50 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2013
the community have the opportunity to earn academic credits while participating in short term studies abroad or domestic programs off campus. Participants travel with San Juan College faculty and enjoy interacting with the people of the country and learn about the cultures and traditions – not often included in a “tour package.” Cynthia Rapp Sandhu teaches history at San Juan College and was recently named coordinator of the Global Studies program. An avid
traveler herself, Rapp Sandhu said the program is much more than a vacation. “It is truly a travel study,” Rapp Sandhu said. “It emphasizes the learning experience while giving people the opportunity to expand their personal experiences and to go outside their comfort zone. It gives them a chance to meet new people and to discover themselves while in a new environment.” While participants must be enrolled at San Juan College, the enrollment doesn’t mean a
student has to enroll in a class for credit, Rapp Sandhu said. “Members of the community who would like to go with us on these studies need to register for a course at the college. If they don’t need academic credit for the class, they may audit the course so that their work is not graded,” she explained. Students may apply to become an SJC student online at www.sanjuancollege.edu. Potential students must fill out an application, which is also available at www.sanjuancollege.edu. Once they’re enrolled in a class, they must apply for the study, have references available, and a passport. The instructor takes care of all travel arrangements. The cost of travel varies, depending on where the study is and if meals are included. Trips are between one and two weeks. The most expensive travel study program in 2014 is to Japan, where students visit four cities – Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Hiroshima – at a cost of about $5,000 per student. Other travel study programs are available for as little as $2,500. Rapp Sandhu is taking students to Italy during spring break of next year. “Because I teach history, I’m excited to teach students about the Italian Renaissance and baroque art,” she said. Other travel study programs planned for 2014
include Belize, where students will explore the ecology and natural resources of the country; China, where participants will live in a remote Tibetan village while learning about the local cultural traditions of the Tibetan people and install solar panels at a 600-year-old Buddhist temple; Costa Rica, where volcanoes and tropical rainforests will be explored; England and Scotland to understand the people, places and psychology of the book and movie hero, Harry Potter; Ireland, to experience the culture and roots of Celtic music as a story-telling medium; Japan, to learn about Japanese culture and economics; and the Ukraine, where students will study the social, cultural and historical contexts of the Ukrainian culture. Tony Bennett, San Juan College photography instructor, was one of three members of the college faculty that took students to Peru in summer 2013. Students taught English, dance, and helped with repairs for an after-school programs in Oro Pesa, Peru. “The students were more emerged in the society and the kids they taught learned English and got to meet people outside their little town,” Bennett said. “And our students got to see people in another culture, working with the families daily as opposed to being just a tourist.” Dan Cleavinger is studying Spanish at San Juan
College and had several reasons for wanting to go to Peru. Cleavinger and his wife were members of the Peace Corps from 1969-1970. On May 31, 1970, while in Peru as part of the Peace Corps, an earthquake occurred, causing some 80,000 deaths – including four of the Cleavingers’ Peace Corps colleagues. “Peru had been on my mind and it (the earthquake) affected my life, so it was an opportunity for me to go back for some internal healing,” Cleavinger said “That is something I would not have done just on my own.” Cleavinger described the trip as “fun, with interesting and good people. It was the opportunity to work with and deal with remembering that part of my past and to have a good experience.” With three leaders from San Juan College, six students in their early 20s, and four adults ages 40 and up, Cleavinger said the age diversity created an interesting group. “We were all students interested in learning about another country,” he said. “It was stressful getting out of our comfort zone, but we had a good time.” Traveling with a group was difficult, but easier with instructors making all the necessary arrangements, Cleavinger added. “International travel is hard, and trying to plan (it) can be chaotic. But it’s a great opportunity and it’s important for WINTER 2013 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 51
anybody at any time in their lives, but especially so for students.” Cleavinger said his travel study cost him about $4,000, which included everything, including gifts he purchased to bring home. Ben Cynova also participated in the Peru trip. “The trip was magical,” Cynova said. “I have been many places around the world and have walked many miles, but doubly so for Peru. I enjoyed the trip for the beauty of the people, the natives, the warmed and affection from the kids in the after school program that our group volunteered (to help).” “The benefits (of the trip) are the memories of this awesome experience,” Cynova added. “The memories and the new knowledge of the kindness of people, the colors, the new friends, the knowledge I can pass on to others. . .helped create the experience of a lifetime.” Linann Easley, director of the Henderson Fine Arts Center, participated in a study group on a trip to Nicaragua in 2003. “It was so outstanding,” she said. “It was not a trip I’d do on my own, and it was a life-changing experience.” A seasoned traveler, Easley said being part of a study group allowed students to become actively involved with the people of the country and not just bystanders. “We hung out in the city square (of the city) and gave candy to the children, which brought their parents to us,” she explained. “It was a great way to meet the people and to get to know them.” In May, Easley will take a study guide to Ireland, to listen to, enjoy and learn more about Celtic music. To say Easley is excited about the 11-day trip would be an understatement. “We’ll tour the castles, learn the history and we’ll focus on Celtic music in the Irish counties of Cork, Dingle and Kerry, which are the roots of Irish Celtic music,” she explained. “The students will also learn the differences between Scottish, Welsh and Spanish Celtic music and be able to identify the different roots of the music.” Students will also enjoy a tour guide who is also an Irish Celtic performer and will offer his insights to add to the study experience, Easley said. The tour is offered for $3,968 per per52 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2013
son, which includes travel, entry fees and some meals, as well as staying at bed and breakfasts with Irish hosts. In addition to having a good time and learning about the beautiful music, Easley also hopes her students benefit in other ways as well. “I want them to understand the heritage and enjoy the experience of music, but I also want them to learn that we live in a small world that is approachable,” she said. “The world is not a scary place and people are the same everywhere.” Cynthia Rapp Sandhu said her goal is to encourage student participation in the Global Studies program. “Travel study programs offer students the opportunity to venture outside of their comfort zones and learn about themselves in a new context,” she said. “By having the ex-
perience of going to museums or visiting with people from different cultures, students may realize that learning is not just about passing a class and getting a diploma.” “Participating in a travel study program is one way that students can acquire the skills needed to be lifelong learners, as the learning environment is fully engaging and immediately relevant to what they are studying,” she added.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The San Juan College Foundation is looking for donations to help students with their travel expenses as part of the Global Studies program. For information on how to donate, call Gayle Dean, executive director of the San Juan College Foundation, at 505.566.3200 or email her at deang@sanjuancollege.edu.
Photos by Tony Bennett and Debra Mayeux 54 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2013
SUPPORT, GUIDANCE AND TRAINING Delese works to keep 11,000 school children safe Story by Debra Mayeux She is a teacher, a mentor and a cop. Michelle Delese is the supervisor of Farmington’s six School Resource Officers. It is a program in which she became involved five years ago, after working the streets as a patrol officer for three years.
WINTER 2013 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 55
When Delese first entered a school in uniform, she was no stranger to the educational system. She has a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Penn State University, and a master’s degree in counseling from Western New Mexico University. Delese, a native of Pennsylvania, moved out west after graduating from Penn State. She came to Tuba City in search of a new life and adventure. What she found were seventh and eighth grade Navajo students ready to learn. Her journey to Navajoland began in 1992, when Delese met a Navajo man at Penn State. They decided to take a road trip to Tuba City. “I fell in love with it,” Delese said. After returning to Pennsylvania, Delese looked up the Bureau of Indian Affairs and applied for a job to teach on the reservation. By 1994, she had a job teaching Navajo students on the reservation. “It was a definite culture shock,” Delese said. “I was very fortunate to be accepted into the community of Lake Valley from 1994 to 2002.”
56 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2013
The school housed students in grades kindergarten through eighth. She saw so many of those students with great potential leave the school for high school, and then drop out. Delese decided she wanted to find a new challenge in her career. She was given an opportunity to go on a ride-along with a Farmington Police officer, and she was hooked. “It was something I always wanted to do,” she said of working in law enforcement. Delese changed careers and worked patrol for three years, before her calling as an educator drew her back into the school environment. The School Resource Officer, or SRO, program had been going strong within the Farmington Police Department. It began in the 1990s as the DARE program. By 2005, it was a full-fledged, officer-in-the school program built around the premise of building bridges between the student population and the police department. “There are 11,000 students in Farmington
schools, and that population certainly warrants a police presence,” Police Chief Kyle Westall said. “Those 11,000 people are our residents.” Having police officers in the schools not only brings a sense of protection to the community, it also helps to curb criminal activity on campus. “Our relationship with the schools grows closer and closer through this program,” Westall said, adding that Delese has been a perfect liaison for the program. “Her teaching background adds to her ability to communicate with the school population,” he said. “The students look at the SROs as counselors and mentors. It makes me feel good to walk through schools and hear them call the officers by name.” Delese looks at it as a way to reach a population to which attention has not historically been paid. “We are there for the staff and parents. We are a resource and we deal with everything from criminal damage to property to child abuse.”
Students know that they can visit the SRO if there are problems at home or in the classroom, and the SRO becomes the confidante. The SROs also provide a good deal of training to the educators. Delese spent the morning of Oct. 30 presenting a safety class to teachers and substitute teachers in the Farmington Municipal School District. The 2 ½-hour demonstration consisted of sharing real-life stories about violence in schools across the country. “We have got to practice lockdowns. We have to do drills. We have got to be prepared,” she told the educators. She explained that only 20 percent of school shooters are diagnosed with mental illness. “Eighty percent know what they are doing and said that they went to school to die that day. If we think about it and we have a plan, it will make difference.” Delese continued this educational process with a half-day program Saturday, Nov. 2, at Ladera Elementary School, where she showed
“We are a resource and we deal with everything from criminal damage to property to child abuse.” — Officer Michelle Delese
teachers how to set up the classroom to be safe. She covered everything from how not to be a victim to how to use what you are given to defend yourself in dangerous situation. “Don’t be a turtle. You can’t hide, you are going to have to step up,” Delese said.
“Everybody has a right to defend themselves.” The staff and students are considered the first responders when there is a school-place incident. “If you see something, say something. Trust yourself, because the first 30 seconds dictate the outcome of the situation,” Delese said. After the presentation, she sat at Durango Joes and sipped on a coffee while sharing about her life experiences. During the hour visit, Delese was approached by teachers, friends and associates lauding her ability to reach beyond the classroom and into the hearts of the students and educators. She clearly has touched lives and remains humble about the recent recognition she has received. Delese received the Red Cross Real Heroes Law Enforcement Hero award on June 21 at the Courtyard by Marriott in Farmington. It was presented to her and to fellow SROs Donnie Kee and Ben McGaha. She also received the New Mexico School Board Association 2013 Excellence for Student Achievement Award. She later was named employee of the month by the city of Farmington, and Delese also was given the Vickie Chavez Award, by the Farmington Police Department. Chavez was a community service officer who died in the line of duty. “We created WINTER 2013 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 57
the award for a person who goes above and beyond the call of duty in their specialty unit,” Westall said. “Michelle goes above and beyond the call of duty.” But for Delese it is her job and her life. “We do a tremendous amount of training. I can stand up there and preach it, but we practice it,” she said. “We are highly supported by the schools, the staff and administration. They want us there.” The Farmington Schools System has worked very hard to develop precautionary measures to keep children safe, and Delese became a part of that process when Assistant Superintendent Frank Stimac took over school safety more than five years ago. “Michelle became very involved in helping schools with safety plans and having the SROs involved in the schools,” Stimac said. He facilitated the program and Delese ran with it. She developed long-lasting relationships with emergency responders, with law enforcement and community leaders to set up best practices for school safety. Delese brought law enforcement and fire officials such as Donnie Kee, Ben McGaha, Mike Mestas and David Burke to build relationships and work together to keep children safe. “She’s done a phenomenal job,” Stimac said, pointing out that Farmington Schools were ahead of the game before the Sandy Hook school shooting tragedy. Through Delese’s work they are continuing to develop even better safety standards. “We’ve got great support from the police department,” Stimac said. “Michelle has done a great job building relationships among people to make this work.” When Delese is not working she enjoys sailing and has taken sailing trips to the British Virgin Islands, the San Juan Islands and the Grenadine Islands. Delese also enjoys the outdoor activities offered by life in the Southwest. She enjoys hiking, biking spending times with her friends and camping. “That’s how I stay balanced,” she said. 58 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2013
Weaving
60 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2013
work with
Willetto’s 31 years with the BLM is about ‘creating partnerships’ Story by Dorothy Nobis Photos by Tony Bennett When Esther Willetto looks out at the Bisti Wilderness, she sees more than interesting rock formations and fossils from long ago. As she listens to the breezes swishing through the natural landscape, Willetto hears more than the quiet wind. Willetto, a tribal program coordinator and communications officer for the Farmington and Taos Field Offices of the Bureau of Land Management, sees beyond the exotic beauty and the solemn quiet of the land – she hears the rhythm of a beating drum and sees the colorful costumes of her people as they celebrate the land and the culture that, over the years, is fading. Willetto has worked for the BLM for 31 years and sees her position as more than ensuring that regulations are followed and inspections of oil and gas wells are completed. Willetto, a Navajo, sees her position as an opportunity to help her people retain the land that is theirs, while working with the governmental agencies of the United States and the Navajo Tribe to create a partnership that is sympathetic and appreciative of the needs of all of the people.
Willetto facilitates grazing permits and leases between the BLM, the Navajo Nation
house. He was also a tribal judge and council delegate from 1974 to 1986.
and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, as well as
“I was influenced a lot by my father-in-
conducting inspections of potential oil and
law,” Willetto said. “He possessed a lot of
gas well sites overseen by the BLM. She
knowledge, especially with the Navajo Nation
works closely with private companies,
government, and he was a Navajo Code
including LOGOS, WPX and Encana, to as-
Talker. He always told me, ‘Esther, your clos-
sure the cultural and traditional customs of
est friend may be your enemy the next day,
gathering plants for medicinal purposes, and
but you must leave (the bitterness) behind
to protect burial sites and ceremonial sites
and move forward.’ He was a wise man.”
of the Navajo people, are addressed when
Willetto is also related to Leonard Tsosie,
an oil and gas well is planned in the area.
a Navajo Nation Council Delegate; Lester
Willetto is currently spending about 65
Tsosie, superintendent of Eastern Navajo
percent of her time inspecting oil well sites
Agency; and Ervin Chavez, a former San Juan
on land often referred to as the “Checker-
County Commissioner. Those political ties
board.” The area, located on the eastern
help Willetto in her position with the BLM.
portion of the Navajo Nation, is called the
She spends much of her time visiting with
Checkerboard because of the Navajo lands
Navajos who attend chapter meetings, listen-
and fee lands (lands which are owned by
ing to their concerns and taking that much-
Navajos and non-Navajos) and federal and
needed information back to BLM officials.
state lands under various jurisdictions that
Willetto is also frequently called upon to
exist there.
translate for Navajos who attend BLM
“The Checkerboard is a sensitive area to the Navajo people because there remains a
meetings and want to offer their input. Working with oil field companies and the
lot of bitterness of the Long Walk, which
Navajo people, trying to find compromises
had the Navajos walk from Fort Defiance,
for the drilling of oil wells, is hard work,
Ariz., to Fort Sumner (N.M.),” Willetto ex-
Willetto said. “It’s challenging, because of
plained. “The public lands in the Checker-
the terminology,” she said, especially in
board have a lot of groups interested in it.
translating those terms into Navajo. “The
There’s a lot of politics involved.”
issues are very descriptive and it can get
Navajo Nation politics are nothing new to
very lengthy.”
Willetto. Her father-in-law, the late Frankie
Steve Henke, former district manager of
Chee Willetto was the vice president of the
the Farmington office of the BLM and cur-
Navajo Nation, serving under Milton Blue-
rently president of the New Mexico Oil and WINTER 2013 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 61
Gas Association, met Esther upon his arrival
“Esther is witty, quick with the needle with
at the BLM office in May 1982. Esther was a
her friends and co-workers, exceptionally in-
Navajo heritage. She attended school at the
range clerk at the time and maintained all of
sightful, resourceful, pragmatic, and trustwor-
Intermountain Indian School in Utah and
the case files and billing for the livestock
thy. She has made a difference for the BLM,
graduated from Parks Business College in
grazing program, Henke said.
her family and the Navajo people, “Henke
Denver before she decided she wanted to
added. “I will forever cherish her gift of
study biology and began classes at New Mex-
friends today,” said Henke. “In spite of her
friendship and loyalty to me, which helped
ico State University. She began working for
humble and disadvantaged beginnings, I was
me grow personally and professionally.”
the BLM as a range management clerk, and
“We hit it off immediately and remain
Willetto’s heart and soul belong to her
Bill Papich also worked with Willetto at
became a range technician and conservation-
eagerness to learn and desire to make a posi-
the BLM before he retired, and enjoyed the
ist before moving into her current position.
tive contribution to the BLM, her community
personal and professional relationship they
and the Navajo people. With a little encour-
shared.
always impressed with Esther’s enthusiasm,
agement, Esther took classes through San
“My curiosity took me to the BLM because I had heard so much about it during my
“Esther may know more about the BLM
childhood,” Willetto said. “My parents had a
Juan College and New Mexico State University
Farmington Field Office than anybody,” Pa-
grazing permit and they often spoke of the
to advance her career.”
pich said. “She’s their (BLM) communicator
BLM ranger, who came to assess that permit.”
(with the Navajo people) and she drives all
Willetto grew up in Chacra Mesa, about
over the place (to visit with the Navajos).”
20 miles east of Chaco Canyon. “I grew up
“Esther persevered through the tragic loss of her husband, Dennis, and now leads the
with my Native culture and much of my cul-
BLM’s coordination of actions with individual
“When I think about the 12 years I spent
Navajo livestock operators, the chapters, the
with the BLM, I also think about Esther,” he
ture and traditions were influenced by my
Navajo Nation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs,
added. “She’s a darned good woman and
grandparents, who I lived with. They were
and the Federal Indian Minerals Office,”
may be the best woman I ever met at the
very traditional and spoke the language.”
Henke explained.
BLM. I love her.”
“We raised sheep and my mother and grandmother used to shear the sheep (for the wool) to weave rugs,” she added. “That was our livelihood. We butchered the sheep for food and our flocks of sheep were important to us.” While Willetto enjoyed the traditions and cultures of her people as a child and as an adult, she fears the heritage of the Navajo people is being lost. “Young people are leaving the reservation to go to school and find jobs,” she said. “In the big city, they enjoy a modern society, but they’re leaving the traditions and the culture behind. They’ve lost touch with their heritage.” “My son (Wenston) knows how to say ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ in Navajo and my granddaughter has no knowledge of our traditions and cultures. If I took my granddaughter to herd sheep, it would be the most boring activity and she wouldn’t know how to begin to apply her skills to livestock management,” Willetto added. Willetto and her husband encouraged their son to participate in
62 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2013
the traditions, which he enjoys, but he never
and water hooked up to it.”
learned to speak the language.
BLM. When I began serving as a range con-
Hogans were initially built for traditional
servationist, it took me out into the field to
Navajo ceremonies, Willetto explained. For
chapter houses, where I discovered some of
“Even making fry bread or tortillas or
many years, the hogan has been an important
my clan relatives.”
butchering a sheep or weaving a rug – it’s
part of the Navajo’s home. Willetto will live
just lost.”
in her hogan when it’s completed. She is
and appreciate her dedication to her job
keeping the tradition of a dirt floor in them,
and to her people.
“It’s lost,” she said of many traditions.
While Willetto makes her fry bread and tortillas by measuring by handfuls, she said
Willetto’s friends at the BLM recognize
“Esther’s dedication and selflessness have
she added.
her younger relatives want measuring cups. “I
“Our tradition says you communicate with
made her a woman who is highly respected,
don’t measure,” she said with a laugh. “I just
Mother Earth by living with a dirt floor,” she
not only in the BLM community, but on the
scoop it up with my hands and they think I’m
said. “My husband wanted that, and so do
reservation,” said Ashley Dye, the facility
crazy.”
I.”
operations specialist for the Farmington
While modern technology, modern con-
Willetto currently lives in Farmington, but
Field office of the BLM, and a good friend.
veniences and the life off the reservation are
is looking forward anxiously to the day when
“Her high energy has helped educate the
attractive to many Navajos, Willetto is return-
she can return to the land she and her hus-
younger generation on how to respect diver-
ing to the reservation when she retires.
band have, about 90 miles southeast of
sity, not only in the work place, but in our
Her late husband, Dennis, started the
Farmington. Until she retires, Willetto contin-
personal lives. If you meet Esther, she
foundation for a hogan before he died in
ues to enjoy her work with the BLM and all
doesn’t see her job as work, but as an op-
1999, and Willetto is in the process of fin-
it has brought her.
portunity she has been given to make a dif-
ishing it. “I took it upon myself to finish it,
“I enjoy native life 100 percent,” Willetto
and I’m still working on it,” she said. “It’s al-
said. “And the best part of my job is meet-
most completed – but I am having electricity
ing my relatives through my work with the
ference.” “Esther is someone I am honored to call a
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64 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2013
Strength and
Spirit
Jeff Rogers mastering the games of life and golf Story by Margaret Cheasebro Photos by Tony Bennett After a roadside bomb in Iraq severed Jeff Roger's right arm when he was 21, his life changed dramatically. But he didn't let that stop him. After a 13-month recovery period, Jeff got an education, married, found a good job, became a father, and now, at the age of 27, is taking up the game of golf. Born and raised in Farmington, when Jeff graduated from Farmington High School in 2004, he wanted to get as far away as possible. He joined the Army and went to Fort Benning, Georgia, for basic training on Aug. 10, 2004. "I was like every other teenager in Farmington," he said. "You convince each other that it's this miserable, wretched place, and you feel like a loser if you can't make it out of here." After advanced individual training, he attended airborne school for three weeks before going to Fort Polk, Louisiana, as an infantry mortar man with a cavalry scout unit. "We were part of the new Fourth Brigade of the 10th Mountain Division, so we basically
scheduled to return to Kuwait, on June 12, 2007, he was helping to provide security and route clearance for a convoy. As the gunner, he sat behind two soldiers in the front of an armored security vehicle. "It was around midnight," he said. "We were about a kilometer out in front of the convoy. We got blown up by a roadside bomb. It was an EFP, an explosively formed penetrator. When it blows up, it makes a molten copper bullet that flies through the air. It punched through the truck and blew my right arm off instantly." No one else in the truck was seriously injured. The explosion almost blew off Jeff's right leg too. He didn't know it at the time, but he was classified as a double amputee. trained and trained and trained," he said. Injured in Iraq In 2007, his unit went to Iraq for a threemonth deployment to fill positions vacated by National Guardsmen. A week before he was
Undergoes surgery Taken by helicopter to Baghdad, he underwent emergency surgery. Once stabilized, he flew to Germany for more surgery. After a few days there, he went to Brooke Army Medical WInTER 2013 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 65
Center in Fort Sam Houston, Texas, where he spent two weeks in intensive care. "I got some bacteria that was in the dirt," he said. "It will basically kill you, so I was getting intravenous antibiotics and more surgery." His mom and dad, Read and Barbara Rogers, and his sister spent several weeks with him there, and Read stayed on for two or three months before returning to Farmington. Eventually, Jeff went through rehab at the Center for the Intrepid located on the medical center's large compound. There, he also worked at recovering from mild traumatic brain injury. Learns to be left-handed Jeff, who was right handed, had to learn to do everything with his left hand. "I couldn't even brush my teeth," he said. "My writing was like four-year-old chicken scratch." While he was there, Army friends from Iraq visited him. One of them said, "Oh, my gawd, you're walking!" Their reaction surprised Jeff. "Why wouldn't I be walking?" he asked.
66 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2013
"You're supposed to be a double amputee," they explained, to which Jeff responded, "Nobody told me!" Doctors saved his leg by putting a titanium support through his hip and down the length of his femur. They repaired his muscles and put skin grafts on his leg. "There was only a 10 percent chance that it would work," Jeff said. "The Lord's been with me." Relocates to Colorado After 13 months of recovery, he was released from the Army in Sept. 2008. He moved to Phoenix with a friend and stayed for several months but didn't like it there. He discovered Crested Butte, Colo., while learning to snowboard on a Wounded Warrior Project trip. "It was like this magical little town," Jeff said. So he moved there in the spring of 2009 and attended Western State Colorado University in nearby Gunnison for a semester. A year later, when his mom battled cancer for the second time, he returned to Farmington to
help her. He and his girl friend, Jennifer Winters of Farmington, had been dating long distance while he was in Crested Butte. Years before, they'd worked together in the Youth Conservation Corp at Piedra Vista but were just acquaintances. They eventually became Facebook friends, and the relationship deepened from there. Returns to Farmington "Coming back to Farmington seemed like the right move to make," Jeff said. "I came to appreciate Farmington differently. Now I really like it. I don't think I'd want to live anywhere else." His mother died in July 2010, a year before he and Jennifer married on July 16, 2011. Their first child, a son, was born Aug. 12, 2013. "It's kind of sad because Mom would have been such a great grandma," Jeff said. He began attending San Juan College in the spring of 2011 and graduated with an associate of applied science in instrumentation and controls technology in May 2013. He's now employed by Saulsbury Industries.
Takes up golf for exercise He'd established a family, gained an education and found employment. The one thing missing was exercise. His back and legs deteriorate when he doesn't exercise. He'd lifted weights in high school, but that didn't work well with only one arm. "My father-in-law, Mark Winters, is an avid golfer, and he took me out to the driving range last fall to figure it out," he said. "We tried to work on a stroke and give him a repeatable swing that was reliable and would let him hit the ball well," Mark explained. Jeff liked the sport but saw its challenge. "Golf is probably the hardest sport there is, not physically, but to do it correctly, it's incredibly hard," he said. Determined, competitive spirit Mark recognized his potential right away. "He is very determined," his father-in-law said. "You could tell he has a competitive spirit. He wanted to be successful, and he was willing to work at it. He's an ideal student. He's all ears, absorbing the information and applying it." They decided what would work best for Jeff was a backhand swing. He was using an old set of golf clubs he'd had since he was a teenager. His dad bought them for him when some of Jeff's friends took up golf, but Jeff never got serious about the sport. They weren't the best fit for a one-handed golfer, but they got him started. Shoots backhand "He shoots backhand with his left hand, and he's swinging forward," said Tom Watkins, coowner with his wife, Joan, of Golf USA at 3000 E. 20th in Farmington. "He came into the store, and he told me how he was going to swing," Tom related. "We went to the hitting area, and I helped him a little bit with his grip and his swing. I was trying to teach him how to get a little more power." After Jeff left, Tom called Henry Lange, the sales manager for Adams Golf of Plano, Texas. Tom sells several Adams Golf products in his store. "I asked him if there was anything we could do for a wounded warrior as far as a discount on golf clubs," he recalled. "Henry said he would do bet-
ter than that. He would give him a full packaged set for free." It was a senior set with a softer flex for a slower swing speed. The clubs' shafts are made of graphite, so they're light weight. Others support his efforts Getting a good enough grip was challenging, so Jeff contacted Patrick Pinkart, owner of Quantum Grip, in California and ordered a special grip. It includes a glove and Velcro. "People use it as a training aid to teach them to ease up on their grip," he said. "It's really expensive, but I told Patrick my situation, and he gave it to me for more than half off." The city of Farmington pitched in too, giving him a year of golf at the Civitan Club for half price. "I try to play nine holes a couple or three times a week after work," Jeff said. "Then me and my father-in-law go out on Saturday mornings and play 18 holes." Phil Harvey of Aztec saw him at the driving range one day and offered to give him some golf tips. Phil got in touch with Tom Wishon of Durango. Tom owns Tom Wishon Golf Technology and designs custom fit golf clubs. "Tom gave me a high loft driver," Jeff said. "Phil put a shorter shaft on it." The shorter shaft makes it easier for him to drive the ball. Gets good advice "We advised Phil on how we felt , from our experience, that he needed to custom build the driver to make it easier for Jeff to get used to developing a one-arm swing," Tom said. "We donated the driver head. Phil deserves the credit, because he initiated the conversation with Jeff and started working with him to teach him the game." Jeff hasn't played at Pinon Hills Golf Course yet, because he still can't drive the ball far enough. "I can play at Civitan and get it to most of the greens," he said. Mark noted, "He's got a really good swing. He's got the potential. When we play, he's made some birdies." With the help of many generous people, Jeff is mastering the games of life and golf. WINTER 2013 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 67
Sharing joy Whether teaching or performing, Stewart loves making people smile Story by Debra Mayeux Photos by Tony Bennett and Josh Bishop All the children at Farmington’s Ladera Elementary School love Mr. Paul. He is a teacher, a mentor and an all-around jolly guy, but there is much more to this 28year-old education assistant. Paul Stewart III is a sensitive and talented man who enjoys performing inside and outside of the classroom. He is the go-to guy when Ladera’s library needs a storyteller, because Stewart has a way with making words come off the page and jump to life. He sometimes uses his puppet friend Kevin, but that is just one way Stewart performs. “I have always been able to see his potential for professional storytelling by the way he interacts the children,” said Patricia Wells, librarian at Ladera. “I began asking Paul to read stories at Book Fairs and family events - of course, with sound effects - it has evolved into his preparing some of his favorite books and stories from his childhood and relating them to the children. As 68 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2013
Paul tells his stories, reads, sings ... the joy that I see in the faces of our students is priceless.” Wells said she could see Stewart entering the field of professional storytelling, because of his connection with children and his gift for performance. Stewart, a 2003 graduate of Piedra Vista High School, was introduced to drama in his sophomore year. His father, Paul Stewart Jr., saw something in his son that told him the arts would be a good outlet. “My dad stuck me into drama when I was a sophomore. I landed a lead role,” Stewart said. It was in a musical, and Stewart already was singing, because his dad also encouraged him to take choir. “My dad originally put me in sports, but I failed at all of them, because the arts are where it’s at,” Stewart said. Music and acting became Stewart’s passions, more particularly when he was combining the two by performing in musicals. “I never thought
I was really a good actor, but if I’m singing a song I feel much more comfortable,” he said. Singing became a big part of Stewart’s life, especially when he left on a two-year mission with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a year after he graduated from high school. The mission was in Carlsbad, Calif., and Stewart often used his voice and music to express his religious values. “I knew I had the ability to sing, so I put it into my mission work,” he said. “One lady wrote a song and let me sing it as a debut in church – that was a very touching moment for me.” Stewart loved his mission, but it was also challenging. When young Mormon men are on missions they are not allowed to watch the news or go to the movies for a full two years. They also only speak to their families twice a year. “It takes a lot of commitment, dedication and focus,” he said.
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“The message we share we know is the truth and will bring the person closer to Jesus and the Heavenly Father,” Stewart said, adding he realized then and now that not everyone wants to hear that message, so he never forced himself on people. He, however, did enjoy knocking on doors. “I like meeting people, talking to people,” he said. When Stewart came home in May of 2006, he was here for a month and received a call from Gayle Dixon-Wildon, former director at Sandstone Productions. She was in desperate need of an actor and vocalist for the production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. “I went to a rehearsal on Wednesday; watched the show on Thursday and was in the show on Friday,” he said. “It was horrible and amazing at the same time.” After this quick introduction to the Sandstone Summer Theater, Stewart knew he had a place to share his talent with the community on an annual basis. He has been in every production for the past five years, most recently performing as Kenickie in Grease. “I know exactly what’s going on every year and what to expect. It’s always really fun,” he said. After completing his fifth-year run with Sandstone, it was time for Stewart to switch gears and get ready to head back into the classroom. He had taken a couple of years off from teaching, but decided 2013 was the time for him to return to Ladera Elementary School, where he was welcomed with open arms. “It’s something I enjoy. Those kids are what make the job worth it,” Stewart said. He is a full-time education assistant in the Special Education classroom at Ladera. “I’m sure other teachers get to see kids progress, but not at the rate I see them progress,” Stewart said. He explained how one little boy came to school and couldn’t count. After working with him repeatedly, the young man was able to count to 20. “It was exhilarating, magic to hear him count to 20.” Part of his job is making sure the children stay on task while in the classroom. He also helps them adapt to what is being taught by helping them to understand what is going on in their surroundings. “I feel like I am the aide to the students,” he said. “I want to make sure their life is enriched.” He does just that for the Special Education classroom, but Stewart also does much more for
the school. He is the smiling face and big happy guy, willing to mentor and offer support to any student. He tells stories in the library and brings Kevin the puppet along for the show. “The kids enjoy that, and I really want to be an example to them,” Stewart said. “I love kids. I love seeing kids smile and be happy. Everyone knows me as Mr. Paul, and it’s cool, because I went there doing whatever I could to make the kids happy and see them smile.” Stewart has a genuine way of connecting with all people young and old and bringing out that smile. It could be his acting ability, or his sweet and sensitive personality. “Paul has been a very positive role model for the students at Ladera. In the past few years as Paul has worked with the D level students, he walks through the hall singing, humming or making bebop sounds,” Wells said. “The children love watching him, they see that Paul is a happy person and they feel his approval. The students relate to him because he entertains them with his quirky personality and kindness.” She added that Ladera is blessed to have Stewart on staff. “Paul is the kind of person that makes people happy when they are around him.” While Stewart does work full-time at the school, he will return to the stage this spring in the San Juan College production of The Laramie Project, a play that delves into the event leading up to and after the October 1998 beating death of Matthew Shepard, a young gay man, from Laramie, Wyo. “I am really excited about this play being in our area,” Stewart said. He will begin rehearsals soon with college theater director Mollie Mook-Fiddler. “She really wants us to dive into the story and understand the characters.” Mook-Fiddler described the play as being a “powerful, powerful story,” that will allow the community to come together and have a dialogue about the issue of hate crimes and healing from them. She cast Stewart in The Laramie Project because he was an actor with whom she wanted to work. “I really like what I’ve seen of Paul,” she said. “I’m impressed with his stage presence in general. “ Mook-Fiddler also has witnessed Stewart’s strong work ethic. “He has a real discipline in terms of how he approaches the process,” she said. This is true in all aspects of this actor, mentor, singer and teacher’s life.
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Burbridge Development Foundation and a sister component Four Corners Development Inc., with business memberships. Burbridge just finished a term as chairperson of the latter. As a small business owner herself, Burbridge is in a good position to mesh public service with private interests. Operating as Growth Potential, she provides business consulting, bookkeeping, and contract services for local entities. With her knowledge of community resources, Burbridge assists businesses to identify target audiences and develop marketing strategies. New initiatives Broadening her vision to a larger region, Burbridge is currently involved in the Four Corners Paddle Trail Project. The project includes a range of public and private entities investigating feasibility of developing Animas River and San Juan River recreational opportunities from the Durango area to Farmington. Referring to both pedestrian, bike and water-
ways, Burbridge says, “My big dream for trails is that, someday, we get trails from Durango to Farmington.� In 2011, Burbridge became intrigued when she heard about a group that wanted to start a Highland Games event in Aztec. There was nothing like it in the Four Corners area and it seemed like a good initiative for Aztec. Burbridge relates she liked that it was new and different and that the Highland Games Association has the most fun meetings, while still pulling off a multi-day event with only volunteers. As mayor, she opens the ceremonies, then helps
'S F F %F M J W F S Z /P .J OJ NVN XXX 1B S LF S T * OD D PN 72 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2013
all weekend at a booth, even hawking haggis on occasion. The Aztec Highland Games coming in 2014 will host the first ever Four Corners Regional Championships for Celtic Athletics. Burbridge takes her role as mayor seriously. She says, “Anytime you step into a role like mayor, you can do what’s required, or you can do what the organization or community needs. I have never felt that being part-time or less did the community justice. I’ve been an active mayor, getting involved at the County level on Aztec’s behalf.� No one could call Burbridge a slacker.
power couple
in spirit
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Glenn and Chris Perica devoted to community, congregation Story by Dorothy Nobis Photos by Tony Bennett If you call Glenn and Chris Perica “powerful,” they will exchange an uneasy look, shift slightly in their chairs and pause while they each collect their thoughts. Chris responded first. “Someone who is a community leader in some sort of way,” she said. “Being called ‘powerful’ makes me feel uncomfortable.” Nodding, Glenn agreed. “The scriptures say that power is not the path to salvation, humility is.” The Perica’s were sitting in Glenn’s office at the First Presbyterian Church at 865 N. Dustin, where Glenn is the pastor. While the couple may be uncomfortable in being called “powerful,” the work they do in the church and in the community has had a powerful – and positive – effect in their church and in the community. In addition to his pastoral responsibilities, Glenn is a volunteer with San Juan Regional Medical Center’s Pastoral Care program. The program provides spiritual and emotional support for patients and their families and responds to emergencies in a time of crisis. Art Meyer heads up the Pastoral Care program and is happy to have Glenn as a volunteer. “Glenn is a good guy and I’m happy to have him part of the program,” Meyer said. “Our volunteers are an important part of our program and Glenn has been a volunteer for several years.” Chris is a volunteer with the Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA, program that supports effective volunteer advocacy for the best interests of WINTER 2013 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 75
the children who have been abused and neglected. Amy O’Neill has worked with Chris for several years. “Chris is very good at making a connection with the children,” O’Neill said. “She’s a good listener, which is what we need with our volunteers. In addition, Chris is very consistent as a volunteer, which is important to the child and to the case.” While Chris and Glenn enjoy the volunteer work they do outside the church, they are equally proud and enjoy the work they do for their congregation and their neighborhood. They started a Homework Club, which offers after school tutoring of children in the neighborhood. The club meets on Mondays and Wednesdays and a free dinner is served to the children and their families after the tutoring is completed. Family time is as important as the tutoring, the Pericas believe. “There are a lot of things that have affected the breakdown of communication in our world,” Glenn said. “The technology available to us is promoted as making us closer to each other, but in reality, it separates us from one another. Twitter and Face Book don’t offer face-to-face communication and kids need that.” The volunteer hours, the one day a week off, and the 24-hour on call commitment of being a pastor and a pastor’s wife are all relatively new to the Pericas. Glenn was a city planner and consultant in Los Angeles, Calif., for 14 years and Chris was a professional kitchen designer when the call to serve was answered by the couple in 1988. The couple was involved in the Bel Air Presbyterian Church when, after much thought and prayer, they decided to go into the ministry. “I sensed that God could use my gifts for a different kind of kingdom building,” Glenn said referring to his city planning career. Glenn wisely realized that his call to serve God was one that wouldn’t be answered by him alone. “I knew Chris had to have the 76 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2013
sense of the call. We had two kids and we
be. People now have their needs met in
would be leaving our parents and our
more worldly ways.”
friends. We felt the changes were right, and
“More churches have adapted the attitude
able leaders.” The mission of the church is “Creating disciples who grow deep, grow up and grow
we knew we’d go through some rough
of attracting consumers,” he added. “And
out,” and it is a mission the Perica' take seri-
places, but God would make the rough
people are looking at churches with a ‘what
ously. Growing deep means continuing to
places smooth and the crooked path
can I receive’ from the church.”
learn from the scriptures, growing up means
straight.”
Churches across the country are trying to
to mature in faith and gain strength because
keep congregations involved in the church by
of it, and growing out is a commitment to
in Los Angeles and moved to New Jersey,
offering contemporary services. Glenn be-
displaying the fruits of the labor and grow-
where Glenn attended Princeton Theological
lieves there should be a good mix of con-
ing the service to the church and the com-
Seminary. For three years, the Pericas and
temporary, along with contemplative
munity
their children lived in a small apartment
services. “Our church offers blended serv-
complex that was also a temporary home to
ices that include traditional and contempo-
other families who were attending seminary.
rary hymns.”
The couple left their comfortable lifestyle
“It was three great years for our family,”
“Our goal and our mission aren’t just for the future, but for now,” Chris said. Curtis Gurley has been a member of the
Attracting new members – and keeping
First Presbyterian Church for years and ap-
Chris said. “We were in married student
long time members – is a constant challenge,
preciates all that Pericas do in the church
housing, close to the colonial history (of the
the Pericas agreed.
and with their volunteer work.
area). It was a whole different environment
“My goal for this church is to grow lead-
“The Pericas are out there, living their
for us. We enjoyed learning the history and
ers, so we don’t rely on the pastor to do
lives as witnesses for Christ, the way Jesus
there were so many great, free things to do
everything. That’s not healthy for the con-
did,” Gurley said. “They are great people
every weekend. It was wonderful.”
gregation or the pastor,” Glenn said. “We
and they do a wonderful job for our church
must focus on (enlarging) our pool of avail-
and our community.”
Following Glenn’s graduation from the seminary in 1991, the family moved to Fort Collins, Colo., where he served as associate pastor at the First Presbyterian Church. In 1999, Glenn returned to school to earn his Doctor of Ministry degree, after which the family moved to Longmont, Colo., where Glenn served as head of staff and pastor of Central Presbyterian Church. In 2009, the couple felt the calling of another church – the First Presbyterian Church in Farmington. “The church was in need of redevelopment and an injection of enthusiasm,” Glenn said. “It also needed to rediscover its future and its sense of hope.” “This was the right decision,” Chris said of the move to Farmington. “God has really challenged us to grow in new ways, and Glenn is in a leadership role,” which is perfect for Glenn, she added proudly, because he is a great leader. Leading a church can be challenging to a pastor and the congregation, Glenn said. “We live in a culture and a country where the church isn’t as important as it used to
WINTER 2013 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 77
Bennett “They are very inclusive, because it is a family organization,” Diane said. “It was exciting. I got to do a lot of things I normally would not have done.” Bennett kept up his photography of the rich and famous for 10 years before deciding he wanted to slow his life down. He and Diane moved to the Caribbean, off the coast of Puerto Rico, where they lived on an island. Bennett worked during this phase of his life as a commercial pilot, flying cargo planes. When the Bennetts decided it was time to return to the real world, they decided to land in Farmington, where Tony graduated from high school in 1973. He opened a photography business and began working throughout the community before he was hired to run the photography program at San Juan College. Bennett, however, still fondly recalls his time in Dallas, and recently ran into Jerry Jones at training camp in California. “Jerry told me one of the most important decisions they ever made was to bring me into shoot those photos,” Bennett said, adding it all happened when he took the chance to ask to do something that seemed impossible at the time, but led to an extraordinary career. “I tell my students, you may not go to the White House, but somebody’s going to have an event and you’re a competent photographer, so they ask you to that event. My job is to prepare them for this,” he said, “because my motto is ‘Somebody‘s got to do it.’” 78 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2013
WINTER 2013 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 79
M L
Coolest Things Be unpredictable!
Each year we all stress about what to get our loved ones for Christmas. This year, we say don’t spend so much time looking for the perfect gift to fit their personality. Why not get something completely out of character and fun instead. Find something that is completely off the wall that you think will make them smile or that will add an extra bit of fun for the whole family. After all, this season is about smiles, laughter, fun and that great, warm sense of family, friends, togetherness and joy. Below are a few ideas that will put some extra punch in your holiday traditions and will make even the crankiest family member small.
1 3
2
4 1
everything old is new again
2
you’ll never Be sPeechless again
3
time to have a Ball
4
watch where you’re going!
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Is there really ever anything new? Depending on your age, you may or may not have played with a Lite-Brite when you were younger. While none of the marketing information says so, take it from some one who loved their Lite-Brite. Laser Pegs® are just a hi-tech version of an old idea. The goal of Laser Pegs is to encourage children around the globe to become the innovators of tomorrow. The company hopes that interaction with their products will spark imagination and empower creativity, children of all ages can grow far beyond anyone’s expectations. There are tones of designs and possibilities. We have showcased the Predator – 16 Models in 1. Build the light up Whip Scorpion and 15 more light up models like the Aardvark, Anole and the Baby King Scorpion.
Have you ever found it difficult to find the right gifts to express your feelings? With Voice Art, you can transform your favorite saying into a masterpiece, ready to hang on the wall for you and others to admire. The canvas giclée (zhe-clay) prints are 100 percent personalized, because, like a fingerprint, your voice is unique to you. There are no two alike! They are made from museum quality archival certified canvas that comes with a quality guarantee. We only use the best materials available. With each print you can download a Certificate of Authenticity and the recording that created the artwork.
We’ll admit it some of us here are geeks. But, geek or not – this is one cool toy. Watch the video and you’ll be hooked. If you haven’t seen it yet, you’ll be surprised to learn that the Sphero is just a ball. What’s so cool about it then? The idea behind the Sphero is it’s not simply a ball controlled by your iPod, tablet or smartphone; instead, it’s an entirely new peripheral available for mobile devices. Sphero's features and technology are all controlled by mobile apps, and the good news is that new apps are being released all the time – each one offering a different way to experience the Sphero. This tech toy will delight whoever you give it to – the geekier they are, the more they’ll love it.
Each year at Christmas time we put in one very expensive gift that we all could do without but would love to be able to buy. This year we have this canoe-kayak hybrid has a transparent polymer hull that offers paddlers an underwater vista unavailable in conventional boats. Seating two people, the sturdy hull is made of the same durable material found in the cockpit canopies of supersonic fighter jets. The vessel supports up to 425 lbs., displaces a greater amount of water for more surface stability, and paddlers sit lower to the deck, resulting in better balance. Adjustable seats allow paddlers to personalize their legroom. With a lightweight anodized aluminum frame, it can be easily stored or transported. Includes one back seat, one front seat, two fixed estuary paddles, a water bailer, two paddle leashes, and two flotation devices.
b B ( a u b m R f m r K s 7 M b i s
Price: starting at $75
Price: $129.99 Price: $1,900
P
Price: $39.99
80 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2013
7
5
5
Be the BreW mAster
6
touCh it. love it.
7
9
8
6 Do it Yourself Drive-in
8
WhAt’s Your sign
9
ApArtment pup
mr.Beer® premium extra Beer Kit www.mrbeer.com
Qlocktwo touch Cherry Clock www.watchismo.com
The best starting point for a beginning brewer just got better. The Premium Kit Bundle starts with a Premium Beer Kit (which includes everything needed to brew and bottle your first batch) and adds some useful brewing tools and an extra batch of beer – all told, you get enough fixin's to make 4 gallons of great-tasting beer. Reuse this kit again and again with our Refill Brew Packs – which are available in many flavors – so you're sure to find the right brew for you. Makes 4 gallons of beer. Kit includes Fermenter with lid and tap assembly; standard refill; 11 reusable plastic 740-ml bottles w/caps; 11 labels with MR.BEER® Logo; packet MR.BEER® carbonation drops; brewing with MR.BEER® instructional DVD and four-stop brewing instructions
QLOCKTWO TOUCH is a precision table clock with an alarm function in the format 13.5 x 13.5 x 1.8 cm. Like her big sister QLOCKTWO CLASSIC, it displays the time in the middle of a matrix of letters, spelling out the time in words. A special screen process gives the letters, which are illuminated by brilliant LEDs, pin sharp definition. In a precise procedure the monolithic body is seamlessly milled from a single aluminum block. The ensemble represents a milestone in the aesthetics of table clocks. The compact time keeper with an alarm function for office, livingroom or bedroom.
Watch movies or TV outdoors on this large projection screen. The blackbacked gray screen blocks out light from behind to improve contrast ratio, even in areas with too much ambient light for other screens. Unit sets up quickly and breaks down for compact carry in the included carry bags. The 16:9-aspect-ratio screen is made of 600-denier oxford nylon. Freestanding mount uses sturdy 1.5"-dia. 18gauge powder-coated steel tubing. Includes four stakes and four guy ropes for stabilizing the frame. Can also be used indoors. Does not include projector. Weight: 45 lbs. Dimensions: 102"L x 1-1/2"W x 94"H.
Handmade by artist Julie Nolan, each mythical pendant charts your birth month constellation in solid brass plated with shimmering gold. Inspired by a turn-of-the-century Swiss astrology calendar, Julie handstamps constellations into elegant patterns that span each piece. The larger openings represent the brightest stars shining in the sky. Choose from the 12 classic astrological signs. Each piece is one of a kind and may vary slightly. Sold individually.
The dog you don't have to clean up after! Your child will love to run, play and laugh with Zoomer RoboDog. The more your child plays with him, the more he learns. Your child can call his name, teach him lots of tricks and watch how excited he gets about a real good belly scratch. Zoomer can understand English, Spanish and French. Download the free iOS or Android app to learn everything there is to know about training Zoomer. He comes with 1 built in rechargeable Lipo battery, 1 USB charging cable, 1 instruction guide and 1 reference guide. Ages 5 and up. Available at most area retail stores.
price: $69.12
price: $599.99
price: $199.99
price: $60
price starting at $79
Camp Chef 120" outdoor movie screen www.cabelas.com
gold Astrology necklace www.uncommongoods.com/pr oduct/gold-astrology-necklace
Zoomer www.zoomerpup.com
ADVERTISERS DIRECTORy Allstate Agents................................49 Viviana Aguirre 900 Sullivan Ave. Farmington 505-327-4888 B J Brown 3030 E Main St., Ste X9 Farmington, NM 505-324-0480 Kelly J. Berhost 1415 W. Aztec Blvd, Ste. 9 Aztec, NM 505-334-6177 Harold Chacon 8205 Spain Rd. NE, Suite 209 C Albuquerque, NM 505-296-2752 Dennis McDaniel 505-328-0486 Matt Lamoreux 4100 E. Main St. Farmington, NM 505-599-9047 Johnnie Pete 817 W. Broadway, Ste. B Farmington 505-325-0297 Silvia Ramos 2400 E. 30th St. 505-327-9667 Animas Credit Union........................42 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
City of Farmington..........................33 Great Lakes Airlines Farmington, N.M. 1-800-554-5111 www.flygreatlakes.com
Le Petit Salon..................................76 406 Broadway 5150 College Blvd. Farmington, N.M. 505-325-1214
ConocoPhillips ..................................9 www.conocophillips.com
Massage Envy Spa ..........................53 4917 E. Main St., Suite C Farmington, N.M. 5050-326-ENVY(3689) www.massageenvy.com
Desert Hills Dental Care ....................5 2525 E. 30th St. Farmington, N.M. 505-327-4863 866-327-4863 www.deserthillsdental.com Desert View Family Counseling .......70 905 W. Apache Farmington, N.M. 505-326-7878 www.desertviewsas.org
Nature’s Oasis ................................59 300 S. Camino del Rio Durango, CO 970.247.1988 NaturesOasisMarket.com
Edward Jones/Marcia F. Phillips.......46 4801 N. Butler Ave., Suite 7101 Farmington, N.M. 505-326-7200 www.edwardjones.com
Nearly Famous Totally Glamorous ...36 2501 E. 20th St., Suite 4 Hutton Plaza Farmington, N.M. 505-325-8360 505-325-6266
Employee Connections, Inc. ............71 2901 E. 20th Street Farmington, N.M. 505-324-8877 www.ecistaffing.com Farmers Insurance Nathan Duckett ...............................16 2713 E. 20th St., Ste. F Farmington, N.M. 505-258-4721 www.farmersagent.com/nduckett
Basin Home Health .........................58 200 N. Orchard Avenue Farmington, N.M. 505-325-8231 www.basinhomehealth.com
Four Corners Community Bank ........57 Farmington, N.M. 505-327-3222 New Mexico 970-565-2779 Colorado www.TheBankForMe.com
Cascade Bottled Water & Coffee Service.......................29, 77 214 S. Fairview Farmington, N.M. 505-325-1859
Natalie’s for Her, Him, Home ...........83 4301 Largo, Suite H Farmington, N.M. www.nataliesonline.com
Directory Plus.................................79 162 Stewart Street Durango, C.O. 970-259-6500 www.directoryplus.com
Ashley Furniture HomeStore...........25 5200 E. Main Street Farmington, N.M. 505-516-1030 www.ashleyfurniture.com
Budget Blinds ...................................2 825 N. Sullivan Farmington, N.M. 505-324-2008
Miller Stratvert PA...........................46 300 W. Arrington, Suite 300 Farmington, N.M. 505-326-4521
Four Corners Orthodontics..............76 3751 N. Butler Ave. Farmington, N.M. 505-564-9000 1-800-4Braces www.herman4braces.com JA Jewelers ...............................15, 67 4005 E.. Main St. Suite D 505-599-9400 www.jajewels.com
Next Level Home Audio & Video......43 1510 E. 20th St., Suite A Farmington, N.M. 505-327-NEXT www.327NEXT.com Partners Assisted Living ...........24, 62 313 N. Locke Ave. Farmington, N.M. 505-325-9600 www.partnerassistedliving.com Parker’s Inc. Office Products ...........72 714-C W. Main St. Farmington, N.M. 505-325-8852 www.parkersinc.com Pinon Hills Community Church.........17 5101 N. Dustin Avenue Farmington, N.M. 505-325-4541 www.PinonHillsChurch.com
Presbyterian Medical Services ..........................................14, 41, 70 Farmington Community Health Center 1001 W. Broadway Farmington, N.M. 505-327-4796 www.pms-inc.org Prime Source Mortgage ..................58 4100 E. Main St., Suite B Farmington, NM 87402 505-327-5500 mlamoreux@wewalkyouhome.com Quality Appliance............................20 522 E. Broadway Farmington, N.M. 505-327-6271 R.A. Biel Plumbing & Heating ..........63 Farmington, N.M. 505-327-7755 www.rabielplumbing.com Reliance Medical Group...................48 3451 N. Butler Avenue Farmington, N.M. 505-566-1915 1409 West Aztec Blvd. Aztec, N.M. 505-334-1772 www.reliancemedicalgroup.com ReMax of Farmington........................3 108 N. Orchard Farmington, N.M. 505-327-4777 www.remax.com San Juan Nurseries .........................66 800 E. 20th St. Farmington, N.M. 505-326-0358 www.sanjuannurseries.com San Juan Plastic Surgery .................31 2300 E. 30th St., Building B, Suite 103 Farmington, N.M. 505-32701754 www.sanjuanplasticsurgery.com San Juan United Way .......................32 505-326-1195 www.sjunitedway.org Sanchez and Sanchez Real Estate.....4 4301 Largo St. Suite F Farmington, NM 87402 505-327-9039 Sleep-N-Aire...................................56 3650 Iles Avenue Farmington, N.M. 505-327-2811 www.sleepnairemattress.com
Majestic Living Magazine is online! Log on to www.majesticlivingusa.com and click on the cover to access an online digital version of our magazine! 82 | MAJESTIC LIVING | WINTER 2013
Southwest Concrete Supply.............71 2420 E. Main Farmington, N.M. 505-325-2333 www.swconcretesupply.com Southwest Obstetrics and Gynecology. .......................................................21 622 W. Maple St., Suite 1 Farmington, N.M. 505-325-4898 Spotless Solutions ...........................xx 505-326-4755 www.spotlesssolutions.com Starfire Fireplace ............................37 2616 E. Main St. Farmington, N.M. 505-327-3657 Strater Hotel ...................................73 699 Main Ave. Durango, CO 970-247-4431 www.strater.com Sundance Dental Care.................6 & 7 Locations in Farmington, Bloomfield, Kirtland & Gallup 505-407-0087 www.sundancesmile.com Webb Toyota...................................84 3911 E. Main Farmington, N.M. 505-325-1911 Ziems Ford ...............................29, 41 5700 E. Main Farmington, N.M. 505-325-8826 Zija Nation ......................................32 800-605-1785 ext. 800 www.alspals.myzija.com
TOW. HAUL. BUILD ANYTHING. toyota.com/tundra
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Webb Toyota • 3701 E. Main, Farmington • 505-327-5900