Tradiciones: Unsung Heroes 2023 by The Taos News

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taos news

OCT. 5, 2023

illiams W M A L I N D A

tradiciones special edition

2023 citizen OF THE year

honorar a nuestros hÉroes

MARK GOLDMAN

JUDY ESQUIBEL

MIKE TILLEY ROBIN COLLIER

E R I C A PA R R A Z

ILONA SPRUCE

C H E R I LY O N

H O L LY S U M M E R B E R R I E S

DELINDA VANNEBRIGHTYN

JONA OLSSON

MALINDA WILLIAMS, CITIZEN OF THE YEAR

STA FF

Robin Martin, Owner

Michael Tashji, Special Sections Editor

Mary Chávez, Business Manager

Liam DeBonis, Photographer

Liam Easley, Reporter

Tyler Northrop, Media Specialist

Jason Rodriguez, Production Manager

Felice Vasquez, Client Care Specialist

Taos News

Chris Baker, Publisher

Paul Gutches, Creative Director

Shawn Roberts, Circulation Director

Lynne Robinson, Tempo Editor

Arcenio J. Trujillo, Sports Editor

S’zanne Reynolds Media Specialist

Zoë Urban, Graphic Designer

Taos, NM 87571

John Miller, Editor

Chris Wood, Advertising Director

Heather Owen, Digital Editor

Geoffrey Plant, Senior Reporter

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Heroes Start at

We at Vargas Tile Co. would like to say “Thank you so much” to all of this year’s Unsung Heroes. We applaud your hard work and dedication to your respective programs, plans, projects and ministries. You all help make Taos the special place that we all love.

Thank you and congratulations to the Unsung Heroes and Citizen of the Year. Your dedication to our communities make Taos County a better place to live. I always want to hear how I can help our communities. Call me at 575-770-3178.

SERVICE

It’s not about being the best for yourself. It’s about giving your best to others.

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Honored to be Taos’ Best Agency 13 Years Running

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Paid for by the Committee to Re-Elect Roberto “Bobby” J. Gonzales, Roberto “Bobby” J. Gonzales Treasurer

CONGRATULATIONS TO THIS YEAR’S CITIZEN OF THE YEAR AND UNSUNG HEROES

A SINCERE THANK YOU FOR KEEPING OUR CULTURE AND TRADITIONS THRIVING AND EMBRACING OUR COMMUNITY.

kitcarson.com THIS INSTITUTION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PROVIDER AND EMPLOYER

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FROM THE E DI TO R

FOR 23 YEARS, the Taos News has proudly published the stories of our community’s Unsung Heroes — ordinary people doing extraordinary things that make a difference in the lives of others. The award recipients were chosen by the Unsung Heroes Selection Committee, which nominates and then votes on its roster of nominees. Ten heroes were selected, along with the Citizen of the Year, Malinda Williams. The award is given to those who selflessly help others (heroes) — yet remain unrecognized for their efforts (unsung). For instance, Delinda VanneBrightyn brought together her passion for dogs and hiking and has led Taos Search and Rescue efforts to find lost souls in the wilderness using the K-9 Unit she’s trained. “She’ll go out not just on regular missions to find individuals, but she’ll go out for anything and everything that requires the dogs,” former TSAR Training Officer Chris Kodey said. “If there’s a call, Delinda’s going to be there with her dog.” Taos Pueblo Tourism Director Ilona Spruce said she was both humbled

2 02 3 UNS UNG HE ROE S S E LECT ION COMMIT T E E We want to thank our 2023 Unsung Heroes Selection Committee, which nominated this year’s Unsung Heroes and Citizen of the Year. The Selection Committee includes Elizabeth Crittenden Palacios (Chair), Bob Romero, John Ortega, Ernestina Cordova, Anita Bringas, Marilyn Farrow, Joseph Quintana, Kathleen Michaels, Steve Wiard and Larry Mapes. Not pictured, David Elliot.

and honored to be nominated. “I don’t think that I come with this caliber to be put in this position,” she said. But between hosting tours, organizing celebrations and even directing traffic, it’s well known that Spruce is the glue that holds Taos Pueblo together. And Malinda Williams, execu-

tive director of Community Against be helping my community,” she said. Taos is special in the way that everyViolence and 2023 Citizen of the Year, day Taoseños show up — and step up transformed her difficult upbringing into her life’s work, preventing domes- — to address the challenges facing our community. We applaud the work of tic violence and protecting victims these Unsung Heroes and join you in and their families. celebrating their accomplishments. After 30 years at CAV, Williams is stepping down, and figuring out what Michael Tashji, Special Sections Editor she wants to do next. “Somehow, I will

2 0 YEARS OF H EROES

2002 Citizen of the Year: Eloy Jeantete Unsung Heroes: Paulie Burt Martha Dick Shawn Duran Lucy Himes Palemón Martinez Theresa and Rúben Martinez Joleen Montoya Mary Olguin John Randall

2006 Citizen of the Year: Jenny Vincent Unsung Heroes: Francisco Córdova Telesfor González John Holland Vishu Magee Juan Martínez Luís C. Martínez Becky Miera Gabriel Romero Snider Sloan

2010 Citizen of the Year: Vishu Magee Unsung Heroes: Candido Domínguez Esther García Michael Hensley Cherry Montaño Mish Rosette Patrick Romero Charlene Tamayó Feloniz Trujillo Malinda Williams

2003 Citizens of the Year: Nick and Bonnie Branchal Unsung Heroes: Richard Archuleta Elizabeth Gilmore Bruce Gomez Jane Mingenbach Patty Mortenson and Terry Badhand Cynthia Rael-Vigil Guadalupe Tafoya Bernie Torres Ted Wiard

2007 Citizen of the Year: Jake Mossman Jr. Unsung Heroes: Chilton and Judy Anderson Cindy Cross Shirley and Jerry Lujan Albino Martínez Max Martínez Ted Martínez Irene Párraz Corina Santistevan Michael and Sylvia Torrez

2011 Citizen of the Year: Jim Fambro Unsung Heroes: Benjie Apodaca Patrick Delosier Cyndi Howell Alipio Mondragón Chavi Petersen Siena Sanderson Mary Alice Winter

2004 Citizen of the Year: Tony Reyna Unsung Heroes: Charlie Anderson Connie Archuleta Stephen Cetrulo Victor Chavez Ernestina and Francis Córdova Clay Farrell Dee Lovato Jeannie Masters Rosemarie Packard

2008 Citizens of the Year: Cid and Betty Backer Unsung Heroes: Crestina Armstrong Mario Barela Art Coca Mike Concha Rose Cordova Jeanelle Livingston Christina Masoliver Jake Mossman Sr. Nita Murphy

2005 Citizens of the Year: Art and Susan Bachrach Unsung Heroes: Mardoqueo Chacón Juan “Johnny” Devargas Carmen Lieurance Ernie and Frutoso López Roy Madrid Betsy Martínez Isabel Rendón Johnny Sisneros Dr. Bud Wilson

2009 Citizen of the Year: Rebeca Romero Rainey Unsung Heroes: Billy and Theresa Archuleta Carolina Dominguez Eddie Grant Mary Trujillo Mascareñas Connie Ochoa Marie Reyna Lawrence Vargas Frank Wells

2012 Citizens of the Year: Jim and Mary Gilroy Unsung Heroes: Marilyn Farrow Dennis Hedges Pat Heinen Judy Hofer Phyllis Nichols Loertta Ortiz y Pino Dolly Peralta Lillian Romero 2013 Citizen of the Year: Patricia Michaels Unsung Heroes: Edy Anderson Cynthia Burt John Casali Maria Cintas Father William Hart McNichols Mark Ortega JoAnn Ortiz Effie Romero Fabi Romero 2014 Citizens of the Year: Ernie Blake Family Unsung Heroes: Valorie Archuleta Jane Compton Tina Martinez Alex Medina

2019 Citizen of the Year: Art Abreu Jr. Unsung Heroes: Dave Córdova Virginia Couse Leavitt Russ Driskell Mary Alice Martínez Julianna Matz Sharon Nicholson Rob Nightingale Bennie and Edna Romero

Jean Nichols Lisa O’Brien Louise Padilla Mary Spears 2015 Citizens of the Year: Randall Family Unsung Heroes: Walter Allen Mary Ann Boughton Carl Colonius Liz Moya Herrera Melissa Larson Addelina Lucero Bruce McIntosh Thom Wheeler 2016 Citizen of the Year: Elizabeth Crittenden Palacios Unsung Heroes: Benton and Arabella Bond Paul Figueroa Carl Gilmore Judge Ernest Ortega Ernesto Martinez Medalia Martinez Sonny Spruce Becky Torres 2017 Citizen of the Year: Kate O’Neill Unsung Heroes: Juan Abeyta Claire Cote Brian Greer Max Ortega John Romero Jimmy Stadler Larry Torres Connie Tsosie-Gaussoin 2018 Citizen of the Year: Francis Córdova Unsung Heroes: Jill Cline Francisco Guevara Lucille and George Jaramillo Deacon Donald Martínez Jesse Martínez Andrew Montoya Polly Raye Angel Reyes Janet Webb

2020 Citizen of the Year: Ted Wiard Unsung Heroes: Kathleen Branchal Garcia David Maes David Mapes Gayle and Peter Martínez Florence Miera Mary Romero Luzita Trujillo 2021 Citizen of the Year: David Elliot Unsung Heroes: Lisa Abeyta-Valerio Anita Bringas Benito Concha Roels ‘Roy’ Cunnyngham Valdemar DeHerrera Kathryn Herman Pauline Mondragon Bette Myerson Judy Weinrobe Malaquias Rael 2022 Citizen of the Year: Dr. Lillian Torrez Unsung Heroes: Dolores Endres Juanita Marcus Turley Eric Mares Stella Mares-McGinnis Toby Martinez Leo Pacheco Lindsey Pfaff-Bain Camille Rivera Merril Tydings

For a complete list of past honorees, visit taosnews.com/unsung

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Even our heroes need a little sleep.

Thanks for everything you do.

LET IT MOVE YOU. 815 PASEO DEL PUEBLO SUR | TAOSLIFESTYLE.COM

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Malinda Williams Citizen of the Year

‘We would go out in the middle of the night or go to

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the hospital — wherever it was needed to help somebody.’

N AT H A N B U R TO N / TA O S N E W S

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MALINDA WILLIAMS A shelter in the storm By Michael Tashji

alinda Williams has served the local nonprofit Community Against Violence for 30 years, working tirelessly to prevent domestic violence and protect victims and their families. Her consistent, compassionate care in the community earned her an Unsung Hero nomination in 2010. Williams’ efforts to innovate and educate the public have now earned even greater respect in the community and she has been nominated the 2023 Unsung Heroes Citizen of the Year.

Made to adapt Malinda Williams was born in 1964 on a military base in Arkansas. Her father served in the U.S. Army and saw two combat tours in Vietnam. “We moved around a lot when I was a kid,” said Williams, adding that they also lived in Germany. “I loved that part of it because it makes me adaptable. It helps me realize there are many different cultures in the world and many different ways of looking at things.” She grew up as the second oldest of five children (three brothers, one sister), and her mother was a homemaker and then a nursing assistant in Puget Sound outside Seattle, where the family eventually put down roots. As a high school senior, Williams was one of a dozen students who lived with families in Mexico as part of a language exchange program. American students would teach English to their host parents and children and would gain Spanish-language skills in return. “It was terrifying and incredible,” she exclaimed. Williams was supposed to attend school with her Mexican counterpart each day — instead, they would cut class and hitchhike to explore the world on their own. “The family I went to — in the U.S. — would have been considered lowincome. They had five girls that slept in one bedroom that had two twin beds, and the boys slept in another

room. They had chickens that came in and out of the house, and no real refrigerator. It was really different.” After graduating high school, Williams earned a college degree in computer aided drafting and design and met and married her now ex-husband. The couple moved to Taos in 1989 to open an art gallery and live in a low-key multicultural community. Williams helped open the gallery and went to work for civil engineers Lawrence A. Ortega & Associates, drafting roads and water lines. “It was fun. And it was something I was good at. But it wasn’t meaningful to me. So, after a while, I started wanting to do something that would give back to the community.”

Life changer The Battered Women’s Project, a precursor to Community Against Violence, was teaching about domestic violence and showcasing what services were available to at-risk populations. “That sounds like I need to be doing that,” Williams said to herself, and she began volunteering in 1993. Volunteers worked with local law enforcement: “Dispatch would answer emergency calls, and if it was for domestic violence, they would send a message to a pager. Volunteers like myself were on rotation — we would answer the beeper and make a call back to the person who needed help.” “We would go out in the middle of the night or go to the hospital — wherever it was needed to help somebody,” said Williams. She described the volunteer experience as life changing. Her training included learning about domestic violence, and what to do if somebody was in danger. “I was horrified — I burst into tears. All of a sudden, I realized that’s the name for what my family dynamic was: I grew up in a home with domestic violence.” “So, I really, really wanted to make sure that kids didn’t grow up in homes like I grew up in,” Williams said. She began helping out at the shelter any way she could, clocking as many volunteer hours as possible outside of her daytime job. After about a year, Williams was hired as the shelter director, as part of the then-five staff members and operated in a rented house west of Albertsons in Taos. The shelter offered emergency housing for victims of domestic abuse.

It was around this time that the Battered Women’s Project merged with Community Against Rape, which had begun to address sexual violence in the community. The new group eventually came to be known as Community Against Violence, or CAV. And with new grant funding through HUD, the group set its aims on a larger goal: an in-house shelter with onsite counseling and 24-hour surveillance.

Taking the reins Reluctant as she was, Williams became the shelter’s executive director in 1997, overseeing a staff of 20. Along with emergency housing, CAV began offering expanded counseling services for children and adults. “The children would grow up and they were now the victims and the perpetrators,” Williams said. “If we don’t do something, it’s going to continue — we’re always going to need more and more shelters and more and more protective orders. Because those kids are witnessing domestic violence at home and thinking that is what love is — it’s creating the next generation of domestic violence.” CAV added a children’s advocacy program that helps parents understand the effects of abuse on children, so that patterns of intergenerational harm can be stopped. “My father was a decorated war hero. He has a Purple Heart. He started a homeless program when I was a teen. He helped us do food drives,” said Williams, adding that he also was abusive towards his family, just like his father was to him. “If that’s your history, you have to actually take action to learn healthy relationships, rather than repeat what you know —

L I A M D E B O N I S / TA O S N E W S

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to this year’s Unsung Heroes & Citizen of the Year! Your dedication to our community is essential.

NURSING COMMUNITY HEROES

"My current nursing program has great professors that have helped to develop my love for nursing a lot more. I’m very blessed that my hometown has a college where I’m able to do all my prerequisites and get a degree." - JESSICA GONZALES

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Malinda Williams

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or avoid relationships [altogether],” she said. The shelter added legal services to help victims understand their rights and offered instruction on how to navigate the court system. Other outreach initiatives addressed violence prevention, conflict resolution, establishing personal boundaries and negotiating consent. Williams took steps to serve the Spanish-speaking community and assist them in accessing the help they needed. And she has advocated for special at-risk populations, including LGBTQ+ and developmentally disabled persons. She even helped add language translation services to help victims trafficked from foreign countries. CAV created a Children’s Advocacy Center to support the investigation of allegations of child abuse and conduct forensic interviews — with specialized services to protect child victims and hold their offenders accountable. The program has now expanded to seven counties across the state. And when Holy Cross’ Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners program began to falter two years ago, CAV stepped in to partner with the hospital and trained nurses in providing care to victims of sexual assault.

Outreach Repeatedly voted a “Best of Taos” winner in the Taos News’ annual community-ranked business survey, CAV now boasts 50 staff members and an operating budget of $4.2 million. CAV funding also comes through federal, state and local grants, and through support from local donors

and fundraising. To get the word out about its programs, CAV advertises in English and Spanish on local radio stations and hosts an annual on-air fundraiser on KTAOS. Steve Wiard, the former pastor at El Pueblito Methodist Church who nominated Williams as an Unsung Hero, has helped CAV get the word out on the airwaves in a most unusual way.

I really, really wanted to make sure that kids didn’t grow up in homes like I grew up in. “I would stand on my head — as long as I could — while she encouraged people to call in and pledge money,” Wiard said. “People would call in and say, ‘I want to pay $50 to get Steve down.’” Having worked with Williams for 15 years, Wiard said, “She’s offered consistent compassion and care for this community. “Taos is a beautiful place to live. But the underbelly has significant needs that the average tourist doesn’t always see. I dealt with that underbelly in my 21 years of service here. And Malinda certainly has also.”

Williams has also written a column on issues surrounding domestic and sexual violence for the Taos News for the last 13 years. “We wanted to change people’s understanding — help them understand that in order to stop the violence, you have to be able to recognize it exists.”

Next steps After 30 years of countering domestic violence in Northern New Mexico, Malinda Williams is stepping down from her leadership role at Community Against Violence at the end of the year. She said the COVID-19 pandemic was incredibly hard on CAV, because “we had to, all of a sudden, figure out how we’re going to do remote services for everyone.” “For almost two-and-a-half years, I worked around the clock, and I’m just exhausted,” Williams confessed, adding that she will stay on in an advisory role for the near-future. Joella Montoya will take over as the new executive director of CAV. Joella and her sister taught women’s selfdefense to community teens years back and was a known quantity to Williams and the steering committee. But Williams has no plans to leave Taos. She and her spouse, Kim McGinnis, along with their two girls, two dogs and a cat, plan to welcome family who’ve made the move to Taos: Williams’ mom, sister, and brother-inlaw. “You asked what I was going to do when I was done. And I don’t know,” Williams confessed. “I’m not that terribly old. While I was here, I did emergency foster baby care…Somehow, I will be helping my community.” 🙒

L I A M D E B O N I S / TA O S N E W S

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After 32 years of service, Malinda will retire as Executive Director of Community Against Violence at the end of 2023. She will be sorely missed, but the legacy of her leadership remains in a strong and stable agency providing free and confidential services to children, adults, and families affected by violence. Thank you for all you’ve done for our community and mucho congratulations, Malinda! 24 Hour HELPline 575.758.9888

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taos news

J U D Y

OCT. 5, 2023

E S Q U I B E L PAGE 20

tradiciones special edition

honorar a nuestros hÉroes

Goldman M A R K

L I A M D E B O N I S / TA O S N E W S

BUILDING RESILIENCE IN THE COMMUNITY By Liam Easley

P R O F E S S I O N A N D PA S S I O N are two things that don’t typically intermingle. More often than not, they’re completely separate, and few get to enjoy the bliss of their meeting. Mark Goldman is one of those few. Combining tangibility, conceptuality and sustainability, the 64-year-old architect has spent much of his time in Taos sharing his wealth of knowledge in the field of affordable housing. “From the first minute that I did have a hammer in my hand — what-

ever I was doing, nailing down a subfloor with my step-father — I just loved it,” Goldman said. When he first came to Taos with his wife, Goldman thought it would just be a year-long “adventure.” Matrimonial company excluded, he arrived with little more than a wornout pickup truck, “some tools” and an architecture degree. However, he quickly put that degree to use when he built his current home out of adobe and used materials, a large house that will last generations, only

costing him $40,000. While studying architecture, he specialized in low-income housing, a concentration little touched by his contemporaries. “I think, generally, architecture is an urban profession, but I feel that of all the rural areas, Taos seems to be totally passionate about architecture,” Goldman said. “Everything from the Taos Pueblo, which is the iconic sustainable building in North America, and then to the Spanishcolonial churches and adobes, and continues on 16

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Mark Goldman

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even to the earthships — this valley is a living historic museum of 900 years of living architecture.” Living in Taos boosted Goldman’s knowledge of low-income housing options tremendously, even to the point of realizing the possibilities of adobe, a substance never explored within the limits of his college education. With this new understanding, he’s been able to absorb regional building techniques into his evergrowing understanding of architecture and deliver it to the students going through his construction certificate program at UNM–Taos. “What we’re really focusing on, to my surprise, is affordable housing and community-based housing,” Goldman said. “When I went to architecture school, everyone wanted to build big, expensive trophy houses, but really, it seems like a common conversation, the shortage of housing around here.” The program is not just about construction; Goldman’s goal is to teach his students to both design and construct their dream homes using regional materials. Above all, Goldman teaches his students “how to build the most expensive object in American society.” One former student of his, Ryan Timmerman, even went as far as creating Veterans Off-Grid, a nonprofit based in Carson that gives homeless and off-grid veterans the freedom to build their own homes. “So, I said, ‘Hey, Mark, do you want to teach motivated individuals? Why don’t we create a program that trains veterans who want to build [their] own house in the middle of the woods to be away from people?’” Timmerman recalled. “I think 30 percent of veterans have that dream of building their own house to be self-sufficient because we’ve seen society collapse,

and if you’re making your own energy, food and water, you’re fine. Society can collapse; you’ll be okay.” Veterans Off-Grid has added a new dimension to the program Goldman curates at UNM–Taos, and he even brings students to the Carson site to assist in the construction of natural, earthbased structures. Most recently, the nonprofit built a walipini, a submerged greenhouse that maintains a plant-friendly temperature year-round. Goldman is always there to provide his probono stamp of certification for the construction of these structures, which would otherwise cost thousands. “The architect with a heart of gold,” Timmerman called Goldman upon the mention of his name. “He genuinely wants to help people, and you can see it in the evidence: Veterans OffGrid and the fact that we’re creating this program together that is going to teach many more people. They’re almost like Mark’s children. They come, they learn from someone who’s done, and hopefully they’ll perform even better and greater things than he.”

According to Timmerman, Goldman first fosters discussion in his classroom — students critically debate building techniques, working together to formulate a dream home that works for them and their environment. Later on, Timmerman said, students learn about “carpentry, plumbing and electrical for whatever you’ve designed — not for somebody else’s house, not to make you an electrician, but to make you a jack of all trades so you can understand how a house fits together and be able to build it yourself.” Goldman first became interested in architecture from being a “tactile learner,” which is what drew him toward visual, physical crafts like art, construction and later, architecture. In fact, Goldman first went off to college to study art at the University of California. “There, I went through art school working as a carpenter with my stepfather on vacations and summers, and when you take construction and art and put them together, you kinda get architecture,” Goldman said. “It’s like making life-size sculptures that

“I’ve worked on a few projects with big, huge swimming pools and living rooms and five-car garages, and I think, having grown up so poor, I could just never ignore the people that need housing,” Goldman said. “It felt like this real disconnect. Here I am getting trained to be an architect, and I’m in a community where so many people just need a roof over their head; they don’t need a luxury palace.”

people live in, as opposed to one- or two-dimensional objects. We sort of create the stage set on which the drama of life happens.” Aside from low-income housing, Goldman has also worked on local structures like the current headquarters for the DreamTree Project, which he designed and built with the help of incarcerated teenagers. He’s even designed homes in Boston, where he lived before moving to Taos. “I’ve worked on a few projects with big, huge swimming pools and living rooms and five-car garages, and I think, having grown up so poor, I could just never ignore the people that need housing,” Goldman said. “It felt like this real disconnect. Here I am getting trained to be an architect, and I’m in a community where so many people just need a roof over their head; they don’t need a luxury palace.” Goldman is currently assisting the creation of a project currently referred to as the Nest, which will serve as a one-stop, multi-agency center for social services. He hopes to host a homeless shelter for men and women alongside psychological, educational and housing services. “In architecture, it’s always said that it’s an old person’s game,” Goldman said. “You don’t even get good really until you’re in your 50s because you’re learning structural engineering, mechanical, heating, aesthetics, psychology, sociology. I feel like I’m just barely scratching the surface right now. It’s just getting interesting.” Goldman would like to thank Linda Gordon, who gave him a roof to live under, food to eat and a family to go on vacations with while he was young. Without her support, he said, he would not be where he is. 🙒

L I A M D E B O N I S / TA O S N E W S

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EVERYONE DESERVES A HOME.

Taos Rotary Congratulates Past & Present Heroes For Their Commitment to the Community

HEART of Taos provides support and services to women and families facing homelessness. Our programs include Emergency Family Hotel Shelter, case management, and other support

Curious about Rotary?

services. Your gift will allow us to continue this critical work in the Taos County community.

Meetings Every Wednesday at Taos Valley Lodge. If you can’t attend in person, join us on Zoom.

HELP END HOMELESSNESS. DONATE TODAY.

Meeting ID: 845 4391 9575 Passcode: 87529

“Service Above Self.”

taosheart.org

www.taosmilagrorotary.com

575.776.4245

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The The The Embodiment Embodiment ofofCommunity of Community Co

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Esquibel J U D Y

L I A M D E B O N I S / TA O S N E W S

A PASSION FOR COMMUNITY By Tamra Testerman

S H E P R E F E R S to be out of the limelight, working behind the scenes making memories for generations of Taoseños. Her expertise, gained from 25 years’ experience, is so specialized and needed, the Town of Taos created a position for her. At every community holiday and special event, Judy Esquibel brings creativity and passion to make a difference. “Happiness for me is a little boy smiling with a construction hat and backpack full of goodies after a long

day. We’re here to give these kids memories and fun and excitement and time to be a kid. Don’t worry about everything that’s going on in the world. Come in and have a good time. We’ll try our best to give them a safe place in a safe environment to have a good time and just be a kid.” Nominated to be a Taos News Unsung Hero by local businessman Joseph Quintana, he thought she fit the community’s description of one. “Judy Esquibel is one of the most unselfish, kind, hardworking and

innovative persons that exist in our community. She gives and gives and gives of her time, energy and talent, for our Taos youth, every day and our children and young adults are the better for her efforts. She never asks for praise and she does all of this with the biggest smile and the warmest heart. I hope that recognizing Judy for her tireless efforts brings a knowledge of efforts done to everyone in our Taos community. I hope that shining a light on these efforts will create more and better efforts continues on 22

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CONGRATULATIONS

TAKING CARE OF YOUR TRADITIONS IS WHAT WE DO.

JUDY ESQUIBEL!

Judy Esquibel believes in the future of our youth; she plays a large role promoting community events for our young people. Thank you for always supporting the NMSU Taos County Cooperative Extension Service 4-H Program. Congratulations to all the Unsung Heroes and Citizen of the Year! BE BOLD. Shape the Future.

College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences Cooperative Extension Service Taos County Extension Office

BE BOLD. Shape the Future.

College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences Cooperative Extension Service Taos County Extension Office

MAKE CLEAN CHOICES

206 Paseo Del Pueblo Sur, Taos (575) 425-4446 cleantaos.com

Holy Cross Hospital

A legacy of great care, in Taos. Over the last 85 years, Holy Cross has been proud to serve generations of Taos families as they bring new life to our community. The Labor and Delivery department at Holy Cross Hospital has helped deliver over 10,000 babies since 1937 and our local practitioners provide excellent care throughout pregnancy, during birth, and into childhood.

Danielle Baca and daughter Zia Ariyah Baca

(575) 758-8883 www.HolyCrossMedicalCenter.org tradiciones: unsung heroes

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Judy Esquibel

continues from 20

We don’t go by income or anything. If you’re a kid, we give everyone the same level of service. And we get a lot of kids that need to feel special and take home some memories.

L I A M D E B O N I S / TA O S N E W S

supported by the Taos community for the betterment of its youth and all of its citizens. We sure do need more citizens like Judy Esquibel.” Esquibel said her own mother’s example inspired her career path. “My mom, Pauline Mascarenas, was a strong person, and she was a stay-athome parent. She took care of everything. She got a job when we lost my father and became a hard-working employee. We all got it from my mom working hard, always making sure that all of us kids had what we needed because of who she was.” No one is turned away at the Town of Taos Community Events with Esquibel in charge. “We don’t go by income or anything. If you’re a kid, we give everyone the same level of service. And we get a lot of kids that need to

feel special and take home some memories. It’s all about being a kid. You don’t have to be rich or a certain race or religion — everyone is treated the same. “Parents who participated in the event in their youth are now bringing their kids and are happy to relive the memories with them. And they’re so grateful that we have continued for generations, with some changes — some unique twists just to make things better. At Touch-A-Truck last year, we packed 400 goodie bags. We’re doing 500 bags now because the attendance keeps growing. Everyone knows I don’t do public speaking. I do the behind-the-scenes. That’s what I love. And I watch the kids and I like to see if they like their goodie

bag and what we could do better. You never disappoint the kids. Oh, my goodness, we never let that happen.” Esquibel takes notes at every event. She keeps track of allergies, and siblings that might not get along, and even their dreams and aspirations. “One parent came in today and shared that her son wants to be a pilot, so I will get him one-on-one time with one of our volunteer pilots. She met the kids at the event and at the end told everyone, ‘This is the lady that does all the community events for you.’” She is on-the-go year-round. With one event’s success, there is another right around the corner. From Easter egg hunts, to putting Taos youth in planes and trucks,

community day, a Dr Seuss Birthday Party, Valentine’s Day card workshops, Halloween, Christmas, family movies and more. Her partner Henry Sanchez is always there to lend a hand, flipping burgers and helping his dynamo wife anyway he can. Her own daughters, Sabrina and Angelica Sanchez “have always supported me and been a part of my journey as Town of Taos Community Events Coordinator. And we wouldn’t be able to do what we do without my team of volunteers.” Esquibel does not rest on her laurels. She is passionate about making memories behind the scenes for children and their families. Memories of a childhood in Taos treasured for generations. A true Unsung Hero. 🙒

L I A M D E B O N I S / TA O S N E W S

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Collier &Tilley M I K E

R O B I N

L I A M D E B O N I S / TA O S N E W S

AT THE HEART OF TAOS PUBLIC RADIO By Idone Rhodes

R O B I N C O L L I E R and Mike Tilley have been at the helm of Taos-based public radio station Cultural Energy — now KCEI 90.1 FM — since its inception in 2003, though their ties to community radio go back even farther. Beginning in 1996, Tilley hosted a show at the now-closed town hot spot Caffe Tazza, where he would interview town personalities about what they were up to. He wanted the show to be wide-ranging, and he was equally eager to bring politicians or artists onto the airwaves. The show was broadcast on KRZA, an Alamosa,

Colorado-based station. “I discovered that he was recording on a mini disc … and he was actually editing the segment on the mini disc without a computer and then mailing them to Alamosa,” Collier said. They couldn’t pin down exactly where they first met — at a protest or the grocery store, or maybe a protest at the grocery store. Around 2001, Collier “got [Tilley] set up on a computer … and showed him how to be able to send [segments] over the internet to KRZA.” Collier grew up listening to KPFA in

California’s Bay Area and understood the power of public radio. He also has longtime connections to Taos; his grandfather first came to town in 1920 under the invitation of Mabel Dodge Luhan, who he had met in New York City’s progressive scene. “I knew the potential for public radio was huge,” Collier said. In 2003, Collier and Tilley formed the nonprofit Cultural Energy. After playing segments on a variety of radio stations, they began broadcasting from San Antonio Mountain on 90.1 FM in 2016. continues on 24

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Robin Collier & Mike Tilley

TAOS DEMOCRATS

continued from 23

Congratulate CITIZEN OF THE YEAR

ALL THE UNSUNG HEROES L I A M D E B O N I S / TA O S N E W S

C O L L I E R is Cultural Energy’s president, and Tilley was the program director and volunteer coordinator until 2010. He also hosted the interview show Taos Currents for many years and continues to work with the station in a volunteer capacity. Since the start of Cultural Energy, Tilley and Collier have always prioritized bringing on community voices — to discuss anything from pressing local issues to sprawling Taos histories. “One of the things that we’ve tried to do with our own local coverage is let people speak for themselves,” Collier explained. “To me, radio is like the fine art of conversation,” Tilley said. When people gather in the studio to record, the setting allows people to play off one another’s body language and eye contact; it creates the “intimacy of a discussion,” he explained. “What’s so amazing about radio is you can have four people in the studio, and they don’t have to have any special skills; they just tell them what they’re thinking,” Collier said. Over the years, the two have built connections with people in every pocket of life across Northern New Mexico. “We have recorded and interviewed so many important people in Taos,” Collier said. The duo can be found all over town recording community and historical society meetings or at their studio interviewing locals both for broadcast on KCEI or to post on their website. Cultural Energy’s website is essen-

tially an audio archive of the town’s life for the last 20 years, and Collier says they have more than 4,000 segments posted. “A lot of times we don’t even broadcast things, but we know … we captured that part of history — of all these Taos characters,” Collier said. “I think they truly are voices of the community, and they bring in other voices, and that’s what’s important for local programming,” said Unsung Heroes nominator Steve Wiard, a retired pastor from El Pueblito Methodist Church. “If there’s something I want to speak about or talk about, I just call them up and come in, and we’ll do an interview.” Cultural Energy’s current broadcast from San Antonio Mountain has a potential audience of 65,000 people, but a weak signal leads to spotty coverage. They are also many years into the difficult process of establishing a stronger broadcast from Picuris Peak, which will significantly expand the station’s range to half a million potential listeners. For some listeners, Cultural Energy is their primary newsource, and Collier and Tilley take that responsibility seriously. “Many of our listeners … are not on the internet,” Tilley said. “We are the lifeline to them.” Above all, Tilley and Collier remain passionately committed to sharing authentic stories about Taos and its people. “Our mission is to tell the living history,” Tilley said. 🙒

TAOS COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY PAID POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT. PAID FOR BY TAOS COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY, LAURIE MITCHELL DUNN, TREASURER.

e c i v r e S r u o Y Thank You For unity! to Our Comm 575.776.3333 sabrosotaos.com Located on Ski Valley Road 470 State Highway 150 in Arroyo Seco

Taos Enchanted Village would like to recognize and congratulate the Unsung Heroes of Taos.

Thank you for your contributions to our beloved community.

414 Camino de la Placita, #24, Taos 575-758-8248 taosenchantedvillage.com 575-322-2858 L I A M D E B O N I S / TA O S N E W S

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taos news

I L O N A

OCT. 5, 2023

S P R U C E PAGE 30

tradiciones special edition

honorar a nuestros hÉroes

Parraz E R I C A

L I A M D E B O N I S / TA O S N E W S

EMERGENCY CARE WITH COMPASSION By Idone Rhodes

“II ’ V E A LW AY S G O N E B Y the motto, ‘It’s not my emergency; it’s someone else’s,’” said Erica Parraz, who served as an EMT and paramedic for Taos County for 26 years before retiring this past June. Parraz, a long-time Taoseña, started working as an EMT in 1997. Two years later, her father died in front of her due to heart complications. “I think that experience could have been detrimental to my career in a lot of ways

because I thought about quitting a lot,” she said. Her coworkers — essentially her second family — convinced her to stay. “That’s when I decided that it was important that I went to school and learned everything that I could — because that was a missed opportunity for me,” Parraz said. “Now I know it was nothing I could have changed, but you ‘what if’ it … so that was the struggle for me for a long time.”

Commuting between Taos and her school in Colorado, Parraz spent about a year-and-a-half training as a paramedic. In the aftermath of her father’s death, simultaneously taking care of her family and pursuing the next stage of her career was “rough,” she said. “The sacrifice was worth it because it was my career, and it was my livelihood,” she said. “But also, it was something that helped the greater good of the community.” continues on 28

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Proud to be Serving the Taos Community

Paul Sands, Financial Advisor 1029 Paseo del Pueblo Norte, Ste. 4A El Prado, NM 87529 575-737-5772

MEMBER SIPC

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR

UNSUNG HEROES TAOSFEEDSTAOS.ORG

Thank you to Ilona Spruce for all that she d o e s f o r Ta o s C o u n t y a n d Ta o s P u e b l o . Thank you for supporting the Millicent Rogers Museum in partnering with communities in the Southwest to share their stories, arts and cultures. TAOSFEEDSTAOS.ORG w w w . m i l l i c e n t r o g e r s . o r g

Congratulations to Erica Parraz, Unsung Hero!

TAOSFEEDSTAOS.ORG

Thank you for your years of service to Taos County. Your hard work and dedication created a lasting, positive influence on our community that will continue to be felt for years to come. tradiciones: unsung heroes

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Erica Parraz

continued from 26

P A R R A Z P R I O R I T I Z E D her patients above herself, giving them all the respect and care she had to offer. “If I can be there, whether I can help them physically to save their lives or hold their hand or whatever, I wanted to make sure that when they got to the hospital or to wherever they were going, I got them there better than I found them.” Ernestina Cordova, who nominated Parraz for the Unsung Heroes award, said “Erica’s skills to be able to critically think through an initial assessment to provide the proper care or access the appropriate resources while caring and stabilizing a patient in distress due to unexpected circumstances or crisis are amazing.” Parraz leaned on her EMS coworkers for support. “It was a family … and we took care of each other,” she said. The job also brought Parraz and her husband Travis Skinner, a major in the state police force, together. During an icy winter, Parraz responded to a call for a car crash. “I opened the door to step out of the ambulance, and I slipped and fell on my back,” she said. “He came, and helped me up, and the rest is history.” They’ve been together for 20 years. Understanding the challenges of EMS work without experiencing it for yourself is nearly impossible, Parraz said. “You can’t just ask somebody, ‘how was your day?’ because what we do and what we see — nobody needs to know that or hear it. The good thing about having Travis was that he saw the same things I did.”

Parraz’s desire to help the community extends beyond her life-saving role. With the help of her friend Kat Duran, Parraz created an internship program that allowed high school students to learn about EMS work by riding along in ambulances. “I figured that if I could be a mentor to them and get them in a good place in their lives, at least they’d have somebody to look at if they needed something and not be afraid.” Parraz keeps in touch with many of her mentees; several went on to careers in EMS. “Having the trade and a way to support themselves and to survive in the world is what I had hoped to provide them,” she said. Now that she’s “retired from that environment,” her work with the community is still not done. She hopes to continue doing outreach work — reading at the public library, bringing ambulances to schools so kids are less afraid of them, showing young women that having a career in EMS is a possibility for them. Parraz spent the last quartercentury working under high levels of stress and sacrificing time with her family. As she embraces retirement, unlearning work habits (eating quickly, not sleeping enough) is taking time. “I’ve had to consciously tell myself, ‘Just calm down, relax. You’re not in any hurry. You have nothing to do right now.’” As Parraz embarks on this next chapter, she’s keeping busy with jewelry and art classes at UNM, gardening and taking care of her horses and donkeys and, of course, enjoying much-deserved time with her family. 🙒

L I A M D E B O N I S / TA O S N E W S

If I can be there, whether I can help them physically to save their lives or hold their hand or whatever, I wanted to make sure that when they got to the hospital or to wherever they were going, I got them there better than I found them.

L I A M D E B O N I S / TA O S N E W S

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THANK YOU

Thank you to all of the

Unsung Heroes of Taos A special thank you to my friend Erica Parraz for 26 years of service as an EMT paramedic. Your work has made Taos a better place.

TO OUR LOCAL HEROES

I hope to carry the torch of community service forward, as she did.

H Elect Billy Romero for Town Council H

YOU ARE THE HEARTBEAT OF OUR COMMUNITY

Paid Political Advertisement. Paid for by Billy Romero.

CONGRATULATIONS

ERICA PARRAZ!

Erica Parraz is a true Hero. Every day is a new opportunity for her to help someone. Erica plays a large role in the community encouraging youth to reach for the stars. She demonstrates that nothing is impossible to achieve if you only try. Thank you for always supporting the NMSU Taos County Cooperative Extension Service 4-H Program. Congratulations to all the Unsung Heroes and Citizen of the Year! BE BOLD. Shape the Future.

College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences Cooperative Extension Service Taos County Extension Office

BE BOLD. Shape the Future.

College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences Cooperative Extension Service Taos County Extension Office

GOLDEN WILLOW RETREAT congratulates each Hero for contributing to our community.

“When the foundation of your reality is shattered, there is loss. You must then move through the emotional healing of that reality, and with grace and acceptance, proceed into your new life.” – DR . TE D WIAR D

goldenwillowretreat.org

575.776.2024

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Ilona S P Taos Pueblo has one of the largest feast days, along with Santo Domingo [Pueblo]. We estimate that we see between 8,000-10,000 people within a matter of hours. T

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RUCE

TAOS PUEBLO’S AMBASSADOR TO THE WORLD By JuanIsidro Concha

U N S U N G H E R O E S nominee Ilona Spruce was interviewed in her family,s traditional home at Taos Pueblo. The thick adobe walls stand steadfastly against the elements of the season and their resilience is a testimony to the passion Spruce exudes as the tribe’s tourism director. “I don,t think that I come with this caliber to be put in this position,” Spruce said. Both humbled and honored, she admitted she didn’t feel she possessed the longevity of being a source of influence within the community — though Spruce has served the Taos Pueblo Tourism Department for more than 15 years. She started with the tourism department the same year she became a mother. In fact, it was within a week of returning home from the University of Kansas that former Governor Ruben Romero requested an audience with Spruce. It was during this meeting that the late governor asked Spruce to join the tourism department. Being tourism director requires Spruce to wear a host of different hats. Somedays when her team has obligations that keep them from work, one can find Spruce donning a brightly colored vest and directing traffic for incoming visitors, or every now and then, giving a tour herself to foreign dignitaries and visiting politicos. It can,t be said that Ilona Spruce doesn’t get her hands dirty working the frontlines for Taos Pueblo. One major accomplishment of Spruce’s is the San Geronimo Day Celebration that happens every year on Sept. 30. It,s a major accomplishment every year because of the sheer capacity of people who join in the celebration and the many roles those individuals play, whether they be spectators or participants. Each year, you’ll be lucky to catch a glimpse of Ms. Spruce. One can usually find her zipping back and forth around the Pueblo in one of the tribe,s UTVs. “Taos Pueblo has one of the largest feast days, along with Santo Domingo [Pueblo]. We estimate that we see between 8,000-10,000 people within a matter of hours,” said Spruce. While the rest of us feast ourselves upon the traditional red chiles, the mountains of oven bread and stacks of prune pies — not to mention gorging our eyes upon all the delicate crafts from artists near and far, and the theatrics of the ceremonial clowns — Spruce is busy ensuring the privacy of tribal members — particularly the participants — doublechecking health standards are upheld by food vendors and, of course, the safety and security of all in attendance. Ilona Spruce is the glue that holds this celebration’s place in time immemorial. A woman like Ilona Spruce cannot be contained in just one box. This means her journey as leader of her people isn,t going to stop with tourism. The people of Taos Pueblo look forward with eyes of admiration and hope toward the future for Ms. Ilona Spruce. 🙒

L I A M D E B O N I S / TA O S N E W S

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C H E R I

L I A M D E B O N I S / TA O S N E W S

FINDING A COMMON CAUSE FOR ALL By Liam Easley

C H E R I LYO N first came to Taos in 2018 to take over the pastorship of El Pueblito Methodist church in El Prado before retiring on June 30. During her short time in that role, Lyon has both inspired and assisted community members otherwise forgotten. Lyon was offered the opportunity to pastor the congregation at El Pueblito in 2018, a calling she answered with vigor. Coming from a congregation

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in Albuquerque, she transferred her approach from an urban setting to one much more rural. At the church, she led a variety of programs, including Shared Table, a food pantry held twice each month at the Talpa Community Center and El Pueblito, respectively. When she started at Shared Table, Lyon observed a majority of its participants coming from communities west of the Rio Grande, such as

Carson, Two Peaks and Tres Piedras. “We’ve tried to make the food pantry for connecting with other people that might be hard to connect with,” Lyon said. “A significant number of the people who come to Shared Table live off-grid. Some of those households — for any number of reasons — choose to not actively engage in governmentsponsored initiatives, so working through a place that’s trusted gave access to them.” continues on 34

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Thank You ing up with prayer and EL PUEBLITO UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Pastor

Cheri Lyon!

ouragement for 60 years

Service. COURTESY PHOTO

Pastor Cheri Lyon working the Food Distribution line. COURTESY PHOTO

In 5 years as director of the Shared Table, you not only saw this essential food distribution program through a time of great need, but streamlined and strengthened it.

During the pandemic shut down, more people needed food in Taos County. Luckily, the generous Taos community also responded with increased donations to the Shared Table. Under Cheri’s leadership, the Shared Table moved to a drive-through distribution, and met the demand. In addition, Cheri streamlined Shared Table’s financial operating, and broadened community participation in its leadership. Cheri, you steered the Shared Table through a difficult time, and left a strong program in place to be part of our community safety net for years to come. We, the congregation of El Pueblito, and the leadership and volunteers of the Shared Table, offer you our blessings on your well-earned retirement.

ESY PHOTO

als

n er. d ed e-

e ch d’s

1309 Paseo del Pueblo Norte • 575-758-3166 elpueblitoumc.org

Looking forward to when we can hold hands again. COURTESY PHOTO

Worship Sundays at 11:00 am VID-19 test results and receiving care.

tion. The church serves an essential role to feed those who were hungry in the community by serving a hot lunch. The Shared in this time of challenge and uncertainty. El Pueblito provides sustenance for body Table soon transitioned to providing food and personal hygiene items on the second and soul. Church worship services have and fourth Wednesday of each month. moved online because of the coronavirus pandemic. You can view El Pueblito’s SunNow, during the pandemic, Shared Table has moved to drive-up distributions. day devotions by going to the El Pueblito Shared Table depends on the incredible UMC website (elpueblitoumc.org). El Pueblito United Methodist Church is volunteers who make the food distributions possible, the generous donors who a progressive Christian church, meaning contribute money and food and the that the church follows the teachings of Shared Table Jesus to love God leadership team, and our neighbor in real and which provides “I thank God and Shared Table, oversight and meaningful ways. otherwise I wouldn’t make it.” direction. In the Along with mem– Martha past two years, bers of many the church faith communities, El Pueblito began a home members practice the spiritual disciplines delivery of food to vulnerable adults by of service, prayer, worship, study, self-care, coordinating with local home health care agencies with the support of Kit Carson caring for creation and cultivating and Electric Co-Op, which provides trucks and maintaining a sense of humor and humilpersonnel for some of the deliveries. Fresh ity. El Pueblito was pleased to partner produce is available thanks to the generwith other local faith communities and ous donations of local farmers, Not Forgotthe Taos Men’s Shelter in hosting the first ten Outreach and the33 Taos Land Trust. annual t r a d i homeless c i o n e s : memorial u n s u n g service h e r o in es During the coronavirus pandemic, December 2018. At the heart of El Pueblito’s ministry is Shared Table has worked with the Com-

In times of crisis, the role of the church is to continue to lead, serve the vulnerable and to hold up hope. Pastor Lyon, who directs the Shared Table program, reported that Shared Table has experienced a threefold increase in food purchase costs during the pandemic, but so far the donations have increased to keep pace. Thank you Taos County for sharing the love through Shared Table! You can donate to Shared Table by visiting the church’s website at elpueblitoumc. org/donate or by mailing a check to P.O. Box 1302 El Prado, NM 87529. If you have any questions about the work of Shared Table or the church during this time, call (575) 758-3166.

Shared Table distributions 2nd and 4th Wednesdays

Shared Table Distribution Days Second and fourth Wednesday of each month

11 a.m.-noon El Pueblito United Methodist Church, 1309 Paseo delnPueblo tao s e w s Norte, / o cElt Prado . 5, 2023

2- 3 p.m.

Cheri Lyon

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W H E N C O V I D S T R U C K , the food pantry changed drastically — not only did they have to switch to a drive-thru model, but more and more families were attending the event. To this day, the amount of people fed through Shared Table has doubled since before the pandemic. While the drive-thru made the pantry easier to manage, they began doing deliveries to mitigate the backed-up pantry line. During the pandemic, Lyon was appointed to the Taos County COVID task force, where she represented the local food pantries and dealt with emergency food availability. “There are food banks in Carson and limited support out that way, but really a number of folks survived — especially through COVID — on the support that the Shared Table was offering, and as the prime mover of that, she’s probably helped thousands of people,” David Elliot, who nominated Lyon for the Unsung Heroes award, said. Elliot described the pantry as a “lifeline” for those utilizing it, especially those living off-grid. Focusing on people who are hard to connect with, those who are victims of society’s subconscious marginalization, has been a key aspect of Lyon’s pastorship in Taos. During her time at El Pueblito, she oversaw the organization of the Enchanted Circle Interfaith Gathering, a collection of faith-based leaders from the Hindu, Buddhist, Protestant, Roman Catholic and Jewish communities around Taos. Together, they organized the Longest Night service, which focuses on bringing awareness to those without shelter who have passed away. The event also involves grief counseling and recognizing loss in a healthy way. “The challenge, I think, is when someone’s so clearly able to do something, people don’t necessarily see it as affecting,” Elliot said. “She almost seems like, in a peaceful way, almost

New Mexico Environmental Law Center

bulletproof to tragedy. Not that she’s not affected by it, but that she’s so able to be a person who’s steadfast with people while they’re experiencing it.” The Interfaith Gathering, like much of what Lyon did, was an ecumenical effort. Ecumenism is the promotion of unity among faith-based organizations. It’s realizing that different belief systems can be catalysts for community and morality, each one having a different approach toward a similar goal. Lyon’s favorite part of pastoring has been recognizing that approach. “It’s somebody standing up and saying, ‘There are consequences to the people who live in that way, and it is a tragedy when we lose someone in our community, even if we didn’t know about them or necessarily see them as accurately,’” Elliot said. “She’s someone who says that everybody in our community matters.” An ecumenical event, the message of the Longest Night was based in religious philosophy, which is deeply rooted in community and its social byproducts. No matter the creed, the message is universal: Community matters, and a community includes all those who live within its physical boundaries. “We are all important, and everybody brings something important to the table to contribute to creating a healthier, safer, more loving community,” Lyon said. “We’re just so much more effective if we work together. If we honor each other’s traditions, and we learn from each other, we don’t all share the same beliefs, but we do all value the people and the creation of community in Northern New Mexico.” Among her many initiatives, Lyon has also assisted in the creation of flu shot “pods” at El Pueblito that aim to make the vaccine more accessible to those who might not receive it otherwise. In retirement, Lyon plans on continuing what she loves: volunteering, swimming and knitting. At the moment, Lyon volunteers with Youth Healthline, which she enjoys both as a community member and as a former foster parent. She also donates her time helping with Tio Vivo, ensuring that children have a safe ride aboard the carousel. Otherwise, Lyon plans on exploring her new interest in kayaking. “I think Cheri Lyon is the type of person folks would have been thinking of when the award was invented,” Elliot said. “For a number of years, she was always in the conversation of how we help folks who perhaps other people are not thinking about or specifically looking to support.” 🙒

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To Our Heroes St. James Episcopal Church would like to congratulate all of the unsung heroes, especially recognizing our partnership with Cheri Lyon over the years.

Thanks for making Taos a better place.

St. James Episcopal Church 208 Camino de Santiago • 575-758-2790 L I A M D E B O N I S / TA O S N E W S

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www.stjamestaos.com tao s n e w s / o c t. 5 , 2 0 2 3

“Silently, one by one, in the infinite meadows of heaven, Blossomed the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots of the angels.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Remembering our Heroes, past and present. Congratulations to the Citizen of the Year and our Unsung Heroes

Where Families Come First 1524 Paseo Del Pueblo Sur • Taos, NM • devargastaos.com • (866) 657-4019

Here’s to the Everyday Heroes. Since 1986, we’ve been honored to serve the heroes of Taos County and employ 90 of our own hard working heroes. Nothing matters more than serving the community and we’re proud to be a part of it.

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taos news

D E L I N D A

OCT. 5, 2023

V A N N E B R I G H T Y N PAGE 42

tradiciones special edition

honorar a nuestros hÉroes

Summer Berries H O L L Y

L I A M D E B O N I S / TA O S N E W S

AT THE INTERSECTION OF VICTIM ADVOCACY AND ANIMAL WELFARE By John Miller L I K E M A N Y O T H E R animal welfare advocates, Holly Summer Berries had been preaching the importance of spaying and neutering for years, but too few people ever seemed to absorb this central principle of responsible pet ownership, which she had learned when she was a little girl growing up on Taos Pueblo. Then, one day in January 2020, Kay Torres, a fellow tribal member and longtime teacher at Taos Pueblo Head Start, was killed by a pack of feral

dogs, and almost overnight, addressing the tribe’s growing stray animal population, as well as that in the wider Taos County community, became a new public imperative. As a lifelong animal lover and the coordinator of numerous animal welfare education events since 2016, Summer Berries seemed primed to respond to that tragic moment to help her community take action in the wake of Torres’ death — and it has. Over the last three years, a commit-

tee including Summer Berries, Taos Pueblo Gov. Gary Lujan, other government officials and representatives from the tribe’s Central Management Systems team enacted a new animal control ordinance at the pueblo, which limited the number of dogs a household could own to two. This summer, Taos Pueblo hired its first dedicated animal control officer, Marie Martinez, who enforces the new regulations and responds if someone suffers from a dog bite.

Taos Pueblo has also partnered with Indian Health Services Environmental Officer Braden Hickey, who helped Summer Berries become a certified lay vaccinator on tribal lands. Since 2022, Taos Pueblo has spayed or neutered and vaccinated 500 animals, an effort Summer Berries is deeply proud to have been a part of. In the future, Summer Berries hopes to form a partnership with Picuris Pueblo to help the neighboring tribe with its own stray animal population. continues on 40

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Congratulations Holly Summer Berries!

Thank you, to these Unsung Heroes, for their dedication and hard work.

On behalf of Buddy and all the DHCS staff, we are super proud of you and all your accomplishments. This recognition of your work is well deserved. It reflects your dedication and your selfless, kind and loving heart. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do for your community.

Taos County is a better place to live and work because of your efforts.

We are proud to recognize you as an Unsung Hero! Taos Pueblo Health and Community Services Staff

The Taos County Chamber of Commerce extends our gratitude for paying it forward to Taos County communities and beyond.

230 Rotten Tree Road Taos, NM 575-758-7824

TA O S C O U N T Y www.taoschamber.com 1508 Paseo Del Pueblo Sur

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE UNSUNG HEROES

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Holly Summer Berries

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TO ENHANCE THESE EFFORTS, EFFORTS Taos Pueblo’s ordinance committee sought support from several nonprofits outside the pueblo’s boundaries, including Helping Paws Across Borders, a nonprofit based in Placitas that provides spay/neuter and vaccination clinics throughout the state and abroad. Summer Berries also established the FurFriend Food Drive, which helped collect pet food for 125 families during the pandemic. After a meeting with other tribes at Isleta Pueblo this past May, she and the pueblo’s warchief staff were able to secure 15 boxes of pet food for the tribe. Summer Berries credited former pueblo social services staff member Christy Olsen with helping to secure an additional 1,500 pounds of food from Bosque Farms to feed nearly-200 more animals. “We are blessed to work with so many caring, wonderful people who provide these services,” Summer Berries said. “Jane Carson of PAWS NM, Rocky Mountain Puppy Rescue, Four Corners Animal League, Taos Feral Feline Friends, Cynthis Lucas, Linda Sanchez, Donna Karr and Stray Hearts.” Summer Berries’ contributions to these efforts are nearly all volunteerbased. For her day job, she works as the coordinator for Taos Pueblo’s Victims of Crime Program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime. In her role, Summer Berries meets with victims of all manner of crime — from burglaries, to robberies, to homicides, to domestic violence. Her job entails finding services that support victims and restore stability to their lives as their cases progress through the courts. She often works with domestic violence victims, and in those situa-

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tions, Summer Berries helps advocate for protection orders, which establish legal protections for a victim from their accused abuser. In the future, Summer Berries hopes Taos Pueblo will be able to establish a resource center and emergency shelter for crime victims, similar to the one offered by Community Against Violence. “A lot of times, victims of domestic violence live in the home of the offender, and so they’re the ones that have to leave the home because it’s in the other person’s name,” she said. “So the victims always have to leave, and they don’t always have a place to go. Post-COVID, there are generations of families living together under one roof. Housing is crazy in Taos County, so they don’t have the means to get housing, so at least if we can help them with transitional housing, then we can help them get on their feet and maybe work to get them into another place to live.” In March, Summer Berries was asked to join the board at Stray Hearts Animal Shelter. To cement her participation, she gave a presentation about the correlation between domestic violence and animal abuse. “I let them know that most offenders or abusers

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will abuse the family animal in order to gain control over a family or an individual for them not to leave,” Summer Berries said. She’s aware that she has joined Stray Hearts during a particularly challenging time for the nonprofit, but she’s staying focused on the fundamentals of animal welfare and hopes she can use her experience as an advocate for vulnerable groups to help steer the organization in the right direction. To that end, she said there’s nothing more crucial to improving animal welfare than providing education to a community. For her, that means first teaching local youth. When she’s not working at Taos Pueblo’s Office for Victims of Crime, for example, Summer Berries sets up a booth at local events to teach kids about the importance of spaying and neutering animals and environmental dangers, like helium balloons. “Educating the youth about these issues is so important because they’re the ones that take it home,” she said. “Like a little kid might then go home and say to their mom, ‘Mom, I can’t have balloons for my birthday.’ The mom might ask why. ‘Because they

could choke the birds that are going home to feed their babies.’ The greatest voices are the youth, so I think educating the youth on spay and neuter, taking home puppies, helium balloons — everything is so important because that’s who parents listen to.” Despite the headway Taos Pueblo has made to control its stray animal population since 2020, Summer Berries knows that work has to be part of an ongoing battle, one that she fights with the quiet dedication, humility and humor her friends and family know her for. “I’m kind of like the female Bob Barker of Taos Pueblo,” Summer Berries joked as she spoke with the Taos News outside Manzanita Market for this article in early September. More than once during the interview, when a dog came trotting along Juan Largo Lane or came over from another table, Summer Berries’ eyes would light up and she’d speak to it sweetly. “For decades, I’ve always seen Holly involved,” said Kathleen Michaels, who nominated Summer Berries to be an Unsung Hero this year. “She was involved when her mom was taking care of animals. So, she just kept going with that passion about being compassionate for our four-legged friends. “I had a chance to go to her office several times because she’s in social services, and I have a foster daughter,” Michaels added. “When we would go there, we’d drive around the building and you’d see where Holly has her bowls of food and water set up in the back for any little pets that might come by. I just think it’s a beautiful thing because somebody has to do it, and she’s done it. But she’s never done it because she wanted any sort of recognition or praise for it. I feel like those little things she does every day are from her heart.” Marcie Trujillo, who lives in Santa Fe and is Summer Berries’ only sibling, said her sister felt a connection to animals from the time they were young. “She’s always been like that since we were little,” Trujillo said. “At one point, I think we had five cats and two dozen litters of kitties, and we’ve always had dogs, so she’s always been in that capacity of wanting to share her love with our four-legged friends.” In receiving this honor, Summer Berries wanted to recognize her many family members, including her two sons, Julian and Allen, her sister, her late-father, Marcelino Trujillo, and her mother, Teresa, whom she credits with instilling in her a deep compassion for all animals. Summer Berries also mentioned her “fur family” — her 10-year-old cat, Gadget, whom she adopted from Stray Hearts, and Gadget’s sister, Saphira, a Shar Pei, “who lives with her father.” She said she lost a cat, Maisy, in July. “I have always been devoted to the Creator’s gift of animals since I was little,” she said. Summer Berries recognizes that Kay Torres’ death was a wake-up call for her community, a tragedy that led to a wave of positive change, but she said Torres should be honored for her own contributions to Taos Pueblo as well. “I know that people focused on animal issues after she died,” Summer Berries said, “but I don’t want to use her death, and I don’t want her to be remembered because of the way she died. She was a great person. She was a teacher. She loved community. She was always happy, despite whatever was going on in her life. She just had this amazing personality, and she was very kind and just approachable. She was a really great person.” 🙒 tao s n e w s / o c t. 5 , 2 0 2 3

• FUJITSU • MITSUBISHI • CARRIER

STAY COOL “The time is always right to do what is right.” THIS SUMMER – Martin Luther King Jr.

COMPLETE A/C SERVICE

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It You

th li

D E L I N D A

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TRAINING SEARCH AND RESCUE K-9 TEAMS By Geoffrey Plant

t,s my passion. know somebody needs help, hat somebody,s ife is at stake, and you go. T

T A O S S E A R C H and Rescue,s Delinda VanneBrightyn,s life has taken several turns since she was a professional actor and dancer, a career she began in her teens, and which led her to move from Taos back to Los Angeles in 1990. In 1992, the car VanneBrightyn was driving was hit by a drunk driver, leaving her with a traumatic brain injury and a diagnosis of epilepsy that took her 16 years to overcome. With persistence and therapy, she recovered from the injuries that had also put her in a wheelchair. But she was forced to find new outlets through which to express her creativity. She became a bead worker and focused on her visual art; she taught fiber arts all over the country. Having moved back to Taos, she sat on the Taos Center for the Arts board of directors, where she brought to life the Quick Draw, which for years was a staple TCA fundraiser. It,s a remarkable journey that led to her serving 3 years as president of the then-newly-opened Stray Hearts Animal Shelter, where she later served as the facility,s animal behaviorist, training volunteers how to read and handle dogs, and how to calm the overall shelter population. Around the same time she helped launch Stray Hearts, she joined Taos Search and Rescue (TSAR), which, like most search and rescue teams, is volunteer-driven. VanneBrightyn was the group,s training officer, has been president of the TSAR board of directors since 2013, and teaches K-9 techniques and certifies teams across the state and beyond. It,s an example of one of her great passions in life — dogs — intersecting with her volunteer work. And it,s a passion that literally follows her wherever she goes: VanneBrightyn rarely leaves the house without her trusted search and rescue dog AkioYodasan, a Suisse berger blanc white shepherd. Her experience with dogs and her skill training them is impossible to overstate. “It just seemed like an amazing fit for me, because two of my favorite things is hiking in the wilderness and dogs,” VanneBrightyn said. Within a year of joining TSAR in 2002, she became the leader of the K-9 Unit, a position she,s held for the last 20 years. She learned from some of the most talented people in the country who work with rescue dogs and trained her first dog, Zatoichi — named after the blind samurai character from Japanese fiction and film who roams the countryside aiding those in need — to recognize air scent. Zatoichi retired after 12 years and VanneBrightyn acquired AkioYodasan, Akio meaning “white” or “bright light” in Japanese, and Yodasan meaning “Mr. Yoda.” She parlayed her skills as a trainer and behaviorist into Dogology, her dog-training nonprofit organization. Dogology has been dormant for the past several years, so she,s been training service dogs.

“When you have a dog, and you don,t know what to do, she,s who you call,” said David Elliot, an incident commander with TSAR. “She is gifted at helping train them and making them work for other people.” In her role as K-9 Unit leader, and as the group,s Base Unit leader, VanneBrightyn has helped rescue countless people lost or stranded in the wilderness. She trains with the K-9 Unit one day each week to stay mission-ready. She has thousands of hours of experience in the field and has deployed on hundreds of missions. “She,s probably the hardest working person that I know, in terms of how she runs a K-9 Unit and as team president,” said former TSAR Training Officer Chris Kodey, who worked closely with VanneBrightyn for about eight years. “She,ll go out not just on regular missions to find individuals, but she,ll go out for anything and everything that requires the dogs,” Kodey said. “Whether that be body recoveries or helping with a homicide investigation, it doesn,t really matter. If there,s a call, Delinda,s going to be there with her dog.” “It,s my passion,” VanneBrightyn said. “You know somebody needs help, that somebody,s life is at stake, and you go.” K-9 handlers like VanneBrightyn don,t train on trails, Kodey noted, “they do what,s called an area search, and that,s going to be mainly off-trail. They,re just trying to pick up a scent of a human being — wherever that may be.” “Essentially, when you,ve run out of options, a dog [and handler] solves the problem,” Elliot said. “People are alive because of her.” VanneBrightyn is roundly praised for reducing macho attitudes that historically have embodied search and rescue teams, for eliminating ego-centric motivations, and mentoring team members — including women — to take on leadership roles themselves. “There are no heroes in search and rescue work,” VanneBrightyn said. “For those who are made for the work of search and rescue and are willing to serve, and to learn and to grow — for them, there,s a place. Our team is very inclusive, and everyone has a place.” After sharing the irony she felt after being told she was one of Tradiciones, Unsung Heroes this year — “I didn,t know whether to laugh or cry,” she said — VanneBrightyn emphasized that one particular person in her life who made her who she is Donna Lonsford, her mother. “In my life, my biggest inspiration is my mom,” VanneBrightyn said. “She,s the cornerstone of everything. She gave me much in terms of her basic love of life and positive attitude. She taught me how to function well in a competitive world. She is really my hero.” 🙒

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L I A M D E B O N I S / TA O S N E W S

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J O N A

Olsson

L I A M D E B O N I S / TA O S N E W S

PROGRESSIVE LEADERSHIP AMONG FIREFIGHTERS By Geoffrey Plant

L AT I R VO LU N T E E R Fire Department Chief Jona Olsson has spent decades in public service as a volunteer firefighter and EMT in Taos County, where she has been instrumental in advancing initiatives that keep first responders safe and fire departments better able to do their jobs. “People would follow her to hell and back,” said David Elliot, who trained under Olsson when he served as chief of the Carson Volunteer Fire Depart-

ment. “She understands that local volunteer firefighters make incredible sacrifices. She gets people.” In addition to her role as chief, Olsson is an instructor with the Enchanted Circle Regional Fire Protection Association and has worked for years on the national level, advocating for firefighter health and safety and to address firefighter mental and behavioral health issues. Her firefighting and firefighter

advocacy work dovetails with the international social justice training consortium she founded in 1986, Cultural Bridges to Justice. It provides anti-oppression and social justice workshops aimed at improving organizations and institutions by confronting and addressing systemic racism, homophobia, transphobia and sexism, for example, and Olsson leads workshops specifically tailored to fire departments. continues on 46

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u o y k n a Th QUESTA & LATIR VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS YOU ARE ALL HEROS!

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL UNSUNG HEROES & THE CITIZEN OF THE YEAR!

Thank you for all you do. We are so lucky to have you in our midst! All Best Wishes, Bette Myerson

JONA OLSSON

is the chief of the Latir Volunteer Fire Department, and was the first woman president of the national Fire Chiefs Association. Olsson retired from her post but recently returned to continue serving her community. Nominator David Elliott said, “She really changed the game in Taos County on firefighter safety.“ Chevron is proud to sponsor this ad

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Jona Olsson |

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W H E N O L S S O N was named Volunteer Fire Chief of the Year in 2012 by the International Association of Fire Chiefs, she was the first woman to receive the honor. She asked the then-president of Pierce Manufacturing, the largest manufacturer of fire trucks in the United States, which sponsors the awards if the company would instead recognize her entire department. “I said ’I don’t need the ring, can you just donate the money to the department?’” Pierce said it couldn’t transmute the Super Bowl-type ring it gave her back into cash. With regard to her recognition as a 2023 Unsung Hero, Olsson said “I guess my hope is: whatever you can do to recognize all the volunteers up here in the north who do just exemplary work.” Olsson and the first responders she has helped train are the volunteers who show up to car crashes, heart attacks, brush and structure fires and innumerable other emergencies, prepared and able to help community members in the throes of trauma. “She’s changed the game on things that keep people safer,” said Elliot, emergency response coordinator for Holy Cross Medical Center, disaster response instructor and a founder of the Enchanted Circle Community Organizations Active in Disaster, which led the local response to COVID-19. For Taos County Fire Chief Michael Cordova, who oversees the 13 volunteer fire departments within the county including Latir, Olsson “always has been and always will be a true advocate — on the national level and local level — for the volunteer firefighter.” “Jona knows the struggles that every volunteer firefighter has, and the sacrifices they make just to do this job for free,” Cordova added. “It’s an inherently dangerous job, and she develops trainings that make us safer in what we do.” Olsson promotes strategies like personnel debriefs after critical incidents. Having a forum in which firefighters can talk about what happened at a scene and share their experiences is an overlooked way to mitigate post-traumatic stress disorder among first responders. “People don’t want to talk about mental health; there’s a stigma,” Olsson said. “You go to a bad call, you just suck it up. And that’s killing people. The intense epidemic of suicide among EMS and fire folk is just terrifying.” To mitigate another major occupational risk firefighters face — cancer — she has worked to normalize firefighter safety measures like the consistent use of self-contained breathing apparatus and washing fire gear and any exposed skin to remove carcinogens after incidents. The stereotypical image people have, first responders included, of a firefighter with blackened helmet, melted visor and soot-covered skin and firefighter gear is “really danger-

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ous,” Olsson said. “It’s part of that manhood thing.” Olsson’s work to break down sexist, homophobic and racist attitudes in firefighting — and in other industries and sectors — isn’t rooted in principle alone. At the heart of her work to increase diversity and change attitudes is a drive to improve firefighter safety and change firefighting culture, which fundamentally improves the performance of departments. Before she and her wife Jane moved to Taos County full time in 1999, Olsson saw firsthand how sexism and institutional masculinity could diminish the effectiveness of public safety organizations when she tried joining a volunteer fire department back east. “It became very clear in about 10 minutes that the guys didn’t believe in sobriety and they didn’t believe in wearing an air pack, because that wasn’t manly,” she said. “And they didn’t believe in women.” Contrary to her experience back east, Olsson “was shocked” at first when she was invited to join the Latir department by two different local contractors who poured the slab for her home, which happens to be

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just up the road from the firehouse where the two men volunteered. The next day, several women, including two Latir volunteer firefighters, stopped by to ask her to join the department. “They didn’t have to ask me three times,” Olsson said. Her department is currently staffed by more women than men, and a higher percentage of volunteer firefighters are women. But

with women making up less than 5 percent of professional firefighters, it is the least diverse of any vocation in the United States, including deep sea fishing. “I say it in my trainings, that there’s an unofficial motto in the fire service: That we’re ’200 years of tradition unimpeded by progress.’ There’s a huge resistance to change, but misinterpreting tradition for harassment doesn’t float with me.” 🙒

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The Pride of Taos County Thank you to this year’s Citizen of the Year and all of the Unsung Heroes for your selfless dedication to our community. Dee Dee Miller

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Rick Romancito/ For the Taos News

2023 Taos Pueblo War Chief John Archuleta

To visit Taos Pueblo is to walk in a sacred place where life continues from the earliest of human existence.

Taos Mountain Casino is proud to honor those who both exemplify the best of the past and who help us weave it into the future. These people are our own links in what continues to be an unbroken circle of tradition at Taos Pueblo.

tradiciones: unsung heroes

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