Volume II, Issue 11 *********ECRWSSEDDM**** PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE NOVEMBER 2019 PAID PERMIT NO.3 Questa Del Rio News ECRWSS IS DOLLAR GENERAL QISD SCHOOL BOARD VETERANS COMING TO QUESTA??? CANDIDATE RACE UPWARD BOUND Page 23 Page 18 Page 16 QUESTA • RED RIVER • CERRO • COSTILLA • AMALIA • LAMA • SAN CRISTOBAL Wishes Do Come True, Just Ask Liam Martinez! By LAURA VALLEJOS Rap Song For Liam ALTA VISTA EDUCATIONAL By Laura Vallejos ASSISTANT AND FIRST GRADE Liam, Liam where are you? SUBSTITUTE You thought we were finished But we’re not through Liam Martinez is a cheerful first grader We have a little song and dance at Alta Vista Elementary School in Questa. We’re not that good He is an energetic, brilliant student who but give us a chance brightens our days at school. We found out Liam is an awesome boy – from his mother, Samantha Griffin, that he He comes to school had been selected by the Make-A-Wish- and brings us joy!! Foundation to visit Disney World in Orlan- Heard that he’s a baseball player do, Florida for a week. His mother said that He’s pretty cool. one of his doctors had submitted his name He could be the mayor to the foundation and— as we all know— Did you know that he’s a Super Star? wishes really do come true! His mother I really think joined him on his trip to Florida as well as He can go far his cousin, second grader Drake Ortega. Photo by Emily Wilde Is it true he’s going to Disney? We knew we had to do something spe- Liam Martinez in his classroom at Alta Vista Elementary School, Questa. Well if he is, he better cial to celebrate for Liam. Some of the ele- Get busy mentary staff members planned a surprise ebration was about. We told the students to Lisa Rael, and instructional coach Pamela Liam our friend BON VOYAGE party at school on Friday, be very quiet until Liam walked in the door. Goodwind for your help in making the par- We’re going to miss you September 27th, the day before he left. With He was totally surprised!!! We crowned him ty a great success. With everyone working Hurry back so we can his mom’s help, we invited family members King for the Day. together we were able to honor this won- Kiss you as well as Pre-K, Kindergarten, and 2nd After the cookies and lemonade, three derful student who brightens everyone’s Wait! No kissing in school. of the teachers performed a rap that I wrote world. We honor every student at Alta Vista grade classes to the party in the cafeteria. I mean kick you We set up balloons and served lemonade for Liam. We had a great time! Elementary because we know that each one No kicking in school either and cookies. We gave all the students noise Thank you to kindergarten teacher of them is special and worthy of our time Come back Liam we’ll miss you makers and explained to them what the cel- Ms. Connie Martinez, Pre-K teacher Ms. and respect. before the dill was harvested and dried pounds of green tomatoes of four varieties for its seeds. was gathered the next day. Positive Thoughts The tomato plants started to cry “It’s Back home, frost comes long after all by Donna Mitchell-Moniak cold,” speaking of the nights by middle the tomatoes have ripened on the vine and September, so I wrapped each plant with been eaten, but what to do with all this Bountiful and beautiful, those are the dark colored sheer curtains. Clothespins green fruit? Give it away, store some in the words for this year’s gardens. This being held the maroon covering in place and closet for slow ripening, and (drum roll) my first growing season in the high desert, allowed easy access to collect the ripening pickle the tomatoes. Hooray, for the dill everything was a wonder and an experi- fruit. Then, a one-night frost killed all seeds! Thank you, Vicki, for pointers on ment. The dill and the cucumbers didn’t the vines but the protected fruit was still HAVE coordinate their timing, so cukes got eaten perfect - green but perfect. Between 60-80 POSITIVE THOUGHTS continued page 28 YOU Cover Story ...................................................Page 1 Los Vecinos ...................................................Page 14 In the Lens ....................................................Page 27 NOTICED? Letters...........................................................Pages 2-3 Honoring Our Volunteers .............................Page 15 Jump Page ...................................................Page 28 Spotlight on Lodging ...................................Page 4 Celebrating Veterans ....................................Pages 16-17 Astrology/Dates to Remember ....................Page 29 Business Profile ............................................Page 5 Education .....................................................Pages 18-19 Classified ......................................................Page 30 Police Blotter Local History.................................................Pages 6-7 Library ..........................................................Page 20 Bulletin Board ..............................................Page 31 Health & Wellness ........................................Pages 8-11 Literary Locals ..............................................Pages 21-22 Business Directory........................................Back Page page 24 Arts & Culture ...............................................Page 12 Community News ........................................Pages 23-25 Enchanted Eats .............................................Page 13 Travel Section ...............................................Page 26 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Questa Del Rio News At Your Service NOTICIAS QUESTA DEL RIO elcome to our Second Annual Veteran’s Edition. In these pages we are proud to offer you stories by, for and about our Military Service Published Monthly by the QUESTA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUND Veterans, who we honor on Veterans Day, November 11th. Let’s Publicación mensual por make every day Veterans’ Day! Take a vet to lunch, hug a vet, and EL FONDO PARA EL DESARROLLO ECONOMICO DE QUESTA always remember to thank a vet! LOU McCALL Editor Did you know that approximately 22 veterans commit suicide every single day in LINDSAY MAPES Business Manager/Administrador de negocios W the U.S.? Many young men and women go into the military unprepared for combat or EMILY WILDE Graphic Design & Layout/Diseño gráfico y delineación other stressful service jobs. Serving in the military and in combat can be very traumatic, ROBYN BLACK Food Editor/Editor de comida leaving permanent scars on our service members. When they return, they are not the SARA MARTINEZ Copy Editor/Editor de copia same people they were when they left, and their lives will never be the same. NICHOLAS NAGAWIECKI Americorp VISTA Volunteer Here in the United States, we are not doing enough to honor and help our veterans TERESA DOVALPAGE Translator overcome injuries, disabilities, and trauma. There is a national movement to change ROBYN BLACK that. In these pages, you will read about individuals and organizations making a big DINA COLEMAN difference in the lives of veterans. Thank you to our veterans and thank you to veterans MARIA GONZALEZ CHARLENE R. JOHNSON helping veterans. CATHY GONZALES TONER MITCHELL Anyone who gets the news is aware of the many military conflicts happening at any DONNA MITCHELL-MONIAK one time, “wars and rumors of wars” as it says in the Bible. Just seeing the news, though, SHARON NICHOLSON BARBARA TRACY does not make one aware of the immense pain and suffering that is happening in war ELLEN WOOD MICHAEL YOUNG zones. Our veterans have experienced it and it is not easy for them to forget. Americans, Columnist/Columnistas for the most part, have been blessedly sheltered from the realities of war. With a few ex- Monthly Features/Presentaciones Mensuales ceptions such as the Civil War and the bombing of Pearl Harbor, war is something that SARA MARTINEZ, Amalia/Costilla SHELBY WERLEY, Red River happens on other people’s soil. Our veterans bring these experiences back to us. We can Correspondents/Correspondientes view them as gifts that remind us to be compassionate. Without their stories, how would THANK YOU TO ALL OUR NOVEMBER CONTRIBUTORS! we know what a few disgruntled individuals around the world are leading their military See Page 3 personnel into? It is important to share our veterans’ stories and to listen. CHUCK KROON Distribution Manager/Gerente de distribución [email protected] • 575.586.2360 With the eruptions of civil unrest in the world, what are we doing to prevent conflict and war in the first place? It seems that our species has not evolved much in recorded JESSICA ARBOUR Subscription Manager/Gerente de subcripciones FREE SUBSCRIPTIONS VIA EMAIL history—still using the same primitive means in a futile attempt to bridge barriers. SUBCRIPCIONES POR CORREO ELECTRONICO Contact us to subscribe/Pónganse en contacto para subscribir What is changing our world? Courage. In our newspaper, along with honoring our [email protected] courageous veterans, we celebrate courage on many levels; the courage to speak up, the TO VIEW PAST ISSUES OF THIS PUBLICATION courage to listen, the courage to step forward and the courage to change. PARA REVISAR PUBLICACIONES ANTERIORES https://www.facebook.com/Questadelrionews.com It also takes courage to let go of our personal concerns and step up to serve the big- https://www.facebook.com/VisitQuesta www.Questa-nm.com ger world. Here at the Questa Del Rio News, we take pride in offering our readers stories about many types of service. The communities of the Northern Taos County are serious QUESTA ECONOMIC