Here’s a look at some local news:
The Cliff Spurs 4-H Club donated award money from the Grant County Fair “Pig Plop” event to “Wreathes Across America” again this year. The club has donated to the program for the past 3 years. This year they donated 121 wreaths that were placed on graves at Fort Bayard National Cemetery. The club membership is made up of youth in the Cliff area who are ages 5 to 18 years old. The members that were present on Friday, December 13th, to help place the wreaths were: Tucker Gatlin, Ally Massengill, Tucker Goar, Zola Brown, Emma Smith, Ashtyn and Hayli McDowell and Amery Jackson. Amery Jackson and Tucker Goar also helped to lead the pledge of allegiance at the dedication ceremony at Fort Bayard National Cemetery last Saturday, December 14th.
Students taking part in a Leadership program at Jose Barrios Elementary School held a Toy Drive that enabled them to donate Christmas gifts to approximately 60 local children affiliated with KISS, “Kids in Need of Supportive Services.” KISS, serves children, parents and families in Silver City and surrounding areas with therapeutic family services, child and parent groups, court ordered visitations exchanges, individual and family therapy in home and office visits, and services that connect families to community resources. Jose Barrios student, Jaycee Herbon, initiated the Toy Drive as part of a Leadership Program sponsored by School Counselor, Courtney Ochoa. The Leadership Program was created specifically for 4th to 6th grade students in order to engage them in a leadership role and get them involved in positive activities that, hopefully, will have a lasting impact on their future choices. The activities that they participate in include: community outreach of their design (such as the toy drive), and learning how to plan/teach guidance curriculum.
U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich has announced his nominees to the United States Service Academies. A nomination is required to attend the U.S. Military Academy (West Point), the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy–the Coast Guard Academy does not require a nomination. The nation’s service academies offer four-year college educations to qualified students. Local student, Robert Montoya of Bayard was nominated to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland.
