Septemeber First Friday Event on September 2, 2016, at 7 pm

The Civilian Conservation Corps

 (CCC) in N.M.

At the Capitan Public Library on Friday, September 2, at 7:00 p.m., join

NM historian and author  Dr. Richard Melzer for a presentation on  

how Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) projects impacted New Mexico

 and, in particular, Lincoln County during the 1930’s and 40’s.  This program 

is sponsored by the Historical Society of New Mexico and is free to the public.

 The Civilian Conservation Corps was an early New Deal program begun by 

President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933 and continued through 1942. During

the Depression, young men were employed in projects to plant trees, improve soil conservation and environmental conservation in state & national forests. They also had building projects, such as Monjeau Lookout Tower on the

 Lincoln National Forest, completed in 1936.

This program is based on Melzer's research for his 2000 book: Coming of Age in the Great Depression: The Civilian Conservation Corps Experience in New Mexico,

 1933-42

Dr. Melzer has lived in New Mexico since 1973 and earned his Ph.D. in

 History at UNM in 1979. He taught history at the University of New Mexico's

 Valencia Campus since that same year. He is now a Regents professor of history.  

Dr. Melzer is the author, co-author, or editor of 21 books as well as over a hundred

 articles and chapters about New Mexico history. He is a past president of both the 

Historical Society of New Mexico and the Valencia County Historical Society.  

Among the many awards he has received for writing, teaching, and service to his

 profession, he is most proud of receiving the University of New Mexico's Outstanding

 Teacher of the Year Award. 

The USDA Lincoln National Forest website contains information on the CCC

and the Lincoln:  

"The work that the CCC young men accomplished has lasted .

to the present day, many times without us even realizing their   

 hard work.   Campgrounds, lookout towers, roads, trails, fences, phone

 lines, planting of trees, bridges, erosion control dams to name but

 a few.  In New Mexico, by the summer of 1942 a total of 1111 bridges,

 465 lookouts, 534 dams, 5938 miles of fence, 1867 miles of phone

 line, 4,649 miles of roads were constructed and over 4 million trees

 were planted."

An amazing amount of work was accomplished during these 9 years, work that can still

 be seen today and, for the most part , survived a raging forest fire in 2012. 

 The LNF website invites families to share any stories and pictures of a member of their 

family  who worked at a LNF CCC camp. 

Come find out more about this fascinating time in our history, when the nation employed

 young men who needed work and their work has improved our life today.  Get in-depth details and stories about New Mexico CCC at Dr. Melzer's presentation with photos  at the Capitan Library on Friday, Sept 2nd at 7p.m.

You're invited to enjoy refreshments after the presentation.

For more information call Capitan Public Library at 575-354-3035.  

 The library is located at 101 E. 2nd Street, Capitan, NM. 

Monjeau Lookout reconstructed by the CCC in 1940.  This photo, taken after the Little Bear Fire of 2012, shows the lookout survived except for the interior.  Photo by David Tremblay. 

HAL is at it again. WHY did you get posts for May 14 & 11 on August 20?

THIS blog has a mind of its own.  I truly believe it.  It does what it wants to do and only WHEN it wants to.  Far be it from me to try to control it.  "The medium is the message"* is what I learned in Journalism 101 in college. But maybe this blog is channeling HAL. (2001 Space Odyssey)

 HAL:  "I know I've made some very poor decisions recently, but I can give you my complete assurance that my work will be back to normal. I've still got the greatest enthusiasm and confidence in the mission. And I want to help you."

Sharon:  "HAL, you got to help me out here, not make me look like an idiot!"  Aside, whispering so HAL can't hear , "I THINK this blog definitely has idiosyncrasies or issues like a real person".

Just know - I AM NOT IN CONTROL. Sharon

*"The medium is the message" is a phrase coined by Marshall McLuhan meaning that the form of a medium embeds itself in the message, creating a symbiotic relationship by which the medium influences how the message is perceived.

Correction: McGarrity books WILL be available for purchase

Michael McGarrity, commented on the blog post to say YES there will be books for purchase at his Ruidoso Library booktalk on Saturday, Aug 27, at 11 am.  WOW!  2nd wow!  Does he read this blog?  Here's his comment for those of you getting posts emailed to you.

Michael McGarrityAugust 20, 2016 at 7:13 PM

To correct a misunderstanding, Books etc., in Ruidoso will have my books for sale at the Ruidoso Public Library event on Saturday, August 27th at 11 am. I'm sorry not to have been able to do a talk at your library because of other commitments. I hope you understand and look to see you on the 27th.

Creative Aging Meeting Friday, Aug 19 at 9am

Creative Aging Monthly Meeting is this Friday, August 19^th at 9am, Room #115 at ENMU-Ruidoso. Creative Aging will roll out its new plan for an aging well resource center. 

At 10am, Gary Williams, AARP, will talk about the Livable Communities Project. He will demonstrate it by showing us quality of life statistics for individual Lincoln County Communities. 

There will be refreshments. Contact Clara Farah for more information and/or to request joining the Creative Aging Email List. 575.973.7835. clrfarah@gmail.com

  -----------------------------------------------

Clara Farah, Ph.D.

P.O. Box 737

Alto, NM 88312-0737

Tel  :   575-336-1367     

Cell  :  575-973-7835

e-mail: clrfarah@gmail.com

Elderly Law

Elder Law Tidbits:

Aging gracefully with no dinero....

Tom Dunlap, Guest columnist from Roswell, NM    

Legal: Roswell Legal Aid 623-9669 covers South East NM. Legal Helpline is 800-340-9771. Lawyers for Elderly is 800-876-6227, or ask Municipal, Magistrate or District Court Clerks if you can file a complaint for free or be defended as an indigent.  Abuse, neglect or exploitation - call and report at 866-654-3219.  Anything Federal, then call Steve Pearce or Martin Heinrich. Get free bankruptcy consultations in the Yellow Pages under Attorneys. Consumer complaints, go to the Attorney General’s office at 800-678-1508. Ripped off or threatened? Call the police for Temporary Restraining Orders.

Commission on Aging: Meets every other third Thursday at 3 pm, generally at the Senior Circle, 2801 N. Main in Roswell. One or another of the commissioners will know of every resource in SE NM and it’s free. For more information on the commission, Contact Tom Dunlap at 575-622-2607 or at dunlaplawoffice@cableone.net  or just show up and raise your hand, maybe car pool. Orient yourself toward Roswell instead of Alamo, but always call first before driving to these larger towns with many more resources even though neither has your county seat.  You also have your own aging group, so contact Dr. Clara Farah at ENMU-Ruidoso 575-973-7835.

Carrizozo Strreet Festival & Art StudioTour. Pick up a brochure at the library for map & details

Michael McGarrity is at the RUIDOSO Library on Saturday, Aug 27 @ 11am

Just want to clarify - Micheal McGarrity is ONLY at the Ruidoso Library on Aug 27th. A lot of us read his books and want to meet him to hear what he says about writing his historical fiction trilogy. (How much is about Micheal's real family history?) AND, like me, you may have missed that he was at Books Etc on Memorial Weekend (except - who wants to fight the tourist crowd in downtown Ruidoso on a holiday weekend?  Pfffft - not me!)

Maybe we can go together to Ruidoso Library and hold up a "Capitan Public Library" sign to identify us - kind of like at the political national conventions.  Just to show our backing of this excellent local writer.  (I am just joshing-you know.)

ALSO - at this date, I understand there will NOT be McGarrity books at the RUIDOSO library to buy and have Michael sign.  Unless Ruidoso Library finds a retailer to bring books in the next week.  McGarrity does not bring books with him to sale when he does booktalks. You can stop by Books, etc. to buy his book before Aug. 27, then have McGarrity sign it.  OR call Ruidoso library before Aug. 27 and ask if books will available to buy at the talk.

SO, here's the date and time again AT the RUIDOSO library:

I forgot to SCREAM about the Lincoln County Fair going on in Capitan through Saturday!

So much to SCREAM about in Capitan this weekend!

( Sorry, library doesn't have this book*  ...

Friday, August 5 @ 7 pm:  from the New Mexico Humanities Council & NM Dept of Cultural Affairs, a Chautauqua program: 

The Wailing Woman: La Llorona presented by Rosalia de Aragon

Rosalia brings to life the traditional Hispanic ghost tale of La Llorona. Variations of this spooky story have been told and retold for centuries.  

Light refreshments served after the presentation.

Rosalia de Aragon

but the library does have this book)

Village Wide Yard Sale Saturday, August 6  Come by the Capitan Library to pick up a map to all the sale sites.  A table outside will have maps before the library opens at 10 am.  THEN, when the library opens, come grab a bag of books for $5.  We all  SCREAM for good books, yes?  And to further the screaming great deals on Saturday, the Not 2 Shabby Shop is open and, as always, has awesome deals and cool stuff!

P.S. Smokey Bear's birthday is August 9th! Visit his museum here in Capitan.

* (I just liked this depiction of La Llorona on this book cover)

Summer Reading Program

Capitan Public Library finished a very successful summer reading program Monday, July 25.  The finale was a program on using simple tools presented by Carl Stubbs and assisted by Bill Jeffrey. 

50 children were enrolled in the summer program and the individual events averaged 16 children. Coordinator, Debra Myers, arranged innovative games and activities each week - one of the most popular was the water gun game (see photo).

Alice Allen

Top reader was Alice Allen.  She received a bag specifically selected containing books, toys, jewelry and much more.  All participants received bags with a selection of items.

Water Games

The children and parents were treated to hot dogs, chips and drinks on the last day.

Carl Stubbs instructs

Things of interest at the Ruidoso Library

Lyn came to the Capitan Library this year to speak on her Carmen Phillips book.  So many people in the Carmen Phillips Photograph collection are unidentified  Help Lyn to put names with the faces on Aug 20 at the Ruidoso Library 

Go meet one of our New Mexico favorite authors!  A very interesting fellow.  Plus, often at his book signings, he tells of how he does the research for writing these fine history fiction novels.

In Corona - Roberta Haldane speaks on her book-- White Oaks: Gold Mining Boomtown

             FREE ICE CREAM FOR ALL!

Haldane spoke at Capitan Library about this book at a First Friday a few years ago.  Very informative.  A must for ye local history lovers out there!

Excellent play presented by LCCT.

I never laughed so hard. I highly recommend this as a must see.  Dog owners REALLY understand this play.  This weekend is the last run - don't miss it! Sharon

You still have time to take advantage of the NM FamilyPass

Take a NM FamilyPass with you to tour museums or historical sites for FREE!

Don't forget the Capitan Library checks out the NM FamilyPass, which provides free admission for up to six people to any of the Department of Culture Affairs museums and historic sites.  Any Capitan Public Library card holder in good standing may borrow the pass for one week. 

 Passes available until 8/30/16.

The FamilyPass may be used at the following locations:

• 7 New Mexico Historic Sites, Statewide
• New Mexico History Museum/Palace of the Governors, Santa Fe
• New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe
• Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe
• Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Santa Fe
• New Mexico Museum of Space History, Alamogordo
• New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, Albuquerque
• New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, Las Cruces
• National Hispanic Cultural Center, Albuquerque

First Friday AUGUST 5th at 7:00 p.m.

Rosalia de Aragon as 

 La Llorona 

 "The Wailing Woman"

a Chautauqua presentation courtesy of New Mexico Humanities  & New Mexico Dept. of Cultural Affairs

  

     La Llorona, the wailing woman, is a traditional Hispanic ghost tale that has been told for centuries and in many, many variations.  Rosalie de Aragon brings to life La Llorona in this interactive Chautauqua presentation with music, dance and storytelling that captures the essence of Spanish Colonial heritage and traditions of the Southwest.

     An 18th-century La Llorona tale from Santa Fe, N.M., tells of La Llorona being a tormented spirit who appears at night wandering, shrieking and searching. She yearns for those who dare to go out at night alone.

     The audience will meet La Llorona as a young woman and experiences her transition into a supernatural being who never dies.  This program promises to be interesting for all ages.  The audience may ask La Llorona questions and are invited to volunteer to help bring the story to life.              

      As an actor and singer, De Aragon has dedicated her career to preserving the songs and dichos (stories) of her heritage.  She has toured her performances through the U.S.  De Argon can be seen in films and television productions.  Her one-woman performances are captivating and critically acclaimed.  La Llorona is her most popular performance, being an audience favorite to the past 14 years.

(depiction on pinterest)

       

 

      Join us at the library for an entertaining and informative evening.  Refreshments will follow the performance.

 

   

What would you like to have classes on?

The Library is looking for class topics for the fall. Suggestions are:
1) how to sign up and use Facebook
2) how to use my iPad or iPhone
3) basic computer skills
If you are interested or have other class ideas, please leave a message for Kris Shearer at the library at 575-354-3035 or visit the Friends of the Capitan Library Facebook page and message Kris.  Also, let her know when you think the best time / day for classes?

 

August Book Club

Join the Capitan Library Book Club on August 4th at 10:00 am for a lively discussion of "Among the Mad: a Maisie Dobbs Novel" by Jacqueline Winspear.

We love libraries!

Pieced together by Trish Koenig

Village-Wide Garage Sale

The Capitan Village-Wide Garage Sale will be Saturday, August 6.  $5 covers advertising, signs, and information on the map handout.  Applications will be available at the library beginning July 19 and must be returned by Thursday, August 4.  The Capitan Public Library co-ordinates this sale for you.  More information: 575-354-3035





PLUS - Saturday, August 6 is the First Saturday - so that means $5 for a Bag of Books at the Library.  Stock up!  Stay in the shade and read.  Library open 10am to 2 on Saturdays.

If you like Tony Hillerman books, then...

you should read these books by R. Allen Chappell:

Available from YOUR library! Also Kindle format from Amazon.  Here's a synopsis  from Amazon on Ancient Blood:

Library float in the Smokey Bear parade with Miss Debbie and the Summer reading kids

At the library on the Fourth of July

 

​Capitan Public Library July 4th (MONDAY) Bake Sale & Hot Dogs/Sausages.  Come early in the morning for the Bake Sale (items go fast!) and a cup of coffee.  Then come by again at lunchtime to enjoy our shady garden area, the parade and these delicious treats:

Hot Dogs $1.50 with choice of condiments (cheese, chili, jalapenos)
Smoked sausage $2.00 with choice of condiments​

​Nachos $2.00 with choice of condiments

Sodas/Water - $1​

PLUS - we will have a $5 for a bag of books on July 4th (as well as the usual first Saturday of the month book sale on July 2. 

Watch for the Capitan Library float in the parade.  The theme for the parade is "Show Your Colors".  Our young Summer readers will be riding the float celebrating Capitan Public Library's 20th anniversary with patriotic colors!

Can you believe that -- the community has been enjoying this volunteer library for 20 years!  Show your support of the CPL by buying your 4th of July treats at the library or showing your love of the library with a donation.

A $5 donation to support a child for the summer reading
program entitles you to either 2 free bags of books or 2 sodas/water on
Monday, the 4th. 

Children's Summer Reading Program continues

Storyteller Terry Alvarez

Theme for this year's summer reading program: On Your Mark, Get Set ...READ!  Week 2 Summer readers decided to spend  the beautiful day outside.  For information: Call the library at (575) 354-3035

Snake skins, owls and other objects of most interest - Summer Reading Program with Rink Somersby from Asombro Institute in Las Cruces

July/August Artist in the Library: Drawings by Linda Ferguson

Article by Dianne Stallings in Ruidoso News  June 24, 2016
 (see article in entirety at: Pencil perfect http://r-news.co/28T2oa2 via @RuidosoNews

Pencil Perfect:   Artist says, "...if I can see it, I can put it on paper."

  Linda Ferguson stays busy with commissions by drawing at home and during lunch hour at work. Her art is meant for the emotional connection of others

Bond between the rider and horse is favorite subject for Ferguson (Photo: Dianne Stallings/Ruidoso News)

When she was in kindergarten, Linda Ferguson was compelled to color within the lines and draw the prettiest picture. By junior high, she sold her first piece of art.  But the only subjects that really interested her were horses, down to their smallest physical feature and the stitching on their tack.

No one else in her family was artistically inclined, but Ferguson realized early in her life that, "...if I can see it, I can put it on paper."Her medium of choice is pencil, although she does acrylic on rare occasion and pastels. She works mostly from photographs.  "I've always drawn, it's just a God-given gift," she said.

She never planned to sell her work, but as she became an adult she realized her art was of the same quality of many others being sold.  "It's a different artistry," she said. "I am not creative. My love is to produce something very specific to the individual that means something to them. I don't just go home and draw. I rarely draw unless it is a commissioned piece of work."

Ferguson never studied art.  "I've been asked a couple of times why don't I teach," she said. "I tell them that I don't know anything about art."  She doesn't advertise her work and doesn't do shows.

Ferguson moved from Fort Worth, Texas, to Ruidoso 19 years ago. She works for Ferguson Plumbing Supply, but is not related to the owner. She quickly became everyone's go-to consultant as she exercised the same methodical approach to sales as she does to her artwork.

Initially, she would use lunch hours to work on her art at a drafting table in her office.  "I would hang a picture or two at work and had an art table," she said. Customers would see her work there or while thumbing through a book of her pieces she left on her desk to keep "antsy" clients occupied while she filled out the paperwork on their orders.  "A lot of my customers are from Texas and they would tell their friends," she said. 

With specific requests, she broadened her subject matter to portraits, race cars, vintage cars, dogs, cats, and objects that were meaningful to the person commissioning the work, such as a windmill or wagon.  But she isn't into landscapes or cluttered backgrounds. She prefers boiling a picture down to the subject.  "I call it getting rid of the background noise, eliminating all but the subject of the picture, having nothing in the background to distract from that," she said. "Now the subject is just the cowboy and his horse. It's more personal."

An average commission could take from four to six weeks.  "This year, it's been busy, nonstop," she said. "But it's a variety. I can do none or be busy the entire year. Because I don't go seek the work, if it comes along, it comes along. If it doesn't, I'm still happy. There is more time to ride my horse and motorcycle with my husband and do other things."

Photo by Stallings/Ruidoso News

Ferguson draws from left to right to ensure that her hand is not on the picture.

"So it develops finished as I go along," she said.

Photo by Stallings/Ruidoso News

The first time she posted a progression on her private Facebook, the response was "crazy" and now she regularly follows the development, ending with a "meet the subject" introduction when a drawing is finished.

"I have found when I visit with other artists, that is not the way they draw," Ferguson said. "We all do it our own way. As it develops, I'm excited too, because you start with a blank piece of paper and all of a sudden you have things there. I'm just as anxious to see what's happening as it develops."

When people ask her how big the portraits are, Ferguson said, "I say the right size."

"It's detail work. I use a magnifying glass to see the details and to draw when it gets to the fine details," she said. Her husband came up with that aid about 10 years ago when her ophthalmologist told the artist she had "terrorized" her eyes.  "I wished I had thought of that earlier," she said. "I can't believe I wasted all that time struggling to be so detailed without it."

Ferguson said she wants her work to look perfect up close as well as from a distance with every buckle, ring, stitch and strap in the right place. If a buyer is dissatisfied with a finished work, they are not obligated to buy and "everybody is happy," she said.

Over the years, she's displayed her work at the Oso Art Reserve in Capitan and the Dolan House in the Lincoln Historic District. The Hubbard Museum of the American West commissioned renditions of the wagons in the museum's collection and hung them for several months. She doesn't often run prints of her work, but has a few for sale.

Ferguson had hoped to pass along her artistic ability and her love of horses to her two children, but although both could be artistic, they followed other paths and neither is a horse enthusiast. In her downtime, Ferguson rides her quarterhorses Sienna and Durango, or motorcycles with her husband, Steve.

Young and the old are captured in portraits. Photo by Stallings/Ruidoso News

Artist Linda Ferguson draws to produce 

something of emotional value to the person 

commissioning the work.

She can be contacted at 575/808-0687

Photo by Dianne Stallings/Ruidoso News

Summer reading program @ the library

Capitan Public Library kicked off the Summer Reading Program with Andy Mason on Monday, June 6.  Andy has been the lead-off performer for several years.  Singer, musician and a man of many talents, this was his second event, with 50+ for the rest of the summer.  The program will run through July - Mondays from 10:00 to 11:30. 

For more information about Summer Reading Program or to donate to the program, come by or call the library at 354-3035

I promise I did not send out that April 28 post on June 3

THIS blog has a mind of its own.  I truly believe it.  It does what it wants to do and only WHEN it wants to.  Far be it from me to try to control it.  "The medium is the message"* is what I learned in Journalism 101 in college. But maybe this blog is channeling HAL.

 HAL:  "I know I've made some very poor decisions recently, but I can give you my complete assurance that my work will be back to normal. I've still got the greatest enthusiasm and confidence in the mission. And I want to help you."

Sharon:  "HAL, you got to help me out here, not make me look like an idiot!"  Aside, whispering so HAL can't hear , "I THINK this blog definitely has idiosyncrasies or issues like a real person".

That's my thoughts on this day, June 3, 2016  Sharon

*"The medium is the message" is a phrase coined by Marshall McLuhan meaning that the form of a medium embeds itself in the message, creating a symbiotic relationship by which the medium influences how the message is perceived.