Congratulations to New Mexico writer-photographer Julie Carter and musician Joe Delk, along with The Delk Band, who were recently honored with the prestigious Rounders Award at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces. Julie Carter, raised on a ranch in Colorado and a resident of a New Mexico ranch for 40 years, is known for her freelance work, contributing ranch family stories to RANGE Magazine, Livestock Weekly, and New Mexico Cattle Growers. Meanwhile, Joe Delk and The Delk Band, a nine-piece ensemble established in the 1930s in Santa Rita, New Mexico by Joe’s father, have spent decades performing across New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Wyoming, with this year marking the 90th anniversary of the family band. Both received the award in recognition of their impactful contributions to Western art and their commitment to promoting the Western way of life.
The Bayard Public Library is hosting “Day of the Dead” programming, beginning with the creation of a community offering to honor loved ones who have passed. The library will have three workshops to celebrate the tradition with the first one being a Paper Marigold workshop. The public is invited to contribute photographs and items that their loved ones enjoyed. Attendees will also have the opportunity to decorate sugar skulls, which they can either take home or add to the public offering. Everyone is welcome to join in the celebration. For more information on times and days of workshops, visit the Bayard Public Library’s website.
In other news:
The U.S. Air Force has initiated a process to reevaluate the airspace necessary for supporting training missions at its installations in Arizona. The Air Force is considering several potential changes to airspace, which may impact areas over the Gila National Forest, the Coronado National Forest, and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands in the Bootheel Region of southwestern New Mexico. Residents of New Mexico have expressed concerns regarding low-level flights and flares in wilderness areas, fearing disruptions to the way of life, threats to public safety, and negative effects on the local economy. In response, the Air Force has officially extended its public comment period by an additional 30 days, encouraging individuals to view the proposed changes and to submit comments before the new deadline of November 12th. For further information and to submit a comment, interested parties can visit website.
