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2023 Featured News Articles

Posted April 23, 2024

AJML’s April 27th Earth Day Programming

Starting at 11:00 AM
244 Cook Avenue

Visit the Arthur Johnson Memorial Library for their continuing Earth Day Programming this Saturday. They are giving away free seeds, local recipes and the New Mexico Harvest Calendar (while supplies last).

Workshops:
11:00 AM – New Mexico Agriculture in the Classroom (perfect for kids ages 5 and up)
1:00 PM – Growing and Harvesting Mushrooms by Zach Girgenti

Workshops:
11:00 AM – New Mexico Agriculture in the Classroom (perfect for kids ages 5 and up)
1:00 PM – Growing and Harvesting Mushrooms by Zach Girgenti

Posted April 21, 2024

AJML Offers Activities to Celebrate Earth Day

The Arthur Johnson Memorial Library has stepped up its game by offering a variety of on-hands programming on diverse subjects.

On Saturday, April 20, 2024, several guest speakers offered workshops for Earth Day which is Monday, April 22, 2024. Beginning at 10:00 AM, Assistant Director Melanie Alderette provided a “Make & Take” recycling program followed by information about the “Inaturalist” phone app presented by Lisa Camp at noon. At 1:00 PM Zach Gergenti showed how to make liquid fertilizer from waste. At 3:00 PM Anna Ryan provided a workshop on how to make Earth pigments for a fun self-portrait exercise.

In addition to the workshops, the library had many free handouts that provided patrons with information on ways to help our planet along with a list of books on the subject that are available to check out. Some of the items offered during the all-day event were:

• vegetable seeds
• Three Sisters coloring pages
• NMSU Guide to Home Gardening in New Mexico
• Raton Planting Calendar Guide Spring and Fall
• Urban Farmer’s Growing and Harvesting in New Mexico
• 2023 Seasons Cuandernos booklets

According to Director Den Gum, the library can be the “hub” of a community by offering a wide variety of services and a diverse collection of books, magazines, newspapers, and digital media for the public to check out. The library also makes copies, has a 3-D printer, computers, and provides other services. Upcoming activities include a comic contest to celebrate the upcoming National Comic Day on May 4, 2024, adult painting classes, Wednesday morning Storyhour for pre-schoolers, the Pokemon Club, and more.

Keep up with all of the activities by visiting The Ratonian calendar, the AJML blogspot, and the AJML Facebook page.

Posted April 20, 2024

MCMC C.A.R.E.S. Champion

By Sally Hoger

Tim Owen, the cook at the MCMC Long-Term Care Facility was chosen as the C.A.R.E. Champion and the MCMC Auxiliary presented him with a certificate and gift during the April MCMC Board of Trustees meeting. C.A.R.E.S stands for Continuous Improvement, Respect and Respond, Engagement and Safety.

Tim has been employed by MCMC for two years, starting as Food Aide followed by promotion to Cook.  Over the past two years, Tim has been a tremendous asset to the Long-Term facility. Tim goes above and beyond his duties to please the residents as well as the staff. He always has a positive attitude and is always willing to help in any way he can, whether it is covering a shift or helping a fellow co-worker. Tim is a great example of a team player. Tim is an excellent cook and the Dietary Manager and Assistant Manager often receive complements from residents and staff about how much they enjoy his food. Tim always asks each resident how their meal was and how it could be improved.

Tim was born and raised in Raton, so he grew up with some of the Long-Term care residents. He is married with four stepchildren and twelve grandchildren. Tim enjoys being outdoors enjoying nature, hunting, fishing or just about any outdoor sport.

Posted April 14, 2024

Retired Teachers Warned, “Don’t Take Your Benefits for Granted”

This past month, several retired teachers and retired government workers were invited to attend a meeting at K-Bob’s by the Raton New Mexico Association of Educational Retirees (NMAER) for information regarding the possible changes to their health care benefits. The guest speaker was H. Russell Goff , who has served as the Executive Director of NMAER since 2002.

Mr. Goff began by saying, “Don’t take your benefits for granted.” Goff, who has a long history of association with teaching and education administration has been closely following the actions of our New Mexico Legislature that could affect the retirement and health benefits of our retired teachers and others. Although no action was taken during the last legislative session, there is concern that the State could make it easier to change the benefits that teachers and other retired state employees could receive in the future. Legislation that occurred this past year raised concerns about the future of the health and retirement benefits of retirees.

The General Services Department, Human Services Department, Department of Health, and the Department of Finance were combined. One of the benefits that was expected of the consolidation was to reduce the cost of retirement health care. During this year’s 30-day session,  the purpose of House Memorial 1 and Senate Memorial 4  that were to be introduced was to study the pension benefits structure to equalize the benefits structure of PERA and ERB but not to combine them. Because of the concerns of Dr. Goff and others raised, the House and Senate Memorials were pulled. The state trust fund is very healthy, and the current benefits are good. But, everyone should remain aware of any changes that the State may attempt.

Public employees in New Mexico participate in a Defined Benefit Plan that provides a guaranteed monthly pension for the rest of their lives. This past year, the state was looking at the possibility of changing to a Defined Contribution Plan which is like a 401k. Mr. Goff reported that other states that have implemented the Defined Contribution Plan are struggling to hire and maintain teachers because the responsibility of retirement savings is on the individual, whereas with a Defined Benefit Plan, the state is responsible for collecting and disbursing the benefits. During the 2023 legislative session four agencies were combined, which seemed to lead the way for the change in retirement benefits.

Mr. Goff reminded those in attendance at the meeting that they need to get those coming up behind us to get involved and to stay in touch with our two lobbyists – who are both retired educators. They will stay on top of things going on in the legislature regarding our health care retirement benefits. By using email technology, a weekly or bi-weekly update is provided for those on the email list.

Mr. Goff closed with, “The trust fund is very healthy.”

Posted April 14, 2024

Poet Laureate Lauren Camp visits Raton

by Anna Ryan

Raton, New Mexico, a town distinguished in part by being one of only seven designated Cultural Districts in the state, continues its role in shaping New Mexico’s arts and culture landscape. Spearheading this cultural resurgence is Terry Bumpass of the New Mexico Arts Commission, who has once again brought the arts home to Raton. On Friday, April 5th, the Arthur Johnson Memorial Library, a hub for all sorts of activities, hosted an exchange facilitated by Lauren Camp, the state’s Poet Laureate, and Michelle Laflamme-Childs, the Executive Director of New Mexico Arts. The event shed light on the Epic Poem Project, a collaborative endeavor aimed at amplifying the unique voices of individual communities through the use poetry.

The Epic Poem Project is epic in its scale, involving a series of workshops held in every county of New Mexico! The duo is traveling to cities, towns and villages to host poetry reading and writing workshops. Poems are then crafted, taken from lines written by the local workshop participants and assembled by Camp and Laflamme-Childs. Laflamme-Childs elaborated on the process: “We gather words about the community BY the community.” The collective poems will be printed as broadsides, preserving the particular flavors of New Mexican regions in verse. In addition to the writing portion of the workshop, local poets held the floor alongside the Poet Laureate, who read from her most recent anthology,”In Old Sky.” After reading her work, Camp invited Ratonians present to their own verses and multiple people read and discussed their poems.  

When asked about their impressions of Raton, Laflamme-Childs spoke of both women’s affinity for places off the beaten path. “Rural communities in New Mexico are especially close to my heart,” she began, elaborating on her own upbringing in a town that mirrored Raton’s trajectory, emphasizing the familiarity and resonance of such locales, “Those (places) that experienced a boom at some point in their histories and exist now in a smaller, more contracted way but still maintain the architectural relics of that earlier time…they feel extremely familiar and homelike to me.” It isn’t nostalgia that drove them all the way to Raton, however. Laflamme-Childs emphasized, “It is important to me in a very deep way to visit these communities offer ways to talk about poetry—to access it in an authentic and down to earth way…I (and I think I speak for Lauren Camp as well) genuinely become enamored with the histories, people, and spirit of places like Raton.” 

Maybe this event is the call you need to explore the world of poetry yourself? April is National Poetry Month, after all, so there’s never been a better time. Whether you’re a seasoned wordsmith or just starting out, let’s continue the conversation and share the creativity sparked here by the Epic Poem Project and the folks who helped bring it to our home! 

Posted April 7, 2024

Investor Purchases Bank Building in Downtown Raton

Raton’s Inbank building on the corner of 2^nd Street and Cook Avenue, formerly the International Bank of Raton, was sold to an investor last year, making way for some exciting changes.

Andrew Leafe, a young man originally from Goffstown, New Hampshire, had the opportunity and means to invest in commercial real estate after working for several years in digital marketing. In recent years, while living in Puerto Rico, he realized that  as a territory, Puerto Rico did not afford him representation in the States and that it was very challenging for banking, insurance, and even shipping for his business ventures. He began looking for commercial property in the States to purchase, and came across the opportunity to purchase the bank building in Raton. Although he didn’t have a concrete idea of what he would do with the property, he knew that the building afforded him a wide array of business opportunities.  After speaking to city leaders and business owners in the community, Andrew began formulating plans for the building that would meet the needs of our community and allow his investment in the building to grow into a profitable business.

Andrew’s plans to revive the Yucca Hotel & Market will feature a gaming room, virtual meeting rooms, a coffee shop, a grocery store, continued banking service, a pharmacy, and a member-owned data utility center. Access to fast broadband internet services will allow the gaming room to quickly become a reality. It will be set up in what was the accounting room of the bank. Additionally, in the upcoming months he hopes to be able to renovate at least one of the upper floors  to open the Yucca Hotel.  Follow progress of the Yucca Hotel renovations at www.theyucca.com. The proposed data utility center would take advantage of the building being the tallest building in Raton because it would provide line-of-sight access for internet service. His idea is to create a member-owned, for-profit data center that would give everyone accessibility to high-speed internet.

Andrew’s vision for the future includes possible geo-thermal and solar energy “mining” that would provide the energy needed to run computing banks for businesses, government, schools, organizations, and individuals. The community’s independence and self-reliance, and its history with mining, led Andrew  to believe that “data mining” would be a perfect fit. “Being able to extract the resource but immediately bring it to market in town is such a fascinating opportunity.”

Venturing into data mining and internet sourcing is a natural fit for Andrew who attended Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona but basically learned website programming on his own. His knowledge in website programming coincided with the advent of the ability to host software on the internet becoming mainstream, which was key to his co-founding a digital marketing company, Kuraytor, in 2012. The company is still in business, and Andrew remains part owner and director on the company’s Board of Directors.

Andrew will eventually provide a website, www.ratondata.com, that will report on the progress of setting up a “data utility” in Raton. Watch for more information about this exciting venture in future issues of The Ratonian.

Posted April 6, 2024

Colfax County Health Council/Health Equity Host Brunch on Mental Health

By Sally Hoger

The Mental Health Fair held at the Convention Center on April 2, 2024, was well attended with fourteen organizations and agencies represented. Several speakers presented topics including an overview of drug overdoses in the area and how to administer Narcan and a statewide program called Everyone Deserves. This program, represented at the Fair by the National Latino Behavioral Health Association, helps people in remote and rural areas find mental wellness care including substance abuse treatment. It focuses on ranchers, the Latino population, youths, and seniors by holding community awareness events to provide support to people and get them connected to the help they need in person or via telehealth.

There was an overall feeling of a sincere desire to help others with nonjudgemental compassion among the representatives. Many of the groups are focused on drug and alcohol use, and the focus was divided between providing immediate help on the street and with legal issues (Colfax County DWI, Blue Skies United, Krossroads) and in treatment and in prevention and helping people realize the root of the behavior (Krossroads, Rio Grande, Celebrate Recovery, Pinwheel). Krossroads provides a “full circle” of care from individual and family  therapy to legal help to independent living skills to housing.

   Other groups focus on helping families with foster care, domestic violence, and other social needs (Team Builders, Youth Heartline, Alternative to Violence) and assistance for new mothers (Mora-Colfax Head Start and CCYES).

Photos by Frank Mahannah

Posted March 31, 2024

The Ratonian Accepted into the NM News Accelerator Program

The Ratonian editor, Laura Brewer, attended a small business meeting in February sponsored by Raton MainStreet. The guest speaker for the meeting, Mike Young from Creative Startups, provided information about New Mexico’s drive for business development and the many resources available to businesses. He later emailed a link to  “Future of Creative Journalism in NM”  Zoom focus group,  which Laura attended. The Ratonian staff met later to discuss and complete the application for the NM News Accelerator Program.

The NM Accelerator program, which unlike an incubator that helps start-ups,  will provide resources and information for The Ratonian, an already established business, to help it grow. The Ratonian will celebrate its one-year anniversary in April 2024, and has seen tremendous growth since its inception, starting with one hundred viewers to averaging now more than 3,000 viewers each month. Participation in the program is expected to provide ideas about best practices in writing, organizing, and marketing The Ratonian. The staff of The Ratonian will attend monthly zoom meetings that are attended by many others in related journalism fields. The entrance into the NM News Accelerator program included a $6,000.00 grant that will be used to help pay specific needs as stated in the grant application.

Visit the NM Creative Industries website for more information about business development in New Mexico.

Posted March 31, 2024

Arthur Johnson Memorial Library Buzzing with Activity

The Arthur Johnson Memorial Library (AJML) is really buzzing with activity. In the past few weeks, the library has provided twice weekly afternoon art & craft classes, weekly story hour, a performance by Forest McCurren and wife, Margaret, a Reading Ranger program, plus Thursday evening crafts and a Saturday adult art class. 

For the month of April, in addition to the regular activities, AJML will host the Poet Laureate Lauren Camp with a poetry writing workshop, the Aspen Song Kids story time and Pow Wow, an Anime Poster contest,  a “Blind Date with Book”,  and to celebrate Earth Day on April 22, the library is providing a series of related activities throughout the month.

But wait, there’s more!

According to Dennie Gum, the AJML Director, the library is going to be adding many new features like a gaming room that includes Play Station and X-Box, table games, access to a 3-D printer, and the Artist 13.3 Pro Drafting Tablet. As Dennie explains, the library will become the hub of the community, a place where people can meet, check out books, music and movie DVD’s, participate in fun, educational activities, and network with others. And of course, the library still provides internet access with computers located throughout the building. The library is certainly not the library of old.

Eventually, the library, which is quickly outgrowing its space, may need to either build a new facility, or renovate an existing building to accommodate the increase in activities provided. Additionally, the building, which had previously served as the Raton Post Office, is in need of repairs, which include renovations to the upstairs bathrooms this summer.

Stay informed about the new books, movies, and music, that are available for checking out by visiting the AJML blog online. It has an updated list of new additions to the library collection and a calendar of events.

Below are the flyers for the upcoming activities. Visit The Ratonian Calendar Page to see the scheduled events.

Posted March 28, 2024

Ports to Plains Appropriation Benefits New Mexico

FY24 Mini-Appropriations Bill Brings $29.165 Million to Ports-to-Plains Alliance Projects

The recent passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 (H.R. 4366) marks another significant milestone for the Ports-to-Plains Alliance corridor. This legislation, which cleared the U.S. Senate on Friday, March 8, 2024, and the U.S. House on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, was signed into law by President Biden on Saturday, March 9, 2024.Among the notable provisions of the bill are allocations totaling $29.165 million for four community projects benefitting the Ports-to-Plains Alliance corridor. These projects were championed by various U.S. House members and Senators, reflecting a bipartisan commitment to infrastructure development. Congressman Ronny Jackson (TX-13) secured funding for two critical projects: US 287 Interstate Design, Amarillo to Dumas: $2 million. State Loop 335 Widen Non-Freeway, Amarillo, Texas: $2.2 million. Congressman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) successfully advocated for: Interstate Planning: U.S. 87 from Lubbock to Tahoka: $8 million. Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) secured funding for: US 277—Operational Improvements in San Angelo: $2.5 million. Additionally, two projects received funding through the U.S. Senate: Ports-to-Plains Corridor Interstate Planning (New Mexico): $1.6 million, championed by Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján. Heartland Expressway Improvements (Nebraska): $12.865 million, secured by Senator Deb Fischer. The total appropriations of $29.165 million, combined with the FY23 appropriations of $11.85 million, provide state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) with substantial funding to advance critical infrastructure projects. Notably, this funding does not rely on formula distribution, ensuring targeted investment in key transportation initiatives. “As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I have the opportunity to directly advocate for federal resources that deliver for working families in New Mexico — and that’s exactly what this legislation does,” said Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico. “Today, I was proud to vote for this first package of appropriations bills that will deliver critical investments to every corner in New Mexico, addressing our community needs,” said Senator Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico. “The Heartland Expressway Association is grateful to US Senator Deb Fischer for securing $12.8 million in the FY 2024 budget for work on the current construction phase of the Heartland Expressway between Minatare NE and US Highway 385 junction east of Scottsbluff. This critical piece of funding will assure the creation of another 18 miles of 4-lane divided highway in western Nebraska”, said Deb Cottier, Board Chair from Chadron, NE. “Senator Fischer has been a long-time supporter of roads in Nebraska, especially the Heartland Expressway which is an expansion of the original state expressway system begun when Senator Fischer was in the Nebraska Legislature. She has made good on her promise to help and kept the funding alive until Congress could act on the transportation portion of the budget,” she said. The FY24 appropriations represent a significant investment in the future of transportation infrastructure along the Ports-to-Plains Alliance corridor, fostering economic growth and connectivity across the region.

Posted March 24, 2024

Task Force Meets to Determine Future Direction

A small task force of  business owners and individuals was created in response to a meeting held at K-Bob’s last fall to address a rash of burglaries that had occurred in recent months. The overwhelming number of attendees at that meeting spoke up with their concerns about the increase in crime in Raton. A few of those attending were invited to meet in private meetings afterward to discuss actions that could be taken to address the concerns that had been raised.

On Thursday, March 21, 2024, the task force held a public meeting to provide information about what it had decided should be the next step. The task force determined that it should form as a 501(c)6 organization which would allow it to get involved in the political side of how the state laws that govern us have contributed to our law enforcement problems in Raton. It will now begin working on determining its name, setting up bylaws, and when to meet and how often.

At Thursday’s meeting at the Shuler, Deputy Chief  Jim Valdez informed those attending that the police department is almost fully staffed, needing to hire only one more officer. During the time of the burglaries that had prompted the formation of the task force, the department had only seven officers, and was only able to cover 12 hours during the day, with no night-time coverage. The department is now again on 24-hour coverage.

Other ideas that were presented at the meeting were a community-wide city clean-up, publishing crime statistics that could be provided by law enforcement and providing businesses with ways to help prevent burglaries. The task force will continue to meet monthly.

The Ratonian reported on the meeting at K-Bob’s that kicked off the task force at https://theratonian.com/featured-news/#business-meeting-draws-large-crowd

Posted March 17, 2024

Don’t Miss “BRIM: Solano’s Stories” at the Mitchell Museum, Closing March 30

By Mary Elder, mary@theratonian.com

If you haven’t already made it over Raton Pass to see “BRIM” at the A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art, now’s the time to saddle up and take it in. The exhibit, which closes March 30, was developed in conjunction with Raton business leader Sandy Solano and employees at Solano’s Boot & Western Wear. It celebrates the lives of 18 area farmers and ranchers, whose stories are told through a display of headgear donated to Solano’s “hat cemetery” over the past 50 years.

Last November we explained how “BRIM” came about as a companion event to a larger Smithsonian project in Trinidad. According to Mitchell Museum Executive Director Allyson Sheumaker, the exhibit has been popular, especially with locals. “It’s been wonderful to see so many people come to visit the hats of old friends or neighbors and to support the Solanos.” She noted that “the opening night reception last December was a huge success,” with as many as 300 guests turning out.

Curator Ken Chapin is likewise thrilled with the exhibit’s impact. “The basic concept of putting hats on display with text behind them sounds easy, but it actually took a lot of time and thought to get it right,” he said. “We needed to protect the hats as part of Sandy’s long-standing commitment to the donors. The glass cases did that, and also conveyed a sense of reverence. Our goal was to elevate an everyday object—a worn and dirty hat—into a piece of art, without changing the object itself, simply by changing its environment. And we achieved that, creating fertile conditions for beautiful and amazing reactions to happen. It’s about so much more than just a hat.”

Ken’s words ring true for the Solano family, whose members view the exhibit as a way to honor the legacy of Sandy’s late brother, Ralph. He conceived the idea for the hat cemetery in 1973, and one of his own hats is among those on display at the Mitch. The narrative that accompanies it reads, in part: “The best stories of Ralph and hats are not the ones he wore but the ones he shaped for many cowboys and hopeful (or wishful) cowboys over the years. Each of the hats in this cemetery display was replaced by another lovingly shaped by Ralph’s hands.” Today, Sandy carries on his role as store manager and hat-shaper-in-chief, perpetuating the style and service that are hallmarks of the iconic shop.

The A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art, located at 150 East Main St., is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. After you’ve seen “BRIM”, venture to Solano’s at 101 South Second St. to look at the more than 400 hats lovingly arrayed on the ceiling there. You can also enjoy the stories about each hat on YouTube here.

Posted March 14, 2024

Ramel Family Farms – Economic Development in Action Addresses Food Insecurity

Food insecurity in a community is often described as the lack of access to food or proper nutrition. This need is often addressed through non-profit organizations that provide food distribution on a regular basis to those in need in a community. But it can also be described as the lack of locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables, and the unavailability of local meat supplies in a community. Fortunately, Ramel Family Farms, located in the Heirloom Shop at 132 S. 1^st Street, addresses that challenge.

Ramel Family Farms, an agricultural cooperative, provides a wonderful variety of fresh and organic fruits, vegetables, eggs, and meats, at the Heirloom Shop located at 132 S. 1st Street. Most of the greens in the coolers are grown at their local greenhouse with many of the other fruits and vegetables as well as organic eggs and meats coming from within the southern Colorado and northeastern New Mexico region.

The Ramel Family Farms recently applied for and received New Mexico Education Department’s Food Insecurity Grant to help alleviate food insecurity in our area. The money received from that grant will allow them to install necessary lighting that will provide 16-18 hours of light in the greenhouse located in the former Armex building in east Raton. The lighting is not only important in the winter, but it aids in growth all year long. A portion of the grant will be used to buy soil for raised beds and also allow the purchase of a walk-in freezer and dry goods shelving in the warehouse next to the greenhouse. The grant will augment the already large personal investment made by Kayvan Khalatbari in buying the Heirloom shop building and the original greenhouse equipment, just a portion of his investment in Raton.

During a recent interview, Kayvan mentioned that by using Ogalla Commons as the market facility for distribution, Ramel Family Farms can distribute  to senior centers, local markets, and schools, thereby allowing these organizations to purchase from one place, rather than having to purchase from several different vendors for their menu items. Ogallala Commons, a nonprofit education and leadership organization has an ambitious mission— “to reinvigorate communities in an 8-state region centered over and extending west and east of the Ogallala Aquifer” that includes areas in Colorado and New Mexico.

One question that many Raton residents have is, “How did he make all of his money?” that he is investing in Raton? Kayvan explained that in 2008, he opened a cannabis dispensary, the first licensed commercial cannabis growing in Denver that he later sold to Willie Nelson. Because of his experience in opening the dispensary, he started a consulting firm in 2011 on how to open and run a cannabis business. He was interviewed by 60 Minutes, CBS Sunday Morning, and the New York Times about his operating procedures, best practices, and facility design. His consulting firm was instrumental in helping businesses to open and be successful in many other states who had just opened the cannabis retail market.  The business was very competitive, and Kayvan wrote and was awarded the top applications in several states including Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida. . He always put together powerhouse teams  and received letters of support from city mayors, council members, chambers of commerce, school board members, police chiefs, and other advisors like ex-governors and ex-senators to support the applications for licensure and work through the process of opening a cannabis business. Because of his success, he was able to request a high, six-figure fee for his service.

When looking for possible investments, he found that although he had intended Trinidad to be his primary interest, because the Raton City Commissioners, Mayor, and City Manager were easier to work with and the people are friendlier in Raton, he wanted to focus his investment  on Raton. Although he didn’t plan on opening a retail establishment, he recognized the need for an outlet that provides fresh, organic foods, and other items that aren’t already available in town like used books, music albums, indoor plants, some unique vintage items. So, he opened the retail storefront of the Heirloom Shop and continues to expand as he sees a need for more. Plans are in the works to provide space downstairs for vintage items, and upstairs for ready to eat, listening to music, and socializing. Currently some items in the shop are consignments and others are items that he has purchased for resale and plans to include 50-60’s western wear. Currently the Heirloom Shop accepts EBT/SNAP and the Farmer’s Market WIC card and is working to be able to accept the Grocery WIC.

The produce in Heirloom Shop includes a variety of vegetables, fresh greens and fruits, frozen meats from High Country Meats as well as boxed and packaged items. In addition, fresh pies, breads, and buns are delivered weekly.

The Heirloom Shop is open Monday through Saturday 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Historic First Street across the street from the bus stop near the Train Depot and the Old Pass Gallery. The opening of the Heirloom shop and the related greenhouse are a true economic development in Raton, and hopefully the start of many more.

Greenhouse photos courtesy of Kayvan Khalatbari

Photos of Heirloom Shop courtesy of Mary Elder and Laura Brewer

Posted March 3, 2024

NM Arts Division Commissioner Terry Bumpass Shares His Passion for the Arts

Terry Bumpass, who has lived in Raton since 2002, has a long history with the arts in New Mexico. As a life-long artist himself, Terry has served as a NM Arts Division Commissioner coming up on three years. He has served on the New Mexico Humanities Council for eight years, serving as a board member and president. Terry had previously lived in Hobbs and taught art at the college there for 18 years. Because he had planned to move to Santa Fe, he applied for and was appointed as the curator/director of the Governor’s Gallery in the Governor’s office just before Governor Gary Johnson began his duties. During his time as the gallery director, Terry visited Raton with New Mexico First Lady Dee Johnson to collect Christmas ornaments that had been created and displayed in the Old Pass Gallery. Eventually, one New Mexico Christmas ornament that was created by a New Mexico artist was sent to the White House to hang on the national Christmas Tree.

Terry is still very involved in the arts in New Mexico as a Commissioner in the NM Arts Division. The mission of the Arts Commission, in conjunction with New Mexico Arts, is to stimulate opportunities for artists, arts organizations, and other groups for activities or projects to provide artistic or cultural services to the state, to maintain and encourage artistic excellence, and to promote awareness of and access to the arts for all of the people of New Mexico. There are 15 New Mexico Art Commissioners. As a New Mexico Art Commissioner Terry is also working to select, with the help of the other commissioners, the next recipient of the Governor’s Arts Award for Excellence in the Arts that will be presented in October. The Epic Community Poem Project presented through a partnership with New Mexico Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, National Endowment for the Arts, and Poetry Foundation, has planned a tour to several communities throughout New Mexico by NM Poet Laureate Lauren Camp and the Executive Director of NM Arts Michelle Laflamme-Childs. The tour includes Raton, for the upcoming poetry reading at the Arthur Johnson Memorial Library on April 5, 2024.

The event will include readings by Poet Laureate Lauren Camp and an open mic poetry reading as well as a crowd-sourced community poem writing exercise. The event is sponsored by the New Mexico Arts, the New Mexico State Library, and the Arthur Johnson Memorial Library and will be held in the upstairs meeting room at the library. The public is invited to attend.

During his work with the State and his visits to Raton, Terry decided to make Raton his home after retirement. He purchased the empty church on North First Street in 2002 and converted it into a home where he and his wife Tami live. The Bumpass home is a work of art in itself. Filled with some of Terry’s and his wife Tami’s artwork, it also holds art treasures, unique furniture, and various pieces of vintage machines that they have picked up during their travels throughout New Mexico. The former church has many rooms in the basement that serve as workshops for pottery, jewelry-making, and Terry’s main passion of creating large mixed-media pieces of art, some of which are on display in the Made in Raton consignment shop on North Second Street.

About the Epic Community Poem Project:

New Mexico Poet Laureate, Lauren Camp, in collaboration with Michelle Laflamme-Childs, Executive Director of New Mexico Arts are traveling to communities across New Mexico to host Epic Poem workshops with the goal of creating poems from and about each community assembled by Camp and Laflamme-Childs from lines written by the residents themselves. The workshops start with a short reading by the Poet Laureate of her own work followed by a conversation with the participants about poetry in general. There is an open mic component where local folks can read a poem, either one they have written or one they simply wish to share with the group. Each workshop concludes with a prompted writing exercise about the local community which Camp and Laflamme-Childs will use as the source material in assembling the poems for and about each community in the words of those who live there. These poems will be printed as broadsides by the historic Palace Press with one gifted back to each community and another displayed as part of an exhibition showcasing the different community poems from around the state.

About Lauren Camp:

New Mexico Poet Laureate Lauren Camp is the author of seven poetry collections, most recently An Eye in Each Square (River River Books, 2023) and Worn Smooth Between Devourings (NYQ Books, 2023).  She was awarded a 2023 Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship. Other honors include a Dorset Prize and finalist citations for the Arab American Book Award, the Housatonic Book Award and the Adrienne Rich Award for Poetry. In 2022, she was Astronomer in Residence at Grand Canyon National Park. Lauren is the recipient of fellowships from Denver Botanic Gardens, The Taft-Nicholson Center for Environmental Humanities and Black Earth Institute. She was a visiting writer at the Mayo Clinic, and artist in residence at Lowell Observatory and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Her poems have appeared in many journals and anthologies, including Kenyon Review, Prairie Schooner, Mid-American Review, Missouri Review, and The Academy of American Poets’ Poem-a-Day. Her work has been translated into Turkish, Mandarin, Serbian, Arabic, French and Spanish. She teaches for Poetry Out Loud-New Mexico and leads her own community workshops. She has pivoted from a successful career as a visual artist (1996-2008). Her portrait series, “The Fabric of Jazz,” traveled to museums in ten cities. More artwork can be found in cultural centers, hospitals, museums, U.S. embassies and other organizations around the world. For 15 years, she was a producer and host for Santa Fe Public Radio. You can learn more about Lauren at https://www.laurencamp.com/

About Michelle Laflamme-Childs:

As executive director of New Mexico Arts—New Mexico’s federally authorized state arts agency—Michelle works to develop creative ideas to strengthen, evolve, and diversify programs at the agency while forging new partnerships to address the changing needs of artists and arts organizations across the state. With a focus on better serving rural and other historically underserved and excluded communities, Michelle and the New Mexico Arts team explore innovative ways to address issues of access and equity in their grantmaking, public art programming, and field capacity building efforts. An arts administrator for over 20 years in both the private and public sector, Michelle has recently become involved in arts advocacy at a national level. She holds a BA in English from the University of Massachusetts, an MA from St. John’s College in Santa Fe, and hopes someday to complete her MFA in creative writing at the University of Texas, El Paso. Michelle is also a poet with her first full-length manuscript in the works. Her typically small and compact poems tend to be personal though not confessional. She strives to play with language and image in a way that is highly specific to her own lived experience while still holding space for readers to find their own stories in her work. You can learn more about Michelle at https://michellelaflamme.com/

About the New Mexico Poet Laureate Program:

New Mexico’s Poet Laureate Program was established with funding provided by the New Mexico Legislature through State Senator (and poet) Bill O’Neill in 2018 as a shared program between New Mexico Arts and the New Mexico State Library, both divisions of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. Each Poet Laureate serves a three-year term and is selected through a public open application process. The State Poet Laureate works in community to support literacy and enhance education while promoting personal growth and arts enrichment to every part of the state grounded in the understanding that poetry transcends boundaries and provokes thought, dialogue, and understanding.  Learn more about the Poet Laureate Program and the New Mexico State Library’s Poetry Center at https://nmstatelibrary.org/poetry-center/

About New Mexico Arts:

New Mexico Arts (NMA) was created by the New Mexico legislature in 1965 after the establishment of the National Endowment for the Arts as New Mexico’s federally authorized state arts agency. NMA administers the state’s Percent for Public Art program; awards grants with state and federal funds to nonprofit, government, and public education organizations for public facing arts and cultural programming; and provides technical assistance, educational opportunities, and direct programming for organizations, artists, and arts educators throughout New Mexico. NMA’s mission is to provide public support for the arts to ensure the arts are accessible and central to the lives of New Mexicans and is a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. Learn more about New Mexico Arts at https://www.nmarts.org/

About the New Mexico State Library:

Established in 1929, the New Mexico State Library is a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, under the guidance of the New Mexico Library Commission. Programs and exhibits are generously supported by the New Mexico State Library Foundation through the generous support of donors. The New Mexico State Library provides services that support public and tribal libraries, delivers direct library services to rural populations, state agencies, the visually impaired and physically disabled, and students and citizens conducting research. The library supports public libraries by providing consulting services, offering training and continuing education opportunities, administering the librarian certification program, coordinating a statewide summer reading program and tribal library program, and administering state and federal grants to public libraries. Learn more about the State Library at https://nmstatelibrary.org/

About the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs:

Created in 1978 by the New Mexico Legislature, the Department of Cultural Affairs (NMDCA) is New Mexico’s cultural steward, charged with preserving and showcasing the state’s cultural riches. With its eight museums, eight historic sites, arts, archaeology, historic preservation, and library programs, NMDCA is one of the largest and most diverse state cultural agencies in the nation. Together, the facilities, programs, and services of the Department support a $5.6 billion cultural industry in New Mexico. Learn more about The Department of Cultural Affairs at https://nmculture.org/

The Sloat Prince Foundation Contributes to our Community in a Big Way

February 25, 2023

The Sloat Prince Foundation, created in 2006, has been a major benefactor for the Raton and Colfax County Community. The foundation has provided grants to non-profit organizations totaling over $400,000 and has given scholarships to high school graduates totaling more than $350,000 from 2006 to 2023.

The most recent recipient of funding of $10,000 from the Sloat Prince Foundation is the Raton Humane Society for the Trap/Neuter/Release program (TNR), a program that focuses on feral cats, providing neutering and rabies shots to improve their health. Previously the Raton Humane Society received $6,000 for the TNR program, which was used to pay for neutering and rabies shots done by the Raton Veterinary Hospital, located at 1101 Frontage Rd, Raton. Several day-long spay/neuter clinics had been held which allowed for a total of 170 cats to be fixed. During one day-long spay/neuter clinic, Christy Brown, DVM, did 24 cats. The latest grant funding allows residents to get on the list to check out traps to catch feral cats in their neighborhood for the scheduled clinics at the Raton Veterinary Hospital for spay/neuter.  Those interested are asked to call (575) 445-2691 to be scheduled.

Other non-profit organizations that have been awarded grant funding include the Raton Museum, Raton Main Street, The Santa Fe School for the Performing Arts, Poets in Schools, Colfax Pet Rescue, Raton Public Schools Enrichment, City of Raton Parks and Recreation, Master Gardeners, Shuler Restoration, Chase Ranch Foundation, Coal Camp Kitchen, Boy Scout Troop 91, Grow Raton, and many others.

In addition to the organizations that have received funding, the Sloat Prince Foundation has provided grant funding to several Colfax County residents or high school graduates to pursue their studies through trade schools, two-year and four-year colleges and universities. The recipients must maintain a 2.8 cumulative grade point average and be enrolled in a minimum of 12 semester hours. This year’s scholarship application for the school year 2024 – 2025 is due on June 15, 2024.

Shirley Prince, who serves on the Board of Directors for the Sloat Prince Foundation, shares the duties with five other Board members; Pam Hunnicutt, Leslie Fernandez, Paul Kastler, Steve McConnell, and Shirley’s niece, Laura Rambin, an architect who lives in Oakland, California.

Ms. Prince has been a life-long Raton resident and shared some of her family’s history during a recent interview.

Ms. Prince’s grandfather, Elbert Sloat, and wife Daisy came from New York in 1912 because Mr. Sloat had tuberculosis and the drier climate was considered better for his condition. He had received a personal letter from Charles White, that Raton was a great place to settle. 

Shirley’s father, Gerald W Prince, or Jerry arrived in Raton in 1920 from Kentucky when he was 12. His family had come to Raton for his mother’s, Shirley’s grandmother’s, health. Many long-time residents may remember the Prince Grocery, originally located north of Columbian School, that later moved to where the Washburn Clinic is, 230 Galisteo. Next door to the Prince Grocery (to the west) was Shirley’s grandparents’ house.

The Sloat Prince Foundation was able to be created because of wealth that stemmed from long-time investments made by Shirley’s father and grandfather, which included some of the original shares of the First National Bank. Elbert Sloat served as Vice-President alongside Mr. Arthur Johnson, President, in the Rocky Mountain Union Pacific Coal company, overseeing local mines like Koehler, Swastika, Gardner, Sugarite, and others.

Raton has benefited from the continued opportunities that the Sloat Prince Foundation has given to many of our non-profit organizations and our local scholars. Scholarship Application View previous recipients of grants and scholarships.

High Country Meats Receives NMED Grant to Expand Operation

February 18, 2024

High Country Meats is a family-owned butcher shop that serves Raton and four counties; Colfax, Union, Mora, and San Miguel. Lee and Alexis Dixon originally opened the business in 1994 in Estancia, New Mexico and later moved to Raton in 1999 at 340 Colfax Avenue, Raton.  They are open Monday through Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, closed for one hour for lunch 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

In 2018, son Dustin Dixon and his wife Emily moved to Raton to help with the business. Dustin, who had graduated from Des Moines High School in 2007, went to Oklahoma State University, where he met Emily. After graduation, Dustin started working for Lithko Contracting, the second-largest cement contractor in the United States,  and eventually ended up in Denver, Colorado. Dustin and Emily made the decision to return to Raton when Dustin’s father, Lee, had a heart attack. Although the family had considered closing the business, they decided to keep it open with the return of Dustin and Emily.

With the family united, in 2021 High Country Meats expanded its operation by adding to the original building, making way for additional freezers and an increased retail area. Currently they sell their products to Mora Valley Ranch Supply, the Historic Ice House Restaurant and Ramel Family Farms in Raton, Des Moines Senior Center, and Handi-Way in Springer. High Country Meats butchers cattle, hogs, goats, and lambs from local ranches. The family works alongside eight full-time employees, and one part-time employee. Last year they processed 716 beef, 496 hogs, and 108 lambs and goats.

During a recent interview, Dustin stated that they are looking to expand into more institutional markets like local senior centers, nursing homes, hospitals, and schools. He shared  that even though New Mexico is beef country, the schools don’t serve beef. Most of the meat is ground turkey, breaded chicken, and other processed foods. He would like to see our area become more self-sustaining by keeping the entire food chain at a local level, from growers, to butchering, to packaging and selling. By expanding their capabilities, High Country Meats will be able to butcher, grind, and package larger amounts to sell.

With that in mind, High Country Meats applied for, and was granted funding from New Mexico Education Department’s Food Insecurity grant to purchase a larger grinder and bulker which will allow them to  grind more and to portion and package mechanically rather than manually to save time. With the increased awareness of the need to enhance the New Mexico school’s menus to include New Mexico-grown foods, New Mexico Grown, is an organization created to encourage school districts, and other institutions across New Mexico, to purchase fresh and minimally processed fruit and vegetables, and meat products that are grown in the state. The Public Education Department will work to foster links between schools and local farms and/or farm organizations so that freshly harvested local foods become a staple in the diets of New Mexico students.

Another local business that was awarded funding from the NMED Food Insecurity grant is Ramel Family Farms located on Historic First Street in Raton. Watch for more information in future posts of The Ratonian.

MCMC February C.A.R.E.S. Champion – Heather Hill

February 18, 2024 – by Sally Hoger

Heather Hill of the MCMC Billing Department was chosen as the C.A.R.E. Champion and a certificate and gift from the Hospital Auxiliary were presented to her during the monthly Board of Trustees meeting. C.A.R.E. stands for Continuous Improvement, Respect and Respond, Engagement and Safety. Heather has worked in billing for six and a half years and continues to improve. She is not only very good at her job, but she does it with a smile. She spends most of her time at her desk but is also seen in the halls laughing with her co-workers. She says her co-workers are the best part of her job. Heather has two children and enjoys spending time outdoors with her family.

Raton Moving Forward on Casino

February 11, 2024

During a recent interview, Mayor Neil Segotta explained the reasoning behind the Raton Commissioner’s vote to move forward with a proposal to donate land to the Picuris tribe for a casino.

Mayor Segotta expressed his belief that a casino would be an economic stimulus for Raton. The city-owned 132.6 acres that would be donated to the tribe, as a government-to-government transfer, is a portion of land that was purchased several years ago for the waste-water filter plant. The city had previously donated the land for a racino but had to take steps to gain back ownership of the land when those plans fell through. The city is proceeding with extreme caution in its plans to again donate this land.

According to Mayor Segotta, for the past four years the commissioners have been researching several ideas that could promote economic growth for Raton. They had tossed around ideas of a casino after looking at Golden Mesa Casino that originally opened in 2019 in Guymon, Oklahoma, and has already expanded after only four years of existence. The original construction of that casino provided several construction jobs, and a boost to the local economy as reported by Synee Batzlaff in an article published on September 25, 2023 on the Oklahoma Channel 10 website, as well as creating a tourism destination in the region. The expansion again proved to be a boon for the local economy, adding up to 300 employees and additional construction jobs.

Mayor Segotta and City Manager Scott Berry started talking to tribes nearly four years ago. They originally spoke with the Jicarilla tribe because the Jicarilla Apache had had a presence in this area many years ago. However, that tribe didn’t have the ability to expand into a casino in our area. Because of Sandia’s success, they spoke with them as well, but they weren’t interested in expanding here. Berry approached the Picuris tribe which was the only Pueblo that didn’t already have a casino in New Mexico. They do have a very nice, successful hotel in Santa Fe, not the little shanty that was pictured on Facebook. Berry presented our case to the leaders of the Pueblo, and they were interested in the possibility. Berry and Segotta provided them with statistics and traffic information and representatives from their tribe visited Raton late last summer and liked the location. Plus, because there are no other casinos in the area, the Pueblo realized that this was considered a wide-open market. Mayor Segotta and Berry met with Governor Grisham’s office and received initial approval from her and from the Bureau of Indian Affairs to proceed.

Mayor Segotta stressed that this is not a racino and the commissioners and City Manager Mestas will do their due diligence to research all aspects of the land transfer. The resolution that was passed at the last commission meeting was the first step. The next step is up to the Picuris Pueblo. But, as Segotta mentioned, once the land is transferred, that land has then become a sovereign nation, and we cannot take it back. So, every effort will be made to ensure that the transfer will be the economic stimulus that the commissioners hope it will be. Segotta believes that the initial structure will be a “Sprung” structure, like the structure that housed the Sandia casino for the first ten years of its existence. It will take time for the casino to grow and develop. But it is expected to result in additional job opportunities and business incentives for private investors. The proposed casino is expected to be a kick-start to our economy. Although we don’t have the workforce right now, the increase in available jobs may bring additional citizens to Raton to take those jobs, another catalyst to the economy.

On a side note, Mayor Segotta explained that construction on the I-25 interchange, which is generally backed up during tourist season because of traffic from Colorado and Texas, will probably begin by spring of 2025 and that it will not include round-a-bouts, but rather a diamond with stop lights. The Mayor also encourages all citizens to take part in the governmental process in Raton by attending the city commission meetings that are held every second and fourth Tuesday at 6:00 PM at City Hall. Citizens have the opportunity to speak to the commission during the “Items from Citizens Present” on the meeting agenda. He also explained that citizens can always speak to the city manager and any of the commissioners between meeting times if they have a concern or issue that they want to see addressed.

Philmont Scout Ranch Flag Contest

Hello All: We were genuinely taken aback by the enthusiasm for the flag design contest and thought further information would be helpful. The existing design dates back to 2001, and as far as we know, there were no other Philmont flags prior to that time. The decision to seek a new design stemmed from inventory depletion at the Tooth of Time Traders.

We will continue to keep an eye on store inventory and refresh designs and concepts while honoring Philmont traditions, a practice we’ve upheld for years. We are eager to see new designs and may even consider carrying both designs.

CALLING ALL CREATIVES AND FLAG ENTHUSIASTS!

We’re embarking on an exciting journey to redesign the flag of Philmont Scout Ranch, and we need YOUR talent and vision to make it happen!

Let’s get excited about a new Philmont flag!

The current flag design showcased in this post has served us well, but it’s time for something fresh and inspiring. Philmont Scout Ranch has always been a place of boundless adventure, learning, and growth for countless Scouts and leaders. As we look ahead, we’re on a quest for a flag that truly captures the spirit of Philmont – its awe-inspiring scenery, rich heritage, and the unforgettable moments it offers. Get ready to embrace a new symbol that reflects the heart and soul of Philmont!

What We’re Looking For:

• A design that reflects the unique identity and values of Philmont Scout Ranch.

• Creativity and originality – we want something that stands out!

• Elements that represent the natural beauty, wildlife, and spirit of Scouting adventure.

Submission Guidelines:

• Your design should be bold, simple, and easily recognizable from a distance.

• Use meaningful symbolism that can be understood by a wide audience.

• Limit the number of colors to make the flag simple yet impactful.

• Your submission must be original and not previously published.

How to Submit:

Please send your flag designs to Philmont Marketing at Philmont.Marketing@scouting.org by Friday, March 1st, 2024. Include a brief explanation of your design and what it represents.

Get ready to unleash your creativity!

We’re on the hunt for the best flag designs, and the winners will be chosen by our full-time staff at Philmont.

The First Place design will not only see their flag come to life, but also receive a $100 Gift Certificate from the Tooth of Time Traders.

The 2nd Place isn’t far behind with a $75 Gift Certificate from the Tooth of Time Traders.

And the 3rd Place will walk away with a $50 Gift Certificate from the Tooth of Time Traders.

Remember, the winning design will be polished by a professional graphic designer with input from the winner.

Let’s Make History Together:

This is your chance to leave a lasting impact on Philmont Scout Ranch and be a part of its legacy. Whether you’re a seasoned flag designer or someone with a passion for Philmont and a creative idea, we encourage you to submit your design. We can’t wait to see your innovative designs and work together to create a new symbol of Philmont Scout Ranch that will inspire the next generation of Scouts and leaders.

Will the Raton Chamber of Commerce be Resurrected?

The Raton Chamber & Economic Development Council, Inc. was incorporated on November 19, 1986 with the State of New Mexico as a 501c(6) non-profit organization. The major difference between a 501c(3) non-profit organization and the 501c(6) non-profit organization is that the first is set up as a charitable organization while the latter is set up as a business or membership organization.

Throughout its years of existence, the Raton Chamber was responsible for promoting programs and marketing that would benefit the business community of Raton, as well as advertising Raton and the area for the tourism industry. The organization applied for and received lodger’s tax money to create radio and print advertising, billboards, and to create and print the Raton Visitor’s Guide. The visitor’s guide was shipped to all New Mexico tourism centers and local businesses and was mailed to potential businesses and individuals who might be interested in moving to Raton.

The Chamber had its office in the Raton Tourist Information Center and ran the center when the State of New Mexico pulled its presence from Raton and removed the staff that helped run the center. The Chamber Board of Directors coordinated nearly thirty volunteers who covered various shifts to keep the Center open seven days a week. The shrinking lodger’s tax money paid for two part-time staff who oversaw the daily operations.

In addition, the Chamber hosted local craft shows, car shows, and other events, including the first International Santa Fe Trail Balloon Rally that continues today. In addition to lodger’s tax, the Chamber received money through business membership dues and some fees received from vendor and program fees.

The Raton Chamber was active in New Mexico politics, especially those areas that could benefit the local economy and Raton businesses. The Chamber Board of Directors and the Raton Chamber Ambassadors would partner with the City of Raton to invite and host many politicians, including Governors, Secretaries of State, Auditors, Attorney Generals, and more. In addition, the Chamber would attend the annual legislative sessions and bring local concerns to the attention of Raton’s representatives.

The Raton Chamber & Economic Development Council, Inc. was strongly supported by the City of Raton, as well as by a majority of businesses who were members of the organization. The Chamber Board of Directors was comprised of business owners and managers who were able to make top-level decisions and the Chamber Director was a leader in the community. One Chamber Director, Mark Roper, worked diligently to make sure that the Ports to Plains included Raton. Roper is now the New Mexico Acting Economic Development Director and the Ports to Plains will include the new I-27 through Raton, which will have major economic impact on Raton. He was also responsible in part for bringing the first balloon rally to Raton, which continues as an annual tradition every 4^th of July.

So, what happened to the Chamber? Why is it not the dynamic organization that it had been for years? There are a series of unfortunate events that caused the abandonment of the Chamber by the city and local businesses.

Two events that started the chain of events that led to the demise of the Chamber were that Mark Roper, the Chamber Director, left Raton for a brighter future. Although the directors who followed Roper were sufficient, none of them had the passion and expertise that he brought to the position. The second major event was that a major business leader, president and owner of Raton’s International Bank, Ron Schmeits, who had served as the Chamber President for several years, was not re-elected to the Board of Directors. Once he was no longer on the board, many other major players resigned or were not re-elected. These were the movers and shakers of the community. They were replaced on the Board of Directors by assistant managers, 2^nd vice-presidents, and minor business owners who had little or no experience or influence in the community. As the Chamber’s influence lessened, membership declined, and lodger’s tax money was divided among various organizations.

The first major blow to the Chamber’s existence was the embezzlement of several thousands of dollars by the Chamber Director nearly twenty years ago. Although the culprit was brought to justice and was required to pay back the bulk of money embezzled, the Chamber took a hit from which it never recovered. Many businesses owners felt that the Chamber was not being good stewards of their money and was not doing the job of promoting their business.

A short time later, during the Electric Light Parade, a family that was attending the event suffered a terrible tragedy. A car struck members of the family, who were crossing 2^nd Street where the parade was being held, killing one and injuring another. The family sued the City of Raton, and the Chamber of Commerce, sponsors of the event. Another blow from which the Chamber never recovered. Since then, the Electric Light Parade has been a stationary parade of floats held on First Street.

Another nail in the coffin of the Chamber was the 2011 Track Fire that caused the cancellation of the annual balloon rally. The area land owners did not want balloons landing in their drought-suffering fields after the recent fire that destroyed so much of the area. The annual balloon rally was a highlight of the Chamber. Without it, the chamber lost additional revenue and support.

In 2012, the Raton Chamber held the inaugural Cowboy Ball at the NRA Whittington Center. Nearly 600 people attended the event that featured a chuck wagon meal, music by the favorite local band Colfax Reunion, and a quilt raffle. The event was hugely successful and provided the Chamber with operating expenses for the following year. Because of difficulties heating the venue in February, the rising costs, and the dwindling support, the event was discontinued after the third year.

When the Chamber struggled, instead of stepping up to help bring the Chamber back as a vital part of the business community, several business owners decided to create an entirely new non-profit organization. A major impact on the demise of the Chamber was the formation of Grow Raton, the Greater Economic Development Organization, that intended to take over that part of the Chamber duties. Now businesses were divided on becoming a member of Grow Raton or the Chamber or having to pay membership dues to both. For a small community, this division was hard to overcome. Another organization formed to step up and take over duties of promotion and divided the lodger’s tax money even more, The Center of Community Innovation. And to fill the widening void, Raton MainStreet was able to recruit many of the strong business leaders as board members, and a strong director. As leadership in the Chamber continued to decline, support from the city declined, and membership declined, the remaining three board members made the decision to close the doors of the Chamber in June 2020.

There are now three separate organizations, plus the City of Raton, that are doing the jobs that the Raton Chamber of Commerce did. Raton MainStreet took over the balloon rally, the Center for Community Innovation took over doing the Raton Community Guide, providing business information, and maintains websites for promoting Raton, and Grow Raton took over providing educational materials and other support of businesses in Raton. The City of Raton has now hired an Economic Development Director and will take over many of those duties previously done by the Chamber. The city runs the Raton Visitor Center, with paid interns, which had been one of the Chamber’s duties (with volunteers) as well.

In the fall of 2018, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was presented to the Northeastern NM Educational Foundation, (dba Center for Community Innovation), Greater Raton Economic Development Corporation, (dba GrowRaton!), and the Raton Chamber of Commerce that outlines the structure, scope of authority and responsibility that the partners agree to vest to an oversight Board of Directors (the Unified Board).  The MOU was intended to provide a vehicle whereby all three of the organizations would work together as a unified board, each doing their respective parts of the whole. The MOU would expire in June 2020. It never got off the ground because each organization was still concerned about giving up any control or income. The same concerns they have today. The Chamber folded a few months later.

A suggestion by City Manager Rick Mestas at the latest business meeting sponsored in part by the Raton Economic Development Partners, to revive the Raton Chamber of Commerce, was met with resistance from the previously mentioned organizations for the very fact that they are dependent on city support for their existence, and they are now doing the jobs for which the Raton Chamber was responsible. Interestingly the Raton Chamber phone number (575) 445-3689, is still being used at the Visitor Center because it is well known that when someone is looking to relocate or visit a community, that person will call the listed Chamber of Commerce for information.

Below are photos of previous events sponsored or promoted by the Raton Chamber of Commerce.

Does Raton need a Chamber of Commerce? Fill out the form below to voice your opinion.

The Ratonian Holds “Staff” Meeting at Pappa’s Sweet Shop

January 31, 2024

Every second and fourth Wednesday a local restaurant, or business location, will be filled with excited conversation as several writers, artists, and reporters, meet to discuss the topics of articles and stories that will be featured in the upcoming editions of The Ratonian.

This past Wednesday, January 31, the “staff” met at Pappa’s Sweet Shop for a breakfast meeting, during which the new Economic Development Director Melida Heien for the City of Raton spoke about how her venture to Raton began, and what her focus will be for our community. During the meeting, Assistant Editor Deb Stetser presented Linda Headley, Co-owner/Manager of Zia Youth, with a $50 cash prize for being the first person to solve the inaugural crossword puzzle posted on the Potpourri page of The Ratonian.

Photo on left: Pictured on left side, front to back: Melida Hein, Economic Development Director; Carol Bridge, Colfax County Commission Meeting Reporter; Mary Elder, Contributing Writer; Jari Thymian, Mixed Bag Comic Artist.

Pictured on right side, left to right; Sally Hoger, Contributing Writer, Health topics; Laura Brewer, Editor/Owner; Deb Stetser, Assistant Editor and Crossword Puzzle creator.

The Ratonian “staff” will not meet on February 14, because of Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 28, at Zia Youth Community Center, 100 S. 2nd Street, at 9:00 AM. Anyone who is interested in participating in providing Raton with information about activities, programs, and events, is welcome to attend.

Raton to Build Pickleball Courts at Roundhouse Memorial Park

January 28, 2024

The Raton Pickleball Club had a big win at the last Raton City Commission meeting when the commissioners voted to go forward with the proposed pickleball courts design and construction phase at Roundhouse Memorial Park in Raton. The $117,500 contract with Engineering Analytics is for eight courts devoid of lights, which will limit the court’s usage to daytime activity.

The Raton Pickleball Club first met in July 2021 with five players. The group first petitioned the city commissioners in February 2022 to consider building pickleball courts. Throughout the past two years, the group has continued petitioning the Raton City Commissioners to build pickleball courts in Raton.  As the fastest-growing sport in the United States, major newspapers like the Washington Post have reported on its popularity as far back as September 2022 with an article written by Rick Maese. The sport has become so popular because it doesn’t require a large investment in equipment, and it can be played by young and old alike.

Since their inception the group found themselves shuffling around to several different locations to play; the Raton Convention Center, the Colfax County Event Center building, and the Raton High School tennis courts, where the courts were taped off for the correct size. In the meantime, their numbers have continued to grow, surpassing more than 80 participants in Raton.

The Raton Pickleball Club members travel to many different locations throughout the region to play in tournaments and have brought home multiple awards from their participations in tournaments in Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and Canon City. The group has insisted that Raton would be a destination for other pickleball players if courts were constructed that could provide a space for tournaments here. The proposed courts in Roundhouse Memorial Park would be a good starting point but many players are disappointed that the contract doesn’t include lights that would allow nighttime play.

The Raton Pickleball Club is open to new members and continues to play at the Event Center during the winter months, and at the RHS tennis courts during warm days. Stay in touch with playtimes by downloading the Reach App with the code 87740.

January 21, 2024

City of Raton Hires New Economic Development Director

The newest member of our community, Melida Heien, is the newly hired Raton Economic Development Director, and attended her first Raton City Commission meeting this past week. The next day, her first day on the job, she hit the ground running!

The day, and indeed, her first week was filled with meetings, visits to various city locations, and absorbing as much information as possible to better understand her new position, her fellow staff, city employees and the various volunteer organizations and committees. Her office will currently be at City Hall located at 224 Savage Avenue, but she will eventually move into the office space at the Raton Tourist Information Center (VIC), also known as the Visitor Center. There she will combine the duties of former city employee, Jolene Green, of overseeing and maintaining the VIC and other city buildings, with her duties as the Economic Development Director. Heien explained that 70% of her time will be in economic development and she will partner with other employees to oversee all of the other city buildings and areas like code enforcement, planning and zoning, the library, and others that are all connected to economic development and the quality of life here.

Ms. Heien brings with her an impressive background in municipal government, equipment procurement, economic development, research analysis, and community development. Combining her years of experience in business and the founder of a paralegal services company with her experience as City of Longview, Texas MainStreet Coordinator, Ms. Heien has been able to hone her skills and provide an extensive background in economic development to understand and to meet the needs of our community.

During discussions with City Manager Rick Mestas, one of the priorities they will both be working on is recognizing and finding the opportunities to keep our young people here. Jobs, housing, and post-secondary education (online and in-person) are necessary to give them the hope of a good future right here in Raton. Heien would like to see New Mexico State University, our flagship university of the State, and have an actual presence here in Raton to serve the whole State, not just in Las Cruces. Heien also expressed her belief that public transportation is an economic driver for a community. “We need to not get hung up on – we’re too small. We have needs here as citizens that people in big cities have.” She stated that perhaps an entrepreneur could provide a solution to the problem, grocery delivery, or personal shopping, on demand taxi service, or something else. Another need is for full accessibility to high-speed broadband.

Heien emphasized that she “wants to make sure that we tell our stories well.” She wants to use social media, and other platforms to promote the many great things about Raton that don’t often get told – what makes Raton special. We are so fortunate to have things that other communities don’t have, for instance, the Shuler Theater, the Aquatic Center, El Raton, the library. According to Ms. Heien, the better we tell our stories the better she can sell our community and promote economic growth.

January 19, 2024

Raton High School 2024 Tiger Fest

Tiger Fest is the celebration of the Raton High School basketball season that culminates with the crowning of the King and Queen and Prince and Princess during the Pep Assembly on Friday afternoon at 1:00 PM in the Raton High School gymnasium.

The Boys and Girls Varsity Games are held on Saturday at the Raton High School gymnasium.

Throughout the week the students and teachers conduct fun activities, including the dress up days.

The Junior Varsity basketball game will be Friday, January 26, 2024 and the Senior Varsity basketball game will be held on Saturday, January 27, 2024 at the Raton High School Gymnasium

2024 Tiger Fest King-Queen CandidatesQueen candidates: Daechelle Silva, Krystal Gamboa-Duran, Kaylie Doyon, Serenity Longwill, Abigal Jones
King candidates: Issac Garcia, Carson Trujillo, John Withers, Robert Wick, William Hyer

Princess candidates: Gabriella Ortega, Mya Burgos, Keauna Martinez, Maya Vasquez, Avery LuskPrince candidates: Koby Gomez, Nicolas Granado, Johnny Redlick, Roby Mack, not pictured: Cael Walton.  Photo courtesy of Holly Mayfield

January 14, 2024

One New, One Returning City Commissioner

Two city commissioners were sworn into office at the last city commissioner meeting. Mark Honeyfield was elected by a one-vote margin against incumbent Ron Chavez, and Lori Chatterley returned to serve another term.

The commission meeting was held on Monday, January 8, 2024 instead of the usual Tuesday night date to allow for training for the position to take place on Tuesday. Mayor Neil Segotta was re-elected to the mayor’s position and Ms. Chatterley was elected by the commissioners to serve as Mayor Pro-tem, which was previously held by Linde’ Schuster.

The next city commission meeting will be held Tuesday, January 23, 2024 at 6:00 PM in the commission chambers, 224 Savage Avenue.

January 14, 2024

Zia Youth Moves into New Space

Zia Youth, a non-profit organization in Raton that has been providing a safe space with games, music, arts & crafts, and more for youth ages 9 to 17 was recently the recipient of a much larger, space thanks to several individuals, businesses, and other non-profits.

Zia Youth opened its doors at 100 S. 2^nd Street, the former Santa Fe Trail Traders on Monday, January 8, 2024, sporting new furniture, games, a greenhouse, a music corner, several tables, and arts & crafts supplies. The location has been buzzing with activity this past week as attendance grew in this new space.

The most recent activity is “Crafting At The Z” at 7:00 PM on Thursday for those who knit, crochet, embroider, cross stitch, sketch or want to learn or improve any crafting skills. Although the focus is on teens and young adults, adults and seniors are also welcome as well as youth that have filled out enrollment forms for ZIA Youth after-school. Volunteers are welcome to share their skills, talents, supplies and snacks, an always needed commodity. And of course, financial donations are always welcome.

Co-founders Linda Headley and Jeff McLean have been providing this much-needed service to Raton’s youth for several years. Learn more about Zia Youth by visiting their Facebook page or the Zia Youth Website.

Raton Native, Mark Roper, Named EDD Acting Secretary

Public Service Announcement January 16, 2024

Mark Roper named EDD Acting Secretary Raton native brings diverse background to Cabinet position

SANTA FE, N.M. – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham named Mark Roper as Acting Cabinet Secretary for the New Mexico Economic Development Department.   Roper is a seventh-generation New Mexican with a long background in media, marketing, and public service, at both the state and community levels. He joined EDD in 2014 as a community, rural, and business development representative and was named Division Director for Economic Development in 2019.  In addition to his work in economic development, Roper was a licensed electrician and HVAC mechanic and worked in radio marketing and communications. He also served as an elected city official in Raton and on the New Mexico Municipal League Board of Directors.    At EDD, Roper has been involved in boosting development along New Mexico’s International Borderplex, he has helped recruit companies to New Mexico from Germany, Taiwan, Singapore, and Australia, and has been involved in some of the agency’s biggest deals – Facebook, Intel, Netflix, Universal Hydrogen, Maxeon Solar, and Hota Industrial.   “The governor and lawmakers understand that New Mexico is at an economic crossroads,” Roper said, “We need to continue to diversify our economy and not only create jobs but create jobs with career paths to help all New Mexicans elevate and improve their position in life, which in turn will create economic security for future generations. We need to strategically invest in economic development, and I will continue to pursue this mission with passion and collaboration.”   Roper is a native of Raton, a former resident of Roswell, and currently lives in Albuquerque.   Roper succeeds Jon Clark, who has been named State Investment Officer and starts his new job with the New Mexico State Investment Council on January 22, 2024.

December 30, 2023

A New Raton Municipal Judge is Sworn In

By Vixie Zorra

On December 29, 2023, Christine “Chrissy” Margaret Piancino was sworn in as the new municipal judge in Raton, the position previously occupied by Judge Roy Manfredi. Judge Piancino had been Judge Manfredi’s clerk since October 4, 2018. During an interview Judge Piancino said she “is honored to have been elected to this position and will do her best to serve all those who come before her and the laws to the best of her ability.”  

Judge Manfredi, who performed the inauguration ceremony for Judge Piancino to begin her official duties,  started on the bench in 1994. With the election and swearing in of Judge Piancino, the City of Raton has the first new municipal judge in almost 30 years. Judge Piancino said that she feels, having watched Judge Manfredi on the bench for the past five years, that she has some “big shoes to fill” and will do her best to follow the canons of ethics and the rule of law. 

Several friends and family members attended the ceremony that was held in the Raton City Municipal Courtroom, filling it to capacity.

Judge Piancino was born and raised in Raton. She is the daughter of the late Ray and Jeanie Barry. She graduated from Raton High School in 1997, then graduated with honors from New Mexico State University, receiving  a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice in 2001. She was in the National Criminal Justice Honor Society (Alpha Phi Sigma) and worked for New Mexico State University Police Department as parking enforcement and security. During an internship at the Trinidad Police Department, she did rotations in every aspect of criminal justice, including city hall, the district attorney’s office, animal control, and more.

Photos by Hal Brewer

Play and Pig Event – Pickle Ball

Provided Courtesy of Leslie Fernandez

What started as a small get together to play Pickle Ball blossomed into a fabulous day of competition because of New Mexico 60 degree winter’s day. The Play and Pig event included over thirty players from Clayton, Pueblo, La Veta, Trinidad and Raton who thoroughly enjoyed the play followed by the pig (potluck).

Active Shooter Training Held at Raton High School

Article information and photos courtesy of Colfax County Sheriff’s Department Facebook page.

The Colfax County Sheriff’s Office hosted an active shooter training in Raton on Thursday, December 14, and Friday, December 15, with a tremendous turnout for the event despite the largest snow fall in recent years. This two-day event included role-playing volunteers from Raton High and participants from the Colfax Sheriff’s Department, Union County Sheriff’s Department, the New Mexico State Police, and the Raton Police Department.  provided by TAC*ONE Consulting.

TAC*ONE Consulting is an active shooter response & tactical training organization for law enforcement, and self-defense concealment training for civilians that is located in Denver, Colorado but provides training all over the country for groups and individuals. This organization provided a simulated active shooter with simulation weapons at Raton High School along with instructional classes held in a local Rapid Response Center.

Watch the video posted on the Colfax County Sheriff’s Department Facebook page on this link.

MCMC Auxiliary Elects New Officers

The Miners Colfax Medical Center (MCMC) Auxiliary recently held their election of officers for the new year. The new officers are: President – Lucille Esquibel, Vice-President – Carol McNutt, Secretary – Jayna Saiz, Treasurer – Donna Hall. The Auxilian of the Year was awarded to Anna Weybrew, Past President, with Lucille Esquibel and Pam Krizan as runners up. 

Other Auxilians of note are: Managers for Thrift Store Pam Krizan and Jayna Saiz; Gift Shop Manager, Karen Baessler, and Barbara Sexton; Finance Committee, Donna Hall and Karen Baessler; Project Committee/ Planning Committee, Vicki Lammert; Membership Committee, Carol McNutt; Scholarship Committee, Anna Caruana; ByLaws Committee and Parliamentarian, Linda Bennett; Volunteer Coordinator, Sue Smith. 

The MCMC Auxiliary was formed in 1971, shortly after the beginning of the county hospital, and has always provided volunteers to MCMC and donated money for equipment and supplies. It is considered one of the longest-running and best-run non-profit organizations in Raton with loyal volunteers, many of whom have served for more than 15 years. One volunteer, Naida Munden, has been an active volunteer since the beginning in 1971. One reason volunteers continue to serve is because they are treated with fairness, dignity, and honor by their peers and by the MCMC Hospital Staff and because the service they provide is essential to the hospital and to the community.

During the Covid shutdown of so many retail establishments, the MCMC thrift store was considered an essential business and was allowed to stay open. The thrift store located at 955 S. 2^nd Street in Raton, continues to provide much needed clothing, bedding, and house supplies to indigent and low-income families. Even today, many necessary items like coats, shoes, socks, and other clothing items are sometimes given freely to those in need.

Not only does the Auxiliary run the MCMC Thrift Store, but the volunteers run the gift shop located in the MCMC Hospital, maintain the MCMC living quarters near the Long-Term Care Facility, and provide other important duties like filing, preparing tray favors, and making phone calls, all of which keep the organization active and strong. There are currently 47 members of the Auxiliary, but they are always welcoming new members. A membership application can be picked up at the thrift store and the gift shop.

The Miners Colfax Medical Center, a state-owned facility located at 100 Hospital Drive in Raton, New Mexico started as a county hospital in November of 1970, was sold to the State of New Mexico in 1986, later merged with the Long-Term Care facility, and services both miners and the public. Through all of the transitions of MCMC, there was one constant, the MCMC Auxiliary.

Best Western Plus Raton Hotel Receives Chairman’s Award for Quality

By Mary Elder, Contributor

The Best Western Plus Hotel in Raton has received Best Western Hotels & Resorts’ Chairman’s Award, a prestigious honor recognizing hotels with exceptional quality assurance standards. The award is given to Best Western-branded hotels achieving superior scores for cleanliness and maintenance, based on results of customer surveys and a rigorous day-long inspection.

John D. Lafayette III, Chairman of the Board of Best Western International, recently congratulated hotel management on the accomplishment, writing “It is not by accident that you and your staff have earned this award by scoring in the top 5% of all 2,400 hotels in the Best Western System.”

Located at 473 Clayton Rd., the hotel features 75 rooms, a full-service restaurant and bar, breakfast buffet, indoor heated saltwater pool, fitness room, complimentary wi-fi, business center and other amenities. It employs up to 60 staff, depending on the season. According to Hotel Manager Bernadine Barela, every team member contributes to their success. “From the owners, who support employee retention and allow us to fix things when they break, to Mike, Angela and James, and so on down the line—each individual makes a difference,” she says.

“Mike” is General Manager Mike Mulligan. He has been with Best Western since it opened in 2010, guiding operations with a steady hand. “Angela” is Housekeeping Manager Angela Pacheco, who has worked at that location for more than 30 years for a series of operators. “She plays a pivotal role in customer satisfaction and is always in there, right alongside her team, working as hard as anyone in the building. Her attention to detail is unmatched and she cares about every member of her team and treats them with respect,” notes Bernadine. “James” is Chief Engineer James Lusby who, like Mike and Angela, has been there since the beginning.

“Most customers interact with front line personnel, like those who greet you at the registration desk and serve you in the restaurant, and they are very important. But few who stay with us give much thought to the staff tasked with cleaning and maintaining the hotel,” Bernadine points out. “Yet those housekeeping and maintenance crews are the foundation of what we do.”

A hospitality veteran of 25 years, Bernadine cites training as a key factor in ensuring an enjoyable experience for every guest. “Training varies by position. Housekeepers will typically shadow more seasoned colleagues for a week or more, and new front desk employees will work in trainee status for as many as eight weeks. But training doesn’t end there, as there always seems to be something new to learn in our industry, along with the need to adapt to changing circumstances, such as the recent pandemic.”

The community is also very supportive of the hotel, Bernadine acknowledges. “I love Raton. I get to see our community through new eyes every day, as we get caught up in sharing the city with visitors, pointing out its beauty, and hearing back from them about what they saw and loved here. It’s a wonderful circle!”

Award Press Release

Miners Day Celebration held at Raton Museum

Posted December 5, 2023

Article courtesy of Bobbi Gore

Miners’ Day, held at the Raton Museum, 108 S. 2nd Street, on December 2, 2023 was well attended with multiple speakers, a silent auction, and cakes, cookies, pies, coffee and cocoa flowing freely in-keeping with the “Miner Diner” theme.

The Miner’s Day event is held annually by Miners Colfax Medical Center (MCMC), to honor the contributions and sacrifices of past and present miners. The miners of New Mexico have contributed immensely to our nation’s energy and defense security and are recognized as an integral part of Raton’s history.  New Mexico coal extraction from Raton’s nearby mines, had helped power plants in the Southwest and to heat homes during the winter.

Raton Mayor Neil Segotta read a proclamation from the City and retired coal miner, past Colfax County Commissioner, and current MCMC Board of Trustee, Roy Fernandez, read the County’s proclamation. Colfax County Commissioner Si Trujillo shared his memories of growing up in a coal mining family in Raton, as did many others who attended the event.

MCMC Black Lung & Outreach Program Director Bobbi Gore gave an update about staffing and recent accomplishments for the MCMC Black Lung & Outreach Programs. The programs are fully funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $847,000 with approximately 4.8% financed with non-federal sources.

Dr. Akshay Sood. Distinguished Professor at the University of New Mexico in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine gave the closing address. Dr. Sood is the only occupational pulmonologist at the University of New Mexico and in our great state and is the Medical Director of the MCMC Black Lung & Outreach Programs.  In his concluding remarks, he stated “Today, we honor those miners who have passed away. For those alive, we believe our efforts to provide excellent clinical care, advance education, research, and advocacy, and the use of technological innovations can help. Together, we can help improve the lives of millions of current and former miners in New Mexico, the United States and the world.”

Colfax County Miner’s Heritage Day Proclamation City of Raton Miner’s Heritage Day Proclamation

Photos by Frank Mahannah

Frank Stewart Headstone Placed in Raton Cemetery

Posted December 4, 2023

The Wild West History Association (WWHA) is pleased to announce the completed installation of a grave marker for Frank Stewart (alias of John Wallace Green) in Raton, New Mexico.  Stewart was the co-leader, with Pat Garrett, of the posse that captured Billy the Kid and his small group of cohorts at Stinking Spring, east of Fort Sumner, on December 23, 1880.

Stewart/Green died intestate on May 11, 1935, and his body was interred in the Raton, New Mexico, City Cemetery.  For many years, historians tried to find his death date and burial site, with no luck.  Then, unavailable by any means other than searching years of newspaper issues, via microfilm, in the May 13, 1935, edition of the Raton Range, the very brief announcement of his death was found – minus any accolades or the slightest mention of the important role the man had played in the chase and capture of Billy the Kid.

The full story of the life of Frank Stewart/John Green was unknown until the 2022 publication of the book Chasing Billy the Kid: The Untold Story of the Manhunt for William H. Bonney, by historians Kurt House and Roy B. Young (Three Rivers Press).  During their work and research into Stewart/Green’s life, the two authors determined that ‘if and when’ the location of the man’s grave could be determined, they would work with WWHA to see that it was finally marked with an appropriate tombstone and epitaph.

Knowing that Stewart/Green was buried in Raton, House and Young made a trip there in 2022 to investigate the exact cemetery and hopefully the exact plot in the cemetery.  Meeting with several knowledgeable local citizens, cemetery sextons, funeral home directors, and city officials, the cemetery was identified but no record could be found of the exact unmarked plot.  Through the courtesy and historic interest of the cemetery sexton, a most desirable unused plot was selected to honor Stewart/Green with a grave marker. 

The original plan was to have a dedication ceremony at the cemetery in the fall of 2023, but due to an unforeseen delay in getting the marker engraved and installed, the ceremony will be scheduled at a soon to be determined date in the coming spring of 2024.  An announcement will be forthcoming relating the details of the ceremony.

Roy B. Young, royyoung@pldi.net

Kurt House, cowboyhous@aol.com

Santa Visits Raton

Provided Courtesy of the Raton Lion’s Club

The Raton Lion’s club started this fun event in 2017 at Ripley Park, but later because of the cold, windy weather, moved the event to the Raton Convention Instead of just a visit from Santa and Mrs. Clause, the Raton Lion’s Club wanted to provide additional fun by setting up free games with prizes to engage the children who were waiting to speak to Santa. Every year 350 goody bags are prepared to be handed out to each child that goes to see Santa and Mrs. Clause.  Each bag contains an apple, an orange, pencils, erasers, Rice Krispy treats, candy, tooth brushes and anything else we can fit in.  The apples and oranges are always donated by Super Save and everything else is purchased and donated by Lion Club members. 

In previous years, the Lions would give away two bikes but now give away dolls, board games, sport balls, scooters, skateboards, books, stuffed animals and much more.  A Lions Club token is placed in the goody bags with a prize written on the back of it letting the kids know what they get as a prize. All prizes are free.

Fun, free games include the ring toss game, fishpond, bean bag throw, cupcake walk, bounce castle, and other games they can play for smaller prizes.  The event also includes one of the Lions Club members telling the story of Bethlehem and birth of Jesus. 

This year the backdrop for picture taking didn’t arrive in time for the event, but Frankie Mahannah was on hand to take pictures and parents could take their own pictures of their kids with Santa and Mrs. Clause.  The Grinch made an appearance which was a lot of fun for the families as well.

Photos by Frank Mahannah

Posted November 26, 2023

Holiday Season Kicks Off in Raton

Raton held its traditional tree lighting at Ripley Park on Friday, November 24, 2023 to the delight of the gathering crowd. After the official lighting of the tree, many spectators braved the frigid temperatures to walk to Historic First Street for the annual Festival of Lights sponsored by Raton MainStreet.

Eleven stationary holiday floats were on display, filling two blocks of First Street. Several shops were open encouraging shoppers to get out of the cold and start their holiday shopping for art work from Carl Swanson’s art gallery, specialty items from Pack Rat and Ramel Farms, candies and other sweets from Dulces Encantados. Or, they could visit Patchwork Phoenix for free hot chocolate and cookies.

The winners of the Festival of Lights stationary floats were: 1st Place – Santa’s Workshop by Dave Sena and Geneva Sandoval, 2nd Place – Santa’s Sleigh – City of Raton, 3rd Place – Santa’s motorized sleigh – Dean Torres.

One more holiday tradition is the opening of the City of Bethlehem in Climax Canyon, which is organized and maintained by the Raton Lion’s Club. This year saw a large number of volunteers to help erect the wooden stands depicting the story of Jesus, even several angels on the high cliffs surrounding the drive through the canyon.

Full to the BRIM: Solano’s Boot & Western Wear Featured in Mitchell Museum Exhibit Opening December 1, 2023

By Mary Elder, Contributor

You are already aware that Solano’s Boot & Western Wear is an iconic Raton business recognized worldwide for its service and style. But do you also know that the store at 101 South Second St. is home to a memorial honoring the region’s farmers and ranchers?

Since 1973, cowboys and girls and plowmen and women from Southern Colorado and Northern New Mexico have entrusted nearly 400 used hats to Solano’s for safekeeping. Of every shape, size, and color and encrusted with dirt, dust, and sweat, the well-worn hats hang high above the shop floor. That’s where they recently caught the eye of Ken Chapin, producer and curator of “BRIM: The Solano’s Stories,” opening Dec. 1 at the A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art in neighboring Trinidad, Colo.

Ken was in town conducting interviews with manager Sandy Solano and local entrepreneur Kayvan Khalatbari as part of a story-sharing effort tied to a Smithsonian Museum on Main Street exhibition  stopping in Trinidad through mid-January. “Upon entering the store,” he reflects, “my eyes were immediately drawn upward” to what the Solano family has lovingly come to think of as “the hat cemetery.” Chapin asked Sandy on the spot to collaborate with him to develop BRIM as one of several companion exhibits for the Smithsonian production. But both Sandy and Ken say she was slower to accept the invitation than he was to issue it.

For Sandy, it was a matter of ensuring the hats would be handled respectfully, displayed appropriately, and protected adequately over the course of the six-month-long exhibit. And had the project taken the headgear farther away than Trinidad, she likely would not have agreed. “Almost daily, a family member stops in the store specifically to visit their loved-one’s hat,” she explained. “Some folks come every single year, year after year.” Stewarding those familial artifacts is a responsibility she and her staff take extremely seriously.

Despite her initial hesitancy, Ken persisted because he feels the headpieces—and the people who wore them—crystalize what the larger exhibition, titled “Crossroads: Change in Rural America,” is all about. “We designed BRIM to celebrate and honor the hard work of generations of regional agricultural producers,” he notes. “Who were they? How did they contribute? What did they endure and why did they stay at it when so many others left for big cities?”

His empathy and a lot of planning ultimately earned Sandy’s cooperation. Each of the carefully chosen hats in the exhibit will be housed in a custom-built glass case, accompanied by a QR code unique to that display. Viewers using a smartphone camera to process the coded information will hear readings by actors portraying the original owners, based on narratives provided to Solano’s at the time of donation.

Sandy is also compiling a coffee table book about the collection for future publication. She hopes BRIM will inspire more families to put pen to paper. “It’s important to capture as many memories and stories as we can,” she insists. Ken agrees: “Those stories are the stories of this community and rural America.”

The public is cordially invited to the opening of “BRIM: The Solano’s Stories” on Dec. 1 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art at 150 E. Main St. in Trinidad. You can learn more about the exhibit and related events hosted by Corazón de Trinidad Creative District.

Posted November 12, 2023

Pappas’ Sweet Shop Restaurant: Celebrating a Hundred Years of Hospitality

By Mary Elder, Contributor

Raton has been known for its hospitality since Fred Harvey introduced fine dining here trackside in the late 19^th century. Harvey’s relentless focus was on keeping customers happy—a standard carried into the 21^st century at another local eatery, Pappas’ Sweet Shop Restaurant.

The original candy and ice cream store founded as the Sweet Shop in 1923 by partners Jim Pappas and Gus Petritsis later transitioned to the sole ownership of the Pappas family. They expanded the business to include a restaurant and moved it to its current location at 1201 S. Second St. (Click here for more history.) Several beloved menu items from the early years, such as the signature chicken salad sandwich, homemade bread, cinnamon rolls, and pancake-style enchiladas, are still offered today.

On November 19, third-generation owner Ann Marie Pappas and her son Matthew Rigdon will mark a century of service to Raton with an open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Matthew is chief cook and the fourth generation to be involved in the operation. Ann Marie’s “better half”, Tim Horn, and Matthew’s wife, Sheri, are also key members of the team of dedicated employees who keep the place humming along.

Keeping a business—any business—going for 10 decades is a remarkable feat. But sustaining a restaurant for a hundred years is truly rare. According to cnbc.com, only 40 percent of new restaurants survive their first 12 months, and only 20 percent make it past five years. Ann Marie attributes the Sweet Shop’s longevity to a loyal customer base that’s stuck with them through the Great Depression, two world wars, economic highs and lows in the region and three years of pandemic-related challenges. “We’re hosting the open house to recognize our neighbors in Raton and their tireless support,” she asserts. “It’s really all about them.”

Another crucial factor in their success is the cooperative relationships with other restaurant owners in the community. “We all work together and help each other,” Ann Marie notes. “If one of us runs out of something, for instance, the others are ready to share supplies or lend a hand.”

A smile comes to her face when she recalls a couple who recently held their 60^th anniversary dinner at Pappas’, joining countless others who celebrated births, graduations, engagements, new jobs, business deals, political victories, and other milestones around Sweet Shop tables across multiple generations. If, like them, you have a cherished memory of a special meal there, Ann Marie and Matthew hope you’ll share it during the upcoming open house, in a scrapbook available for just that purpose.

Pappas’ Sweet Shop Restaurant is open Wednesday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., and on Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Photos courtesy of Ann Marie Pappas Rigdon

Posted November 10, 2023

The Ratonian Welcomes Two Contributing Writers

As The Ratonian grows, the need for additional writers became very apparent. Fortunately, two community-minded individuals stepped up to the challenge.

We welcome Mary Elder and Sally Hoger as new contributing writers whose articles will be posted this Sunday, November 12, 2023. Mary, will be writing about various people and businesses and Sally will be writing about health and our community. We are very blessed to have them as part of The Ratonian family!

Mary Elder

Mary Elder is a retired federal communicator and Navy Veteran who is excited to help tell the stories of the people and businesses that make Raton a wonderful place to live, work and play. Born and raised in St. Louis, she remains a diehard fan of Cardinals baseball and Blues ice hockey. 

Sally Hoger

Sally has many years of experience in laboratory science and medical research in infectious disease and anti-infective agents. She currently is an adjunct professor for three colleges and universities. She holds degrees in Microbiology, Biomedical Science, and a doctorate degree in Public Health Policy. She and her husband, AJ, reside in Raton and enjoy community activities, hiking and camping.

Posted November 9, 20023

Dominic Giron is in the Wind In Custody!

RATON POLICE DEPARTMENT

(UPDATE)

Memo: Community Update

Date: November 9, 2023

Ref: Wanted Subject (Arrested)

On behalf of the Raton Police, we would like to thank those community members who assisted by any, and all means possible with attempting to locate Domenic Giron (Wanted Subject).

Raton Police Officers have diligently been attempting to locate, and arrest Giron for multiple active Felony Warrants. The Raton Police Department was notified by Amy Romero (M.R.S. – Monitoring & Recovery Services) on November 8, 2023, that Giron had cut off his GPS Ankle Bracelet and SCRAM Alcohol Device, and his whereabouts was unknown.

On November 9, 2023, at approximately 7:45 p.m. Officer Mark Romero observed a male subject concealing his face with a hooded jacket walking in the 700 block of East 5th Street. Officer Romero noted the unique walk/gate of the male subject, matching that of Girons’ walk. Officer Romero illuminated the male subject with his patrol vehicles’ lights and was able to positively identify Giron. Officer Romero exited his patrol vehicle and told Giron “to stop,” Giron fled northbound on foot. Officer Romero gave chase, closed distance, and took Giron into custody.

Chief John D Garcia #1120

Posted November 5, 2023 – Photos by Hal Brewer

Investiture Ceremony Held for the Honorable Steven A. Romero

On Friday, November 3, 2023, the District 8 Courtroom was overflowing with visitors into the secondary Magistrate Courtroom and even into the hallways of the Leon Karelitz Judicial Center located at 1413 S 2nd Street in Raton, New Mexico. The cause of this extraordinary attendance was the Investiture Ceremony for the Honorable Steven A. Romero

Judge Romero, who has hometown roots in Colfax County was appointed by Governor Grisham as the District 8 Judge when the position was vacated by Judge Melissa Kennelly in June 2023. Various Judges filled the vacancy temporarily until Judge Romero was able to take to the bench in September. The Investiture Ceremony made the appointment official and provided the community the opportunity to congratulate and celebrate with him.

Judge Jeffrey A. Shannon, who serves as a Eight Judicial District Judge in Taos, New Mexico, during the opening of the ceremony, provided a summary of previous judges in this district and stated that Judge Romero is the first Judge in a quarter century who was “homegrown in this district,” which was received with a thunderous round of applause.

The Honorable Kenneth J. Gonzales, United States District Judge, performed the Investiture Ceremony after first commenting on Judge Romero’s accomplishments over the years during his military career, when Judge Gonzales first met then Judge Advocate General (JAG) Captain Romero (who has since been promoted to Major in the Army Reserves). He followed with a comment that Judge Steve Romero is a person of the highest integrity, exceptional work ethic, utmost professionalism, strong leadership skills, even temperament, unique sense of fairness, and a dedicated family man with a broad range of legal experience, having been on both sides of the bench as a prosecutor and defense attorney. According to Judge Gonzales, our district will be will be well-served by Judge Steven A. Romero.

Judge Romero graciously took time for the many friends, family, and co-workers, who attended the ceremony, to take pictures with him and of him during this momentous time in his career.

The following was printed in the Investiture Ceremony Program

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham appointed Judge Romero to the bench on September 16, 2023. Prior to his appointment, Judge Romero practiced law at the highest levels in the state and federal courts, including the U.S. Army’s Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps. He is currently a major in the Army Reserve and has worked since 2021 as a Deputy District Attorney in the Seventh Judicial District, which covers Socorro, Torrance, Sierra and Catron counties.

Romero received his law degree in 2012 from the University of New Mexico, School of Law and has served New Mexico communities in various attorney roles, including as a prosecutor in the Eighth and Second Judicial district Attorney’s office and as an assistant city attorney for the City of Albuquerque.

He grew up in rural Colfax County, graduated from Cimarron High School and has civil ties and community understanding of Colfax and Union counties. In his spare time, he enjoys outdoor recreation and follows basketball and other sports teams in New Mexico.

Read the previous press release of Judge Romero’s appointment on KRTN website

https://krtnradio.com/2023/08/30/steven-romero-appointed-as-8th-judicial-court-judge/

Posted November 21, 2023

Miners Colfax Medical Center Honors Cares Champion Brent Clibon

Brent Clibon has been employed with MCMC for almost 2 years and wears many hats while on the job. Clibon not only works as a truck driver in the Black Lung/Outreach Department, but also spends time in the maintenance department because of his exemplary mechanical skills. When not busy with those jobs, he also performs the audiometry (hearing) testing.

Brent and his wife Linda moved here from Castle Rock, Colorado after retiring. Brent had worked for the Waste Management company in the Denver South area, the 15^th largest in the United States, and Linda had been working for Dish Network. When looking to retire, they first looked back east, but didn’t find the right fit. Fortunately, Raton popped up on their search and they found just what they needed, a house with several out buildings where Brent could work on his passion, cars and motorcycles.

Brent and Linda have two children and seven grandchildren, all ranging in age from 22 years to two years old. HR Director Barbara Duran, who provided much of the information in this article mentioned that Brent also loves chocolate and Coca Cola. The staff recommended Brent to receive the “Cares Champion” award for November because of his knowledge, his willingness to assist and teach whenever he can, and because he is easy-going and pleasant to work with. Showing his appreciation for those he works with by saying, “I only shine because of the team that I work with.”

MCMC CEO Bo Beames presented the “Cares Champion” certificate to Brent Clibon during the MCMC monthly Board of Trustees meeting on Friday, November 18, 2023, after an introduction by HR Director Barbara Duran. He will also receive a $100.00 gift card from the MCMC Auxiliary. Each month, a new “Cares Champion” is selected through a staff vote process that is narrowed down to one by Staff leaders.

Posted November 5, 2023

 Natausha Ortega, RN Med Surge, selected as “Cares Champion”

Miners Colfax Medical Center provides a “time to shine” for those staff members who are recognized by their peers as being someone who shows exemplary work skills, positive attitude, and inspiration to others in the workplace.
As an on-going process, employees are asked during a weekly meeting to provide a name of someone whom they would like to recognize as having the attributes that they admire. The names are presented for vote until one emerges as the “Cares Champion.”
Generally, there is one “Cares Champion” selected each month who receives a $100.00 gift card from the MCMC Auxiliary and a special certificate presented at the monthly Board of Trustees meeting. During October’s meeting, HR Director Barbara Duran presented Natausha Ortega, RN Med Surge with that honor.
Ms. Ortega has been employed various times with MCMC since 2019, first as a PRN, then later as a Nurse’s Aid, a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), and most recently returning with her degree as a Registered Nurse. The Cares Champion award shows that MCMC cares for those who care for others.

Posted November 5, 2023

Rio Grande ATP, Inc. Holds Open House

The Rio Grande ATP, Inc., an adult intensive outpatient substance abuse recovery center located at 130 South 3rd Street, in Raton, held an open house on Friday, October 27, 2023 at 10:00 AM.

The Rio Grande ATP has offices in Taos and Las Vegas, New Mexico, and provides resources and tools for those in recovery to maintain a drug and alcohol free life.

The program offered by Rio Grande provides several treatment approaches including 12-step facilitation, anger management, life skills, random drug testing, compliance management, cognitive behavioral therapy, along with risk/needs assessments, random drug testing, and counseling services.

Rio Grande ATP will be accepting new clients who are mandated by the courts, as well as those who call or drop in to the recovery centers. Payment for services are accepted from Medicaid, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Presbyterian Health Plan, self-payment, and some financial assistance for those who do not have insurance.

According to the available brochure, Rio Grande ATP, Inc. – “Founded in 1978, RGATP has been a fixture in substance abuse treatment in Northern New Mexico for over 40 years. Its focus is on the delivery of high quality, affordable and accessible treatment services to consumers and their families in Taos, San Miguel, Mora, and surrounding counties,”

October 27, 2023

VA Clinic Holds Open House

On Friday, October 27, 2023 the Veterans Community Based Outreach Clinic located in Raton at 14983 Whittier Street held a “Celebration Outreach” to provide veterans with the opportunity to receive covid-19 and flu vaccinations, enjoy a free lunch, and gather information from VA staff and other literature on hand. The Celebration Outreach included several New Mexico Veterans of Services representatives from Albuquerque to answer questions. The community based outreach program provides primary care, specialty services for veterans, their families, and caregivers.

For more information call Sherry Arguello, Clinical Director at (575) 445-6049 or (575) 445-2391. Other contacts: ABQ VA Medical Center 1(800) 465-8262 and DAV Transportation (505) 414-0415.

October 21, 2023

Annual Witch Walk Raises Money for the Raton Hunger Pantry

This year’s Witch Walk brought out the best witches of the community to raise funds for the Raton Hunger Pantry. This annual event, in its third year, provided participantsa fun evening in witches’ costumes to cast a few spells and cackle with laughter.

The Raton MainStreet will provide the Raton Hunger Pantry with $1200.00 from the proceeds of the event. Thanks to the Ice House, Gate City Craft Bar, Colfax Ale, Bruno’s Pizza and Wings, the Elks Lodge, and VFW for participating in the bar crawl and helping to make this event stupendous! Each participating business/bar received $5.00 per walker, and there were 65 walkers. The participating bar or business provided each walker with a special treat and/or drink making for a very festive evening. Sponsors of the event were: Raton MainStreet, D & T Auto & Truck Repair, Farmers Insurance – Jamie Marez, Realty One – Wendy Mileta, Ira & Lynette Simpson, and Elk Mountain Embroidery.

The following pictures were taken by Sofie Atwater and posted on the Raton MainStreet Facebook page.

October 13, 2023

Show Me the Money!

For many years, the City of Raton has held workshops to develop five-year Master Plans, public meetings for ideas on “what Raton needs,” and city commission meetings to vote on where limited money would be spent for improvements. At each meeting, several invested business owners, government officials, non-profit organization managers, and other interested community members would meet for hours to discuss what our priorities are for our limited budget. Each meeting over the years provided excellent ideas that would go nowhere because of the lack of funding, and the lack of ideas of where to get the funding.

Perhaps the “times they are-a-changing.” During last Friday’s Economic Summit, not only were several areas of need identified, but this time, resources for possible funding were provided. With so many opportunities for funding identified at the Summit, the path to funding should be much easier than in the past.

The 2023 New Mexico Northeast Economic Development Summit that was held on Friday, October 13, 2023, at the Raton Convention Center, brought together economic development leaders from throughout New Mexico and Texas. Mark Roper, Division Director of the New Mexico Economic Development Division, who has ties to Raton, led off a morning of guest speakers. Roper, who had been instrumental in bringing the Ports to Plains spur to Raton during his tenure as the Raton Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, provided insights into bringing new money into our community. He stressed the importance of understanding the local workforce, knowing what assets we have, and being realistic about our expectations.

A variety of funding sources were provided during the Summit, with the suggestion that organizations, businesses, and government should first contact FUNDIT, an alliance of more than 20 agencies that work together to provide funding opportunities for communities throughout the State of New Mexico.

Raton MainStreet and Inbank were the local sponsors of this event, with contributions of time and effort by the City of Raton and Ann Theis of El Raton Media Works. Guest speakers included:

• Former City Manager Scott Berry
• Raton City Manager Rick Mestas
• Mark Roper, Director NM Economic Development Division
• Senator Pete Campos
• Lauren Garduno, Ports to Plains – I27 to Raton
• Theresa Laredo-Garcia, Lead Program Administrator NM Finance Authority
• Raul Hurtado, Community Liaison for Rural Partnership Network
• Felicity Fonseca, North Central New Mexico Economic Development District Community Planner
• Monica Abeita, Executive Director of NCNMEDD
• Nancy Kastning, NCNMEDD
• Christopher Woodstock, AmeriCorps VISTA/NCNMEDD
• Channing Hofman, FUNDIT, EDD
• Shanna Sasser, NM DFA
• Ryan Mast, Infrastructure Partner, and Senior Advisor, from Sustainability Partners
• Jared Langenegger, Field Operations Bureau Chief, NM State Parks Division
• Terry Sullivan, The Nature Conservancy New Mexico State Director
• Shayne & Sandra Young, Business Owners, Raton Adventure Centre
• Alex Trujillo, NM Office of Broadband Access and Expansion

Attending with tables offering information were:

• Nancy Kastning, NCNMEDD
• Christopher Woodstock, AmeriCorps VISTA/NCNMEDD
• Grow Raton
• Skill Sharp
• Raton Homes

October 12, 2023

Business Meeting Draws Large Crowd

October 12, 2023 – After several local businesses were burglarized in the past two months, Patricia Link, Raton Natural Gas owner, met with the Raton Crimestoppers to report that there had been a string of break-ins and that no one knew about them until she started talking to several other business owners who had also been burglarized. The general consensus of that initial meeting was to start publicizing the problem through local news media KRTN and The Ratonian so that the public would be aware of what is going on and possibly provide information to local law enforcement to help in the arrest of the perpetrators. The Raton Crimestoppers Board suggested to Ms. Link that she organize a committee of business owners to determine what steps they could take to prevent future burglaries. Although the meeting was intended to be a small committee meeting, it became a very large public meeting because of the Facebook post by Grow Raton, a local non-profit, that advertised the meeting.

During the meeting Detective Beto Dominguez with the Colfax County Sheriff’s Department provided those attending with information on how to prevent and report burglaries. A lengthy discussion followed by several business owners about their own experiences with burglaries and vandalism and the slow response, or even lack of response by the Raton Police Department. Detective Dominguez responded several times that the local dispatch is the same for both RPD and the Colfax County Sherriff’s Department (CCS) but if it is within Raton’s city limits, the RPD is called out and the CCS is only called by RPD when assistance is requested.

Raton Crimestoppers Board Member Kelly Fissel, owner of the All Seasons Gift shop located at 1616 Cedar Street in Raton that was also burglarized suggested that everyone at the meeting should call into 1-800 TIPS (8477) with information about a possible crime in process, or if they know of anything about a crime that has been reported. He gave some statistics on the Raton Crimestoppers website http://ratoncrimestoppers.org/ and its Facebook page. He also mentioned that any tips that Raton Crimestoppers receives are anonymous. A question was asked about why the information about the burglaries was not posted on the Raton Police Blotter, and it was explained that the police blotter only provides arrests and traffic violations. The police call logs are not provided, but could be requested.

Shayne Young, Raton Adventure Center, 216 S. 1st, provided information about a camera system called Simply Safe that he has installed at his business. He is speaking to them so see if they might give the Raton business owners a bulk rate. He invited anyone to come by to see the system. Young also suggested that the RPD invest in the Citizens on Patrol (COP) program that would give the community additional eyes on the streets of Raton and could act as a prevention of crime. Another local business owner, Mauricio Lemus, Casa Lemus, who was familiar with the COP program had suggested that to the RPD a few years ago, without any action taken to his knowledge.

Colfax County Commissioner Si Trujillo, who owns the Route 66 Insurance business in Raton, spoke about the future collaboration between the City of Raton and Colfax County. Monty Gore, Colfax County Manager and Raton City Manager Rick Mestas were on hand to provide additional information to those attending. Mestas, who is currently one week into his position, assured the crowd that he will do his part to work with the Raton Police Department and the Raton Fire Department as his priorities for the safety of the community.

The meeting allowed several business owners to air their grievances publicly but Ms. Link kept the discussion on a positive note, asking for suggestions of action that could be taken. The Ratonian will follow-up with additional information about the Simply Safe and COP program, and the possible collaboration between the city and the county to address the issues brought up during this meeting.

BNSF Prepares Tracks for Tie Replacement

On Thursday, September 28, a BNSF crew of 55 arrived in Raton to replace ties on the tracks. The crew gathered for a safety briefing prior to commencing to prepare the tracks with various track equipment to replace the worn ties with new ones. According to the Road Master (who declined to provide his name) the goal is to replace 2,200 ties a night and the crew is expected to replace all of the ties within two weeks. Most of the work will be done at night, or between the expected arrival of Amtrak passenger trains, which have the right-of-way on the tracks.

Scott Berry Retirement Party

Friday, September 29, 2023 was officially the last day as Raton City Manager for Scott Berry. Although many accolades were voiced at the City Commission meeting on Tuesday, September 26, Berry was honored with a surprise retirement party on Friday by Raton MainStreet, the City of Raton, and Berry’s wife, Cindi. Berry retired after nearly ten years of service as the Raton City Manager.

Frankie Mahannah, the longest-running city employee, with 50 years at the Arthur Johnson Memorial Library, was on hand to take pictures and to present Berry with a gift of two pictures and cards featuring Frankie’s photos.

Frankie took pictures of other items presented to Berry during the celebration as shown in the photos below. In the first photo below, Michael Anne Antonucci presented Scott with a poster signed by city employees. The Raton Mainstreet group presented Scott with a Certificate of Appreciation for all of the collaboration and cooperation that he provided the group during his tenure. The Three Amigos (first picture in second row) are Jason Phillips, current Sanitation and Public Works Director along with now retired City Manager Scott Berry and former Raton Water Works Director, Dan Campbell. Campbell retired in 2020 after nearly 30 years of service to Raton and longtime co-worker with Berry. The Three Amigos had great respect for each other and appreciation for their dedication to the City of Raton. Scott poses with his retirement cake in the final photo.

Congratulations Scott! We all appreciate your dedication and service to our community!

Published September 28, 2023

Combating Food Insecurity in Raton

September 25, 2023

As in many small, rural communities, Raton has a growing population of people, including children, who suffer from food insecurity. At times, our most vulnerable, the children, only eat at school, which is why our schools offer free breakfast and lunch to all students so that none go hungry during the day. It has long been realized by our educators that it is hard to concentrate on studies when hungry. Fortunately, there are other food resources in Raton for those in need.

The Raton Hunger Pantry, which has been in existence for more than 30 years, is one of the resources that is available to anyone who needs food. Although run by the Lighthouse Church, it is housed in the basement of the First Presbyterian Church at 300 S. 3^rd Street. The Hunger Pantry is open every two weeks at 11:00 AM on the first Saturday of each month for anyone who needs food. The next opening is on October 7, followed in two weeks on October 21 and every two weeks after that. Donations of non-perishable food items may be made by calling Danny Griego at (505) 652-6769. According to Griego, one item that is often requested is coffee, and the sweetener, creamer or sugar, but that is seldom something the pantry has. However, any non-perishable food items are always welcome, especially nutrition bars or other foods that don’t need to be cooked or prepared, for those who don’t have the means to prepare a meal. Financial donations, which can be used to purchase foods that are needed, can be given in the form of a check or money order (with Hunger Pantry written on it) and dropped in the collection plate, or taken to the church office in person, or mailed to Lighthouse Church, 1310 South 2^nd Street, Raton, NM 87740. Call (575) 499-6614 for other arrangements.

Another event which helps those in need is the Hungry Hearts meal that is served at the First Baptist Church, 236 South 3^rd Street, every Saturday from noon until 1:00 PM. The meals that are served by volunteers “feed the soul with ministry while feeding the body” and have become so popular that the organizer, Kittye Mosimann, reached out to other churches for help. There are now four churches who rotate each week to prepare and serve the meals, First Baptist Church, St. Pat’s/St. Joe’s Catholic Church, the Family Worship Center, and the Lighthouse Church. According to Mosimann, various ministries will contact the churches for assistance for individuals and there is no requirement to be a member of a church to receive the meal. Each of the four churches, provide volunteers from their church, and at times, parishioners from other churches will volunteer with one of serving churches that are involved. Financial donations to Hungry Hearts may be made by sending a check to the Lighthouse Church at 1310 South 2^nd Street, Raton, NM 87740 or make arrangements for food donations by calling Kittye Mosimann at (575) 643-5100.

Still another opportunity available in Raton to help relieve food insecurity is the monthly food distributions by First United Methodist Church, 1501 South 4^th Street, and St. Vincent de Paul, a non-profit organization located at the corner of South 4^th Street and Rio Grande (the former Catholic grade school) which is under the umbrella of St. Pat’s/St. Joe’s Catholic Church.

The food distribution at the First United Methodist Church is held on the last Friday of each month beginning at 9:00 AM. Those wanting to participate can drive south 3^rd Street past the Raton Convention Center to the back area of the church.  The food is given by volunteers from the kitchen area located in the ground floor at the back of the church. Participants can then drive out through the driveway connected to Tiger Drive. The food for the distribution is provided by the New Mexico Food Depot and varies from month to month as to what is available. Although there is no requirement for participation, each vehicle is asked to provide names and addresses and number of people living in the home to help with the amount of food that the distribution center receives.

The St. Vincent de Paul food distribution is run much the same way, but the food is handed out in the alley between 2^nd and 3^rd Street, behind the former Catholic School, 444 Apache, where the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store is located. The distribution time is from 8: 00 AM and 10:00 AM. The participants are asked to enter the alley on Apache and exit the alley on Galisteo. The volunteers bring food out to the vehicles with shopping carts donated by Super Save. Generally, 12 – 14 volunteers help distribute each month.

Both food distribution centers in Raton receive a monthly shipment of food from the New Mexico Food Depot and usually consists of a variety of dry goods, and sometimes fresh vegetables or fruits. Volunteers at St. Vincent de Paul may augment food donations through additional food or monetary donations that the non-profit receives from the public.

Additionally, St. Vincent de Paul will provide food, light, water, gas, and sometimes help with telephone and rent for emergency needs.  Food and Check or Money order donations may be made at the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store anytime during its open hours of Wednesday through Saturday, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

There is an annual Thanksgiving dinner every year on Thanksgiving Day that is held at the St. Patrick’s/St. Joseph’s Catholic Parish Hall located at 104 Buena Vista Street at 1:00 PM. Call (575) 445-9763 to request at home delivery.

For a list of churches in Raton , visit the Links page on this website.

Frankie Mahannah honored by Governor Grisham

Frankie Mahannah, photographer of Raton, presented two of his photographs to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham on Friday, September 8, 2023. The Governor became acquainted with Frankie’s work during a visit to Raton in the fall of 2022. She honored him by stating that his photographs would be hung in the lobby of the New Mexico Capitol building known as the Roundhouse. The halls of New Mexico Roundhouse hold one of the largest collections of New Mexico artists. It is well worth a visit for art connoisseurs.

Frankie is a life-time member of the Raton Ambassadors, having been a member for more than 15 years, and is currently serving on the Board of Directors and as the club’s official photographer. He also provides numerous photos for The Ratonian and can be seen at nearly every event in Raton taking photos for the community.

Frankie graduated from Raton High School in 1971, is the High School band photographer, and has been working for the Arthur Johnson Memorial Library for 50 years. He was honored with a 50 year anniversary party at the library this past year.

He became a member of the Raton Lions Club in 1984 and has served in various positions over the years including president of the club for 2 years and as photographer and public relations officer for the District and the State Convention.

Frankie has served our community for many years, and is loved and appreciated by all!

Raton City Commissioners Hire New City Manager

September 12, 2023

During the last City Commissioners’ regular session meeting, the commission hired Dr. Richard Mestas as the new city manager. Scott Berry, who has held the position for nearly ten years will be providing Dr. Mestas with some “on the job training” in the next few weeks. Dr. Mestas will officially begin his duties the first of October.

Dr. Mestas and his wife Mary Elder have moved in to Raton, and are looking forward to becoming an integral part of our community. Mestas has ties to Raton, whose father lived here and worked in the Trinidad mine.

Recent Break Ins at Local Businesses Prompt Meetings

In recent weeks, several local businesses have been burglarized, prompting a visit by Patricia Link, Raton Natural Gas, to the Raton Crime Stoppers organization, to discuss the problem and possible solutions. Link learned of the additional break ins in the community by mentioning the break in that occurred at Raton Natural Gas to another business owner, whom she learned had also been burglarized. Once the conversation started, she learned of several other businesses who had suffered the same in recent weeks.

Although Raton Crime Stoppers is not directly involved in the prevention or punishment of crimes, the organization does provide additional public information concerning crimes in the area and at times provides rewards for tips that lead to an arrest for a crime, which is why Ms. Link contacted the organization.

Following the meeting, Ms. Link contacted the other business owners to ask their permission to provide their names to Raton Crime Stoppers, The Ratonian, and KRTN-enchanted air. Those businesses are listed below:

• McDonald’s June or July 2023 (they could not pin down an exact date, but do want to be included in the Crime Stoppers Alert)
• Alfonso’s Mexican Food August 8, 2023
• All Season’s August 17, 2023
• Sweet Shop September 4, 2023
• AutoZone September 5, 2023
• Raton Natural Gas Company September 6, 2023
• Arthur Rolloff September 6, 2023
• Pinnacle Propane September 8, 2023

The local business community will discuss a course of action and what can be done to prevent future break ins.

September 12 Update

Domenic Giron (35 – Raton) – was arrested for burglary, criminal damage to property, resisting, evading, or obstructing an officer & two Magistrate Court arrest warrants, based on probable cause, on charges of aggravated burglary with a deadly weapon, criminal damage to property & unlawful taking of a motor vehicle.

Read more on KRTN-Enchanted Air website

September 3, 2023

Inaugural Raton Pride Event Well Attended

The first Raton Pride event held in Raton, New Mexico on the weekend of August 26-27 was very well attended. Several vendors offered a variety of products including t-shirts, jewelry, photos, leather work, and music by DJ Teddy Romero. But the most popular part of the event was the Pet Parade. The parade provided pet owners the opportunity to show off their pets, which included mostly dogs, but at least one dressed-up lizard, Pebbles, owned by Cindy Hansen.

The local LGBQ community organized the event but many people from the community came to show their support of their friends, family, and acquaintances. Because of the fear that there may be confrontation during the event, the Raton Pride organizers held a safety meeting on the Thursday before to learn about how to deal with any difficult attendees, which was basically to ignore or to ask the local police officers that would be attending for help. However, there were no problems at all.

August 22, 2023

County Commission Meeting

By Carol Bridge – The regularly scheduled Colfax County Commission meeting was delayed for over an hour so that a public forum regarding changes in what has been the County Magistrate building could be discussed. Joan Apadoca, County Manager’s office, spoke and listed several issues with possible solutions. The County Magistrate courtroom (which had been located adjacent to the County Administration building) has been moved to the District Eight Judicial Courthouse located at 1413 S 2nd Street, in Raton and thus will cause many changes to occur in all three buildings. This will be an ongoing discussion until a satisfactory solution can be found. Using the old County Magistrate building as a sort of ‘election center’ was discussed by the group with Colfax County Clerk Rayetta Trujillo who is in charge of local elections. She spoke about safety for election staff as well as voters and machines. Many local election workers and volunteers nationwide have been threatened with violence and, as radical rhetoric continues to be forthcoming, election officials across the state and nation are very concerned.

Once the regular meeting was called to order, the commissioners discussed the county trash pick-up by Tri-State Recycle, a company out of Texline, Texas, which is currently responsible as per contract. Tri-State is paid $22,000 per month for this service and according to numerous citizens, it is not doing the job. A representative from Tri-State joined by telephone (the company had promised that a representative would be there in person) made attempts to excuse the poor service by explaining that they have had many equipment failures. Later, as Chairperson Si Trujillo stated, the service has been grossly lacking in both collection and communication. Commissioner Bret E. Wier stated that it may be time for the county to take over this service in-house as privatizing this service has resulted in greater expense and worse service. Part of the solution may be to break up this territory so that smaller companies could enter bids. Commissioner Weir guessed that startup would cost around $300,000. The solid waste from the county is transported to either Wagon Mound or Texline and is supposed to be picked up twice weekly. According to several witnesses this is not happening. Dumpsters are frequented by bears and trash is being blown far and wide that is both bad for business and is a public health hazard that could lead to injury and liability. Much of this trash is from contractors who use these public bins to dispose of building rubble (even concrete). One suggestion was that trash collection points may have cameras installed so that the offenders can be caught and fined. The county will create a web page so that people can report problems to the commissioners and will be able to upload pictures. The website address will be published in the next county commission meeting article. Manager Monte Gore informed the group that Fish and Game will provide rubber pellet buckshot to people in order to discourage troublesome bears and that two bears in the county have had to be destroyed this year because they were breaking into houses. Weir warned that rates for trash removal may have to be raised.

Colfax Country Treasurer Lydia Garcia informed the commission that a local bank had dropped the interest rate that it pays for short term deposits and the state was offering far more. The bank had been paying less than 2% while the state offers over 5%. Garcia stated that large amounts of county money are held short term as income and expenditures change during the year. The commissioners agreed to move short term funds into the state run system.

Donna Woolsey, Idlewild, asked that the Commissioners grant the community of Idlewild a small tract of land so that it can be maintained. Colfax County was deeded this land via some obscure method in 1957 and that the commissioners were not aware of it as it had passed into distant memory. A resolution to deed this small tract to the community group was voted on with all voting in agreement.

Commissioner Weir proposed that Colfax County join with a partisan group led by Jennifer Jones, a state representative from Deming, asking that Governor Grisham send New Mexico National Guard to the border to address the problems that are occurring there. Weir stated that the county should join in this action because, “Colfax County went 100% Republican in the last election.” Discussion followed during which Weir could not produce any factual information supporting the request or a reason why Colfax County should join in the request. Weir’s proposal died by lack of a second to the resolution. According to past election results, Colfax County did not go 100% Republican in the last election.

A memorandum of agreement was made between Krossroads, mental health provider, and the county that will allow Krossroads permission to transport inmates/clients. This will free up detention center employees and relieve responsibility/ liability from the county, According to County Manager Gore, the innovative plan will become a model for this service state wide.

Commissioners then presented information about miscellaneous items. Chairperson Trujillo has been participating in meetings with the Raton School District regarding building a new school as well as cooperating with the City of Raton regarding the municipal airport. Commissioner Kern reported that Maxwell Schools have been awarded over 3 million dollars to build a new school. Commissioner Weir suggested that rural signage in the county needs to be improved and that Colfax County will be participating in a push to provide affordable housing. More information to come.

The next meeting will be on September 12 at 8:30 AM in the County Administration building on 3rd Street. If you would like to speak about an issue or concern please contact the office at 575-445-9661.

August 9, 2023

Raton City Commission Votes to Keep Municipal Court

After a lengthy, sometimes heated discussion, a three to two vote by commissioners determined that Raton will continue providing the municipal court service to the residents of Raton. The original discussion and vote was to take place at the last commission meeting, but was tabled when Municipal Judge Roy Manfredi, and his clerk, Chrissy Piancino addressed the commissioners with concerns about moving all municipal court cases to District 8 Magistrate Court, and discontinuing this service at the municipal level. At Tuesday’s meeting, those concerns brought up by Judge Manfredi included the cut of a service that the Municipal Court provides to the Raton citizens and to the income that is currently received from fines collected in the municipal court on animal control violations, other city ordinance violations, and traffic citations. According to Judge Manfredi, the Raton Municipal Court currently collects nearly $40,000 that offsets the $79,284 expense of maintaining the court. Additionally, District 8 Court and Magistrate Court Manager Anita Sintas explained to the commissioners that the District and Magistrate Court have no space available and cannot accept the additional cases.

During the Items from Citizens Present agenda item for Tuesday night’s Raton City Commission meeting, Pat Walsh, on behalf of the Raton Humane Society, addressed the commissioners to request that they consider shortening the time that public fireworks are sold and allowed is limited to July 1 to July 6 and that the current city ordinances concerning fireworks are strictly enforced, even suggesting that the ordinances be strengthened to include penalties, not just warnings. Walsh suggested that the loud fireworks, many of which are illegal, cause distress to many domesticated animals, and could cause trauma to local military veterans with PTSD. Read the letter.

Additional concerns were voiced by citizens about the city ordinances on code enforcement that were not being enforced, and a distraught father who voiced his concerns about his safety and his daughter’s health and well-being.

The commissioners voted to approve the Raton homecoming parade for September 15, and approved the contract for $27,750.00 to Revize Custom Design Web Services for the design and four-year maintenance of the City’s website. The Commission also voted to approve the Stakeout Dining Club, Inc. application for a change of its floor plan for the liquor license on the premises, which would allow a roped-off area on the sidewalk for outside dining.

Other action taken: approval of the purchase of an additional solid waste collection truck; approval of Capital Outlay Agreement No. 22-G2791 for Kearny Film Production Facility; approval to establish a new account with Inbank; approval to submit Capital Improvement Plan (ICIP) FY25-FY29.

July 28, 2023

2023 Run to Raton

This year’s Run to Raton celebration on Friday and Saturday, July 21-22, brought in more than 100 bikers from across the state of New Mexico and other, mostly southwestern states, to Raton for a fun, safe celebration. Various vendors, including our own photographer Frank Mahannah, lined historic First Street where bikers displayed their bikes down the center of the street for everyone’s enjoyment during the two-day event. Several of the bikers stayed in the empty lot across from Hi-Bay Enterprises (the former Ford dealer building) so they would be close to J.P Rodman’s garage to do minor tune-ups and repairs. Other bikers stayed in the field behind the Ice House Restaurant, and others stayed in some of the local motels. But all were here to enjoy our fabulous weather, the comradeship, the music, and the fun.

Part of the fun was the 2023 Run to Raton Pin Up contest that was organized by the original 2019 Miss Run to Raton winner, Bonanza Jelly Bean, AKA Jenny Mills. Los Alamos resident Mills, who is originally from Raton, has been doing pinup contests for 10-12 years. After her win in 2019, she became the MC the following year, and then later took over the position as organizer.

Amanda Bandfield (Sassy J) from Colorado Springs was crowned as this year’s Pin Up winner by last year’s winner, Jilli Jade (Jillian Pike Crandall), also from Colorado Springs. First Runner-Up was awarded to Raton resident Tieanna Lopez (Baby Face Marie), and Second Runner-Up was given to Heather Marie. This year’s sponsor was Dotties Doggy Day Spaw.

Adding to the fun this year was the annual raffle for a special motorcycle. This year’s give-away bike was a 1948 replica Shovel Head, top end, Pan Head, won by Jeronimo “Mo” Madril from Tucson, Arizona.

Madril had come to Raton during the 2023 Run to Raton celebration specifically to have J.P. Rodman paint a couple of his bikes that he transported in a trailer from Tucson. Rodman is an artist detailer, and has shared his artistry to many bikers in the past several years, including Madril’s previously in 2021.

Madril, 33, began riding motorcycles in his early 20’s with a Honda Rebel 250 that he bought from Diane the Pebble Rebel and got running for the cost of $1.00. He worked as a Chef with a food truck but stopped after Covid struck. He is now into automotive upholstery as well as carpentry.

The win of the give-away motorcycle comes after Madril had recovered from a motorcycle accident in October when he broke ten bones and lacerated his spleen. He had spent a month in a Tucson hospital and several months recovery in his parent’s home. He said, “I feel totally blessed to be alive!” The raffle win he considers another blessing.

July 21, 2023

MCMC Elects New Officers to Board of Trustees

On Friday, July 21, Miner’s Colfax Medical Center Board of Trustees opened its Board meeting by electing new officers for its five-member Board. The new Board of Trustees consisted of three new members and two returning members for the next fiscal year. Shawn Jeffrey was elected as Chair, Dr. Loretta Conder, elected as Vice-Chair, and Gene Sisneros elected as Secretary/Treasurer. The remaining two trustee positions were filled with new members Jolene Green, City of Raton employee and Roy Fernandez, retired miner and former Colfax County Commissioner.

After officers were elected, Chairperson Shawn Jeffrey introduced Chief Executive Officer Bo Beames who presented LPN Jennifer Geist with the C.A.R.E.S. certificate to recognize her excellent service in Continuous Improvement, Accountability, Respect and Respond, Engagement, and Safety. Beames thanked her for going above and beyond her required duties. Beams also presented outgoing Chairperson William “Cotton” Jarrell with a White Sands Blanket to show appreciation for his previous service on the Board of Trustees. Jarrell, who is a resident of Gallup, New Mexico, has traveled to Raton for the past four years to attend the Board meetings, and to stay apprised of the needs of the hospital.

During the acknowledgement of visitors, Colfax County Commissioner Si Trujillo addressed the Board to explain that he had just taken his father to the hospital for medical services even though his father had begged to be taken to another facility, either in Trinidad or Las Vegas, New Mexico, because of his fear of the poor service he may receive at MCMC. Fighting back tears, Trujillo urged the Board of Trustees to address the problems that the hospital has in staffing, and lack of proper care that the public perceives they will receive. Following his remarks, another visitor addressed the board to complain that she, her husband, and several people she knows has little confidence in the MCMC Clinic. Each time one of them has called the clinic, the call is answered by a recording to leave a message and that someone will get back to them within 72 hours. None of them have received a call back from the Clinic. The visitor went on to explain that she no longer goes to the MCMC clinic because of the poor care she received. She urged the Board to work to improve all aspects of the hospital, including patient care and service at the clinic.

Bobbi Gore, director of the Black Lung program at MCMC, explained that the Black Lung Outreach Program was back up and running after much of its service was discontinued during the Covid pandemic. The MCMC Black Lung program is considered one of the most beneficial health programs for miners by providing in-depth screening for mining related illnesses. However, Gore explained that although the Department of Labor receives thousands of applications for financial assistance for Black Lung, a very small percentage is actually granted. The process can take up to three years or more, and requires a great deal of paperwork. But, for those who make it through the process, the result is health care benefits and free testing instead of costing over $2,000.00. The MCMC Black Lung program continues to improve and travels throughout the state to provide care and information to all miners. The outreach program will generally stay for three days in each location and see up to 14 miners a day. Read more about the outreach program at MCMC at https://www.minershosp.com/services/miners-outreach-services/.

Respectful Flag Retirement Ceremony

June 14, 2023 – On Flag Day, Wednesday, June 14, 2023, flags that were tattered, torn, or no longer presentable, were retired in a respectful flag ceremony at Roundhouse Memorial Park by the VFW/VFW Auxiliary Post 1792 and the Raton Elks Lodge 865, with help from the City of Raton and KRTN Enchanted Air.

Flags had been collected over the past year by the sponsoring groups to be retired in the proper manner on Flag Day as outlined in Resolution No. 440, passed by the 19th National Convention of The American Legion in New York, Sept. 20-23, 1937. The ceremony has been an integral part of American Legion ritual since that date and can be seen in its entirety at https://www.legion.org/flag/ceremony.

In previous years, the ceremony was organized by Dennis Downing, a life-long member of the Boy Scouts of America, who had been an active community volunteer prior to his death October 6, 2021. This year’s flag retirement ceremony is the first one since Downing’s passing. This annual event is held to provide a respectful retirement of flags of the United States, State of New Mexico, and other official United States military flags that had been collected over the past year.

The following photos were provided by Frank Mahannah

Power Outages Plague Raton

by Vixie Zorra and Chrissy Piancino

In the past few weeks Raton and the surrounding areas have received much-needed moisture. Unfortunately, the same storm systems that brought this moisture also brought power outages. These outages caused headaches for the citizens of the affected areas, travelers, businesses, and employees of Raton Public Services (RPS), Tri State Generation, and Springer Electrical Co-op.

On Friday, June 9, 2023, at 1:03 PM, Raton experienced a city-wide electrical outage. All of Raton Public Service customers were out until power was restored at 3:44 PM.

Because Raton does not produce its own power, when an outage occurs due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances, RPS has limited control over what actions to take to bring the power back on line. During this type of unplanned outage, many questions arise. “What caused the outage?” “How long will it last?” “Why doesn’t the plant personnel answer the phone?”

According to RPS General Manager Dave Piancino, during the most recent outage this past weekend, the outage was caused by extreme lightning in the area of the Burro Canyon Substation off of Highway 12 near Trinidad, Colorado. The entire Burro Canyon Substation was knocked offline, causing outages south of the city of Trinidad, Starkville, Raton, and areas west of the substation. The city of Trinidad was also affected, due to their transmission line taking extreme lightning strikes. Piancino said, “The lineman were unable to get out of their truck because of the extreme lightning strikes around the substation.” The Burro Canyon Substation is owned and operated by Tri-State Generation and Transmission and could not be energized until Tri-State personnel arrived to ensure that the substation was safe.

On Saturday, June 10 at 11:07 AM, Raton experienced another outage as the Burro Canyon Substation tripped offline due to a lightning arrester failure. Personnel from Tri-State needed time to travel to the Substation to replace the arrester.

Raton Public Service does have an emergency transmission feed from the south with Springer Cooperative and Springer personnel were notified of the possibility of needing Raton to be fed from the south. This action requires Springer personnel to “man their switches” as RPS personnel follow their procedures and protocols. RPS did not call upon the south feed, as this would require an additional city-wide outage to switch back to the north feed. As Piancino explained, anytime a city-wide outage occurs voltage fluctuations happen as the demand for power is greater, and high amperage creates possible dangers to equipment and personnel.

RPS also has the capability to produce 4.3 megawatts of electricity with a natural gas engine/generator, known as Unit 4. However, Unit 4 has been down for repairs due to a coolant leak. Unit 4 has been repaired as of Monday, June 12, 2023 by a technician from Utah.

The Raton outage was caused by lightning on Tri-State equipment. and Tri-State was not able to verify an estimated time to restore power until a technician was on site on their end. No electric company personnel from Raton, Trinidad, or San Isabel Electric were allowed to assist with the process.

The question of “how long will it last” is harder to answer. The problem must be identified, either through known issues (in this case, lightning) or through trouble-shooting, and lineman on call and any other necessary individuals need to be contacted. Typically there is only one person on duty in the plant per shift. This person has alarms going off, is trying to contact necessary people and agencies, and is doing it alone. The phone lines are often affected during outages as well. Much of the communication is done via cell phones, and a lot of times during an outage, cell service is also affected. Piancino stressed that getting the community back in power is of the utmost priority for any electrical provider.

Editor’s note: One big question during a power outage is why there isn’t any communication about what is going on. I mentioned that the public gets frustrated when there is no communication. After several hours without electricity this past weekend, City Commissioner Lori Chatterly posted on Facebook that RPS was working on the problem and that the service would be back within the hour.

During a conversation with Mr. Piancino, I suggested that perhaps there should be a battery back-up recording stating that RPS is aware of the outage and is working to bring back service with updates forthcoming, or some other type of public notification. I know that not everyone is on Facebook, or are “Friends” with those who may post something on Facebook about the outage, so the recording would be a courtesy and a service to the public and not require one individual to answer the phone and take time to explain the situation to each person. In addition, posting the information on a website that could be accessed by anyone with internet access would be helpful. Two websites that could post a public notification as soon as word is received are https://theratonian.com/ and https://krtnradio.com/. Another suggestion is using a cell phone messaging system that would alert the public. One could sign up to receive a cell phone message alert.

Although outages don’t happen often, anything that can lessen the public’s frustration and provide good public relations would be appreciated by many.

75th Anniversary for KRTN Brings out the Best

Photos provided by Frank Mahannah.

The KRTN 75th Anniversary celebration held Saturday, June 9, 2023, at the Raton Convention Center was a tribute to Billie Donati, aka Billy D., a person admired for his years of service to Raton in his capacity as an announcer for the La Mesa racetrack, a DJ for KRTN in its early days, and a valued community volunteer for anything and everything for the Shuler Theater.

Every table in the beautifully decorated Center was filled with co-workers, family, friends, and community members who have been touched by Billy D. throughout his career. The evening kicked off with a meal catered by Mr. C’s that lived up to his reputation for providing delicious entrees befitting the occasion, followed by several guest speakers who took to the podium to extol Billy D.’s many contributions to Raton. Among those speakers was Mayor Neil Segotta who presented a proclamation for Billy D.

The proclamation, “A Salute to Billy D.,” reminded the audience why Billy D. has a special place in everyone’s heart. He was born in Raton in the old Miner’s Hospital, just a few blocks away from the convention center. While attending Raton High School, during his sophomore year, Billy D. began working at the local radio station, KRTN, that was then owned by Mr. Jim Roper. He graduated from Raton High School in 1972, along with several prominent community members in Raton who were in attendance for the celebration Friday night. With plenty of marketing and publicity experience gleaned while announcing horse races at La Mesa Park and other racing venues from Texas to Oregon, and with his many years of continuing to work at KRTN. Billy D. became the perfect next owner of KRTN, Enchanted Air on FM 93.9 and 1400 AM, when he purchased the station in 2005. Since then, while keeping some of the traditions of KRTN, he has also improved several features and added a few new ones for the community’s enjoyment.

During the morning program of “This, That, and the Other,” which now airs from the Shuler Theater location, Billy D. provides a platform for the public to share their programs and activities, and always has exactly the right question to ask, or verbal prompt, to put the guest at ease, and to give the listening audience the most information possible. He is very well known for proclaiming that we “live in the best place in America, in the best country in the world.” His love for his fellow man and deep religious values are apparent with his on-air daily offering of the morning prayer, which according to Billy D. was one of the most popular additions to the station programming. Another very popular featured that was added in recent years is, “Prognosticator of the Weather. Additionally, the KRTN website, https://krtnradio.com/ and the streaming of “This, That, and the Other” on the KRTN Facebook page, brought KRTN into today’s world of electronic news media.

Mayor Segotta shared in the proclamation that Billy D. has done more to support and promote local businesses, veterans’ groups, and the Shuler Theater than any other individual in Raton. He has been named the Silver Spur Cowbelles “Man of the Year,” The Grand Marshall at the Colfax County Fair, the NM Farm and Livestock Bureau’s “Broadcaster of the Year,” was named the “Distinguished Citizen” by the Raton Elks and was recognized for excellence in student achievement by the New Mexico School Board Association. He has shown his support for the community by announcing commencement for Raton High School graduates, volunteering his time at the Shuler for his technical expertise, and providing fund raising opportunities for local non-profit groups with the monthly “Classic Night at the Movies.”

The tribute to Billy D. was followed by a dance with music from Colfax Reunion band and the Fireflies band, along with contributions from DJ Noby Gomez, the organizer of the event. Local sponsors included Phil Long Toyota of Trinidad, Solano’s Boot and Western Wear, All Seasons Gift Shop, Tuff Hedeman, JR’s Fuel Stop, High Country Meats, and Raton Golf Course. Security for the evening was provided by the Colfax Sheriff’s Department. Master of Ceremony Jesse Martinez, KRTN DJ, provided introductions.

Volunteers Art Fulkerson and Eric Chavez, owners of The Buffalo Chip in downtown Raton, decorated the convention center, along with help from Jeanette Fissel, owner of All Seasons Gift Shop. Guest speakers were: City Manager Scott Berry; Colfax County Manager Monte Gore; Raton Mayor Neil Segotta; Gary Fresquez, local Veterans office; Brenda Ferri, Director of Raton MainStreet, and Raton Arts & Humanities, Inc.; Brandy Dietz, Grow Raton Director; Kristie Medina, Raton Schools Superintendent; Tim Trujillo, Independent Riders; and Roy Pillmore, Vermejo Ranch. DJ Danny Griego provided free T-shirts featuring Canciones Mexicanas, the Sunday afternoon program.

AJML Gets a Face Lift

The Arthur Johnson Memorial Library has come a long way from its modest beginnings to the bright, cheerful, and expanded collection library that it is today. The most recent improvements consisted of new paint, carpet, murals, and space for a few more books.

AJML recently re-opened on May 15, 2023, with a grand opening celebration that included a ribbon cutting provided by the Raton Ambassadors, refreshments provided by city and staff, and several sighs of relief after the more than month-long closure. Some city personnel and the library staff had worked for weeks giving this 1917 former post office building a much-needed facelift. To help with the renovation, the local grocery store, Super Save, had kindly provided shopping carts that allowed books to be removed from shelving, moved around several times during carpet installation and wall painting, then replaced on freshly cleaned and positioned shelving.

The last renovation in 1995 had consisted of major inside structural changes that added a second-floor mezzanine accessible by a large, open staircase as well as an attached elevator. The additional space on the second floor allowed the library to increase its collection substantially and provided dedicated periodical and microfilm rooms as well as two ADA compliant bathrooms. The previous three to four years, prior to the major overhaul, had seen the coming age of computers to the library that required manual input of the entire collection into a database and the eventual dismissal of the card file. Former Director Thayla Wright, who retired this past year after thirty years at the library, first as a clerk, and eventually as the Director, explained that the process of inputting the entire collection into the library database required each book to be entered manually from once to sometimes eight times, depending on the type of book and it’s various listings. Additionally, every library patron was entered into the database so that the computer could assign checked out books to the proper person and to provide the required return date, a process that is streamlined today with library software. AJML was one of the first libraries in New Mexico to be connected to the internet through the inter-library loan system.

Although the latest renovation did not require any structural changes and major upgrades to its processes, it did provide a few enjoyable changes, like a reading nook under the large staircase, colorful wall paintings and a fresh, clean atmosphere. But, the scanning and inputting of information continues as the staff works to input all of the files in the history file cabinets, microfilm and microfiche as well.

AJML is owned and operated by the City of Raton and employs a library director, two full-time employees and three part-time employees. Library Director Dennie Gum and assistants Melanie Alderette and Donna Fiorino oversee the day-to-day operations with help from part-time employees Frank Mahannah, Nena Lopez, and Nick Tarufelli. The library is open Monday from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10:00 AM until 6:00 PM and on Thursday 10:00 AM until 9:00 PM. The library is closed on Sunday. There are nearly 60,000 items in the library including books, movies, magazines, and more. The library has 3,067 card holders and will be expanding its services to include more programs for the enrichment of the community. AJML also boasts one of the largest collections of WPA art on display anywhere in the State.

Stay in touch with the library by visiting http://arthurjohnsonmemoriallibrary.blogspot.com/.

Photo Gallery of Library Renovation

Photos by Dennie Gum

Blue Sky Ranch Open House

Article and Photos By Dev Lynch 2023-05-13

The skies were gray rather than blue this past Saturday but that did not stop Blue Sky Ranch from enjoying the successful open house that celebrated their new facility. Neighs and some nickering welcomed guests as they arrived at the 50 acres of landscape, offering horses, goats and even a turkey named Blue some much needed space to roam.

Members of the community were treated to an assortment of cookies and drinks before meeting the miniature horse, Tyke and miniature donkey Hannah in BSR’s new indoor arena. From there guests headed outside to greet the rest of the ranch’s animals which included ten horses, four goats, three guard dogs and of course Blue the turkey. Children of all ages also enjoyed a pony ride from Atlas one of the ranch’s program horses.

Blue Sky Ranch opened in 2017 in a location with a total of 70 acres of land but only a small percentage was useable. In the new location, which allows the full capacity of their current land, BSR is optimistic for new and upcoming programs. The ranch manager Ana Hall said, “You can tell the horses are much happier here. It gives us an opportunity to expand and grow which we were not able to do at our last location.” With BSR’s new expansion, they have introduced a new horse program just for the ladies, Women’s Horse Group, held each Saturday, and there will be more programs to follow soon.

Introduction to horses, littles camp, and summer day camp are just a few of the latest programs tailored for the youth. The camps will begin in June and benefit children between the ages of three and seventeen. Director Dana White said, “With this new facility and more room to expand we will be able to offer more programs to the community especially for the children, who desperately need something to do in this town.” This autumn, White will also be adding a program tailored specifically for the veterans in the community. As a veteran herself, it means a great deal for White to be able to give back.

As part of Blue Sky Ranch’s mission statement, they are looking to bring the community together in a safe, welcoming and positive environment where human and horse interaction drives the core of healing. They are 501(c)(3) not for profit organization, and they are always appreciative of the generosity and involvement of people in the community. Members of the community can contribute to Blue Sky Ranch by sponsoring a horse or rider with each donation going back into the programs, animals and facility. Stay tuned for more programs to follow next year such as a trail ride in Sugarite Canyon State Park and overnight camps for the youth.

Hours are by appointment. To make an appointment contact Dana White at: (575) 303-3232, or email blueskyranchratonnm@gmail.com. For more information visit the Facebook page facebook.com/HorsesForHumans/about or visit the website danawhite65.wixsite.com/blueskyranch/.

Western Hunt Fest

The Western Hunt Fest held on Saturday and Sunday, April 29th and 30th, at NRA Whittington Center, offered a time to hone archery skills, compete in a weighted back-packing challenge, and to learn about best hunting practices.

Organized by brothers, Efren Gonzales and Jeff Duvaul from Colorado, the Western Hunt Fest was first held last year in Bailey, Colorado, and premiered in New Mexico this past weekend. According to Gonzales, the event is expected to become an annual event for outdoor archery enthusiasts.

The Hunt Fest held various competitions including the Back Pack Challenge which consisted of carrying a back pack weighted down with a 65 pound bag of sand, a 45 bag of sand, two 10 pound bags of sand, an elk skull, and a bow for nearly two miles.

Skya Powers, a twelve-year-old archery competitor from Lubbock, Texas, started learning archery less than two years ago but showed some great form and accuracy.

Other activities during this two-day event included guest speakes like Joe Gigli, who shared elk calling techniques

33rd Annual Health Fair a Wealth of Information

The 2023 Colfax County Health Fair at the Raton Convention, located at 901 S. 3rd St., on Thursday, April 27, 2023, offered an excellent cross-section of health, behavioral health, safety, and community awareness information. The Heath Fair boasted nearly 50 tables from various agencies and organizations for the 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM event. Some of the popular attractions included the Raton Humane Society, Raton Crime Stoppers, Pinwheel, Colfax County DWI program, Raton Crime Stoppers, Team Builders, the New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services, Colfax General Long-Term Care facility, Colfax County Department of Health, along with several individual agencies from The New Mexico Department of Health. Photos by Frank Mahannah

Town Hall Meeting Draws Large Crowd

April 20, 2023

During the Raton Town Hall Meeting held at the Raton Convention Center on Thursday, April 20, 2023, Raton City Manager Scott Berry provided several insights to Raton’s economy, some of the challenges faced in the past year, and opportunities on the horizon for our community. He also took the opportunity to answer questions that had been submitted prior to the meeting by residents. Berry shared information about the partnership with El Raton Media Works, an innovative solution to our economic challenge that will utilize the vacant Kearny Elementary School building. Berry discussed the city’s economic plan that was formulated a few years ago and is now showing some success with the arrival of Media Works and the bonus of Moss Adventures, an outdoor recreation outlet that will provide jobs and tourism dollars to Raton. Berry shared the strategy to add over 2,000 acres to Sugarite Canyon State Park which will increase its size by 50% and encourage additional visitors to our area. Additionally, the city has hired a full-time code enforcement officer and a full-time planning and zoning officer in an effort to provided better services to the community. With the help of funding from the United State EPA’s Brownfields program and other State funds the city will remediate two of the worst buildings in downtown Raton, showing that the city is taking the clean-up of our run-down buildings seriously. Another improvement to our city’s infrastructure is the construction of photovoltaic solar panels using dedicated infrastructure funds on land that was donated to Raton from Colfax County. The solar project is currently waiting approval from the New Mexico State Board of Finance. When asked what had happened to the two 19th century canons that had stood in our parks Berry explained that the canons had structural problems and that the city is working to replicate the full carriage so that they can be returned to the parks. Berry introduced two guests from Sunrise Medical to the nearly one hundred attendees. Tim Dodge consulting with Sunrise Clinics, who has had extensive experience in state and local government throughout the State of New Mexico and Chuck Brown, with Sunrise Clinic. Brown stated that there will be a new primary care practitioner at Sunrise Medical to add to the two that are already here at Sunrise, which will enhance the quality care to Raton.

Raton Police Chief John Garcia, who has more than 23 years in law enforcement, explained that the difficulty in providing coverage for our city does not lie in funding, but in finding qualified applicants for the job. The City is taking advantage of several employment services to find qualified personnel and currently have one officer in training. The Raton police department is currently budgeted for 15 officers and has nine on the job. Garcia explained that with the number of calls received every month, each officer is answering 70 to 80 calls each month, and if you see a RPD driving up the street, they are either going to or coming from one call to the next. Garcia answered several questions regarding training and qualifications in providing mental health response and Narcan use. Garcia stated that both are mandated by the State and every new officer receives 40 hours of training and each officer is required to take follow-up training every year.

Chief Garcia received a question from the community prior to the town hall meeting about what the status is of the two burglaries that had occurred at the local pharmacies in Raton. He explained that the RPD took their investigation as far as it could and that the DEA is now handling the case because it is believed to be a ring of burglaries in the State of New Mexico and several of the surrounding states.

Garcia mentioned that although the RPD did not have the staffing to do “Coffee with a Cop”, the State Police will be holding informal gatherings to provide information to the public and address any concerns that arise. Garcia addressed issues that were raised about the need for better animal control in Raton which he believes arose because in 2022 the city did not have an Animal Control Officer, but now the city has one full-time ACO, Alan Wilson, and two part-time officers.

Sheriff Leonard Baca spoke about the status of the Colfax County Sheriff’s office that is budgeted for 15 sheriff deputies with 14 of those filled. The office has one vacancy and two in training. The Sheriff’s office provides court security for the district and magistrate courts, and provides transportation for prisoners, from various locations in New Mexico and other states, to appear in court and be held accountable for their crimes The Sheriff’s office also tracks sex offenders in our County and patrols 4,000 square miles. As with RPD, the Sheriff’s department is fully trained in Narcan use which was used in a court setting recently when it was administered, but ineffective on the latest drug, Tranq, which is mixed with a veterinary sedative.  The Colfax County Sheriff’s Department is working to become accredited with New Mexico Counties Sherriff’s Association and is continuing work on updating policies and procedures that have changed in recent years. The CCSD works with the DEA to arrest drug traffickers in our county.

Paul Jenkins gave information about the Regional Agency Intervention Network (RAIN), which was organized in 2019 as an unincorporated association and later that year filed with the State as a nonprofit corporation. RAIN’s mission is to address the opioid and other substance abuse issues and how they affect our community and the impact of behavioral health issues and substance abuse issues on individuals and families in our community. RAIN recognizes that substance abuse can be the result of other issues in the community such as homelessness and poverty.

RAIN will be applying for the Juvenile Community Corrections grant that takes affect July 1st which will provide supportive services to youth in the criminal justice system to learn new life skills and important employment skills. RAIN is currently proposing a Recovery and Reentry Center with congressional funding of 3 million dollars through Senator Ben Rey Lujan’s office The Center would be located where services can be provided to Ratonians who are returning from jails and prisons and who have shown by their actions and attitudes that they are ready to change their lives. Violent criminals or sex offenders would not be qualified to participate. If they are suffering from a substance abuse problem, that will be addressed through programs like those at Krossroads. Jenkins expressed the opinion that those who are willing to do the work should get a second chance.

Additionally, Colfax County may benefit from possible funding from a grant of 6.4 million dollars from North Central New Mexico Economic Development District 6.4 to develop workforce in 7 counties, including Colfax County.

Several additional agencies and organizations that addressed the crowd included Youth Heartline, Krossroads, Pinwheel, Grow Raton, Raton Schools, Retired Employees of New Mexico, VFW Auxiliary, the Raton Rotary Club, Raton Crime Stoppers, Raton Ambassadors, Colfax County Youth and Family Services, and the Raton Humane Society.

The City of Raton, Raton Ambassadors, Raton Crime Stoppers, Grow Raton, Center for Community Innovation, RAIN, Raton MainStreet, and the Raton Arts & Humanities Council, Inc. co-sponsored the event. Plans are to make it an annual, or possibly a semi-annual event.

Photo by Frank Mahannah

The Raton School of Dance Celebrates 33 Years

The Raton School of Dance, headed by Kathy Honeyfield, has been providing instruction in ballet, tap, and novelty dance for 33 years. This year’s class is comprised of 33 girls and one boy, ages 3 to 10 years of age. Classes start up each year in August and culminate in a two-night performance at the Shuler Theater in downtown Raton, New Mexico.

Every year, Honeyfield depends on several people to make the venture a success. Several ladies who volunteer are: Tonya Menapace, Paula Grantham, Julie Osborn, Carol Unger Valenzuela, and Kathy Spargo. Lighting is provided by Tim Bird, and Chrisy Bird will be helping during the two-night performances.

This year’s performances are to be held Friday, April 28, and Saturday, April 29, at 7:00 PM. Tickets are $6.00 for adults, $5.00 for seniors 65 and older, and $5.00 for children twelve and under. Tickets will be available at the door.

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