Here is a look at some local news:
This Saturday, the 5th Annual Great Pumpkin Candy Drop will be taking place in Deming at John T. Waits Park, also known as Rabbit Park. The free event is sponsored by “Friends of the Community, a local nonprofit, Weaver’s Welding of Las Cruces, Deming Mainstreet, and the Deming Police Department that will supply food. The candy drop consists of a giant crane provided by Weaver’s Welding that lifts a candy-filled bucket painted like a pumpkin over 100 feet in the air that drops the candy for children to gather. In addition, Deming first responders will provide fun activities prior to the candy drop. Gates open at 10:00 A.M. this Saturday, with the candy drop starting at 1:00 P.M.
A science teacher from Snell Middle School has received national honors for excellence in the classroom. Cindy Lee, a science teacher at Snell Middle School in Bayard has been named one of four 2019 recipients of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching from New Mexico. Lee has been an instructor at Snell Middle school for 26 years and currently teaches seventh- and eighth-grade Life Science, Physical Science and Science Tech. Awards are separated by K-6 and 7-12 grades. This year, the two groups of awardees will be combined in one ceremony, which will take place on tomorrow in Washington, D.C. According to the Grant County Beat, Lee has been selected as teacher of the year for Snell Middle School, Outstanding MESA Advisor for New Mexico, and has received the Golden Apple Award. In addition, she earned a B.A. in botany and M.A.T. in secondary education from Western New Mexico University. She has an instructional leadership certification with a K-12 endorsement in science.
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument has announced that the national monument, including the Gila Visitor Center and the trail to the cliff dwellings, will be changing their operational hours to better assist visitation. The change in hours will be in effect starting Friday November 1st and will remain in place through Saturday February 29th of 2020. The Gila Visitor Center will be open from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm daily except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day when the visitor center will be closed. The change in operating hours will not affect Gila National Forest or Gila Wilderness trails or corral facilities.
