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Mayor, firefighters’ brave late morning heat for mural painting Friday. Here is a photographic update

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Mayor, firefighters’ brave late morning heat for mural painting Friday. Here is a photographic update

Painting continued Aug. 7 at the third community mural along JJ Clarke Drive across from the Eagle Draw flood control channel.

The mural is a community-driven art project of Artesia Clean and Beautiful, an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and New Mexico Clean and Beautiful.

(Photo provided by Artesia Clean and Beautiful. Firefighters joined the general public for a community painting on Friday along the third mural in Artesia.)

The organization focuses on recycling education projects, community cleanups and local beautification.

Director Linda Stevens said Artesia Mayor Jeff Youtsey and other personnel from the City of Artesia stopped by to add their artistic touches to the mural that will depict significant events, local landmarks and scenes of everyday life in Artesia.

(Photo provided by Artesia Clean and Beautiful. Artesia Mayor Jeff Youtsey (left) paints a portion of the new community mural.)

(Photo provided by Artesia Clean and Beautiful. Artesia artist Kirsten Mauritsen pauses from handing out paint cups and brushes on Friday.)

Brushstrokes of progress. Another mural is being painted in Artesia across the street from Eagle Draw. Here’s how you join the community wide painting

Michael Smith
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Brushstrokes of progress. Another mural is being painted in Artesia across the street from Eagle Draw. Here’s how you join the community wide painting

A third community mural is taking shape in Artesia, transforming a barren cinderblock wall into a colorful tribute to the people, places and milestones that have shaped the city’s history.

The mural, the last of three paintings spanning the decades-old wall that sits along JJ Clarke Drive across the street from the Eagle Draw flood control channel, depicts significant events, local landmarks, and scenes of everyday life in Artesia.

The painting is the culmination of a community-driven art project spearheaded by Artesia Clean and Beautiful and the nonprofit’s executive director, Linda Stevens. The artwork is designed to celebrate the spirit of the community while preserving its story for future generations, Stevens said.

Established in 1994, Artesia Clean and Beautiful operates as an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and New Mexico Clean and Beautiful, according to the nonprofit’s Facebook page, focusing on community cleanups, recycling education and local beautification projects.

Stevens launched the mural project last year after determining that her organization had some money left over from a state beautification grant.

“I was not going to be able to spend a certain portion of it and I decided we needed to do something with it and use that money,” she said. “This wall has been on JJ Clarke and I kept staring at it and thought, ‘Let’s do something.’”

Stevens approached local artist Kirsten Mauritsen and the two decided to create the murals in a way that would involve the community, with Mauritsen designing and plotting out each picture and volunteers completing the images by filling in numbered sections of the wall.

Stevens obtained approval from the city to undertake the project. Once the first phase was completed, she needed more money. With Artesia City Councilor Raul Rodriguez leading the way, the city contributed $40,000 to finish the project.

Painted last summer, the first mural illustrated the recreational uses around the Eagle Draw flood project. The second, completed earlier this year near the corner of JJ Clarke and Bowman Drive, pays homage to the Artesia Aquatic Center and the new Artesia Recreation Center.

More on the current mural

The third mural is located between 10th and 13th Streets, east of the first two.

“This section has a history of Artesia starting at 10th Street which is the beginning of the wall,” Stevens said. “It will portray events, happenings, statues and playground equipment. It will also show all the activities that the high school is involved with.”

Mauritsen started the mural designing process in June.

“The designs are all made on the computer,” she said. “I plan out the wall to scale so I can know where everything goes and make sure the design is going to fit. As far as transferring it to the wall for detailed areas, I’ll take that image that is designed and I’ll use a virtual headset and an app on the headset to trace that onto the wall.”

After she traced silhouettes on the wall, Mauritsen said, she placed numbers on them.

“It’s a big project so it’s a bit of a time saver as far as getting it traced and getting people to come out and paint,” she said. “Then it’s a very long, giant, paint by number.”

Once the numbers were in place, 25 community volunteers went to work the last two days of July, filling in the numbers with paint provided by Artesia Clean and Beautiful.

Stevens said she couldn’t say for sure when the mural would be finished.

“It depends on how much community involvement there is,” she said. “I would say at least a month or two.”

Desert weather could slow the project, Stevens said, with temperatures in Artesia this week expected to exceed 100 degrees, according to the National Weather Service in Midland, Texas.

Once completed, the project will be a source of pride for the city, Stevens said.

“There is a lot to be proud of in this town,” she said. “All of the murals show off bits and pieces of our community and you might see yourself in some of them,” she said.

And the public’s hands-on participation makes it even better, she said.

“It’s neat to point out a section and tell someone, ‘See that character. I painted that.’

Follow reporter Mike Smith on Instagram @mikesmithartesianm.

Artesia City Council gives nod to second pot shop on North First Street

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Artesia City Council gives nod to second pot shop on North First Street

 

A new cannabis shop is coming to Artesia, despite concerns from locals as to the impact it could have on the local community.

The Artesia City Council voted 5-2 to approve a business license for High Society LLC to construct and operate the marijuana dispensary at 705 N. First Street.

The vote came after a public hearing held during the council’s July 28 meeting that grew tense at times while opponents of the project voiced concerns but supporters said it followed all state laws.

Mayor Jeff Youtsey said he spent several hours looking through an ordinance the City of Artesia passed in September 2021 regulating manufacturing and sales of cannabis products in the city limits.

Youtsey compared Artesia’s ordinance with the Cannabis Control Act passed by the New Mexico Legislature in March of 2021.

He found that the application submitted by High Society 2 LLC met all state and city regulations.

“Unfortunately, the (state) statute gives local governments no option to deny an application that otherwise adheres to all state requirements,” Youtsey said.

“This is a sad reality in the state of New Mexico.”

The application was also reviewed by Artesia’s Planning and Zoning commission, which recommended approval at a meeting in June noting that applicant Rheuben Dixon met all the stipulations laid out in the city ordinance.

Cannabis retail shops in Artesia are only allowed in the city’s business district, and not within 300 feet of a school, day care center, park or any housing units. The shops must also be a quarter mile from any other cannabis retail businesses.

The only other such establishment in Artesia is Pecos Valley Production which since 2022 was located several blocks away from High Society’s location at 501 S. First St.

“Mr. Dixon has met all the conditions outlined in this ordinance,” said Nichole Fuchs, a founder of the Las Cruces based Southwest Cannabis Trade Association.

She was there to advocate and speak for Dixon.

“He takes pride in being an ethical business owner and like the city of Artesia has obligation to protect the business, health, safety and welfare of the City of Artesia,” Fuchs said.

Resident Melinda Stanford spoke against the permit.

She said regulations did not stop children and families from allegedly smelling cannabis smoked in public while coaching a children’s baseball game earlier this year.

“As a mother and citizen of Artesia I implore you say no to this,” she said.

But District 4 Councilor Terry Hill said the state did not leave the city much choice.

“We’re hamstrung through no fault of our own. The state mandates I must vote for it,” he said.

Other business

Councilors approved the closure of some downtown streets for the Sept. 25-26 Red Dirt Black Gold music festival. The event is coordinated by Artesia MainStreet and the Arts and Cultural District.

Special use fees were approved for the brand-new Artesia Recreation Center at 603 Bowman Drive. Grand opening is Aug. 14 as the walking track and basketball courts are free and open to the public. Use of meeting rooms and exercise equipment requires membership or a guest pass.

New Mexico Department of Justice sues feds over Epstein files

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New Mexico Department of Justice sues feds over Epstein files

Julia Goldberg
Source New Mexico

This story and graphics were originally published by Source New Mexico at sourcenm.com.

The New Mexico Department of Justice on Wednesday announced a newly filed lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice and Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche in order to gain access to un-redacted investigative files related to the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his time in the state.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez in early July sent a letter to USDOJ officials contending the federal agency has delayed release of multiple records related to the state’s criminal investigation of Epstein’s activities at his Zorro Ranch in Santa Fe.

Former New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas, also in July, released a letter to Torrez in which he said federal officials had failed “to this day” to uphold an agreement to share New Mexico-related materials with the state’s top law enforcement agency.

Among other requests, the new lawsuit asks the court to order the federal agency to provide access to un-redacted Epstein files and other unreleased materials, or require USDOJ to reconsider the request under formal regulations known as a Touhy request.

“New Mexico has a duty to protect survivors and investigate crimes committed in our state so that perpetrators can be held accountable,” Torrez said in a statement. “We asked the Department of Justice to cooperate by providing access to records that may be critical to identifying victims, witnesses, and additional criminal conduct at Zorro Ranch. Their delay is actively hurting our criminal investigation and delaying justice Epstein survivors deserve.”

A USDOJ spokesperson, in response to a request for comment from Source NM, wrote that, “The Epstein Files Transparency Act does not require, and the protective orders in place in the Southern District of New York do not permit, disclosure of victim-identifying information carte blanche, and New Mexico has provided no lawful basis to justify such sweeping disclosures. Protecting victim privacy remains a top priority for the Department, and neither Touhy requests nor a desire to cooperate outweighs that privacy. DOJ remains available to assist New Mexico’s investigation consistent with the law and binding court orders.”

In a news conference Wednesday morning, following the announcement of the lawsuit, Torrez responded to that statement by saying “it appears that the United States Department of Justice is once again hiding behind an act of Congress that frankly doesn’t have anything to do with this request.” He elaborated by noting that the NMDOJ’s “request does not hinge on the Epstein Transparency Act. Our request is a routine request from a state law enforcement agency to a federal law enforcement counterpart.”

Acting U.S. Attorney General Blanche, Torrez said, “with a stroke of a pen, could grant us the access that he claims he is willing to engage with in terms of giving us the cooperation that we’ve asked for.” Instead, he added, “they have decided to stonewall, to obstruct, and to frankly conceal for whatever reason.”

Torrez told reporters that thus far the federal agency had made 31 pages available from the local U.S. Attorney’s Office “that included virtually nothing of of relevance or importance to the investigation,” even though, he said, the Epstein files reference Zorro Ranch more than 13,000 times.

Reviewing those references, he said, “there are entire pages that are blacked out, and names of specific individuals that are obscured. And it’s access to that information that will allow us to do the very difficult and very deliberate work of piecing together all the information that we need and evaluating whether or not there’s sufficient evidence to proceed with a criminal investigation.”

The longer Blanche “stonewalls and obstructs our access to the files, the longer that that process is delayed, and the longer we are delayed in trying to deliver justice to survivors,” Torrez said.

Sherry Robinson: CYFD wrong to send kid across border alone

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Sherry Robinson: CYFD wrong to send kid across border alone

 

Two days after CYFD assured the public that it was successfully addressing its high caseloads and recruiting new foster families, a story broke that the state agency charged with protecting children walked a teenager to the Mexican border and ordered him to rejoin his mother in Juarez. The mother he hadn’t lived with in nine years. The mother deported by Texas on drug charges. The mother CYFD first said was abusive but then reversed itself to force reunification. The mother CYFD claimed to have vetted by phone.

CYFD sent the teen, a U.S. citizen with a heart condition, across the bridge at night to meet his mother. He bolted and ran across three lanes of traffic toward El Paso, where he spent 10 days in a homeless shelter before Texas and Mexican authorities took him to Juárez.

We see again and again that the state Children Youth and Families Department doesn’t just have staffing and program issues, its decision makers come up short on common sense and common decency. However, the newly created Office of the Child Advocate alerted the state’s Attorney General, who has sued to get the boy returned to New Mexico. The governor’s spokesman defended CYFD and attacked the AG.

My dad used to talk to us about “right and wrong.” To him it was that simple – no shades of grey. This incident violates most people’s sense of right and wrong. Both candidates for governor get that, even if the governor doesn’t.

Republican Gregg Hull told the Albuquerque Journal: “If my administration allowed this to happen, and I didn’t know about it, I’d step out and own it. The buck stops with the Governor’s Office.”

He added, “I can think of one policy that needs to be implemented immediately: Never turn over a 15-year-old at the international border unescorted.”

Hull, a three-term mayor of Rio Rancho, said it was necessary to understand who made the decisions and why. “If the Governor’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office were informed about this, why did they ultimately let this go forward?”

On his website, Hull calls for clear standards, accountability, caseload limits for caseworkers, modern data systems, and safety first in placements.

Democrat Deb Haaland, a former Interior Secretary and congresswoman, said in a news release: “The decision to send a child across the border alone is unacceptable. My heart breaks every time a child is harmed because of poor policy. Kids need to be kept safe and right now CYFD fails to meet that responsibility.”

For some time, Haaland has promised an “overhaul” of CYFD. She’s said she would appoint a qualified secretary and direct them to increase staff, rebuild partnerships and standardize foster recruitment and certification. That’s fine, but she also proposes restructuring CYFD. Instead of being a state agency with a cabinet secretary who answers to the governor, it would be under an independent commission.

Haaland and Hull both get points for stating clearly that what happened here is wrong, something the governor notably didn’t do, but Haaland’s desire to give CYFD more independence is misguided.

In April the state Department of Justice released a 216-page report after investigating CYFD for a year. The report described a department that operates in isolation and avoids accountability. It routinely resists or ignores requests from law enforcement, courts, the Legislature and the public. There is no transparency. Further separation would only make this worse.

Maralyn Beck, who leads the New Mexico Child First Network, is the state’s most credible watchdog. She has warned against removing CYFD from the governor’s control. In an April op-ed she wrote that serving children requires CYFD to work closely with other departments, and that requires having the same bureaucratic parents.

“(I)t’s worth mentioning that not one other state has removed its child welfare department from its governor’s office,” Beck wrote. “Not one. Nada. Zilch.”

Beck said she understands how impatient and desperate we are for change. “But, as someone working in this space daily, I also know that the last thing this agency needs is more uncertainty and instability.

“Solutions exist — but please, this isn’t it. There is a fragile balance here, and lives are at stake. Do not be shortsighted on this. We don’t need to separate CYFD from the governor’s control. What we need is a governor who takes more control by taking to heart the chain reaction and interconnectedness of all child-serving agencies.”

Candidate Deb Haaland, are you listening?

Sherry Robinson is a longtime New Mexico reporter and editor. She has worked in Grants, Gallup, the Albuquerque Journal, New Mexico Business Weekly and Albuquerque Tribune. She is the author of four books. Her columns won first place in 2024 from New Mexico Press Women.

GOP governor hopeful Hull makes campaign stop in Artesia encouraging citizens to get out and vote Republican in November

Michael Smith
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GOP governor hopeful Hull makes campaign stop in Artesia encouraging citizens to get out and vote Republican in November

 

Republican gubernatorial candidate Gregg Hull brought his campaign to southeast New Mexico last week, joining fellow GOP candidates and local elected officials at a fundraising luncheon at Artesia Country Club.

Hull, 60, will face Democrat Deb Haaland, 65, in the Nov. 3 general election race to succeed current Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham who was barred by term limits from seeking a third four-year term.

Hull served as mayor of Rio Rancho for 12 years and was also a private business owner. Haaland is a former U.S. representative who also served as U.S. interior secretary under former President Joe Biden.

The July 31 campaign event in Artesia was hosted by state Sen. Jim Townsend (R-34), state Sen. Candy Spence Ezell (R-32), state Rep. Jonathan Henry (R-54), and Robin Morgan, Eddy County Republican chairperson.

“We are coming down here because southeastern New Mexico is critical to the state’s economy,” Hull said in an interview after the luncheon. “We want to make sure that we are down here talking to people (and) introducing myself and making sure that people know who Gregg Hull is.”

Hull was joined at the event by four other candidates running for state office: David Gallegos (lieutenant governor), Ramona Goolsby (secretary of state), Michael Perry (commissioner of public lands), and James Ellison (state treasurer).

Also on hand were Republican state Rep. Martin Zamora, who is challenging Democratic incumbent Teresa Leger Fernandez for the District 3 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, and Roswell businessman Larry Marker, who is running against Democratic U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Lujan.

Hull urged southeast New Mexicans to vote on Nov. 3.

“We’ve got a huge voting block down here that typically stays home during the elections, and this is a critical election. We need people to come out and vote,” he said.

The would-be governor emphasized his support for the oil and gas industry.

“When I talk to individuals, they will understand how I value the (oil and gas) economy that is created from southeastern New Mexico and the important role that southeastern New Mexico plays in the state’s economy,” he said. “The oil and gas industry is huge in New Mexico.”

In his address to luncheon attendees, Hull called for an overhaul of the state’s education system.

“We were 30th in the nation for the amount of money that we spend on children – $16,000 to $17,000 annually – and we are absolutely getting dead-last results,” he said.” That cannot be acceptable for us.”

Hull also cited improved health care and public safety as key issues in his campaign.

Follow reporter Mike Smith on Instagram @mikesmithartesianm.

Horses to watch in New Mexico Horse Sale

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Horses to watch in New Mexico Horse Sale

Owners, trainers and casual fans of horse racing will enjoy watching thoroughbred and quarter horse yearlings go through the auction ring at the New Mexico-Bred Horse Sale.

“Potential buyers are paying attention to the sale catalog to study breeding and class,” General Manager Walt Wiggins said. “But the confirmation and maturity in the ring of each individual are very important.”

Here are a few selected horses that buyers might have their eyes-on in the auction sale ring:

Hip #38: Right About Now is a gray or roan thoroughbred filly foaled March 2, 2025 and consigned by Hunter Creek Farms. This is a full-sister to Rig Time, winner of nine races and $407,154 including the Road Runner Handicap at Ruidoso Downs. The sire is Right Rigger out of the dam Stardust Lady.

Hip #61: Double LL Farms is consigning the sale of an unnamed dark bay or brown thoroughbred colt foaled April 19, 2025. The sire is Runaway Ghost, a winner of 8 races and $783,509, including the Grade-3 Sunland Park Derby. The dam is Laurentide Ide, who earned $236,151 winning three races including the New York Stallion Fifth Avenue Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Hip #72: This unnamed dark bay or brown thoroughbred filly was foaled May 1, 2025 and is being consigned by A & A Ranch. The sire is Marking, considered to be one of the top state thoroughbred studs having earned $426,200 in a career that included a second-place finish in the Grade-1 Malibu Stakes. The dam is Bella Dona by Attila’s Storm, winner of $873,918. The mare is considered one of the top state-bred fillies, having scored 13 wins that included the $150,000 New Mexico Breeders’ Oaks at Sunland Park.

Hip #138: I Fly You Drive is a bay colt foaled March 8, 2025 and is being consigned by Brian Anderson Equine LLC. The sire is Love The Way You Fly, winner of six races including the Louisiana Million Invitational Stakes with earnings of $205,761. The dam is Midnight Cartel, winner of four races including the Black Gold 330 Futurity at Will Rogers Downs in Oklahoma for career earnings totaling $93,385.

Hip #158: MJ Farms, the 2025 AQHA Breeder of the Year, will consign the sorrel quarter horse gelding On The Line, foaled January 30, 2025. The yearling is a full-brother to the 2025 $3 million All American Futurity champion King of the Tide. The sire is the famous Eye Am King out of the dam is Ms Riptide.

Hip #257: A “sleeper” in the horse sale could be Dome Craft, a brown quarter horse filly foaled March 10, 2025 and consigned by Lazy A Farm. This yearling is sired by Minecraft, a Rainbow Derby finalist who also qualified for the Golden State Million Futurity at Los Alamitos in California. The dam is an unraced thoroughbred named Domeinitchy.

Carlsbad Police search for suspect in July fatal hit and run near Buffalo Wild Wings. Here is some information released by police

Adrian Hedden
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Carlsbad Police search for suspect in July fatal hit and run near Buffalo Wild Wings. Here is some information released by police

 

A Carlsbad man charged in the hit-and-run death of 19-year-old Trapper Cearley allegedly drank beer and tequila at Buffalo Wild Wings in the hours leading up to the crash.

Edgar Ayala Flores, 26, faces felony charges of vehicular homicide, driving while intoxicated, leaving the scene of an accident, failing to render aid, and tampering with evidence.

A warrant for Flores’ arrest was issued July 2 but Carlsbad police Lt. Chris Caron said investigators had yet to locate Flores.

Police said Flores was driving a flatbed pickup truck in the 3700 block of Standpipe Road just before midnight on June 7 when he struck the southbound minibike Cearley was riding. Cearley was found unconscious off the rural roadway about 5:48 a.m. the next morning and declared dead at the scene.

Police initially announced Flores as a “person of interest” in the days after the crash, but a criminal complaint filed July 2 listed the charges and named him as the suspect.

“We are working very diligently to find Edgar and get him into custody,” Caron said. “We encourage the public to inform us if anyone has any information as to his location.”

What follows is a compressed version of the evidence the Carlsbad Police Department used in charging Flores, according to the criminal complaint.

 

Police were called to the scene about six hours after the crash, finding chrome vehicle parts in the roadway, and two matching boots – one on the east side and one on the west side of the road.

The vehicle parts were later found to be consistent with a 2017 to 2019 Ford F-250 or F-350.

Cearley was found deceased, police said, and the minibike appeared to have been moved off the road after the collision. A pool of fluid was found on the road, indicating the bike was lying on the road “a long time” before being moved, read the complaint.

Skid marks were noted on the road at the point of the crash, along with heavy damage to the bike.

Investigators met with Cearley’s mother Tamara Ogden who said her son tried to call her via Snapchat at about 11:46 p.m. on the night of his death.

Cearley’s girlfriend Haylee Anglin told police she had spent the day with Cearley, and that they went to his house on Florida Street that night after spending the evening at the beach. Anglin said Cearley rode off at about 11:52 p.m. on the bike and said he would “be back in about 10 minutes.”

Police used surveillance video taken from several homes and businesses in the area, showing what they believed was Flores’ truck driving past multiple intersections along Standpipe Road at a “high rate of speed.”

One video showed the truck at about 11:59 p.m. driving with what appeared to be “sparks flying from the vehicle.”

Cearley was also observed on camera driving in the area at “a relatively slow speed.”

Investigators conducted an “extensive canvass” of the area, read the complaint, and determined the truck had left the parking lot at Buffalo Wild Wings on Pierce Street minutes before the crash, driving south onto Standpipe where the crash occurred and continuing onto Hidalgo Road.

Footage from the restaurant showed Flores entering the bar about 9:27 p.m., sitting alone and leaving at about 11:40 p.m. Police said he exhibited signs of intoxication on camera, walking with an “unsteady gait” and appearing to stumble while walking through the parking lot.

Server Deja Perry told police Flores sat at the bar for about two hours, watched a baseball game and became angry when she refused to serve him a final shot of liquor at last call. Perry said Flores drank about four or five tall Coors Lights, and two shots of Patron tequila.

Flores’ manager Ruben Sanchez at Carlsbad Ford, where Flores worked as an auto mechanic, told police he planned to take a vacation from June 8 to 12, that he owned property in Mexico and was planning to go there during his time off.

Sanchez also gave police a description of Flores’ Ford F-350 Super Duty truck, which matched the suspect vehicle.

Police were told Flores was living in a camper near Hidalgo Road and searched the area. Investigators found Flores’ camper and the truck they believed was driven in the crash, parked in the 3000 block of Hidalgo along with a Crown Victoria car, the license plate of which linked to Flores.

Another call led police to the 1400 block of Sierra Drive where Flores’ brother Jose Ayala Flores was staying. Police found multiple damaged vehicle parts at the property, including a bumper that appeared to be taken off Flores’ truck.

On June 12, Jose Ayala Flores called Carlsbad police via dispatch and told police he was driving the truck and that he “thought it was a deer,” apparently referring to striking Cearley’s minibike.

He hung up and did not answer subsequent calls from police.

A criminal complaint and arrest warrant were issued July 2 for Jose Ayala Flores on a single felony charge of tampering with evidence. He was also yet to be located.

Managing Editor Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, or @AdrianHedden on the social media platform X.

Artesia and Eddy County public safety engage with community during National Night Out. Here are some highlights

Michael Smith
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Artesia and Eddy County public safety engage with community during National Night Out. Here are some highlights

Tuesday night at the Artesia Aquatic Center, local citizens had a chance to interact with law enforcement, fire fighters, emergency dispatchers and medical personnel during National Night Out.

There was free admission to the water park along with free pizza and snow cones.

(A fire engine from Eddy County Fire and Rescue was one of the highlights of National Night Out in Artesia.)

Kids and adults enjoyed a night of swimming along with free items from the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office, the Artesia Police Department, Eddy County Fire and Rescue, Artesia Fire Department, Regional Emergency Dispatch Authority and Native Air Ambulance Medical Transport.

Introduced in 1984, National Night Out was designed to bring families, neighbors and first responders together for a night of community connection, read a Facebook post from Eddy County.

(The Eddy County Sheriff’s Department had a presence at National Night Out in Artesia.)

(Kids and adults enjoyed a free night of swimming at National Night Out in Artesia.)

(Eddy County Fire and Rescue Chief Joshua Mack and his daughter Kacelynne at National Night Out in Artesia.)

(From Left: Artesia Police Cmdr. Chris Gallegos, Kirstene Campbell from Regional Emergency Dispatch Authority, Caitlyn Bishop from Regional Emergency Dispatch Authority and Artesia Interim Police Chief Pete Quinones during National Night Out in Artesia.)

THE BATTLE AT THE BULLDOG BOWL

JT Keith
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THE BATTLE AT THE BULLDOG BOWL

The View from the Press Box

As a sportswriter, I get the best seat in the house for high school, college and professional games. I get to watch athletes do things with their bodies the average fan can only imagine. But now that the offseason is here, I had to face a truth I’d been avoiding: I was tired of being fat, out of shape and miserable.

There’s no softer way to say it. One day, I looked in the mirror and realized life had gotten away from me. Work, deadlines, bills and responsibilities — all the things men carry quietly — had pushed my health to the bottom of the list. I was providing for everyone but myself. I let myself go physically while chasing a dream: earning a college degree, building a career, spending more than 20 years in sales and eventually becoming a sportswriter. Life took me places. It also took my conditioning with it.

Somewhere along the way, the body that once carried me through high school and college athletics and the Marine Corps became an afterthought.

The Weight Men Don’t Talk About

Maybe you’ve felt that, too. Maybe you’ve been so focused on taking care of your family, your job and your world that you forgot to take care of you. Men do that. We put ourselves last until the weight, fatigue and frustration start talking louder than we do.

Sick and tired of being sick and tired of my appearance and weight, I decided to do something about it. What I didn’t know was that there’s a fight inside the fight to get fit.

The First Battle: 4:30 a.m.

For me, the real battle begins before I leave my house — actually, before I even get out of bed. It’s the fight to stay under the covers when the alarm sounds at 4:30 a.m. If I win that one, the next battles are to lace up my shoes, leave the house and head to the Bulldog Bowl.

And let me tell you: When you’re out of shape, everyone knows you’re trying to get in shape. Everyone knows you’re struggling. You can feel it in your breathing, in your legs and in the way people pass you like you’re standing still.

Walking Into the Light

When I walk into the Bowl, it’s still dark. The lights from Mack Chase Stadium spill across the track just enough to show me where to put my feet. There’s something symbolic about that — walking from darkness into light, step by step, breath by breath.

As I walk, I’m not fast. I’m not smooth. I’m not the athlete I used to be. There are 10 to 15 men and women of all ages who pass me at 5 a.m. while I’m doing everything I can to stay upright and moving, searching for oxygen and the next step. They smile, nod and say, “Morning.” I can barely get enough air to nod back. But those little gestures keep me going.

Winning the Day

Before I know it, I am done. Filled. Fulfilled. Satisfied that I didn’t roll over and ignore the challenge. I answered it. I showed up. I did something to improve my physical and mental health by being at the Bulldog Bowl.

Here’s the truth: You win the biggest battle just by getting out of bed and showing up in a public place to work out. It’s just you, your breathing and the next step you take — or don’t take — until you decide you’ve had enough for the day.

Only after you shower and sit down to catch your breath do you feel what you’ve accomplished, no matter what the rest of the day brings. That confidence surges back when you realize you hit one goal today: You started taking your life back. You didn’t talk about it. You were about it.

The Bowl Never Lies

And as I leave the Bulldog Bowl, I know I’ll see it again tomorrow. Its gates will open, watching every step I take, congratulating me for showing up when I didn’t have to.

The Bowl doesn’t lie. The Bowl doesn’t flatter. The Bowl doesn’t negotiate.

It just waits — to see who I decide to be today.

If You Want to Walk With Me

And if you’re out of shape, starting over or just need someone who walks slow and breathes hard like I do, you’re welcome to join me. I’m a big guy. I’m a slow walker. And I’m out there at 5 a.m., trying to get my life back one step at a time.

If you ever want company, I’ll be in the Bowl — moving slow, but moving.

J.T. Keith can be reached at 575-420-0061 or on X at @JTKEITH1.

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