an yo Local news and entertainment since 1969 La Cruce! El Prospero A TRIBUTE TO OUR COMMUNITY’S SELFLESS SERVANTS • SEPT. 11, 2020 Sponsored by Cavill & Co. Investment Managers and the Las Cruces Bulletin It LAS CRUCES HISPA IC CHAMBER OP COMM.:.RCE Inside Thanking LAS CRUCES HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 VOLUME 13, ISSUE 5 Las Cruces Ready to vote? Make sure you know this year's changes From information ceived no later than Octo- CENTER SPREAD obtained from the Dona ber 20th. Once we receive, Ana County website. review and approve your he 2020 General request, beginning Oct. 6th, Election will include we will mail you a ballot T a number of races and the required envelopes including County Commis- you will use to return the sioners, County Treasurer, ballot to us. Tracking for County Clerk, State Repre- the status of your applica- sentatives, U.S. Representa- tion and receipt of your bal- tive, U.S. Senator and Presi- lot by our office is available dent of the United States. at NMVote.org. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2020 All registered voters are Ballots can be returned eligible to vote. Registered by the voter, the voter's im- voters may update their mediate family member, or party during the same day by the voter's caregiver by voter registration period. mail or at any voting conve- Due to the COVID-19 ing place on Election Day. • Printing an application of State to our office at 845 you are applying to vote via nience center during Early pandemic, the County You will need to formally at www.donaanacounty.org/ N. Motel Blvd., Las Cruces, absentee ballot. For more Voting and Election Day. Clerk is strongly encour- request an absentee ballot. sites/default/files/pages/Ab- NM 88007. information about how to All ballots must be aging voters to consider You may request a ballot by: sentee_Application_New_ • Emailing www.elec- fill out an absentee ballot returned in the provided NEWS I Volume 52, Number 37 • Submitting an applica- Mexico.pdfand mailing it to [email protected] application please read the voting via absentee ballot envelopes by 7 p.m. on during the 2020 General tion online at www.sos. our office at 845 N. Motel to request an application. guide at www.donaana- November 3rd, 2020. Election. Any registrant state.nm.us/voting-and- Blvd., Las Cruces, NM Note: Please only mark county.org/sites/default/ Important Dates: may vote by absentee ballot elections/voter-informa- 88007. “General Election” on your files/pages/2020_Absen- 1. Oct. 6, 2020: Absentee for all candidates and on all tion-portal/ Note: This • Returning a com- application, as we have to tee_Application_Instruc- Voting begins, and Voter I lascrucesbulletin.com questions appearing on the option will not be available pleted application that you have a different, approved tions.pdf. Registration closes online ballot as if you were casting until late August or early received in the mail from absentee application on file All absentee ballot ap- it in person at a regular poll- September. our office or the Secretary for each election in which plications must be re- SEE VOTE, PAGE 3 WELCOME SONIA A. WHITE ............................................................... 2 LCHCC CHALLENGES BANKS ............................................................ 4 INDEXINDEX FROM THE PRESIDENT ......................................................................3 POLITICAL COLUMNS .................................................................... 7-8 Friday Night Quiet Scholarship honors Mayfield grad page 14 NEWS The Las Cruces Public Schools Field of DreamsPHOTO BYSoccer RICHARD and COLTHARP Football Complex is normally a hub of loud activity during the fall school year. Not, however, during a pandemic. On Sept. 4, the lights at the complex were turned on at 7:30 p.m., normally a time for kickoff. The school system kept the lights on for 21 minutes, to honor senior athletes from the Class of 2021, who are unable to compete in fall sports this season. COVID-19 in England page 19 WELLBEING Suicide prevention walk goes virtual page 39 2 | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2020 LAS CRUCES BULLETIN Content brought to you by: Your Partner in Progress Roadwork nears completion in Organ A significant street paving improvement project in the townsite of Organ is scheduled to be completed before the end of September, 2020. The project was started in May and was funded by a legislative appropriation totaling $400,000 spearheaded by Senator William Soules, Dis- trict 37, who sponsored the request for the funds. “When the opportunity for this funding came up, I knew I wanted to use it in Organ,” said Senator Soules. “It was important to me to improve the quality of the roads in Organ because it also improves the quality of life for the residents there,” the senator said. The funding was used to reconstruct 4 roadways; Old Organ Main Road, 1st Street, Furnace Road and 4th Street from Highway 70. “We are grateful to Senator Soules for his commitment to community improvement,” said Fernando Macias, Doña Ana County Manager. Senator William Soules (center) talks with Rene Molina, project designer (left) and of the project man- ager from Smith and Aguirre Construction. PHOTO: Doña Ana County Government Center reopens Sept. 8 Effective September 8, the Government Cen- phone, please contact the department you wish to ter, 845 N. Motel Blvd. will re-open to the pub- speak to at the number as follows: lic. The main doors facing Motel Boulevard will Assessor’s Office – (575) 647-7400 be open between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. We are taking Clerk / Bureau of Elections – See website or call every precaution to make sure that the public and (575) 647-7421. our employees are safe. Community Development – (575) 647-7350 Masks will be required to be worn when inside Dona Ana Sheriff’s Office - (575) 525-1911 the Government Center. If you do not have a Engineering – (575) 525-6164 mask when you arrive, we will provide you with Roads Section – (575) 647-7100 one. Hand sanitizer dispensers have been in- Flood Commission – (575) 525-5558 stalled throughout the building. Social distancing Health & Human Services Court Compliance – practices will be required and floors have been (575) 525-5833 marked to assist with social distancing. Human Resources - (575) 647-7210 Installation of Plexiglas barriers throughout Probate Judge - (575) 523-8200 the building will provide an added layer of pro- Treasurer’s Office - (575) 647-7433 tection for safe interaction between the public and Utilities – (575) 647-7142 our employees. Vector Control (Mosquitos) – (575) 526-8150 If you prefer to conduct business by tele- Connect with us: (575) 647-7200 www.donaanacounty.org LAS CRUCES BULLETIN NEWS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2020 | 3 A world unkind: Sept. 11, 2001, remembered By ELVA K. ÖSTERREICH affairs, supervis- and warm. They tained human remains.” Las Cruces Bulletin ing a group of of- went into the Gallagher was assigned ficers at the time. dust, told it was to a temporary command When Pat Gallagher “We were de- safe, to do their at Harlem Hospital to STRIKE and his men finally got ployed to a mobi- jobs. identify people as they out of the dark, unstable lization point in “I am still los- got there. and dust-filled tunnel, Manhattan and GALLAGHER ing friends who “And we waited for the HUNGER it looked like a nuclear saw the second were breathing in injured to come,” he said. IN OUR COMMUNITY strike had smashed into tower fall from the dust,” he said. “Fifteen hours later, we his city. the highway,” Gallagher “Every time I see dust on were dismissed, because “We faced New York said. “We had a perfect my car, all I think of is the injured never came — City and all you saw was view. We got to the mouth the dust from there. Some Sept. 23, dust and papers,” he of the tunnel and they of it might have con- SEE WORLD, PAGE 20 2020 said. “I remember papers told us, ‘We are not sure CASA DE PEREGRINOS FOOD falling from the sky, pa- of the structural integrity PANTRY is dedicating ONE DAY pers that were probably of the tunnel,’ and they for a community Hunger Strike important and on some- handed us those crappy that lets members of our community body’s desk a short while masks like the ones we inform others about hunger in our area. ago.” have now. There was no Antiques,Antiques, Collectibles, Collectibles, Furniture,Furniture, Jewelry, Jewelry, Gifts Gifts Gently Used Furniture Appreciated! TH • VOLUNTEER to share your Hunger Strike story on your social media The day, of course, was electricity. Even emer- WEGently PLAN UsedTuesdays TO areFurniture 20%OPEN Senior Discount Appreciated! SEPT. Day! 10 ! • HELP raise funds and awareness for Casa de Peregrinos DONATE SHOP SUPPORT Sept. 11, 2001. Las Cru- gency lights were useless ComeTuesdays shop areMesilla in20% a Valley Seniorsafe Hospice environment Discount Day! • WORK to alleviate hunger in our community 106 S. Water St. • 575-202-7351 ces Police Department’s because there was so DONATET-F 10am-4pm, SHOP Sat 10am-2pm SUPPORT (LCPD) retired chief Gal- much dust.” Mesillaemporiumlc.com Valley Hospice Mesilla Valley Hospice $ lagher was with the New What they saw was 106 106S. WaterS. Water St.St. •• 575-202-7351575-202-7351 1 = 6 MEALS York Police Department. hard to believe, he said, T-FThurs 10am-4pm, and Fri 10am-4pm, Sat Sat 10am-2pm 10am-2pm emporiumlc.comemporiumlc.com 575-523-5542 He was working as an because it started out as casadeperegrinos.org investigator with internal such a beautiful day, clear Plan a future trip to Silver City Just about 100 minutes west of When in Silver, visit these great businesses! Las Cruces lies a getaway with way more than 100 things to see and do.