ComplimentaryWinter 2016

THE ARTSSOARING SCULPTUREFROM BOOKS TO SKETCHES

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6 – SILVER CITYLIFE

Contentss WINTER 2016

On the cover:La Capilla at Sunrise“The Little Chapel”on the hill graces theskyline as the sunrises over Silver Cityon a Sunday morn-ing. Photo by Robert“Jaime” Ramirez.

22

26

32

Features12 Mike Trujillo. A 46 year banking career

that led him to the top by making it aboutthe people he works for and with.

14 Silke Schneider. A lady with horse sense and a sense of adventure – from the circus to the Australian Outback– and Silver City!

22 Shannone Rivera. A passionate advocatefor children has found her calling.

26 M. Fred Barraza. From Bookmobile to creating art, pursuing a lifelong passion for drawing and clay.

28 Doug O’Dell and Ryan Wenzel. Lifelong friends treat customers like family,giving them a reason to come back!

30 Sculptor Michael Metcalf Inspired by the rugged New Mexico landscape, WNMU professor’s sculpture reaches new heights.

32 1st New Mexico Bank. A true community bank with a down home feel, First New Mexico will make you feel welcome.

34 Brooke & Ray Cressler. Fate brought this nature loving musician and artist to Silver City via a Google search and Jumping Cactus Coffeehouse was born.

40 Gila Regional Medical Center. A Multi-Specialty Network has been estab-lished to expand access to primary careand specialty services to the community.

Departments10 Financial. Controlling your emotions to

avoid ill-advised investment decisions.

18 People Making a Difference. Whetherit’s providing professional real estate services or physical therapy here are a few individuals who are community-minded citizens.

24 Recycle. Turn bicycle tire inner tubes intofashionable tote bags.

25 Advertisers Index.

25 Winter Birding. The Common Black Hawkis an iconic southwestern riparian bird.

36 Out & About. Snapshots of recent local events.

38 Happy Endings. Local Vets share storiesof companionship after combat.

Terri MengesPresident & Managing Director

Joseph BurgessVice President & Photo Journalist

Arlyn CooleyStaff Accountant

Denise “Gabbie” DavenportMark Erickson

James Edd HughsEugene LewisMike Rowse

Christine L. SteeleJudy Wuthrich

Contributing Writers

Joe BurgessDenise “Gabbie” Davenport

Mark EricksonRobert “Jaime” Ramirez

Debra SuttonJudy Wuthrich

Dale ZimmermanContributing Photographers

Terri MengesYessica Nograro-Borquez

Debra SuttonDesigners

Denise “Gabbie” DavenportRobyn Hood

Mary-Catherine MeekRobert “Jaime” Ramirez

Advertising Sales

Special Thanks

Silver City Life is published bi-annually by Zia Publish-ing Corp. P.O. Box 1248, 116 McKinney Rd. (deliveriesonly), Silver City, NM 88062-1248 Phone: 575-388-4444,Fax: 575-534-3333 e-mail: info@ziapublishing.com Silver City Life Online: www.ziapublishing.com©Zia Publishing Corp., 2016. This issue of Silver City Life is copy-righted under the laws of the United States of America. All rightsreserved. Reproduction in whole or part without permission of thepublisher prohibited. For permission to use any portion of thispublication email: info@ziapublishing.com. All submissions of ed-itorial or photography are only accepted without risk to the pub-lisher for loss or damage. Every effort was made to ensureaccuracy in the information provided. The publisher assumes noresponsibility or liability for errors, changes or omissions.

SILVER CITYLIFE

CORRECTION: Silver City Life Summer2015: The Pinhole Resource website iswww.pinholeresource.com.

Tamera AhnerM. Fred Barraza

Paul CianoPatrick Conlan

Brooke & Ray CresslerMark Erickson

Tenisha FlowersHolley HudginsAshleigh GarciaRichard Griffin

Dr. J. Hal HopsonJames Edd Hughs

Brett KastenJoe KellermanScott Kennedy

Johnathan LeichtDani Maier

Michael MetcalfDr. Nicholas Mittica

Doug O’DellSean OrmandFrank Quarrell

Shannone RiveraSilke Schneider

Dr. John ShermanRosalee SirganySherry Terrazas

Suzanne ThomasMike Trujillo

Abe VillarrealRyan WenzelJulie White

Judy WuthrichMary Ybarra

haciendarealtysc.com | 575-388-1921 | 800-368-5632 | haciendarealty@cybermesa.com1628 Silver Heights Blvd. Silver City, NM 88061

YOU CAN TRUSTProfessional Service

Allow Us to Introduce You to Our Community

Our membership in the Silver City Multiple Listing Service gives you internet access to all properties for saleregion wide, including Silver City, Mimbres, Bayard, Santa Clara, Cliff, Tyrone, Grant County and more...We

can sell any property for sale in the Silver City New Mexico area, regardless of who the listing agent/broker is.Use our website to search all listed Homes and Properties for sale in the Silver City, NM area.

Residential, Commercial and Land

8 – SILVER CITYLIFE

Eugene Lewis began serious birding in easternKansas in the 1950s, eventually roaming the entirestate in his pursuit of the avian species. Upon re-tirement in 1991 he moved to Silver City, wherehe has continued his lifelong quest.

Denise “Gabbie” Davenport has found the per-fect balance working with Zia. If doing what youlove is the best work in the world, then she’sdoing it! She’s a relationship-builder and bringsboth academic degrees and personal passion toher work. Her ‘gift of gab’ invites you to shareyour love and tell your stories!

Mark Erickson has shot just about everything inhis 50-plus years of photographing Silver City.One fabulous memory is photographing the fa-mous golfer Billy Casper when he returned toGrant County to put on the benefit Billy CasperClassic for many years. “Mr. Casper autographedevery image as well as caps and golf balls. He wasa great fellow,” Mark says.

Robert “Jaime”Ramirez, Zia Pub-lishing’s new seniorphotographer andNew Mexico salesmanager, earned aBFA in Art with anAA in Graphic De-sign this springfrom WNMU. Hebelieves that “ifyou have a visionand a strong urgeto share it, it’smerely a matter oftime and hard workto find a way to ex-press yourself.”

Call to schedule a pickup (575) 534-9727704 W. Market St. Silver City, NMOpen Wed-Fri 1-4pm & Sat 9am-1pm

Did you know?

is a non-profit organization.100% of ReStore proceeds gotowards building affordablehomes in Grant County. ReStoreruns strictly on donations given tous by the community. ReStore is agiant recycling center. Itemsdonated to the ReStore are re-sold,re-purposed, and recycled. ReStoresaves TONS of unwanted items fromentering the landfill all year long.Please help us in our efforts torecycle. Bring your useable itemsto the ReStore first, not thelandfill.

We Accept: Furniture, Hardware, Appliances, Household Items.

Shop! Donate! Volunteer!

Miss a Day, Miss a Deal!

The more you donate the more homes Habitat is able to build.

Contributors

Mon - Sat 7am - 6pm • Sun 8am - 3pm

601 N. Bullard, Suite A • Silver City, NM • 575.534.9229

SILVER CITYLIFE – 9

Judy Wuthrich is a local cosmetologist. Her interests include writing, photography, creatingdolls, making jewelry from recycled material andsupporting the ethical treatment of animals. Shelives in Silver City with her dog Gizelle.

Boston born and raised, Christine Steele fell inlove with the Southwest and calls Silver City her“adopted home town.” She’s been telling mostlytrue stories since she was a chubby grade schoolkid. She turned to journalism as way to getthrough college and her divorce in 2003. She’s ad-dicted to road trips, Western skies, and goodgreen chile anything.

Dr. Dale A. Zimmerman isan ornithologist,botanist, natu-ralist and Pro-fessor Emeritusof Biology atWNMU, wherehe taught for 31years. He is alsoa recognizedbird illustrator,nature photog-rapher and au-thor with fieldexperience onevery continent.

Mike Rowse born in Silver City, Mike and wife,Linda met as students at WNMU. Careers tookthem around the western U.S. but they returnedhome in 2001 to run KSCQ radio. Their two daugh-ters worked in the business making a true familyaffair. Mike is now with Farm Bureau insurance.

10 – SILVER CITYLIFE

FINANCIAL FOCUS

AvoidEMOTIONAL InvestmentDecisions COURTESY OF JAMES EDD HUGHSAT EDWARD JONES®

What’s the biggest obstacle to your ability toinvest successfully? Is it the ups and downs ofthe financial markets? Political events? Thefact that you weren’t born rich? Actually, thechief hurdle you face is something over whichyou have control: your own emotions.Your emotions can lead to a variety of ill-ad-vised investment behaviors, such as these:• Cutting losses. Declines in the financialmarkets can lead some investors to try to “cuttheir losses” by selling investments whoseprice has declined. Yet, when prices havedropped, it may actually be a good time to buyinvestments, not sell them, especially whenthe investments are still fundamentally sound. • Chasing performance. In the investmentworld, the flip side of “fear” is “greed.” Justas some investors are propelled by fear ofloss, others are motivated by quick, biggains. They may pursue “hot” investments,only to be disappointed when the sizzlequickly fizzles. Instead of trying to “score”that one big winner, you may be better offspreading your investment dollars among arange of vehicles – stocks, bonds, govern-ment securities, certificates of deposit (CDs)and so on. While diversification can’t guar-antee a profit or protect against loss, it mayhelp reduce the impact of market volatilityon your portfolio. • Focusing on the short term. When themarket is down, you might get somewhatupset when you view your monthly invest-ment statements. But any individual state-ment is just a snapshot in time; if you were tochart your investment results over a period of10, 15 or 20 years, you’d see the true picture

SILVER CITYLIFE – 11

of how your portfolio is doing – and, in alllikelihood, that picture would look better thana statement or two you received during adown market. In any case, don’t overreact toshort-term downturns by making hasty “buy”or “sell” decisions. Instead, stick with a long-term strategy that’s appropriate for yourgoals, risk tolerance and time horizon. • Heading to the investment “sidelines”.Some people get so frustrated over marketvolatility that they throw up their hands andhead to the investment “sidelines” until“things calm down.” And it’s certainly truethat, when owning stocks, there are no guar-antees; you do risk losing some, or all, ofyour investment. But if you jump in and out ofthe market to “escape“ volatility, you maytake on an even bigger risk – the risk of los-ing some of the growth you’ll need to reachyour goals. Consider this: If you had invested$10,000 in a package of stocks mimickingthe S&P 500 in December 1979, your invest-ment would have grown to more than$426,000 by December 2013. But if you hadmissed just the 10 best days of the marketduring that time, your $10,000 would onlyhave grown to less than $206,000 – a differ-ence of about $220,000, according to NedDavis Research, a leading investment re-search organization. The bottom line? Stay-ing invested over the long term can pay off.(Keep in mind, though, that the S&P 500 isan unmanaged index and isn’t meant to de-pict an actual investment. Also, as you’ve nodoubt heard, past performance is not a guar-antee of future results.)

Our emotions are useful in guiding usthrough many aspects of our lives, but whenyou invest, you’re better off using your head– and not your heart.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use byyour local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.Copyright © 2014 Edward Jones. All rights reserved.Member SIPC.This site is designed for U.S. residents only. The serv-ices offered within this site are available exclusivelythrough our U.S. financial advisors. Edward Jones'U.S. financial advisors may only conduct business withresidents of the states for which they are properly reg-istered. Please note that not all of the investments andservices mentioned are available in every state.

James Edd Hughs, AAMS®

Financial Advisor

210 Hwy. 180 W, Suite 100 Silver City, NM 88061 (575) 534-1221 www.edwardjones.com

Mike Trujillo“There is nothing likeworking for and with people you know.”

WRITTEN BY MIKE ROWSEPHOTOGRAPHED BY ROBERT “JAIME” RAMIREZ

Shortly after graduating from New MexicoState University, Mike moved to Los Angelesto work at Cal Fed Bank as part of a manage-ment trainee program. While the experiencecemented his desire to pursue a career inbanking, it also made him realize that big citylife was not for him. It might have been thatthe outdoor lifestyle he loved was so far awayor maybe it was all of the people, but he andhis wife Taffy knew they didn’t want to raisea family there.

After being called to active duty and serv-ing in Vietnam, Mike returned to southernNM taking a job with Deming Federal. Sixmonths later, he was transferred to the branchin Silver City and he’s never given seriousconsideration to leaving our town again.

Mike has seen a lot of changes since then,mostly in the signs on the door. From Dem-ing Federal to Home Federal to Sun WestBank to Boatman’s to; well you get the idea.Mike watched the hometown banker getpushed aside by the corporate banks. He re-calls having to explain to some faceless cor-porate number cruncher what green chile isand why he had to go out and count arancher’s cows. Darn city slickers.

When an opportunity came to join a new,locally owned bank, Mike gladly made the leapto AmBank leaving ‘corporate’ banking behind.There is nothing like working for and with peo-ple you know. There’s so much more to bank-ing than just numbers, it’s about the people andknowing them that makes it rewarding.

When you walk into Mike’s corner officeit’s apparent right away that Mike’s focus isn’tabout the career accomplishments, it’s abouthis family, his community, and his hobbies.There are pictures of his three kids and threegrandkids everywhere. The drawings and stat-ues represent the diversity of our Southwest-ern culture. Some of his hunting trophiesadorn the wall as well.

Change never stops and a year ago, Am-bank became First American Bank. This was-n’t another corporate bank, FAB is acommunity oriented bank that has beenaround since 1903. The transition has beeneasier than some Mike experienced because oftheir focus on community.

After 46 years, Mike will soon retire. Ofcourse he’ll play tennis, hunt and spend timewith family, after he cleans out his garage.Oh the retired life! They will definitely stayin Silver City!

SILVER CITYLIFE – 13

C at h ry n L .WAL L AC E

W i l l i a m J .P E R K I N S

DAN I E L B .D i et z e l

D av i d M .L o p e z

Auto • Boat • Home • Bonds

Business • Motorcycle

Mobile Home • Contractors

Worker Compensation

Corner of 19th & Swan • Silver City, NMca rson@zianet.com

www.CarsonInsuranceAgency.com 575-538-3787Bob and Alma Carson, Owners / Agents

Better Homes an Gardens is a registered of Meredith corporation licensedto Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC.Equal Opportunity Employer.Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Better Homes and Gardens Real EstateFranchise is Independently Owned and Operated.

A new home?We just found ours!

Patrick Conlin, Broker/Owner

120 E. 11th St. • Silver City 575-538-04042991 Hwy. 35 • Mimbres 575-574-8798

Silver City Properties joins the Better Homes andGardens Real Estate Family

www.bettersilvercity.comKaren@bettersilvercity.com

Silke SchneiderAdventures from Hamburg to Silver City

14 – SILVER CITYLIFE

hat better adventure after high school could there be than to run off with a circusleading two Lippizan horses and a pony. At eighteen, in Hamburg, Germany, Silke

Schneider had joined the American Circus as an elephant rider and it was just in time,her acceptance letter to the University of Hanover was in the mail. Even though it was

named the American Circus, it was owned by Italians but the trucks had American license plates and the tents were decorated with stars and stripes-all part of the show. Silke movedfrom elephants to working with the Lippizans, descendants of Spanish horses. When she laterstarted working with the Wilbur-Cruce horses years later she discovered that they, like their cousinsthe Lippizans, were athletic, people loving, and had the same big heart. In Santa Fe, New Mexico,another adventure was about to begin.

In the early 1980s on her gray Arab horse “Samir”, she explored two of the famous historic cow-boy trails: The Santa Fe Trail from Santa Fe to Dodge City and the Chisholm Trail from Dodge Cityto Fort Worth. 1200 miles in seven weeks. Having arrived at the Caravan of Dreams Performing Arts Center in Fort Worth at High Noon on the day of their grand opening she andthe wagon master were paid their expenses as part of the challenge.

The Next AdventureSilke then accepted an offer to work at a 300,000 acre open range cattle and horse station in West-

ern Australia. She states that most of the fences washed away during the floods so it took weeks ofdaily long hours in the saddle to bring in the semi-wild horses (mostly WILD) in the vast outbackof Western Australia. Magical colors at sunset and dawn…every day was worth a lifetime, every daya new adventure! The animals, plants, and nature all around were her friends.

Her job as a jillaroo (cowgirl) was to move the 35 or so workhorses that had been selected fromcamp to camp over the next three to four months. Every morning just before sunrise, about twelveAboriginal stockmen, the station manager and a couple of jillaroos would ride out to round up, ormuster, as they say in Australia. The Aboriginal stockmen would come through with a round of ap-plause and lots of laughter when another young cowboy would stay on his horse…or had fallen off.

The outback station work led her back to the USA where she accepted an offer to work as AnimalSystems Manager for the Biosphere II project in the Catalina Mountains near Tucson, Arizona.

opposite: Silke with Juanita.

REWRITTEN FOR SILVER CITY LIFE ANDPHOTOGRAPHS BY MARK ERICKSON

W

16 – SILVER CITYLIFE

While working on the design, construction,and daily operation of the prototype animalproduction system, she met the AmericanLivestock Breeds Conservancy when she wasdesperately trying to find chickens that couldstill scratch for worms and hatch their ownyoung. Fortunately the American LivestockBreeds Conservancy had been working since1977 to preserve the old breeds unique toNorth America. So when the Conservancyrescued the Wilbur-Cruce Spanish Barb herdin 1990, there was another crossing of trails.

In the mid 90s Silke graduated from theUniversity of Arizona with a BS in AnimalSciences and started to work with the non-profit Drylands Institute as Research Associ-ate and Director of Desert Rare Breeds,preserving heritage breeds of livestock andpoultry adapted to arid lands. In this bookSilke gives the history of the Spanish Barbsand the historical significance of the Arizonaherd. She formed Heritage Breeds Southwestin 1998, is on the Board of Directors of RareBreeds International as well as being a fullmember of the Longriders Guild and the sec-retary of the Spanish Barb Horse Association.In February of 2004, she was elected a Fel-low of the Royal Geographical Society.

Silke is currently an elementary teacherin Silver City, New Mexico and lives with herpartner botanist Richard Felger.

.................Information about Silke Schneider has been takenfrom her personal biography and Arizona’s SpanishBarbs by Silke Schneider, Outskirts Press, DenverColorado. ISBN-10:1-59800-849-4 who kindlygave permission to use material from the book.

above: Lucy.

My Real Estate Company

Sales � Property Management � Home Staging

“Experience Matters”

Rosalee SirganyAssociate Broker

Paul J. CianoBroker/Owner

Former Realtor of the YearHelping People with

Real Estate since 1995

575-388-1449524 Silver Heights Blvd. � Silver City, NM 88061

Search Listings, Rentals & the MLS at www.PaulSilverCity.com

VETERAN OWNED & OPERATED

Sanitized, ADA-Compliant Portable Restrooms and Hand-Wash Stations for short or long term construction and special event rentals.Locally owned, licensed, insured, and certified by the National Association of Wastewater Transporters, Inc.

Our professional technicians have been serving Silver City, Grant and Hidalgo

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575.597.0206Mike.Rowse@fbfs.com

215 W. College Ave.Silver City, NM 88061

SILVER CITYLIFE – 17

WRITTEN BY CHRISTINE L. STEELEPHOTO COURTESY JUDY WUTHRICH

Most people in Silver City knew Linda KayJones as accomplished businesswoman andeconomic development leader, but few knewher as intimately as her longtime cosmetolo-gist, Judy Wuthrich. “I saw Linda go fromrags to riches, but she was always a genuineperson,” said Judy. “Even with the money,she was still a down home type of girl.”

Linda Kay loved her family and often talkedabout her four grown children and what theywere doing. She also had a talent for enter-taining. “She was such a busy person but shealways made me laugh because as busy asshe was she would have 20 people over fordinner and that was her way of unwindingand relaxing,” said Judy.

Linda Kay had a passion for cooking andeven went to Italy to take a cooking class.“She would always be dying to try her latestrecipes out on a new crowd and the crowdwould always be willing because she was anawesome cook!”

When Dr. Joseph Shepherd became pres-ident of WNMU, Linda Kay hosted a dinnerfor 50 women, reaching out her welcominghand to help introduce Dr. Shepard’s wifeMarcela to the community.

And even as she battled the cancer thateventually took her, she always looked fabu-lous. “That’s something she always paid atten-tion to, style and detail,” Judy said. “She wasalways so strong and overcame everything thatwas presented to her,” Judy said. “Nothingwas going to keep her down. But even thoughshe was a powerful business woman, she wastruly a warm and genuine person.”

Linda Kay Jones

Chuck Johnson, Agent

#1 Ranch Club Road • Silver City, NM 88061Bus: 575.538.5321 • 888.616.0884 • Cell: 575.590.7746

chuck.johnson.b7i7@statefarm.com

LIKE A GOOD NEIGHBOR STATE FARM IS THERE. Providing Insurance and Financial Services statefarm.com

State Farm Fire and Casualty Company • Home Office … Bloomington, Illinois

See me for Car and Home Insurance and save.

www.LotusCenterSC.com211 W. Broadway

Silver City575.388.4647

YOGA • MOVEMENT • MEDITATION

510 N. BULLARD • 575.538.8722DianesRestaurant.com • dianesrestaurant@gmail .com

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Patrick ConlinBetter Homes & Gardens Real Estate

WRITTEN BY CHRISTINE L. STEELEPHOTOGRAPH BY ROBERT “JAIME” RAMIREZ

Drawn to Silver City for its artist community, lower cost of living and slower,relaxed pace, Patrick Conlin launched his real estate career shortly after buyinghis first home here. “I had just sold a home in Seattle and bought a home here and I enjoyed that

process,” he related. “I knew one person who lived here at the time,” Patrick said of his new com-

munity. “I found it to be a welcoming, diverse community that had a lot to offerfor a town of its size.”Patrick started selling real estate in Silver City and the surrounding area in

2000 and five years later founded his own firm, Prudential Silver City Properties.“We had a ten year contract with Prudential Real Estate and and when that

contract was up we looked at other options. Better Homes and Gardens Real Es-tate approached me and they seemed to be a good fit,” he said. “It’s a small butgrowing franchise, and a name that has been around since the 1920s from themagazine. It’s a fresh, new reinvented franchise that is very consumer focusedand offers a lot of technology.” The newly named Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Silver City marries

the brand’s warmth and style with Patrick’s passion for and knowledge of the Sil-ver City market. One of the nice touches Patrick and his team of affiliated real estate professionals

offer their clients to welcome them to their new home is a gift subscription to Bet-ter Homes and Gardens magazine. For someone who had never sold real estate before he moved to Silver City,

Patrick rose to the top by following a few simple rules. “I work hard, I give good service and live by the golden rule to treat others

the way I want to be treated,” he said. His knowledge of the market and directness have made him stand out. “I’m a numbers person so I’m constantly analyzing stats,” he explained. “I

have a really good handle on the market and, I’m honest. I don’t sugar coatthings.” That combination of knowledge, customer service and hard work helped make

him the #1 producing broker (53 transactions) in Silver City in 2014, according to theSilver City Association of Realtors. Whether you are a longtime Silver City resident looking for your new home

or a newcomer looking to make the Silver City region your new home, Patrickand his team of professionals can help you find the perfect fit for your person-ality and budget. From their Silver City office at 120 E. 11th St., housed in a historic 1880s adobe

house or their rural office in the Mimbres Valley, Better Homes and Gardens RealEstate Silver City serves all of Grant, Catron, Hidalgo and Luna Counties. “We are excited to be affiliated with a new brand,” Patrick said. “Our affilia-

tion with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate truly elevates us to Silver City’slifestyle real estate brokerage firm. The many tools and resources that comewith the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate affiliation will help us bettermeet the growing needs of the homebuyers and sellers we serve. http://www.bettersilvercity.com

SILVER CITYLIFE – 19

20 – SILVER CITYLIFE

Paul fell in love with Silver City the first time he visited and he has made it his home for twenty-eight years.His professional experience spans the continuum, and while it could have begun with his twenty-nine yearcareer in the military, it was more probable that it began at the tender age of 13 when he started playingguitar! He was a Private Investigator and a Security Consultant. Upon arrival in Silver City, he owned anewspaper publication and then began his real estate career. His motto is “Helping People with Real Es-tate since 1995”. He had been doing it a long time and decided to open My Real Estate Company in Julyof 2013 in partnership with his wife, Rosalee, who is an author, Associate Broker and home stager. She isalso the greatest source of his healing.

There’s a risk to go into business for yourself. Any business owner will attest to that. There’s a lot at stake,a lot to lose. There’s also a lot to gain. When it comes to your life, however, the odds are a bit different. Theycan change in a matter of minutes and it changes everything. When that happens, we see what it meansto be a local resident in a small community. We see what it looks like when someone we know and love ishurting. We watch as friends come forward to help and family members take over our office because we’reat the hospital for days that turn into weeks that turn into months. Such has been Paul and Rosalee’s jour-ney this past year. They are a married couple that is a team, in real estate and in life. They have credentials,they have experience and they have integrity. They also have love…and they’re beating the odds!

Paul fell in love with Silver City the first time he visited and he has made it his home for twenty-eight years.His professional experience spans the continuum, and while it could have begun with his twenty-nine yearcareer in the military it was more probable that it began at the tender age of 13 when he started playing

Paul Ciano & Rosalee SirganyMy Real Estate Company

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY DENISE DAVENPORT

SILVER CITYLIFE – 21

On 11th Street, tucked in between two historic homes, is a quaintbuilding called Desert Springs Physical Therapy. Suzanne ThomasGraves got her start as a lab technician while serving in the Army Re-serves. She became a commissioned officer after graduating with herMaster’s in physical therapy.

Suzanne moved to Silver City to manage Millennium Physical Ther-apy, later buying the practice and renaming it Desert Springs Physi-cal Therapy. She keeps up with changes in the field by constantlytraining and learning new techniques. For the past 16 years, she hasmentored students from Western New Mexico University who arepursuing careers in medicine and physical therapy. She also serves asa clinical instructor for doctoral and Physical Therapy Assistant stu-dents at University of New Mexico and the Pima Medical Institute.

“I give students the opportunity to get hands on experience andteach them manual therapy techniques which helps enrich their class-room learning,” she explained. “Our mission statement is ‘Caringpeople, caring for people. The environment I like to foster is “Teammembers play nice in the sandbox.”

One of Suzanne’s goals is to help prepare students for their pro-fessional life after graduation. Recently, one of those former students, Alexi Charter, returned to join Suzanne’s practiceafter graduating from UNM with her Doctorate in Physical Therapy.

In 2006, Suzanne heeded the call to return to the military andclosed her practice to serve as Chief Assistant of the Physical Ther-apy Program at Reynolds Army Community Hospital in Fort Sill, Okla-homa. She returned to Silver City the following year and reopenedDesert Springs Physical Therapy.

For the past four years, she has been the title sponsor of the GilaMonster Gran Fondo, a fundraiser for the Tour of the Gila.

No longer in the military, Suzanne retired as a Major in 2011. Out-side work, she enjoys rock hounding, gardening, cycling and hikingsome of the Gila’s less traveled trails. Her latest project includes help-ing her husband Allen and stepson Wyatt restore a 1982 Camaro In-dianapolis 500 Pace Car.

Suzanne Thomas GravesDesert Springs Physical Therapy

WRITTEN BY ROBERT “JAIME” RAMIREZ AND CHRISTINE L. STEELEPHOTOGRAPH BY ROBERT “JAIME” RAMIREZ

Shannon RiveraWNMU Early Childhood Programs

WRITTEN BY MIKE ROWSE I PHOTOGRAPH BY ROBERT “JAIME” RAMIREZ

Ask someone what they do fora living, if you see their eyesshine and smile come across herface, you know she’s found hercalling. Shannon Rivera, Execu-tive Director of the nationallyrecognized Early Childhood Pro-gram at WNMU is one of thelucky people to have found her-self in an occupation she loves,living in a place she loves, andhelping create the futures of ourchildren and our community.

T

SILVER CITYLIFE – 23

he road to Silver City anda career in education was-

n’t necessarily planned but sheset out on that path early in life.At the age of 11, Shannon beganreading ‘The Babysitter Club’ se-ries of books. Following thatlead, she began babysitting.

Soon she was taking care of the children ofseveral families on a regular basis and sheloved it.

During her junior year in high school, shepaid a visit to her uncle, Bill Winkley, in SilverCity. The sun, the fresh air, the outdoor activ-ities, and the diversity caused her to fall in lovewith the town. Shannon and her mom movedto Silver after graduation. She soon realizedthat she needed an education to provide forherself and her kids. It was tough for a singlemom, but Shannon took advantage of theEarly Childhood Education program atWNMU and obtained her associate’s degree.

Much of what she learned in the educa-tional process reaffirmed what she knew frombeing a parent, a babysitter, and a nanny.Shannon’s varied path continued after gettinga degree in elementary education. Life tookher down a winding road with stops as akindergarten teacher, home daycare owner,early intervention counselor, adjunct profes-sor. One thing was constant, Shannon con-tinued to combine her education andpractical experience to help children and par-ents improve their lives.

In her current position, Shannon inheritsa program that is nationally recognized as aleader in early childhood education. TheFirst Born Program was instrumental in encouraging Shannon to pursue her educa-tion in Early Childhood Education. Gover-nor Martinez recently appointed Rivera tothe newly established Early Learning Advi-sory Council which will advise the Governorand legislators on programs and issues af-fecting early learning in children.

Shannon can’t imagine being in anotherplace. She and her husband Steve have 5 kidsbetween them. Isaiah, Joseph, Jacob, James,and Julia. They are all active and love the out-doors, taking advantage of the recreationalopportunities in the area. One thing is cer-tain, the children of Grant County and NMhave a passionate and caring advocate work-ing on their behalf.

T

24 – SILVER CITYLIFE

New Mexico is called the Land of Enchantment becauseof its beautiful mountains and desert landscapes. The desert

can be a bit prickly though as some of our cactus are called ‘pricklypear.’ We also have the plant called the goat head that can make bicycling andjust plain walking a pain. After fixing holes in your bicycle inner tubes severaltimes from riding through a blanket of goat heads, you may pronounce the innertube irreparable. After awhile you get a stockpile of unusable inner tubes so whynot turn them into fashion items.

To make the purse shown here, you’ll need inner tubes, a sewing machineequipped with a leather needle, blue painters tape, thread, fabric for the lining,scissors, pins and any other paraphernalia you may want to add to your purse.You may use a pattern but I created this purse freeform. The bicycle tube is notall that wide so I cut the width of my purse 6 times so I could sew 3 sections to-gether and then the other 3 sections together making each section about 1 footby 1 foot. I used another strip to run down the sides and bottom. To sew theinner tube sections, I used blue painters tape to secure the seams; top and un-derneath, to keep the sections from slipping as you sew and to help the presserfoot on the sewing machine slide better. Using each section as a pattern; cut outthe lining fabric leaving a little extra on the top edge to be folded over the edge.Sew the side and bottom section of the purse to the front and back sections.Use the same method for the lining. Put the lining into the purse and fold the topsection over the edge of the purse and sew the lining to the purse. I used pinsto keep it in place on this part. To jazz up my purse, I cut left over parts of innertube and constructed a flower. For the handle, I used stripped bike gears dippedin melted ultra thick embossing powder and sewed them on.

GreatGreenProject

Try This

BY JUDY WUTHRICH

just ptimestube inot tu

ToToTequipscissoYoYoY u mall thagetheby 1 finnerdernefoot othe linSew tUse thsectio

Bike TireFlats into

Fashion

top: Inner tube cut lengthwise, cut intosections and then sewn together.above: Blue tape holds the seams to-gether for sewing.

SILVER CITYLIFE – 25

WRITTEN BY GENE LEWIS PHOTO BY DALE & MARIAN ZIMMERMAN

In the Summer 2015 issue of Silver City Life, the story I wrote had the themeof black birds. I will continue with birds that are black and that may or may nothave black as part of their names. The first I will mention is the Common Black-hawk which nests in this part of New Mexico and has been found nesting alongSan Vicente Creek. It is also found in the summer at Mangas Springs and alongthe Gila River. Since they like to grab things like crayfish and other such things theystay close to water much of the time. I suppose they wouldn’t mind something elseonce in awhile. Also here in the summer is the Zone-tailed Hawk. It is black butwithout black in its name and can be confused with the Common Black-hawk if youaren’t careful.Common around here, again in the summer, is the Turkey Vulture and it is black,

of course. There is a Black Vulture but I have never seen it in New Mexico, con-sidering it has had only two confirmed sightings in the state. I have seen them inArizona and Texas but why don’t they come to our state? I wish I knew. Two kindsof cormorants can be seen around here, always around water. The Double-crestedis the most common, and nests in this area, but the Neotropic Cormorant can behere as well. Careful attention to their heads and length of the tail can help tellthem apart. If they are together the Neotropic is the smaller of the two.If you were to go to Bill Evans Lake or Lake Roberts you would doubtless see

American Coots swimming not far away any time of the year but especially in win-ter. I will mention Black Tern even though it is uncommon here. I have seen thembut not often, and usually not in its black breeding plumage. And that brings up aquestion that has bothered me for a long time. Why put black in a name of it isn’tblack all the time. Or what about those birds where the male is black but the fe-male is some other color? The latter seems to be sexual discrimination. Of course,when birds were named probably 150 years ago, that term didn’t exist.A final bird that has black also has a white head and tail of all things. Of course

it could only be our national emblem, the Bald Eagle. They can be seen in our area.Just try Bear Canyon Lake or Lake Roberts in the winter. Happy Birding!

Birding

The Common Black Hawk. This iconic southwestern riparian bird photo was shot on Kodachrome filmalong the Gila River near Cliff, by Marian and Dale Zimmerman on June 15, 1969!

Winter 2016Index of AdvertisersAdvanced Veterinary Care . . .38American Dental Care . . . . .S53American Legion . . . . . . .38,S41Angelwings Home Care . . . .S57Azurite Gallery . . . . . . . . . . .S27Bayard Mercantile . . . . . . . .S25Bear Creek Motel & Cabins . S13Bear Mountain Lodge . . . . . .S13Better Homes & Gardens

Real Estate Silver City . .13,S9Big O Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29Blackwell’s Antiques & Gifts . S24Bright Funeral Home . . . . . . . . .23By Pass Self Storage . . . . . . . . .29Carson Insurance Agency . . . .13Casitas de Gila Guesthouses . S37Cassie Health Center

for Women . . . . . . . . . . .3,S61CATS - Community Access

Television of Silver City . . .S15City Cuts Barbershop . . . . . .S35Dandelion Wish . . . . . . . . . .S25Deming Luna County

Chamber of Commerce . . .S49Deming Luna

Mimbres Museum . . . . . . S49Desert Springs

Physical Therapy . . . . . . . . . . .2Diane’s Bakery . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Diane’s Restaurant . . . . . . . . .17Edward Jones-

James Edd Hughs . . . . . . . .10Enriquez Wealth Management

of Raymond James . . . . . .S49Farm Bureau Financial Services

Mike Rowse . . . . . . . . . . . . .16Farm Bureau Financial Services

Susan Sumrall . . . . . . . . . .S41Farmacia Express . . . . . . . . . .53Finn’s Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . .S26First New Mexico Bank . . . . . .33Furniture Gallery . . . . . . . . . .S47Gila Eyecare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Gila Hike & Bike . . . . . . . . . .S24Gila Cardiology . . . . . . . . . . .S61Gila Family Medicine . . . . . .S61Gila Interventional Pain

Management . . . . . . . . . . .S61Gila Regional Medical

Center . . . . . . . .41,48,S59,S61Gila Surgical Services . . . . . .S61Griffin’s Propane/

Fuel Centers Plus . . . . . . . . .35Grinder Mill, The . . . . . . . . . .S21Habitat for Humanity

ReStore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Hacienda Realty . . . . . . . . . . . .7Hang “EM” High . . . . . . . . . .S24Hester House Candy & Gifts .S25HMS Hidalgo Medical

Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47Holiday Inn Express-

Silver City . . . . . . . . . . . . . S11Horizon Home Health . . . . . . .43Horizon Hospice . . . . . . . . . . .43Humphrey’s Enterprises, Inc. . .16Infinity Hair & Nail Salon . . .S35J & S Plumbing & Heating . .S13

Javalina Coffee House . . . . .S15La Mexicana Restaurant . . . . .35Laws & Co., LLC . . . . . . . . . . S19Life Quest New Mexico . . . .S57Living Harvest Bakery . . . . . .S45Lois Duffy Studio . . . . . . . . .S26Lopez, Dietzel & Perkins, P.C. . 13Lotus Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17Manzanita Ridge . . . . . . . . . .S24Manzano’s RV Park . . . . . . . .S11Melinda’s Medical Supply . . .43Millie’s Assisted Living

Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Millie’s Bake House . . . . . . .S17Mimbres Region Arts Council .S21Mirror Mirage . . . . . . . . . . . .S35Mis Amigos Pet Care Center S41Molly Ramolla Gallery . . . . .S27My Real Estate Company . . . .16Original Prints & Drawings . .S27Rage Hairstudio, The . . . . . .S35RE/MAX Silver Advantage . . .23Rose’s Place . . . . . . . . . . . . .S35Seedboat Center for

the Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S26Sherman Dental . . . . . . . . . . . .5Silver City Care Center . . . . . .45Silver City Food Co-op . . . . . S17Silver City Floral . . . . . . . . . .S24Silver City Grant County

Chamber of Commerce . . . S47Silver City MainStreet Project .S15Silver City Museum Store . .S17Silver Trailer &

Truck Accessories . . . . . . . .S9Soul River Studio . . . . . . . . .S26State Farm Insurance -

Chuck Johnson . . . . . . . . . .17State Farm Insurance -

Jon Saari . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35Stone McGee & Co. CPA’s . .S41Structure Metal Roofing . . . .S47Super Salve Co. . . . . . . . . . .S57Syzygy Tileworks . . . . . . . . . .S24The Marketplace . . . . . . . . . .S25The Pink Store . . . . . . . . . . . .S53Three Questions

Coffee House . . . . . . . . . . .S45Tree Spirit Gallery . . . . . . . . .S26Tres Amigos . . . . . . . . . . . . .S37United Country

Mimbres Realty . . . . . . . .S19UPS Store, The . . . . . . . . . . .S11Victoria Chick-Cow Trail

Art Studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S27 Victoria J. West . . . . . . . . . .S27Walk for The Heroes . . . . . . .S41Western New Mexico

University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Western New Mexico

University Museum . . . . . .SC4Western Stationers

and Office Supply . . . . . . .S25Whitewater Motel . . . . . . . .S37Windows, Etc. . . . . . . . . . . . .S19XYZ Ranch Estates . . . . . . . . . .4Yoya’s Bar & Grill, Market,

Station & Car Wash . . . . . . .S2

26 – SILVER CITYLIFE

Fred relates that he took an early interest in art when living at Fort Bayard and Santa Clarawhere he would go down into the creek and make pots and clay reliefs from the clay that hefound there. He also felt the need to draw all of the time.

During his first year in the Marine Corps he was doing a lot of drawing for fellow soldiersand was approached by a Lieutenant who told him that he’d seen a lot of his artwork andwondered if you would like to be a Marine Corps artist. They would have to discuss this situ-ation with the battalion commander though. Unfortunately he was told that the battalion wasstretched too thin and that it wasn’t going to happen. Fred then decided to either think aboutreenlisting as a Marine Corps artist or to leave the service and go to college. He attendedWNMU and needed a day job to help him buy materials such as an etching press and othernecessities. That day job was with the NM State Library’s Rural Bookmobile Southwest. Hefigured he would stay with the State Library Rural Bookmobile for five years and then becomea starving artist. This turned into twenty-five years of service, with 22 of those years as the Director, and he finally retired in 2008 and began teaching at Western in 2009. He taught forfive and a half years and is now pursuing art in his studio in Arenas Valley. His influences atWNMU were Cecil Howard, Dorothy McCray, Claude Smith and Ruben Gonzalez. He has beenpainting and illustrating and providing the artwork in a new children’s book: Sand Dune Daisy:A Pocket Mouse Tale by Lili DeBarbieri. He also states that he wants to do more sculpturewhich requires a large block of time. He says he will miss the interaction with the students butis now free to pursue his art full time. We’re looking forward to seeing his new work.

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARK ERICKSONWRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARK ERICKSON

M. Fred BarrazaLife After the Bookmobile

28 – SILVER CITYLIFE

Doug O’Dell andRyan Wenzel

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY DENISE “GABBIE”DAVENPORT

When lifelong friendships transform into business partnerships, it’s no surprise that customers of the Silver City Big Oare treated like they’re family. Doug and Ryan grew up together in Silver City. After eight years in the Army, Doug returnedhome and began his employment with Big O, where he spent sixteen years. Three years ago, he transitioned from employeeto co-owner, when he partnered with John and Dolly Wenzel and purchased the business. Ryan joined the business andtogether, they live the Big O motto of “The Team You Can Trust”.

Avid supporters of local businesses, organizations and activities, they put small-town heart into everything they do,whether it is running their business or raising their families. Many of you know John, Ryan’s father, who was the local vetat Arenas Valley Animal Clinic for several years. Ryan’s brother Cal, and his wife Megan, run the Deming Big O. Theyare lifelong residents who own and operate a local business with a big name. When you buy from Big O, you get a nationwide warranty. You also support local business, something this partnership values from the inside out.

Our Silver City Big O Tires is more than just tires! This past November, they celebrated the Grand Opening of their new

SILVER CITYLIFE – 29

location at 2716 32nd Street By-Pass. A full-serviceshop, the guys say it’s “Top to bottom, front toback…less the body.” In addition to tires, servicesinclude mechanical, lift-kits, shocks, struts, brakes,check-engine lights and alignments. Ted Martinezjoined the team as the glass expert, so glass and tint-ing is now added to the list.

Ryan says, “We honor the choices that our cus-tomers have and we give them a reason to comeback.” Big O offers you the choices; Doug, Ryanand their team’s service guarantees your return!

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30 – SILVER CITYLIFE

The ruggedness of the New Mexico landscape has left its imprint on Silver Citysculptor Michael Metcalf and his work hasleft its imprint on the land that inspired him.

A practicing sculptor in the WashingtonD.C. area when he was hired in 1995 toteach art and sculpture at Western NewMexico University, Michael was immediatelyenamored with the New Mexico landscape.Inspired by rocks, from grains of sand togiant boulders, he found the Land of Enchantment to be a sculptor’s delight.

“I grew up on the East Coast, where allthe rocks are covered by vegetation anddirt,” he said. On his way into Silver City,he stopped at The City of Rocks State Park,and was amazed by the giant, sculpturedrock formations created by a volcanic erup-tion and weathered over time.

“During my interview, Claude Smith toldme to drive the Inner Loop up to Pinos Altosand out to Mimbres and that was a reallyimportant tip for me,” he said. “The diver-sity of the landscape, nature and trees wasreally inspirational.”

SculptorMichael MetcalfWRITTEN BY CHRISTINE L. STEELEPHOTOGRAPHED BY ROBERT “JAIME” RAMIREZ

SILVER CITYLIFE – 31

uring his first two or three years in Silver City,Michael was focused on his teaching and reestab-lishing the sculpture studio at WNMU. Later, hegot involved with the Mimbres Region ArtsCouncil and became its president. “That really opened my eyes to the diversity of

art and culture that is in Silver City,” he said. “That’swhen I really got to see what the community had to offer.”

As a sculptor, Michael explores the juxtaposition of contrasting elements, com-bining stainless steel, bronze, stone and wood - sometimes on a grand scale - toform graceful pieces that connect the manmade with the natural.

In 2005, he beat out more than 100 applicants from across the nation whoanswered the call for submissions from the City of Albuquerque's Public ArtProgram with his piece “The Positive Energy of New Mexico.” The twin pieceseach feature three gently curving 30’ tall bronze spires that reach up in the NewMexico sky, gracefully encircled by sleek, stainless steel “energy forms” that riselike a fountain from a Gila National Forest boulder. The pair of sculptures standat either end of the I-40 and Louisiana Boulevard interchange, one of the busiestin Albuquerque, one flowing clockwise, the other counterclockwise.

In 2013, he earned another commission from Albuquerque Public Arts, beat-ing out many others with his work “Suspense,” in which a 1,260-pound gran-ite boulder from the Gila National Forest is suspended between two gracefullycurved 14-foot tall stainless steel spires by ten sleek, stainless steel curved tubes.It stands in front of the Bellamah Community Center in Albuquerque.

At his home in Silver City, where he is in the process of building a sculpture garden, Michael is currently working on his latest piece, a 9 ½ foot tall bronzeand stainless steel commission called “Icarus” for a private collection near An-thony, N.M. His work can be seen locally at the Seedboat Center for the Arts.

He is also currently serving as the chairman of the Expressive Arts Departmentat WNMU, where his students see him as a caring, approachable, hard-work-ing, hands-on professor willing to share his wealth of knowledge with them.

“Not only can he do, he can teach,” said recent BFA graduate Jaime Ramirez,who studied under him for the past four years. “If you ask him something, heknows it. He keeps on studying and keeps on learning. He went to Rome andFlorence to see the Davids and many other significant sculptures and he keepsexpanding his knowledge.”

In the summer of 2010, he expanded his cultural awareness lecturing aboutwestern sculpture and visited the major historic sites near Xi’an in China. “Ashumans, the major way we determine the quality of a past civilization is by an-alyzing the amount and quality of the art and architecture they created,” he ex-plained. “The Chinese dynasties are all over the map from Qin’s expansiveterracotta warriors to the reconstructed Buddhist Famen Temple destroyed byMao’s cultural revolution.”

“Students love him,” said Jaime. “He really cares about them and goes out ofhis way to help them find jobs, get scholarships and is always looking for op-portunities for them to stay in the community. He is always thinking aboutways to improve the program and the community. He wants WNMU and Sil-ver City to thrive.”

opposite: Michael working on Icarus, a com-missioned sculputre for a private collector.above, top: Positive Energy of New Mexico,fabricated bronze, stainless steel and granite29' x 20' x 20' located at I-40 on Louisiana Ave.in Albuquerque. above: Suspense, fabricatedstainless steel and granite 14’x 11’x4’ locatedat 11516 Summer Avenue NE Albuquerque.

D

32 – SILVER CITYLIFE

First New Mexico Bank’s roots in the community run deep. Chartered in Grant County in 1983 as First State Bank, thecharter was bought by First New Mexico Financial Corporation in 1990, and First New Mexico Bank of Silver City was born.The bank has retained its local charter to this day instead of becoming a branch of another bank, keeping with its philoso-phy of true community banking.

While the bank is celebrating 25 years of serving the community, its roots in Grant County stretch back a lot further thanthat. Founding directors Sam Weston - the bank’s first president - Dr. J. Hal Hopson, Murray Ryan, Charles Hamilton, BobKasten, and President Sean Ormand all have lifelong ties to the community, which make them uniquely qualified to servethe local area, along with current directors Frank Quarrell, Scott Kennedy, Brett Kasten, and Richard Griffin.

The bank has grown since its inception from $17 million in assets to over $106 million in assets today. In 2009, theyopened a second location with a drive through at 1110 N. Hudson St. The main branch remains at 1928 Highway 180 East.

Most of the bank’s two dozen employees also have deep ties to the community and have been with the bank for many years.“So, not only are we a locally chartered bank, most of our employees are local, home grown people,” said Senior Vice-Pres-

ident Donna Monzingo, who herself has been with the bank for nearly a decade.

Fi N M i B k’k’k i h i d Ch d i G C i 1983 Fi S B k h

1st New Mexico Bank

Celebrating

25Years

WRITTEN BY CHRISTINE L. STEELE I PHOTOGRAPHED BY JAIME RAMIREZ

SILVER CITYLIFE – 33

First New Mexico’s connection to thecommunity doesn’t stop with its people.They sponsor many Silver City events likethe Wild Wild West Pro Rodeo, whichthey have supported since the rodeo began,proudly taking on the role of title sponsorfour years ago. They also sponsor the Tourof the Gila Citizen’s Race and have doneso since its inception, and the bank and itsemployees have a long term partnershipwith the students and teachers at SixthStreet Elementary School. Through theirPartnership in Education, First New Mex-ico and its employees provide school sup-plies, coats and shoes, and sponsor theschool’s year end party. Employees donateto a Jean Fund to wear jeans on Fridaysand that money helps buy Christmas pres-ents for all the Sixth Street students.

“It’s our employees who make it possi-ble for the bank to support these greatkids,” explained President Sean Ormand.“We are making an investment in the fu-ture of our community.”

Sixth Street teachers and students deco-rate the Christmas tree in the mainbranch’s lobby with ornaments made bythe children, and every year, instead ofbuying stock Christmas cards, First NewMexico chooses one drawing from eachclass to be on a card and sends those to allof their customers.

First New Mexico Bank of Silver Cityalso supports the Jr. Livestock Sale at theGrant County Fair as well as the Hidalgoand Catron County Fairs. They hold a cus-tomer appreciation day each fall withmusic, food, raffles and giveaways and anopen house each December, with breakfastand lunch so employees can sit and visitwith their customers. First New Mexicoalso supports local Silver City charitable or-ganizations like Single Socks, a non-profit,community-run thrift store that funds anti-hunger projects in Grant County, and ElRefugio, the only local domestic violenceshelter in the county, founded the sameyear as First New Mexico Bank, demon-strating that First New Mexico is truly acommunity bank that cares about its cus-tomers and its community.

opposite, from left: President, Sean Ormand;Directors, Frank Quarrell, Scott Kennedy, BrettKasten, Dr. J. Hal Hopson and Richard Griffin.

WRITTEN BY MIKE ROWSE I PHOTOGRAPHED BY ROBERT “JAIME” RAMIREZWRITTTTT EN BY MIKE ROWSE I PHOTOGRAPHED BY ROBERT “JAIME” RAMIREZ

Brooke & Ray Cressler

The timingwas right; thefeeling wasright; theJumping Cactuswas born.

SILVER CITYLIFE – 35

Brooke and Ray Cressler lived about 15 minutes apart in Eastern Pennsylvania.They always had a feeling that they wanted tomove to New Mexico. There wasn’t a specificreason, just a feeling that NM is where theybelonged. Maybe it was the reputation as anart community or the beauty of the wide openspaces that attracted them. Ray is a musician,Brooke is an artist; both love nature, so maybeit was ‘logical’ for them to be attracted to theLand of Enchantment.

Fate gave them their first clue after aGoogle search for art communities in NewMexico introduced them to Silver City. Themore they read, the more they knew ourtown had to be on their short list.

When they arrived in Grant County, theyset up camp in the City of Rocks. The viewof the sky and the stars at night was beautiful,like nothing they’d ever seen. Walkingaround Silver City during the Tour of theGila was a surprise. The vitality of a smalltown, with so much going on, art galleries,farmer’s market, the friendly people, made aquick impression.

Brooke walked into Three Dogs to ask ifthey were looking for help, Trudy was morethan happy to offer her a job. Fate had inter-vened again. A couple of months later, as Raywas contemplating what he might do, Trudysaid she was ready to move on and asked themif they wanted to buy the coffee shop. Thetiming was right, the feeling was right; theJumping Cactus was born.

Brooke and Ray love what they do, but it’snot just about serving great coffee and deliciouspastries or sandwiches. It about the commu-nity they’ve built in their shop and the peoplethey see around town, ready to greet them witha hug and stop for a friendly conversation.

Stop into the Jumping Cactus and you’relikely to find a philosophy group discussingthe topics of the day or an impromptu jamsession. If there’s not an ‘organized’ group,there’s always a good conversation to be had.

Fate has a funny way of working out some-times. If you keep an open mind and listen tothe universe, you’ll be amazed at where lifetakes you and what adventures await. Visit theJumping Cactus, you never know what ad-venture might start there with a cup of coffee.

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out & about

36 – SILVER CITYLIFE

James Edd Hughs sponsor of Rodeo Queens for the2015 Wild, Wild West Pro Rodeo with Staci Trehern,23, Miss Turquoise Circuit 2015 and Brigitte Kenneson,18, Miss Teen Rodeo. Photos by Mark Erickson.

Mark and Lor-raine Jaramillo'swedding on Oc-tober 31st atthe Infant JesusCatholic Churchin Hurley. Photosby Denise “Gabbie”Davenport

Jaime capturedDr. Shepard andhis wife Marcelaand along withthe Homecom-ing Art Clubfloat the 2015WNMU Home-coming Parade .

Mike Teer at hisfavorite spot.

out & about

send us your photosWe want your photosof recent local events.Send to: materials@ziapublishing.comInclude the name ofthe event, a descrip-tion and the names ofpeople in the photos.

Halloween broughtout the WNMU Busi-ness Office Staff asRosie the Riveters,Eric in his tall hat andthe Oversouls band atthe Buckhorn.

36 – SILVER CITYLIFE

SILVER

David and Toni Roadsand Nancy Ramirezand Yessica Nograro-Borquez at Diane’sRestaurant. Photos byRobert “Jaime” Ramirez.

Taking first placeat the 3rd annualCLAY FestivalPoker TournamentLee Miller won aseven night stay atthe hilton GrandVacations Club atSunrise Lodge inPark City Utah.Photos by Robert“Jaime” Ramirez

Little Toad CreekBrewery & Distill-ery hosted a week-end event incelebration of thetraditional BavarianOktoberfest. Photosby Mark Erickson.

or the ehern,

neson,

SILVER CITYLIFE – 37

Dancing to Illusions Bandat Little Toad Creek’sOktoberfest 2015. Photosby Denise “Gabbie” Davenport.

In conjunction withLittle Toad CreekBrewery and Distill-ery, the Virus The-ater held afundraiser to fund itslease at the El SolTheatre. Amongthe nearly 400 in at-tendance wereDennis and DeniseMiller with TeresaDahl-Bredine, JulieEnos and OthyAldrich, and Re-becca Martin andGeoffrey Hawley.

left: 2015 WNMUGraduation. above:2015 ExpressiveArts Summer Mu-seum Tour to LA tovisit major muse-ums and galleries.Photos by Photos byRobert “Jaime” Ramirez.

38 – SILVER CITYLIFE

pets

When you see a story about companionship after combat, you might be inclinedto think of our military veterans and the companionship of their furry friends. Thegreatest source of inspiration from writing this article has been the awareness thatmany of our animals experience a combat of their own too, and it is our veteransthat bring them home, who understand their needs, empathize with their anxietyand provide them a safe place to call home.Similarly to the statistics regarding PTSD in our combat veterans, it will take time

before we will fully understand the frequency and impact of stress-related traumathat occur in our animals due to neglect and abuse. It is the face of combat that isexperienced every day, yet contrary to the idea of combat being a fight betweenarmed forces, our animal companions are the unarmed soldiers, oftentimes findingthemselves in a fight for survival for which they have no skills and no support. Itshould be of no surprise that veterans and animals make amazing companions aftercombat. They are our heroes of an unspoken, often misunderstood journey wherein the company of each other, they find trust and love, once again.

HappyEndingsBY DENISE “GABBIE” DAVENPORT

When you see a storyryr about companionship after combat, you might be inclinedto think of our militaryryr veterans and the companionship of their furryryr friends The

Our Vetsand Their Pets

Stories of companionship after combat

Ray and Trinity

Big City Medicine with Small Town Care

HELPING PEOPLE HEAL PETS

3801 Pinos Altos Rd. • Silver City, NM 88061

(575) 388-1503 www.AdvancedVetCareNM.com

facebook.com/avcsilvercity

• Preventative Care

• General Surgery

• Internal Medicine

• Dental Care

• Digital X-Rays

• Ultrasound

• Orthopedic Surgery

• Geriatric Care

Serving theCommunity’s

Veterans, Active DutyMilitary Families

and Youth Programs.

Ray Davis • 956-5153Gil Choquette • 534-1643

Robin and GeorgeAt first glance, the

image that comes to mindis a tough guy and histough dog. When youmeet them, however, noth-ing could be further fromthe truth, at least not in theway you expect! WhenRobin retired from his 22-year Navy career, hewanted a bulldog for hiscompanion. As soon as hesaw George, he knew hewas the one. A very spe-cial and gentle Old EnglishBulldog, George had expe-rienced an unknown com-bat of his own. Whilebulldogs tend to battlemany different physiologi-cal ailments due to theirbody structure, his psy-chological signs of trauma,those of mistrust, avoid-ance and anxiety began toshow themselves as heand Robin spent more timetogether. Over the years,Robin has learned whatGeorge needs to feeltrusting and safe. In turn,George has given him hisloyalty and his love, a dailyblessing for each of them!

Doug and DallasMilitary life is volatile and oftentimes, stressful. Families move

frequently and are uprooted unexpectedly. When Doug ended hiseight-year Army term, one of the first things he and his wife Jenniferdid was begin to add their animal family members. For them, theirpresence completes the house and makes it a home. Frequent shel-ter visits, always good for the animals, were also good for their autis-tic son. Buddy, their now 10-year old Golden, was intended as atherapy dog for him when just a puppy. Instead, he bonded immedi-ately with their other son. The O’Dell’s believe that animals find theirown partners. Christopher underwent two heart surgeries and Buddywas with him every step of the way. It was as if he knew. Their fam-ily now consists of four dogs and two rescued cats, but it is Dallasthat is Doug’s baby, following him everywhere and always by his side!

Bonnie, Ray and TrinityA wounded warrior of her own, Trinity has traveled the journey

from trauma to triumph. She represents the first-ever animal abusecase that resulted in a conviction in the state of New Mexico. It is astory that began when she was just a puppy in 2007, and one thatgathered the momentum of national exposure over the next fouryears. Tortured, shot in the head, starved and sick at nine monthsold, her spirit to live was greater than the odds stacked against her.Her loving heart touched the lives of many, but it was Ray Davis, anAir Force Veteran and Commander of N.M. Post 18, whose heartwas won. Eight years ago, he and his wife, Bonnie, took Trinity off thebattlefield and into their home. She will forever be a member of theirfamily, sharing her ever-present message of love and forgiveness.

Mike andSugarIt’s been twenty

years since Mike Lopezended his 15-year serv-ice in the U.S. Army,yet there are days, likeit is for many of ourcombat veterans, whenit can feel like yester-day. For him, the ani-mals are his source ofcalmness and comfort.He and his wife, Liz,have a house full offour-legged family mem-bers, but two-year oldSugar has been withhim since she was apuppy, found alone andabandoned on the sideof the road. She is al-ways full of love, want-ing to give it andreceive it in her beauti-ful, unconditional way.Mike knows firsthandhow the companionshipof his dogs has broughthim back up from a darkplace that he has nowbegun to understand asPTSD. His wish is tosee more of the organi-zations that offer ourveterans the same lightand love that his dogshave offered him. SILVER CITYLIFE – 39

40 – SILVER CITYLIFE

Some exciting things are happening at Gila Regional Medical Center. Silver City’s community hospital has established a Multi-Specialty Networkto expand access to primary care and other specialty services in the

community. Current services include Cardiology, Cancer Care, InterventionalPain Management, General Surgery and Family Medicine.

The hospital is also leading the way in building a Clinically IntegratedNetwork, a physician-led initiative aimed at addressing the

changes in healthcare delivery through the Affordable Care Act. The initiative brings together healthcare organizations,physicians and other medical providers in a collaborative way.Members work together to share patient information, coordinate

and deliver high quality care at greater value, leading to better healthof the community overall.

Ashleigh GarciaPractice Manager, Gila Family Medicine

Ashleigh began her career with Gila Regional Medical Center in 2012,serving as the coordinator for the hospital foundation and project man-ager in the operations department before taking on her latest role.

As the new Practice Manager for Gila Family Medicine, whichopened in early 2015, Ashleigh oversees the daily operations of thehospital’s new family medicine practice. With a staff physician, nurse prac-

titioner, three medical assistants, a phlebotomist, two support specialists, two med-ical billers and a hospital registration specialist, Gila Family Medicine is committed to providing

increased access to quality primary care in the community. In her new role, Ashleigh has the opportunity to serve patients in a new way. “I'm truly enjoying my

interactions with them, helping them get the best care in a nurturing environment,” she said. “I work withthe most dedicated and compassionate professionals who love what they do and are committed to

serving our community.”Ashleigh was born and raised in Philadelphia. She makes her home in the Mimbres Valley

with her husband Lawrence, a Grant County native and former Navy combat medic,and their four dogs, Mabel, Harvey, Cowboy, and Torch.

Holley HudginsDirector, Gila Cancer Center and Gila Surgical Services Practice

For the past 12 years, Holley Hudgins had been the face of Gila Regional Medical Center’s marketing team. “I have had the good for-tune to be on the hospital’s administrative team for many years, and myunderstanding of hospital operations has helped me to serve our Multi-Specialty Network,” she related.

In her new role, Holley oversees the daily operations of Gila SurgicalServices, where she assists the hospital’s hired general surgeon, Dr. David Friedman. Holley also collaborates with the on-site manager

WRITTEN BY CHRISTINE L. STEELE I PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOE KELLERMANWRITTEN BY CHRISTINE L. STEELLE I PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOE KELLERMAN

GILA REGIONALMEDICAL CENTER

MOVING AHEAD

SILVER CITYLIFE – 41

from the New Mexico Cancer Center in Al-buquerque to provide the best quality can-cer care in Southwest New Mexico. Througha partnership with the New Mexico CancerCenter, Gila Regional Cancer Center pro-vides medical and radiation oncology serv-ices in Grant County.

“We bring the experts here so patients canreceive quality cancer treatment locally with-out the hardship of travel,” Holley explained.

Holley’s leadership and knowledge haveled to process improvements to better servepatients in the community. “I’m committedto this community and the hospital and all ofthose we serve,” said Holley. “It’s an honorto be able to serve my community in thisnew capacity.”

Holley lives in Silver City with her hus-band, former State Representative RudyMartinez, and their two standard poodles,Santos and Avery.

Millie’sAssisted LivingCommunity

Small Home,Big Heart

A small, family-owned and operated assisted living center serving Grant County since 2003. Extensive community involvement and daily activities. Small pets welcome.

575.534.9172 • milliescenter@gmail.com600 N. Hudson St. • Silver City, NM 88061

Jonathan LeichtDirector, Gila Cardiology and Gila Interventional Pain Management

Jonathan managed medical practices in Texas, Arizona and Kentucky,before moving to Silver City in 2013 to help start Gila Cardiology.

At Gila Cardiology, Dr. Norman Ratliff treats patients through medication and lifestyle management.

“He has had a large positive impact on the community already,” saidJonathan. “He has a good working relationship with the New MexicoHeart Institute in Albuquerque, where we send patients who need bypass surgery or a pacemaker.”

Gila Interventional Pain Management opened in April 2014. Dr. CraigLeicht, Jonathan’s father, treats degenerative issues of the spine, shingles,and other nerve related issues.

“Hundreds of our patients have experienced pain relief for the first timein years, enabling them to get back to an active lifestyle,” related Jonathan.

Jonathan’s role as practice director involves coordinating staffing, book-ing surgeries, developing and maintaining interdepartmental relationships,and making sure the physicians have what they need to practice.

“They are both extremely happy working here in Silver City,” he saidof both doctors. “Having a positive impact on the community and itsresidents is very rewarding for both of them.”

Jonathan enjoys Silver City life with his wife Angela, and their threechildren, Jonathan Jr., 14, Noah, 12, and Abigail, 8.

Tamera AhnerSenior Director, Multi-Specialty Network

Gila Regional’s new Multi-Specialty Network helps expand local ac-cess to medical specialists so patients don’t need to leave Silver City tofind that care.

“It’s about having that immediate and local access to care when youneed it,” Tamera explained. “In the past, there was only part time car-diology coverage and many patients had to go to Las Cruces, El Paso,or Tucson. Now, we have full time cardiology here.”

As the Senior Director, Tamera provides oversight for all of the hospi-tal’s multi-specialty services and works closely with the hospital’s lead-ership on strategic initiatives.

“I love what I do,” Tamera said. “We have a very innovative and proac-tive leadership at the hospital. They have a vision to provide the besthealth care to this community. It’s a privilege for me to be a part of it.”

Tamera and her family have called Silver City home since 2009. Herhusband Eric is the Director of Aldo Leopold High School, where theirdaughter, Olivia, 16, is a student.

Outside the office, Tamera loves playing tennis, bicycling, and back-packing in the Gila Wilderness.

SILVER CITYLIFE – 43

910 East 32nd Street • Silver City, New Mexico575.534.4013 • 866.534.4013

• 24 Hour Emergency Service• Medicare, Medicaid &Private Insurance Accepted

• Medicare accredited throughThe Compliance Team. Inc.

• 24 Hour Emergency Service• Medicare, Medicaid &Private Insurance Accepted

• Medicare accredited throughThe Compliance Team. Inc.

• We Deliver• We Deliver

• Oxygen & Respiratory Equipment • Incontinent Supplies• Power Lift Recliners • Hospital Mattresses & Beds• Oxygen & Respiratory Equipment • Incontinent Supplies• Power Lift Recliners • Hospital Mattresses & Beds

• Bathroom Safety Aids • Motorized Scooters• Koi Scrubsfor Men & Women

• Diabetic Care Supplies• Orthopedic Supports• All Natural Supplements• Sanita Nursing Shoes• Mastectomy Products

• Bathroom Safety Aids • Motorized Scooters• Koi Scrubsfor Men & Women

• Diabetic Care Supplies• Orthopedic Supports• All Natural Supplements• Sanita Nursing Shoes• Mastectomy Products

High Quality, Experiencedand Compassionate Care.

575-534-1800 • Toll Free: 877-534-1801Fx: 575-388-1768 • www.horizonhospicenm.com2584 N. Silver St., Bldg. A •Silver City, NM 88061

� nursing visits

� medications delivered

� medical equipment

� emotional support

� respite

� 24 hour availability

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� chaplain services

� bereavement support

� experience

� compassion

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� confidentiality

� volunteers

� local cultural knowledge “Taking care of youin the comfort of your own home.”

Open 8am to 4pm Monday - Friday

Serving Grant & Hidalgo Counties

Medicare, Medicaid, VA, private insurance & self-pay accepted

Medicare Hospice Benefits cover all services

Joint Commission Accredited

• Certified in Manual Techniques for Geriatrics• Offering Mobility Therapy, such as Kinesic Taping

• Occupational Therapy

• Physical Therapy

• Speech Therapy

(575) 388-1801 Fax: (575) 388-2742

1260 E. 32nd St. • Silver City, NM 88061

www.horizonhomehealth1.com

Victor Nwachuku, MDMedical Director / Owner

Melissa Nunez, RNAdmin / Owner

“Taking care of youin the comfort ofyour own home!”

Speech Therapy • Occupational TherapySkilled Nursing • Physical Therapy

Certified Nursing Assistant

Contracting with and accepting ALL Insurances!

Valerie Hunter brings more than 30 years experience in public health, education,and long term care to her new role as administrator of Silver Care Center.

With her roots in southern Arizona, Valerie also worked as nursing home adminis-trator on the coast of Oregon and in Flagstaff, Arizona, before moving to Silver Citythis summer with her husband, Ron.

Valerie has worked extensively with vulnerable populations, including the devel-opmentally disabled, seriously mentally ill, and seniors. Her background includes ex-tensive experience in the theory and practice of integrative/complementaryhealthcare and she has developed and implemented a wellness curriculum for in-

dependent living seniors that focuses on these practices. Throughout her career, Valerie has served in key administrative roles within sev-eral public health projects. Her career path includes experience as a health ed-

ucator and senior support services consultant and she has demonstratedgreat leadership in her roles. She is passionate about the well being of sen-

iors and committed to providing them with the highest quality of care. In 2013, she became a Certified Eden Associate of The Eden Al-ternative, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to cre-

ating quality of life for elders and their care partners.At Silver Care Center, Valerie oversees the operations of the

100-bed skilled nursing facility and all of its 81 employees. “I’m also responsible for the facility’s relationship with the

community, as well as for the people who live and workhere,” she related.

Valerie said she is excited about the future of Silver CareCenter. “We have some very strong and competent teammembers here,” she said. “I feel inspired to help themand I’m excited be a part of this organization.”

The Silver City community has already made Valeriefeel welcome, both personally and professionally.

“Gila Regional Medical Center and some of our otherpartners have been very welcoming and eager to col-laborate and that has been really rewarding and some-thing I look forward to furthering,” she said.

As an avid gardener, Valerie has gotten involvedwith the local permaculture group and she and herhusband are enjoying and appreciating Silver City life.

“We love the diversity of people, the artist culture,and touring and exploring the Gila Wilderness andsurrounding communities,” she said. “We are re-ally happy to be part of the community and look-ing for opportunities to get involved withcommunity groups and initiatives.”

44 – SILVER CITYLIFE

Valerie James HunterAdministratorSilver City Care Center

WRITTEN BY CHRISTINE L. STEELE PHOTOGRAPHED BY ROBERT “JAIME” RAMIREZ

When you can’t be at home… We’re a good place to be!

THERAPY, RESPITE CARE, WOUND CARE AND RESTORATIVE NURSING

Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy. Short term stay for administered care duringcaregiver time away. Care for surgical wounds, knee and hip replacement and open areasto skin. Maintain physical function of resident after therapy.

ALZHEIMERS AND DEMENTIA UNITMemory Care Unit with 24 hour supervision with private dining room and patio area.

IV THERAPY AND RESPIRATORY MANAGEMENTAdminister and monitor intravenous medication and fluids. Maintain adequate oxygenlevels via oxygen and medications.

SOCIAL SERVICES & PHYSICIANS VISITSPatient advocate for legal, appointments and discharge. Physician visits for care.

DIETARY NEEDS AND DIABETES MANAGEMENTSpecial diets for low sodium and food allergies. Diabetic diet, and monitoring blood sugar levens to maintain optimum level of health.

SERVICES PROVIDED• Professional Welcoming Team• Daily Dressing and Hygiene• Medication Administration • Pleasures of Daily Life• Friendly Atmosphere• Clean Environment• Social Interaction• Dining Room• Activities• Family Members and Pets welcome• Off Site Transportation• Cable TV• Wireless Internet• Beauty and Barber Shop

We highly encourage the community to come for a tour of Silver City Care Center.Medicare, Medicaid, Private Insurance & self-pay accepted. Professionally Licensed as 100 bed facility.

3535 FOWLER AVENUE, SILVER CITY, NM 88061 575.388.3127 FAX: 575.388.4061 WWW.SILVERCITYCARE.COM

Originally from a small mining town in Arizona,Dr. Darrick Nelson moved to Silver City in 2010from the Texas Gulf Coast to serve as Chief Med-ical Officer of HMS. The former Army combat

veteran directs the patient-centered care at all 12locations in Grant and Hidalgo Counties, and hasbeen interim CEO since September. “We want to

provide the highest quality care at the lowestpossible cost to anybody regardless of their

ability to pay,” he said of HMS. Dr. Nelson was also instrumental in de-

veloping a family medicine residencyprogram at HMS and serves as the pro-gram director. “The whole goal is totrain family medicine physicians in arural environment in hopes they con-tinue to practice there,” he explained.“It’s really our small contribution in help-ing to address the primary care physi-cian shortage in New Mexico.”

Launched in 2013 in partnership withthe University of New Mexico, HMShosts two residents a year who prac-tice at HMS facilities and do rota-tions with other doctors in thecommunity and at Gila RegionalMedical Center. “The whole com-munity is helping to train these resi-dents,” explained Dr. Nelson. “Theydo rotations with community spe-cialists so the community has effec-tively come together to help trainthese family medicine physicians.”

In his continued drive to bringhigh quality healthcare to ruralplaces, Dr. Nelson recently joined the

board of The National Rural TrainingTrack Campus Collaborative, a newly

established nonprofit organized to sus-tain medical education in rural places.

In 2012, Dr. Nelson was named "Com-munity Health Center Medical Providerfor the Year" by the New Mexico Pri-mary Care Assn. The former Army sergeant served from

1986 to 1992 and patrolled the East-WestGerman border - when there was one - and

was deployed to Saudi Arabia and Iraq. When not working, Dr. Nelson enjoys

spending time with his two young daugh-ters Mauri, 12 and Lola, 9, and hiking, backpacking

and hunting in the Gila National Forest.

Originally from a small mining town in ArizoDr.r.r Darrick Nelson moved to Silver City in 20from the TeTeT xas Gulf Coast to serve as Chief Meical Offfff icer of HMS. The former Army comb

veteran directs the patient-centered care at alllocations in Grant and Hidalgo Counties, and hbeen interim CEO since September.r.r “We want

Darrick Nelson, M.D.Chief Medical OfficerHidalgo Medical Services - HMS

ona,010ed-batl 12hast to

Dani Maier, Psychiatric MentalHealth Nurse PractitionerHidalgo Medical Services - HMS

Dani Maier moved to sunny Silver City, New Mexicofrom Portland, Oregon. As a nationallyboard certified Family PsychiatricMental Health Nurse Practitionerwith HMS, Dani is accredited totreat clients of all ages with med-ications and therapy. “It was aneasy choice,” she said of choos-ing HMS and Silver City. “Thegroup of professionals I get towork with at HMS are excel-lent,” she said. “And we areten minutes from a Na-tional Forest.”

Dani’s practice philoso-phy includes involvingthe patient and theirfamily in decisions aboutthe patient’s care. Shecollaborates with pa-tients to help educatethem and coordinatetheir care with othermedical and mentalhealth providers. “Weare really working hardto integrate mentaland behavioral healthwith primary care med-icine,” she explained.

She and her hus-band, Cody Bartol, ananimator and artist-in-residence at WNMU, areenjoying the sense of commu-nity that Silver City has to offer.

“We have a great arts commu-nity and a downtown that is tryingto be more culturally diverse,” shesaid. “When you walk downtown,you have a feeling that there is acommunity here and I could belong.”

Her work at HMS while at timeschallenging, is also very rewarding,she said. “I feel like I do good workhere in the community and I know thatI am needed and valued and helpful.”

When not treating patients at HMS,Dani and her husband enjoy hiking inthe Gila National Forest, watchingmovies with their cat, Ed, and soakingup the New Mexico sunshine.

46 – SILVER CITYLIFE

WRITTEN BY CHRISTINE L. STEELEPHOTOGRAPHED BY JAIME RAMIREZ

WRITTEN BY CHRISTINE L. STEELEPHOTOGRAPHED BY JAIME RAMIREZ

Hidalgo Medical Services is a non-profit Health Care & Community Development Organization that improves the quality of life of the peopleof Hidalgo County and Southwestern New Mexico since 1994.

§ Primary Care

§ Pediatric & Adolescent Care

§ Women’s Health

§ Mental Health

§ Dental Care

§ Family Support

§ Specialized Services

Neighborhood Community Health Centers

§ Animas Valley Clinic

§ Bayard Community Health Center

§ Cliff/Gila Community Clinic

§ Lordsburg Community Health Center

§ Mimbres Valley Clinic

§ Med Square Clinic

§ Silver City Community Health Center

§ Ena Mitchell Senior and Wellness Center

HMS provides our patients with timely, affordable, and quality health care services to help you and your family stay healthy or return to health.

Hidalgo Medical Services - positively impacting the health, well-beingand quality of life for the people of Southwest New Mexico

You are part of the HMS family. We accept private insurance, Centennial Care, Medicare, and offer individuals a sliding fee scale.

School-Based Clinic Locations

§ Cobre Schools Health Center

§ Lordsburg Schools Health Center

§ Silver Schools Health Center

New Mental Health Locations

§ HMS New Beginnings Recovery Center

§ HMS Community Mental Health

www.hmsnm.org

www.grmc.org