Artists Susan and Scott Goewey with Georgia Stacy to show at Otero Artspace beginning this Friday
On the First Friday of the month, May 6, from 5 – 7 pm, Otero Arts will host a reception for Susan Goewey, weaver and painter along with her husband Scott Goewey, potter. Also showing with the couple is Georgia Stacy sculptor and ceramist. The Artspace is located at the corner of 12th St. and Indiana Ave. in Alamogordo. The exhibit will be open from 1 to 4pm Thursday through Sunday until the show closes on May 31st.
Susan Goewey has been a spinner, weaver, dyer and painter for over 40 years. Her work reflects her closeness to nature.
Scott Goewey creates sculptural pottery that draws the viewer to want to touch and hold the pieces.
Georgia Stacy is a sculptural woodworker and ceramist. Her carvings tell of the human experience. Her ceramics lend themselves to stimulate our imagination.
We hope you will join Otero Artspace at the Womens Club 1118 Indiana Avenue, Alamogordo
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New York Avenue’s Cultural Arts and History District via New York Avenue Art and Music Studio and Roadrunner Emporium, Otero Artspace. and other unique business interests, are helping to foster the growth of artisans, artists’, and entrepreneurs. Another important mission of this district’s success in building a bridge of culture to commerce, is the support to local authors via book launches, author showcases, author workshops and assistance in marketing and showcasing of local authors.
Over the last several months a plethora of authors have been featured and/or conducted “meet the author events” and have scheduled book signings. Others have conducted readings at the venues of New York Avenue and at Otero Arts on Indiana Avenue, and yet another new publication of grand quality to rival New Mexico Magazine has launched, off of Alamogordo’s New York Avenue, “Southeastern New Mexico’s Influence Magazine.”
Alamogordo has a variety of stories to tell from a variety of sources and viewpoints. Recently showcased authors offered a spectrum of pros from factual history to children’s books, faith based, fictional snippets and short stores and self-help to a magazine that celebrates culture and diversity.
Local authors of recent include…
Josette Herrell
Local Historian and Tularosa Basin Museum Board Member Josette Herrell is a newly published author of children’s stories. Her first work to appear on New York Avenue is titled “Timmy’s Big Adventure.” The illustrations to this wonderfully fun children’s book were completed by local artist Diana Sill who is known locally for her “Create the Great Masterpiece” Classes she conducts monthly at Roadrunner Emporium and other locations within the region. Ms. Josette Herrell has lived in Southern New Mexico since 1948. When a relative sent her an old box of family photos, she started putting pictures and stories together. Knowing those stories could be lost to future generations, she decided to write a book about family. Her first “family” book was published in 2019. Although Timmy’s Big Adventure is a children’s bool based on a family event. At the age of 81, Ms. Herrell continues to enjoy writing family books and supporting the history of Alamogordo. Ms. Herrell’s passion for history is on display daily when visiting New York Avenue as much of the preservation of its history and stories is thanks to her commitment to the Alamogordo community.
BJ Oquist
Barbara J Oquist grew up on 120 acres of farmland in Missouri. This acreage she explains was truly a “family farm” meaning it was complete with a garden, pets, farm animals and more. As an adult she worked for the state of Minnesota for 26 years. After her and her husband’s retirement they relocated to New Mexico to enjoy the sunshine and natural wonders of the southwest. Between her and her husband they have 5 children and eleven grandchildren. She was inspired to write a children’s book after attending a writing group at Christ Community Church. Her locally marketed book is titled, “Farmer Jon’s Very Special Team.” Her first array into the world of children’s books is a charming fictional children’s book in which two horses fall in love and is based upon a team of horses that Oquist’s father owned when she was a child. She told the Alamogordo New in an interview, “he got them when they were young, and it talks a little bit about their training process and some of the things he learned along the way while he was training them.” Mrs. Oquist’s book was also illustrated by Alamogordo artist Diana Sill.
Dennis Swift
Locals in Alamogordo may remember Dennis Swift for when he was a student at Alamogordo High. During Dennis’s tenure at Alamogordo High, he won multiple Cross Country and Track and Field medals over the years and received multiple academic awards including recognition in the National Honor Society. Today, Dennis Swift is the pastor of the Church of All Nations in Portland Oregon He regularly guides group tours of South American archaeological sites. Dennis received multiple degrees including his B.A. and M. Div. from Point Loma Nazarene University and his Th.D. from the University of South Africa. He pursued Indian studies at the University of New Mexico and Western New Mexico University. Dennis has pursued archaeological work in Peru, Bolivia, Mexico, Cambodia, Turkmenistan, Israel, and the American Southwest. He has traveled to Peru over a dozen times. Dennis gained national notoriety for his book, “Secrets of the Ica Stones and Nazca Lines” available online and locally on New York Avenue at the Roadrunner Emporium.
The thesis of the book is Proof that Dinosaurs and Man Lived Together. It is a fascinating collection of information obtained from ancient Peruvian cultural artifacts which offers a theory that men and dinosaurs lived together in South American within the last 2,000 years. The author, Dennis Swift, first came upon the Ica Stones more than thirty years ago; he was tempted to dismiss the stones because he had been taught that men and dinosaurs had missed each other by about 65 million years. However, their presence in Peruvian museums intrigued him. The stones in the museums show carvings of men and various animals, including extinct fish and llamas, and dinosaurs. Although the carvings are supposed to be hundreds or thousands of years old, the detailed positions and features of the dinosaurs were not known to modern science until recently. Dennis with his theory has been featured in many media outlets including Coast to Coast AM and with William Shatner on the Discovery Channel & National Geographic’s, Weird or What!
Robert M. Pollack
Locally some know Robert M. Pollack for his musical CD’s of gospel songs, others for his evangelism and others for his writings. Roadrunner Emporium on New York Avenue and a host of other area businesses offer the works of Mr. Pollack. Mr. Pollack was born on November 1st, 1944, in Oakland California to Manuel and Julietta Pollack, and he was raised in Albuquerque New Mexico. Robert was number 13 of a family of 15. He graduated from Albuquerque High school in 1963 and joined the Air Force that same year. He spent time in Viet Nam, all over Southeast Asia, Europe, and Egypt, as well as numerous places in the United States. Robert retired from the Air Force in 1983. He received Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior in 1980 and was baptized with The Holy Spirit while on tour in Egypt. He speaks and also writes in tongues. He’s turned his spiritual writings into an art form. He loves the written word. Robert writes and sings his own songs where ever the Lord leads him. He has written around 750 songs. Robert has eight children, six Grand Children and 17 Great Grand Children, and still counting. He is married to Concepcion Pollack.
Mr. Pollack’s book available at Roadrunner Emporium is titled, The Sixth- and Seventh-Day Man, A Trilogy.”
This trilogy of 3 books in one begins Book One: The Time of Adam and Eve…
In chapter 1 of the book of Genesis, God the Father creates a male and a female and blesses them and tells them to go out and replenish the world. He gives them everything His hands have created. These people of the Father God almost destroy themselves and create a weapon that, when discharged, covers the earth with a thick cloud and pigments their skin white. God the Father rests on the seventh day. In chapter 2 of the book of Genesis, the Lord God forms a man on the seventh day, places him in a garden, and forbids him from eating of the tree of life. When Adam and Eve are cast out of the garden, they come face-to-face with the Sixth Day Man. The Seventh-Day Man Adam and his wife Eve, their children, and their decedents are dark skinned and clash with the white race of the Sixth Day people. Adam and Eve, who were formed on the Seventh Day by the Lord God, live on the Land of Adam where gopher wood grows. The Sixth-Day Man lives in the city of Eden, which is ruled by Emperor Rama Dan Doo. They worship the god Ramah. Adam and Eve worship the Lord God.
Book Two: The Time of Enoch
This book continues the battles that the descendants of Adam and Eve must endure because of the color of their skin and their love for the Lord God. They are enslaved and treated horribly by the white-skinned people of the world. The city of Eden and the great city of Enoch are built on the backs of the children of Adam and Eve.
Book Three: The Time of Noah
The days of Noah mirrors our time in brutality and crime. The book is set into the future with anti-gravitational vehicles called click-clacks and carts. Noah and his wife, who is his sister, along with his father and grandfather, return to the Land of Adam, and God tells him to build an ark. When Noah tells the world what God has planned, he and his family are laughed at, but Noah continues to build with help. He has encounters with Satan, who tries to discourage him. This book may be a bit intense for the younger readers. The scriptural verses in The Sixth- and Seventh-Day Man are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.
Rochelle Willams
Rochelle Williams is an accomplished published writer of short stories and snippets that have been printed on a variety of forums. In partnership with Otero Arts and the New York Avenue business of Roadrunner Emporium Ms. Willams’ first complete book a collection of snippets is about to come to life. The book entitled, “Acts of Love and Ruin” will be publicly released on April 30th. “Rochelle Williams is a writer with remarkable talent. She weaves the emotional lives of her characters with a palette of words that results in a true literary art form. Her stories range over life in the way a painter would range over a canvas–brilliant and colorful with striking designs. Here is an author everyone should read. A fine collection of stories.” Mark Conking -Author of Prairie Dog Blues and Killer Whale Blues
Rochelle Williams lives in southern New Mexico. Her fiction and poetry have appeared in, Chokecherries, Desert Exposure, Earthships: A New Mecca Poetry Collection, Menacing Hedge, The MacGuffin, Packingtown Review, and other journals. Her fiction has won two Southwest Writers Workshop competitions, Recursos de Santa Fe’s Discovery Reading Series, and Women on Writing’s Spring 2020 Flash Fiction contest. She holds an MFA in fiction from Vermont College of Fine Arts and is working on a novel about the French early modernist painter, Pierre Bonnard. In addition to writing Ms. Williams is a photographer. Rochelle Williams’ photograph titled “Winter, Half-Moon Bay” was featured along with multiple other artists works, recently at the Otero ArtSpace Winter Showcase of regional artists.
Chris Edwards & Rene Sepulveda
Authors, Chris Edwards and Rene Sepulveda have created a partnership of written works around the athletic programs of Alamogordo High School. The central character to their book series is Coach Bob Sepulveda and his success as the winningest coach in Alamogordo History. However, the book series digs into the years prior to Sepulveda’s arrival to include the formation of interscholastic sports in Alamogordo in 1912 to present day. In addition to the history of Alamogordo sports this team of authors has crafted books around the world of positivity as a self-help series titled, “90 Days to a Glass Half Full Lifestyle”, the team also have crafted several books around self-publishing, a public policy book on government overreach in licensing and is finalizing a book on social media marketing.
Meike Schwarz and Cedric Fisher, editor, and publisher of Southeastern New Mexico’s Influence Magazine
Meike Schwarz, editor, has been a real estate professional for over 23 years, 10 years as owner/broker of Welcome Home Realty on New York Avenue, Alamogordo. In 2021, Meike embarked on a new venture combining her love for people and storytelling: becoming editor of Southeastern New Mexico’s INFLUENCE Magazine. Meike hopes to highlight the best and brightest community leaders, business icons, and diversity figures both inside and beyond Alamogordo.
Cedric D. Fisher, publisher, is a 40-year career publishing executive, a leading publishing authority, author, and instructor having lead publishing operations in New York City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and San Antonio. Cedric’s a professional speaker, and he and his team also conduct online writing and publishing workshops. He is the CEO and founder of Cedric D Fisher & Company Publishers.
Launched from New York Avenue, Alamogordo, Southeastern New Mexico’s Influence Magazine mission is to elevate the influential forces in Southeastern New Mexico arenas to promote diverse agendas with multimedia features on family, business development, culture, economic development and environmental awareness, fashion, music, religion, inspiration, and educational, artistic, and technological achievements, supplier/workforce diversity and business development. The inaugural issue was launched in January. The April/May issue is soon to be released with a planned community release party scheduled for St Patrick’s Day, March 17th at Roadrunner Emporium, 928 New York Avenue. This release party will showcase the wonders of the newest edition, live music and green libations will be served and more.
Each of the books and magazine showcased above are available at Roadrunner Emporium on New York Avenue.
New York Avenue is fast becoming the rededicated crossroads to cultural arts, history and commerce. Come on down and support the hundreds of local small business entrepreneurs, artisans and AUTHORS represented in the variety of shops on Alamogordo’s Main Street New York Avenue. Alamogordo’s New York Avenue is Alamogordo Main Street.
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AlamogordoTownNews.com Celebrates Black History Months with its series, “The Spirts of Delaware Street, Alamogordo, New Mexico”. This article is the story of Alamogordo High Schools first black female coach and its very first state title in Girls Interscholastic Sports…
Many residents of Alamogordo, who have been in the community since the late 60’s, recognize the Scott name, for their visible community leadership within the Black community of the 60s, 70s and 80s. All the family was involved in various aspects of community and the educational community at large.
Ms. Scott’s father, a former military officer, was a pioneer at Alamogordo high school as a strict but compassionate guidance counselor. Her sister was respected and recognized for her many achievements including exceptionalism with the National Forensic League Speech and Debate Oratory events.
Debra Scott came up in the educational system during a period when women’s athletics were not funded by the schools and the only outlet for competition for girls was via the GAA (Girls Athletics Association.) In those days most girls’ athletics was not funded as part of the traditional school funding, The girls and their coaches had to do fundraising to fund the sports activities they participated in. Events held were limited in the sports offerings for girls.
As an example, Coach Bob Sepulveda re-created the White Sands Relays which in the 1950’s Coach Rolla Buck founded.
The first revamped White Sands Relay Race was in 1970 and was only for men. The second White Sands Relay was hosted in 1972. The second annual meet was opened to girls in 3 events, thanks to the encouragement of Coach Marilyn Sepulveda, to open it up to the girls. The second meet was opened to girls for 3 events and expanded drastically in subsequent years post GAA under Title 9.
GAA or meets under the Girls Athletic Association did not have the same prestige of interscholastic of the modern times of today but the competitors that did compete were fierce and created record times that would stand against any today.
Debbie Scott as a student athlete at Alamogordo High was one of those record holders and girls with significant promise in her athletic, and academic abilities under the mentorship of Coach Marilyn Sepulveda and others.
Coach Scott told the Alamogordo News in a May 15th, 1974, article that; “she began running in the 4th Grade and has not stopped since. She claimed when Grayland Walsh tried to kiss her on the playground she learned to run and one year later was beating the boys in the 100-yard dash.”
Note: she was such a great runner that Coach’s Bob Sepulveda who coached the boys track team and Coach Marilyn Sepulveda who coached the girls’ teams agreed to allow her to train with the boys when running.
When researching the book; Coach Bob Sepulveda, The Early Days published by 2nd Life Media the author tells of many of the “boys of that time praised Debbie Scott.” Several boys said, “she used to embarrass them by how fast she was compared to them.” They said they’d get back to the locker room and they would get a ribbing about Debbie “whooping them, not only in speed but also in form.”
She often came in 1st in Elementary School relays and for the many years to follow in high school and college. She was a natural winner and had the discipline and passion for excellence.
She earned her 1st of 4 Presidential Physical fitness patches in the 6th grade and continued a tradition of winning thereafter.
Her parents enrolled her in dance lessons for 13 years and in piano lessons for 9 years. She continued learning dance for years after and teaching dancercise classes in the high school later in her career. Those students in reflecting, remembered this many years later, the Jane Fonda style dancercise classes conducted by Ms. Scott were unique, innovative and “great fun under Coach Debbie’s leadership.” Coach Bob Sepulveda said that “Debbie’s dancercise classes and his weight classes were the most popular offerings ever offered by the PE department” at least that is during his 30 plus year tenure at Alamogordo High School.
“It takes a lot of time to be good at something and you have to be willing to sacrifice your social life for something you feel you’ll get just as much satisfaction out of”, she was quoted as saying to the Alamogordo News. Coach Scott believed the good outweighs the bad in athletics.
It allowed her to travel the country, meet many great people and gain accolades and confidence that she was able to pass to her students years later based upon her performance of excellence.
In 1973 in college, she went to the AAU nationals and was selected to the women’s All American Track Team. She held the state record for college level women in the 220-yard dash at 24.5 for several years and was rated 4th best in the nation in long jump in 1974.
An All-America team is a hypothetical American sports team composed of outstanding student players. These players are broadly considered by media and other relevant commentators as the best positional players in a particular sport, for a specific season.
Debbie Scott was the first female athlete to graduate from Alamogordo High School to gain that status as an “All American Track and Field Athlete.”
The designation of “All American” is administered by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association. The selection rules are that the top eight finishers in each individual event, as well as American competitors who finish outside the top eight in their event but are among the top eight of the American finishers in an event, earn All-America designation. She qualified for her excellence in two events: the long jump and the 220-yard dash.
Her advice to other female athletes was, “If you have got talent or are just interested in sports, you should take advantage of the opportunities for women everywhere you can.”
While a student at Alamogordo High she competed in the last year GAA existed. She won multiple awards and medals placing often in the 100-yard dash, long jump, and other events. She ran often as an independent woman with the Duke City Dashers Running Club and set records in the Mile Relay and the 220.
Debbie Scott ran on a relay team with Alamogordo alumni Carolyn Patterson and Julia Fultz ranking 2nd at a Northern Colorado Invitational while attending New Mexico State University. New Mexico State University had 4 alumni of Alamogordo Girls Track & Field Team that competed: Debbie Scott, Carolyn Patterson, Julie Fultz, and Vicki Murray.
Upon graduation from college Debbie Scott was hired by the Alamogordo school system to teach and to coach. She would ultimately lead Alamogordo girls’ teams in Volleyball and in assisting Coach Marilyn Sepulveda in Track & Field to great success.
The early 70s was a transitional year for Alamogordo Girls Sports and for Debbie Scott who as an Alumni and then re-joined Alamogordo High School, but now as a teacher and a coach.
The passage of Title IX, the 1972 Education Amendments to the Civil Rights Act, expanded high school athletic opportunities to include girls, revolutionizing mass sports participation in the United States. Organized sports have long been an integral part of the American high school experience for boys. However, the same has not been historically true for girls. Indeed, girls only began playing sports in large numbers after the passage of legislation mandating gender equity in schools.
The first regulation stipulating the procedures for the implementation of Title IX were not released until June 1975. Some schools began interpreting and implementing Title IX prior to June of 1975.
Alamogordo High was one such school system that progressively moved forward with implementation prior to the full Federal rules rollout. From the 1950’s through the late 1970’s Alamogordo High School was considered “aprogressive front runner in leading social change and a model for school systems across the country.”
Teacher and Coach Debbie Scott was named Head Volleyball Coach the 2nd year after girls’ interscholastic volleyball was introduced at Alamogordo High School.
She was the first African American Woman to lead a sports program in Alamogordo High School since organized sports began in 1912.
But that would not be her only first.
Under Coach Debbie Scott the Alamogordo Girls Volleyball team that she coached was the first of any girls’ sports team to achieve the status of winning a state title. Under her leadership the first state title in girls’ athletics for Alamogordo High School was achieved….
Marylin Sepulveda as track and field coach was the first to bring state trophies home placing 2nd place several times prior but it was Debbie Scott that broke the glass ceiling and brought home the 1st Red Trophy or 1st Place State Title in Girls Sports to Alamogordo…
Alamogordo Girls Volleyball team wins the State 1979/80 School Year
“Alamogordo Girls Volleyball team wins the state competition in Santa Fe” read the local sports headlines.
Girls Volleyball Coach Debbie Scott was incredibly pleased that her girls who placed 2nd in the district meet then showed what they had, and came through, to win the state competition with a 1st Place showing a week later in the class AAAA girl’s tournament.
The tournament was deep, in steep competition, as their first round they drew state champion Santa Fe and were expected to lose. The Santa Fe Coach had said in a television interview the day prior that, “we will sail easily through the opening round against Alamogordo.”
With Debbie Scott coaching and rallying the girls forward,” the Alamogordo Tiger Girls roared and knocked Santa Fe right out of the action.”
The final round they competed against Albuquerque Eldorado for the championship. The Tiger girls took the first game by a narrow margin of 15 to 11.
The 2nd game was even closer 16 to 14 but they won it and walked away with the state title.
Coach Debbie Scott was thrilled to receive the NM State Title Trophy at a hastily called assembly of the school and her girls that Monday morning. Many of the volleyball girls went on to play girls basketball the same year.
The girls that competed that very special weekend under the direction of Coach Debbie Scott had no way of knowing then that they were shattering glass ceilings, breaking the barriers of race and gender that once existed with the simple act of a volley across a net in Santa Fe.
A record of firsts places Debbie Scott into the books of Alamogordo History.
Coach and Educator Debbie Scott would continue at Alamogordo for several more years in leading the Volleyball team to victories and assisting with Marilyn Sepulveda as the assistant track and field coach for the Tiger girls and eventually also lead them with Mrs. Sepulveda to State title history.
Debbie Scott was and remains a pioneer of black history but more importantly a leader, an example and a pioneer in gender equality and the overall history of Alamogordo.
Ms. Scott now an educator, in another state, remains a recognized leader, an accomplished athlete and a name embedded into the annual’s fabric of Alamogordo history for eternity.
Black history is our history and the history that includes all of us!
This is one of the many tales of Alamogordo Sports History and Alamogordo Black History from our AlamogordoTownNews.com Series – “The Spirts of Delaware Street, Alamogordo, New Mexico”.
Author Chris Edwards – Sources: Coach Bob Sepulveda: The Early Days, Publisher 2nd Life Media, New Mexico Athletic Association, Diaries of Marilyn Sepulveda, Alamogordo Town News, New Mexico Coaches Association Archives
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Alamogordo Girls Interscholastic Track and Field Program began in 1972 under the leadership of Coach Marilyn Sepulveda. Under her leadership she brought home the first State Track and Field Titles for either the Boys or Girls Team in 1982 when there were only 4 divisions. She won the division AAAA State titled in 1982. Following upon the legacy she built of a sound program the team won a state title again in 1990. Leading the team that season was coach Joe Jaramillo who had been an assistant to Coach Marilyn Sepulveda. The team won the victory in 1990 in honor of Coach Marilyn Sepulveda who died of cancer in 1989. Several of her athletes carried the banner in 1990 in her honor and eventually the prestigious Coach Marilyn Sepulveda Invitational State Qualifying Meet was created in her honor.
The Alamogordo Girls went on to win a state title again in 2017 under Coach Jason Atkinson. Coach Atkinson again proceeded to carry his team this unusually difficult post Covid-19 year to a second title under his leadership winning the girls state title today for 2021. Great job Coach Atkinson!!!
The Western Sky Community Care Class 5A Girls State Track & Field Championships awarded Alamogordo Tiger Girls with the first place title with a score of 79.50, second place went to La Cueva with 53 points and the third place trophy went to Sandia with 51 points.
The High Point athlete for the day was Adriana Tatum, Sandia with 19 points.
Alamogordo High School began an organized sports program in 1912 for Caucasian boys offering PE, Track & Field and Basketball and Football. In 1913, the authorities of the University of New Mexico believing that one of the great needs of the High Schools of the state was an opportunity to meet, at least once a year in athletic and other contests, organized the University of New Mexico Track Athletic Association. A track meet was held in the spring of that year at Albuquerque, and two high schools, Santa Fe and Albuquerque contested for the banner.
Although the beginning was small, a great deal of interest from across the state was aroused.
Alamogordo High School won its first state medals in 1916/17 School Year and they were in Track and Field via the High Jump and the Triple Jump.
AlamogordoHigh School boys won the first State Title under Coach Rolla Buck the year that Alamogordo integrated with High School with African American and Hispanic Athletes in 1951.
The results of the State Competition winners include…
Bobby Lee, 1st Place, 100 Yard Dash, 9.8
Bobby Lee, 1st Place,220 Yard Dash, 21.21.6
Bobby Lee, 1st Place, Long Jump, 21’-01.375
Norman Kinder, 1st Place, Pole Vault, 10’-10.50”
Benny Garcia, 1st Place. Javelin, 193’-01.325
The Alamogordo Tigers Track and Field Team of 1951/52 smashed the competition at the state finals of that year.
They took and won the state competition with 48.5 points. Albuquerque High, the 1951 State Champion scored 21.5 points less for a 2nd place finish of 27 points.
Lee in addition to setting 2 state records personally scored 24 ¾ points. He broke the state records in the 100-yard dash by .2 seconds and the 220 by .8 seconds better than the record.
Lee was also 3rd Place in Shot Put
Benny Garcia shattered the state record in Javelin 11’ 3 ⅛” of 5 state records; the Tigers broke 3 of them.
Norman Kinder Placed 1st in Pole Vault with 10’-10.50”
Ed McAlpine, 2nd Place. in the state competition in Javelin behind Garcia.
Bobby Fritz, 3rd Place, Broad Jump
In the sprints in addition to the 1st Place wins of Bobby Lee, Oliver Lee, 4th Place 180 Low Hurdles.
The 880 Yard Relay Team consisting of Henderson, Fritz, O Lee and Bobby Lee placed with a 3rd place medal.
Benny Garcia shattered the state record in Javelin 11’ 3 ⅛” of 5 state records; the Tigers broke 3 of them.
Norman Kinder, 1st Place, Pole Vault, 10’-10.50”
Benny Garcia went on to join the 1956 Olympics…
Alamogordo continued a winning tradition of building a strong track and field team and under Coach Bob Sepulveda the Boys won state titles in 1985, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 and under Coach Joe Bryant in 2007.
The Alamogordo Boys did a fine showing this difficult 2021 year continuing the tradition of bringing home individual medals to Alamogordo from the State.
The Alamogordo Boys finished 7th overall this post Covid 5A Track and Field Championships
Congratulations to these young men for their commitment and determination to carry on a tradition of Tiger success.
Congratulations to ALL of the athletes that competed this most difficult season, you are each winners and demonstrate the best of New Mexico pride!
To learn more of the history of Alamogordo Track and Field check out Coach Robert Sepulveda The Early Days Book 1 – part of a 3 part book series on Alamogordo Athletics and its history from 1912 to 1976 is Available at Roadrunner Emporium, 928 New York Avenue, Alamogordo, New Mexico or on Amazon and available in 36 countries. Book 2 the Alamogordo Track and Field History and all district and state title holders named from 1976 to 1996 will be available soon!
Some video highlights of the Alamogordo Track and Field 2021 Season and heading to the state meet!<!– EMBEDDED YOUTU.BE URL: https://youtu.be/MeOik5IuLkA –>
Alamogordo Girls WIN MEET! Tiger Boys finish 2nd at Cleveland Invitational in Rio Rancho
Complete Results by competition…
Name School Seed Finals Points
1 Ellary Alamogordo H 12:17.07 12:31.20 7
2 Najar, Vanesa Alamogordo H 12:33.20 13:16.87 5
Event 2 Boys 3200 Meter Run ======================================================================== Name Year School Seed Finals Points
1 Rael, Nathias Sue Clevelan 10:50.00 10:47.27 7
2 Ross, Colin Sue Clevelan 10:57.62 11:18.67 5
3 Miller, Tobias Sue Clevelan 11:00.00 11:31.63 4
4 Dawes, Caiden Sue Clevelan 11:10.00 x11:45.03
5 Sisneros, Santos Belen High S 11:27.87 12:48.31 3
6 Hallbeck, Jack Alamogordo H 12:21.19 12:57.63 2
7 Padilla, Matias Belen High S 12:41.50 13:11.49
Girls 4×100 Meter Relay ========================================================================School Seed Finals Points
1 Alamogordo High School ‘A’ 50.78 51.47 10
2 Sue Cleveland High School ‘A’ 53.10 52.55 8
3 Pojoaque Valley High School ‘A’ 1:03.95 53.16 6
4 Belen High School ‘A’ 56.31 56.22
Event 4 Boys 4×100 Meter Relay ======================================================================== School Seed Finals Points
1 Sue Cleveland High School ‘A’ 43.05 43.63 10
2 Belen High School ‘A’ 46.32 45.60 8
3 Alamogordo High School ‘A’ 45.23 45.70 6
4 Pojoaque Valley High School ‘A’ 47.60 46.45 4
Event 5 Girls 100 Meter Hurdles ========================================================================Name Year School Seed Finals Points
1 Duchene, Kaelan Alamogordo H 16.99 17.87 7
2 Goodmacher, Abigail Sue Clevelan 16.29 18.27 5
3 Riordan, Anna Alamogordo H 17.84 19.20 4
4 Soe, Saung Alamogordo H 19.66 20.77 3
5 Castillo, Sofia Belen High S 19.73 21.05 2
6 Fillmore, Marie Alamogordo H 22.70 x22.55
7 Martinez, Monroe Pojoaque Val 24.04 27.30 1
Event 6 Boys 110 Meter Hurdles ========================================================================Name Year School Seed Finals H# Points
1 Avila, Antonio Sue Clevelan 18.00 15.72 2 7
2 Kotter, Gabe Alamogordo H 17.29 17.69 2 5
3 Shendo, Devonte Sue Clevelan 17.60 17.97 2 4
4 Wallace, William Sue Clevelan 19.25 18.47 2 3
5 Sell, Zack Alamogordo H 17.65 19.15 2 2
6 Griego, Elijah Sue Clevelan 19.52 x20.19 2
7 Padilla, Alan Pojoaque Val 21.16 21.39 1 1
8 Hidalgo, Marques Belen High S 23.74 24.35 1
9 Benavidez, Julian Belen High S 25.31 1
10 Ortiz, Aiden Pojoaque Val 28.56 1
Event 7 Girls 100 Meter Dash ======================================================================== Name Year School Seed Finals H# Points
1 Martin, Justyse Alamogordo H 12.58 13.22 2 7
2 Thomas, Sydney Alamogordo H 13.30 13.75 2 5
3 Quintana, Alicia Pojoaque Val 12.59 13.97 2 4
4 Mamuya, Nia Sue Clevelan 13.28 14.18 2 3
5 Shaw, Haley Alamogordo H 13.79 14.36 2 2
6 Jamerson, Arianna Sue Clevelan 14.00 14.37 1 1
7 Quintana, Sonya Pojoaque Val 13.20 14.61 2
8 Dannenberg, Ashley Sue Clevelan 14.20 14.62 1
9 Horn, Danialle Sue Clevelan 14.03 x14.75 1
10 Gomez, Analyssa Pojoaque Val 15.56 15.55 1
11 Maez, Martina Pojoaque Val 16.04 x15.97 1
12 Dalmas, Charlie Mae Alamogordo H
13.97 x16.00 2 13 Chavez, Emma Belen High S 16.19 1
Event 8 Boys 100 Meter Dash ========================================================================Name Year School Seed Finals H# Points
1 Wysong, Evan Sue Clevelan 11.51 11.86 2 7
2 West, Brandon Sue Clevelan 11.88 11.93 2 5
3 Sanchez, Nathan Belen High S 11.60 12.15 2 4
4 Tuttle, Evert Belen High S 11.83 12.29 2 3
5 Meloy Chavez, Anthon Pojoaque Val 11.79 12.4
6 2 2 6 Matinez, Diego Pojoaque Val 12.71 12.49 1 1
7 Tibbs, Sam Belen High S 11.78 12.65 2
8 Dodd, Ethan Sue Clevelan 11.89 12.70 1
9 Barraza, Ezequiel Alamogordo H 11.84 12.89 2
10 Wedlow, Amarius Alamogordo H 11.94 12.92 1
11 Surpris, Christian Alamogordo H 12.14 13.09 1
12 Vasquez, Jesse Belen High S x13.37 1 — Murphy, David Sue Clevelan 11.61 DQ 2
Event 9 Girls 4×800 Meter Relay ========================================================================School Seed Finals Points
1 Alamogordo High School ‘A’ 10:35.92 11:06.04 10
2 Sue Cleveland High School ‘A’ 11:59.20 8
3 Belen High School ‘A’ 12:10.64 6
Event 10 Boys 4×800 Meter Relay ========================================================================School Seed Finals Points
1 Sue Cleveland High School ‘A’ 8:41.49 8:59.29 10
2 Alamogordo High School ‘A’ 9:12.00 9:31.42 8
3 Pojoaque Valley High School ‘A’ 10:30.02 10:28.07 6
4 Belen High School ‘A’ 11:14.69 4
Event 11 Girls 4×200 Meter Relay ======================================================================== School Seed Finals Points
1 Alamogordo High School ‘A’ 1:49.28 1:47.13 10
2 Sue Cleveland High School ‘A’ 1:54.32 1:54.72 8 3
Belen High School ‘A’ 1:59.87 2:00.93 6 4 Pojoaque Valley High School ‘A’ 2:13.38 2:17.53 4
Event 12 Boys 4×200 Meter Relay ======================================================================== School Seed Finals Points
1 Sue Cleveland High School ‘A’ 1:31.88 1:33.82 10
2 Alamogordo High School ‘A’ 1:35.80 1:34.43 8
3 Belen High School ‘A’ 1:37.04 1:36.00 6
4 Pojoaque Valley High School ‘A’ 1:42.16 1:43.50 4
Event 13 Girls 400 Meter Dash ======================================================================== Name Year School Seed Finals H# Points
1 Quintana, Alicia Pojoaque Val 58.50 1:04.52 2 7
2 Gerou, Eva Alamogordo H 1:05.47 1:05.70 2 5
3 Shaw, Haley Alamogordo H 1:09.46 1:07.14 2 4
4 Walker, Gracie Alamogordo H 1:02.25 1:07.60 2 3
5 Shaner, Tori Sue Clevelan 1:10.27 1:13.32 2 2
6 Mbonifor, Kaileen Sue Clevelan 1:15.72 1:15.43 1 1
7 Wright, Jada Belen High S 1:16.00 1
8 Bob, Jaelynn Belen High S 1:20.08 1
9 Lopez, Maesyn Belen High S 1:12.50 1:20.75 1
10 Bernal, Vianey Pojoaque Val 1:29.55 1:26.83 1
Event 14 Boys 400 Meter Dash ========================================================================Name Year School Seed Finals H# Points
1 Monreal, Aurelio Alamogordo H 54.96 55.97 2 7
2 Howell, Brandon Sue Clevelan 53.50 56.22 2 5
3 Bernal, Ivan Alamogordo H 55.92 57.94 2 4
4 Fresquez, Nicholas Belen High S 1:00.26 59.87 1 3
5 Holt, Wyatt Alamogordo H 57.37 1:00.44 2 2
6 Sell, Matthew Alamogordo H 56.06 x1:02.76 2
7 Parra-Erivez, Aaron Belen High S 1:03.61 1:03.03 1 1
8 Lopez, Axel Belen High S 1:05.38 1:03.77 1
9 Duran, Alexandro Pojoaque Val 1:03.57 1:04.51 1
10 Lujan, Javin Pojoaque Val 1:09.90 1:09.38 1
Event 15 Girls 300 Meter Hurdles ========================================================================Name Year School Seed Finals Points
1 Duchene, Kaelan Alamogordo H 49.19 48.98 7
2 Castillo, Sofia Belen High S 53.19 53.76 5
3 Riordan, Anna Alamogordo H 52.34 56.24 4
4 Soe, Saung Alamogordo H 54.10 57.24 3
5 Castillo, Juliana Alamogordo H 53.45 x1:03.41
6 Garcia, Aaliyah Belen High S 1:04.93 2
Goodmacher, Abigail Sue Clevelan 51.29 District Qualified
Event 16 Boys 300 Meter Hurdles ========================================================================Name Year School Seed Finals H# Points
1 Kotter, Gabe Alamogordo H 40.50 43.05 2 7
2 Griego, Elijah Sue Clevelan 46.54 43.50 2 5
3 Wysong, Evan Sue Clevelan 44.62 44.29 2 4
4 Shendo, Devonte Sue Clevelan 45.06 44.53 2 3
5 Wallace, William Sue Clevelan 47.73 x47.21 2
6 Wedlow, Amarius Alamogordo H 48.70 50.48 2 2
7 Padilla, Alan Pojoaque Val 51.27 1 1
8 Siseneros, Carlos Pojoaque Val 51.93 51.76 1
9 Hidalgo, Marques Belen High S 58.22 56.01 1
10 Benavidez, Julian Belen High S 59.81 56.80 1
11 Ortiz, Aiden Pojoaque Val 57.12 59.11 1
12 Lujan, Javin Pojoaque Val 53.26 x1:10.47 1
Event 17 Girls 800 Meter Run ========================================================================Name Year School Seed Finals Points
1 Battle, Ellary Alamogordo H 2:23.76 2:29.45 7
2 Martinez, Sara Belen High S 2:56.05 5
3 Towles, Elizabeth Pojoaque Val 3:04.16 2:57.24 4
4 Sanchez, Lisette Belen High S 2:58.14 3
5 Romero, Danielle Pojoaque Val 3:03.14 3:11.92 2
6 Serna, Kaylee Pojoaque Val 3:15.46 3:17.21 1 7 Bob, Jaelynn Belen High S 3:19.21
Event 18 Boys 800 Meter Run ========================================================================Name Year School Seed Finals Points 1 Nunn, Caden Sue Clevelan 2:06.00 2:02.16 7
2 Fragua, Jonathan Sue Clevelan 2:06.00 2:06.96 5
3 Smothermon, Dylan Sue Clevelan 2:13.00 2:15.05 4
For a complete history of the Alamogordo Track and Field and Football program to include a listing of ALL District and State Tiger Medalist from 1914 to 1976 check out the book series
Amendment One: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Building Awareness Press Freedom Day, Alamogordo, May 3, 2021
Press Freedom is a fundamental requirement for a free and informed Democracy. We don’t always agree with opinions expressed, we may not like much of the news we hear and we may feel all news is negative. It doesn’t have to be. A record amount of censorship, unprecedented attacks on journalists, a consolidation of news outlets by big corporations and the collapse of small town local newspapers and online papers all threaten the freedoms and foundation of our fragile democracy.
Even here in Alamogordo the primary newspaper is owned by a media conglomerate resulting in diminished local coverage and opinions expressed directed from far off corporate offices. Local free citizen journalism is more important now than at any time in our county’s history with a focus on local sports, business successes and positivity. That is where we fill a void. We are here to inform, inspire and encourage. We ask for you to support our advertisers, share our pages and daily posts, sign up for our free daily newsletter and share our vision of positive news and affirmations to a more positive community.
Journalists uncover the truth, check the abuse of power, and demand transparency from those in power. They are indispensable to the functioning of democracy. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, journalists and media workers have been on the front lines to keep the public informed, at significant risk to their own health. And, at a time when the truth is increasingly under attack, our need for accurate, fact-based reporting, open public conversation, and accountability has never been greater.
We collaborate and honor World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendation of UNESCO’s General Conference. Since then, 3 May, the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek is celebrated worldwide as World Press Freedom Day.
After 30 years, the historic connection made between the freedom to seek, impart and receive information and the public good remains as relevant as it was at the time of its signing. Special commemorations of the 30th anniversary are planned to take place during World Press Freedom Day International Conference.
May 3 acts as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom. It is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics. It is an opportunity to:
celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom;
assess the state of press freedom throughout the world;
defend the media from attacks on their independence;
and pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
This year’s World Press Freedom Day theme “Information as a Public Good” serves as a call to affirm the importance of cherishing information as a public good, and exploring what can be done in the production, distribution and reception of content to strengthen journalism, and to advance transparency and empowerment while leaving no one behind. The theme is of urgent relevance to all countries across the world. It recognizes the changing communications system that is impacting on our health, our human rights, democracies and sustainable development.
While governments harass, detain and silence journalists there are organizations around that work to protect your freedom of information around the world in order to keep you as citizens of the world informed.
American reporters are at risk at times at home but more so when reporting overseas. As an example Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian was arrested in Iran last July with his wife, who also is a journalist. She was later released, but he is on trial on charges that include spying, which he has denied. His trial is closed to the public.
The One Free Press Coalition acts as a voice for all journalists under attack for pursuing the truth. Media outlets worldwide, including Voice of America, unite to give voice to their stories and hold power figures to account.
The One Free Press Coalition publishes a monthly list of the world’s “10 Most Urgent” press freedom abuses, and the cases of journalists who cover human rights topics. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) determined that 55% of journalists imprisoned in 2020 write about human rights, and 306 journalists reporting on human rights have been killed since 1992.
CPJ and the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) maintain safety resources and provide support to ensure these professionals can carry out their work for the public good, and do so as safely as possible.
The 10 Most Urgent, May 2021 At Risk Journalist in the World Include:
Mozambican radio reporter and human rights advocate in Cabo Delgado has been missing for over a year as conflict in the region escalates. Family and colleagues still have no information on his whereabouts after he sent an SOS text saying he was “surrounded by soldiers.”
Journalist, serving a 12-year sentence related to his coverage of religious protests in 2018, has spent a significant amount of time in solitary confinement, been moved multiple times, and his family is currently unable to communicate with him.
Freelance internet reporter and founding chairman of a civil society organization advocating for press freedom is serving a 15-year prison sentence on anti-state charges after calling on the EU to postpone trade agreements until Vietnam improves its human rights record.
Photographer covering protests in Bahrain was arrested while documenting protesters attacking a police station in 2012, and sentenced to ten years behind bars in 2014. He recently contracted and recovered from COVID-19 while imprisoned.
Longtime blogger, journalist and activist reporting on human rights has been held on false news and anti-state charges since 2019, and has had her pretrial detention extended. She has gone on hunger strikes multiple times to protest her sentence and treatment.
Leonardo Sakamoto is the president of Repórter Brasil, an investigative reporting organization, focused on issues from human trafficking to workers’ rights to environmental degradation. The outlet has faced online attacks, attempted break-ins and anonymous threats.
Freelance journalist reporting on elections, politics and corruption, including on Tamil Nadu’s sand mafia and beach sand mining, has faced years of threats and harassment, including death and rape threats, doxing, and a 2018 attempt to sabotage her motorbike.
Freelance correspondent threatened publicly by Uzbek Interior Ministry with potential lawsuits in relation to her reporting on the attack of an LGBTQ activist.
Correspondent for the independent news website Tut.by was sentenced earlier this year to six months behind bars for her coverage of protests in Belarus in 2020.
Russian journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has been put on three trials in relation to her coverage of pro-Navalny protests, facing potential fines and administrative detention.
Today, on World Press Freedom Day, we, as independent community journalist, authors and publishers with 2nd Life Media and Alamogordo Town News celebrate the awesome bravery of journalists everywhere; locally, within the US and worldwide that standup to popular opinions, the power structure and an informed public. We recognize the integral role a free press plays in building prosperous, resilient and free societies. We recommit daily to protecting and promoting free, independent, and diverse media around the world and always when possible inform, inspire, educate and promote the positivity life has to offer.
Today we celebrate a free press and a free Alamogordo that in unity with all celebrates freedom!
Commentary by Chris Edwards, Author Alamogordo Town New, 2nd Life Media.
Sources: One Free Press Coalition, Forbes, Wikipedia and United Nation Press Freedom Information Pages
One small step, by one brave little girl helped make it possible for one of the most striking historical images of President Biden’s state of the union address. The little girl in the top photos is that of Ruby Bridges, the first African American, to attend a white elementary school in the deep South, 1960.
The image of two women below; one a woman of color, the other the daughter of Italian Immigrants, both for the first time -women- in the chairs behind the president. The chairs historically are filled by the vice president and speaker. Tonight, 4/28/2021 is the first time both roles are held by women; a woman of color and the daughter of an immigrant — Kamala Harris and Nancy Pelosi.
Ruby Bridges and her place in our history
Judge J. Skelly Wright’s court order for the first day of integrated schools in New Orleans on Monday, November 14, 1960
At the early age of only six years old, Ruby Bridges advanced the cause of civil rights in that November 1960, she became the first African American student to integrate an elementary school in the South.
Born on September 8, 1954, Bridges was the oldest of five children for Lucille and Abon Bridges, farmers in Tylertown, Mississippi. When Ruby was two years old, her parents moved their family to New Orleans, Louisiana in search of better work opportunities. Ruby’s birth year coincided with the US Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka Kansas, which ended racial segregation in public schools.
Nonetheless, southern states continued to resist integration, and in 1959, Ruby attended a segregated New Orleans kindergarten. A year later, however, a federal court ordered Louisiana to desegregate. The school district created entrance exams for African American students to see whether they could compete academically at the all-white school. Ruby and five other students passed the exam.
Her parents were torn about whether to let her attend the all-white William Frantz Elementary School, a few blocks from their home. Her father resisted, fearing for his daughter’s safety; her mother, however, wanted Ruby to have the educational opportunities that her parents had been denied. Meanwhile, the school district dragged its feet, delaying her admittance until November 14. Two of the other students decided not to leave their school at all; the other three were sent to the all-white McDonough Elementary School.
Judge J. Skelly Wright’s court ordered the first day of integrated schools in New Orleans to be Monday, November 14, 1960. The historic day was documented in newspapers and magazines around the US.
Bridges described her first day of school, “Driving up I could see the crowd, but living in New Orleans, I actually thought it was Mardi Gras. There was a large crowd of people outside of the school. They were throwing things and shouting, and that sort of goes on in New Orleans at Mardi Gras, however I was soon to find out this demonstration was not a celebration and certainly was not the party atmosphere of the Mardi Gras.”
Retired, former United States Deputy Marshal Charles Burks recalled, “She showed a lot of courage. She never cried. She did not whimper. She just marched along like a little soldier, and we’re all immensely proud of her.” She was escorted and supported by the Federal US Marshals Service for over a year till things finaly stabilized and the people of New Orleans accepted integration as the law of the land.
Little Ms. Bridges spent her first day in the principal’s office due to the chaos created as angry white parents pulled their children from school. Ardent segregationists withdrew their children permanently.
Barbara Henry, a white Boston native, was the only teacher willing to accept Ruby, and all year, she was a class of one. Ruby ate lunch alone and sometimes played with her teacher at recess, but she never missed a day of school that year.
On the second day, however, a white student broke the boycott and entered the school when a 34-year-old Methodist minister, Lloyd Anderson Foreman, walked his five-year-old daughter Pam through the angry mob, saying, “I simply want the privilege of taking my child to school …” A few days later, other white parents began bringing their children, and the protests began to subside.
Every morning, as Bridges walked to school, one woman would threaten to poison her, while another held up a black baby doll in a coffin; because of this, the U.S. Marshals dispatched by President Eisenhower, who were overseeing her safety, allowed Bridges to eat only the food that she brought from home.
Child psychiatrist Robert Coles volunteered to provide counseling to Bridges during her first year at Frantz. He met with her weekly in the Bridges home, later writing a children’s book, The Story of Ruby Bridges, to acquaint other children with Bridges’ story. Coles donated the royalties from the sale of that book to the Ruby Bridges Foundation, to provide money for school supplies or other educational needs for impoverished New Orleans school children.
While some families supported her bravery—and some northerners sent money to aid her family—others protested throughout the city. The Bridges family suffered for their courage.
The Bridges family suffered for their decision to send her to William Frantz Elementary: her father lost his job as a gas station attendant; the grocery store the family shopped at would no longer let them shop there; her grandparents, who were sharecroppers in Mississippi, were turned off their land; and Abon and Lucille Bridges separated. Bridges has noted that many others in the community, both black and white, showed support in a variety of ways. Some white families continued to send their children to Frantz despite the protests, a neighbor provided her father with a new job, and local people babysat, watched the house as protectors, and walked behind the federal marshals’ car on the trips to school.
It was not until Bridges was an adult that she learned that the immaculate clothing she wore to school in those first weeks at Frantz was sent to her family by a relative of Coles. Bridges says her family could never have afforded the dresses, socks, and shoes that are documented in photographs of her escort by U.S. Marshals to and from the school.
In 1964, artist Norman Rockwell celebrated her courage with a painting of that first day entitled, “The Problem We All Live With.” The commemorated painting by Norman Rockwell titled The Problem We All Live With was published in Look magazine on January 14, 1964.
Bridges, now Ruby Bridges Hall, still lives in New Orleans with her husband, Malcolm Hall, and their four sons. After graduating from a desegregated high school, she worked as a travel agent for 15 years and later became a full-time parent. She is now chair of the Ruby Bridges Foundation, which she formed in 1999 to promote “the values of tolerance, respect, and appreciation of all differences”. Describing the mission of the group, she says, “racism is a grown-up disease and we must stop using our children to spread it.”
Bridges is the subject of the Lori McKenna song “Ruby’s Shoes”. Her, childhood struggle at William Frantz Elementary School was portrayed in the 1998 made-for-TV movie Ruby Bridges. The young Bridges was portrayed by actress Chaz Monet, and the movie also featured Lela Rochon as Bridges’ mother, Lucille “Lucy” Bridges; Michael Beach as Bridges’ father, Abon Bridges; Penelope Ann Miller as Bridges’ teacher, Mrs. Henry; and Kevin Pollak as Dr. Robert Coles.
Like hundreds of thousands of others in the greater New Orleans area, Bridges lost her home (in Eastern New Orleans) to catastrophic flooding from the failure of the levee system during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Hurricane Katrina also greatly damaged William Frantz Elementary School, and Bridges played a significant role in fighting for the school to remain open.
In November 2007, the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis unveiled a new permanent exhibit documenting her life, along with the lives of Anne Frank and Ryan White. The exhibit, called “The Power of Children: Making a Difference”, cost $6 million to install and includes an authentic re-creation of Bridges’ first grade classroom.
In 2010, Bridges had a 50th-year reunion at William Frantz Elementary with Pam Foreman Testroet, who had been, at the age of five, the first white child to break the boycott that ensued from Bridges’ attendance at that school.
On July 15, 2011, Bridges met with President Barack Obama at the White House, and while viewing the Norman Rockwell painting of her on display he told her, “I think it’s fair to say that if it hadn’t been for you guys, I might not be here, and we wouldn’t be looking at this together”. The Rockwell painting was displayed in the West Wing of the White House, just outside the Oval Office, from June through October 2011.
In November 2020 there was an image created of Bridges as a child and Kamala Harris that went viral and made a powerful statement to all that witnessed it. The image is simple: Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, clad in a dark suit and heels, strides past a wall with her eyes locked on the horizon. The shadow she casts is that of then-6-year-old Ruby Bridges, who integrated her New Orleans elementary school in 1960. The artist behind the widely shared image is Bria Goeller, who graduated with highest honors from Emory College of Arts and Sciences in December 2019. She designed the artwork in October for Carl Gordon Jones, founder and owner of the satirical clothing group WTF America-Good Trubble.
Goeller’s design showcasing the parallels between two Black women’s strength in the face of opposition took off Saturday, shared tens of thousands of times after media outlets projected Joe Biden as the winner of the presidential election and Harris was declared the vice president-elect. Bridges, herself shared it on her personal Instagram, as did Kara Walker, the Black artist best known for her work with silhouettes. Bridges thanked Goeller, and Good Trubble “for the inspirational and beautiful artwork.” Tagging Harris and Biden in her post, she wrote, “I am honored to be a part of this path and grateful to stand alongside you, together with our fellow Americans, as we step into this next chapter of American history!”
On this evening as President Biden presents his state of the union address the memory of his speech may not be so much the content of his speech or the proposals to move America forward but the speech will go down historically as significant to the history of the US with the two women on the platform behind the president. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House and a child of an immigrant and Vice President Kamala Harris, the first person of color to sit in that prestigious seat.
We wonder as Vice President Harris looked at her shadow from the camera lights on the wall this historic evening; did she indeed pause for a moment, and see her own reflection, or did she see the reflection of Ruby Bridges and her small step from 1960 that paved the way for Ms. Harris spot in history today.
These two women- bright, committed, positive and successful demonstrate the power of action and how, small actions we do today, may impact the history of an unconnected stranger decades down the road. The historical significance of 11/14/1960 and 4/28/21 shows the destiny of the two amazing passionate women of color intertwined and bound by destiny.
The title of “Mr. Irrelevant” is given annually to the last player picked in the NFL draft. 1960 brought a change in leadership of the Alamogordo football and the track and field program. The new program leader was Coach Ralph Tate. Coach Tate had a connection to the Alamogordo school system, via his college friend, Alamogordo Golf Coach Billy Aldridge.
Photo on Blog of Mr. Relevant Coach Billy Aldridge New Mexico Golf – (Coach Bob Sepulveda The Early Days Book Alamogordo Town News 2nd Life Media)
Both were alumni of Oklahoma State University, both were competitive and avid golfers; (competing in many tournaments together and against each other) and both were drafted to the NFL’s Green Bay Packers.
Neither actually had play time in the NFL instead; Aldridge pursued his passion of Coaching Golf and Tate followed his passion into Coaching Track & Field and Football primarily Track and Field.
For a brief time Tate coached in Alamogordo for the 1960/61 Track & Field Season, while Aldridge had a long career in Alamogordo as a recognized winning coach.
Tragedy shook the boys and coaches competing at State in 1976. Concurrent to the State Track and Field meet is also competition of other athletic events, Golf being one of them. Alamogordo had one of the winningest and most successful high school golf programs on the west coast.
The Golf Program was under the Coaching leadership of Billy Aldridge. Aldridge and Coach Tate had a very strong bond and strong relationship in the early 1960’s. Tate moved on from Alamogordo but Aldridge built a reputation unsurpassed in Alamogordo even in more modern times.
Coach Aldridge’s program was unique in that it was coached by him and he had exclusive control of that program. He collaborated in PE and was respected by all the other athletic coaches. He produced the 3 and only three State Golf Titles Alamogordo has ever won per the NMAA. The Tigers won the team state title in 1968, 1971 and 1972 under Coach Bill Aldridge.
Alamogordo High School has had 4 male golf champions win the state golf title 3 were under Coach Aldridge. Under Coach Aldridge in 1966, Bruce McKenzie won the title and the title went to Brad Bryant in 1971 and 1973. Bryant attended the University of New Mexico for three years, but turned professional and qualified for the PGA Tour in 1976, a year before his scheduled graduation.
May 13, 1976 Alamogordo News Headline Page 1 Article by Rick Wright: “Team Playing for Coach, Aldridge Hit by Car on Duke City Street”
“ Alamogordo High School Golf Coach was listed in critical condition…after being struck by a car Wednesday night… Aldridge 53, was struck by a car while walking across Albuquerque’s Central Avenue… A medical center spokesman said Aldridge was in critical condition and suffered a broken back, broken ankle, broken leg, broken ribs and collapsed lung…
Aldridges 5 man golf team competing at state was badly shaken up by the event. Alamogordo’s individual leader Dan Koesters spoke for the team and said,”We are trying to win for him. He’d like for us to win for sure. We are trying to put the accident out of our minds for a few hours and win it for him.”
Per the Alamogordo News, May 14, 1976; “the Alamogordo Tigers Golf Team was 3rd after the first round and only 3 strokes behind Sandia and Santa Fe.”
Coach Bob Sepulveda was asked to step in to console the boys and fill in as the tournament coach during the final phase of the golf tournament. Coach Sepulveda said, “the boys were obviously shaken up as was I. I was there to console the team and provide support. We were all shocked and broken hearted.”
Coach Billy Aldridge did not recover and died of complications from the accident with the announcement of his death on May 16th, 1976.
Jimmy Tramel, World Sports Writer did an interview with Aldridges wife in 2006 and outlined a great highlight of his life…
1945’s ‘Mr. Irrelevant,’ a former OSU player, was relevant to many people during short life. The title of “Mr. Irrelevant” is given annually to the last player picked in the NFL draft. The label doesn’t fit Billy Joe Aldridge…
Aldridge, an Alma, Okla., native and former Oklahoma State football player, was the final player picked in the 1945 NFL Draft. He was selected in the 32nd round — 330th overall — by the Green Bay Packers. Aldridge never played a lick for the Packers, but he was relevant to many people during a life cut short 30 years ago this month.
Aldridge was a successful high school golf coach in Alamogordo, N.M., for more than two decades. He accompanied his team to Albuquerque for the state tournament in 1976 and the fatal accident occurred before the event concluded. His grief-stricken players got the worst kind of wake-up call the next morning, but teed it up nonetheless.
“He would have kicked us in the a– if we didn’t play,” said former player Dan Koesters, who is now director of golf at New Mexico State University’s course. “It was definitely one of those deals. There was never a day when you weren’t going to play some golf.” Aldridge coached Alamogordo teams that won multiple state championships. By Koesters’ count, at least seven Aldridge pupils played major college golf and five were All-Americans. Brad Bryant is fourth on the Champions Tour money list this year and younger brother Bart Bryant is on the PGA Tour.
Billy Joe Aldridge died a month shy of his 54th birthday. He lived a long time in comparison to a younger brother, Bennie, a five-year NFL veteran who died in a 1956 plane crash, and a brother who died at age 3.
Another brother, Hubert, flirted with the grim reaper while in Iwo Jima. He took a sniper’s bullet and was unable to walk after he was transported to a military base.
Billy Joe Aldridge played football at Oklahoma A&M from 1941-42. His college career was interrupted by World War II. He spent three years in the Marines and his primary wartime duty was entertaining troops via athletic feats. He boxed and suited up for a Marine football squad alongside Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch, an NFL Hall of Famer who was picked 325 spots before Aldridge in the 1945 draft.
Aldridge once spotted a pretty female Marine, Bonnie Pedigo, in a dance hall. He told buddies he was going to marry that gal, and he was true to his word. Said Bonnie, “He called home and said ‘Mom, sell my 4-H calf. I’m going to get married.’ ” He had to pay a whopping tab (more than $30!) for a multiday honeymoon stay at the Statler Hotel in Washington, D.C.
After his military stint was over, Aldridge returned to his home state because he wanted to fulfill his dream of being a star runner at Oklahoma A&M. Problem was, a lad named Bob Fenimore already had that job.
Aldridge and his wife took advantage of the G.I. Bill to earn degrees and, while in Stillwater, golf became a passion. He soon was playing or practicing every day, regardless of weather.
If it rained, Aldridge would go out after the downpour stopped and hit balls until “dark-thirty,” said his widow. She recalled the time she made a hole-in-one and it was so cold that when she reached in the cup to grab her ball, she came away clutching a handful of ice. Aldridge burned a pile of leaves on the next hole so he and his wife could get warm.
Billy Aldridge wanted to coach and was determined to find a way to coach and was soon enroute to Alamogordo via teaching hitch in Carnegie. His first job was a $2,400-per-year gig in Carnegie. He and Bonnie took jobs in Idabel the next year because two incomes would allow them to be better providers for a son, Kent. Oklahoma teachers weren’t getting rich back then and Aldridge doubled his salary when he drove sight unseen to take a teaching and coaching job in Dexter, N.M. He left after one year to go to Alamogordo. “I heard they were building a golf course here and decided that since I liked golf better than any of the other sports I had been connected with, I would come here,” he once told an Alamogordo sports writer.
Aldridge coached nothing but golf at Alamogordo. Dan Koesters said Aldridge was ahead of his time as a high school coach, including the use of yardage books. Koesters said Alamogordo golfers “did things as a high school golf team that college teams didn’t do and things that I still have never seen a high school team do. We would meet at the park at 6:30 every morning and hit golf balls . . . and when we would get out of school, we would go to the course and play until dark.”
“During Aldridge’s coaching career seven people came out of Alamogordo High and played Division I golf, that was really pretty amazing,” per Dan Koesters.
Koesters is in New Mexico State University’s Athletic Hall of Fame. “There is absolutely no question that my whole career hinges around a couple of people — coach Aldridge and my college golf coach, another guy I would put in that same classification. I guarantee you that Brad Bryant would say the exact same thing,” said Koesters of Aldridge.
Aldridges wife Bonnie, in an interview in 2006 acknowledged her husband’s contributions and his imperfections…
“The late Billy Joe Aldridge was not perfect (no golfer is — imperfection is what makes golfers always come back for another round).” She acknowledged, “he battled the demon in the bottle.”
Bonnie found out what others thought of her husband after his death. She said “people I didn’t even know sent cards and letters.” She takes solace in the fact her husband made a difference. “I would like to think that every individual did good things for other people,” she said.
So the 1975,76 Alamogordo Tiger graduating class moved forward with tears and also great memories. The decade was a period of great change. Change did come to Alamogordo over the decades but the history and contributions of Coach Billy Aldridge are certainly relevant to this sports history of Alamogordo and of New Mexico. His impact on so many youth within New Mexico was relevant and is relevant today.
To learn more stories of the relevance of Coach Aldridge, Coach Tate, Coach Sepulveda and 100s of athletes. For more stories purchaseCoach Robert Sepulveda The Early Daysbook series available on Amazon in 46 Countries or in the US also on Amazon and at fine independent book sellers such as Roadrunner Emporium, 928 New York Avenue Alamogordo, New Mexico or your local independent book seller.
The 1950’s and Alamogordo’s First State Track & Field Title in New Mexico History
Photo on Blog and in original article posted to 2nd Life Media’s Alamogordo Town News courtesy of Coach Bob Sepulveda The Early Days Book Series and Archives. To see more photos of sports from the 50’s, 60s and 70s, visit 2ndlifemedia.com
The 1951/52 Track & Field Season was very historic for Southern New Mexico and for Alamogordo, with a state medal win from some very distinctive athletes.
The results of the State Competition winners include…
Bobby Lee, 1st Place, 100 Yard Dash, 9.8
Bobby Lee, 1st Place,220 Yard Dash, 21.21.6
Bobby Lee, 1st Place, Long Jump, 21’-01.375
Norman Kinder, 1st Place, Pole Vault, 10’-10.50”
Benny Garcia, 1st Place. Javelin, 193’-01.325
The Alamogordo Tigers Track and Field Team of 1951/52 smashed the competition at the state finals of that year.
They took and won the state competition with 48.5 points. Albuquerque High, the 1951 State Champion scored 21.5 points less for a 2nd place finish of 27 points.
Lee in addition to setting 2 state records personally scored 24 ¾ points. He broke the state records in the 100-yard dash by .2 seconds and the 220 by .8 seconds better than the record.
Lee was also 3rd Place in Shot Put
Benny Garcia shattered the state record in Javelin 11’ 3 ⅛” of 5 state records; the Tigers broke 3 of them.
Norman Kinder Placed 1st in Pole Vault with 10’-10.50”
Ed McAlpine, 2nd Place. in the state competition in Javelin behind Garcia.
Bobby Fritz, 3rd Place, Broad Jump
In the sprints in addition to the 1st Place wins of Bobby Lee, Oliver Lee, 4th Place 180 Low Hurdles.
The 880 Yard Relay Team consisting of Henderson, Fritz, O Lee and Bobby Lee placed with a 3rd place medal.
Benny Garcia shattered the state record in Javelin 11’ 3 ⅛” of 5 state records; the Tigers broke 3 of them.
Norman Kinder, 1st Place, Pole Vault, 10’-10.50”
Coach Rolla Buck was incredibly pleased that year with his team having won both the state football title and the state track and field title. He said his boys; “overperformed and beat his expectations.”
Coach Buck viewed Bobby Lee as “the best high school overall athlete the state of New Mexico had ever seen” to that point.
He also said that Garcia was the best Javelin player ever to come out of New Mexico’s high school system.
Two incredibly special athletes and their legacy is an honor to Alamogordo from that seasons track and field team of the early 1950s. Both athletes go down into the sports history of the United States, New Mexico and certainly of the Alamogordo community for their achievements.
Bobby Lee, after the amazing team results at Ysleta, (7 first place finishes out of 10 competitions) and winning the District Meet several athletes went to Albuquerque and competed at University Stadium in the State Competition. It was here that Bobby Lee set the state record on the 100 Yard Dash with a 9.8 which stood for 20 years and of course this strong team won Alamogordo’s first State Track and Field State Title.
Bobby Lee also won the 220 Yard Dash and the Long Jump garnering enough points by himself to win the track meet for Alamogordo High School beating favored Highland High School which placed second.
In 1951 there was no class system in competitions, so all size schools and teams competed.
Bobby Lee kept his competitive spirit going as an adult and became a recognized political cartoonist and eventual New Mexico State Senator.
Coach Bob Sepulveda Alamogordo High Schools winningest Track and Field Coach in its 108 year history of the program said of Bobby Lee; “Bobby Lee remained a strong supporter and advocate for the Alamogordo High School Track & Field Program as an adult. He attended many of the state meets. Bobby would come by and visit my student athletes in the 70’s and the 80’s for support of our team. He was a true leader on the field and as an adult for decades beyond.”
Also, of note from the 1951 competition was the amazing Javelin Talents of Benny Garcia with a distance of 193’-01.325.
The next year of 1952 brought Alamogordo High School Track & Field back to the winner’s circle with Benny Garcia winning for the second consecutive year in the Javelin competition.
Javelin Benny Garcia medalled with 186’-03.50”
Benny Garcia was an excellent Football kicker. He was on the B team. After some injuries and with the objection of his father concerned about him being injured, he became the primary starting kicker. Albert Romero sprained his ankle and Benny became the primary kicker after that. He had a reputation for making it between the goal posts when it mattered most.
Coach Buck saw Garcia’s talents and made concessions to ensure he was able to take part in the school athletic programs.
Benny would walk or run 6 miles home in the dark after practice to La Luz.
At the request of Coach Rolla Buck, Superintendent Barnie arranged the use of a driver education vehicle for Benny to use so that he could take part in Sports.
The extra effort paid off for the High School and was life changing for Benny.
His real notoriety came from the Javelin throwing. He set the state record that stood from 1951 to 1966. That record got the attention of the Arizona State University Track and Field Coach that awarded him a full ride scholarship.
He is the only graduate of Alamogordo to make it to the Olympics taking part in the Melbourne Olympics in 1956. He was the first native-born New Mexico athlete to ever compete in the Olympics.
His name is displayed at the Tigers Hall of Fame, Arizona State Hall of Fame, Drake Relays Hall of Fame, and US Navy Hall of Fame.
At the 1956 Olympics he finished 8th place, disappointing Garcia but making his hometown exceptionally proud.
Garcia went on to live a phenomenally successful life as a high achieving Tiger Alumni and a respected businessman in Arizona. He died in 2015.
Special Note on Alamogordo New Mexico:
Alamogordo High School and the region of Southern New Mexico has a rich history in sports and academic achievement. In the 1950’s and 60’s Alamogordo High School ranked in the top 10 High Schools for athletic and academic achievement in the United States. The region has a rich history in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It is home to the International Space Hall of Fame and is the testing ground for the latest in drone and military technology via Holloman Air Force Base and White Sands Missile Testing Grounds.
Today, Alamogordo is also the home to New Mexico State University, Alamogordo and is recognized for its pistachio farms, proximity to White Sands National Park and the Lincoln National Forest. As an oddity, Alamogordo is home to the largest Pistachio Sculpture in the World at the McGinn’s Pistachio Tree Ranch just outside Alamogordo.
For the complete sports history of the founding of interscholastic sports to its impact on a small town check out Coach Bob Sepulveda The Early Days 1912 to 1976 on Amazon and fine independent book sellers such as Roadrunner Emporium, 928 New York Avenue Alamogord, New Mexico and fine independent book sellers nationwide. Coach Bob Sepulveda The Golden Years 1977 to 1995 coming soon.
Harsh Motivation for a Rough & Tough World Get Fuc-ing Real, Get Right! From Best Selling Self Help Author Chris Edwards of 90 Days to a Glass Half Full Lifestyle and 2 Hours Unplugged: Unplug & Reconnect
This book is also dedicated to some of my rough and tough formal co-workers in the trucking and distribution side of the business. Roslyn and Miranda cornered me one day and said, “I get it Chris, I get the positive thinking and the quotes but I need them real. They need grit or vulgarity to be real to me.” So, Roslyn & Miranda and to the group that worked with you on the dock and in the trucks. This one is real and just for you. This one consists of a little humor, some vulgarities in wit, some quotes that will make you think and take action and other that may make you say WTF? Thank you for the motivation to do a book with a little grit and to be real. Enjoy, Chris Edwards, Napa California, Spring
Lesson 1
Put down the fu—ing phone, get off Facebook, stop with the Tweets. Quit making excuses and blaming all the dumb-as-es around you. Take a moment each day and take some responsibility for yourself. Open a book. Fu—ing read and realize that you can actually become something if you get your head out of your ass and actually educate yourself.
Now, a few of you asked me to be real with you so here it is. You have potential, but you are so stuck into the drama around you and just bitching about it rather than do something about it. You have the potential as you have been through a lot of shit. I know it, you know it and everyone that knows you, knows it. Hell, it may even be a miracle you are still alive and survived the shit in your past to get you here.
So now stop. Take 15 minutes each day aside and put a plan in place to get your shit together. You are a good person under that tough foul exterior.
You Get Fu–ing Real, Get Right! You want things and deserve a good life. So, take 15 minutes a day and let’s evaluate the day.
Begin the day by reading one of our daily quotes and put it into action. Some are actionable, some will just make you think. Others will make you go, WTF.
But here is the plan.
First put down the phone and put things in life in perspective.
• In 1900, <10% of families owned a stove, or had access to electricity or phones
• In 1915, <10% of families owned a car
• In 1930, <10% of families owned a refrigerator or clothes washer
• In 1945, <10% of families owned a clothes dryer or air-conditioning • In 1960, <10% of families owned a dishwasher or color TV
• In 1975, <10% of families owned a microwave in 1990,
Today, at least 90% of the country has a stove, electricity, car, fridge, clothes washer, air-conditioning, color TV, microwave, and cell phone. We are living in a faster paced world that is adopting the use of technology faster then ever before.
When you bitch about how bad your work or life is remember how your grandparents lived 50 years ago or your grand parents before them.
Remember what life was like for you when Get Fu–ing Real, Get Right! You were either incarcerated, or in the streets or involved with drugs, or in an abusive relationship or just totally miserable.
There is always hope if we give a fuc- to recognize it. So “unplug” for a few minutes and work with me to work with you through the book or podcast before us.
Now here is the shitter of how that phone is impacting us and we don’t even see it. People don’t want to put down their phones to focus or even read this book or listen to an educational podcast. I see it everywhere…
• Young couples out to dinner pull out their smartphones to check messages, emails and social networks even before scanning the menu, and check their phones repeatedly throughout the meal.
• Shoppers and commuters standing in line, people crossing busy streets, even cyclists and drivers whose eyes are on their phones instead of their surroundings. (I recently got into an discussion online via an app Facebook), with a member of the Napa City Council; Doris, who suggested “making cell phone usage on the downtown sidewalks illegal.” I expressed my frustration in her comment, but I do empathize with where she was coming from in the dialog of people being distracted. (However, as much as we want to, we cannot legislate common sense.)
• Toddlers in strollers playing with a smart-phone instead of observing and learning from the world around them. (And, we wonder what contributes to Attention Deficit Disorder?)Get Fu–ing Real, Get Right!
• People driving down the street with eyes on their phones, texting or playing apps, nearly bumping into other cars and running off the road or over curbs or crashing into obstacles.
There is an argument that the access to digital technology bombarding us and beginning at ever-younger ages, is transforming modern society. The transformation may be in ways that can have negative effects on physical and mental health, neurological development and personal relationships. Or as some suggest they are making us Zombies, driving our brains to mush and in a loss of true human interaction or true connections.
Have we forgot how to “unplug” meaning put the phone on sleep mode or (gosh forbid), turn it off? Have we actually forgot how to go for a walk with a dog, meet and actually chat with friends, acquaintances and strangers while being unplugged?
Can we do it without feeling anxious?
As with everything in life, moderation in the use of our smart-phone should be the hallmark of a healthy interaction with technology.
Too many of us have become slaves to the devise that was supposed to free us, connect us and give us more time; to experience life and the people we love. Instead, we’re constantly bombarded by bells, buzzes and chimes that alert us to messages that we feel compelled to view and respond to immediately.
We get anxious with every ding or chime. A 2015 study released by Deloitte found that Americans collectively check their smart-phones upwards of 8 billion times per day. That means we as individuals check at least 59 times per day, to check emails, text or those Facebook Likes, those amazing Tweets or the most recent Instagram cat photos.
More disturbing trends Deloitte also found that ….
• 81% of Americans spend time looking at their phones while dining out in restaurants.
• 26% of those in the 18-24 age range said they look at their phones immediately upon waking up.
So have you replaced your addiction to drugs, alcohol, porn, cigarettes or whatever with cell phone overdrive. You bet your sweet ass you are getting close.
Let’s look at the signs.
In an article for Health & Trends, Signs & Symptoms of Mobile Phone Addiction and How to deal with it? By Deepak Kumar September 5, 2015; we learn the signs of Smart-phone App Addiction… 20 Signs and Symptoms of Mobile Phone Addiction:
• You keep your phone in your hand all the time remains in your hand more rather than in your pocket or bag. • You get tensed when your phone goes out of your site.
• You spend more time on watching the mobile phone screen rather than any other activity.
• Your phone battery rarely lasts for a day.
• The very first thing you check while leaving any place is your phone. • You even take your phone to the bathroom.
• You keep on checking mobile notifications even when there aren’t any.
• Your day starts with checking notifications on your mobile phones and it ends in the same way.
• The mobile phone is the first thing you look out for just after waking up and you keep your phone near the pillow while sleeping.
• You feel a constant urge to just check whether your phone is with you or not. • You feel like your phone is vibrating even when it isn’t.
• You care for your phone more than your life or anything else in the world.
• Even the thought of losing or misplacing phone scares the hell out of you.
• You carry an extra battery or your charger/power bank with you all the time so that you never run out of battery while using your phone.
• You just unlock and lock your phone time to time without any need.
• Even a small scratch on your phone or a crack on display hurts you a lot.
• You have almost each and every app on your phone and you keep your phone much more organized then your cupboard, desk or bedroom.
• In a group meeting or even at your work station, you are the first to pick the phone out from a pocket and last to keep it back.
• You are constantly scolded by your loved ones or your boss for your growing closeness to your smart-phone.
• You are fighting the work no cell phone policy while on the work floor.
• You are ready to live alone only on the condition that you have your smart-phone with you.
Almost everyone I know, shows some of the signs, above. Does that mean they are a smart-phone addict? Not necessarily. Is Smart-phone addiction real? Yes, it is real.
According to Psychguides.com, An American Addiction Center Resource; Cell phone addiction, sometimes referred to as problematic mobile phone use, is a behavioral addiction thought to be similar to that of an Internet, gambling, shopping, or video game addiction and leads to severe impairment or distress in one’s life.
Their resource article continues: “In a study conducted by Baylor University, cell phone addiction was linked to:
•Impulsiveness and materialism.
•A preoccupation with material objects as opposed to intellectual, spiritual, or cultural values.
•The obsessive use of a smart-phone has been compared to that of credit card misuse and compulsive buying.
Smart-phones have become a representation of social status and thus, there is pressure to own the newest release and to have all of the best applications. People suffering from this condition often times have what has been coined “nomophobia,” or the fear of being without one’s cell phone. Problematic cell phone users can develop a social media addiction as well, which has a number of harmful effects on the user, such as:
•Impaired self-esteem.
•Impaired work performance.
•Interpersonal conflicts.
With the widespread accessibility of cell phones at a younger age now, teenagers are especially prone to developing an addiction to their cell phones or social media. Whether you or a loved one suffers from a cell phone addiction, there is hope for recovery and resources available.
Refer to the website Psychguides.com, for further resources. This book, nor my tamer one: 2 Hours Unplugged: Unplug & Reconnect, is not an indictment of Smart Phones, how you fuc-ing use them; nor apps nor about overcoming addiction.
This is not a treatment plan but a recommended lifestyle recommendation. So put down the damn phone and pay attention to yourself and the real people around you.
These lessons paired with those 90 Days to a Glass Half Full Lifestyle which is less blunt, serves as a reminder to “unplug or disconnect” and to “reconnect to those around you. Quit, being a Zombie or a slave to the smart-phone devise and its apps. Participate again, even if just for 2 hours a day, and enjoy those and the wonders of the life around you. The premise of these idea and those that follow in other posts, podcasts and the book series is for you to get real with yourself, unplug or disconnect from the smart-phone gadget, so that you may re-plug or reconnect yourself into the present joy of living!
Now put it down and let’s live a life in the present!
Author Chris Edwards speaks around the country on disconnecting and being present in daily living. To find out more about him and his lessons visit 2ndlifemedia.com
Chris Edwards Author, Mentor/Executive Coach & Political Consultant 