\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0After a series of single-topic columns, this one will run the gamut, be a sort of clearing house. It’s an occasion to take care of much pending business.
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 So, to Cris Trujillo, I have not forgotten the idea of writing about what life was like in the O50s, from the perspective of someone who grew up in Old Town;
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 To Mary Ann, an associate at Wal Mart, who chides me for ending too many columns with, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153But that’s a topic for a future column.” I promise to write soon about some of those incidents that remain cemented in my cranial storage unit;<\/p>\n
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 To Jose Mo\u00c3\u00b1tano: with your help, I would like to write about being bat-boys and ball-chasers for the old Las Vegas Merchants team.
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Those matters aside, it’s time for the periodic Thumbs Up-Thumbs Down feature:
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 ? Thumbs up: To courteous service. How many times have you begun your question at a public office only to have the phone ring and the person in charge forget about you? I observed the opposite recently at the San Miguel County Clerk’s office. As I entered, the clerk on duty, Pamela Sena, was on the phone. She politely told the caller she needed to take care of a customer and answered all my questions. The day before, I’d taken a nursing home patient there to check on his voting status.
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 This time, the clerk, Melanie Rivera, provided all the information courteously and promptly. The rest of the staff, Martha Sena, Geraldine Gutierrez and clerk \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Pecos” Paul Maez, are doing a fine job. Will they be able to keep up their cheerful dispositions in less than five weeks, when their office becomes Hurricane Central during the presidential elections? ? Thumbs up: To the Bank of Las Vegas message board, which is great for pedestrians to catch up on goings-on in the area, even if the board is six minutes fast, compared to satellite time. But read on . . .
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 ? Come on, fellas; we’re also proud of Highlands University’s victory over Mesa State-Colorado, and we’re glad you put up the score. But posting it for 10 days is a bit much. In case people don’t know, Highlands lost the next game.
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 ? Thumbs up: Fax machines make it possible to transmit documents over phone lines, in a matter of seconds. But read on . . .
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 ? Sometimes people call a number listed in the phone book but don’t realize they’re connected to the fax machine, which emits such a cacophony that it makes Metallica and Marilyn Manson seem euphonious.
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 ? Thumbs up: The coming inauguration of the new president at Highlands University. But read on . . .
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 ? FOUR days’ worth?
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 ? Thumbs up: When I left my full-time reporter-photographer’s job at the Optic around 1960, I was amazed to discover that the paper came out the next day without me. I applaud the career moves of Jesse Gallegos, my former student (1980s) and former boss (2001 to the present), and former student Dave Kavanaugh, my managing editor (until tomorrow). We’ll miss you guys! ? Thumbs up: To the students, teachers and staff at Memorial Middle School who have made the best of matters following the rain-caused mold and mildew problem on campus. But read on . . .
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 ? The flooding has existed for years, long before any of the current personnel were involved. However, the monsoon season began in early summer, giving every indication that the school–built in the lowlands–was about to suffer. As one veteran MMS teacher said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153When there’s no rain, nobody worries about it.” These issues need to be rectified long before the start of school.
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 ? Thumbs up: Art Abreu and Paul Ware, who broadcast Highlands football games. Art gets so fired up that if he could leave the booth and make the tackle himself, he would. It’s rare to feel such zeal. But read on . . . ? When we listen to a game at Perkins Stadium, we go by crowd noise to let us know how the home team is doing. Unfortunately, the cement seats on the east side of the stadium are for the visitors, and the broadcasting facilities are in close proximity. So whenever we hear loud cheers, it usually means the other team is cleaning our clocks.
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 ? Thumbs up: Bernie Allingham, with KFUN radio, along with brothers Richard Trujillo and Eddie Trujillo, of station Z-96, broadcast high school games to bring the play-by-play to those unable to attend.
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 ? Thumbs down: The opinion of some people that patriotism is an attribute only of people who support the war in Iraq.
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 ? Thumbs up: The dedication of the Ivan Hilton Science and Technology building at Highlands.
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 ? Thumbs down: To the constant braggadocio in TV ads from people who proudly refer to Bush as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the war president,” as if attacking a country were a desirable prerequisite for re-election. That kind of boastful praise is akin to the kid who murdered both his parents and then threw himself at the mercy of the courts because, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153After all, I’m an orphan.”
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 ? Thumbs up: To the record number of people registered to vote in New Mexico, more than 1,000,000.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0After a series of single-topic columns, this one will run the gamut, be a sort of clearing house. It’s an occasion to take care of much pending business. \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 So, to Cris Trujillo, I have not forgotten the idea of writing about what life was like in the O50s, from the perspective of someone who […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rezio.net\/woa\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rezio.net\/woa\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rezio.net\/woa\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rezio.net\/woa\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rezio.net\/woa\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=114"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rezio.net\/woa\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rezio.net\/woa\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=114"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rezio.net\/woa\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=114"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rezio.net\/woa\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=114"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}