|
FREE WEBSITE
THROUGHOUT
Welcome to Desert Journal Online, established in May 2001 in New Mexico. Our website
offers our true crime book,
Satan's Den Exposed - The David
Parker Ray Story, and poetry and photo collections,
Bombshell
Liberation and
Interference, and provides free access to
our featured columns, photos and news archives.
Directory Page
Site Map |
|
EXTRA! EXTRA! READ THESE!
|
|
2012 began in 1999
by Peter Appleseed
of the Kyyboa Tribe
Book about true revolution, civilogy and creating positive alternatives. |
|
Satan's Den Exposed
The David Parker Ray Story
True crime book about a
criminal sexual sadist and cohorts busted in kidnap, rape and sexual
torture cases in New Mexico
By the Desert Journal's award winning investigative reporting team of Bill
Johnson, Fred Mramor & David Pierre
SPECIAL OFFERS EXTENDED
CLICK
HERE
FOR DETAILS!
|
|
CLICK ON THUMB TO SEE LEO DAILEY PERFORM
HIS NEW ROCK SONG, rallytime!
ALSO, SEE OUR NEW WEB PAGE
ANTI-WAR SONGS!!!
VISIT LEO DAILEY'S NEW WEBSITE -
www.LeoDailey.com |
|
BOMBSHELL LIBERATION
&
INTERFERENCE
Poetry & Photo Collections
By Leo Dailey
NEW RELEASES OCTOBER 2006!!!
Electronic Books - $2.95 each ($2 off)
For details, click
HERE!
 |
|
 |
|
FOR FREE CLASSIFIED ADS, CLICK
HERE! |
|
Desert Journal Online
Contact Information
Bill Johnson
Editor, Publisher & Webmaster
Vic Arvizu
Honorary Web Guru
-
-
Electronic mail
-
desertjournal@hotmail.com
desertjournalonline@yahoo.com
poet@leodailey.com
-
Location
-
We are an electronic
submissions only website located in Albuquerque, NM, and have no
physical business address.
-
-
Copyright ©
2001-2008 Desert Journal Online
-
Last modified:
October 1, 2008
|
| |
…A
big smile for Santa
Santa’s
elf Paris wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year on behalf of
the Desert Journal staff and their families.
Photo
by Bill Johnson
|
|
|
Poinsettias
have been selling fast and furiously this holiday season at the Desert
Flower on Broadway in downtown T or C.
Photo
by Bill Johnson
|
|
|
|
Business
Is Booming
For
Local Merchants
Holiday
sales
the
best in years
By
Carol Main
of
the Desert Journal
Yes,
property taxes are higher and utility rates have gone up, say local
merchants, but they also said that business is great.
"This
has been a great Christmas season,'' said Terry Lanford, owner of The
Desert Flower, 508 Broadway. "Thirty percent of our business is from
out of state customers who call up and order flowers to be delivered to
their parents or grandparents who live here.
"For
instance,'' Lanford said, "just last week I got in 70 poinsettias and
they were all ordered out and gone before the week was over. Our biggest
overhead is paying our delivery people and keeping flowers in stock. One
box of flowers from Albuquerque costs $45 but the quality is worth it.
This has been our best holiday season yet.''
Jim
Bersch, owner of Loretta's Gifts, Jewelry & Souvenirs, 412 Broadway,
said, "This is my 11th year in business in T or C and it
has been my best business year ever. With one exception, and that was the
month of August and that was funny.
"My
first year here when I was located across the street I did real well until
August. The business just died in August and then picked right back up in
September and I finished the year great. It did the same thing this year,
and that is really funny because it never did that in any of the other 10
years. Only in 1990 and 2001.
“Right
now I am 17.4% ahead of last year, money wise, and this Christmas season
has really been great,” he said.
Bersch
formerly owned two shopping malls in El Paso, Texas, and Juarez, Mexico,
and knows good business when he gets it.
"The
secret to success in any business,'' Bersch said, "is attitude and
product. I use the old KISS formula meaning Keep It Simple Stupid. I
provide good quality and really try to please the people who come in,”
he said.
“This
is a community of seniors and I try to stick with what they need, like
moose hide moccasins that are well padded because a lot of elderly folk
have foot trouble. And seniors are on fixed incomes so I keep my prices in
their ballpark,” Bersch said.
“The
backbone of my business is the loyal repeat customer and several of mine
come from El Paso to shop away from the traffic and the hassle down there.
They come up here to play and to shop, and when they retire from their
jobs they move up here, and they remain loyal.''
Bersch
said his hot products this year are the moccasins plus leather hats and
small Golden Books that are right for children.
Quality
in a unique product and individual service are two things Personal
Expressions owner Beverly Bradley, 406 Broadway, also values.
Personal
Expressions is a new shop that opened during Bersch's nemesis month of
August 2001, and of all the businesses that come and go here, this one is
a rare jewel.
Everything
in the shop from native jewelry to paintings to fine metal artwork to
Bradley's own unique custom embroidery is priced to the average pocket.
Bradley
said she does embroidery on garments to order, "People can bring a
picture in and I will embroider it on their own garment or on something
they purchase here, or they may choose a pattern from the stock that I
have. I also offer a showplace for local talent where they may exhibit
their finest work.''
Mr.
Swanson, Swanson’s Sales & Service at 402 Main St., said, "We
send people to Personal Expressions all of the time to have gifts made for
their families. Bradley does excellent work.''
Swanson's
business, like that of the Amin brothers, Amin’s Furniture, is not
affected by the holiday season. Carl Amin, however, said that his now
closed Amin's Department Store did progressively worse business every
Christmas for the past five years.
"Why,''
Amin said, "is a mystery, especially since Cherrill's Western Apparel
is doing great and we carried some of the same clothing she carries.''
"Yes,
I am doing great,'' Cherrill at 217 E. Third Ave. said. "So well in
fact that it is to the point that I am expanding the store. I carry
everything a cowboy could want except his horse or his girlfriend. I can
outfit him from his hat to his boots including his tack and dress his lady
and his little buckeroos too.''
A
shop for the cowhand in a town surrounded by ranches makes a lot of sense.
And when that cowboy's lady wants a treat she can visit Barb's Gift
Gallery, 220 N. Date St., for gourmet coffees, teas, candies, spices and
vinegars.
Barb
was so busy with customers when I visited that it was a real feat for her
to stop a moment.
"I
thank God every day,'' Barb said, "for everything in this great
business year that he has sent me.'' In addition to gourmet items, Barb
stocks a multitude of high end products from one-inch stocking stuffers to
majestic wind chimes, including porcelain and Southwestern dolls.
Davis
Fleck Pharmacy, 500 Broadway, also stocks many gift items and manager
Kristi Heath said, "We are having a good holiday season in comparison
to past years. Our gifts are moving nicely, especially our little
Christmas bells.''
Fine
jewelry is also in demand for Christmas, according to Cara Trumbull of
Parisi, 420 Broadway.
"This
is our third year here,'' Trumbull said, "and we are doing very well,
a lot better than last year. Our main sellers are fine jewelry, engraved
ID bracelets and black hills gold that is unique to this area."
Even
Dee Hodo of Pixie Discount Store, 421 Broadway, said, "Our business
is up over last year. I don't know why but it has been very good.''
<<<
>>>
|
|
|
|
Moccasins
and hats are the big sellers this holiday season at Loretta’s Gift on
Broadway as displayed by store owner Jim Bersch and patron Gracia Mitchell
(on loan next door from Second Hand Rose, which also is poised to meet the
apparel needs and wants of Christmas shoppers this holiday season).
Photo
by Bill Johnson
|
|
|
|
|
Davis
Fleck United Pharmacy employees Sandra Mansur (left, above) and Jenny
Jordan have been keeping busy with Christmas shoppers this season. Tiny
ceramic Christmas bells have been a hot sale item at the drug store on
Broadway.
Photo
by Bill Johnson
|
|
|
|
|
Jerry
Langevin (above), half-owner of the new Personal Expressions gift shop on
Broadway, displays Southwestern iron works, which seem to be moving into
the hands of Christmas shoppers this season. Ceramic bells, such as the
patriotic one held by Pam Walenta, business associate, also seem to make
for that perfect gift.
Photos
by Bill Johnson |
|
|
|
‘I
can do what I want,’ says
new city manager
Explains
hiring of financial
manager
By
Fred Mramor of
the Desert Journal
As questions have
arisen regarding the hiring of Carol Arnold as the City of Truth or
Consequences’ new financial manager, City Manager Richard Ramsey was
asked for his explanations in an interview this week.
At their special meeting Nov. 16, city
commissioners moved that the finance director’s (or financial
manager’s) job description will include: a.) bachelor’s degree in
accounting, finance, business administration or related degree; b.) at
least two years experience in municipal/state finance.
Arnold, according to the city’s
personnel office, has a lifetime of experience in finance - mostly in
banking and as a comptroller. She was the Village of Williamsburg Clerk
for about three years and has letters of reference from the New Mexico
Department of Finance and Administration, but no degree.
“You want to know why (she was hired
without a degree)? It wasn’t the commissioners’ job to write job
descriptions,” Ramsey said Wednesday.
“They can write the job descriptions
for the city manager but after that it’s the city manager’s job to
write job descriptions. We talked about it and they realized they had kind
of overstepped their bounds. They acknowledged that was not their job and
that’s been part of the problem here, everyone says the commissioners
have been trying to micro-manage the city,” the city manager said.
Commissioner Lois Reaver-Black
confirmed Ramsey had discussed the commissioners’ improper motion with
her and said she believes he discussed it with the other commissioners
shortly after Nov. 16.
“I don’t think that will happen in
any other motions but we were in a jam,” Ramsey continued. “We had to
get somebody over there and you know the whole damn town is raising hell
about the condition of the city. But now that I’m trying to do something
about it and get it fixed they’re all raising hell about the way I’m
doing it.”
“I think we’ve got things on track,
I think she’s well qualified and doing an excellent job over there and I
think they need to lay off of us. If everybody wants to pick to pieces
every damn thing we do we’ll never get this thing straightened out,”
Ramsey said.
When this reporter said questions will
have to be asked sometimes, Ramsey said, “You can ask the questions but
I know everybody’s trying to make a big issue out of me hiring her. In
my opinion she’s the best thing we’ve had come along in a long
time.”
Asked why Arnold was hired on an
emergency basis, Ramsey said, “Because Ray (former Finance Manager Ray
Ortiz) had already left, things were in a heck of a mess. We had only one
person down there, we have taxes to pay, we have all kinds of reports to
do that we were overloaded by and we had to get someone in there.”
“For me to advertise and go through
all that stuff, I wouldn’t have any help down there yet. It takes too
long. That’s the reason for the emergency hire provision, when you’re
in a jam like that, that’s when you use it. I would have had to
advertise it in-house and out on the street. I wouldn’t have anybody on
board today if I had done it that way,” Ramsey said.
Ramsey was asked to explain why
Arnold’s starting pay is $19.76 an hour when Ray Ortiz’s ending pay
after more than two years on the job was only $15.13 an hour.
“And look at the condition Ray left
us in. There again I think I can do what I want to do on that if she has
the qualifications and I feel like she’s worth it,” the city manager
said.
<<< >>> |
|
|
|
|
|
Santa
greets children and hears their wish lists Tuesday morning at the Arrey
Community Center during the distribution of toys, clothing and food.
Photo by Bill Johnson
|
|
Helping hands keep
Arrey’s
toys for kids program alive
A
true community
Christmas
met with
the
spirit of giving
By Bill Johnson
of the Desert Journal
If
Christmas rings true, it must be in the little farm community of Arrey in
south-central New Mexico along the Rio Grande.
Hours,
days, weeks and months of volunteer efforts vanished in less than an hour
as 72 needy families received their fair share from the heaping mountains
of toys, clothes and food accumulated Tuesday morning at the Arrey
Community Center.
Troy
Johnston, a volunteer with the local Retired & Seniors Volunteer
Program (RSVP), started the “toys for kids” drive four years ago.
Since
the 1997 Christmas season, the all-volunteer effort has snowballed to the
point, as one volunteer described it, where it’s gotten big, too big.
It
became evident that after numerous vehicles swarmed the facility, perhaps
some of the goodies wouldn’t make their way to latecomers. One such
latecomer included a woman and her two small children, all afoot without
motorized transportation. Only a few families, however, were turned away
because they were “late” and all of the Christmas goodies had already
vanished.
“Troy
gave them out himself but he died on May 7 this year. And this year we got
so big,” said his sister and volunteer recruit Alna Cooper who with her
sister Oletha Yocum and their friend Carolyn Sutters carried the toys for
kids program forward.
What
started as a one-man show has become a community event with widespread
support, especially from the Eagles Lodge which this year donated $200
cash for the purchase of toys.
“All
of the other toys are gathered by volunteers all year long. We give away
the toys along with candy and clothes,” Cooper said.
The
program is held in conjunction with the distribution of commodities (a
program which is partly funded by the state Human Services Department) so
that when families come to pick up their bags of food they also can take
home their Christmas baskets while children hunt through the huge piles of
toys for their favorites.
Volunteers
who have helped include Larry Arrey, Linda Yocum, Robert and Dolores Diaz,
Paul Chavez, Alex Arrey, Lawrence Arrey, Hoss Bates and Spencer Bates.
“We
are all volunteers,” said Mrs. Cooper with pride knowing that all of
their efforts are rewarded. “We served 72 families today and had to send
only a few to town (T or C where countywide efforts are spearheaded by the
Sierra Santas or similar programs that ensure everyone – especially
those less fortunate – have a very merry Christmas).”
<<<
>>>
|
|
|
|
These
volunteers of Arrey helped make a very merry Christmas for 72 families
during the community’s toys for kids program Tuesday morning at the
Arrey Community and Senior Center.
Photo
by Bill Johnson
|
|
|
|
Cardboard
recycling earns
city’s first sale
The
City of Truth or Consequences has received its first check for recycled
cardboard.
The
city recycling plant’s first 14 bales of cardboard were sold to
Durango-McKinley Paper Co. of Prewitt, NM, the high bidder, when the city
solicited quotes, for $50/ton.
The
14 bales weighed 13,300 pounds, for which the city was paid $50 per ton,
for a total of $332.50.
More
importantly to the City, however, 13,300 pounds of cardboard that would
otherwise have gone into our landfill has been diverted to recycling
instead, preserving the city’s precious landfill capacity for future
use, and probably saving a few trees in the process.
Even
though money was not available to hire additional personnel for recycling
as had been planned, existing sanitation department staff has rearranged
their work schedules to allow this recycling of cardboard to begin in an
effort to save our landfill capacity, protect our environment, and bring
in a few extra dollars for the city.
<<<
>>>
|
|
|
|
Two
vehicles collided Tuesday afternoon at Cedar Street and Riverside Drive in
T or C. City police urge caution as vehicles cross intersections,
especially near parks where young children play.
Photo
by Bill Johnson
|
|
|
|
The
T or C Middle School’s Science Olympiad Class gets the financial boost
it needs with a $250 donation received Wednesday from the Public Service
Company of New Mexico. PNM’s area manager Gabe Ruiz (center) is shown
presenting the education grant to TCMS science teacher Bob Dawkins,
Principal Donna Bush and the Olympiad class. The money will be used to
purchase materials for the class and to pay for expenses at regional
competition in Silver City and state competition in Socorro. Science
Olympiad improves the quality of science education, increases student
interest in science and recognizes outstanding achievement in science
education by both students and teachers. Competition includes all areas of
science including physical, life and earth sciences. Students are tested
on their abilities to construct projects, to recognize rocks and minerals,
on their knowledge of objects within our solar system, and how to analyze
unknown materials. Their ability to solve real life problems is necessary
for success.
Photo by Bill Johnson |
|
City’s wastewater
plant
gets most improved award
The
City of Truth or Consequences recently was notified by Caroline Martinez
of the New Mexico Water and Wastewater Association that T or C’s
wastewater plant will be this year's recipient of the President's Award
for the "Most Improved Wastewater Plant."
This
great honor for the city reflects very well on Wastewater Division staff
in particular. On Jan. 30, 2002, a delegation from the city’s Wastewater
Division will attend the banquet awards ceremony at the Hilton Inn in Las
Cruces to receive the award publicly on behalf of the City.
<<<
>>> |
|
A
Special Christmas In Truth or Consequences... |
|
|
|
Students
of the Rainbow Works Preschool at the First United Methodist Church in T
or C sing carols during their Christmas program Wednesday morning before
family and friends.
Photo
by Bill Johnson
|
|
|
|
Santa passes a present
during the Truth or Consequences Housing Authority’s Christmas Party for
public housing families Tuesday night at the Civic Center.
Photo
by Bill Johnson
|
|
|
|
Santa
shares a hug at the Truth or Consequences Housing Authority’s Christmas
party Tuesday night at the Civic Center.
Photo
by Bill Johnson |
|
|
|
“You’re too old to
talk to Santa,” Santa tells this young lady during the T or C Housing
Authority’s Christmas party at the Civic Center Tuesday night.
Photo
by Bill Johnson |
|
|
| |
|
