1. 50CENTS
TRINIDAD
COLORADO
Proudly Serving Southeastern Colorado and Northeastern New Mexico • www.thechronicle-news.com
~
Vol. 139, No. 99
TUESDAY
MAY19,2015
■ MAY 19
LAS ANIMAS COUNTY
TUESDAY (9 a.m.) Board of Coun-
ty Commissioners meeting is in the
Las Animas Courthouse, 200 E. First
St., Room 201. Information: 719-845-
2568. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS:
Gary Hill (719-845-2595), Mack
Louden (719-845-2592) and An-
thony Abeyta (719-846-9300).
SAMARITAN CLINIC
1st & 3rd TUESDAYS (9 a.m.-4
p.m.) Here to serve the under-insured
and non-insured community with free
health care and low-cost lab work at
413 E. Frost. Info: 719-846-3536.
PRIMERO SCHOOLS
TUESDAY (5 p.m.) District Board
of Education will meet in executive
session with regular session to follow
at 6 p.m. in the Primero School Caf-
eteria, 20200 Highway 12. Information:
Tina East, 719-868-2715.
CITY COUNCIL
TUESDAY (6 p.m. 7 p.m.) Special
session followed by regular session will
be held in Council Chambers, City Hall,
135 N. Animas St. Info: 719-846-9843.
CITY COUNCIL: Mayor: Joe Re-
orda and Council Members: Carol
Bolton, Joe Bonato, Pat Fletcher,
Anthony Mattie, Michelle Miles,
and Liz Torres.
INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY
TUESDAY (7 p.m.) A presentation
about Trinidad’s now legendary Drop
City by Dr. Timothy Miller will be held
at the Little Theater, NE Corner of Berg
Building, 600 Prospect St., TSJC Cam-
pus. Info: 719-846-5011.
Today’s Quote
“If you don’t build
your dream,
someone else will
hire you to help them
build theirs.”
~Unknown
■ MAY 20
E-911 AUTHORITY
WEDNESDAY (3 p.m.) The E-911
Authority Board meets at the Gar-
cia Justice Center in the Las Animas
County Sheriff’s Office, 2309 E. Main
St. Info: Rita Mantelli, 719-846-4441.
FP FIRE DISTRICT
WEDNESDAY (6 p.m.) Fishers
Peak Fire Protection District Board of
Directors public meeting will be at the
Starkville Fire Station. Info: 719-846-
6077.
HOEHNE FIRE PROTECTION
WEDNESDAY (6 p.m.) District
Board of Directors meets at the El Moro
Station, 14386 Hwy 239 in Hoehne.
Info: Dana Phillips, 719-846-2080.
PURGATOIRE WATERSHED
WEDNESDAY (6 p.m.) Group
regular meeting will meet in the NRCS
Office, 3590 E. Main. Info: Karen Wolf,
303-543-8688.
■ PUBLIC SERVICE
TSJC NURSING ALUMNI
THURSDAY (4:30-7 p.m.) The
Trinidad State Nursing Program will
host an alumni potluck dinner in the
Davis Building. Please bring class pic-
tures or TSJC Nursing history to share.
Info: Tina Frank, 719-846-5521.
AR MITCHELL MUSEUM
■ FRIDAY (2 p.m.) The annual
volunteer reception will be held at
the Museum for all returning volunteers
and interested new volunteers at 150 E.
Main St. Info: 719-846-4224.
■SATURDAY (10 a.m.-4 p.m.) Of-
ficialseasonopeningdayoftheMuseum.
HOEHNE HIGH SCHOOL
FRIDAY (7 p.m.) Class of 2015
graduation ceremonies will be held in
the Hoehne School. Info: 719-846-4457.
PRIMERO HIGH SCHOOL
FRIDAY (7 p.m.) Class of 2015
graduation ceremonies will be held at
the Primero School. Info: 719-868-2715.
TPD EXPLORER PROGRAM
SATURDAY (Noon-5 p.m.) A
booth will be available at Walmart for
registration and information for anyone
interested in joining the new Explorer
Program through the Trinidad Police
Department Post 1876. Info: Go to
tpdexplorerpost1876@trinidad.co.gov
—include name, contact info, and age.
For more events, please see the
Community Calendar on Page 2
FEATURE POLICY: The Fine Print and
Community Calendar features are NOT
advertisements — they are courtesy no-
tices used to inform the public of upcom-
ing free public meetings, benefits and
events. Placement is not guaranteed and
is always subject to space available. For
contributions please call Catherine Moser
at 719-846-3311 or e-mail cathy@trinidad-
chroniclenews.com.
THEFINEPRINT
WEATHERWATCHTuesday: A 70 percent chance of rain
and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a
high near 63. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph
becoming south in the morning. Night: A
20 percent chance of showers and thunder-
storms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 41.
North northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday: A 10 percent chance of
showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny,
with a high near 66. Light and variable wind
becoming east 5 to 10 mph. Night: A 20 per-
cent chance of showers and thunderstorms
before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low
around 45. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday: A 20 percent chance of show-
ers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a
high near 66. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Night:
A 30 percent chance of showers and thun-
derstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around
47. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers
and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high
near 66. South wind around 10 mph.
RIVERCALLPurgatoire River Call as of:
05/18/15. South Side ditch: Pri-
ority # 74 --- Appropriation date:
02/17/1876.
Trinidad Reservoir Accounting:
Release 1.29 AF
Inflow 209.38 AF -- 105.56 CFS
Evaporation 11.09 AF
Content 22,879 AF
Elevation 6,187.53
Precipitation 0
Downstream River Call /
JMR Conservation Storage:
12/31/1948.
THECHRONICLENEWS
Watch Battery Replacement Day • Mt. San Rafael Hospital
Wednesday, May 20 • 10 am to 4 pm • In the Hospital Lobby
Watches, Car Remotes, Hearing Aids $6 + tax
FIND YOUR PASSION
New career
workshops
to be held
today, Weds.
at TSJCBy Eric John Monson
News Editor
The Chronicle-News
Trinidad State Junior College (TSJC) and
the Workforce Center on Commercial St. in
Trinidad can help you find your passion and
give you the resources to chase it down.
On Tuesday (today) from 6-8 p.m. and on
Wednesday, May 20 from 2-5 p.m. TSJC will
hold special Find Your Passion workshops, on
campus, at the Berg Building, room 305/307.
Students, people looking for jobs, people tran-
sitioning jobs, people just coming out of prison,
or people interested in furthering their educa-
tion are all encouraged to attend.
The joint program “Find Your Passion” is a
grant funded collaboration between TSJC and
the Workforce Center that assists people with
career and academic planning to help people
leverage learning opportunities, or work expe-
Photo by Eric John Monson / The Chronicle-News
Career and Academic Navigator for Trinidad State Junior College, Tori Eckes, left, meets with Teresa
Larson as part of the Find Your Passion program being run by TSJC.
Continued on Page 2 ...
ANNUAL WATER FESTIVAL
Fun event proves to be terrific
learning experience for students
By Steve Block
The Chronicle-News
More than 1,300 area students
(pictured above) arrived on the
campus of Trinidad State Junior
College Thursday morning for
the Fourth Annual Festival. The
fine weather seemed to bring out
the best in the students, the many
experts presenting educational in-
formation about water issues and
the hardworking volunteers who
helped make the festival come to
vivid life.
Trinidad State biology teacher
Cliff Wiening and his two sons,
Wyatt and Chance, showed the stu-
dents the awesome power water
had when confined and then sub-
jected to air pressure. Plastic bot-
tles were partially filled with wa-
ter, and then air was pumped into
the bottles, which were stationed
upside down on a stand. When a
string was pulled and the bottles’
air pressure released, they shot up
highintowithanaudible‘whoosh!’
The students were stunned by the
power made possible by the use
Continued on Page 2 ...
Steve Block / The Chronicle-News
This rescued tortoise was a big hit with the kids in ‘The Pit’ at Trinidad State
during last Thursday’s Water Festival held on the campus of the local facility.
EMS EXTRAVAGANZA
Summer kick-
off celebration
set to entertain
local crowds
By Steve Block
The Chronicle-News
It’s great to get out of the house
and have some fun on a spring
weekend and the area’s Emergen-
cy Medical Services (EMS) person-
nel have come up with an exciting
event for kids of all ages. The EMS
Extravaganza will be held from
noon until 5 p.m. on Saturday,
May 23, in the Wal-Mart parking
lot, located at 2921 Toupal Drive.
This free event will have food
vendors galore, a bouncy house,
cotton candy and snow cones
available, with all food proceeds
going to support Trinidad Friday
Night Live, a summer-long series
of fun events that’s jointly spon-
sored by the Mt. Carmel Health,
Wellness and Community Cen-
ter, the Trinidad Fire and Police
Departments and the Trinidad
Ambulance District, with the firstSteve Block / The Chronicle-News
Dominic (Junie) Verquer, left, and Dave Bacharach talked about Saturday’s
EMS Extravaganza to be held in the Wal-Mart parking lot. Continued on Page 2 ...
Graphic crash site,
A sobering thought
for everyone who drives
This graphic visual aid placed in the
parking lot at Trinidad High School’s
Donnelly Gym last week by local and
country law enforcement officers and
rescue personnel reminds everyone
who drives to pay attention, stay
alert and be careful while driving —
especially during the busy summer
months.
Photos by Steve Block /
The Chronicle-News
ARRIVE ALIVE!

2. Page 2 Tuesday, May 19, 2015 The Chronicle-News Trinidad, Colorado
General Manager
Allyson Sheumaker
asheumaker@trinidadchroniclenews.com
Classifieds, Memorials,
& Circulation - Reagen Rico
classified@trinidadchroniclenews.com
Design & Legals- Lauri Duran
ktoci@trinidadchroniclenews.com
advertising@trinidadchroniclenews.com
News Room
Editor: Eric John Monson
editor@trinidadchroniclenews.com
Features Editor, Fine Print,
Design & Layout
Catherine Moser
cathy@trinidadchroniclenews.com
Reporter: Steve Block
news1@trinidadchroniclenews.com
Business Hours:
Monday - Friday
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
USPS #110-040
200 West Church Street
P.O. Box 763, Trinidad, CO 81082
(719) 846-3311 • Fax (719) 846-3612
Member: Associated Press, Colorado Press Association
Periodicals Postage Paid For At Trinidad, CO.
Published Monday - Friday
w w w.thechronicle-news.com
Subscription Rates
Effective Aug. 1, 2013
Home Delivery Trinidad
1 Month ................$7.00
3 Months.............$21.00
6 Months.............$42.00
1 Year....................$84.00
LasAnimasCountyMail
1Month................$12.00
3Months..............$36.00
6Months..............$72.00
1Year...................$144.00
OutsideCountyMail
1Month................$18.00
3Months..............$54.00
6Months............$108.00
1Year...................$216.00
vUPCOMING EVENTS
TEAM TARGETS & GEOCACHING
SATURDAY-MAY 23 (8 a.m. & 9 a.m.)
The fun and search begins at the Prator Gun
Range and the TSJC Campus. To sign-up go
to: www.targetandtreasures.com Info: Dan
Croghan, 719-680-7236.
SUMMER READING PROGRAM
MAY 26-JUNE 5: Stop by the library and
join in the fun at this year’s Summer Reading
Program, “Every Hero Has a Story!” at the
Carnegie Library, 202 N. Animas St. Info: Fe-
licity Boepple, 719-846-6841.
FORT CARSON AT PCMS
MAY 26 TO JUNE 10: The 1st Stryker
Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division’s
Operation Raider Focus at PCMS. Noise
complaints: Fort Carson Public Affairs Office
at (719) 526-9849.
RMEF BANQUET
MAY 30 (4:30 p.m. doors open / 6:30
p.m. dinner served) The Rocky Mountain Elk
Foundation annual banquet will be held at the
Sebastiani Gym on Animas St. Info: Tim Nash,
719-846-8653.ProceedsbenefitRMEFprojects.
FP HORSE ASSOCIATION
MAY 30 (3 p.m.) No admission to Fun Day
events that include pole bending, flag race,
dummy breakaway roping, stick horse barrel
race and more at the LA Co. Fairgrounds on N.
LindenSt.Info:SusanSchneider,719-680-0666.
STONEWALL FISHING TOURNEY
JUNE 6 (Tournament, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. &
Awards, 4 p.m.) Join in the fun at the 19th
Annual Stonewall Fire Auxiliary’s Fishing
Tournament at Monument Lake. Registration
and info: Barb Holik, 719-868-2024 or Nancy
Sinor, 719-868-2102. Proceeds benefit the
Fire House community projects.
LUDLOW MEMORIAL SERVICES
n JUNE 5 (7 p.m.) & JUNE 6 (3 p.m.) The
play, “Story of Mary Thomas,” will be presented
at the Mt. Carmel Chapel with receptions follow-
ing Saturday afternoon. Info: 719-846-0528 or
719-846-4678.
n JUNE 7 (10 a.m.) Service will begin at the
Ludlow site with keynote speakers Dan Kane of
the United Mine Workers Association, Dr. Karen
Larkin, University of Colorado and Carolyn New-
man (Mother Jones) of Walsenburg. Directions:
Exit 27 off I-25 and follow the signs.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
JUNE 8-12 (9 a.m.-Noon) Annual event for
kids (ages K-6th grade) will be held at the Fish-
er’s Peak Community Church, 10377 S. Santa
Fe Trail Dr. Sign up now — everyone welcome.
v CREATIVE ARTS DISTRICT
TALAS ART SHOW
THRU MAY 22: All-media artwork pieces by
Southern Colorado and Northern New Mexico
artists that will be at the Corazon Gallery, 149 E.
Main St. (10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily). Artist’s reception
and awards ceremony will be MAY 22 (5 p.m.).
Info: Trish Keck, 719-859-7702.
NEW TAAC ART SHOW
THRUMAY28:TrinidadAreaArtsCouncil
“1,000 Words” Art Show at Gallery Main, 130
E.MainSt.Info:Info:BreePapan,719-846-1441.
WRITERS’ GUILD
MAY 29 (6-8 p.m.) The community is in-
vited to come right in during our Open Mike
reading at Gallery Main, 130 E. Main St., during
Trinidad’s first downtown Art Trek of the season.
Info: Dana Miller 719-422-8352.
TASTE OF SPRING
THRU MAY 31: A collection of fine art at the
FumioSawaFineArtGallery,514W.MainSt.Info:
Walter Boulden, 719-680-0739.
SPACE GALLERY
THRU JUNE 6: “Artists’ Choice” Art Show
at the SPACe Gallery, 132 W. Ryus in LaVeta.
Details: www.SpanishPeaksArts.org. or call
719-742-3074.
DROP CITY @ 50
MAY 23 THRU SUMMER: The Mitchell
will host this legendary exhibit at 150 E. Main
St. Info: 719-846-4224 or go to www.armitch-
ellmuseum.com.
v COMMUNITY
FIRE SEASON VOLUNTEERS
Anyone over 18 interested in becom-
ing a volunteer fireman for any of our area
fire protection districts, please call Buddie
Curro at 719-859-1535. Any donations of
food, water and funds for our area fire district
volunteers call 719-846-4074.
LOW-COST SPAY/NEUTER
The Fisher’s Peak Veterinary Clinic (719-
846-3211) and the Trinidad Animal Clinic
(719-846-3212) offer grant-funded, low-cost
spay/neuter surgeries. Call for information.
THE SAMARITAN CLINIC
1st & 3rd TUESDAYS (9 a.m.-4 p.m.)
Here to serve the under-insured and non-in-
sured community with free health care and low-
cost lab work, 413 E. Frost. Info: 719-846-3536.
v SUICIDE HOTLINES
n ADULT: 800-784-2433
n TEEN: 877-968-8454
n GLB-YOUTH: 866-488-7386
n VET-2-VET: 877-838-2838
“LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry
for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteous-
ness come to my relief.” ~Psalm 143:1
v ABUSE HOTLINES
n Domestic Abuse Hotline: In Trini-
dad call 719-846-6665 (24-hours a day). In
Walsenburg call: 719-738-0770. National Ho-
tline: 1-800-790-SAFE (7233).
n Child Abuse Hotlines: 1-844-CO-4-
KIDS or 719-846-2330 or 719-846-8596. For
more information and to learn the signs of
child abuse and neglect, visit CO4Kids.org.
n Animal Abuse: Report animal abuse
and dog/cock fighting at Crime Stoppers
anonymous tip line: 720-913-7867.
FEATURE POLICY: The Fine Print and Com-
munity Calendar features are NOT advertisements
— they are courtesy notices used to inform the
public of upcoming free public meetings, benefits
and events. Placement is not guaranteed and is al-
ways subject to space available. For contributions
please call Catherine Moser at 719-846-3311 or e-
mail cathy@trinidadchroniclenews.com.
CommunityCalendar
The Community Calendar is sponsored by:
Royse’s Black Jack’s Steakhouse225 W. Main St. / 719-846-3437
Open for Lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. & Evenings 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
(Closed Wednesdays through Thursday Lunch)b b
60 Obituaries
Jose Elisardo Romero
Born in Trinchera, Co. on
Nov. 21, 1934, Jose “Lee”
Elisardo Romero went home
to be with Jesus on May 12,
2015 in Centennial, Colo. He
grew up in Trinidad and
graduated from Branson
H.S. in 1954. He loved
horses, rodeos and fishing.
He had been a member of
the Las Animas Riding Club.
Lee was preceded in death
by his mother, Casilda
Romero, brother, Abe
Romero, sister, Emma
Aragon Vilpando, and infant
grandson, Michael Ruiz
Romero.
He is survived by his wife,
P e g g y , s o n s A d a m
(Jennifer), Tony (Tiffany),
and Lee (Janine) Romero;
daughter Billie Jo (Greg)
Boyet; step-children Pamela
(Eric) Watts, Rev. Dan
(Jennifer) Courtney, Curtis
(Dawn) Courtney, and Fil
(Terra) Courtney; brothers
Tino (Herminia) of Rocky
Ford and Joe “Mote” Romero
of Trinidad. Lee had 20
grandchildren and 6 great-
grandchidren; also numerous
nieces and nephews. His
grand-dog, Rocket, will
greatly miss his love and
attention.
A Celebration of Life
Service will be held on Sat.,
May 30 at 2:00 pm at
Orchard Park Health Care,
6 0 0 5 S o . H o l l y S t . ,
Centennial, Colo. 80015.
Donations may be made to
the Orchard Park Activity
Dept. or your favorite charity.
65 Comi Funeral Home
Debra Gallegos-Armijo
Debra Ann Gallegos-
Armijo, age 53, passed away
May 14, 2015.
Memorial Mass will be
celebrated Tuesday, May 26,
2015 at 10AM at Holy Trinity
Church.
Complete obituary to be
published at a later date.
Arrangements made under
the direction of the Comi
Funeral Home.
Water Fest proves to be terrific learning experience for students
... Continued from Page 1
... Continued from Page 1New career workshops to be held today, Weds. at TSJC
rience into a strong support network
and eventually, a career they will be
passionate about.
They will be led through a series
of interest tests and TSJC staff will
be on hand to discuss the results and
dig into the next step on the path to
finding a dream career.
“Ratherthanjustrunningoutand
getting a job, this is a different way
of thinking. ‘This is my passion, this
is what I want to do’— that’s pretty
much were I take them,” said pro-
gram coordinator Tori Eckes from
the Workforce Center where she
serves people looking for careers, or
education, four days a week.
“I want to send that message
of hope out there. If you are in the
middle of a job transition—these
[Pioneer] layoffs just came down
recently—if you’re thinking about
it, rather than just jumping into an-
other job and climbing that ladder
again—without really knowing if it’s
really what you want to do—this is a
way you can get a lot more informa-
tion first,” said Eckes.
TSJC Director of Communica-
tions Greg Boyce said this program
is intended to ignite people who need
a change, “When someone loses a
job a kind of hopelessness can set in
where people really just don’t know
what to do next. The Find Your
Passion program may give them
a spark, which can build into new
job opportunities. Sometimes train-
ing can be done very quickly. We’ve
had students get good jobs after only
16 weeks of training. The program
is also helpful for someone who is
burned out and looking for a new
challenge.”
Eckes said for some people more
training isn’t even required and that
thisprogramisn’tmeanttopushpeo-
ple toward college, that might be one
route, but it might not be for every-
one. “I had a guy in recently who got
laid off. He had been in construction
and worked with heavy equipment
all his life. He was trying to find a job
and just getting frustrated. He came
here and went through these same
steps and he did his interest test and
it turned out that working in a rail-
road facility might be good for him,
which he’s done before. A job came
through for track maintenance and
it required a heavy machinery back-
ground and he applied for it today.
I don’t think he has a GED, but he
has a good chance of getting that job,
and he’ll go on to make more money
than any of us. That’s the kind of
thing that’s exciting for me being
down here. I get to help people with
all sorts of backgrounds, people with
no GED, people with college educa-
tions. There’s something out there
for everyone and we can help people
find that.”
Trinidad State has had a repre-
sentativeco-locatedattheWorkforce
Center for several years off and on,
said Eckes. Generally the positions
are funded by federal or state grants.
“The primary reason we devote
time at the Workforce is to share
referrals back and forth between
agencies and to assist individuals
visiting the Workforce with imme-
diate support if they are interested
in attending college or re-training.
Additionally, we now offer the ‘Find
Your Passion’ service where we can
help individuals identify their inter-
ests and values in a career through
short surveys and then assist them
in developing career plans that may
include training with the college or
another resource.”
When asked how the local em-
ployment landscape affects what is
done at the college, TSJC President
Dr. Carmen Simone said, “When a
local company lays off people, that
has an impact on all sorts of facets
of what we do. Including just losing
that part of our population, because
some of those folks are going to leave
the area and that of course has an
impact on the college. Part of the rea-
son we have a place on the economic
development board is so that when
we hear of new companies that are
coming in, we can be at the table to
talk about what kinds of training we
could offer for those employees. Be-
cause as the population of the Trini-
dad area grows, that helps raise all
boats.”
Eckes used her own experience
as an example of how some of the el-
ements of “Find Your Passion” can
lead to a dream job even if it’s unex-
pected. “I’m here because I want to
live here and be around my family,”
said Eckes. “This is one of my dream
jobs and I’m so grateful working for
the college. And I’m not qualified. I
have a business background. No ex-
perience in education. But because
I leveraged my experience in sales
and marketing into a recruiting job
here—you know—so that’s how I got
in the college and started learning
things like this. And this is my pas-
sion, you can tell, I love it.”
Formoreinformationonhowyou
can find your passion contact Eckes
at (719) 846-9221, or email tori.eckes@
trinidadstate.edu. Many of the tools
employed by Eckes can be found at
www.collegeincolorado.org.
of water pressure. The
bottles shot at least 100 feet
into the air before falling
harmlessly to earth. The
kids whooped with pleasure
as they watched repeated
demonstrations of the water
bottle rockets, and seemed
amazed at how much power
could be generated without
the use of any kind of explo-
sive device.
“There’s 45 pounds of
pressure in there per square
inch,” Wiening told the stu-
dents. “That’s a lot of pres-
sure. All that air pressure
is going to try to push the
water out. When we’re do-
ing this you have to keep in
mind that this is all about
physics, all right? Every-
thingwedohereisaboutsci-
ence. That
b u i l d i n g
right there
is a sci-
ence build-
ing. That’s
where I
work and
w h e r e
I teach.
W h e n
we’re fill-
ing these
water bot-
tles with
air, and
you can see
it’s a little cloudy, we’re put-
ting energy into those bot-
tles. We went from a liquid
to a gas, and basically what
we did was create clouds in
there. We change the state
of matter by putting energy
into something.”
When the rockets flew up
into the air, they released
a column of water beneath
them, sort of like water that
comes from a hose, but with-
out the hose. The kids could
see the thin column of water
right in front of their eyes,
right before it fell to earth.
Getting three water rock-
ets to fire at the exact same
moment required timing
and practice, he said. The
rocket team also fired a
rocket with no water in it.
That rocket flew even high-
er into the air than the wa-
ter-filled ones. He explained
that the empty rocket had
the same air
p r e s s u r e
inside, but
could fly high-
er without the
weight of the
water inside.
Wiening,
who also
works with
math and sci-
ence students
in the Up-
ward Bound
p r o g r a m ,
said his stu-
dents in the
program had been shoot-
ing off water-filled rockets
for years, to demonstrate
scientific principles. When
festival co-organizer Tom
Perry asked him and his
students to strut their stuff
at the 2015 Water Festival,
he said they were happy to
oblige. He said his two sons
were both excellent science
students, Wyatt at Trinidad
High School and Chance at
Trinidad Middle School,
with Wyatt a state science
fair qualifier who won a
$9,000 college scholarship,
and Chance a regional sci-
ence fair qualifier. Many
area students have shown
Wiening that they can
achieve great things in the
classroom. The students
take away many positive ex-
periences from the annual
water festivals, he said.
“I think they get exposed
to a lot of things that oth-
erwise they wouldn’t even
know about,” he said. “Not
necessarily every student
is going to walk away with
something, but for the kids
that are, they’re the ones
who are going to succeed
later on.”
The festival was divided
into 20-minute sessions,
with the students going to
the presentations they’d
signed up for in advance.
A tasty lunch helped break
up the day. The kids got
learn about the importance
of healthy watersheds,
rivers and streams. Aban-
doned reptiles, rescued by
an Alamosa shelter, were
a big hit when they were
brought up close to where
the kids were seated at ‘The
Pit.’ The many presenta-
tions brought the students
up close and personal with
all of the many water issues
that today’s students will
have to deal with for the rest
of their lives.
Perry said he was de-
lighted that everyone
seemed to be having such
a great time at the festival.
There were several new and
very interesting presenta-
tions this year, he said. He
thanked all the presenters,
the host college and all of
the area school districts that
participated in the event.
He reserved his highest for
all of the many volunteers
who took time out of their
always-busy lives to help
make the 2015 Trinidad Wa-
ter Festival such a resound-
ing success.
JM Tire at 709 N. Commercial St. has
4 tickets to give away for the Cuchara
Country Music Festival.
All JM customers can enter the drawing at JM
Tire from May 1st to June 3rd. On June 5th we
will announce the winners.
We are also having the same drawing at our
Walsenburg location.
Community
Steve Block & TSJC (photo left) / The Chronicle-News
Brantlin Stokely, above, shows an exotic, rescued snake to fascinated students at the 2015 Trini-
dad Water Festival at Trinidad State Junior College. At laft, students make adobe.