urSmart Winter

magazine

Winter Issue

Enriching Livesin Otero & Lincoln

Counties

Enriching Livesin Otero & Lincoln

Brotherhood offirefighters

With the help of a 911 fund, volunteer firefighters are coming together to

make a difference

Steak to pleaseSteak lovers in the Otero County area, finally you have options

Flying into desert blueWe are a unit, part of the vehicle, embedded

in the space between earth and sky.

Jan Issue:Layout 1 1/22/10 11:31 AM Page 1


Winter Issue urSmart magazine 3

Phil Efird used to go to Ruidoso for agood steak. Then, there were none to

be found there and he had to travel to ElPaso and Las Cruces.

Today, Efird plans to have another op-tion. He is building a steak house of his ownjust on the edge of Alamogordo.

“It’s just that we want to build a decentplace to eat,” Efird said. “ We are trying tomake this strictly a steak house. Of course,there will be other options like swordfishand hamburgers.”

The Right Out Back Steak House willopen early in 2010, welcoming steaklovers in the area with open arms andlots of options

“You get what you want,” saidmanager Steve Harper. “If youwant a 10-ounce T-bone, that’swhat you get. If you want it to be14 ounces, you can get that too.”

All the meat will be fresh andnot frozen, Harper said. Althoughthe business has not opened,Harper has tasted the steak fromthe supplier.

“It was incredible,” he said. “Itwas the most tender steak I’ve everhad.”

Menu choices include “The RanchHand,” a full 1-pound T-bone; “TheWrangler,” a 12-ounce T-bone; “TheCowpoke,” a 10-ounce T-bone; and afull compliment of filet mignon, ribeye, New York strip, ground sirloin,beef kabob and brisket.

Weekly specials of prime rib,baby back ribs, lobster tails and crablegs will come out at Right OutBack. Other categories on the menu

include seafood, chicken, lunchsteaks, salads, appetizers, sandwiches

and children’s plates. Efird has never been in the restaurant

business before, but he has plenty of expe-rience managing businesses. He has had

18 different businesses over the years. Hehas been in Alamogordo since 1950.

“I started in the service station businesswhen I was 20 years old,” he said.

Efird’s goal is to provide the best he canin meals and service.

“I want to make it a place where peoplewill get waited on real well and get goodfood,” he said.

Steak to pleaseBy Elva K. Österreich

The Right Out Back Steakhouse is right outback of Phil Effird's ABC Auto Sales locatedat 606 U.S. 70, just south of Alamogordo.


3 Steak to pleaseRight Out Back Steakhouse will beopening its doors in early 2010 forarea residents

6 Your credit mattersTips for staying on top of yourcredit

8 Peer 2 PeerMorgan discusses the topic ofbeing ‘Popular’

10-11 Flying into desertblueurSmart staff writer, Elva, gets theflying experience of a lifetime

12-13 Navigating theNew York City MTAStephen Stone goes on adventureswith the New York City public transportation

14 Book NookGet your “read on” with these select titles

15 Accessor-EYESLocal boutique, Brown Eyed Girl is the spot to find accessories

16-17 Cover StoryVolunteer firefighters donate theirtime and with the help of donatedequipment and more, help smallcommunities save lives andproperty

18 Healthcare in 2010has arrivedOur health and safety is moreimportant than dollars

19 Netflix QueueWarm up this winter with these select titles

20 Taking Literacy SeriouslyLiteracy programs available to Lincoln and Otero County residents,help to open doors to opportunity

21 Balanced HealthKnow what your supplements do for you

22 Fashion & Local EntertainmentEvents coming to the Inn of theMountain Gods Resort & Casino.Fabulous fall/winter fashions

23 Prime Cuts RecipesA southern red velvet cake recipe,just in time for Valentine’s Day

24-25 RIFFA Q & A with local band KillDevilTheory

26-27 A modern dayEaster egg huntA fun, technology filled activity forthe entire family to enjoy

28 Jet NoiseChristy tells a story of a military couple, from a different era

29 Video Game ReviewSee what urSmart staff writer,Maria Del Villar thought of the new school Super Mario Bros. forNintendo Wii

30 Fun Questions withLisaAnother dose of quirky questionsto the unsuspecting people in ourcommunity

A Product of the

ALAMOGORDO DAILY NEWSand RUIDOSO NEWS

Cover Story 10-11 20

4 urSmart magazine Winter Issue



Your credit matters when itcomes to applying for a job

or a loan, purchasing insurance orseeking an apartment to live in. If youdon't know your credit score, orhaven't maintained a good credit rat-ing, you might be in for a few sur-prises.

"There are so many different rea-sons for people to pay attention totheir credit report," says JenniferEhresman, a Bank of America cus-tomer experience executive. "Pay billson time and use credit wisely, and over

time you'll lay the founda-tion for a car loan or mort-gage approval. Knowingsome basic informationabout your credit will helpyou stay on top of it and useit to your advantage."

Here are some tips tohelp manage credit and im-prove your credit rating.

1. Always pay your billson time. Late payments onrent, utility bills, and creditcards are reported to thecredit agencies and willshow up on your credit re-port. If you are having trou-ble paying the full bill, payat least the minimumamount due, which can befound on your monthlystatement. While you'll payinterest on the remaining bal-

ance, you won't have a mark againstyour credit. Consider setting up auto-matic reminders sent to you via e-mailor to your mobile device so that youdon't overlook a due date.

2. Don't overspend. If you'remaxed out on all of your credit cards,maybe it's time to rethink your spend-ing habits. When shopping, onlycharge items to your credit card thatyou can afford to pay back.

3. Develop a budget. Make surethat the budget you create is one that

you can realistically follow. Be sure toinclude ways to start paying off thedebt you've already accumulated.

4. Read the small print on interestrates. If you carry a balance on yourcredit cards, make sure you read thedetails about your interest rate so youunderstand what it costs when youdon't pay your balance in full. Alsoread the information about any addi-tional fees that may be charged to youraccount. They can add up over time.

5. Review your credit report. Youcan legally obtain a free copy of yourcredit report from each of the threecredit agencies once a year. Make sureyou check your credit because it is anoverview of your financial history. Inaddition to creditors, employers, land-lords and insurance companies can re-view your credit report. These reportscan contain errors, so if you find onein your review, report it promptly sothat your score isn't affected by theerror.

"Stay in control of your credit toachieve your financial goals," Ehres-man says. "Your credit matters, andmanaging it proactively can help youimprove your rating and enjoy thebenefits that credit can offer."

To learn more on how to respon-sibly manage your credit, visitwww.BankofAmerica.com/Learn.

Your credit matters: tips forstaying on top of your credit



http://www.BankofAmerica.com/Learn


As I give one final lookover the first issue of the

year my thoughts travel. I find myselfthinking of my Grandma Simona Payanes. On January 14,2010 she celebrated her 99th birthday. At her party she toldme she’s the oldest parishioner of San Jose Catholic Church inCarlsbad, NM.

My thoughts take me back to the many stories she sharedwith me as a child. One of my favorite stories is about aplane; similar to the one Lindbergh flew over the ocean, madean emergency landing in Marathon, TX. This was the firsttime she had ever seen a plane. It was then that I realized she had never flown. So I called her just to makesure. I didn’t stop with the questions. I found out she hasnever traveled to NYC much less ridden on a subway. Norwas she allowed to attend school passed the 8th grade. Backin her days Hispanics were not allowed in high school.Lastly, I asked “grandma have you ever fought a fire?” Shesaid no but I have seen many. Her eldest grandson, RobertSanchez, Jr. is a lieutenant with the Carlsbad Fire Department.It occurred to me that my beautiful Grandmother has livethrough many wars starting with WWI.In this issue Grandma Simona will experience what it feelslike to fly in an Extra 300L aircraft. She’ll get an idea of whatit is to travel on a subway in the Big Apple. Enjoy the thoughtof others willing to teach adults reading and writing skills,much like the time her 8th Grade teacher, Mr. Wright, whostayed after school to teach lessons to my grandmother andher neighbors after their 8th grade year. She will feel the passion as she reads the stories titled Brotherhood of FireFighters and Jet Noise.

So to say she has never experienced a few things is trivial.Her life is made up of the stories we read in history books.urSmart staff dedicates this issue to my Grandmother SimonaPayanes .

Enjoy with much Love…

Lisa MoralesGeneral Manger/ Creative-Content Director

Copyright © 2009 by Alamogordo Daily News and Ruidoso News. All rights reserved. Nothing contained within maybe reprinted wholly or in part without the written consent of the publisher, Alamogordo Daily News. The opinions andperspectives published herein are those of the authors and should not be construed as those of the Alamogordo DailyNews or Ruidoso News.

My Principal Mr.George Heaton said

to me “most people you meet areonly acquaintances.” My momtells me that true friends are theones that will have a lasting im-pression on my life. Most likely Iwould not interact with the stu-dents I go to school with. Otherfriends and lasting relationshipswill happen in my adult life.

So why would being ‘Popular’be so important to me and myschoolmates. That’s because oureveryday lives are spent with eachother and fitting in seems to beimportant. But in reality being aunique individual and standingout from the crowd is what wewill strive for in Adulthood.What a scary thought! I know Idon’t want to be different. Fol-lowing the pack is so much easier.

It would also mean that Iwould need to feel comfortable inmy skin. Right now I’m not. Ihave some things that make mefeel uncomfortable. 1.) I haveacne; because of this some kidscall me names at school. It makesme feel self-conscious about mylooks. 2.) I’m not shaped likesome of the girls I go to schoolwith. This also makes me feelawkward. I know that popularkids are just as uncomfortableabout themselves. They’re some-

times better at hiding it.So I figure if I was popular I

would feel better about myself.The truth is that the only one whocan help me feel better about meis ‘Me’. Having a high self es-teem and knowing that Godmakes all things beautiful. It isalso true that Beauty starts fromthe inside out!

Question from a reader-

Why is there so much dramain school? Anonymous 7thgrade student

Dear Anonymous, Well the sad truth is that there

will be people in life that justwon’t like you for no other reasonthan that. Sometimes you can tryto be friends with them but be-cause you have different interests,beliefs, or ideas that are conflict-ing, it may not work out. My ad-vice is finding a friend(s) you cantrust and be comfortable aroundbeing yourself. Find others withthe same interests and hobbies.Try new things and don’t beafraid to be yourself.

While the drama can be un-comfortable just move on anddon’t add to a bad situation.Eventually, we grow up and findthat the problems we stressedover in school will make uslaugh! ….LOL….

By MorganMorales

Is being ‘Popular’ important?

If you have a question you wantanswered send it to

[email protected]. I will answer your question inthe next issue of urSmart.


Jan Issue:Layout 1 1/21/10 3:39 PM Page 8

mailto:[email protected]

518 24th Street Alamogordo, NM 88310

[email protected]

PublisherMike Bell

General Manager/Creative-Content Director

Lisa Morales Retail Advertising Manager

Carol BurgessAdvertising Assistant/Writer

Maria Del Villar

Art/Creative Design/LayoutBlanca Najar

Advertising Sales TeamBeth Barrett | Ross Barrett | Melanie Bush

Sarah Eldridge | Linda EudyChristy Kinder | Nancy Stutz

Editing StaffSarah Eldridge, Elva Österreich,

Michelle Scharmack

Writers/Content/ContributorsCover StoryDennis Haas

Feature StoriesElva Österreich, Stephen Stone

Book NookSarah Eldridge

Jet NoiseChristy KinderPeer 2 Peer

Morgan Morales, Student WriterVideo Game Review

Maria Del VillarLife Style ContentAaron D. RanceHealth Content

Susan M. Poore, RN, CNCRIFF

Lisa Morales and Beth BarrettFun QuestionsLisa Morales

PhotographsWelcome page RIM

Feature Stories Stephen Stone, J.R. Oppenheim, Elise Haley

RIFF RIM and Melanie BushFashion Arianna Biasini, Student Photographer

Jewelry RIM



By Elva K. Österreich Contact Elva K. Österreich at [email protected].

I’ve always loved small planes —the smaller the better — but never

got to experience a really small one ...until September 2009.

When the Holloman open house,“Raptors and Reapers over the South-west” chose Lt. Col. John Klatt as one oftheir guest pilots, I was invited to fly withhim prior to the show.

Klatt flies air shows for the AirNational Guard. He has been flyingfor about 23 years and has more than13,000 hours of flying time. Intro-duced to flying by one of hisfriends shortly after he graduatedhigh school, Klatt continued totake flight lessons during col-lege and in his senior year, dis-covered the Air National Guard.

After graduating from theUniversity of Minnesota in Du-luth, Klatt went to the Air NationalGuard pilot training program where he gothis wings from the Air Force in Texas andwas assigned to the Air Guard in Min-nesota. Now he flies both the C-130 Her-cules and the F-16 for the Guard.

I meet Klatt at the Doña Ana CountyAirport at Santa Teresa where he is givingrides to VIPs and members of the press.He is gracious and kind, just the right kindof confident to set a nervous reporter onher ease.

It is not long before I find myselfstanding beside a plane, being strappedinto a parachute next to the cheerful flag-painted Extra 300L aircraft beside me.

The Extra 300L is one of the fewfully FAA certified two-seat acrobatic

aircraft models in the world,according to Klatt’s Web site.

As I drop into the frontseat of the plane, I find my-self breathing hard andfeeling a little strange. Iam wondering what Igot myself into now and

even having asecond thought or two.

Klatt climbs into theseat behind me and thetransparent shield comesdown over our heads. Iam busy rememberinghow claustrophobic I am.

It is a tight fit, I am a largeperson and the straps are

holding me extra snug, thewalls are close, my knees are

a bit bent to keep my feetfrom interfering with the ped-als, which move as Klatt ma-nipulates the 300L onto the

runway.I have to admit at this point

I am feeling very nerv-ous and a bit sick. Myhead starts poundingand I remember that Iforgot to take my bloodpressure medication

when I got up that morn-ing.

Klatt is talking to me ashe maneuvers the craft onto

the straight part of the runway,asking me if I’m OK, telling me about

how much he enjoys his job and pointingout the barf bag tucked behind a gauge infront of me.

We move faster and faster, the wheels

Flying into desert bluePhotos by J.R. Oppenheim




bumping along the runway, a bit roughand the G-force increasing, making the al-ready tight straps more uncomfortable,my hands clench on the bars on eitherside, and then, suddenly ...

Freedom.The earth drops away below me and

the claustrophobia is instantly gone. Thesky and earth are part of me. I am smalland they are everything. Fear is out of thequestion, there is nothing to fear, just usand the world out there.

The whole thing is so surreal,there is no thinking about falling — itdoesn’t feel like a real possibility atall.

We approach another plane,one they provided for Alam-ogordo Daily News photogra-pher J.R. Oppenheim to recordmy adventure. I can see J.R. lit-

erally kneeling on

the edge where a bay door is openand I think he must be tied in butI don’t see the strap. He is hap-pily shooting away at us withhis camera.

“We’re going to rollover now,” Klatt says. Andthe ground replaces the skyin my vision. The desert

below is golden brown sand,freckled with what must beshrubs, dark green recedingblotches.

I don’t think I amafraid but when Klatttells me to look at J.R.and give him an upsidedown thumbs up, I find I

can’t quite bring myself tounclench my hands from thebars to do so. I am hangingon, must be an instinct ofsome sort.

I am physically uncom-fortable, with my weight

against the belts and my blood

filling my downward head,but I am laughing and talk-ing. I tell Klatt I don’t reallythink I’m going to actuallybe able to interview himmuch in the air. He tells me

I’m doing fine.As we turn upright

again, Klatt is telling mewhat is coming next. We do

loops, rolls and climb straight upinto the sky only to cut the engine and

fall toward earth once more. I am a bird,a seagull, going where I am not trappedby gravity to the ground but released andtrusting. We are a unit, part of the vehicle,embedded in the space between earth andsky.

I wonder how Klatt can keep track ofwhere we are and what we are doing be-cause I have no clue and can’t distinguish

up from down.Time speeds up and too soon the

flight is over. We straighten, flattenout and fly back to the airport

through the seamless atmosphere.J.R.’s flight has landed first andhe is waiting to drive home toAlamogordo.

This day I will never let go.Part of me will fly there forever.



Looking for an experience like noother, I recently spent an intriguing

five-day stint in NYC. I enjoyed an entireday at the Metropolitan Museum of Art(Met), yet another at the Museum of Mod-ern Art (MOMA), and yet another split be-tween Time’s Square and ColumbusCircle, but nothing compared to the MTAsystem!

I have blasted you with a myriad ofacronyms and a nickname that is sharedwith a famous opera house, but only de-fined two of them. Why? You ask. Unlessyou are a seasoned traveler to “The BigApple” you may not know the MTA sys-tem, but I am sure you know the nameNYC even if you have never left yourhome town. The Metropolitan Transit Au-thority (MTA) system, the best publictransportation system in the entire world,is the heart of New York City. There is noplace you can’t reach and no culturalboundary, as such, that will confine you,who ever you are. Like a huge Disneylandmonorail or rollercoaster, the MTA systemallows anyone to get practically anywherewithin all of the five boroughs of NYC andgive you the theme park experience all at thesame time.

How often do you look into a stranger’seye when you are in a public place and haveno reason to do so? A typical New Yorkernever would. When I arrived in Queens viaLaGuardia Airport I witnessed a sign at the

curb that said “Wet Paint.” Iwas amused, but it also madea statement to me “Has any-one looked at this?” As I sawit from day to day, still thereand untouched, I thought“Well, is this an example ofnot looking into someone

Navigating the New York City MTABy Stephen W. Stone

You don’t have to look as if you’re the one with a meat cleaver!



else’s eyes?” how many days, or evenweeks, had this sign been there? It be-came ironical to me a warning or ajester of NYC. Try to keep eye contactto a minimum.

At the airports and most other placeswhere the MTA runs you will find selfpaying stations where you will get theMetroCard. If you plan on spending theentire day running around riding thetrains I suggest selecting the all daypass. Ride the subway when you can!The subway system maps are every-where be it platforms or near station en-trances and you can easily get a map ofyour own at any of the myriad of MTAkiosks.

If you arrive at the LaGuardia Air-port, the first thing to understand is thatyou are not at JFK in southern Brook-lyn. You are in Queens and there is nosubway service available directly fromthe airport. The MTA has established abus system though that will get youfrom point A to point B and of course ifyou are at JFK then you can take thesubway directly into Manhattan.

The newer subway lines are letteredinstead of numbered and many of thesetrains are very user friendly. They havedigital readouts that will tell you whatwill be the next station stop. They havefriendly audible recordings that tell youwhen you have arrived and, most im-portantly they have more comfortableseating and a somewhat smoother ride.If your preference is newer, cleaner andmore user friendly, then these trainsshould be your choice.

You may prefer a different adven-ture, as I did, to experience the subwaysof old before they are all gone, the kindthat made author Paul Theroux say“You have to look as if you’re the onewith the meat cleaver.” Okay, the sub-ways are not as bad as they were in thelate 70’s early 80’s when he created thisquote, but some of the old numberedtrains still have the gritty feel. Forstarters on the older lines there are usu-ally no digital readouts so not as userfriendly. This can be very important asyou begin your journey. Which bringsme to another point: if you are new tothe wonderful transit system I call anamusement park, use locals. As you be-come more experienced and are aware

of where you are headed then you willlikely use expresses instead. Now backto where I was. The adventures typemay prefer to take the old trains like the7 for instance. This will give you themore authentic look and feel. With noreadouts and the all knowing all power-ful useless recording or conductor an-nouncements, you may feel like you areon another planet. These inaudible sta-tion stop calls are a staple of the oldtrains. Bring a friend who is a come-dian, as I did, and it’s even twice thefun. You will know youare in NYC when youfind yourself making upthe words for amuse-ment. You will askyourself “Why do theybother even making theannouncement at all?”or, “Did they just insultme?”

In the end, none ofthe grittiness like unlitsubway cars or sinisterlooming intent seems tohave remained. There ispractically an officer onevery car most of thetime. People arefriendly as well and willbe happy to even answerquestions about wheresomeplace is, just don’t try to have apersonal conversation and you’ll befine. Whatever your pleasure is just besure to have fun and keep in mind thatwhen you are in Manhattan there aremany ways to get around besides thesubway. Who knows maybe you mightget lucky and catch The Cash Cab!



Stephen King’s “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft”Not known for his non-fiction (at the time of original publication in 2000, he had over 30 fiction tomes underhis belt, with more in varying forms of completion), Stephen King is first and foremost a storyteller, anddoesn’t disappoint here. “On Writing” begins with not one, but three Forewards, all with King’s familiarwit and all with a nugget of writing advice, then moves into multiple chapters on his early years of writing.Most King fans are familiar with the story of his wife Tabby finding his manuscript for “Carrie” in the trashand encouraging him to complete it, which lead to the paperback rights being sold for four hundred thou-sand dollars, thus allowing him to have a real writing career. Far fewer know that King has always beenwriting, from the newsletter he published with his brother Dave, to the stories he sent out time and again toliterary magazines that paid by the word. By including these stories, though, he brings himself down to thelevel of the common man/writer – he went through the rejections and survived, and so can you my friend,he seems to say. Not until the second half of the book – ‘What Writing Is’ – does any formal advice on writ-ing begin. My hardcover copy includes this quote from the text on the inside of the jacket: “If you don’thave the time to read, you don’t have the time or the tools to write.” My English major brain recognizedthis not only as a well-crafted sentence, but a not too shabby thesis statement, as well, and King returns tothis sentiment often throughout the text, even giving it a name: The Great Commandment (or, read a lot,write a lot). Throughout the book I found myself not only writing notes in the margins, but wanting towrite them. As with all Stephen King books, he gives you a lot to think about; apparently, that’s one of hisgoals. ☺ The third portion of “On Writing” returns to a more memoir style, with King recalling his horrificaccident that almost took his life. Overall, this has the potential to be one of my favorite books of all time,and from a student’s perspective, something that should maybe receive more college classroom attention.Grade: A APL Friendly: Yes!

Book Nook

Sloan Barnett, “Green Goes with Everything”Sloan Barnett is on a mission. Her focus? Encourage readers to cleanse their bodies, their food, water,

air and energy. She has first-hand experience with the consequences of the toxic lifestyle - her son was di-agnosed with asthma, primarily from exposure to cleaning products used in their home. As she struggledto detox her home and her families’ lives, she realized how important what she was learning could be, and“Green Goes with Everything” was born. Like “Extraordinary Parents”, “Green” should be used more asa handbook or resource and less as a sit-down, plow-through style read. I appreciated the book for what itencourages, which is that even baby steps in going green count; however, not everybody has the budget togo completely green, which is also encouraged. Barnett also makes no bones about being married to theCEO of Shaklee non-toxic household cleaning products, which I discovered some other reviewers had prob-lems with.

Grade: B APL Friendly: Yes!

Lynn Fielding’s “Extraordinary Parents”This book was given to me by a friend and co-worker who suggested it for this review, and since I am not only

a sucker for recommendations but a mommy-to-be, I was more than willing to give “Extraordinary Parents” a shot. Imoved it to the top of my stack of parenting books and went to work…and then got very scared. Because “Extraor-dinary Parents” might want to be called “Parents, Get Ready to Consider Parenting as a Second Job for REAL.” Se-riously, this is a great book, filled with lots of well-thought out advice, and written as if your baby/toddler were speakingdirectly to you, which is a nice change of pace from a doctor or psychiatrist telling you how to raise your kids. Thechapters are short and segmented similarly to each other (Physical Development, Reading & Writing, etc.), with re-views of what you just learned, and signposts on what is to come. The basic thesis of “Extraordinary Parents” is totrain you (the parent) how to teach your child to enter kindergarten at a reading level two years ahead of the norm, andthe importance that this has on their future school years, all the way to college. Please note that this is not your ordi-nary parenting book. You will find zero advice on anything other than how to develop and sharpen your child’s read-ing skills, starting the moment you bring them home from the hospital. I recommend a very open-minded approachto the activities Fielding encourages, and that parents do not get hung up on attempting every single one; mostly be-cause it isn’t realistic for the vast majority of us. Their website is a great resource, and Fielding encourages parents toutilize the tools and additional activities listed there: www.readyforkindergarten.org. Finally, this book is not readilyavailable anywhere that I have looked, other than on the web, so seek it out and buy a copy for yourself rather thanborrow. You will want to make notes and earmark lots of pages, even if you have no intention of following the pro-gram to the letter.

Grade: B- APL Friendly: No

By Sarah Eldridge


• APL Friendly: Available for check-out at the Alamogordo Public Library


http://www.readyforkindergarten.org


Accessor-EYESEmbellish your style with Jewelry that’s Bold, Funky, Striking,Flirty, Dazzling and Fun. Layer your look adding differentlengths, shapes and metals. Mix colors and stones. Anythinggoes make it fancy, elegant or chic. All looks here are broughtto you by Brown Eyed Girl a fun and fabulous boutique locatedat 2722 Sudderth Dr. Ste 102 in Ruidoso, NM.


As Dennis Haas from Ruidosocleared customs and entered into

the waiting area of Ezeiza InternationalAirport in Buenos Aires, he immediatelyrecognized the faces of friends he hasn’tseen in over a year. And as usual, he wasmet by ten or so members of the BomberosVoluntarious de Garin (Garin VolunteerFirefighters), including some of the wives.It is nice to be back in Argentina and to bea part of something so gratifying.

Dennis and the other 4 men travelingwith him represent the 911 FUND, an in-ternational non-profit group whose solemission is to provide free equipment andtraining to firefighters around the world inan effort to reduce risk for those who de-fend their communities against the ravagesof fire. These men are joined by Dr.Stephan Hittmann, Director of the 911FUND and two other firefighters from

New York, who arrive about an hour later.All have donated a week of time to in-

struct firefighting classes at the 2nd An-nual International Training Conference inGarin, and to share the camaraderie thatbinds them as a brotherhood of firefight-ers.

Since Dennis’s first visit in 2005 whenhe and Dr. Hittmann answered a plea forhelp from Adrian Peralta, Chief of theGarin Volunteer Firefighters, the 911FUND has donated countless hours oftraining, hundreds of thousands of dollarsworth of firefighting equipment and noless than a dozen emergency vehicles tothe firefighters and communities of Ar-gentina, all of which were donated by firedepartments across the United States.

This 2nd Annual Conference is at-tended by about one hundred firefighters

from as far away as Paraguay, with somedriving twenty-two hours to attend. Thisteam, made up of both active and retiredfirefighters from California, New Mexico,New Jersey and New York are joined by adog trainer and handler from North Car-olina who has donated a drug interdictiondog and will be training a police officer tohandle and use the dog over the next fewdays. The others jobs will be to conductfour main topics of training.

First and foremost is firefighter safety,which all of the firefighters will receive onDay 1 of the conference. Then on the sec-ond day, the firefighters are divided intogroups and will receive training on pre-hospital care and patient packaging that istaught by a Paramedic from New Jerseyand an EMT from New York; or, they mayattend a fireground operations course thatincludes ladder use and live fire training,

Brotherhood ofFirefighters



taught by a firefighter from New Jerseyand California; or lastly, a pump opera-tions course that will focus on water sup-ply shuttling operations, as there is no firehydrant system to utilize. This is thecourse that Dennis and a fire captain fromNew York will be teaching.

As they make their way along the con-gested roads of Buenos Aires, Dennis tellsthe “new guys” about the first visit to Ar-gentina where they found many depart-ments like Garin, who has about fortyvolunteers, yet had only about a dozen setsof protective clothing for their firefightersto share. Most of their fire trucks werethirty or more years old and in quite a stateof disrepair. He told of riding to a fire withthe Chief on that first visit to witness firsthand, a “working” house fire and seeingfirefighters with no hoods, no gloves, noprotective pants and no breathing appara-tus. Yet they, like firefighters around theworld, have a job to do and they do it tothe best of their ability. That job is un-changed despite their lack of protectiveequipment….. TO SAVE LIVES &PROPERTY! Now, within the span of fiveyears, Garin has enough protective equip-

ment for each member and proudly dis-plays five fire trucks, donated by graciousfire departments to the 911 FUND for do-nation to departments just like this.

The 911 FUND is making a differencein the lives of residents and firefightershere, and Dennis, who serves as a memberof the International Advisory Board, isvery grateful to be a part of it!! Just in2009, the 911 FUND has donated eight firetrucks, one ambulance and a twenty footcontainer of firefighting equipment. The911 FUND is known throughout Centraland South America for donations toPanama, Columbia, El Salvador and Ar-gentina.

The 911 FUND never solicits formoney and will never accept money.However, they do accept donations of firetrucks, ambulances, command vehicles,protective clothing, EMS supplies andother usable items, such as airline miles ortickets that allow for teams to travel with-out expense to the foundation or to the fire-fighters of Argentina.

Even before the conference is over,

Dennis has been asked to return in Marchto teach a Wildland Fire Investigationcourse that he has developed to firefightersfrom the Patagonia region and forestrypersonnel of the National Parks of Ar-gentina.

To donate items or for more informa-tion, go to www.911FUND.org or contactDennis Haas in Ruidoso at 575-808-2849or email at [email protected] , orDr. Stephan Hittmann in New York at 914-479-8800 or email [email protected] .


http://www.911FUND.org



Hang on, the upcoming ad-vancements in how we

view healthcare are changing. In thetime it takes you to read these arti-cles, three new applications forhealthcare trademarks are being re-viewed. New ideas are always beingcreated. Many of these advance-ments are created out of necessity,but many are produced out of indi-vidual conception. Staying engagedon how modern advancements inhealthcare are impacting our lives isone way to gain knowledge, but italso keeps us informed on how in-dividually we can benefit from thesenew products in our own homes.

There are frameworks in placethat allow robotic innovations tobetter serve debilitated or individu-als. Technology, model homes withcomputer processors that self adjustcabinets for easy access are new onthe market. Transferring knobs andswitches in the home to touch whichhave heat controlled or are pressureoperated, are also changing how wegain access to doors and drawers.

How can these technological ad-vancements make our lives easier orbetter yet safer? Who are thesenewfound gadgets being inventedfor? Who are we serving? The an-swer is you. Thirty five years ago,who would have thought typewrit-ers would one day be obsolete. Nowwe have computers that are mini-mized to the size of a small note-book. Who would have thoughthundreds of songs would ever fit ina paper thin plastic device the sizeof a quarter. Who would havethought you could drive from NewYork to Los Angeles, with out everlooking at a road map? Now wecompute the ending destination anda GPS (Global Positioning System)tells us when and where to turn. Thelist of modern marvels is endless.But in the healthcare arena manymore need to be discovered.

As we tend to stay in our homeslonger versus a care center, we willneed help with medication manage-ment. It’s been reported that typi-cally one-third of allhospitalizations of adults over age65 are related to improper medica-tion protocols. Typically medicationcomes in a large child proof bottle.My own mother failed to figure outif I just turn the cap over it becomesa very easy open bottle. Yet, thequestion of “Did I take that pill orthis vitamin,” still exists. That

brings us to the question of technol-ogy; which pharmacy offers bubblepackages that depict specific datesand times to consume medication?

We tend to forget as we get older,if that blood pressure medicationwas taken today or not. It also has alot to do with the comfort level afamily has with leaving mom or dadalone for any length of time. Manyfamily members call parents and re-mind them to take their dailydosage. It is not uncommon fordoctors to prescribe six to eight pillsa day, three times a day. If thisprocess had a check and balancelike a sheet of pills individuallypackaged and dated. We could askmom over the phone if Tuesday’spills were taken.

There is a memory chip availablewhich sends a generic email to fam-ily that the pills were removed.There is always that question of“were they consumed,” but that isfor another article. What has to beasked is, is there room for advance-ments and what is the cost? The costof new technology is expensivewhen it’s new, but in three or fouryears the cost is minimized. I’msure we all remember the first TexasInstrument Calculator in the early1970’s. The cost was around$400.00, today with inflation thatequates to about $2100.00. Can youimagine paying that much for apocket calculator? But not a weekgoes buy we probably don’t use oneat least twice. Today we pay $10.00or less for a calculator.

So the case has been presented,everything comes at a cost. Our re-action to the cost is what is at stake.Do we want the new and improvedadvances? Are we willing to pay forthem now or do we wait anotherfew years hoping the costs are min-imized? Our health and safety ismore important than dollars. We candebate the cost, versus benefits allday, but when it comes right downto it, as we think about our familiesand what they mean to us, no mon-etary amount in the world is equalto the betterment and security newtechnology can provide to theirsafety and quality of life.

Aaron D. Rance is a SNF/LTC Ad-ministrator, currently managing in theSouthwest. His primary focus is ontransitioning LTC services within the“Culture Change Movement.” Contacthim at [email protected].

Healthcare in 2010 Has Arrived

This page sponsored by Betty Dare Good Samaritan

By Aaron D. Rance




Netflix Queue

Ballet Shoes(2007) PG

An unusual explorer namedGum (Richard Griffiths)and his kindly niece (EmiliaFox) adopt three orphans --Pauline (Emma Watson),Petrova (Yasmin Paige) andPosy (Lucy Boynton) -- andraise them as sisters in1930s London. But the girlsmust fend for themselveswhen Gum doesn't returnfrom one of his adventures.Together, they nurture theirpassions for acting, aviationand ballet in this charmingTV adaptation of NoelStreatfield's novel.

Genre:20th Century Period Pieces,Dramas Based on ClassicLiterature, Dramas Basedon the Book

The Answer Man ArlenFaber(2009) R

Reclusive author Arlen Faber(Jeff Daniels) -- who's inten-tionally been out of the spot-light since he penned aninspirational self-help booktwo decades ago -- finds him-self in need of spiritual heal-ing in this quirky indieromance. Though everyonestill looks to Arlen for an-swers, he's an emotional ci-pher without a clue … untilhe meets an angst-ridden,overprotective single mom(Lauren Graham) and a re-covering alcoholic (Lou Tay-lor Pucci).

Genre:Indie Comedies, Indie Dra-mas, Indie RomanceThis movie is:Witty, Romantic, Heartfelt,Emotional

Carolina(2003) PG-13 In this romantic comedy fea-turing Shirley MacLaine as awacky grandma, Southerngirl Carolina (Julia Stiles)envisions an entirely differ-ent existence for herself, farfrom the maddening mixthat is her family. So, sheleaves home for California,where she hopes she'll findsome tranquility. But her ef-forts are soon wasted whenshe finds herself torn be-tween two men. Who willwin her heart?

Genre: Romantic ComediesThis movie is:Sentimental



Lincoln and Otero counties both boast lit-eracy programs for residents, opening

possibilities for those who never had the oppor-tunity to learn the basics before being cast intolife.

Joyce Reynolds is interim director at NewMexico State University-Alamogordo’s AdultBasic Education program and said the OteroCounty Literacy Council works with adults whoneed to improve reading and writing skills.

The literacy council is a nonprofit organiza-tion offering individual tutoring and classes atno cost to those who need them.

Those who need services are assessed andthen offered individual tutoring until they arereading and writing at a level where they arecomfortable to attend classes, Reynolds said.

“Right now most (participants) are attendingclasses and working,” Reynolds said. “They getadditional help outside of class. Just a handfulare working just with tutors.”

Reynolds also said currently the program isin need of tutors. Many of the people who havebeen serving as tutors have stopped for healthissues or moved away.

“We are always looking for more volun-teers,” she said.

The Literacy Council’s community adultspelling bee raised money for the program.While New Mexico Coalition for Literacy pro-vides grants that cover some parts and materialsin the program, donations are much appreciatedand go toward covering things the coalitiondoes not

Reynolds said some of the donations provideloan and grant funds for the $50 cost to take aGED test.

“We always have students with trouble pay-ing that $50,” she said. “There are some peoplethat can’t come up with that much at one time.”

Anyone needing help or who would like tovolunteer or contribute to the Otero County Lit-eracy Council can call (575) 439-3812, or visitthe ABE office located in the Tays SpecialEvents Center.

Jennifer Payton participated in the adultspelling bee held in November 2009. The teamshe was on, Team Genius, won. Payton said shewas honored to participate in the event.

“It was very exciting for me to get to partic-ipate in a literacy support program because lit-eracy is one of the most important assets youcan take into the business world,” Payton said.“You need it through school and when youbegin a career.”

Payton also loved seeing all the chil-dren who attended the event to watchtheir parents participate. Her own chil-dren Brooke, 8, and Gwen, 6, were in-spired.

“They thought it was so neat,” Pay-ton said.

Getting to see successful adults in theevent made Gwen excited and confi-dent when it came to participating inher own school spelling bee. Watchingteachers, librarians, doctors and otherprofessionals there helped the little girlmake it through her own event.

“It was a really cool experience,”Payton said.

In Lincoln County the literacy coun-cil is associated with the ABE office ofEastern New Mexico University-Rui-doso and is overseen by Susie Morss.They also receive operational fundingfrom the New Mexico Coalition for Lit-eracy and from ENMU.

“We provide one-on-one tutoringand small group classes,” Morss said.“The tutors are volunteers and havebeen through 14 hours of training.”

At the ENMU-R affiliate, people canreceive instruction in reading, writing,English as a second language and com-puter literacy, as well as other subjects.A family literacy group for parents andchildren together is available as needed,Morss said. Children must be at least16 years old and out of school.

“We also do some pre-GED tutor-ing,” she said.

The Lincoln County Literacy Coun-cil has been activesince 1997.

“In the 2008-2009school year weserved 155 adult stu-dents,” Morss said.“We had 36 active tu-tors.”

Morss can be con-tacted at (575) 630-8181 for moreinformation about theLincoln County pro-gram, which is lo-cated at 707 MechemDrive, Ruidoso, inthe Compass Bankbuilding.

By Elva K. Österreich

Photos by Elise Haley


Do you believe that the whole foodsyou consume can influence your

health, weight and longevity? If you do,you are correct! Numerous studies haveshown that the foods we consume affect ourmental, physical and long term health.

Many times people don’t even attemptto consume a healthy diet and instead “sup-plement” their health. Several vitamins andsupplements are absolutely acceptable, butmany are not. In fact taking supplementsthat are not appropriate for you could pos-sibly cause you harm. Just because they areover the counter does not make them with-out contraindications or side effects. Know-ing which ones should or shouldn’t be takenis vital if you are expecting results. Don’twaste your money. I see clients every daythat have baskets of supplements. Someoneeither talked them into purchasing the prod-uct, save it on TV or they read about it in amagazine. One of my new clients took over25 different supplements and had no ideahow she got started on each one of them.

Marketing tactics can convince even thebest of us that their product will “do amaz-ing things“. Don’t believe everything youread. Get help sorting out what you can doto get the majority of your nutrients in thefoods you eat and which supplements aresafe to consume with your current medica-tions or lifestyle.

People want to be healthy but not putin the discipline to reach that goal. Realfood produces real results. Supplementa-tion works better when a healthy diet ac-companies it. Eating healthy is only asdifficult as we “think” it is. Approaching ahealthy diet on a daily basis is the best in-surance you can have to prevent the chal-lenges we have as our bodies age. Look atthose individuals who eat well and approachlife in a positive way. They look great andmore importantly, feel great.

Where supplements can help is in thearea of antioxidants and consuming the keynutrients and vitamins we may lack. Sup-plement means “to add” to what you are al-

ready doing to remain healthy. Your currentstate of health has a lot to do with whichones and how much you should take. Thereis no “one plan fits all approach” when itcomes to this. We each have differenthealth issues and making a plan that worksfor you should be your goal.

So the next time you watch an infocommercial on late night TV, read a maga-zine or look at a shelf full of products, don’tinstantly buy it because they gives you agreat sales pitch. Instead, take a deepbreathe and read more about it, get inputfrom your doctor or a professional that un-derstands supplementation. Put yourmoney into consuming a “good diet” andthen “supplement” only with what you ab-solutely need!

For more information visit: www.BalancedHealth101.com Susan is an RN Certified in Nutrition, StressManagement and Life Coaching. (575) 491-5036

We Are What We Eat…To Supplement or Not?By Susan M. Poore, RN, CNC, CPLC


http://www.BalancedHealth101.com


Litsy Leopard CouturePhoto taken by Arianna Biasini - Student at Louis St. Laurent CatholicSchool.

Dressing up: Model:Cath; MUA: Bean

Bhandhal; Hair: Kim@Grateful Head; De-

signer: Temna Fialkia/Natasha

Lazarovic; Photo/Post-Production:

Arianna Biasini

Vintage Hair clips Photo byArianna Biasini

February7th – Tailgate party with Jimmy VanZant12th – King of the Cage –

Levi Price & Javier Rubio19th – Howie Mandel

March11th – Aaron Lewis from Staind25th – Doobie Brothers

April 16th – CCR (Revisited) 26th – Temptations

May6th – Gabriel Iglesias9th – Heart

June 24th & 25th – George Jones

July 13th – Merle Haggard

August 26th & 27th – Rodney Carrington

September TBA

October13th – Vince Gil

November 27th – King of the Cage

Local concertsand events coming up

at the Inn of the Mountain Gods in Ruidoso, New Mexico

Blake Sheltongave an outstandingperformanceJanuary 14th atthe Inn of theMountain Gods.

Don't miss out on the fun!


Ingredients

* Vegetable oil for the pans* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour* 1 1/2 cups sugar* 1 teaspoon baking soda* 1 teaspoon fine salt* 1 teaspoon cocoa powder* 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil* 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature* 2 large eggs, at room temperature* 2 tablespoons red food coloring (1 ounce)* 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract* Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows* Crushed pecans, for garnish

DirectionsPreheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil

and flour 3 (9 by 1 1/2-inch round) cake pans.In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar,

baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In anotherlarge bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk,eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla.

Using a standing mixer, mix the dry ingredi-ents into the wet ingredients until just combinedand a smooth batter is formed.

Divide the cake batter evenly among the pre-pared cake pans. Place the pans in the ovenevenly spaced apart. Bake, rotating the panshalfway through the cooking, until the cakepulls away from the side of the pans, and atoothpick inserted in the center of the cakescomes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Remove the cakes from the oven and run aknife around the edges to loosen them from thesides of the pans. One at a time, invert the cakesonto a plate and then re-invert them onto a cool-ing rack, rounded-sides up. Let cool completely.

Frost the cake. Place 1 layer, rounded-sidedown, in the middle of a rotating cake stand.Using a palette knife or offset spatula spreadsome of the cream cheese frosting over the topof the cake. (Spread enough frosting to make a1/4 to 1/2-inch layer.) Carefully set anotherlayer on top, rounded-side down, and repeat.Top with the remaining layer and cover the en-tire cake with the remaining frosting. Sprinklethe top with the pecans.

Cream Cheese Frosting: (Yield: enough to frost a 3 layer (9-inch) cake )

• 1 pound cream cheese, softened• 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar• 2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), softened• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand-held electric mixerin a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and butter on low speed until incorpo-rated. Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (Occa-sionally turn the mixer off, and scrape the down the sides of the bowl with a rubberspatula.) Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Add the vanilla, raise the speed to highand mix briefly until fluffy (scrape down the bowl occasionally). Store in the refrigera-tor until somewhat stiff, before using. May be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Southern Red Velvet Cake

(Yield: enough to frost a 3 layer (9-inch) cake )



By Lisa Morales & Beth Barrett

Lisa: Curtis mentioned you have been to-gether on and off for five years. How did youget together?

Deanna: We’ve been with different musi-cians and musical groups over the last fiveyears. Our band members now have been to-gether since May 2009.

Chris: Yeah, but we’ve gone through a lotof drummers since then. Deanna’s sisterhooked us up with Marc. A friend sent an emailto me on facebook. He told me to check out thisband and then Curtis called me.

Lisa: The drums are really sharp. Chris: Yeah, we’ve been looking for a

drummer for a few years. We could never get adrummer who could play the different temposlike fast stuff and slow stuff. Marc’s the onlyone that could do it. We couldn’t play this songfor over two years.

Lisa: That’s impressive. Beth: It’s a really smooth transition I’m

surprised you guys haven’t been playing to-gether long.

Lisa: Do you have a following? Chris: Well this is our third show in Alam-

ogordo. So we don’t have a huge followingright now. We’re working on it.

Beth: Well your sound is really tight. Youwould think you guys have been practicing to-gether for a really long time.

Deanna: and we skipped practice this week.

Beth: You’re a really good fit because it isvery clean.

Deanna: Thank You. Beth: How many original songs did you

sing tonight? Deanna: Eight Beth: Do you plan to cut out the cover

songs and that way you’re just playing yourown thing.

Deanna: YeahBeth: Kind of trying to break into it?Deanna: We mostly play covers for the bars

and exposure. Because you know a lot of peo-ple like to hear covers and they’ll come for thecovers. We slip some of our originals in there.It seems they like them too.

Chris: Which we want to hear and theremaybe one or two that everybody is eehh; butthere are a lot of them that they say are prettycool. Very impressive

Lisa: Where does your name come from?Deanna: Curtis and I came up with it back

in 2006. Devil Theory is actually a term to de-scribe all the problems in society that are causedby bad leaders or corrupt leaders and we just put

kill to it because it sounds cool. So we just com-bined the two.

Chris: Tada!!!Lisa: You sing a lot of cover songs most

people would never attempt to sing. Deannayour vocal range is great.

Chris: What compels us? Lisa: Yeah? Chris: Because If we’re going to do some-

thing that is really good. We’re going to do acover that is something someone doesn’t heareveryday on the radio; but it’s something thatthey are familiar with, right? That’s what I saywhen I pick a cover and then one that is chal-lenging.

Beth: I was impressed because you kept itpretty technical musically and vocally. Youweren’t afraid to attack the songs that mostpeople are frightened of.

Lisa: Who are your influences? Marc: RushCurtis: Rush, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest,

Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Kings XDeanna: Some of the same along with per-

fect circle and Dream Theater.

Local buzz

Members:Lead/ Back Up Vocals/Keyboard: Deanna CraneBass: Chris Sullivan Lead Guitar: Curtis CraneDrums: Mark Bartholomew

Kill Devil Theory

Photo by RIM


Chris: Collective Soul, Metallica and MegaDeath.

Lisa: What sound are you aiming for?Chris: We all have kind of eclectic tastes so

we’re trying to mix it all together. In my mindif you mashed two bands together it would beAC/DC meets Dream Theater. These guys arelike tool heads sound strictures that most peoplesay “what the hell is that all about. “

Beth: They have kind of that darker edge.Chris: Yeah

Beth: That deep tone.Lisa: One of the first songs you sang has a

grunge sound to it and the other one has a to-tally different take. Wow, that’s a hugh range ofmusical sounds to cover.

Lisa: What does everyone do when you’renot performing?

Deanna: I was a music education teacherbut now I’m a stay at home mom and Curtisworks at White Mountain Elementary in Alam-ogordo. He teaches Civic/History, Science andGuitar.

Marc: I’m an assistance administrator atHAFB

Chris: Electronic technician at HAFB. Lisa: Where can urSmart readers catch

your performance? Curtis: We have a couple of shows in El

Paso in the next week or two and then we actu-ally have studio time scheduled.

To find out more about the band check themout at www.myspace.com/Killdevil_theory

Photos by RIM and

Melanie Bush


http://www.myspace.com/Killdevil_theory


By Amy Bennett, Health Promotion Educator

After a week ofwatching our two

darling children runthrough the house fightingbecause he touched hercell phone or he shot herin the back with the Nerfgun; the list goes on andon. We decided it wastime to get outside. It hadbeen snowing consis-tently and the cabin feverwas rising. We begantalking about this hightech treasure hunt I hadlearned about called Geo-caching. I explained whatI knew about the gameand we grabbed the GPSdevise and the laptop tolearn more. According tothe website Geocaching isdefined as a high-techtreasure hunting gamedplayed throughout theworld by adventure seek-ers equipped with theGPS devices. They hadus in the first sentence weare very high-tech and al-ways seeking somethingto do with our kids as a family and…OUTSIDE!

We typed in our area code and found99 caches hidden in the Ruidoso areaand the number is continuing to rise.Currently, there are 969,986 active geo-cashes around the world. The basicidea is to locate hidden containers, geo-cashes, outdoors and then share yourexperiences online.

We typed in the coordinates of four

different caches into our GPS grabbedour snow boots, jackets, gloves, alongwith a zip-loc bag of small trade itemsand started off on what turned out to bea great day. The kids were ecstatic withexcitement. Okay let’s be real here theywere huffing, puffing, complaining andarguing that they didn’t’ want to go.They would rather play with the newPS3 Santa brought. In the true natureof parenting and we told them to get in

and buckle up, because wewere going to get outside as afamily and we were going tohave fun doing it at any cost.

The kids followed the GPSas we drove down the roadpretending that the excitementwasn’t growing, we new itwas, mainly, because we wereexcited. Could we walk on atrail, day after day and misssomething? Could caches behidden in those areas we havevisited and be right under ournoses? This was cool! It wasa modern day Easter egg hunt.

Parked the car as our firstcoordinates ended and beganto hike up the snow coveredhill. It never crossed ourminds that the cache weremost likely hidden when theground was not blanketedwith snow, but we didn’t care.The view of the ice over the

lake was spectacular. If wedidn’t find anything we wouldhave still called it a successfulday. GPS takes you so far andcaches can be hidden within30 to 60 feet from that point.

After about fifteen minutes of lookinghigh and low we spotted it. It happenedto be an old flashlight hidden in a tree.The kids opened it up, now completelyinterested to find a small note pad, penand a small toy. We signed the log andput in our trade item, and placed thecache exactly where it was.

We found four caches, some withitems for the trade and others so smallthey just included a log book. After re-



turning home we logged intoGeocaching.com to log ourfinds. The site includes awealth of information andhistory on the game includ-ing the game etiquette. Inshort if you take something,leave something of the samevalue, and always place thecache as you found it.Caches can be hidden insmall containers that havelittle room for more than asmall log book. Keep a penhandy these caches are toosmall to include one. We’vefound magnetic caches at-tached to guard rails, andeven a removable fenceposts and creativity goes onfrom there.

Geocaching is an enjoy-able, educational, hobby thatmixes the outdoors withtechnology for all ages. Weplan to hide our own cache,and continue our weekendcache hunting afternoons.The arguing is no longerabout why we have to go butrather who gets to hold theGPS and open the cachewhen we find it and if wedidn’t find anything wewould have still called it asuccessful day. GPS takesyou to the far ends wherecaches can be hidden.

Visit the official websiteat: www.geocaching.com


http://www.geocaching.com


We’d love to hear from you! Send your stories and comments to [email protected]!

By Christy Kinder

orld War II started in 1939 and endedin 1945. The United States of America joinedby declaring war against Japan on December7, 1941. On May 8, 1945, Germany surren-dered. After the atomic bomb was dropped onHiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan surrenderedon September 2, 1945, and the Second WorldWar came to an end. The war cost the lives ofmore than 330,000 American soldiers. Manymore were permanently injured.

In today’s military we have the luxury oftechnology. While our military member isgone we have the ability to email, talk on thetelephone, write letters, and even video con-ference them with the help of the internet.Throughout the years, there have been manychanges. I thought it would be interesting totell the story of a couple from a different eraof the military.

Estel (Hack) and Ernestine (Pill) Hacklerwere both born in Childress County, Texas.They met at school when she was 11 and hewas 14. Estel was inducted into the U.S.Army in March of 1944 at the age of 20. Hewent to basic training at Fort Bliss in El Paso,Texas. Ernestine had her first job at South-

western Bell as a telephone switch operator.On May 20, 1944 they were married in theFort Bliss Chapel. “His first paycheck was 20dollars and he used it to buy a wedding ringfor me. I still wear it to this day,” she said.“Times were hard back then. When we weregetting ready to move to California, he toldme to stay there and continue working at thetelephone company until we had enoughmoney for me to join him. Then he changedhis mind and decided to borrow 100 dollarsfrom a finance company so that I could bewith him.”

“Hack” and “Pill” moved to Riverside,California and were only there three monthsbefore he received his orders to Europe.Ernestine returned to Childress and continuedworking for Southwestern Bell. She livedwith the Harry Mitchell family during the 20months “Hack” was overseas. While he wasover there he fought in 33 missions. “It wasvery lonely when he was gone. There washardly any communication. We tried to writeletters every day but they would stack up andI would receive six or seven at a time. Duringthe war they censored the letters by reading

every single one before they weremailed out,” she said. He returnedhome May 26, 1946 and was honor-ably discharged from the military.

Estel and Ernestine have two children,four grandchildren and 13 great-grandchil-dren. “Pill” and “Hack” both retired in 1983.They have enjoyed travel though every statein the USA, seven provinces of Canada, allthrough Europe and the Holy Lands. Theyvisited the Hawaiian islands several times be-fore picking their favorite vacation spot,Kauai. They visited there 20 or 25 times, usu-ally to celebrate their wedding anniversary.Estel passed away January 18, 2007. Theywere married 62 years and eight months.Ernestine lives in Amarillo, Texas.



Video Game Review

New Super Mario BrosRated E for EveryonePlatform: WiiRating: 5 out of 5

By Maria Del Villar

I have played just about every SuperMario Bros game Nintendo has made.

The New Super Mario Bros Wii is definitelyin my top five. It has a lot of the style andgameplay like the 8-bit and 16-bit Mario ti-tles. This game has tons of classic SuperMario Bros influences, with more creativeand challenging stages. Although Nintendodid not stray too far from the DS release. Ifyou ask me, the only difference is that youcan play up to four-players. Nintendo justgave the DS release a boost and released itfor the Wii system. Anyone who has playedany of the 2D Super Mario Bros. title willlove the Super Mario Bros. Wii.

Koopa Kid is at it again. With the helpfrom his evil buddies, they decide to crashPrincess Peach’s birthday party. They takeher away on a flying ship, with Mario andfriends trailing right behind them. Mario,Luigi, Yellow Toad, and Blue Toad musttravel many worlds, defeat many enemiesand save Princess Peach.

As a single-player, you play as Mario.Mario still has the basic power-ups such asthe Fire Flower and Star Power. But theNew Super Mario Bros. Will offers moreneat power-ups, to help Mario on his jour-ney to save the princess. The power-ups in-clude the Ice Flower, which allows Mario tofreeze his enemies for a short period of time,simply by throwing a snowball. Nextpower-up you have the Propeller Suit. Thesuit allows Mario to spin real high in theair. Then you have the Penguin Suit

that makes it easier to walk on ice, and youcan have Mario slide on his belly like a realPenguin. As I was playing the game, I foundout that these power-ups do come in handylater in the game.

Another new addition to the game is themotion control. The motion control is usedto spin, jump, or pick up items and to tilt thecontroller to maneuver platforms or can-nons. I like the motion control but I wishyou could play the game with the classiccontroller. With the classic controller, Nin-tendo could have utilized the L and R buttonto maneuver the platforms or cannons. Butit does add a nice touch to the game.

As you travel within the worlds, you willencounter an enemy blocking you path to thenext level. This is where the Super MarioBros. 3 influences plays in part. You will en-counter such enemies as Goombas, HammerBros. and many others. You will also en-counter Toad Houses. The Toad Houses offeryou a chance to either receive power-ups oradditional lives. My favorite Toad House , iswhere you have to match power-ups. Itbrings back memories from playing SuperMario Bros. 3. Occasionally you will seeToad get captured, which gives you the op-portunity to return to a level and rescue him.Mario has to find Toad in one of the “?”blocks, and successfully carry him to the endof the level. He then rewards you with addi-

tional lives. Also more ToadHouses will appear on the

map for you to explore.

Last butnot leastis themulti-playermode. I found itvery difficult toplay the gamewith more thanone person.The rea-son beingis thatsomeonealways gets in the way. It is difficult to jump on to a platform, whenthe other player ends up jumping on top ofyou and you end up losing a life. Not toworry though, you can seek revenge on thatplayer. All you have to do is pick the playerup and throw him/her at a Goomba he he.

The New Super Mario Bros. Wii is fullof non-stop fun. It takes the classic SuperMario Bros to a whole another level of fun.This game is the classic Super Mario Bros.releases built into one. To those of you whoown a Wii system and have not played thisgame yet, just go out and buy the game. Asa huge Super Mario Bros. fan I recom-mended that you buy this game. You willnot be disappointed.



Jeremy Shum, Media & Promotions for Riot Rock Management &Stereo Dynamite Recordings, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, age 291. Did Adam and Eve have navels? Nope, but they did have pull-tabs.2. Do vegetarians eat animal crackers? Of course! It gets out their latent carnivore tendencies. Inter-estingly, animal crackers are made of vegans. 3. How fast do you have to go to keep up with the sun so you're never in darkness? Speed of light?Faster than a wood chuck could chuck? What am I - a scientist? Batman's a scientist!4. Does God believe there are atheists? You'll have to ask Lemmy yourself, but I would suspect hedoes. 5. If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done? You've fulfilled your destiny. Born to lose -Live to Win!

Barbara Flores, Multi-Media Consultant for the Carlsbad Current-Argus, Carlsbad New Mexico

1. Can you describe your life with a six word sentence? Here'smine: My heart continually expands in joy. Life is good when youare.2. If women ran the Pentagon, would missiles and submarines beshaped differently? No.3. You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build yourown society. Your make the rules. What is the first rule you put intoplace? Love thy neighbor.4. If the professor on Gilligan's Island can make a radio out of coconut, why can't he fix a hole in a boat? If he fixed the boat the showwould have been over in 30 minutes.5. If a turtle doesn't have a shell, is he homeless or naked? Both6. Did Noah have woodpeckers on the ark? if he did, where did he keep them? In a wooden cage.God would not the woodpecker peck wood.

Mardalyn Trocchio, Shallow Water, TX Age 10 Student1. Is your room clean or messy right now? Clean. Is it always? No. Do you clean it on your ownor does your mom ask you to? She asks me to. 2. Where did you go for your Birthday? For my 10th Birthday I went ot the mall and bought a mouse.Do you play with it? No, my dog killed it. His name was cotton and he lasted maybe a month. Do youmiss Cotton? No, he stunk. 3. What is your favorite type of fast food? Probably a burger from Circle Burger.

Angel Mata, Carlsbad, NM1. One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn onthelight to find that your are surrounded by MUMMIES. The mummies aren’t really doing anything, they’re just standing aroundyour bed. What do you do? Go for my gun. 2. An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice….So what’s it gonna be? The beer Outlaw3. Which would you choose, true love with a guarantee of a heartbreak or have never loved before? True Love.4. If a cow laughed, would milk come out of its nose? No5. Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are flat? Because we are too lazy to get up and put batteries in it.

Heather Mata, age 24, Carlsbad, NM 1. . If someone with a split personality threatens to commit suicide, is it a hostage situation? Yes2. Why doesn’t Tarzan have a beard? It would get stuck in a branch.3. If the temperature is zero outside today and it’s going to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold willit be? 200 degrees below zero4. How come Superman could stop bullets with his chest, but always ducked when someone threw agun at him? He might het his face scratched. 5. Does a one legged duck swim is circles? Yes

with

If he fixed the boat the show

Because we are too lazy to get up and put batteries in it. 5. Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are flat?

Heather Mata, 1. . If someone with a split personality threatens to commit suicide, is it a hostage situation? 2. Why doesn’t Tarzan have a beard? 3. If the temperature is zero outside today and it’s going to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold willit be? 4. How come Superman could stop bullets with his chest, but always ducked when someone threw agun at him?5. Does a one legged duck swim is circles?




Documents

urSmart Winter