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City council to meet Tuesday

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ARTESIA — The Artesia City Council will hold a regular meeting Tuesday with one public hearing on the agenda.

The hearing will precede consideration of an ordinance that would vacate 50 feet of public right-of-way in the Charlie H. Smith addition of Smith Avenue to the City of Artesia, Eddy County, for a dedication circle and consolidation of Lots 1, 3, 5 and 7, Block 2; owners: Richard Leaton of the English Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, the City of Artesia and Wesley Knowlton of Tiny Homes, LLC.

Other agenda items will include: • consideration of a lease transfer made between 2404 Parkland, LLC, to Robert M. and Pamela K. Eales and the City of Artesia.

• consideration of a resolution for the verification of Water Trust Board match contributions.

• consideration of a budget adjustment.

• the presentation of a report on final pricing results for Gross Receipts Tax Bonds Series 2024.

The council may also adjourn to executive session, in accordance with the State of New Mexico Open Meetings Act, to discuss pending litigation. Any action as a result of that session will be taken once the meeting has reconvened in an open setting.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 11, in Council Chambers at City Hall.

Ruth Eberle

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Ruth Eberle

Services are scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, June 15, at Immanuel Lutheran Church for Ruth T. Eberle.

Eberle, 95, passed away Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Dallas, Texas.

Interment will follow the services at Woodbine Cemetery, followed by a reception at the church fellowship hall. The family asks those attending to wear red, white and blue in Ruth’s honor.

Visitation will be held from 2-6 p.m. Friday, June 14, at Terpening & Son Mortuary.

Ruth was born April 19, 1929, in Roswell. She lived in Artesia for many years before moving to Frisco, Texas, in 2019.

Ruth worked for the Artesia Public Schools until her retirement in 1996. She was an active member of Immanuel Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League.

She loved being with family and friends and enjoyed traveling the world. Ruth had the ‘gift of gab,’ never met a stranger, was very patriotic, and was an avid Artesia Bulldog fan.

Survivors include daughter LouAnn Pope and granddaughters Tiffany Pope Picazzo and Alexa Pope, all of Frisco; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Frank, and son-inlaw James Pope.

John Madrid

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John Madrid

A funeral Mass is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, June 15, at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church for John G. Madrid.

Madrid, 85, passed away in peace, surrounded by loved ones. He has gained his wings and is flying in Heaven with the angels and his beautiful wife, Betty.

Interment will follow the services at 11 a.m. Saturday at Twin Oaks Memorial Park, followed by a reception at the church.

A rosary will be recited at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Our Lady of Grace.

John was born May 13, 1938, in Artesia to Juan and Ramona Madrid.

It was in Artesia that he met the love of his life, Betty Chavez. The two were married Feb. 27, 1960, at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church. They had just celebrated 63 years of marriage before Betty’s passing in 2023.

John obtained his master’s degree in education while he and Betty were raising their four children together in Artesia and Roswell. He was a few classes away from obtaining his PhD in education.

His teaching career began with the Roswell Independent School District, where he taught sixth grade for one year at Flora Vista/Nancy Lopez Elementary School. He then moved into the position of diagnostician until his retirement in 1998. He took a break and went back as a diagnostician consultant until his full retirement in approximately 2008.

John loved his job because of the help he knew he was giving to the many, many students he tested over the years to get the best education possible. He tested students for the gifted program and the special education program.

John’s next adventure in life was caring for the grounds at Poor Clare Monastery of Our Lady of Guadalupe for about six years. While there, he was blessed with the friendship of the Sisters/Nuns. In 2014, he realized it was time to relax and enjoy life with family.

John was a devoted Catholic. He was a good husband, dad, son, brother, Popo and Great Popo. He made sure everyone knew they were always welcome in his home.

Survivors include children Johnny Madrid, Barbara Young and Mark, and Eric Madrid, all of Albuquerque, Ramona Madrid of Roswell, and Bill Madrid and Sherene of Kilgore, Texas; sisters-in-law Rachel Contreraz, Jane Regenold and Patricia Chavez; grandchildren Sarah Young-Craycraft and Mike, Michael Young and Felicia, Jeremy Young and Michelle, Seth Young, Cera Silversmith and Dominic, Jessica Zamora, Amanda Madrid and Charlie, Jocelyn Madrid and Enrique, Ma-Kayla Gillispie, Nicholas Madrid-Kane and Emily Madrid- Kane; and great-grandchildren Isaiah Young, Damian Silversmith and baby girl (Joecelyn/ Enrique) due in October 2024.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Juan and Ramona Madrid; infant son Joseph; brother Joe C. Madrid; great-granddaughter Kristin Young-Almaraz; and wife Betty.

Public Record

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ARTESIA POLICE DEPARTMENT June 7 SUSPICIOUS PERSON 12:32 a.m. – Officer dispatched to Sonic in reference to a suspicious person.

BATTERY

12:51 a.m. – Officer dispatched to the 1000 block of South Heath Street in reference to battery.

INTOXICATED SUBJECT 2:10 a.m. – Officer dispatched to the 300 block of West Dallas Avenue in reference to an intoxicated subject.

RECKLESS DRIVING

5:33 a.m. – Officer dispatched to North 13th Street and West Richey Avenue in reference to reckless driving.

BATTERY

7:36 a.m. – Officer dispatched to the 1600 block of West Missouri Avenue in reference to battery.

June 6 ALARM

8 a.m. – Officer dispatched to Bob’s Auto Body in reference to a burglar alarm.

LOUD MUSIC

8:59 a.m. – Officer dispatched to the Abo Apartments in reference to loud music.

INCORRIGIBLE CHILD 9:51 a.m. – Officer dispatched to the 500 block of West Centre Avenue in reference to an incorrigible child.

UNWANTED SUBJECT 10:07 a.m. – Officer dispatched to McDonald’s in reference to an unwanted subject.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT 10:25 a.m. – Officer dispatched to the 100 block of Sunset Court in reference to disorderly conduct.

ASSIST

5:44 p.m. – Officer dispatched to North First Street and West Richey Avenue to assist the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office.

ALARM

6:10 p.m. – Officer dispatched to 128 E. Compress Road in reference to a burglar alarm.

ACCIDENT

7:19 p.m. – Officer dispatched to 2004 W. Mann Ave. in reference to a hit-and-run motor vehicle accident.

DOMESTIC

9:48 p.m. – Officer dispatched to the 800 block of West Lolita Avenue in reference to a verbal domestic dispute.

OPEN DOOR

11:38 p.m. – Officer dispatched to 1810 W. Currier Ave. in reference to an open door.

June 5 DISTURBANCE

12:09 a.m. – Officer dispatched to the Abo Apartments in reference to a neighborhood disturbance.

ALARM

1:15 a.m. – Officer dispatched to 2812 Browning Ave. in reference to a burglar alarm.

FIREWORKS

4:52 a.m. – Officer dispatched to the Abo Apartments in reference to fireworks.

LOUD MUSIC

6:56 a.m. – Officer dispatched to the Abo Apartments in reference to loud music.

June 4 ARREST

10:42 a.m. – Jorge Molina, 38, of Artesia, arrested on a magistrate warrant for contempt of court, failure to comply.

VICIOUS ANIMAL

8:08 a.m. – Officer dispatched to the 200 block of West Gage Avenue in reference to a vicious animal.

WANTED SUBJECT

8:32 a.m. – Officer dispatched to the Public Safety Complex in refernce to a wanted subject.

RECKLESS DRIVING

9:22 a.m. – Officer dispatched to the 5900 block of Seven Rivers Highway in reference to reckless driving.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON 11:32 a.m. – Officer dispatched to the 1100 block of North 10th Street in reference to a suspicious person.

TRESPASSING

11:33 a.m. – Officer dispatched to Fenn’s Country Market in reference to trespassing.

TRESPASS WARNING

12:23 p.m. – Officer dispatched to the 200 block of North 13th Rural Street in reference to a criminal trespass warning.

ASSIST

12:26 p.m. – Officer dispatched to the 1000 block of South Ward Avenue to assist the Artesia Fire Department.

HARASSMENT

12:45 p.m. – Officer dispatched to Artesia General Hospital in reference to harassment.

TRESPASS WARNING

3:26 p.m. – Officer dispatched to North 12th Street and West Mahone Drive in reference to a criminal trespass warning.

3:41 p.m. – Officer dispatched to Allsup’s, 800 S. First St., in reference to a criminal trespass warning.

ASSIST

3:54 p.m. – Officer dispatched to First American Bank to assist the Artesia Fire Department.

TRESPASSING

4:03 p.m. – Officer dispatched to the 300 block of South 11th Street in reference to trespassing. LOST PROPERTY

4:05 p.m. – Officer dispatched to 1903 W. Runyan Ave. in reference to lost property.

RECKLESS DRIVING

4:25 p.m. – Officer dispatched to North First Street and East Richey Avenue in reference to reckless driving.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT 5:24 p.m. – Officer dispatched to the 1100 block of West Merchant Avenue in reference to disorderly conduct.

ALARM

6 p.m. – Officer dispatched to the Artesia VA Clinic in reference to a burglar alarm.

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY 6:01 p.m. – Officer dispatched to the 1400 block of West Chisum Avenue in reference to suspicious activity.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON 6:02 p.m. – Officer dispatched to the 300 block of West Cleveland Avenue in reference to a suspicious person.

ACCIDENT

6:19 p.m. – Officer dispatched to South 18th Street and West Centre Avenue in reference to a motor vehicle accident with no injuries.

SUSPICIOUS VEHICLE 7:22 p.m. – Officer dispatched to Roselawn Manor in reference to a suspicious vehicle.

SUICIDAL SUBJECT

7:27 p.m. – Officer dispatched to the 1100 block of West Dallas Avenue in reference to a suicidal subject.

SHOTS FIRED

8:31 p.m. – Officer dispatched to the 900 block of West Champ Clark Avenue in reference to shots fired in the area.

ABANDONED VEHICLE 8:34 p.m. – Officer dispatched to South Roselawn and West

Runyan avenues in reference to an abandoned vehicle.

HARASSMENT

9:32 p.m. – Officer dispatched to Roselawn Manor in reference to harassment.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT 9:59 p.m. – Officer dispatched to the Abo Apartments in reference to disorderly conduct.

DOMESTIC

10:35 p.m. – Officer dispatched to the 1600 block of West Missouri Avenue in reference to a verbal domestic dispute. SUICIDAL SUBJECT

10:54 p.m. – Officer dispatched to the 1800 block of South First Street in reference to a suicidal subject.

EDDY COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE June 8 RECKLESS DRIVING

12:14 a.m. – Deputy dispatched to Roswell Highway, mile marker 75, in reference to reckless driving.

INTOXICATED SUBJECT 1:02 a.m. – Deputy dispatched to Royal Services in reference to an intoxicated subject.

ACCIDENT

2:02 a.m. – Deputy dispatched to South 13th Rural Street and West Four Dinkus Road in reference to a motor vehicle accident with injuries.

OPEN DOOR

4:19 a.m. – Deputy dispatched to 26 Broken Arrow Road in reference to an open door.

UNWANTED SUBJECT 6:17 a.m. – Deputy dispatched to the 260 block of Broken Arrow Road in reference to an unwanted subject. An arrest warrant was served.

June 7 AUTO BURGLARY

4:43 a.m. – Deputy dispatched to 2719 W. Missouri Ave. in reference to an auto burglary.

THREATS

11:14 a.m. – Deputy dispatched to DT Tires and Roadside Service in reference to threats.

RECKLESS DRIVING

1:40 p.m. – Deputy dispatched to the 6300 block of Seven Rivers Highway in reference to reckless driving.

UNSAFE VEHICLE

2:09 p.m. – Deputy dispatched to Seven Rivers Highway, mile marker 63, in reference to an unsafe vehicle.

RECKLESS DRIVING

3:26 p.m. – Deputy dispatched to South First Street and East Castleberry Road in reference to reckless driving.

WANTED SUBJECT

8:25 p.m. – Deputy dispatched to the 40 block of Wildfire Road in reference to a wanted subject.

THREATS

10:11 p.m. – Deputy dispatched to the 200 block of North 13th Rural Street in reference to threats.

ABANDONED VEHICLE 10:19 p.m. – Deputy dispatched to Seven Rivers Highway, mile marker 61, in reference to an abandoned vehicle.

June 6 THREATS

12:49 a.m. – Deputy dispatched to the 20 block of Broken Arrow Road in reference to threats.

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY 2:21 a.m. – Deputy dispatched to South 13th Street and West Castleberry Road in reference to suspicious activity.

3:44 a.m. – Deputy dispatched to the 20 block of Broken Arrow Road in reference to suspicious activity.

VANDALISM

4:45 a.m. – Deputy dispatched to 2704 N. Bolton Road in reference to the vandalism of a vehicle. DOMESTIC

7:57 a.m. – Deputy dispatched to the 1000 block of West Fairgrounds Road in reference to a physical domestic dispute.

ACCIDENT

8:56 a.m. – Deputy dispatched to Seven Rivers Highway and West Atoka Road in reference to a motor vehicle accident with no injuries.

RECKLESS DRIVING

12:43 p.m. – Deputy dispatched to the 7100 block of Roswell Highway in reference to reckless driving.

FRAUD

1:22 p.m. – Deputy dispatched to Artesia Metals in reference to fraud.

RECKLESS DRIVING

2:11 p.m. – Deputy dispatched to Allsup’s, 1603 N. First St., in reference to reckless driving.

WANTED SUBJECT

3:25 p.m. – Deputy dispatched to First Street RV in reference to a wanted subject. An arrest warrant was served.

RECKLESS DRIVING

5:36 p.m. – Deputy dispatched to Seven Rivers Highway and East Fairgrounds Road in reference to reckless driving. An arrest was made.

ALARM

6:08 p.m. – Deputy dispatched to 128 E. Compress Road in reference to a burglar alarm.

SUSPICIOUS VEHICLE 6:09 p.m. – Deputy dispatched to the 300 block of South Haldeman Rural Road in reference to a suspicious vehicle.

INDECENT EXPOSURE 7:04 p.m. – Deputy dispatched to Brantley Lake, Champion Bay, in reference to indecent exposure.

SUICIDAL SUBJECT

7:05 p.m. – Deputy dispatched to Brantley Lake, Champion Bay, in reference to a suicidal subject.

SUSPICIOUS VEHICLE 10:56 p.m. – Deputy dispatched to North 26th Rural Street and Howard Drive in reference to a suspicious vehicle.

11:39 p.m. – Deputy dispatched to North 13th Rural Street and Roswell Highway in reference to a suspicious vehicle.

June 5 ASSIST

12:17 a.m. – Deputy dispatched to the Abo Apartments to assist the Artesia Police Department.

12:23 a.m. – Deputy dispatched to the Abo Apartments to assist the Artesia Police Department.

12:32 a.m. – Deputy dispatched to the Abo Apartments to assist the Artesia Police Department. LIVESTOCK

7:10 a.m. – Deputy dispatched to Bluestem Road, mile marker 9, in reference to livestock in the roadway.

WANTED SUBJECT

10:44 a.m. – Deputy dispatched to Artesia Magistrate Court in reference to a wanted subject. An arrest warrant was served.

ALARM

11:09 p.m. – Deputy dispatched to 1001 Pecan Ave. in reference to a burglar alarm.

June 4 LIVESTOCK

8:15 a.m. – Deputy dispatched to Lovington Highway, mile marker 126, in reference to livestock in the roadway.

The shadows turned from the sun

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The shadows turned from the sun
By Cassie McClure

At 5:30 a.m., it was still dark when we — five cops, two city council members, and one city manager — took off from City Hall on bikes. Within a few minutes, the sun started creeping over the mountains, showing us the muted colors of the old adobes in the nearby neighborhood.

We pulled up next to three people sitting outside a house. The police wanted to check the cleanup status codes they had requested, and the three explained they had tapped in to help the property owner. Breakfast was cooking on a little grill as two dogs tussled gently around it.

One of the men came out to be a witness to the work they wanted to do for their friend. The other man came to talk about having grown up in the neighborhood, gangbanging in the same streets, and now wanting to be its caretaker after doing his time.

“But the streets have changed,” he said, “The kids now are so quick to anger. It used to be we’d finish things,” he mimicked with a closed fist against a palm, “like that, but now it’s just,” and his gunshaped fingers rat-tat-tatted toward us. “There’s less for kids to do now.”

Sadness lingered against the dawn of the new day. The heat increased slowly but steadily as we rode on.

We stopped at another boarded- up property. The backyard was filled with bicycle parts, piles of trash, and a box of 8-track tapes under a dilapidated gazebo. An officer called into the blackened window frame, which had been covered with plywood up the day before. No one was there, but they had been overnight.

They explained the case: a son thought the mom had left the property for him in her will. She didn’t. He refused to leave and brought in friends and their drugs; the property had decayed around them in short order. The property was sold, and the son had threatened the new owners. The police supervised the move-out the day before.

Driving by a Walmart, a man sat slumped in a wheelchair. One of the officers veered over to check on him, calling him by his name. The man in the wheelchair woke up to curse the officer. After a few minutes, the officer rode over and told me his story. The police knew him. The man was on track to lose his legs from infection. His family lived in the city and wanted to help — as long as he stopped using. He refused.

At another location, a young woman spoke to us about her drug habit, never raising her eyes to us. She had three kids at her mom’s house she didn’t see. The officers offered to call for a local treatment facility to come get her. She wasn’t ready.

Even as we consider that police offering help has layered connotations — invoking real fear for many, especially people of color — what is the step for those who outright refuse treatment for substance abuse? That’s the challenge in our city, throughout New Mexico, the country, and the world: the gap between saying no to help and the possibility of change.

It’s that gap, somewhere in the twilight between the justice system and the various rehabilitation systems, that becomes a gaping hole — one that our neighbors fall into every single day.


(EDITOR’S NOTE: Cassie McClure is a writer, wife, mother, daughter, fan of the Oxford comma, and drinker of tequila. Some of those things relate. Contact her at cassie@mcclurepublications.com.)

Apologizing my way through appendicitis

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Apologizing my way through appendicitis
By Stephanie Hayes

My absent hunger was the first sign something was wrong. Normally, even when I’m physically full, the suggestion of, say, a gooey cookie will open a vacancy in my stomach.

This fateful day, though, I skipped breakfast, and then headed to lunch with a co-worker.

“Huh,” I thought. Every bit of bread and cheese and chia on the menu sounded repellent. I ordered a smoothie. It tasted like paste.

“Huh,” I thought, when the smoothie was not agreeing with me. “Huh,” I thought, driving down the highway later with a generalized maelstrom of pain.

“HUH,” I thought, hunched on the couch at home, sweating as the clock ticked ever closer to middle school pickup. “HUHHHHHH,” I thought, driving to the school tensed up like a tiny crab.

Now’s when you may remark, “Why didn’t she ask for help? Why didn’t she stop driving everywhere?”

These are valid thoughts! I figured I had menstrual cramps, even though I knew the timing was off, and this pain was different. I’d had a similar bout a few months earlier, and my gynecologist chalked it up to rupturing ovarian cysts. I experienced my first cyst rupture when I was 13: pain like a hot bolt of lightning.

For those of you without the benefit (?) of a uterus: Many of us walk around regularly with abdominal and pelvic pain that could take down an ornery bear. We tolerate the discomfort, headaches, bowel issues, bloating and bleeding while being told to smile in the shampoo aisle of CVS, while running corporate meetings and delivering packages and coordinating family lives. We have become adept at relaxing our facial masseters and putting others at ease so they may never know Bruce Willis is rappelling from a proverbial Nakatomi Plaza near our fallopian tubes.

Whatever this was, I’d been training for it my whole life. Not only are women cursed with recurrent physical pain, but we are also tasked with being likable.

I went home and lay down in the shape of a comma. The pain started to ease, and I thought, silly lady! You’re fine! The next morning, I felt sore but better, with plans to chalk the agony up to the Beautiful Mystery of Womanhood. Health care, who needs it?! I started work, yet I remained distracted by pain congregating ominously in one area.

Between each sentence I typed, the sensation nagged. I turned to Dr. Google, who offered the words “lower right quadrant” and “appendix.” I poked my lower right quadrant and began the calculus unique to Americans: weighing the cost-benefit ratio of urgent care versus primary care versus worst of all, the panic button known as the emergency room. I was lucky to have insurance, I reminded myself, and would be foolish not to use it.

My doctor’s office was able to fit me in with a nurse practitioner. She prodded.

“Ow.” “Can you jump up and down?” she said.

“I would rather not,” I replied. She wrote “STAT” on the CT scan order. I relaxed my masseters as the receptionists argued about who had to call the imaging center. I apologized to everyone, saying, “Whenever you can squeeze me in!”

At home, I checked my electronic portal, thinking there was no way I actually had appendicitis. They’d tell me to avoid cashew butter in smoothies. Or take an Aleve. Or see a therapist for anxiety manifesting in the lower right quadrant.

“Appendicitis,” it read. Huh! Not knowing what to do next, I took the dog out. During the walk, the on-call doctor phoned and said I should head to the emergency room, haha! We caught the appendix at an early enough stage that it had not yet ruptured, turned gangrenous and put my life at risk.

At the hospital, I chatted about favorite bourbons with the friendly surgeon who would soon laparoscopically snake into my belly in three places and cut out the rascally organ while I snoozed under general anesthesia.

“You’re very stoic,” he said, looking into my eyes. “When I saw you across the room, I didn’t believe you had appendicitis.”

After surgery, the nurse said I was her favorite appendicitis patient, which made me feel like I won The Hospital, which made me feel … huh? Like I should probably start examining the need to be liked and chill, even when losing a toxic organ. This work will be ongoing!

I spent a few days watching Anne Hathaway rom-coms. The surgery pain replaced the pain in my lower right quadrant, magically gone, kaput, no small mercy. The moral here is to listen to the language of hurt, respect bodily oddities, fight the urge to rationalize problems away, even if you fancy yourself some kind of smiley, friendlier John Wick.

I checked my online patient portal to read the surgery notes.

“Very pleasant 40-year-old female presents to ER with approximately a day and a half of abdominal discomfort.”

On my face crawled a vacant drugstore smile.


(EDITOR’S NOTE: Stephanie Hayes is a syndicated humor columnist whose work is distributed by Creators Syndicate. Contact her at facebook. com/stephhayeswrites.)

Today in History

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Today is Sunday, June 9, the 161st day of 2024. There are 205 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History: On June 9, 2023, a felony indictment said Donald Trump improperly stored in his Florida estate sensitive documents on nuclear capabilities, repeatedly enlisted aides and lawyers to help him hide records demanded by investigators and cavalierly showed off a Pentagon “plan of attack” and classified map.

On this date: In 1732, James Oglethorpe received a charter from Britain’s King George II to found the colony of Georgia.

In 1870, author Charles Dickens died in Gad’s Hill Place, England.

In 1915, guitarist, songwriter and inventor Les Paul was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

In 1940, during World War II, Norway decided to surrender to the Nazis, effective at midnight.

In 1954, during the Senate Army-McCarthy hearings, Army special counsel Joseph N. Welch berated Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy, R-Wis., asking: “Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?”

In 1969, the Senate confirmed Warren Burger to be the new chief justice of the United States, succeeding Earl Warren.

In 1972, heavy rains triggered record flooding in the Black Hills of South Dakota; the resulting disaster left at least 238 people dead and $164 million in damage.

In 1978, leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints struck down a 148-yearold policy of excluding Black men from the Mormon priesthood.

In 1983, Britain’s Conservatives, led by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, won a decisive election victory.

In 1986, the Rogers Commission released its report on the Challenger disaster, criticizing NASA and rocket-builder Morton Thiokol for management problems leading to the explosion that claimed the lives of seven astronauts.

In 1993, the science-fiction film “Jurassic Park,” directed by Steven Spielberg, had its world premiere in Washington, D.C.

In 2004, the body of Ronald Reagan arrived in Washington to lie in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda before the 40th president’s funeral.

In 2013, Rafael Nadal became the first man to win eight titles at the same Grand Slam tournament after beating fellow Spaniard David Ferrer in the French Open final.

In 2017, actor Adam West, TV’s “Batman,” died in Los Angeles at age 88.

In 2018, Justify, ridden by Mike Smith and trained by Bob Baffert, won the Belmont Stakes to become horse racing’s 13th Triple Crown winner and the second in four years.

In 2020, hundreds of mourners packed a Houston church for the funeral of George Floyd, a Black man whose death during a Minneapolis arrest inspired a worldwide reckoning over racial injustice.

In 2022, at its first public hearing on the matter, the House panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol laid the blame firmly on Donald Trump, saying the assault was not spontaneous but an “attempted coup” and a direct result of the defeated president’s effort to overturn the 2020 election.

Today’s Birthdays: Media analyst Marvin Kalb is 94. Sports commentator Dick Vitale is 85. Author Letty Cottin Pogrebin is 85. Rock musician Mick Box (Uriah Heep) is 77. Retired MLB All-Star Dave Parker is 73. Film composer James Newton Howard is 73. Mystery author Patricia Cornwell is 68. Actor Michael J. Fox is 63. Writer-producer Aaron Sorkin is 63. Actor Johnny Depp is 61. Actor Gloria Reuben is 60. Gospel singer-actor Tamela Mann is 58. Rock musician Dean Felber (Hootie & the Blowfish) is 57. Rock musician Dean Dinning is 57. Musician Ed Simons is 54. Actor Keesha Sharp is 51. Bluegrass singer-musician Jamie Dailey (Dailey & Vincent) is 49. Actor Michaela Conlin is 46. Actor Natalie Portman is 43. Actor Mae Whitman is 36. Actor Lucien Laviscount is 32.

Thought for Today: “The newspaper is a greater treasure to the people than uncounted millions of gold.” — Henry Ward Beecher

The Bookworm Sez

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The Bookworm Sez
By Terri Schlichenmeyer


c.2024, Pegasus Books $32 • 408 pages

It was like squashing a cockroach, they said. Put your toe down in one spot, rotate your hips and your ankle, shimmy them shoulders, and snap your fingers to the beat. That’s how you kill a bug, and it’s how you do The Twist – but beware. In the new book “Shake It Up, Baby” by Ken McNab, there are some Beatles you really want around.

The first day of 1963 was remarkable for one thing: Great Britain was in the midst of “an extraordinary polar plunge that would last three long, depressing months.” Also on that day, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr arrived on a plane home from Hamburg, “just four nameless faces in the crowd.” They had no idea that this would be the year “when everything changed.”

They were still getting used to one another, jostling for control. Their manager, Brian Epstein, was toiling to make the four men famous, constantly calling record companies, landing gigs, booking recording studios – one at which the Beatles would record an entire album in a single day. They toured constantly, dozens and dozens of concerts with one reward: their song, “Please Please Me” started to rise on British music charts.

Despite the official word that the “boys” were single, John Lennon welcomed his son Julian into the world in April 1963. Before the month was out, Lennon left for a vacation in Spain with Epstein, who was gay, almost creating a scandal.

By the end of the summer, it was obvious that that didn’t matter: fans – especially female ones – didn’t care what the Beatles did. Screaming fans, fainting fans, obsessive ones met the Beatles wherever they went… except in America. Curiously, there seemed to be a resistance to the Fab Four’s music on this side of the ocean.

But Epstein was tenacious, Harrison’s sister was dogged in her devotion, and DJs began to talk. And at the end of the year, Ed Sullivan said “yes” to a booking…

Charts don’t lie; neither does endurance, and those two things make many people swear that the Beatles were one of the best bands the world has ever seen. “Shake It Up, Baby” puts an exclamation point on that notion.

It’ll be hard not to sing the songs to yourself or check your record collection while you’re in the middle of this book. The mix list here is made of classic Beatles and stories that even the most die-hard fans might not’ve heard (yet) – but while music and the love of the Fab Four are the mainstay, author Ken McNab puts the Beatles and Epstein in focus by pulling outside influences into his narrative. Readers are also reminded of historical events in that pivotal year, as well as the many tunes that made you dance and shout.

Absolutely, this is a book Beatles fans must have, ASAP. Any music lover will enjoy it, and it might start a new obsession. You need your music, so find “Shake It Up, Baby.” Missing it will really bug you.

AROUND TOWN

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YARD OF THE WEEK Artesia Clean & Beautiful will sponsor its Yard of the Week contest beginning Monday, June 3, and continuing through September. Colorful, attractive, well-groomed lawns with curb appeal meet the qualifications. To nominate a yard worthy of the title, contact Linda at 575513-0143 or the AC&B office at 575-748-3192. —————– FILM SCREENING — First Church Artesia, 402 W. Grand Ave., will hold a free screening of “Letter to the American Church” at 6 p.m. Friday, June 14. The public is welcome to attend. —————– CHASE SCHOLAR COMMUNITY SERVICE — Chase Scholars will be performing community service for senior citizens June 19-21. Students will be in groups with an adult supervisor and will be available for yard work, cleaning exterior windows, and various odd jobs. Students will not be painting. Sign-ups for those needing work done are available at the Senior MealSite, the Senior Center, the Artesia Chamber of Commerce, and KSVP. For more information, contact Ginny at the Chase Foundation, 575-746-4610. —————– ELECTRONIC RECYCLING — Artesia Clean & Beautiful will host its annual eWaste Event from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Friday, June 21, and 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday, June 22, at the Eddy County Fairgrounds food court. Items to be accepted for recycling include all office-related equipment, fax machines, copiers, typewriters, CPUs, and consumer electronics including DVD and VCR players and video game consoles, radios, telephones and cell phones, server and telecom equipment, cameras and stereo equipment. There will be a $5 charge for large CRT monitors. Televisions and home appliances will not be accepted. For more information, call AC&B at 575-748-3192. —————– DOCUMENT DESTRUCTION — CARC Document Destruction will be at Artesia Clean & Beautiful’s eWaste Event from 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Friday, June 21, at the Eddy County Fairgrounds food court to accept any residential documents in need of disposal, up to 100 pounds. No commercial documents will be accepted. For more information, call AC&B at 575-748-3192. —————– PRIDE EVENT — Artesia’s Fourth Annual Pride Event will be held at 5 p.m. Saturday, June 22, at Pizza Hut. The community is invited to attend to honor those who have made sacrifices to make the world a more accepting place. All ages and identities are welcome to come make new friends, spread love, and show allyship. —————– GREAT AMERICAN CLEAN-UP — Artesia Clean & Beautiful will continue scheduling clean-ups through June 22. Volunteers may sign up any time at the AC&B office, 422 W. Main St., to receive supplies. For more information, call 575-748-3192. —————– GAME-DAY APPAREL The Artesia High School Student Council has launched its game-day apparel for the 202425 season. Fans can now purchase a variety of products at great prices; there’s something for everyone in the collection so you can show your support for the team in style. All orders must be placed online by July 24. Use promo code BULLDOG to remove the shipping cost. Pick-up will be available at the AHS office Aug. 16 and 19. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to gear up for the games and give back to the Student Council, and don’t forget to share with your fellow Bulldog fans! —————– LIBRARY BOARD — The Artesia Public Library is seeking to fill soon-to-be-opened seats on the Library Board of Trustees. Anyone interested should submit a letter of inquiry to Library Supervisor Omar Acosta at the library or by email to oacosta@artesianm.gov. —————– PHLEBOTOMIST PROGRAM — Applications are now open for Artesia General Hospital’s certified phlebotomist program. To learn how to apply and for more information on this career opportunity, call 575-736-8178 or email foundation@ artesiageneral.com. —————– INTRO TO YOUTH SPORTS — The Artesia Center is offering a program for children ages 3-5 that introduces kids to sports in a fun, non-stressful environment. The program is held from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Center. For more information, contact Bernice at 915-249-8934. —————– COMMUNITY FITNESS CLASS — The public is invited to attend a fun, free community fitness class, led by certified group fitness instructor Dottie Ellis, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Artesia Center, 612 N. Eighth St. —————– DRIVERS NEEDED SENM Veterans’ Transportation is in need of volunteer drivers to transport veterans to and from doctor’s appointments. Anyone interested in volunteering is urged to contact Alice or Donna at 575-622-0729. —————– WIDOW’S MIGHT — Widow’s Might, a support group for widows at all stages of grief, will meet at 6:30 p.m. each Thursday in the classroom building on the east side of West Main Baptist Church, 1701 W. Main St. For more information, call 575-746-3528, email widowsmightnm@gmail. com, or visit widowsmightnm. com or facebook.com/widowsmightnm.

—————– GRIEF SUPPORT — A Grief Group meets at 1:30 p.m. each Tuesday in the Saint Damien Center at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, 1111 N. Roselawn Ave. Free support is offered in both English and Spanish. For more information, contact Nora at 575-308-3248. —————– MEN’S PICK-UP BASKETBALL — The City of Artesia is hosting men’s pick-up basketball from 5-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays at the Artesia Center, 612 N. Eighth St. For more information, call 575-7469009. —————–

TOPS — The Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) Club meets at 9 a.m. Wednesdays at the Senior Center. For more information, call the Center at 575-746-4113.

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SCHOOL BOARD — The Artesia Public Schools (APS) Board of Education will hold a regular meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, June 10, in the Lowell M. Irby Board Room at the APS Administration Building, 301 Bulldog Blvd. A copy of the agenda for this meeting will be available 24 hours in advance at www. bulldogs.org or the Administration Building. —————– KIDS’ LEGO DAY — The Children’s Summer Reading Program will hold a LEGO Day from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 11, at the Artesia Public Library. Come construct an oil rig. For more information, call the library at 575-746-4252. —————– TEEN CRAFTERNOON — The Teen Summer Reading Program will hold a Teen Crafternoon for ages 13-17 from 1-2:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 11, at the Artesia Public Library. Come create a sasquatch in a tin. All supplies provided. For more information, call the library at 575-746-4252. —————– ADULT STEM CHALLENGE — Adults ages 18 and up are invited to a STEM Challenge at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 11, at the Artesia Public Library. Explore techniques used in the oilfield by participating in an oil spill clean-up. For more information, call the library at 575-746-4252. —————– KIDS’ STEM DAY — The Children’s Summer Reading Program will hold a STEM Day from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 12, at the Artesia Public Library. Come try your hand at helping keep animals and the environment safe during an oil spill clean-up challenge. For more information, call the library at 575-746-4252. —————– YARN UNITED — Adults ages 18 and up are invited to Yarn United at noon Wednesday, June 12, at the Artesia Public Library. All ages and skill levels can work on knitting, crocheting, quilting, stitching or crafting. For more information, call the library at 575-746-4252. —————– TEEN GAMES AND BUILDS — The Teen Summer Reading Program will hold Camping Bingo for ages 13-17 from 1-2:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 12, at the Artesia Public Library. For more information, call the library at 575-746-4252. —————– TALL PAUL — All ages are invited to enjoy the magic of Tall Paul from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Thursday, June 13, at the Artesia Public Library. For more information, call the library at 575746-4252. —————– TEEN ART — The Teen Summer Reading Program will hold Teen Art for ages 13-17 from 1-2:30 p.m. Thursday, June 13, at the Artesia Public Library. Come decorate a sasquatch cookie. All supplies provided. For more information, call the library at 575-746-4252. —————– CRAFTING FOR ADULTS — Adults ages 18 and up are invited to create pill bottle emergency kits at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, June 13, at the Artesia Public Library. For more information, call the library at 575-746-4252. —————– FATHER’S DAY EVENT — Fathers are invited to join their kids for a special StoryTime, craft and games from 3-5 p.m. Friday, June 14, at the Artesia Public Library. For more information, call the library at 575-746-4252. —————– SRP REGISTRATION — The final day to register for the Artesia Public Library’s children’s, teen and adult Summer Reading Programs will be Saturday, June 15. For more information, call the library at 575-746-4252.

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