Compiled by Denise Ortega

JUNE 28, 2003

Genevieve Martinez

GENEVIEVE MARTINEZ, a school bus driver for the Socorro Schools, was honored with the Bus Driver of the Year Award at Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting. The honor recognizes exceptional school employees throughout New Mexico. Martinez has been a school bus driver with the Socorro schools since 1985. Annabell Romero, transportation director for Socorro Consolidated Schools, nominated Martinez for the award. Romero said that Martinez is not only a school bus driver, but she holds many titles within the school district. She is a bus safety officer, a school bus driver instructor, a school bus activity vehicle instructor and she also serves as a committee member of the School Sick Leave Bank.

BERNICE ANAYA won seco

Bernice Anaya

nd place in the state School Bus Safety Rodeo Competition, which was a competition that consists of a written test, about general knowledge of a bus, a written test on part of a bus and the last part of the competition is a performance test, which challenges driving skills on an obstacle course. Anaya beat people who had more experience and came to the competition at the last minute, not knowing what to expect. Anaya is now headed to the 33rd Annual School Bus Driver International Safety Competition in New York City in July. Anaya is the only driver from New Mexico who is attending the international competition.

JUNE 27, 2007

Fred Berger

SOCORROAN FRED BERGER, who has been employed for the past eight years with Bernalillo County Fire Department as a firefighter-paramedic, was recently awarded Paramedic of the Year during the 2006-2007 BCFD Awards Ceremony. Berger worked with the City of Socorro Fire Department as an EMT-Intermediate. He went through the University of New Mexico School of Medicine’s paramedic program and graduated in 1998.

JUNE 23, 2007

A MAGDALENA MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS TEACHER has made sacrifices for her students, family and community. Socorro resident Jane Farmer has nominated her daughter, Shannon Farmer Mounyo, as an El Defensor Chieftain Unsung Hero. Mounyo teaches third grade at Magdalena Elementary School. Magdalena Principal Kitty Martin said Mounyo commits a lot of time and energy to the school and goes above and beyond the normal school day. Last year, Mounyo received the local Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year Award, which included a $1,000 donation to her school. Mounyo does what her students or others need regardless of what it costs to her. Mounyo has participated in 4-H, FFA, the Socorro fair board and many things that contributed to the community. Mounyo attended Socorro schools until going to college on rodeo scholarships.

JUNE 26, 2008

SOCORRO HIGH SCHOOL’S Math, Engineering and Science Achievement USA team took fourth place overall at the national competition June 19-22. Seven teams participated with their trebuchets, which are similar to catapults. Recent graduates Katheryn Baca, Alan Benalil, Ashley Mitchusson and Brian Stanley came in third place, two points from first and less than half a point from second, on both the presentation and technical paper portions of the contest, their sponsors said. During the trebuchet operation portion, Peggy Mitchusson said, judges asked the Socorro students to modify their machine because another team had pointed out what they believed was a rule violation. Socorro’s group redid the power trial without calibrating the trebuchet and missed one of the two shots. Peggy Mitchusson believes the students would have taken second place if both shots had been successful, as they were before the modifications.

THE RECENTLY RESURRECTED Mini-Baja team at New Mexico Tech finished 17th at the national competition May 26-30 in Illinois. The group improved from last year’s placing 33rd. Ryan Davis led the 11-member team during its yearlong quest to build the best durable all-terrain race vehicle. Prior to the Tech team’s vehicle performed admirable in the tests of acceleration, maneuverability, the rock crawl and the hill climb. The Tech squad was in 10th place heading into the final competition-the four-hour endurance race. Then, the Tech car’s CV shaft broke eight times during the race. Team leader Davis said the students realized the CV shaft weakness during testing. They thought redesigning had fixed the problem. The Mini-Baja project is an option in the Design Clinic class in Tech’s Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Chieftain Staff Report