Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
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Father’s Day is Sunday. I haven’t written much about my father. It’s only in the past few years I found the words to give him the praise he deserves. You see Dad was a mid-20th century career man. He worked his job constantly. Mom took care of us kids. And he was not to be bothered when he was home. What I remember most about Dad was he yelled a lot. It was tough having a conversation with him. He didn’t talk much to my brother, my sister or me. In our house if you wanted to talk to Dad, you talked to Mom. I finally underst...
One of Clovis' more iconic buildings caught fire – again – on Wednesday and it's been reduced to rubble. The "castle house" at 1220 Mitchell was reported on fire about 1:30 p.m. and was quickly destroyed by the blaze. Police on the scene said arson was the likely cause. "Someone" started the fire, Clovis Fire Chief Mike Nolen said, since the building has been empty for years and it had no working utilities. "We've had three or four previous fires in it," Nolen said. "Transient...
Who is Ben Wight? "I'm a father, a husband, a history teacher, an Army and Air Force National Guardsman," Wight said as he sat for an interview in the offices of The News. Wight shared more about his life. Q: What is your hometown? A: Acton, Mass. Q: Do you miss anything in particular from there? A: I would like to say good seafood. Red Lobster doesn't cut it. Q: What brought you to Clovis? A: My wife is the director of the Golden Library at Eastern New Mexico University....
Clovis city commissioners on Thursday approved disbursement of Lodgers Tax Funds to groups making requests for upcoming events. Awards were: • Double Dash Barrel Race requested $10,390 and will receive $7,000. • CSA Softball Tournaments requested $20,000 and will receive $18,000. • NRL Hunter/Hunters Coalition requested $10,000 and will receive $10,000. • Run to Hillcrest requested $22,000 and will receive $10,000. • Summer Bash requested $15,000 and will receive $1,900. ...
Portales’ Public Works Committee on Tuesday voted to send a recommendation to Portales City Council to open talks with EPCOR to possibly take over operation of the city’s water system. Chris Mendoza, utilities superintendent, described Tuesday’s action as “a motion to approve to allow EPCOR to come in and evaluate the Portales water system, wastewater system, wastewater reuse, and well field.” Mendoza said no one from EPCOR was present. “Last week City Council and the mayor met with a representative from EPCOR,” Men...
The East 21st Street house used by the president of Clovis Community College is having renovations done in time for the arrival of the college’s new top administrator. Details of the renovations were shared with CCC’s Board of Trustees at their regular June meeting on Wednesday. Bob Dart, CCC’s interim vice president of Internet Technology and Operations, outlined the work being done: • Interior repainting. • Exterior repainting. • Replacing hinges on cabinetry. “The roof was damaged in last year’s hail storm so insurance is...
Seth Martin, a wheat and grain sorghum farmer from south-central Curry County, on Tuesday won another term representing District 4 on the County Commission. Martin defeated educator and former Melrose schools Superintendent Jamie Widner, 216 votes to 165. Martin won most of District 4’s precincts. Most of Widner’s support came from his home community in precinct 4, where he outpolled Martin, 95-39. Martin attributed his win to his name recognition. “I do think having been in as a commissioner for seven years helped. I think...
Portales’ Water Advisory Group on Monday talked about bringing in a private corporation to operate the city’s municipal water system. Portales’ Interim City Manager T. J. Cathey wrote in an email to The News that the Public Works Committee was scheduled to meet Tuesday and would also talk about privatizing. Neither entity has authority to take action, but can recommend action to the City Council. Both groups were to talk about an agreement with EPCOR, the Edmonton, Alberta, Canada-based corporation that operates the Clovi...
Clovis Municipal Schools has been working with the administration of the City of Clovis to identify what can be done to get CMS elementary kids involved in sports. “Zero cost is the goal,” Jay Brady said. Brady is deputy superintendent of Operations, Technology and Athletics. Brady outlined the plan at Tuesday’s regular session of the CMS board. In attendance for Brady’s presentation was Clovis Mayor Mike Morris and City Manager Justin Howalt. Brady said the city will be providing the greenspace for the games. “It will be e...
Victor Velasquez originally wanted to make money in baseball. One day, though, while playing in his grandfather's garage, he found some clippers and gave his brother a mohawk haircut like the mixed martial arts fighter Chuck Liddell. Those clippers were dog clippers, but it didn't matter; he had given a haircut and he liked the feel of the clippers in his hand. Now he has a barber shop, "House of Fadez," in downtown Clovis, at 516 N. Main. The News spent some time with...
Another summer means the return of the La Casa Family Health Center's free summer food program. One benefit of the free food program is it pumps money into the local economies of Clovis and Portales according to La Casa Chief Executive Officer Seferino Montaño. "The food is bought locally. The money comes from the federal government, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to the state then to the La Casa summer food program," Montaño said. Montaño was in Clovis Tuesday fo...
Early voting and absentee ballot returns from early Friday are not at the point they were in the 2020 Presidential Primary in Curry and Roosevelt counties. Curry County early voting totals as of Thursday according to County Clerk Annie Hogland are 741 early voting ballots and 235 returned absentee ballots. Of the 976 ballots cast in early and absentee voting in Curry County 724 are from Republicans, 248 from Democrats. Four Libertarian ballots were received. Hogland reports in the 2020 Presidential Primary, Curry County had...
A few years back I had a day job at a car dealership in Florida. I was walking back in the mechanics area and walked by a “soccer parent van” that had its back innards taken out. “What’s with this mess?” I asked the mechanic. “We had to rip everything out to replace the rails that allowed the back seat to move back and forth,” he said. “Reminds me of what the Americans do to your car at the border if they think you have something to hide,” I said. “Did that ever happen to you?” asked the mechanic, wiping his hands as h...
Jon Forrest, lead pastor with First Christian Church of Clovis, wasn't asked to enter a preaching contest when he was in high school -- he was told to enter by the headmaster of the school he was attending. He entered and the rest is one of the stories of his life he shared with The News recently. Q: Where were you born? A: Oklahoma City, Okla., at Deaconess Hospital. It's still there. Q: What do you remember about your early life? A: We moved to Tulsa when I was 6 months...
We have a black cat that spends a few minutes every day walking through the house, meowing loudly. Why? I don't know, it's a cat thing. "He's probably protesting that he's not an only cat," I said once to The Lady of the House. I thought of our black cat as I considered Pinocchio, the lone donkey who has his own spread of land up at Clovis' Ned Houk Park. Apparently his cantankerousness with other donkeys is how he ended up at Ned Houk Park. I didn't used to know a thing...
So why did Anne Beck decide to teach theater? "I'm a second-generation theater professor. My father was a theater pro fessor," she said. "When I was kid growing up in Lawrence, Kan., our house was near the university theater. I was in some college plays as a kid. I kind of followed my dad," she said. The retiring Eastern New Mexico University professor shared some details about her life with The News on Tuesday. Q: Where were you born? A: I was born on an Army base, Fort...
Clovis City Commissioners Thursday, at their regular meeting, approved a preliminary budget for just under $68.6 million for fiscal year 2024-2025. The proposed budget is just over $400,000 less than last year’s preliminary budget. “Part of it is we paid off the landfill loan,” Clovis Financial Director Leighann Melancon said after the session regarding the lower figure. With the unanimous commission approval, the budget will be sent on to Santa Fe. “Submission gives us authority to operate,” Melancon said. The final bud...
Graduations are plentiful in the next few days around the area. Clovis High School’s ceremony is 6 p.m., Friday, at the Curry County Events center. CHS Principal David Fredericks reports there will be 441 graduates in the Class of 2024. Fidel Joe Madrid Jr., also known as ‘JJ,’ will be one of CHS’s graduates Friday. In addition to his high school degree, he is also a graduate of Clovis Community College with an Associates Degree in Applied Science – Welding. Madrid will be starting at New Mexico State University this fall...
I’m often wondering “why?” about stuff. As a matter of fact, a buddy of mine said he’d get me a tombstone for when I’ve “gone on to Glory” that simply reads: WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? I don’t remember many of the short stories the writer Raymond Carver penned, but I remember one single line from one of them: “Who knows why we do what we do.” I remember I got an answer to one wonderment I had straight from someone who’d done it. It was when I was working in “big-city” radio. It wasn’t small-town radio like I was used to. I ran t...
Vince Galvan was a “great big brother,” little brother Joe Galvan said on Thursday. “He would take us fishing. For all of us, he did a lot of things.” Once, he even let Joe and other brothers tag along on a date. They all went to see “Star Wars” at the LaFonda Drive-in. “He stopped and got a pan pizza -- that was new then -- and we drove out to the drive-in … He put the pan pizza on top of his truck and he told me and my two brothers, ‘Here’ and left us up there with the pizza...
Retired Clovis school teacher Rhonda Roberts sent The News an email suggesting an interview subject for "Our People." Roberts recommended her niece, Shauma Brown. "She's very interesting," Roberts wrote in an email. So The News sat in Brown's office and asked questions to find out why her aunt regards her as "very interesting." Q: Where were you born? A: Okinawa, Japan. My father was in the Air Force. Q: What do you remember of that place? A: I like to say I remember water...
I was shootin’ the breeze with a guy not too long ago. He was about my age so I asked him a question about something long ago. “So you were in the military? Vietnam?” I asked. “No, I had no interest in being in the military. When I was 18 I’d had enough of somebody telling me what to do all the time,” he said. I could totally relate. I thought maybe that’s why I never joined up either, I just didn’t have those words. I mean I’d looked into it, took tests, talked to recruiters, I’d even had a U. S. Marine recruiter walk righ...
A policy of children being at least 6-years-old and being able to sign their name in order to have their own library card will remain in place at Clovis-Carver Public Library. The Library Board voted unanimously Monday on the policy at a regular meeting, one that was scheduled to take place April 29 but was postponed. The matter came before the board after Clovis resident Mitch Mender complained about the policy to Library Director Margaret Hinchee. Mender’s daughter Charlie had come to the library to obtain her own card o...
Editor’s note: This is one in a series of Q&As featuring candidates in contested races for the June 4 primary. Early voting has begun at the county courthouse. With the resignation of long-time State Sen. Stuart Ingle from the District 27 seat, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham appointed Roswell attorney Greg Nibert to the position. Now Nibert is seeking the seat along with Elida area rancher Patrick Boone and Roswell businessman Larry Marker. Patrick Boone Q: Tell us about yourself. Who is Pat Boone and why are you running? A: M...
A longtime rule preventing pre-school children from having a library card from the Clovis-Carver Public Library is up for discussion. The inspiration is 6-year-old Charlie Mender. Charlie is the daughter of Clovis attorney Mitch Mender. Her story begins with a visit from her grandmother. "My mom was visiting and she took (Charlie) to the library to get her card the day before her sixth birthday," Mitch Mender said Monday. Charlie was excited. But she soon learned city policy...
