Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
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Local columnist Mis ojos siempre se sintieron atraídos hacia el rifle rustico que colgaba en un estante, encima de la cama del abuelo Chico. Me daba escalofrio. Siempre he tenido miedo a las armas, pero la razón por la que yo temblaba como un niño era otra. Esa arma en particular, se decía que había sido maldecida, desde que el abuelo Chico y sus hermanos la descubrieron en un entierro oculto en el Sur de Texas a principios de 1900. Cuando trajeron su preciado tesoro a casa, también trajeron un grupo de invitados no desea...
Local columnist My eyes were always drawn to the rustic rifle hanging on a rack above Grandpa Chico’s bed. It gave me the chills. I’ve always been afraid of guns. But that is not why this one made me shiver as a child. This particular gun was said to have been cursed since the moment Grandpa Chico and his brothers unearthed it from a hidden burial spot in South Texas in the early 1900s. And when they brought their treasured find home, they also brought home a band of unwanted guests — a stampede of stagecoaches, wild horse...
Local columnist As a child, my family took a few memorable camping trips during the summertime. Every child needs to go camping. In my early years, it was an exciting adventure. As a teen, it made me appreciate modern-day conveniences. One summer my parents took us camping in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains near Santa Fe and to camp in Villanueva, also in northern New Mexico. At the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Mom pointed out the green cactus with little red pieces of cactus fruit in the middle. I don’t know if that is how t...
Local columnist Summer vacation has officially begun for me, and so I find myself thinking about my childhood summers. They were the bomb. Not because we had money and went to Disneyland or The Grand Canyon. Most of our summer fun was free. What kind of fun in the sun can you have for free? We didn’t have fancy, family size, inflatable swimming pools like stores sell now. We ran through the sprinkler or sprayed each other with the water hose. We’d run through the long sprinklers at Lindsey School after a long hot day at the... Full story
Summer vacation has officially begun for me, and so I find myself thinking about my childhood summers. They were the bomb. Not because we had money and went to Disneyland or The Grand Canyon. Most of our summer fun was free. What kind of fun in the sun can you have for free? We didn’t have fancy, family size, inflatable swimming pools like stores sell now. We ran through the sprinkler or sprayed each other with the water hose. We’d run through the long sprinklers at Lindsey School after a long hot day at the summer pro... Full story
I remember the oval-shaped frame with the black and white photo of my mom — a 3-year-old at the time — with Grandma Emma and Grandpa Santiago. link Helena Rodriguez That photo stared at me a big part of my childhood. Grandpa Santiago was in his Army uniform, a U.S. flag in the background. In the 1960s, many of these military photos hanging in Hispanic homes became shrines for soldiers who never returned. I remember the 1970s song by Little Joe and the Latinaires, “A La Guerr...
Local columnist I remember the oval-shaped frame with the black and white photo of my mom — a 3-year-old at the time — with Grandma Emma and Grandpa Santiago. That photo stared at me a big part of my childhood. Grandpa Santiago was in his Army uniform, a U.S. flag in the background. In the 1960s, many of these military photos hanging in Hispanic homes became shrines for soldiers who never returned. I remember the 1970s song by Little Joe and the Latinaires, “A La Guerra Ya Me Llevan,” a sad corrido about a soldier drafted...
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you chose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go…” link Helena Rodriguez These are not my words. These are from Dr. Seuss, in his keepsake book, “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!” And they are directed to all of you upcoming graduates. College graduation is coming up followed by high school graduations in the following weeks...
Local columnist “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you chose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go…” These are not my words. These are from Dr. Seuss, in his keepsake book, “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!” And they are directed to all of you upcoming graduates. College graduation is coming up followed by high school graduations in the following weeks. As a high school, college and graduate school graduate myself...
Happy Mother’s Day to all moms; to those still with us, to the soon-to-be moms, and to those smiling down from above. As I write this column, I’m thinking about the greatest mom of all, Our Blessed Mother Mary. link Helena Rodriguez Before I tell you why I feel this way, I want to wish my own mom, Maria Enriqueta “Katie” Rodriguez a happy Mother’s Day. My mom has always been there for me during life’s most agonizing and most cheerful moments, just as I have tried to be for m...
Local columnist Happy Mother’s Day to all moms; to those still with us, to the soon-to-be moms, and to those smiling down from above. As I write this column, I’m thinking about the greatest mom of all, Our Blessed Mother Mary. Before I tell you why I feel this way, I want to wish my own mom, Maria Enriqueta “Katie” Rodriguez a happy Mother’s Day. My mom has always been there for me during life’s most agonizing and most cheerful moments, just as I have tried to be for my daughter, Laura. I am grateful to still have my mom...
It’s almost Cinco de Mayo time and that reminded me recently of the old fiestas de Lindsey School. If you’re from north Portales and you were around during the 1970s, you know what I’m talking about. link Helena Rodriguez The old W.E. Lindsey School on West Ivy Street, now in a new building and under a different name, Lindsey-Steiner Elementary, held irreplaceable memories. At this time of year, the gym would be bouncing with Mexican ballet folklorico tunes, like “Jara... Full story
Local columnist It’s almost Cinco de Mayo time and that reminded me recently of the old fiestas de Lindsey School. If you’re from north Portales and you were around during the 1970s, you know what I’m talking about. The old W.E. Lindsey School on West Ivy Street, now in a new building and under a different name, Lindsey-Steiner Elementary, held irreplaceable memories. At this time of year, the gym would be bouncing with Mexican ballet folklorico tunes, like “Jarabe Tapatio,” “The Mexican Hat Dance” and “La Raspa” as mamas, ab... Full story
Local columnist My Grandma Chaya died on Jan. 30. I drove two hours and prayed 50 hail Marys, a rosary that is, hoping to make it to Lubbock to see her before she breathed her last breath. I wanted to be there. I deeply believed it mattered, regardless of the fact that she was not conscious and, at age 92, she didn’t remember me. Before Grandma Chaya was placed in a nursing home a year before her death, I went with my parents to visit her in Lubbock. She asked my name. I smiled and said, “Helena!” Then Grandma hugged me and s...
Local columnist link Helena Rodriguez My Grandma Chaya died on Jan. 30. I drove two hours and prayed 50 hail Marys, a rosary that is, hoping to make it to Lubbock to see her before she breathed her last breath. I wanted to be there. I deeply believed it mattered, regardless of the fact that she was not conscious and, at age 92, she didn’t remember me. Before Grandma Chaya was placed in a nursing home a year before her death, I went with my parents to visit her in Lubbock. S...
Local columnist link Helena Rodriguez My granddaughter, Genavecia Ashley, will be baptized on Sunday. Gena is a year-and-a-half old. By my personal preferences, that is not soon enough, but never too late. Not only is baptism a rite of passage, it is a sacrament, and, it is an extension of family. Have you ever wondered why all Hispanics seem to be related? It is because our “ninos” and “ninas” are considered family, too. This is short for padrinos and madrinas, or, in Engl... Full story
Local columnist My granddaughter, Genavecia Ashley, will be baptized on Sunday. Gena is a year-and-a-half old. By my personal preferences, that is not soon enough, but never too late. Not only is baptism a rite of passage, it is a sacrament, and, it is an extension of family. Have you ever wondered why all Hispanics seem to be related? It is because our “ninos” and “ninas” are considered family, too. This is short for padrinos and madrinas, or, in English, godparents. But we don’t stop right there. When someone baptizes... Full story
Local columnist link Helena Rodriguez April showers bring May flowers. But that’s not the only reason I’m planting my petunias this week. My friend, Josie DeLeon, told me recently that she waits until after Easter to do her spring planting. “That is something that my dad (Transito Rodriguez) always believed in. That everything awakens after Lent,” Josie told me. This made sense to me. Easter is a time of resurrection and new life. I had always heard the rules of the fashion... Full story
Local columnist April showers bring May flowers. But that’s not the only reason I’m planting my petunias this week. My friend Josie DeLeon told me recently that she waits until after Easter to do her spring planting. “That is something that my dad (Transito Rodriguez) always believed in. That everything awakens after Lent,” Josie told me. This made sense to me. Easter is a time of resurrection and new life. I had always heard the rules of the fashion police: “Don’t wear white after Labor Day,” and “No white until Easter....
Local columnist link Helena Rodriguez Music is on my mind. I seem to sing often at work lately, and not because I like to whistle while I work, but because many little things set off a song in my mind. One day one of my students was singing a song by one of my old favorite music groups, Los Tigrillos. “Ay Esther, ay Esther,” she was humming. Naturally, I finished the verse for her. “Tiene las piernotas como Lucifer.” In translation, “She has huge legs like Lucifer....
Local columnist Music is on my mind. I seem to sing often at work lately, and not because I like to whistle while I work, but because many little things set off a song in my mind. One day one of my students was singing a song by one of my old favorite music groups, Los Tigrillos. “Ay Esther, ay Esther,” she was humming. Naturally, I finished the verse for her. “Tiene las piernotas como Lucifer.” In translation, “She has huge legs like Lucifer.” It is a catchy song because of its bouncy cumbia beat. A cumbia is a shake-your-...
Local columnist link Helena Rodriguez It’s hard to believe it has been 20 years since the sensational death of Tejano and pop music star, Selena. Two decades and 60 million albums later, this once unknown singer who performed at the Boot Hill in Clovis in 1994 has become iconic. March 31 will make the 20th anniversary of the death of Selena, who was tragically killed by her fan club president in 1995 in Corpus Christi, Texas. I remember the infamous day. It was one of those ...
Local columnist It’s hard to believe it has been 20 years since the sensational death of Tejano and pop music star, Selena. Two decades and 60 million albums later, this once unknown singer who performed at the Boot Hill in Clovis in 1994 has become iconic. March 31 will make the 20th anniversary of the death of Selena, who was tragically killed by her fan club president in 1995 in Corpus Christi, Texas. I remember the infamous day. It was one of those “where-were-you-when-the-world-stopped-turning” days. You see, I was a...
Local columnistlink Hello, hello, hello. Here is a triple please-welcome-me-back-to-your-newspaper greeting because three seems to be the magic number for my debut column today. Actually, it’s my third debut. So yours truly, a native Portalesano, is back. Once again, I will share with you some of my slices and splices of life, sometimes on the wacky, sometimes on the spicy and sometimes on the simplistic and spiritual side. So what is up with the number three? Well, it has b...
Local columnist Hello, hello, hello. Here is a triple please-welcome-me-back-to-your-newspaper greeting because three seems to be the magic number for my debut column today. Actually it’s my third debut. So yours truly, a native Portalesano, is back. Once again, I will share with you some of my slices and splices of life, sometimes on the wacky, sometimes on the spicy and sometimes on the simplistic and spiritual side. So what is up with the number three? Well, it has been three years since I last wrote for Clovis Media I... Full story
