focus on carlsbad winter 2013

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Favorite Holiday TraditionsThe Art of Cooking at CHS

Feeding Those in Need Fresh from the Farm to You

Name That Nacho, BrianChamber News & More!

Let’s Eat,DRINK & BE MERRY,FOR TOMMOROW WE DIET!

Experience Chapman’sD E l i C i o u s s t E a k s , s E a f o o D & M o r E !

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o p E n f r i D ay, s at u r D ay & s u n D ay • 1 1 a m - 9 p m1 0 6 W E s t B o n B r i g h t • C a r l s B a D , n E W M E x i C o • ( 5 7 5 ) 8 8 5 - 0 2 7 1

C at E r i n g ava i l a B l E M o n D ay - t h u r s D ay

FROM THE EDITORFOCUS ON EDUCATIONCULINARY ARTS SERVING UP SUCCESSFOCUS ON A CARLSBAD CHARACTERBAR-B-QUE IN HIS BLOOD

PHOTOS IN FOCUSFOCUS ON THE GARDENPERSPECTIVES ON THE FARMERS’ MARKETFOCUS ON HELPING OTHERSIT’S ALL ABOUT FAMILYFOCUS ON FRESHNESSFRESH FROM THE FARMFOCUS ON MEMORIESTRADITIONS OF THE SEASONFOCUS ON FOOD TRUCKSPUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE COURSEFOCUS ON MAINSTREETNEW DIRECTOR APPRECIATES ENTHUSIASMFOCUS ON FAMILYFEEDING A FAMILY WITH 11 KIDSFOCUS ON THE MENUMENU MAVERICKSFOCUS ON NUTRITIONEATING HEALTHYFOCUS ON MEAT MARKETSMEET THE MEAT MARKETSFOCUS ON HOME BREWINGHOME BREWING GROWING IN POPULARITYFOCUS ON COOKWARETHE PAMPERED CHEFFOCUS ON THE CHAMBERBUSINESS DIRECTORY

F O C U S O N C A R L S B A D I S P U B L I S H E D Q U A R T E R L Y B Y A D V E N T U R E M A R K E T I N GAd Venture Marketing, Ltd. Co. • 866.207.0821 • ad-venturemarketing.comAll rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without permission of the publisher is prohibited.

Every effort was made to ensure accuracy of the information provided.The publisher assumes no responsibility or liability for errors, changes or omissions.

Kyle Marksteiner, Editorial Director - Lilly Anaya, AdvertisingPhotography by Kyle Marksteiner - along with submitted photos

Special Contributors: Staci Guy, Margaret Barry, Sharon McIntire, Donna Birchell,Amanda Melvin, Brand Eye Photography & The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce

W I N T E R 2 0 1 3

A B O U T T H E C O V E R Jeremy Florez, President of Carlsbad High Schools Culinary Arts

Professionals Class. Photo by Jennifer Coats Photography.

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Annual EventsMain Event Car Show & Cruise

Last Weekend in March

Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball2nd Weekend in June

Smokin’ On the Pecos BBQ ChampionshipLast Weekend in June

Fourth of July CelebrationClays Crusher Fun Shoot

Last Weekend in September

Balloons & BluegrassFirst Weekend in November

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3W I N T E R 2 0 1 3 | A C O M M U N I T Y M A G A Z I N E

WELCOME TO THE WINTER 2013 EDITION OF FOCUS ON CARLSBAD!Our theme this go-around is food, which certainly seems like an appropriate topic for a magazine heralding in the holidays. Food has played a vital role in our holiday traditions ever since Mary sent Joseph to the market to see if he could trade that frankincense and myrrh in for some pancakes and orange juice. Actually, since well before that.

Some people are a little more militant about honoring food traditions than others. For example, they believe it’s not Christmas if you don’t have a ham. My family is a little bit more relaxed about food traditions. Two years ago, for example, my mother made chili for Christmas. But, interestingly enough, the dish holding the chili exploded, and we wound up having to clean it up and eat ham. Exploding chili has since failed to catch on as a holiday tradition.

Focus writer Donna Birchell did a great job interviewing local residents about

their holiday food traditions. Staci Guy featured our high school’s culinary arts program, while Sharon McIntire chronicled local charity efforts at feeding the needy. We’ve got columns from master gardener Margaret Barry and our new MainStreet director, Amanda Melvin. Oh, and I wrote a bunch of stuff about food as well.

But, before we move on, I’d like to also remind you that we’re approaching the end of the year. While I love writing for the magazine, it isn’t always a good venue for follow-ups. Each edition is a new theme with new topics, so I don’t always get a chance to tell you what is going on in the lives of the previous folks we’ve interviewed. So, I’d like to devote a little bit of space here to help keep you up-to-date on previous stories.

Ralph McGary: We recently wrote an article featuring Ralph McGary, who was severely injured in an oilfield accident several years ago but has since returned to work. I’m pleased to say that United States Senator Tom Udall

was also inspired by Ralph’s story and spoke about his story on the Senate

floor. Way to go, Ralph!

Low Riders: A couple of editions ago, I interviewed Neto Toscano and several other members of a Low Rider club. Neto tells me he’s done a lot of work on his cars and that the club has been recruiting new members and is looking forward to a major Low Rider event in November.

Roller Babes: The 575 Roller Babes had their last bout of the season on August 24. They are currently in the off season, but the group is still practicing at a skating rink in Hobbs twice a week. The organization is looking for new members and is always on the lookout for sponsors. The Roller Babes currently

only have one member from Carlsbad – several other members had to move on due to other obligations.

John Hernandez: John Hernandez was my fishing expert a few editions ago. John has been super busy lately running a welding company, organizing a fall Farmers’ Market on the library lawn, and leading a local walk or ride to school day effort. The fall Farmers’ Market ran through October from 9 a.m. to noon, with vendors selling tomatoes, squash, green beans, chile, eggs and cucumbers.

Carlsbad Veterans Memorial Park/Carlsbad Army Air Field: My favorite edition of Focus ever featured a review of monuments to veterans around town. According to historian Bobby Lee Silliman, Pam and Cameo Jones - two women who signed a sidewalk on what used to be part of the CAAF base - travelled to Carlsbad in October to check out the site of the old Thayer apartment, which was managed by their father from 1948 to 1955. The sidewalk they signed is eventually going to be part of the display at the Carlsbad airport.

The CAAF Norden Bombsight storage vault was successfully relocated to the Carlsbad Veterans Memorial Park. Park committee member Joe Epstein is designing a sign that will give a brief outline of what role this structure played during WWII. The vault may be opened briefly during this year’s Veteran’s Day celebration. Silliman is also compiling the names of some of the veterans who signed the inside of the vault.

Chapman’s is open! Congratulations to Martha and Robin Chapman for opening their new restaurant! Hope your business goes well, and stay away from exploding chili.

ABOUT THE EDITORKyle Marksteiner is Editorial Director of Focus on Carlsbad. He can be reached at [email protected].

F O C U S from the editor

KYLE MARKSTEINEREditorial DirectorFOCUS ON CARLSBAD

F O C U S N M . C O M

and Other FavoriteHoliday Traditions!

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F O C U S on education

THE CULINARY ARTS CLASS AT CARLSBAD HIGH SCHOOLTop Row: Maria Romero, Annie Wagner, Chris Howard, Omar Bustillos, Jeremy Flores. Middle Row: Shelby Ridgway, Lauren Hooper and Alissa Rodriguez. Bottom Row: Korbin Pinson, Angela Haworth, Desarey Hernandez, Kaitlyn Toombs and Alex Lee Moreno. Photo by Jennifer Coats Photography.


THE CULINARY ARTS PROGRAM AT CARLSBAD HIGH SCHOOL boasts hundreds of students and has yielded some impressive post-secondary school careers – think Walt Disney World and the United States Navy!

What started out as basic home economics has transformed into a growing, wildly popular class focusing strictly on food and all things related. Aspects of the program include food preparation, food safety, cooking and presentation, as well as offering catering and a chance to participate in competitions.

“Most kids get started in culinary arts because they get food!” quipped Tamara Faulk, culinary arts instructor. “It’s an elective and they know they will get to eat, so we have more than 400 students enroll in the intro class.”

Yep, you heard right – there are more than 400 students, which translates to seven separate classes of introductory culinary arts students at Carlsbad High School. That’s a far cry from the “home ec” days of old where sewing aprons and baking cookies culminated the year’s worth of classroom time.

IN THE BEGINNINGWhen Faulk was hired as the Home Economics teacher at CHS, the principal

at the time told her he eventually wanted to take the program in a new direction – culinary arts. “He asked me to research different programs and see what I could find out, so that’s what I did,” she said.

After finding a suitable curriculum – Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) – Faulk set out to receive the proper training and certifications. In addition to FCCLA, the CHS culinary arts program also incorporates the ProStar curriculum offered by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. “They actually write our textbooks and host the training for our instructors,” Faulk noted. “They have three levels and I have completed all three levels. I had to travel to Flagstaff, Arizona and Wyoming to complete them.”

With a curriculum in place, another equally important piece of the puzzle had to be considered – funding. Culinary arts is an expensive program, and the school district knew

they couldn’t come up with the resources on their own. Insert the New Mexico legislative session. “They were really in favor of us starting a culinary arts program, so they appropriated $80,000 for equipment,” Faulk said. “We took the home economics room and modified it for this program. It cost a lot of money to add on and to create a professional grade kitchen.”

She is quick to add, “The community has been very supportive of this program as well, and they have donated so much to and for our kids. Their donations are what enable us to go to competitions.”

IRON CHEFS IN THE MAKING!As students progress through the program, the requirements become more strenuous, and those 400 plus students whittle down to a couple of dozen. Eventually, those who stay in the program long enough are able to participate in competitions. Just think

SERVING UP SUCCESSby Staci Guy


of them as young Iron Chefs in the making!

Although not all students enjoy competing, senior Jeremy Flores not only likes it, but he excels at it! In the spring, he and two of his classmates won the state competition and went on to compete at the national level in Tennessee over the summer, where they took home an impressive third place medal.

Flores explains the competition process. “Everyone is given the same menu (well before competition time) with three options; you can pick one. After you make your selection, you practice and practice. When you get there, you have 20 minutes to select your ingredients and one hour to prepare your meal and cook it and put it on the judge’s table. You have to make two identical plates for judging. They judge you based on how it tastes, your presentation and on safety and sanitation. Judges combine all the

points and then award a winner.”

The students’ award winning menu at the state competition included chicken Alfredo, blanched asparagus, a side salad and Texas toast. How’s that for tantalizing the taste buds!

Though exciting and rewarding, the competitions get very expensive, very quickly, Faulk explained. Each competition costs the program approximately $7,000. “We have been so blessed by our community,” she said. “They are always willing to help us out when we need funds. Pretty much all of our competition money comes from their donations.”

WHAT TO EXPECTThe culinary arts program at CHS includes three different levels: Introduction to Culinary Arts, Culinary Arts III (an intermediate class of sorts) and the Culinary Arts Professionals class.

In the introductory classes, Faulk said students learn the basics of the culinary arts and have more limited time in the kitchen. The course only lasts a semester and students are then free to take another elective for the other half of the school year. This course sees the most student enrollment.

In Culinary Arts III, sophomores and juniors delve a little deeper into the world of food and spend an entire year in the program. “It takes a little bit more of a commitment because it lasts the entire year,” Faulk said.

The final course in the program is designed for those students interested in pursuing culinary arts as a profession after high school. It requires a two-hour time block and consists mostly of juniors and seniors. Students are graded on bookwork

“It’s so neat to see all the different areas our students have gone on to and the doors that have been opened to them because of this program!”

F O C U S N M . C O M8 F O C U S O N C A R L S B A D | W I N T E R 2 0 1 3

PHOTOS ABOVE: Students in Tamara Faulk’s Culinary Arts Professionals class prepared three separate meals in early October for classmate Kaitlyn Toomb’s family. Toomb’s father was diagnosed with cancer and has been traveling to and from Lubbock, Texas, for treatment. “It made me feel blessed that my classmates would want to do this for me and my family,” she shared. “It meant a lot to my family too. My mom started crying when I told her.” PHOTO BELOW: Tamara Faulk, Instructor for Carlsbad High School’s Culinary Arts Class. Photos by Jennifer Coats Photography.

and daily assignments, and they are in the lab, or kitchen, two to three days per week. For these students, approximately 50 percent of their grade is based upon presentation.

“Those kids are the ones who are more serious about the food industry and do the caterings and attend competitions,” Faulk added.

In addition to donations, the upper level students offer catering services to the public to help raise money for supplies. A typical year consists of 10 to 15 catering events, Faulk noted. “They are a good money-maker, but they are very stressful,” she said. “We don’t want anything to go wrong, and it puts a lot of pressure on the kids.”

“We cater a lot of events for the Chamber and several other places,” she added. “They understand how we have to operate and how important they are for us, and we really appreciate them.”

Although they had high hopes for the program in its infancy, Faulk said she never could have imagined the amount of success they have seen thus far. “It’s

been bigger and more successful than we had ever imagined,” she beamed. “It’s so neat to see all the different areas our students have gone on to and the doors that have been opened to them because of this program!”

“We are really blessed with our program,” she added. “Our school board, our superintendent, and the community all stand behind us and donate money or whatever we need. We’re very grateful!”


F O C U S on a carlsbad character

The head pastor of one of Carlsbad’s largest churches has a framed case with an

onion ring package and a corn dog box inside, and you just know there is a story there.

Pastor Randy Land is the spiritual leader for the hundreds of members of Carlsbad’s First Baptist Church, but he’s also a talented chef – thanks to growing up in the footsteps of his father, Zebbie Land. Zebbie’s corn dog mix and onion ring mix were just two of his award-winning recipes during an incredible career as a cook,

caterer, inventor, worship leader and insurance salesman across the Texas Panhandle.

Zebbie graduated from high school in 1943. His mother had died when he was young, and his father had left the family, so Zebbie and two sisters lived on the family farm by themselves. He was exempt from being drafted into World War II,

PHOTO RIGHT: Zebbie and Ruth Land.PHOTO BELOW: Sitting in his office at Carlsbad’s First Baptist Church, Pastor Randy Land shows two of his father’s award-winning creations.

Bar B Quein His Blood


but he ultimately decided to enlist.

“He had two brothers in the military, and they told him, ‘If you ever get a chance, volunteer as a cook. You’ll get home alive,’” Randy Land recalled.

Zebbie wound up cooking at a recovery unit in the Philippines. His cooking was so popular, Randy said, that officers kept trying to recruit him to cook for them, but Zebbie asked to stay with the soldiers.

After the war, Zebbie returned to the Panhandle and began working in the oilfield, but he soon missed cooking.

“My dad went to a barbecue once, and the meat had no flavor,” Randy said. “He said, ‘I can do better than that.’”

So he did. Zebbie began constructing several different smoking pits, well before smoking pits were in style, and he opened Zebbie’s Bar-B-Que. He’d eventually open restaurants in Pampa,

Perryton, Dumas, Shamrock, Amarillo and Memphis, Texas. Even after the restaurant chain closed, Zebbie continued to cater for many years, Land said. In fact, many of Land’s favorite memories of his dad involved having to prepare meals for thousands.

“We catered at a lot of feed lots in the Panhandle,” Randy recalled. “We’d go out there and feed 1,500 people.”

Randy recalled one occasion where the fire department was called out to a cookout, but Zebbie managed to salvage enough meat to feed everyone. He was constantly coming up with new inventions or improvements to his barbecue pits.

“My dad was a genius,” Randy said.

He was also a busy man. Zebbie built a special catering bus for his business. He sold insurance and worked as a youth minister at a local church. He developed his onion ring batter, and

the family helped package the product in the evenings. His onion ring mix, corn dog mix and vegetable fry mix would all eventually win him gold medals at the International Food Show in Rome.

“Dad and I then took it to all the grocery stores in the Panhandle,” Land said. “It was another way to make a little money on the side.”

Zebbie also served as cook for the Rolling Plains Mule Train out of Spearman, Texas. The group conducted old-fashioned wagon train rides across the Panhandle, and Randy would get to go for part of the trip.

“I remember we went to the opening of the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City,” Land recalled. “Dad cooked for them and led them in prayer. It was a great memory.”

Zebbie only slowed down a little bit after he suffered a stroke in 1993,

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Land said. In fact, he and another son, Reg, designed and built finely-crafted handmade, hand-painted furniture. He turned his cooking trailer into a wheelchair accessible tornado shelter.

Randy Land recalled that his dad’s solution to coming up with a new recipe was to sleep on it.

“He’d experiment, but it wouldn’t work, so he’d go to bed and say he’d pray on it,” Randy noted. “Then he’d wake up and write it down. He’d go to the kitchen, and it would be perfect.”

Randy asked his dad to give him copies of his recipes, and Randy still relies on them.

“Last week, we had a revival. I did the onion rings, and they were succulent!” Randy exclaimed.

Randy still enjoys cooking, both at church and at home with his wife, Candy.

“I was a youth minister for 20 years, and you always have to raise money

for retreats. If we washed cars, I’d have to rewash half of them. So we started doing lunches and letting people donate,” Randy stated. The fundraiser lunches raise a lot more money than a car wash, Randy said.

His brothers didn’t enjoy cooking, Randy noted, but he loved it while growing up because it was time to hang out with his dad. His dad also helped him get his career as a minister going, as Zebbie was always willing to lend a hand when Randy needed to prepare for youth fellowships or other activities.

Zebbie died in 2009. He was survived by his wife Ruth, three sons, two grandsons, two great-grandchildren and, according to his obituary, “a whole host of well-fed and satisfied friends, family, church members and customers.” “My dad had a motto, ‘If you feed them, they will come,’” Randy concluded.

INGREDIENTS:• 7 cups of self-rising flour• ¼ cup of sugar• 2 packs of yeast

• ¾ cup of warm water• ⅓ cup of oil• ¾ cup of buttermilk

DIRECTIONS:1. Put the yeast in the warm water and let it dissolve. Mix it in with the flour and ingredients. 2. “You can roll out the dough about an inch to an inch and a half thick and cut with a biscuit cutter or use a tomato sauce can with both ends cut out like my dad did. Cover and let rise in a warm place until at least 1½ times to twice their thickness, then bake,” Randy said. Randy said another option is to just choke off a wad of dough and let it rise until it is about the size of a cat’s head.

3. Let the dough rise three or four times, and knock it down manually.4. Then bake it at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes (until golden brown). Melt ½ stick of butter and add 1 tablespoon of honey and brush on or glaze the biscuits when done.

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“DUSTER” AT VETERANS MEMORIAL1 • Members of the National Guard help unload a duster at the Carlsbad Veterans Memorial Park. The duster, an anti-aircraft unit, was used for training by many individuals near Carlsbad.

2 • The crew poses after installing the M42 40 mm Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun, or “Duster” at the Carlsbad Veterans Memorial Park.

HERITAGE DAYS3 • Dick Forrest, Gloria Wilson and Bob Forrest, and their families, were honored at the 2013 Heritage Days celebration.

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT4 • Runners of all ages participated in this year’s National Night Out kickoff race in downtown Carlsbad.

5 • Members of the Carlsbad Police Department met with the community as part of National Night Out activities.

GOVERNOR SUSANA MARTINEZ6 • New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez applauds during a visit to Carlsbad. Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway is pictured in the background.

DELORA ELIZONDO RETIREMENT7 • Delora Elizondo celebrates at a retirement party held in her honor. Delora was the long-time director of the Carlsbad Literacy Program.

ROCK THE VOTE8 • Amanda Brown, former advisor and strategist for Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and former Assistant to the Director at the White House, agreed to participate as a keynote speaker at a Rock the Vote event in Carlsbad.

16TH OF SEPTEMBER CELEBRATION9 • A baby enjoys a face painting during the 16th of September celebration at the San Jose Plaza.

STUFF THE BUS10 • Members of team First Christian Church are all smiles during the United Way of Carlsbad & South Eddy County’s annual Stuff the Bus event.

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The 2013 Season of the Carlsbad Downtown Farmers’Market has come and gone. For some people it was too short a duration and for others it was far too long. This community needs a place to buy fresh, local, chemical-free produce for those who demand the highest nutritional content and the best tasting food. It was a very short season for them. Farmers, on the other hand, need conditions conducive to growing vegetables which would be ample moisture and moderate, consistent temperatures. For many of our local growers, this past summer was anything but consistent and was one constant struggle, and for them an early end to the Farmers’ Market was a relief. It did seem like the produce was finally starting to show up in quantity when everything ended, but the “burn out” factor was high.

Carlsbad is unique among Farmers’ Markets around the state and around the country. We have no “market” farms in our area that supply a seasonal variety of produce in quantities necessary to meet the needs of the community. The vegetables that people like to eat and are accustomed to seeing year round in the grocery stores, the tomatoes, lettuces, broccoli, peppers, etc., are challenging to grow in the desert because they have a high percentage of water content and many need relatively cool temperatures to grow well, and potentially succumb to viral, fungal and insect pressures without chemical intervention when grown on a large scale. Few “farmers” are willing to take on such challenges, or even have the irrigation means necessary to do so because nothing grows here without a consistent water supply.

So, in Carlsbad, we rely on “backyard” farmers to supply our market. Some have the space to grow lots of extra vegetables specifically for the market, but many just have space enough (and a limited water budget) to grow a few extras and perhaps sell at the market when there is a bumper crop. This past summer was especially hard for the growers due to drought and two late freezes, which had a record-breaking day or two of heat sandwiched between them. There was hail that battered down young plants, shredding the leaves and knocking the young fruit right off the stems. The plants were stressed very early and weren’t producing much by the time the market did open. The summer heat was relentless, which kills the pollen necessary for the plants to produce, and the rains that did finally come

F O C U S on the garden

by Margaret Barry

GardenNotesPerspectives on the Carlsbad Downtown Farmers’ Market

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Perspectives on the Carlsbad Downtown Farmers’ Market

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Margaret Barry has lived in Carlsbad since January, 1999, and is a fiber artist and avid gardener. She is an Eddy County Master Gardener and a vendor at the Carlsbad Downtown Farmers’ Market. She is currently Board President of Carlsbad MainStreet, which sponsors the Farmers’ Market. She will also be teaching a class in Organic Gardening at NMSU-C for the Continuing Ed program.

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were anything but gentle. So you can see what a challenge growing for the CDFM can be! A great deal of credit is due to those who have hung in.

There are major benefits to having a local Farmers’ Market. The food is very fresh and picked at the peak of ripeness, which means it retains a very large portion of the nutritional value. Produce that is picked before it is ripe so that it transports easily is warehoused for days on end and has very little nutritional content left. When you buy from a local grower, there is the potential to develop a good relationship and have some interaction. Local growers for the CDFM are mostly growing a chemical-free crop, and it is certainly possible to ask your Farmers’ Market

vendor about their growing practices. Most people are happy to share information about their gardens! And they are equally happy to try to accommodate local tastes by growing crops that might not be available in the grocery store. There are lots of unusual vegetables that never make it to stores that you might find at the Farmers’ Market. Most gardeners like to experiment with some unusual vegetables, so if you don’t see something you’d like to try, maybe there is a grower who would like to try it, too, if it will grow under our conditions.

Some customers would like to see lower prices at the market. Everyone is looking for the best value for the dollar these days, but considering all the

challenges to growing here, the prices at our Market are very reasonable. There is great value in buying the most nutritionally dense food available. It’s hard work to grow in Carlsbad and outsmart Mother Nature. Large, commercial farming in this country is subsidized by the government, so they can and do sell at a loss, and so we are used to paying very little for food in this country. Our local growers do not have such a luxury, and not many people who work as hard as these vendors are willing to sell their goods at a loss. If you go to farmers’ markets in other cities, you will see that the prices are often considerably higher than here.

Because of the mild winters in Carlsbad, it is possible to garden almost all year long. There are many crops that thrive in the late winter and early summer such as greens, cole crops, peas, carrots, beets, lettuces, radishes, etc., that are not available in the heat of the summer because they will not survive the intense heat. There has been discussion of having a split season market, and perhaps next year there will be some of those kinds of crops available in the spring in an experimental fashion. There is certainly an attempt by the Carlsbad Downtown Farmers’ Market to make ours the best market possible for our customers who are a very loyal bunch!


LONELINESS MAY BE THE WORST EPIDEMIC OF THE MODERN AGE. Dangers outside our gates keep our children inside where they’re happily occupied by all sorts of electronic entertainment, and more and more business is conducted from the home rather than from the neighborhood store. Those who retire have fewer places to hang out and catch up on the latest news and gossip, and rather than relaxing and enjoying their well-earned retirement, they find themselves isolated in their homes, forgotten by the people they used to work with so intimately.

An increasing number of retirees have found a solution to that problem that not only benefits them, but another segment of our population who also suffer from loneliness

and depression. At Jonah’s House, the Carlsbad Community Kitchen, Landsun’s Deliver-a-Meal and other volunteer organizations in town, retirees have discovered more than a

way to productively volunteer their time helping others in need: they’ve also discovered a new family. In each of these organizations, most of the volunteers have offered their time and talent – and compassion – not for weeks, but for years. Several have been at the post for more than 20 years, almost as long as they worked in their careers. Do they enjoy helping others? Of course. But maybe even more, they’ve formed a relationship with those they work with that supports and enriches their lives.

At Jonah’s House, the camaraderie is evident in the relaxed, friendly way they greet the 15-20 families who come seeking assistance each day. “I like helping people who are needy,” says volunteer Richard Montoya. “I started working here in ’87 when I broke my leg. I had nothing to do, so I volunteered doing simple jobs, and it just sort of stuck.” Now his grandson Cory works there, too.

At the Carlsbad Community Kitchen, dedicated teams proudly serve up a nutritious noonday meal to anywhere

F O C U S on helping others

PHOTOS: At Jonah’s House, the focus is on camaraderie and feeding the needy.

It’s All About FamilyHelping to Feed Others Provides a Cure for Loneliness

by Sharon McIntire


from 100-150 or more people every weekday except Tuesday. “My crew all works together,” boasts team leader Robert Osborne. “Right now we have four workers. It varies. We really need five, plus a dishwasher, for a full team.”

“Most of them have been with me for years. Every time I come in, they come in. We serve from 10:55 until 11:55. Then we clean up and are out of here by 12:30.” Not an easy feat when you’re feeding the multitudes.

Calvary Assembly of God Church operates a mobile soup pantry, offering food the second Monday of every month. In 2012 they served 1,786 households with 149,000 pounds of food and are looking for more volunteers so they can expand their program.

Carlsbad’s Deliver-A-Meal originates in Landsun Home’s kitchens where an average of 25 people are provided a nutritional lunch in their homes. For many of them, it is the only full meal they receive from the dedicated volunteers who visit them every

Monday-Friday. Orchestrated by Landsun administrative assistant Torie Rogers, volunteers usually work one day a week for 1-1½ hours, taking a kind smile along with a hot meal to residents who may not see anyone else until the next Deliver-a-Meal arrives.

“A lot of our Deliver-A-Meal recipients are older and don’t have the means to make their meals,” Rogers says. “They depend on our meals to get the nutrition they need. Many of them can’t get out to eat or to shop for their food.”

For those who can get out, the Community Kitchen provides as much nourishment for the soul as it does for the body. “There are people who really need a meal,” notes volunteer Irma Pfeifer, “but some come here just for the social aspect. We have lots of regulars. George McGonagill comes quite often with a harmonica and plays a few songs before we eat, and some of us sing along.”

“This is their family,” she continues.

“They consider it their community. Sometimes people get out of hand, but we never have to do anything about it. When someone gets rowdy, they call the police – we never have to. They don’t like it when others misbehave.”

And it’s family for the volunteers, too.

Dr. Lon Babbitt, who volunteers at Jonah’s House, recalls, “I came to work here after my first wife died. I was retired at the time so I could look after her. When the walls started closing in on me, I came here. It’s a social thing here for all of us.”

At the Kitchen, 15-year team leader Robert Osborne agrees. “I was sitting at the house smoking two packs of cigarettes a day after my wife died. Now what do you think was going to become of me? I came here one day and didn’t like it. Finally came back and I’ve been here ever since.”

Though most of the volunteers are retirees, the family extends to our youth as well. Jonah’s House volunteer Betty Ackman says, “We get volunteers

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from the high school who need to do community service, and they’re a big help. They love to come, and we love to have them.”

“We’re always in need of volunteers,” adds board member Red Abeyta, “especially the younger ones who can do the heavy lifting.”

The Community Kitchen receives generous funding from the county, but both organizations also rely heavily on donations. Albertsons, Walmart, LaTienda and other businesses donate food, and churches and individuals donate money and supplies to keep both organizations running. Both also receive donations from the Roadrunner Food Bank, a nonprofit

food distribution center based in Albuquerque that distributes food throughout New Mexico.

But the local food drives sponsored by the Post Office and other organizations are their lifesavers during the holidays. “We really appreciate all the community food drives,” says Jonah’s House president Red Abeyta. “Without them, I don’t know how we’d make it through.”

No one seems to mind working hard, acknowledging that in these days of budget belt-tightening, things will get busier.

Irene Roberts, secretary/treasurer for the Kitchen, says, “When we started in

the ‘90s, I used to see people looking through the dumpsters for food. I haven’t seen that for a long time. I get a good feeling knowing that people are getting at least one reasonably healthy meal a day.”

Betty Ackman agrees. “I’m 63 and I started at Jonah’s House in my twenties. I won’t quit until I have to. I like helping people, and we make some very good friends.”

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A COOPERATIVE EFFORT IS BRINGING FRESH-FROM-THE-FARM FRUITS AND VEGETABLES TO HUNDREDS OF CARLSBAD RESIDENTS. According to the website, bountifulbaskets.org, Arizona residents Sally Stevens and Tanya Jolly started the Bountiful Baskets Food Co-Op in 2006. They soon added a web component as a way to allow more families to save money on healthy food. Since then, the program has grown from two sites to hundreds of sites in 16 states, including New Mexico.

Carlsbad volunteer Melissa Felt said she knew about the program through family before it came to New Mexico.

“My family in other states was always talking about it,” she noted. “I had checked periodically, and it was a few years before I saw a site in New Mexico.”

The program came to the Land of Enchantment in Portales, and Felt went there for training to help bring it to Carlsbad. Currently, Felt and

Glenda Sauer take turns running the program in Carlsbad, with a number of volunteers assisting. The program has become so popular locally that a delivery truck comes to Carlsbad weekly.

There is a lot of interest in New Mexico, Felt said, and Carlsbad has a good group of volunteers who assist with unloading the truck on Saturdays. Because it is a co-op, participants in the program are asked to help.

“Since there are no employees at Bountiful Baskets, we as a group pay rock bottom prices on our food,” the website noted. “This also means the co-op would not happen without volunteers.”

Locally, volunteers are asked to prepare baskets, break down boxes, assist with distribution and pack up.

“People are so happy to participate,” Felt added.

In Carlsbad, Bountiful Baskets distributes produce baskets, organic produce baskets and bread to a parking lot area behind Jefferson Montessori Academy on Saturdays. Participants register on the website at a specified time and then show up on Saturday to pick up their produce. Volunteers unload the produce from a truck into a waiting line of white baskets, and recipients transfer produce into their own baskets before going home.

Baskets consist of a mixture of fruits and vegetables. It’s a mystery as to what will be in the basket on any given week. The monetary contribution is $15, or $25 for an organic basket, and the volume for each is significantly more than you’d get at a grocery store for that price. Also available, for an additional amount, are large boxes of one type of produce, like 20 pounds of peaches, and themed produce packs, like Mexican or Italian.

“I love the freshness of the produce, feeling the spirit of the community and especially watching people take home good things to eat,” Felt said.

For more information, visitwww.bountifulbaskets.org.

F O C U S on freshness

PHOTOS: Local volunteers help unload produce delivered to Carlsbad. Because the Bountiful Baskets program is a co-op, participants are encouraged to volunteer with unloading or cleanup.

Fresh fromthe Farm:Bountiful Baskets


olidays and traditions go hand-in-hand and play a huge part in embedding some of the best memories of our lives. These days, when life is so chaotic, sometimes it’s hard to slow down and remember the real joy of this time of year. For most people family plays an enormous role in whatever holiday is being celebrated.

Missy Garriott, seasonal worker at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, expressed her greatest wish is “that the entire family would spend one holiday a year together.”

“I would bring back the family gatherings. We live too far apart now to make that feasible,” a sentiment pointed out by newly retired Chris Dawson.

Dawson continued by noting some other less traditional traditions on Thanksgiving, such as quail hunting in the morning and trout fishing in the afternoon. She explains it is a great way to not only enjoy a day with nature, but also carry on the way the first Thanksgiving revelers may have spent their day.

People who were polled for this article stated that Christmas was the overwhelming winner as the favorite holiday, with Thanksgiving and Halloween following closely behind.

Food is the star of most holidays, and traditions revolve around the dinner table as well.

“We have a Christmas party every year and everyone brings a family dish. I always enjoy eating other people’s stuff,” said Chef Kevin Zink.

Zink said there are returning favorites at the party every year, but he also enjoys it when a new person shows up with a traditional family dish. He likes to mix up his offering – but options include Jimmy Carter’s eggnog recipe and a chile con queso dish.

“We always took a picture of the holiday (any and all holidays) table with the food and the good china before anyone sat down,” explains Mary Streng, Wildlife Culturist at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. “My sister and I continued this tradition and now my nieces do the same. It has become the thing that makes us laugh when looking at old pictures.”

Garriott also said, “On Thanksgiving we have the turkey and ham, but on

Christmas we make a Mexican food feast. It’s great!”

New Mexican food traditions for Christmas are tamales and bischocitos. These require an entire family effort to make, but they are worth the time and trouble for those who make them.

Technical Librarian Samantha Villa relayed a touching Christmas tradition that involved both sides of her family.

“As a family, ever since I was little, my dad’s side always had a get-together on Christmas Day with a potluck, singing Christmas carols and then Santa comes to bring the kids presents. When my grandpa was alive, he played a number of musical instruments and would sing beautifully. Just hearing him sing made the holidays feel like a holiday,” Villa shared. “For the past few years, my mom’s side of the family gets together at my mom’s house and we draw names for Christmas, eat some good food and visit.”

As a child, I personally remember writing a letter to Santa every Christmas Eve and putting it by the cookies and milk I left for him. I think I cherished the letters he wrote back more than the gifts left for me around the tree. One of my favorite parts of the holiday was the Christmas stocking.

My son’s grandmother, Ethel Birchell, hand-painted their stockings with southwestern themes and, I’m sure at their urgings, made them extra large. This is a gift they treasure and will pass down to their families.

Many cultures put a high emphasis on Christmas Eve as well. Midnight Mass is celebrated worldwide, and this is the night Santa makes his big ride and also the night when most children are sleep deprived.

F O C U S on memories

PHOTO LEFT: Chef Kevin Zink loves holiday foods, creating his favorites and enjoying the traditional dishes of others.

by Donna Birchell

of theTraditions Season

F O C U S N M . C O M20 F O C U S O N C A R L S B A D | W I N T E R 2 0 1 3

Both Missy and Chris carry the tradition of opening one present on Christmas Eve and getting the stocking on Christmas morning.

Another popular holiday tradition is collecting ornaments. Some of the first commercial Christmas ornaments were made of mercury glass and were highly breakable. Boxes of multicolored “Shiny Bright” ornaments were easily and inexpensively found at Woolworth’s or Wacker’s Variety stores, sometimes for as little as seventy-nine cents a box. They are highly collectible today and fetch a significantly higher price from enthusiasts.

Today, companies such as Radko and Hallmark have taken over the ornament market.

A favorite collection of Streng’s is the Star Trek ornaments produced by Hallmark. “I have always been a huge fan of Star Trek in all of its incarnations. I started collecting Star Trek Hallmark Christmas ornaments in the late 1980s. Now, whenever you turn the Christmas tree lights on, there is a cacophony of Star Trek noise!”

Streng is but one of millions of collectors who enjoy novelty themes for their Christmas trees. I have to confess, I am also guilty of this obsession and own many boxes of the cute ornaments and inherited some beautiful glass ornaments from my grandparents which have a special place on the tree.

Depending on which stage of life you are, decorating the house is a favorite tradition of most asked. The degrees ranged from lights and bows to having every inch of the house a winter wonderland. And all agreed that their least favorite part of the holiday season was taking down the decorations. The house seems so bare and blah after the

festive decorations were stored away for another year.

As children, we may not have realized all the efforts our family put forth so that our Christmas was extra special, working extra hard so we could have that one gift that we knew we just could not live without.

Villa fondly remembers that toy. “I got a Teddy Ruxpin bear for Christmas, and it was so funny because one of his eyes would stay shut and the other would blink like crazy when he spoke. I know my mom and dad went through a lot of trouble to get it for me, so I really appreciated it.”

Villa encourages people to remember that the holiday season is also a time of giving back. “We like to support Christmas Anonymous and encourage everyone to also do so. There are so many children out there that do not receive gifts, and I would not want a child to wake up to no presents under the tree. Mr. and Mrs. Ray Anaya did so much to make sure children had a gift.” No matter your traditions, most would agree the holidays are a time to spend with your most precious gifts – your family.

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F O C U S on food trucks

An increasing number of Carlsbad entrepreneurs are bringing the food to where

their customers are located, instead of waiting for their customers to come to them. Throughout town, a wide variety of food trucks and carts are sprouting up along the road. It’s also a big national trend and a Food Network staple.

Other local food businesses are taking advantage of their mobility and the current oil and gas boom by bringing food out to the oilfields.

Justin Angel, owner of Big Dog’s Curbside Grill, recently took his hot dog cart out to the oilfields. Angel has been setting up in Orla and Loco Hills, and he stays busy selling to drilling crews from 9:30 a.m. on.

He’s moving an 18-foot trailer to a filling station in Otis, so, with help, he’ll be able to sell dogs, Philly cheese sandwiches and other lunch items at a more or less permanent location there and from his cart.

“This is a great thing for my business,” he noted. “I’ll be able to send my pushcart to various locations, too. It’s what I’ve been working on, and it is finally coming together.”

For several months, Angel set up his cart in downtown Carlsbad, but the business really took off when he moved out into the oil patch.

“Those guys are hungry,” he said. “I think I’m doing the work of three people right now.”

Angel said opening Big Dog’s appealed to him because he’d worked in the restaurant business before and he liked the idea of running his own business. In addition to selling to the oil patch, he also works at events – he was preparing for a high school reunion and a Paws and Claws event on the upcoming Saturday.

A truck selling Mexican food, Mi Juanita, has been parked to the south of Lakeview Christian Home for the past two months. Mi Juanita sells gorditas, enchiladas, tacos, lemonade, Mexican sodas and more.

One of the owners, Franklin Pinto, said he’d previously worked in a

restaurant, but he wanted to open up his own business. The business is named in memory of a family member.

Mi Juanita’s hours are 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.

Gary Webb, with Tangled Taters, is one of Carlsbad’s more established mobile food venders. He started his business in 1999 serving only fries, hot dogs and drinks, but has continued to expand his menu since then. Webb sold his trailer and instead sets up a tent at weekend events around the country.

“I just got back from one in Texas. It was the first time in 14 years I’ve ever done that one, and I’ll definitely go back,” he noted.

Tangled Taters is a common site around Carlsbad. Webb said he usually sets up at the local Cinco de Mayo celebration, the June car show, the 16th of September event, Calico Christmas, Fallapalooza and more.

Webb said he looks up to a year ahead of time to schedule what event he will be visiting each weekend. He still serves alligator on a stick, but only sometimes.

“It’s expensive to begin with,” he noted.

At 66, life on the road sometimes does wear Webb down. Setting up at a given festival or event begins early in the day or even the day before. He runs the website www.tangeled-taters.com as well.

“They talk about the Great Food Truck Race on the Food Network. That’s all hype because they make it look so easy,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun, but it’s a lot of hard work.”

Who knows what other food trucks may be coming soon to a parking lot near you?

Putting the Cart Before the CourseFood Trucks in Carlsbad

PHOTO: Franklin Pinto stands in his Mi Juanita truck. Mi Juanita sells gorditas, enchiladas and tacos out of its location on Pierce Street.


F O C U S on mainstreet

AMANDAMELVINExecutive DirectorCARLSBAD MAINSTREET

I HAVE MADE THE LONG DRIVE FROM DENVER TO CARLSBAD at least once a year for the last thirteen years, navigating the distance with determination and with a narrow focus on my destination, usually, stopping twice to refresh and refuel and consistently arriving in well under nine hours. On August 19th, the trip was a bit different. The drive took longer than usual, due to a car filled with luggage and personal items and a self-imposed intention to take time to reflect on my reasons for leaving the big city to again embrace Carlsbad.

I was surprised to note how much I relied on familiar visual cues to direct my path. The long curve and accelerated elevation south of Pueblo, Colorado. Passing through Las Vegas before turning on US 84. The red soil and juniper covered hills, slowly transitioning into high plains near the I-40 overpass. A blinking light signaling from a tall radio tower near the old train caboose in the town of Pastura. The Vaughn cemetery warning of junction US 285. A long path through the alien-adorned Main Street to Brantley Lake and the dam I remember taking a good part of my adolescent years to build. Finally, arriving in Carlsbad, my hometown branded an “Oasis in the Desert.”

Five weeks have elapsed since I began working as Executive Director of Carlsbad MainStreet. During that time, I have been amazed at the amount of enthusiasm shared by downtown organizations as they prepare for the 2013 holiday season. Michele Robertson, Assistant Director of MainStreet, along with members of the MainStreet board, the downtown merchants and numerous volunteers have been working steadily on the planning of downtown festivities. The season begins with “The Fall Festival” on October 31. I am personally looking forward to “A Night of Holiday Wishes,” a ladies-night event with food, fun and an opportunity to populate my gift registry. We will also

see the return of two annual traditions – Little Miss Merry Christmas and the Electric Light Parade.

Like the visual cues found along my trip, familiar landmarks denote downtown Carlsbad – The Eddy County Courthouse, the Municipal Library, the Carlsbad Museum and numerous businesses that are staples of the downtown economy. These cues give a reminder of the role that a prospering downtown plays in the continuance of community traditions.

This holiday season, in the spirit of

thanks, tradition and familiarity, I hope you will embrace Carlsbad by participating in community events, supporting the local businesses, volunteering with one or more of the many dynamic service organizations and by celebrating with those who bring you love, laughter and joy – a sentiment similar to the one revealed to me while being mindful along my longer than usual journey back home. I appreciate everyone who has so kindly welcomed me to Carlsbad, and I am excited to be working on MainStreet’s mission to strengthen downtown Carlsbad.

For more information, contact Carlsbad MainStreet at (575)628-3768 or [email protected]. Visit their Facebook pages Facebook.com/CarlsbadMainStreet and Facebook.com/CarlsbadDowntownFarmersMarket.

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F O C U S on family

PHOTO: Erie and Bob Ingram pose in their Carlsbad home. The Ingrams stay in touch with most of their 11 children on a weekly basis.

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don’t think there’s anybody in town who doesn’t know the Ingrams,” said family patriarch Joe Nathan “Bob” Ingram, and he speaks the truth.

It helps that Bob and his wife, Erie, have lived in the same house on San Jose Boulevard for 45 years now. But a major reason why everybody knows the Ingrams is that there are so many of them – Bob and Erie raised 11 children.

Most of their children − Wayne, Larry, Joe, Vickie, Cynthia, Janet, Keith, Stephanie, Michelle, Dawn and Michael – still live in Carlsbad. By last count, the Ingrams also have 28 grandchildren, 31 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild. Family photos occupy almost every corner of the Ingram household.

“We were running out of names!” Bob joked, after Erie completed the final tally.

Wayne was born in 1956. Michael, the youngest, was born in 1979. All 11 children lived in Carlsbad for most of their lives, but two have recently moved to Kansas City, and one lives in Roswell.

“I didn’t have any problems with my

children,” Erie stated, noting that the Ingrams joined two adjacent houses together. “We had plenty of room.”

They also had little difficulty feeding a family with 11 kids, Bob said, because Erie prepared three home-cooked meals every day.

“I


“Chicken, grains, tomatoes, cabbage, pork chop and potatoes,” he said. “Things like that. We didn’t go out for a sandwich every day.”

It helped that the Ingrams had their own garden. The kids were also of different ages, so the older ones were out of the house by the time the newer ones joined the table. Erie also did a lot of her own canning.

When some of the older boys were involved in sports, they wouldn’t be home in time for the family dinner, but everyone would still have breakfast together.

“We’d have all the meals together over the weekend,” Bob added. “And them boys, they ate.”

Bob and Erie were married in Flint, Michigan, on February 20, 1956. They arrived in Carlsbad two years later. Bob had some brothers living in town, and they talked him into moving south when there were layoffs at the General Motors plant.

The plant later offered Bob his job back, but he declined.

“It was too cold up there!” he said.

Erie had mixed feelings when she and her then three children first saw the town.

“We came down the big hill, and I said, ‘Ohh, I don’t like Carlsbad!’” she recalled. “But I grew to like it. It’s a nice little town.”

Bob found a job working for the City of Carlsbad, first as a truck driver, then as a serviceman and a mechanic. He was a welding foreman for two years, and then he was made superintendent of maintenance and of the community service program. He retired in 1998 and has also served as a member of the Police Reserve for several decades.

Erie was a stay-at-home mother for a long while, though she spent 15 years cleaning First Christian Church and also worked for the Lunardon and Shoup families. She’s also been very involved in the United Choir and the Mt. Zion Church of God in Christ choir.

She said having 11 children running around the house just wasn’t that big of an issue.

“They are a blessing to us,” Bob added. “We had no problems with them, and they are still a big help. They get mad at me if I try to cut my own lawn.”

They’ve had a few family reunions in the past, and most of the Ingram children all gather together every Saturday morning for coffee and donuts (yes, there is enough room!) before Ma and Pa shoo them out the door for some peace and quiet.

Most of the Ingram children played high school basketball, and a few played baseball or softball. Bob and Erie still attend games from time to time to watch some great-grandchildren play. Many members of the family volunteer as youth coaches, too.

All in all, Bob and Erie can’t complain.

“I think Carlsbad is a nice town to live in,” Bob summarized. “It must be because we’ve been on this same corner for 45 years.”

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F O C U S on the menu

THEY SAY YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT, and that’s especially true for a few local residents who have had dishes named after them.

Several Carlsbad restaurants have opted to honor unique dishes by naming them after customers who either came up with the concept or who stood out in some other way.

Jeremy Molinar, whose family owns Mi Casita in Carlsbad, said many of the restaurant’s most popular dishes were conceived by customers.

“One of the first ones we did was

because a friend of my parents would make his own combination plate. That became The Dunagan,” he said.

The Box enchiladas are named for Riddell Box, who was looking for a new way to try chile verde. There’s also a Tina Special on the menu.

“Our original menu was very traditional,” Molinar noted. “But people found other ways to do things, and they’ve become more popular than anything else.”

But the most popular dish named after someone at Mi Casita is probably Brian’s Nachos, named for Brian Beaty.

“He’s extremely picky about everything, but he loves asado,” Molinar stated. “One day, he asked for nachos with asado, and we said, ‘Why not.’ That one spread like crazy.”

Customers began coming to the restaurant asking for “Brian’s Nachos,” even before they were on the menu.

“Finally, I called him and said, ‘Dude, you are on the menu,’” Molinar said. “People always try to do things, and we tell them that if it really catches on and people start liking it, we’ll do it.”PHOTO: Brian Beaty sits in front of a plate of Brian’s Nachos,

a dish named after him at Carlsbad’s Mi Casita Restaurant.


Molinar said that does mean that many people come in with new combination ideas just to try to get a menu item named after them. In fact, that’s the reason Lucy Yanez, owner of Lucy’s Mexicali Restaurant, had to take most of her named dishes off of the menu.

“Everybody wanted us to name everything after them,” she noted.

Prior menus had quite a few local names on them. There was even one couple immortalized for their loyalty to the establishment– attorney Jeff Diamond and his wife, Evy, each had a dish. The current list has just a few named after people.

First and foremost is Adam’s Queso, a popular item named for its creator,

who now works at a different local restaurant.

“He said he still dreams about Adam’s Queso,” Yanez said. “People come in to where he works now and still ask for it.” There’s also a dessert item named for Lucy’s daughter, Laurie.

The Trinity Hotel takes a more historical approach. Breakfasts are named after famed sheriff Pat Garrett, who worked in the building for a time, and outlaws Bonnie and Clyde.

“This isn’t the bank that they robbed,” owner Janie Balzano said. “A lot of people think it is, but the building wasn’t a bank at that time.”

There’s also a Charles Green salad, named after Charles Greene, one

of Carlsbad’s original financers and promoters, and the Kid, a burger named for Garrett’s outlaw nemesis. Other dishes celebrate the area’s Western heritage with more generic titles, such as The Madam or The Rustler.

The Stevens Inn used to have a Bubba Burger, owner Bobby Forrest said, but it was not named after anyone.

“It was just a big old hamburger with double meat and cheese,” he noted. “But the Bubba Burger’s not on the menu anymore.”

Molinar had a final observation – people with dishes named after them tend to order those dishes.

“I don’t know if they feel obligated or if that’s just what they like, but that’s usually what they order,” he concluded.

Good thing that Brian Beaty really likes Brian’s Nachos!

PHOTOS: Dale Balzano, owner of the Trinity Hotel, points to the “Pat Garrett” dish on the menu.


WEIGHT LOSS. NUTRITION. HEALTH. DIETS. Watch television for a few minutes, walk through the checkout line at the grocery store or pick up a magazine – chances are pretty high that one of the above words will come up.

Yet, despite a seeming national health craze, the United States still has the second highest obesity rate in the world at 31.8 percent, according to a report by the United Nations. Continued emergence of Type 2 diabetes is one of many problems caused by the obesity crisis. Focus Magazine spoke with a few local experts on food, nutrition, healthy eating and weight loss for suggestions and advice.

MICHELLE RUTLEYA dietary change wasn’t a lifestyle choice for Michelle Rutley – it was a lifesaver.

Rutley is the regional director of ViSalus Sciences and the Body By Vi Challenge. The company’s health/weight-loss plan centers around a “90 day challenge” featuring protein shake mixes and associated products, supported by an exercise plan.

“Our mission is to reverse the epidemic of obesity that is killing our friends,” Rutley noted. “The intrinsic rewards of helping others are priceless and are what motivates me to reach every person I can.”

Rutley became involved in the Body By Vi Challenge as a response to an event that happened six years ago. She said she was in a car accident and sustained severe damage to her spine. She did some research and found out about the program as a way to build her muscles to support her spine.

“After beginning the challenge, I slowly started to hit the weights again,” she noted. “I was making good

progress, feeling better, had life to me and had significantly reduced my need for pain medications.”

Then in 2012, Rutley became extremely sick, to the point where she felt like she was dying. She underwent a number of emergency tests and was diagnosed with a rare disease called gastroparesis.

“It is where the stomach literally no longer functions,” she said. While she was grateful to know what was wrong with her, the disease can be a death sentence. She was crushed as she broke the news to her two sons.

“At the same time, it lit a fire deep within me that I’ve never had, and I’ve always been a fighter,” she noted. “There was no way I’d let this disease take me from my sons without fighting harder than I ever have.”

Rutley’s stomach is only able to digest a handful of foods, which makes it very difficult for her to provide her body with needed nutrients. However,

she said the ViSalus shakes, with their high nutrition content, are providing her body with what she needs. Through her efforts in diet and fitness, she says she’s dropped the toxic weight she put on due to the gastroparesis, added muscle tone and has very little pain in her back. She frequently posts progress pictures and pictures of her working out on Facebook.

“I post pictures, not for me, but always in hope that I can inspire someone somewhere to find their inner strength, not listen to the world, and achieve their goals and dreams and know that all things are possible,” she noted. “My desire is to do all I can to help others overcome struggles in life, battles within their mind or diseases that have control over them.”

Rutley said she recently lost her father, who was a severe diabetic. A few days before his death, he told Rutley he wanted to start the Fitness Challenge to get himself healthy. It was too late.

“This killed me, knowing all along I

F O C U S on nutrition

EATINGHEALTHY

MICHELLE RUTLEY28 F O C U S O N C A R L S B A D | W I N T E R 2 0 1 3

had something that could have helped him to be able to be here for many more years, yet I didn’t push hard enough,” she said.

Rutley said the Body By Vi program is effective, in part, because its 90 day challenge causes people to set new health goals. That’s not a one-time 90 day commitment, but rather dividing health efforts into manageable components.

“We challenge ourselves to set a new health goal, whether it’s a weight loss, fitness or activity goal,” she stated. “And we fuel that challenge with the very best nutrition available. It’s about helping people establish better eating habits and creating a new fitness routine.”

Rutley said her program’s protein shakes offer a variety of flavor options. The shakes include protein, fiber and key vitamins and minerals, and the company is constantly coming up with new innovations. The shakes are diabetic friendly, low in salt, and free of gluten, casein and isoflavone. The program offers an interactive

Facebook page and a recipe app for cell phones.

“Proper nutrition and balance are key, also persistence,” Rutley said about weight loss. “While exercise is a key component, you can’t outrun a double bacon cheeseburger. Eighty percent of your ideal weight is based on the food you ingest.”

SUSAN DADESusan Dade is a registered and licensed dietician and a certified diabetes instructor employed at Carlsbad Medical Center’s Diabetes Self-Management Center. She and Melissa Young developed an accredited program in 2005.

“We mostly offer outpatient counseling, but sometimes we also work with patients from the hospital,” she noted. “If you have Type 1 diabetes, we can take you through an intensive program to make sure you know how to put insulin in your pump.”

Generally, Type 1 diabetes is genetic, while Type 2 diabetes is related to weight.

“Type 2 used to be in older, heavier people,” Dade said. “But we’re seeing a lot more kids than we ever did before.”

When a body becomes too large, the pancreas has trouble keeping up, Dade said, and that is when Type 2 diabetes becomes a problem. Exercise is, of course, an important way of combating diabetes and a “poor man’s insulin,” Dade noted.

The major culprit for the increase of diabetes in youth is what Dade calls “liquid sugars,” including soda, sweet tea, juices and sports drinks. Liquids with high amounts of sugar are worse than solids with high amounts of sugar because they more quickly enter the system.

Type 1 diabetics are prone to having other auto-immune symptoms, including being gluten intolerant.

“I think some people are doing gluten-free diets because it is a thing to do, but those who truly have it (gluten intolerance) develop issues such as nausea and vomiting,” she noted.

Dade said she follows a diet at home similar to the diet she encourages diabetics to follow.

“If my diet doesn’t work for me, how

INGREDIENTS:• 1 small can pumpkin• 8 oz. light cream cheese (can use fat free instead)• ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice• ⅓ to ½ cup Splenda Blend

DIRECTIONS:Blend well. Stir in one small container of light Cool Whip. Mix well. Pour into graham cracker crust. Chill 1-2 hours before serving. Eight or more servings.

PumpkinChiffon PieSubmitted by Susan Dade

“ While exercise is a key component, you can’t outrun a double bacon cheeseburger.”

SUSAN DADE 29W I N T E R 2 0 1 3 | A C O M M U N I T Y M A G A Z I N E

can I expect someone else to use it?” she asked.

Dade’s office includes a number of artificial food items and plates indicating what a healthy diet should consist of.

“I teach them a half plate of fruits and veggies, a quarter grains (not white) and a quarter lean meat and protein,” she noted. “That is how I feed my family, too.”

“The other thing I tell my patients is that you can spend money at the grocery store, or you can spend more later at the pharmacy,” she added. “Insulin is expensive, so spending a little more at the store (on healthier foods) is worth it.”

Typically, a doctor will recommend a patient to Dade or Young. They’ll ask questions about genetics, diet and physical activity and teach you how to use a glucometer. On the second visit, they will provide information about balancing meals.

KEVIN ZINKOne local restaurant, the Stock Exchange, marks “Healthy Woman” menu items that it recommends for people who want to be sure to eat healthy. Healthy Woman is a community resource provided by Carlsbad Medical Center.

Chef and Stock Exchange co-owner Kevin Zink, whose wife is a pediatrician, said the idea came about several years ago when Janet Carbary was chief executive officer of Carlsbad Medical Center. Zink said the decision on what items to mark as “Healthy Woman” dishes is not an exact science.

“It really just means a smaller portion that isn’t so heavy and dark and includes more vegetables,” he noted.

In fact, the restaurant’s chefs enjoy designing “Healthy Woman” dishes, Zink said.

“It’s a chance to experiment with some lighter sauces and grilled vegetables,” he said.

As different dietary trends come and go, chefs need to make adjustments. Zink said when he and Patty Fry first opened their catering business in Southeastern New Mexico, they were only cooking about a third of the potatoes they are cooking now due to the Atkins diet. He has simple advice for nutritional eating.

“Physical activity and portion size is what I teach my kids,” he observed. “That’s where “Healthy Woman” comes in. You can have a steak - just don’t have a 16 ounce steak, and go for a nice walk later.”

WRAPPING UPRutley said the problem with some weight loss programs is that they create a “yo-yo” effect because people make too many changes and wind up starting over. She also wants to fight child obesity, and she believes the Body By Vi program is one way to do so.

“That ‘get skinny quick’ idea is outdated,” she noted. “Transformation takes time, effort and dedication.”

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LAKESIDE MEATS206 South Main StreetLakeside Meats (aka, the place with the giant cow on the roof) has been a Carlsbad mainstay for the past 39 years, though the business moved to its current location way back in 1981.

“We are the only USDA inspected plant in Southeastern New Mexico that processes beef, and we have an inspector visit daily,” said owner Bob Dugas. “We specialize in all types of beef cuts.”

The store also offers pork, cheese, soft drinks, bread items, snacks and a variety of other products. Between 3,500 and 4,000 pounds of beef and pork are sold every day.

The cow on the roof has been there since around 1987, Dugas said, and it is repainted every five to ten years.

Dugas said some customers will ask for suggestions on what goes with a certain recipe.

“We’ve seen a lot of people grow up in the store. Some of their kids and grandkids are shopping with us,” he concluded.

LA ESPERANZA1200 North PateLeonel Orozco opened La Esperanza (“Hope”) in 2001 because he wanted to bring some Mexican flavor to town. He had some initial trouble getting the

business open, but said Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway went to bat for him.

The Orozco family runs a similar store in Hobbs, where they received an award. They’ve also opened a number of stores at other locations.

“Our tortillas are number one,” Orozco said through a

translator. “They make you feel like you made them at home. People want that homemade taste.”

Orozco purchases his meat, beef, pork and chicken from the Texas Panhandle. He flavors the meats with traditional Mexican seasonings here. The store also includes herbal spices, Mexican style bakery and Mexican candies and chips. You can also wire money to Central America.

Store hours are 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week.

“I go home at night to take a vacation,” Orozco said.

Regarding his meat counter, he says his ribeye is one of his best sellers. His prices are competitive and T-bone steaks can be ordered in any size desired.

“I want to thank Carlsbad for supporting me and helping make my business successful,” Orozco concluded.

LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT CUT FOR THE WEEKEND BARBECUE?

Here are a couple of Carlsbad Meat Markets worth checking out.

F O C U S on meat markets

PHOTO LEFT: Bob Dugas, posing at Lakeside Meats.PHOTO RIGHT: Leonel Orozco & Team at Carlsbad’s La Esperanza.

Meet the

MeatMa

rkets


F O C U S on home brewing

Corky Stewart toyed with the idea of home brewing beer for some time before he actually

started doing it. He’d purchase 6-packs of beer, and when he’d finish them, he’d rinse them out and put them in storage.

“I kept saying that one day I was going to brew my own beer,” he noted. “I have no idea where that notion came from.”

When Stewart and his family moved to their current location, his wife,

Brigitte, decided it was time to make a decision.

“She said, ‘Either throw away your stupid bottles or start brewing beer!’” So that’s when Stewart and his wife purchased him his first home brew kit. That kit has been in use for the past 22 years now, though he’s also added a few other, bigger contraptions.

Home brewing has become a popular hobby. Education instructor Eric Heinrich teaches the home brewing class as a continuing education program at New Mexico State University - Carlsbad. The class didn’t make this fall, but

NMSU-C plans to offer it again in the spring.

Stewart said he developed a taste for unique beer flavors partially through his wife, who is French. Her father introduced him to Belgian beers, and another family member who was a truck driver would bring the family a variety of German beers.

Stewart brews beer once every three weeks or so, and he even grows some of the ingredients in his backyard. His brew system, according to one online profile, involves a “three-tier propane with a pump to recirculate the wort (the starting liquid extracted through PHOTO: Corky Stewart, pictured with some of his brewing

equipment in his garage.


the brewing process) through a counterflow chiller and old immersion chiller sitting in an ice bath.”

More understandably for some, it’s fun and a money saver. “I don’t have to rely on the store to have what I want,” he noted. “And I can make 10 gallons for $40.”

Home brewing led Stewart to try making other foods as well.

“I realized how easy it is for individuals to make their own food,” he noted. “I started making jerkies and then sausage and cheese. I roast my own coffee and make my own vinegar. That sort of thing.”

His wife enjoys trying out the beer, but she does not like helping due to the smell of boiling hops, he said.

Heinrich, NMSU-C Instructor, originally became involved in a home brew club in New York. He enjoyed special beer dinners, where brewers served different beers with each course. He actually gave brewing a try after he moved to South Carolina. That’s where he purchased his first equipment – two industrial strength plastic buckets and a stainless steel copper kettle.

He even won a best new brewer award in his first and only competition.

“The basis is that it is water, sugar and yeast, and you put them in the right combination,” he noted.

Stewart was recently selected as the “Brewer of the Week” by the American Homebrewers Association. He

completed a short Q&A session on the organization’s webpage, describing his favorite types of brewing and sharing a home brewing story and a recipe.

For the past eight years or so, he has also hosted an annual Oktoberfest celebration, which features homebrewed beers and homemade sausage, pretzels and other dishes. He went through around 60 pounds of sausage during this year’s event.

“A lot of people who come are old friends from college,” he said. “They’ll come from as far as Oregon.”

One of Stewart’s most popular concoctions this year (and for many years) was his smoked beer. Stewart said he first tried smoked beer when someone sent him a few bottles. He later visited the town in Germany where the beer was made.

“The first time I served it, I didn’t expect people to like it,” he noted. “But we went through it quickly.”

Stewart will typically have four or five different beers on tap at any given time. He has some old favorites, but he also enjoys experimenting now and then. A recent attempt to make a crabapple sour, for example, was not without some difficulties, but it turned out to be flavorful.

“Generally, I believe you put fruit in a bowl and beer in a glass,” he added.

Beer brewing has also helped Stewart out professionally. He runs a local geology company, but his interaction in beer brewing forums on the internet

helped him get in touch with some potential applicants through mutual associates.

NMSU-C’s beer brewing course takes place at a campus kitchen. The college’s Science Lab Coordinator Ricardo Hernandez took Heinrich’s class last year.

“I’d been interested in home brewing for quite a while,” he said. “When the class popped up, it was a lot easier to start than I anticipated.”

Since then, Hernandez and a friend have brewed close to 600 bottles of beer.

“There are a couple different companies you buy supplies from on the web site, and we found a couple different styles of beer,” he said. “We tried those to figure out what type of style we want to make for ourselves.”

You have to be 21 or over to take the course, which includes brewing classes, history lessons and participation in two meals to talk about what types of meals go with what types of beer. There were two married couples participating the last time the classes were held, Heinrich said. Classes take place over several Saturdays.

“The first week, we’ll brew beer,” Heinrich said. “While it is boiling, we’ll talk about the process.” The class will then meet throughout the semester to make adjustments.

Safe to say, something is always brewing in Carlsbad.

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F O C U S on cookware

THE WAY TO A MAN’S (OR WOMAN’S) HEART might be through the stomach, but the proper tools are needed to make sure such a journey is successful.

That’s where the Pampered Chef people come in.

According to the website, www.pamperedchef.com, the company is devoted to providing high quality kitchen tools, expert cooking tips, and creating simple, time-saving recipes. The product line includes more than 500 items, ranging from cookware and stoneware to cutlery and seasonings, and they are offered through home cooking shows, catalogs and Facebook.

Carlsbad has several Pampered Chef consultants, among them Santana Mcphersonward and Mavis Tackitt, both also regulars at the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce’s weekly Friday Focus breakfast.

Tackitt has been a Pampered Chef consultant for the past two years. She joined through her sister, who is a Pampered Chef director.

“I wasn’t working at the time, so I thought it would bring in a little extra money,” she noted. “Now I just love it.”

She devotes a couple hours a day to Pampered Chef, depending on whether or not she’s preparing for a show. Her favorite products are the stoneware pots and pans.

Mcphersonward has been involved for

the past three years. She said she’s long enjoyed Pampered Chef products and was looking for an additional source of income.

“It’s now turning into more of a bigger career,” she noted. “But it is whatever you choose to make it into. Really, it’s all based on what you want to do.”

Consultants will find a host for a show.

They’ll put on a short demonstration of the products and cook a dish for everyone attending. Anywhere from three people to thirty might attend a given show. Pampered Chef provides a list of recipes, and each recipe includes a list of products.

“It’s a great way to get people together to have some fun,” Mcphersonward added. “And I take everything home and do all the dishes.”

One of Tackitt’s favorite dishes to prepare at a show is a 30-minute

PHOTO THIS PAGE: Santana Mcphersonward poses with a few of her Pampered Chef items. Mcphersonward is one of Carlsbad’s consultants for Pampered Chef.

PHOTO OPPOSITE PAGE: Consultant Mavis Tackitt demonstrates cookware items to Carlsbad resident

Coming to a Home Near You!


chicken dish that demonstrates the deep covered baker, which also happens to be one of her favorite products. She’s also a huge fan of the Southwestern seasoning mix.

She said she was very nervous prior to her first show.

“I still get that way, depending on who I’m doing the show for,” she added.

Mcphersonward enjoys making an antipasti pull-apart pizza at many of her shows.

“My kids like it,” she added. “And that’s another thing. It’s a great way to get a family together, too.”

Both women said that a big difference between Pampered Chef products and products purchased in a store is the extensive warranty on Pampered Chef products. Their products are also high quality.

“It’s also a very inexpensive way to feed a family,” Mcphersonward added.

Pampered Chef has recently added a new gluten-free cookbook to support health efforts. The website, www.pamperedchef.com, provides recipes, tips and a service to search for the nearest consultant. Tackitt said Pampered Chef has a sizeable number of male customers and consultants.

In addition to being a consultant, Mcphersonward also works at a local restaurant.

“My mother always taught me to treat others as you want to be treated,” she said, summarizing her work philosophy.

Every chef deserves a good pampering.

INGREDIENTS:• Chicken(1 whole chicken (3.5 - 4 pounds)• 1 tbl olive oil• Seasoning Mixture• 1 tbl all-purpose flour• 1 tsp paprika

• ½ tsp garlic powder• ½ tsp salt• ¼ tsp coarsely ground black pepper• ¼ tsp dried thyme leaves

DIRECTIONS:1. For chicken, lightly spray Deep Covered Baker with oil using Kitchen Spritzer. Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken cavity. Rinse chicken with cold water; pat dry with paper towels. Trim excess fat using Professional Shears, if necessary. Tie ends of legs together with cotton string. Lift wing tips up toward neck, then tuck under back of chicken. Place chicken onto Cutting Board; brush with oil using Chef ’s Silicone Basting Brush.

2. For seasoning mixture, combine ingredients in (1-cup) Prep Bowl; mix well. Completely coat outside of chicken with seasoning mixture. Place chicken, breast side up, into baker.3. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 25-30 minutes or until Digital Pocket Thermometer registers 165°F in thickest part of breast and juices run clear. Remove from microwave. Cover with lid and let stand 10 minutes (temperature will rise to 170°F).Yield: 4-6 servings • Recipe Courtesy of www.pamperedchef.comNutrients per serving: Calories 490, Total Fat 29 g, Saturated Fat 8 g, Cholesterol 165 mg, Carbohydrate 2 g, Protein 52 g, Sodium 450 mg, Fiber 0 g

Thirty-Minute ChickenMavis Tackitt’s Pick

SantanaMcphersonward’sPick

AntipastiPull-Apart PizzaINGREDIENTS:• 2 tsp (10 mL) olive oil, divided• 2 pkg (11 oz) refrigerated French bread dough (see Cook’s Tip)• 1 jar (12 oz) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and patted dry (about 1¼ cups/300 mL)• 1, 8-oz (250 g) block mozzarella cheese

• 1 medium red bell pepper• ½ cup (125 mL) pitted ripe olives• 2 garlic cloves, pressed• ¼ tsp (1 mL) salt• ¼ tsp (1 mL) coarsely ground black pepper• 2 oz (60 g) parmesan cheese, divided Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

DIRECTIONS:1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Brush Large Round Stone with Handles with 1 tsp (5 mL) of

the oil. Place one package of the dough onto Large Grooved Cutting Board. Using a sawing motion,

cut dough in half lengthwise with Color Coated Bread Knife; slice each dough half crosswise into

16 half-moons for a total of 32 half-moons. Repeat with remaining dough. Arrange dough over

baking stone, leaving a ½-in. (1-cm) border around edge and spacing ½ in. (1 cm) apart; brush with

remaining oil. Bake 14-16 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

2. Meanwhile, for antipasti, coarsely chop artichokes with Food Chopper. Dice mozzarella cheese

into 1/2-in. (1-cm) cubes and dice bell pepper with Santoku Knife. Slice olives with Egg Slicer Plus®.

Combine artichokes, mozzarella cheese, bell pepper, olives, garlic pressed with Garlic Press, salt and

black pepper in Stainless (4-qt./4-L) Mixing Bowl; mix well.

3. Remove baking stone from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack. Using Rotary Grater, grate half of

the Parmesan cheese over crust; top with antipasti. Bake 5-7 minutes or until mozzarella cheese is

melted. Remove from oven; grate remaining Parmesan cheese over top and sprinkle with chopped

fresh parsley, if desired.

Yield: 16 servings • Recipe Courtesy of www.pamperedchef.com

Nutrients per serving: Calories 160, Total Fat 6 g, Saturated Fat 2.5 g, Cholesterol 10 mg,

Carbohydrate 21 g, Protein 8 g, Sodium 490 g, Fiber 1 g Cook’s Tips: If desired, 2 pkg (13.8 oz

or 283 g each) refrigerated pizza crust can be substituted for the refrigerated French bread dough.

LOVE OFCARLSBAD

The Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors for 2013-14 is Todd Hyden. Todd was

born and raised in Carlsbad and graduated from NMSU in 1985. He currently serves as Vice President of Pacesetter Pressure Pumping Inc. Todd has been married to Robyn for 21 years and they have two children. Cassy is in her senior year at ENMU and wants to attend law school at UNM after graduation. Their son, Tyler, is a freshman at UNM and plays football for the Lobos. Robyn is also the owner of Premier Real Estate Appraisals.

Todd’s love of Carlsbad and the Chamber is best expressed in the slogan for this year – Making Carlsbad better…one business at a time.

There is lots of excitement for the Chamber’s two new events for 2013-14! The first was the Business Expo & Job Fair which was held on October 17 from 4 to 8 pm at the Pecos River Village Conference Center. 35 businesses were on hand to showcase their businesses and to fill vacant positions within their companies. The second event is the Microbrewery Festival scheduled for May 10, 2014, on the grounds of the Pecos River Village Conference Center. Not only will there be beer, but also food and live music! Watch for more details!

We hope you will be able to participate in our not-to-be-missed holiday events! Christmas on the Pecos and the 3rd Annual Carlsbad Winter Wine Festival have become holiday traditions for Carlsbad residents and visitors alike! Christmas on the Pecos is November 29 through December 31 (except for Christmas Eve), and the Winter Wine Festival is Saturday, December 7, from noon to 6 pm at the Pecos River Village Conference Center. Contact the Chamber at 575-887-6516 or visit www.carlsbadchamber.com for more information.

The Hyden family, and the Chamber of Commerce Staff and Board of Directors wish you a Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

F O C U S on the chamber CARLSBAD TOURISMCHRISTMAS ON THE PECOS CELEBRATES 22ND SEASON

Winter in Carlsbad isn’t about snow, ice, or cold – it’s about warmth, the warmth of the holiday season and families coming together. Carlsbad, New Mexico is alive with the ultimate celebration of the season – Christmas on the Pecos.This magical vista is created by over 100 homeowners who spend hours decorating with care. Each house is unique – from the Christmas in the Desert southwest theme at one home to Santa’s Playland at another. Carlsbad residents show their creativity as much as their community pride. Each year the Pecos riverfront shimmers with color, illuminated backyards, boat docks, islands, wise men and angels glowing on sloping lawns, giant margarita glasses and bright stars reflecting on the water.The 45-minute boat tours sail 12-15 times per night between 5:15 pm and 9:45 pm, from Thanksgiving weekend to New Year’s Eve. The boats depart from the Pecos River Village located at 711 Muscatel. This turn-of-the-century park is transformed into a wonderland of sparkling lights and delights. Wander through a gallery of gifts created by local artists and enjoy holiday refreshments at the Village before and after your tour.Tickets may be purchased from 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday, at the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce, at the Christmas on the Pecos ticket office on days of departure, or on-line at www.christmasonthepecos.com. Space is limited and advance purchases are strongly suggested. Be sure to wear warm clothing; layers are best as it is cooler on the river. Blankets are provided by Nuclear Waste Partnership LLC and are available prior to boarding.Ticket prices for the 2013 season are: Adults $17.50 per person on Friday and Saturday, $12.50 per person Sunday through Thursday. Children ages 2-12 are $12.50 per person on Friday and Saturday, $7.50 per person Sunday through Thursday. Children under two are free if they do not occupy a seat. A lap pass must be obtained from the ticket office prior to boarding.Christmas on the Pecos has been awarded one of the top 100 “must see” events in North America by the American Bus Association for the last 14 years. For more information on the most spectacular show of Christmas lights in New Mexico, contact the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce.

Visit our website to book your reservation today – www.christmasonthepecos.com.

RETIRED VOLUNTEERS KEEP CARLSBADCOMMUNITY KITCHEN COOKINGRETIRE IN CARLSBAD

In the early 1990s, a group of pastors from the Carlsbad Ministerial Alliance worked to open a soup kitchen in Carlsbad. Due to their hard work and dedication, the Carlsbad Community Kitchen became a reality. The kitchen was originally located in the basement of the former St. Francis Hospital (currently home to the Carlsbad Police Department), and Teri Able became the chief cook and bottle washer and later, the manager. Helping feed the hungry, the homeless and less fortunate, the Community Kitchen is now located at 402 S. Alameda, a building owned by the City of Carlsbad.Today the kitchen is open from 11:00 am to 12:00 noon, Monday through Friday, with team leaders for each day of the week. The teams are made up of 6 to 7 volunteer retirees on each shift, and their ages range from 65 to 85 years of age. During the week, 25 to 30 dedicated retirees plan menus, cook, serve, stock supplies and clean up. The retiree who purchases supplies and does errands is 85 years old. I visited the kitchen on a Monday and was served delicious homemade soup, salad, cake and rolls by Irene Roberts, who has been a volunteer there for 20 years. The team served 107 people during the one hour period. No one goes away hungry and all are welcome.Funding for the Carlsbad Community Kitchen comes from various sources. St. Peter Lutheran Church sponsors a CROP Walk each year and 25% of the funds are donated to the kitchen. Eddy County, the Hubbard Foundation, and many individuals give donations to keep the kitchen operating. Albertsons, LaTienda and Walmart donate food. Two accounts are “set up” at the Carlsbad Community Foundation for donations as well.When a person retires, one of the first questions asked is “What are you going to do with your time?” The Carlsbad Community Kitchen and Landsun Homes’ Meals on Wheels are two organizations that need volunteers.Time is valuable – Volunteering is invaluable!

F O C U S on the chamber

WELCOME NEW CHAMBER MEMBERS!Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce is proud to welcome the following businesses as new members.

DESERT SUN INSPECTIONS575-706-5586

FAMILIA DENTAL2330 W. Pierce St.

FUEGO WIRELESS575-748-1241

HARVEY & SIMONS CPA’S, LLC302 N. Canal St.

ITALIAN VILLA, LLC1000 S. Canyon St.

KingSolarNM575-887-0606

MITCHELL-CRUSE ARCHITECTURE, LLC1092 N. Canal St., Suite A

MOLZEN CORBIN & ASSOCIATION, INC400-1 Cascades Ave.

OAKLEY FINANCIALADVISORS, LLC121 S. Canal St.

PACESETTER PRESSURE PUMPING, INC.3510 Seven Rivers Hwy.

PREMIER-APPRAISALS575-885-4917

QUALITY JANITORIAL1004 W. Mermod

THE HAGERMAN HOUSE112 W. Hagerman St.

TRINITY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 111 S. Mesquite

CARLSBAD FAMILY HEALTH CENTERCarlsbad Family Health Center/Presbyterian Medical Services, located at 2013 San Jose Blvd., hosted a Business-After-Hours on Thursday, September 5. There was food, fun, and an opportunity to meet staff!

COURTESY SPORTING & PAWNWith the help of friends, family, and the Chamber Ambassadors, Courtesy Sporting & Pawn celebrated the opening of their new location at 1095 N. Canal (the North Y) on August 24.

YOUR CHAMBER STAFF

DESERT HILLS ELECTRIC SUPPLYThe Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors welcomed Desert Hills Electric Supply to Carlsbad with a ribbon cutting on August 27. Desert Hills Electric Supply is located at 110 E. McKay Street.

ROBERT DEFER, Chief Executive [email protected]

BRENDA WHITEAKER, Director of [email protected]

LISA BOEKE, Director of Marketing & [email protected]

JANELL WHITLOCK, Director of [email protected]

DONNA CASS, Senior Admin. [email protected]

JELENA DUARTE, Admin. Assist./BPA [email protected]

RANDY BAKER, Director of Facility [email protected]

JESUS TORRES, Facility MaintenanceJOE MARTINEZ, Facility Maintenance

PARTICIPATINGBUSINESSES2013 BUSINESSEXPO & JOB FAIR• CARC, Inc.• Carlsbad Current-Argus• Carlsbad Insurance Agency• Carlsbad Medical Center• Carlsbad National Bank• Chapman’s Restaurant• Cimarex Energy Co.• CMO Services• Comfort Keepers• Constructors, Inc.• Deans, Inc.• Denton Wood Funeral Home• Durham & Associates Architects, Inc.• Financial Security Credit Union• Fuego Wireless• Garden Mart • Good Life Senior Living• Habitat for Humanity Carlsbad Area• Harvey & Simons, CPA’s LLC• Homecare Connection & Hospice• Intrepid Potash• KingSolarNM • Lakeview Christian Home• Landsun Homes• Newberry’s Designs Unlimited• NMSU-Carlsbad• Pioneer Bank• Safe Workplaces – Carlsbad Comm. Anti-Drug/Gang Coalition• Small Business Development Center• Tate Branch Autoplex• Trinity Christian Academy• Western Commerce Bank


F O C U S business directory

TO ADVERTISE IN FOCUS ON CARLSBADCALL LILLY ANAYA AT 575.302.0815or email: [email protected]

320 W Mermod | 575.885.9199 | Toll Free 866.545.0371

Home Care from the Heart





MAILING & PACKING SERVICES

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Tony's Music Center

Mon-Fri 10am-7pm • Sat 10am-6pm605 W. Mermod • Carlsbad, N. M. 88220

575-885-7863

OPEN 10-5 MON-FRI & 10-4 SATURDAY

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"Success in life has nothing to do with

what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It's what

you do for others."- Danny �omas As the largest producer

of potash in the United States, Intrepid Potash is a fast-growing mining company with a reputation for safety, innovation and the investment of millions of dollars in technology—and talent. We’re committed to developing unique and environmentally sound ways of extracting minerals of global importance to agriculture and industry.

© 2012 NAS(Media: delete copyright notice)

Focus on Carlsbad3.875 x 5.1254-color

Stewardship to our communities

www.intrepidpotash.com

Online at carlsbad.nmsu.eduGive us a call at 575.234.9200or visit the campus today.

NMSU Carlsbad - Building brighter futures together.

START YOUR FUTURE TODAY!47 Certificate and Associates Degrees,

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Programs include nursing, digital media,manufacturing and building trades,automotive tech and engineering.

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Khadija Mamsa, M.D., and Jawairia Shakil, M.D., are committed to helping their patients live healthier lives.

They provide preventive care, offer checkups, treat illnesses, and work closely with adult patients to manage

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history and unique healthcare needs. Dr. Mamsa and Dr. Shakil are both welcoming new patients, and same-

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Jawairia Shakil, M.D.Internal Medicine

Khadija Mamsa, M.D.Internal Medicine

Personalized care for your health and well-being.

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