December 14, 1971

NEW PRINCIPAL in Magdalena. Odie E. Ludlow has been named as the new principal of Roosevelt Elementary School. Ludlow previously worked with Magdalena schools back in 1940, with three years of military service during World War II interrupting his career. After 20 years of serving as a superintendent in California, Odie and his wife retired to Animas, N.M. He will now work toward supporting Magdalena Schools.

CHRISTMAS CONCERT will take place on Thursday, December 16. The high school gymnasium will host the event at 7:30 p.m. Both junior and senior students will participate in the festivities. A variety of numbers will be performed by both groups, making this Christmas concert one you will never forget. The entire community is welcome to come.

GRAND OPENING for brand new pet shop. Fin and Feather will officially be open for business on December 15. The new store is located at 105 Abeyta N.E. and is owned by Mr. and Mrs. “Buddy” Green. Free goldfish, as long as they last, will be given away during the store’s opening. The store will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday.

December 16, 1971

NEW BANK PRESIDENT was elected on December 13. Robert McNeil was chosen during a special organizational of the share holders of the Bank of Socorro. McNeil is the new president and Ellis McPhaul is the new chairman of the Board of Directors. Other elected members include Dean Fite, Felix Hickman, Ernest Moore, Ruben Savedra, Lidell Vigel and James Woods.

GIRL SCOUTS campaign was a success. Dr. Howard Little, chairman of the Girl Scouts announced that the fundraising campaign has been completed. “We thank everyone who contributed, both time and money, for their excellent support of the girls. It proves the people of Socorro do believe in this informational educational program for girls.” This year’s fundraising campaign will go toward multiple Girl Scouting events.

CHRISTMAS SALE at Socorro Brownbilt Shoe Store. Save anywhere from $5 to $10 dollars on western style jackets. One big group of women’s shoes as well as handmade cowboy boots will be available. Stop in at 111 Manzaneras, just west of the Chieftain.

December 15, 1996

EXCELLENT SERVICE awards were presented to multiple Socorro citizens. Lt. Governor Walter Bradley handed out ‘Quality Hero’ medals to Randy Torres, Paul Torres and Chuck Monette on Wednesday. Two others, Blake Gerard and Jerry Gum, were also recognized for outstanding customer service. The award winners came from Monette Ford, True Value and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Sponsored by Quality New Mexico, the awards go to “fanatics about customer service.”

LOMA THEATER has two big movies showing this week. Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny star in “Space Jam.” Live action meets animation for a fun-filled family adventure. Matinees begin Saturday at 2:00 p.m. The success of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” has captain Jean-Luc Picard back on the big screen facing off against his nemesis ‘The Borg’ in “Star Trek: First Contact.” Showtimes all weekend will be at 3:15 and 8:15 p.m.

SUCCESSFUL SEASON for a Socorro High School graduate. Matthew Napier has completed his first season at the NCAA Division I level, participating in cross country running for the University of Colorado Buffaloes in Boulder, Colo. During the Big 12 Championships at the University of Nebraska, Napier ran 22nd out of 108 qualified runners. At the NCAA District 7 meet, Matthew finished 14th in a field of 126. Napier is currently a sophomore in electrical engineering and was on the Dean’s List last semester.

December 18, 1996

SCIENCE FAIR winners announced for this year’s San Miguel competition. Zoe Cornwell, 13, took home first place for an exhibit that she calls “Piaget at San Miguel.” Her exhibit was centered around studying at what age children can understand concepts such as matter, weight and volume. Zoe will bring her exhibit to the regional fair in Las Cruces on March 22.

LOTTERY WINNERS full of Christmas joy. Celso and Genevive Tafoya purchased a weekly one-dollar Powerball lottery ticket which turned out to be worth $5,000. Prior to yesterday’s winnings, the most the Tafoyas ever won was five dollars. “It’s been a rough year,” Celso said. He plans on using the money for medical expenses as he was diagnosed with lung cancer last year.

POLICE OUT in full force for this holiday season. Capt. Chris D. Maes said in a statement “Alcohol, speeding, inattentiveness are causing driving hazards that rob a family of Christmas joy by causing senseless highway crashes.” A total of 11 people were killed during Christmas and New Years in 1995.

December 14, 2011

CIVIL AIR PATROL in Socorro County participated in a ceremony held worldwide. At the stroke of 10 a.m. on December 10 soldiers and veterans observed a one minute moment of silence, honoring the memory of those who served in the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marines and those who were Prisoners of War or Missing in Action. Air Force veteran Capt. Dennis Hunter laid a wreath in honor of the Air Force at the base of the memorial at Isidro Baca Veterans Park.

PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN comes to Socorro. Republican presidential candidate John Davis stopped in Socorro County this past week as part of his goal to visit every county in America. Davis has been described as an “under the radar” presidential nominee by various media outlets. A businessman and real-estate agent, Davis’s platform is centered around heavy faith based beliefs with the goal to not let politicians tell the American people what to do.

CYBERSECURITY COMPETITION takes place for Tech students. A handful of New Mexico Tech undergraduate students flew to New York last month to take part in an international cybersecurity competition. The 8th annual Cybersecurity Awareness Week took place in the Cramer 213 building. Students were tasked with various hacking scenarios. The Tech ‘Capture the Flag’ Team took home 6th place out of a pool of more than 200 teams.

December 17, 2011

BUSINESS BOOMING at the Bodega Burger Co. Owners Helen Major, Brian Dean and Deborah Dean took over the building last month which formerly housed Ranchers Steakhouse. The Bodega has come out guns ablazin’ with a robust weekly lineup in the lounge, a well attended wine-tasting event and of course a menu that features eight specialty burgers. Both Brian Dean and his wife Helen Major grew up here in Socorro.

CHRISTMAS MUSICAL in Magdalena. The Magdalena elementary school hosted a holiday themed show this past weekend, titled “A Penguin Christmas.” The kids dressed up as elves, penguins, reindeer and Mr. and Mrs. Claus. The group did plenty of singing and dancing for the community. The show was directed by Catherine Barela with costumes designed by Mary Mayle’s art class.

EAGLES GRAND WORTHY president Melvin Fry visited Socorro this past week. Traveling from Pennsylvania, Fry is only the third Grand Worthy to visit Socorro. Along with his wife Margaret, Fry made the visit to help support the local aerie. The local aerie has more than 100 members and is currently trying to raise $25 million over the next five years for a Diabetes Research Center.

Compiled by Greg Byrd

El Defensor Chieftain