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Minors team makes district final game

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Minors team makes district final game

By ARI LEVIN

For the Daily Press

Over 100 players were whittled down to 12.

About 115 players were in the Artesia minors little league. After coaches selected the top players to attend tryouts, ultimately the top 10% of the league was named to the All-Star team, to compete against nearby cities.

Now, those 12 players have a chance to represent Artesia on the state level, and are one win away from doing so. The Artesia minors little league team defeated Roswell’s Noon Optimist 5-4 on Monday in the winner’s bracket final to reach the district championship.

The team of 8, 9 and 10-year-old players played in the finals after press deadline on Wednesday in Artesia against Carlsbad Shorthorn. The Bulldogs will have two chances to win, and the second game, if necessary, will be on Friday. Artesia had previously defeated Shorthorn and Clovis American in earlier rounds.

“I was proud of them for defending their home turf,” said Artesia manager Jason Mendoza. “I feel like we didn’t finish the game good, but they ultimately came out and they executed our game plan.”

The Artesia juniors team, of 12-14 year-olds, won their tournament two weeks prior in Carlsbad, and will compete at their state tournament.

Bleachers were crowded on both sides on a hot evening at Jaycee Park, with Artesia hosting the minors district tournament.

“It’s special, any time you can come and represent your city, especially at such a young age, is a really cool event for the kids, and I’m glad they’re part of it,” Mendoza said.

Jamies “Major” Mendoza took the ball to start the game, and delivered three shutout innings, including a 1-2-3 top of the first.

Artesia took the lead in the bottom of the first on an RBI single by Matthew Fox.

In the third, Gavin Baldwin reached third base on a Little-League-style infield triple. Then, he scored after getting into a pickle on a passed ball, missing home plate on his slide, but beating the tag anyway.

After giving up one run in the top of the top of the fourth, Artesia added three runs in the inning, including RBI hits by Jed Bilberry and Jackson Desko, to take a 5-1 lead.

Noon Optimist scored two runs in the fifth inning on some fielding miscues. And in the sixth and final inning, they scored one more on a groundout. But Artesia escaped a jam in both innings, and came out with the win by a run.

“This team has grit, determination,” Jason Mendoza said. “They’re eager to come out here and work every day. Today was the day that we could put all that work to show.”

After playing on different teams throughout the season, the All Stars began practicing together to form a team.

“It’s been great,” Mendoza said. “We’ve worked the whole month of June. We came out, we’ve been working in facilities here at the fields, batting practice. We have swim parties, we have them eat together. We try to bring them together as a group, as brothers.”

Now, the young Bulldogs are a win away from going to the state tournament.

“As long as we play our game we’re going to be fine,” Mendoza said. “Just execute the game plan. We emphasize hitting, our pitchers are ready to go, and just playing as a team.”

Charles Rogers

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Charles Rogers

Charles William Rogers, born on August 10, 1947, in Artesia, NM to Quentin and Geraldyne (Culbertson) Rogers, passed away in Idalou, TX on June 13, 2024.

Charles, a longtime banker, dedicated more than 25 years of his professional life to the financial sector in New Mexico and Colorado. Following the end of his banking career, he made the decision to return to his roots in Artesia, NM, where he spent the final years of his working life on the family farm before retiring to Idalou, TX in 2019.

Charles graduated high school from his beloved New Mexico Military Institute before earning his undergraduate degree from New Mexico State. He furthered his education with a graduate degree from the University of Oklahoma.

In his leisure time, Charles found joy in numerous hobbies such as fishing, hunting, and showcasing his talents as a stained glass and woodworking hobbyist. Notably, he loved gifting family and friends his handmade wooden pens.

Charles is survived by his children, Denise Rogers, Christopher Rogers, and KayAnne (Jonathan) Gray. He is also survived by his grandchildren, MilliAnn Gray, Jeighton Gray, and Locklyn Gray. Additionally, he is survived by his close cousins Teri and Patti Beth Bundrant, many other Rogers and Culbertson cousins and lifelong friend Bill Myers. Charles was pre-deceased by his parents and his brother, Kent Rogers.

As per his wishes, no memorial service is planned. The family appreciates condolences and memories shared at Sanders Funeral Home’s website.

The family wishes to extend sincere thanks to Visiting Angels, Home Instead, Amanda Williamson FNP, and UMC Hospice for the care they showed Charles.

In lieu of flowers or charitable donations, the family requests that you remember Charles with a kind gesture or fond memory. May he rest in peace.

There are going to be fireworks!

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There are going to be fireworks!
By AVERY TAYLOR Daily Press Writer

Thursday, the Artesia Chamber of Commerce will be hosting its annual Fourth of July fireworks show at Jaycee Park.

The show will begin when the sky is totally dark, likely around 9 p.m., according to Jessica Bollema, the Assistant Director of the Chamber of Commerce. The show will include choreographed music, which viewers can hear by tuning into the radio stations AM 990 and FM 93.7, Bollema said. There will be a reading of the Declaration of Independence at 8:30 p.m.

The north gate to the park will not be available, so viewers can enter through the south, Bollema said. Extra parking will be available on the third road on the south side of the park, but the parking lots at nearby businesses will be closed to the public.

The chamber expects thousands to watch from all around the city, Bollema said.

For people wanting to light additional fireworks, there are some retail businesses selling fireworks in Artesia, some of which include Amy’s Fireworks on 1st Street, a TNT Fireworks tent in the parking lot of Walmart on 26th Street and a store on Main Street.

Artesia Fire Marshal Brenden Harvey said that the fire department has inspected all the retail establishments selling fireworks in Artesia to ensure that they are only selling permitted products. He warned that some businesses outside of the city limits may be selling fireworks that are prohibited in Artesia, so customers must be aware of the city’s ordinances.

People should not light fireworks late into the night, as this can cause a disturbance, Harvey said.

“Be mindful of neighbors and of the rest of the community,” Harvey said.

There are safety measures people should take when using fireworks, Harvey said, including reading the warning labels on the packaging.

To prevent fires, some steps people can take include keeping fireworks away from buildings, cars and other property, as well as watching for gusts of wind, Harvey said. Proper disposal, including waiting before putting used fireworks in a trash can or dumpster, can also prevent fires, he said.

“It still is very dry, obviously, so we want to keep people aware of that,” Harvey said.

Safety measures can also prevent injuries, like burns or hand wounds, Harvey said. He advised that there should only be one person lighting a firework, and that others watching should be at a safe distance away, including children. Children should not light or handle fireworks, Harvey said.

Firework users should watch for traffic and should not walk out into the road, and drivers should be on the lookout as well, Harvey said.

“Be mindful of your surroundings and where you’re at,” Harvey said. In addition, the shipping process can damage fireworks, so users should check their products and throw them out if they are damaged, Harvey said. Otherwise, they can misfire and cause injuries or fires.

The length of firework starters can be a safety concern due to timing,

Harvey said. He advised against going to check a firework immediately if it does not go off, as the starter could be longer than normal, causing a delayed reaction. Harvey said that he and the fire department are available to answer questions about firework use, and that safety is a priority.

“Have a good time, but make sure you’re safe about it,” Harvey said.

In addition to fireworks, the chamber is holding other events this year for Independence Day. These include a Firecracker Golf Scramble, volleyball tournament, parade, cornhole and a pickleball tournament.

The parade will line up at West Main Baptist Church, and will go around Eagle Draw Park, Bollema said. There is room for more participants in all the scheduled events, Bollema said.

Landspouts, storms wreak havoc in Hagerman

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Landspouts, storms wreak havoc in Hagerman
By ALEX ROSS Roswell Daily Record

Fierce winds, thunderstorms, heavy downpours and funnel clouds hit the city of Hagerman on June 26, leaving behind a trail of damaged property and power outages.

No injuries were reported, but local officials and residents said Thursday that their community was hit hard, with trees knocked down and structures, including a barn and a residence, destroyed.

On Wednesday, June 26, at 6:25 p.m., the National Weather Service in Albuquerque posted on X that weather spotters had observed landspouts near Dexter and Hagerman that came in on the western edge of a cluster of storms.

Landspouts are caused by instability in lower portions of the atmosphere, according to Clay Anderson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque. A landspout is a weaker and smaller type of tornado formed through instability in the lowest parts of the atmosphere and typically lasts no longer than 15 minutes.

The National Weather Service is unclear about when and how many landspouts touched down, but Hagerman Police Chief Rachelle Bateman said she began receiving a torrent of videos and photos of them at 5:42 p.m. from at least four locations in and around the city.

“We had numerous people saying there was a tornado that had touched down,” she said.

The landspouts coincided with a thunderstorm that brought with it winds of up to 91 mph and dropped an inch of rain in neighboring Lake Arthur, producing some flooding.

Hagerman saw considerable damage in the downtown and surrounding areas, Bateman said.

“We had downed power lines, we had numerous trees down, one tree fell on top of a house, another on top of an SUV,” she said. Some residents had roofs torn off of sheds and barns.

Some of the worst impacts were on and near Morgan Road. Joseph Knight, who lives near Morgan Road, said his house bore the brunt of the landspout.

“I worried about the wind taking my roof. It was leaking in the bedroom, there was a huge branch in the front yard, and I worried about another coming into the house,” Knight recalled.

A mobile home on Morgan Road was destroyed by the winds.

Power outages and downed poles were also reported near Dexter and Hagerman.

Central Valley Electric Cooperative said on its Facebook page that 40 to 50 electric poles sustained damage and eight transmissions were down in Daggar Draw, leading to power outages in the Dark Canyon area.

Wes Reeves, a senior media relations representative for Xcel Energy, said in an email to the Roswell Daily Record that 642 customers serviced by a substation in Dexter experienced what Reeves called “a momentary outage” at 5:49 p.m., followed by a sustained outrage at 10:41 p.m.

“Their service was restored at 1:54 a.m. after a thorough patrol of the line showed everything was safe to re- energize,” Reeves said.

Chaves County Undersheriff Charles Yslas said U.S. 285 South between mile markers 83 and 90 had to be temporarily closed to traffic due to accidents caused by motorists who had stopped abruptly amid low visibility and brownout conditions.

“When the deputies got down there, they reported to me several motor vehicle accidents at the intersection of Highway 82 and 285, as well as debris in the roadway,” Yslas said. The highway reopened at 7:30 p.m.

Silver Wilson of the New Mexico State Police media relations unit confirmed that they handled two accidents on the southbound lane of U.S. 285, one at mile marker 84 at 7:15 p.m. and the other at mile marker 85 at 7:30 p.m.

Wilson said there were no injuries in either accident.

Despite the scale of the damage, Bateman said that by Thursday morning, most of the downed trees within city limits were cleaned up and roads were all open.

Crusty Mac and Cheese

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1 pound elbow macaroni

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

1/2 cup chicken stock

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tablespoon hot sauce

1/2 tablespoon Creole mustard

1 1/4 cup Cheese Wiz¨

8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 2-quart baking dish.

2. Boil the macaroni in a 2-quart saucepan filled the water, until it is al dente, or still has some snap when you bite it. Strain the pasta and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Set aside.

3. Combine the remaining ingredients, except for the shredded cheese, in a medium saucepan over medium heat. The mixture should be barely simmering. Whisk periodically. Cook for 7 to 10 minutes.

4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cheese sauce with the pasta and about one-third of the shredded cheese.

Transfer to the baking dish, covering with the remaining shredded cheese, and bake covered for 10 minutes.

5. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes more, or until the top is golden brown.

Artesia Senior Center Activities

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202 W. Chisum Ave.

575-748-1207 July 8-13 Monday

8:15 a.m. – Exercise video

9 a.m. – Creative Crafters 1 p.m. – Dominos: Train and 42

1:30 p.m. – Sewing and Card Stitching Tuesday

8:15 a.m. – Exercise video

9 a.m. – Hand and Foot 9-11 a.m. Free Watch Battery 9:30 a.m. – Woodworking; line dancing

10 a.m. – Fusing Fun 10 a.m. – Good Life Line Dancing 1 p.m. – Ceramics; sewing

2 p.m. – Poker Wednesday

8:15 a.m. – Exercise

Sesame Chicken Fingers with Honey Dip

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Serves 4 Ingredients:

1/3 cup light mayonnaise

3 tablespoons liquid honey

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup light mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup dry bread crumbs

3 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning

1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts cut into fingers, 2 inches long by 1/2-inch wide

Directions:

1. Honey Dip: In a small bowl, stir together the 1/3 cup mayonnaise, honey and 1 tablespoon lemon juice until well combined. Refrigerate if making ahead.

2. In a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and 2 tablespoons lemon juice.

Activity Schedule

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Activity Schedule

Cost: $30 per child Public performances: June 22 Contact: Artesia Arts Council, 575-746-4212 and craft their own pieces. Ages: 8 and up Cost: $35 per student Contact: Artesia Arts Council, 575-746-4212 PAINT PARTIES

• 1 p.m. Thursday, June 13 A celebration of the oil and gas centennial: exploding blowout oil rigs

• 1 p.m. Thursday, June 27 Rainbow cyanotypes/sun prints Contact: Artesia Arts Council, 575-746-4212

• 6-8 p.m. Thursday, June 27, and Thursday, Aug. 15 Instructor: Kirsten Mauritsen Cost: $35 per student Contact: Artesia Arts Council, 575-746-4212 GUITAR AND DRUM LESSONS • All summer (six private lessons) Instructor: Max Salgado Cost: $120 per student Contact: Artesia Arts Council, 575-746-4212

New Rec Center set to break ground in October

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By AVERY TAYLOR Daily Press Writer

Arrangements for the new recreation center in Artesia are underway as the design phase of the project continues.

There will be a groundbreaking on October 17, according to Construction Manager agency Scott Taylor. Jaynes Corporation, the contractor building the rec center, will begin construction on the plot of land south of the Artesia Aquatic Center on October 21.

As reported by the Daily Press in March of this year, the City of Artesia gave the Artesia Recreation Center Foundation the support to begin the design process on the new rec center by approving a Memorandum of Understanding. Since then, architect José Zelaya of Huitt-Zollars in Albuquerque has been working on the design for the new facility.

Zelaya said he is currently in the schematic design process, which involves putting the components of the new rec center into a site plan and floor plan.

The next step, which is beginning now, is called design development, Zelaya said. This involves adding the engineering components and things like mechanical and electrical systems to these plans.

Since March, the plan for the size of the rec center has gotten a little bigger. This is due to an increase in the size of the fit ness area, but Zelaya said it was done proportionally with the size of the rest of the center, so the overall square footage has not increased by a large amount.

“Just the fitness area in gen eral has gotten a little bigger to provide more services, which proportionally to the rest of the facility is not that much,” Zelaya said.

In assessing what to include, Zelaya has considered public opinion and input, including community involvement from pervious public meetings about the rec center.

“The new public interest in pickleball is one of the items that has changed the size of the facility, because there’s a lot of interest nationwide and also a lot of interest locally in pickleball,” Zelaya said. “There aren’t that many public facilities in southeastern New Mexico right now that are enclosed that include pickleball.”

According to a report by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the United States for the third consecutive year.

The most challenging part of the design process has been accounting for rising construction costs, Zelaya said. According to a report by Currie & Brown, construction costs in the United States were estimated to rise by 3 to 6 percent in 2024.

“That’s a challenge to make sure that we’re designing a facility that meets the needs, but that we can actually control the cost as well,” Zelaya said. To mitigate this concern, the rec center board involved a Construction Manager agency early in the process, Zelaya said. Scott Taylor is the CMa for the project, and his role includes cost evaluation and control.

Zelaya has learned, from working on other projects in Artesia, what kinds of materials and systems he can incorporate in a facility in the area, he said.

“If this building was in Albuquerque, we would probably have an automated building control system that controls the temperature and all that,” Zelaya said. “They’re very sophisticated systems, but difficult to maintain.”

Zelaya is designing the rec center with the resources of the City of Artesia in mind, he said.

“We’ve learned to work with what the Artesia maintenance and facilities department can provide for the facility,” Zelaya said.

Other considerations that Zelaya has learned from working in Artesia are regional weather conditions, he said. He incorporates this into his projects through doors that can open and close on a windy day, for example.

The project means a new facility for the Artesia Recreation Department to manage. John Anguiano is the recreation supervisor for the department.

Zelaya said the new rec center will leave a lasting impression on the community.

“Particularly for me, it’s quite an honor to be trusted with a facility of this size and this impact in Artesia,” Zelaya said. “It is very likely that this facility will outlive me and will outlive just about everyone that works on it and knowing that I get to design it with a team of engineers and architects – that I get to lead that team – it’s a huge responsibility and I love that challenge.”

Racing to return to Ruidoso Downs

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RUIDOSO NEWS REPORT

Ruidoso Downs Race Track plans to resume horse racing with a four-day weekend starting Independence Day.

After floodwaters breached the track’s turn last Saturday, the last two races were canceled. Additional rains postponed racing Sunday and Monday, June 30 and July 1.

Workers have spent several days getting the track ready and, barring additional rains or other unforeseen events, racing will resume Thursday, July 4.

The rescheduling of trials for the Grade-1 $800,000 Rainbow Derby and estimated $482,000 Rainbow Oaks Presented by Rolling Still Vodka and Ponderosa Whiskey will be this Saturday and Sunday, July 6 and 7, pending approval by the New Mexico Racing Commission.

The Derby and Oaks trials were postponed June 30. Ruidoso Downs General Manager Rick Baugh met with horsemen Monday, July 1, to hear their input about the proposed rescheduling of the trials, and awaited word from the racing commission through Tuesday.

“We are doing everything in our power to repair the damage to the race track and we’re in hopes that we can run the Derby and Oaks trials this weekend and get back on schedule,” Baugh said.

He added the quarter horse track could be available for quarter horse training as early as Wednesday morning. Baugh said the thoroughbred track’s six-furlong chute has been severely damaged and it might be considerably longer before the track can continue with thoroughbred training and racing.

“The quarter horse portion of our race track is unscathed from the floods,” Baugh said. “The first turn of the thoroughbred track sustained the flood damage and we are working as fast as we can to make those necessary repairs.”

Meanwhile, crews are using excavators to make the river channel much wider and deeper as it goes through the track’s property in the event of further floodwaters.

“We remain confident that we’re going to be able to race this weekend,” Baugh said. “We are dealing with never-before seen flooding within this community, so we appreciate the support of our horsemen and racing industry as we all work to get through this crisis together.”

Post time is scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday, July 4, and 12:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, July 5-7. The latest information about the racing season can be found at www.raceruidoso.com.

On the last full day of racing, Friday, June 28, Favorite Fire V, a two-year-old filly in just her second career start, broke on top and held on by a neck to win the eighth trial race and qualify for the $1 million Rainbow Futurity.

“She’s such a small filly that I was concerned she might get caught,” jockey Francisco Calderon said. “She left running and really kept her head down and did a nice job.”

The filly ran the 400-yards in 19.480 seconds just in front of Ohana Spirit who also qualified for the final to be run on Sunday, July 14. Favorite Fire V is owned by Sammy Valeriano and trained by Heath Taylor. It was a maiden win for the filly.

On Saturday, FDD Dreams and jockey Luis Martinez broke sharply and romped home to a three-anda-half length victory in the seventh trial race to qualify with the fastest time of the day, 19.356 seconds for 400-yards.

“It’s special when these horses are raised on your ranch and then succeed on the race track,” owner Javier Rodriguez said.

The gelding is a homebred from the La Feliz Montana Ranch. The gelding is sired by FDD Dynasty out of the mare Treasured Dreams by Apolitical Jess.

The final two races Saturday, June 29, were canceled due to flooding on the race track from the burn scars in the Ruidoso area. Those horses will remain eligible for the Rainbow Derby next season and their nomination entry fees will be refunded.

Hezgothelook Z, winner of the $1 Million Ruidoso Futurity, qualified as the second-fastest on Saturday. The gelding still has the chance at winning the Triple Crown with victories in the Rainbow final and All American Futurity.

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