DIALING FOR THE DOLLARS has a new winner. Zillah Watson, wife of Officer Max Watson, N.M.S.P., won $107,000 from the “Dialing for Dollars” TV-7 program. Mrs. Watson’s husband had just left for work when she received a call around 3 p.m. from emcee Rex Munger. After answering a series of questions, Watson took home the big prize. She claimed to have watched the “Dialing for Dollars” show for several years waiting for her opportunity to be on the program. “I just can’t believe this,” she said. “Even my sons can’t believe it either. We would have had a merry Christmas regardless but receiving $107,000 is very special.”

LAND TRANSFER to New Mexico Tech. The General Services Administration announced Wednesday that 46.86 acres of land will be reassigned to NMT. The area is the remainder of the Belen Communications Facility in Valencia County. The land is being given to Tech’s Department of Health Education and Welfare. Regional administrator Jay H. Bolton was on hand to receive the official documents transferring over the property.

POST CHRISTMAS SALES going on at Safeway. Special discounts include Bel-Air Waffles at 10 cents per 5 ounces, fruit cocktail at 24 cents per 17 ounces, Kraft dinners at 19 cents a piece, and Listerine at 94 cents a bottle.

NEW YEARS DANCE is happening once again. On Saturday, January 1, the Roadrunner Lounge is hosting a two-step celebration from 9 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Music will be performed by Junior Daughtery and the Mavericks. Local celebrities include Cora “BM” Olguin, Jeannie “City Editor” Upchurch, Diana “Advertising” Drummond and Sonny “Linotyper” Otero.

Decmber 30, 1971

RIO GRANDE water basin has been extended. The State Engineer of New Mexico has declared extension plans concerning the Rio Grande Underground Water Basin in Catron, Sierra and Socorro counties. State Engineer S. E. Reynolds issued special order No. 114 extending the Rio Grande Basin for the reason that the underground basin, as presently defined, does not include several adjacent areas to the basin which require water from the Rio Grande.

TECH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA played to a standing room only audience at Speare Library this past week. Musicians in the orchestra were a collection of students and faculty members. Dr. Ralph Ball, professor of mathematics, served as the concertmaster. The highlight of the show was when the band performed the “Two Trumpets of Tunes and Iyre.” Two more performances are in the works.

December 29, 1996

IT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN is what many citizens believed before showing up to fill up the tank. Gas prices in Socorro plummeted to 99 cents a gallon this past week. Cars were lined up around the block all afternoon at Phillips 66 gas station. Customers both local and from out-of-state patiently waited to take advantage of the abnormally low prices for oil. AAA New Mexico reports that gas is up to $1.288 per gallon everywhere except for Socorro County. Santa Fe is currently the highest price per gallon in the state at $1.37.

GRAY WOLVES to be released in eastern Arizona and western New Mexico. The designated reintegration site is based out of Catron County but will also affect Socorro County. The National Fish and Game department wants to release these Mexican wolves back into the wild. Under this proposal, the recovery areas include only public lands. Wolves will be removed from private or tribal lands unless the land manager wishes them to remain. Most of the wolves being set free come from a collection of 24 zoos and wildlife sanctuaries.

HOLIDAYS IN THE THEATER just before the New Year. Going away from his well known action movie persona, megastar Arnold Schwarzenegger is on a mission. This time it’s for his son’s favorite toy the day before Christmas. The whole family is invited to join in on the holiday hijinks at the Loma Theater. Showtimes run until Thursday at 7 p.m.

December 31, 2011

NEW LAW FIRM will be representing the Socorro Electric Cooperative group. The board of trustees voted Wednesday to hire the Albuquerque law firm of Wiggins, Williams & Wiggins to handle all of the co-op’s legal matters, as the previous attorney’s contract ended this year. Wiggins, Williams & Wiggins has handled cases for the co-op in the past. Lorna Wiggins settled a wage and hour claim brought by former accountant/office manager Kathy Torres last May. Her familiarity gave the firm the edge over three other potential candidates.

RING IN THE NEW YEAR with friends and family. The Capitol Bar is hosting a New Years celebration for the whole town. Official festivities will kick off with a performance by The Murillo Brothers.

UNUSUALLY LARGE AMOUNT of snow and rain this December has created extra muddy conditions for construction projects attempting to move large equipment, particularly along Fairgrounds Rd. The Fairgrounds Detention Pond, part of 11 projects scheduled to be improved, has run into weather delays. As of mid-December, the city has been granted an extension by the Community Development Block Program, moving the scheduled completion date back by a month.

Compiled by Greg Byrd