Front Page News

Charmayne Samuelson spoke about her book on Spencer MacCallum who discovered master potter Juan Quezada and promoted the Mata Ortiz pottery.

Photos and article by Mary Alice Murphy

At the Silver City Museum Annex, the museum hosted not only Oralia Lopez demonstrating her painting style on her pottery, they also exhibited a large selection of pottery from other Mata Ortiz potters.

Lopez used a single hair cut from a child's head to paint her very detailed pottery.  She said a child's hair is more flexible for the delicate strokes she makes.

The featured speaker was Charmayne Samuelson, who interviewed Spencer MacCallum, and wrote a book about how MacCallum met the master Mata Ortiz potter, Juan Quezada, and promoted Quezada and the other potters of Casas Grandes, Mexico, to international status.

By Lynn Janes

The Village of Santa Clara held a meeting July 11, 2024. Mayor Arnold Lopez called the meeting to order. Mayor Pro Tem Albert Esparza, trustees, Olga Amador and Peter Erickson attended. Ralph Trujillo didn't attend.

Mayor's report

Lopez thanked the residents for all their patience and cooperation on the Bellm Street project. "We will have to keep a close eye on the speed limit, so no one gets hit." He had been referring to the new road from the project.

By Lynn Janes

The Silver City Town Council held a regular meeting July 9, 2024. Attendance to the meeting included Mayor Ken Ladner, Mayor Pro Tem Guadalupe Cano, Rudy Bencomo, Nicholas Prince, and Stan Snider.

Council comments

Cano thanked all the people involved in the July 4th event and especially Romeo Cruz, Silver City-Grant County Chamber of Commerce director, for all the coordination. She said it had not been all good that day because of the murder and told people if they had any information to please contact the police. She thanked Jacqueline Olea for all she does and keeps up with.

By Frost McGahey, Investigative Journalist

(Author's Note: Names have been changed to protect privacy.)

In documents obtained by IRPA, it shows that the insurer for the 6th Judicial District paid out $40,000 to a woman attorney for sexual discrimination done by Michael Renteria. When Renteria became the district attorney, he hired a male attorney for $109,000 while the woman attorney Portia*, already working there, was only paid $101,000. They had comparable duties, although Portia handled 162 cases versus 40 for the male.*

Portia's job was to handle all violent crimes including crimes against the police and juvenile crimes. An experience prosecutor, she was considered highly qualified by law enforcement and worked closely with police.

From the complaint:

Photos and article by Mary Alice Murphy

The newly named Women and Newborn Services area combines the labor and delivery rooms, the recovery rooms and the nursery in one area of the hospital instead of being spread out in various sections of the facility. The areas have been alternately called Labor and Delivery, Maternal Child (MATCH), and now will have a new identity.

Two RNs (registered nurses) gave this author and photographer a tour of the new area in the Gila Regional Medical Center.

The first impression was of light, happiness and an uplifting area to have one's baby, first or fifth.

By Lynn Janes

The town of Hurley held a regular meeting July 9, 2024. Attendance to the meeting included Mayor Ed Stevens, Mayor Pro Tem Nanette Day, councilors, Reynaldo Maynes, Keana Huerta and James Langley (online).

Public Input

George Moreno, committee chair, updated the council on the recreation project for the Big Muddy and the meetings that had taken place. They had a lot of discussion and had sent out flyers. which had brought 20 responses to date with feedback. Huerta, with the information gathered, will be contacting the engineers for some recommendations.

By Mary Alice Murphy

[Author's Note: Calls to the Grant County Clerk's Office and the Assessor's Office only confused this writer. I corrected my first draft! Be aware of what the questions say. Do not rely on what others have told you. Think for yourself, and READ the language, even though it contorts the brain.]

This author's calls to the Clerk's Office and the Assessor's Office hopefully can help you a bit.

NMSU Grant County Extension is ?pleased to announce that the local ?Extension Agent, Jessica Swapp Massengill, ?has ?been ?honored with ?the ?National ?Association ?of ?County ?Agriculture ?Agents ?award for Audio Recordings with her podcast. This recognition is awarded by her peers in acknowledgment of Jessica's exceptional contributions to communications.