1. 50Cents
Trinidad
Colorado
Proudly Serving Southeastern Colorado and Northeastern New Mexico • www.thechronicle-news.com
~
Vol. 139, No. 20
Wednesday
January28,2015
AREA SPORTS
SUN: 49th Annual Super Bowl with
NE Patriots vs Seattle Seahawks in Ari-
zona @ 4:30 p.m. on NBC.
JANUARY 28
Tourism Board
WEDNESDAY (9 a.m.) Commit-
tee meets in the City Hall Third Floor
Conference Room, 135 N. Animas St.
Information: City Clerk, Audra Garrett,
719-846-9843.
Trinidad Schools
WEDNESDAY (5 p.m.) The Board
of Education will hold a presentation at
Eckhart Elementary, 1021 Pierce St.
Information: 719-845-2048.
Trinidad Schools
WEDNESDAY (6 p.m.) The Board
of Education will hold its regular ses-
sion at the District Administration Of-
fice, 612 Park St. Information: 719-
845-2048.
Today’s Quote
“Your success and
happiness lies in you.
Resolve to keep happy,
and your joy and you
shall form an invincible
host against life’s
difficulties.”
~Helen Keller
JANUARY 29
SCIENCE FAIR
THURSDAY (2 p.m./Awards
Ceremony) The community is invited
to attend the annual TMS Science Fair
at the Park Street Middle School Gym.
Projects can be viewed throughout the
day.
PUBLIC SERVICE
SPECIAL NOTICE
The Chronicle-News 2014 Col-
lector Mugs with beautiful artwork by
Trinidad Artist Paula Little are here and
waiting for you to come pick them up,
200 West Church St. Info: 719-846-
3311.
ABSTRACT WORKSHOP
SATURDAY & SUNDAY (10 a.m.-
3 p.m.) & FEBRUARY 7-8 (same
time) TSJC’s Professor of Art Vilas
Tonape will offer a 2-weekend abstract
painting workshop at the College Art
Department. Registration and info: Jo-
sephine Chacon, 719-846-5474.
SW Youth Art Show
THRU FEBRUARY 1: The 3rd an-
nual Shades of the Southwest Youth
Art Show is now showing at Raton’s
Old Pass Gallery, 145 S. First St. in Ra-
ton. Info: 575-445-2052.
VETERAN’S TOWN HALL
FEBRUARY 3 (5-6:30 p.m.) All
veterans and their families are invited
to attend an open Town Hall meeting
at the Raton VFW Post, 106 Park Ave.
Speaker will be Director Andrew Welch
with the NM VA Health Care System.
Questions will be taken. Info: 505-256-
6495.
Senior Driving Class
FEBRUARY 12 (9 a.m.-1 p.m.)
The AARP Driving Class will be held
at the Sayre Senior Center, 1222 San
Pedro St. Registration and information:
Carl Mozengo, 719-868-2288.
9HEALTH FAIR
APRIL 18 (7:30 a.m.-Noon) The
annual 9Health Fair will be held at the
Mt. San Rafael Hospital, 410 Bene-
dicta Ave. Info: Lynda Pachelli at 719-
846-8051.
CALL FOR FUN!
MARCH 14 (entry deadline) Call
for artists for “There’s No Such Thing
as an Ordinary Cat” all-media art show
scheduled for March 20 at Oasis Stu-
dios/Galerie Vivant, 214/218 E. Main.
Info: Susan Palmer, 805-603-6181.
Low-Cost Spay/Neuter
The Fisher’s Peak Veterinary Clin-
ic (719-846-3211) and the Trinidad
Animal Clinic (719-846-3212) offer
grant-funded, low-cost spay/neuter
surgeries. Call for information and ap-
pointments.
SUICIDE/CRISIS HOTLINES:
*ADULT HOPE: 800-784-2433
*TEEN: 877-968-8454
*GLB-YOUTH: 866-488-7386
*VET-2-VET: 877-838-2838
“It is often in the darkest skies that
we see the brightest stars.”
ABUSE HOTLINES:
*Domestic Abuse Hotline: In
Trinidad call 719-846-6665 (24-hours
a day). In Walsenburg call: 719-738-
0770. National Hotline: 1-800-790-
SAFE (7233).
*Animal Abuse: Report animal
abuse and dog/cock fighting at Crime
Stoppers anonymous tip line: 720-913-
7867.
TheFinePrint
WeatherWatch
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high
near 59. North northwest wind around 10
mph. Night: Partly cloudy, with a low
around 27. North wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high
near 45. North northeast wind around
5 mph becoming south southeast in the
afternoon. Night: A slight chance of rain
before 2 a.m., then a slight chance of
snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around
29. South southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Chance of precipitation is 10 percent.
Friday: A slight chance of snow be-
fore 8 a.m., then a chance of rain. Mostly
cloudy, with a high near 41. South south-
west wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light
and variable in the afternoon. Chance
of precipitation is 30 percent. Night: A
chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy,
with a low around 25. Light west north-
west wind becoming north 10 to 15 mph
in the evening. Chance of precipitation is
40 percent.
RiverCall
Purgatoire River Call as of:
01/27/15. Johns Flood ditch: Pri-
ority # 9 --- Appropriation date:
01/01/1863.
Trinidad Reservoir Accounting:
Release 0 AF
Inflow 59.00 AF -- 29.75 CFS
Evaporation 0 AF
Content 15,996 AF
Elevation 6,177.58
Precipitation 0
Downstream River Call / John
Martin Reservoir: (Conservation
Storage) 05/31/1949.
TheChronicleNews
ANNUAL FUN & FUNDRAISER
Rockies great Todd Helton to speak at TSJC dinner
By Toni DeAngelis
Special to The Chronicle-News
Major League Baseball star
Todd Helton will speak at the
Trinidad State Educational Foun-
dation annual Fun & Friendraiser
dinner event entitled “Aim for the
Fence” on Saturday, February 28,
2015. The Fun & Friendraiser is a
social evening for the community
to come enjoy a night of friends,
entertainment and excitement all
in support of Trinidad State. The
gala event will
feature a recep-
tion and silent
auction begin-
ning at 6 p.m. as
well as a limited
opportunity for
autographs from
Mr. Helton with
dinner follow-
ing at 7 p.m. and
then the high-
light of the event,
the address from
honored speaker,
Todd Helton.
Todd Helton
played his entire
17-year career for the Colorado
Rockies retiring in 2013. He is a
Major League baseball icon and
was a five-time All Star, four-time
Silver Slugger, and three-time
Gold Glove Award winner. He led
the Colorado Rockies on a dramat-
ic World Series run in 2007 and is
known across Colorado and Ma-
jor League Baseball as a team and
clubhouse leader.
Helton holds Colorado Rock-
ies club records for hits (2,519),
home runs (369), doubles (592),
walks (1,335), runs scored (1,401),
RBIs (1,406), games played (2,247),
total bases (4,292) and other cat-
egories. Helton hit his 2,000-career
hit against the Atlanta Braves on
May 19, 2009, and his 2,500-career
hit against the Cincinnati Reds on
September 1, 2013.
Helton was recently honored
by the Colorado Rockies when the
team retired his number 17. He
is the first Rockies player to have
his number retired in the team’s
twenty-one year history. He is
very active in the community and
isastrongsupporterofmanychar-
ities, often by donat-
ing his time and ef-
forts to support such
causes as Special
Olympics, Colorado
Law Enforcement
and Colorado Ju-
nior Sports. Helton
and his family have
chosen Colorado as
their home and Col-
orado in turn has
adopted him as one
of its own.
“Trinidad and
Las Animas County
have a long baseball
history with every
coal camp having at least one
competitive team, plus Trinidad
State has a strong baseball pro-
gram with last year’s team win-
ning Region IX,” said Educational
Foundation Board President Mimi
Zapanti. “The TSJC Educational
Foundation is so pleased to bring
Todd Helton to Trinidad to share
his 17-year history with the Rock-
ies with us. Mr. Helton exemplifies
all that baseball should be and we
are thrilled he will be sharing it
with us.” Photo courtesy of Trinidad State
All-time great Colorado Rockie’s baseball player Todd Helton is scheduled to
speak at the annual Fun & Fundraiser dinner on Saturday, Feb. 28.
Continued on Page 2 ...
By Adam Sperandio
The Chronicle-News
Are you military, police, or ser-
viceman?Doyourideamotorcycle
and are you looking for something
fun to do and make new friends? If
you answered yes to any of these
questions, then the Expendables is
a perfect fit for you.
Many people’s assumption,
right or wrong, is that most of the
individuals who belong to a mo-
torcycle club are a bunch of thugs
who will bust you up thoroughly if
you so much as look at one of them
the wrong way. So its stereotypi-
cally instinctual to feel fear when
a swarm of big guys with tattoos
and giant beards wearing leather
jackets roar into your rearview
mirror on their loud, modified mo-
torcycles. And when most think
of the Expendables, the first thing
that comes to mind is the movie
starring Sylvester Stallone, Jason
Statham and Stone Cold Steve
Austin that pays tribute to the
blockbuster action films genre of
the late 80’s and 90’s. This is nei-
ther of that. This isn’t your stereo-
typical motorcycle gang and these
Expendables aren’t from the mov-
ies.
These Expendables are a non-
profit motorcycle club that coor-
dinates charity rides and fund
raisers to help benefit their com-
munities. The group is based on
the values of true friendship, re-
spect, and brotherhood; promotes
camaraderie and loyalty between
all service fields, and is made up of
current and former federal, state,
and local police, military, fire,
EMS and corrections who have
served their departments with
honor, respect, and dignity.
A motorcycle club, for many, is
like an extended family. Having a
sense of belonging and being part
of something bigger is something
that most search for their entire
lives.
The Expendables primary fo-
LA COUNTY
DHS Director
gives quarterly
report to County
Commissioners
Adam Sperandio/The Chronicle-News
The Expendables Motorycle Club of Trinidad members include (L-R) Donald”Gonzo” Gonzales, Chapter Treasurer
Charlie “Snowman” Snow, Chapter President John “Bulldog” Murnane, Lester “Les” Larson, Kneeling:Chapter Vice
President Ponch Garcia
New motorcycle club looking to give back
Continued on Page 2 ...
COMMUNITY MINDED
By Eric John Monson
News Editor
The Chronicle-News
Las Animas County Depart-
ment of Human Services Direc-
tor, Arlene Lopez, continued to
chronicle an increased workload
and a deteriorating work place in
the Department of Human Servic-
es (DHS) quarterly report to Las
Animas County Commissioners
Tuesday.
In terms of Medicaid, DHS is
now handling over 2,678 cases and
the amount of benefits paid over
the year of 2014 was nearly $21 mil-
lion dollars. In earlier reports Lo-
pez thought
that expand-
ed terms for
qualifying
for the pro-
gram had led
to the rise in
cases, but she
also pointed
to other fac-
tors and oth-
er increases
across her
department.
“They (the
M e d i c a i d
caseworkers)
give me a list
every month,
and it seems
that there are
about 100 more cases a month that
they have to process. The same
with food stamps, about 100 new
cases per month, and that could be
that they’re adding another pro-
gram to their existing household,
or it’s a new household coming
into the system. It’s a constant liv-
Continued on Page 2 ...
Photo by Eric John
Monson / The
Chronicle-News
Department of Hu-
man Service Direc-
tor Arlene Lopez

2. Page 2 Wednesday, January 28, 2015 The Chronicle-News Trinidad, Colorado
General Manager
Allyson Sheumaker
asheumaker@trinidadchroniclenews.com
Advertising
Sales-Adam Sperandio
advertising@trinidadchroniclenews.com
Classifieds, Memorials, &
Circulation- Joey Loewen
classified@trinidadchroniclenews.com
Design & Legals- Lauri Duran
ktoci@trinidadchroniclenews.com
News Room
Editor: Eric John Monson
editor@trinidadchroniclenews.com
Features Editor & Fine Print
Catherine Moser
cathy@trinidadchroniclenews.com
Reporter: Steve Block
news1@trinidadchroniclenews.com
Business Hours:
Monday - Friday
8 AM - 5 PM
USPS #110-040
200 West Church Street
P.O. Box 763, Trinidad, CO 81082
(719) 846-3311 • Fax (719) 846-3612
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Periodicals Postage Paid For At Trinidad, CO.
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The Johns Flood Ditch
will hold its annual
Stockholders Meeting on
Saturday, February 7, 2015
in the Hoehne Community
Center at 10 a.m.
67 Mullare-Murphy Funeral Home
Larry Parsons
Larry Parsons, 79, died
J a n u a r y 2 3 , 2 0 1 5 . A
memorial service will be held
Saturday, January 31, 2015,
at 11:00 a.m. at The Lords
Chapel in Segundo, Colo.
Inurnment will take place at a
later date at the Stonewall
Cemetery. The family has
entrusted Mullare-Murphy
Funeral Home with the
arrangements.
62 Memorials
In Loving Memory of
Annie Swazo
On her birthday January 28
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM
Mom today is your Birthday
and you have been gone
from us for 2yrs. Today is a
special day and we all miss
you very much. Every
Birthday I would send you
flowers and a corsage. I miss
this so much since I can't
send you any more flowers.
The house was always filled
with flowers and looked like
a floral shop. We took you
out to dinner and you wore
your corsage and showed
everyone how special it was.
We sing Happy Birthday to
you and you would end the
song , and “Scooby Doo.”
Stay watching over us and
have Dad take you out
dancing for your birthday.
You are missed everyday by
all of us…..
The Swazo Family.
Happy Birthday in Heaven
Holly!
On this day 1-28-91 We held
you in our arms and gave
thanks to God for you!
Now it's with God again you
celebrate this day! All though
it is a hard day for us without
you, we pray and know your
birthday in heaven is just as
beautiful as your are!
Forever 17 our Angel Holly!
We Love and Miss You daily
and so deeply!
Mom, Dad, your brother
Nicolas, sister Terra and all
your families!
Holly Tyler Ringo
Jan 28, 1991 - Oct 10, 2008
Today should have
been so different.
Just know I'm,
Thinking about you.
Missing you,
Loving you,
Celebrating you.
This side of Heaven.
Happy Birthday
My Dear Sweet Niece
Love Aunt Erlinda
62 Memorials
Holly Tyler Ringo
Jan 28,1991 - Oct 10,2008
In Our Hearts You
Will Always Be ...
Your love, your voice,
And your smile.
Are forever imprinted
in our minds.
So loved and so missed!
Happy Birthday Cousin
Love Suga Suga - Lael
And Cousin, Angel
In Loving Memory of
Holly Ringo
Happy Birthday Holly Girl
1/28/1991 - 10/10/2008
Today we celebrate your
birthday together with love
and many memories of
birthdays passed. Knowing
you are celebrating from
above and watching over us
with your unconditional love.
Always by our side, guiding
us through life.
We love you, heart & soul,
Lacie, Justin, Nancy, Jackie,
Gina and Rose.
In Memory of
David Lee Velasquez
Your birthday is already here
yet it has not even been a
year since you have gone.
We cherish the time we have
had together and we will
always keep you in our
hearts.
Sadly missed by wife
Frances, daughter Regina
and family.
In Memory of My
Granddaughter
Holly Ringo
On her 24th Birthday
You were the kind
of person,
Who left lovely
memories behind,
And special days
like your birthday,
Bring many fond
memories to mind,
And memories are
possessions,
That time can
never destroy,
For it is in happy
remembrance,
The heart finds its
greatest joy.
We love and miss you so
much!
Nana Patti and families.
63 Card of Thanks
We, the family of Ida
Fernandez would like to
express our sincere
appreciation to all those who
shared their sympathy and
support during our loss.
Thank you to all our relatives
and friends for your
generous gifts of flowers,
Mass cards, sympathy cards,
food, phone calls, messages,
and those that traveled from
out of town to be with us.
Thanks to the pallbearers,
Father Murray, Sister
Regina, Natalie Galasso,
Gene and Louise Castillo,
our brother Jim Fernandez
for his most perfect and
loving eulogy, and everyone
who helped make her Mass
beautiful. A special thank
you to Brother Harry
Gonzales for leading us in
the rosary service, the
graveside service, and
especially his heartfelt words
of support and kindness we
will always treasure. Also,
we'd like to thank Kitsy
Winter and staff at the Comi
Funeral Home for their
professionalism,
thoughtfulness, and kindness
extended to our family. Our
deepest and most heartfelt
thanks to all.
62 Memorials
An angel
tiptoed quietly
into our world,
silently, only lin-
gering for a mo-
ment it seemed.
Oh, but what an
imprint those
footprints left
upon our hearts.
~Unknown
DHS Director gives report to County
... Continued from Page 1
New motorcycle club looking to give back
... Continued from Page 1
Rockies great Todd Helton featured speaker
... Continued from Page 1
“We are so happy to welcome Todd Hel-
ton to Trinidad as we celebrate our 90th an-
niversary [this year],” said Trinidad State
Junior College President Dr. Carmen Sim-
one. “He’s the kind of role model we hope
our students will emulate as they graduate
and move on with their lives.”
The Fun & Friendraiser gala event is
open to the public. Due to the Trinidad State
athletic schedule and an anticipated larger
crowd, this year’s event will be held at Trin-
idad High School’s Donnelly Gymnasium.
Tickets for the event are $75 per person. Cor-
porate sponsorship levels are also available.
Tickets must be purchased in advance. For
more information, please call Linda Perry
at 719-846-5649 or Toni DeAngelis at 719-846-
5520.
The Trinidad State Junior College Edu-
cational Foundation is a private, non-profit
corporation founded in 1968 to raise and
manage private gifts for TSJC. Made up of a
diversegroupofvolunteercommunitymem-
bers, the Foundation invites the private sec-
tor to participate in events designed to ben-
efit the College and its students. Through
the years, the Foundation has made notable
contributions to student scholarships, in-
structional programs, professional develop-
ment, building improvements, and campus
beautification projects. Proceeds from the
gala event benefit the Educational Founda-
tion in its mission to support the growth and
development of Trinidad State.
cus is to promote a positive image that is
respected in the community and through-
out the country, while promoting family,
friendship and camaraderie. “We want to
expand our membership and recruit more
members to help serve the community,”
said Trinidad Chapter President, John
“Bulldog” Murnane who serves as a correc-
tional officer at the Trinidad Correctional
Facility. “What we are hoping to do is to
get people interested in the club and then
for us to help them out. We want to help
cancer patients at the hospital, help raise
money for local charities, things like that.
It’s a worthwhile organization to benefit
and set positive examples for everybody in
the community.“
Murnane says the club has already par-
ticipated in a couple different fundraisers
with different clubs around the state and
that they also have a handful of different
fundraisers and events lined up in 2015.
The club is always looking for more to get
into and even started reaching out to differ-
ent organizations around Trinidad to see if
they could get involved in some of the ac-
tion and lend a hand.
The thought behind it all is that when a
fund raising opportunity or large commu-
nity event comes up, Murnane wants The
Expendables to be some of the first people
called to come help.
“We want to be a positive face in the
community,” said Murnane.”We are all
about helping and giving back. Everything
we do is for charity and giving to those who
need help. We are setting up different plans
and seeing what the community needs, and
we have a bunch of things lined up. We got
St. Baldrick’s coming up, that’s a big thing
for us. I was talking to Dave Bacharach at
the Fire Department here. He helps coordi-
nate the children’s toy run and fund raisers
for the department and he said that another
local motorcycle group used to help out but
dropped it; so next year and I said we want
to be involved in that to help the kids.”
“So far we’ve done four different
rides for different charities,” said Char-
lie “Snowman” Snow, who serves as the
club’s treasurer. “We did one for a little
girl, Brooklyn; and we raised more money
for that little girl than any other ride we’ve
ever been on.” Brooklyn has rare condition
that causes her joints to fuse, and it’s aw-
ful painful and treatment for is extremely
expensive. Snow said it was one of the most
rewarding rides he’s ever been on. “We did
our ride on a Saturday and she turned five
that Sunday and all day we rode around,
she never lost her cool or her smile; she was
a trooper. There were three other groups
and the Expendables took home first, sec-
ond and third place prizes in the competi-
tions and we gave all the prizes back to her.
It’s just a great thing for the community
and we are excited to be here,” he finished.
The Expendables were founded in Nash-
ville, TN approx. 15 years ago with Trini-
dad officially being sworn in on November
1, 2014. The club has hundreds of chapters
in 46 different states and even one in Ku-
wait. Like many exclusive organizations,
the Expendables do keep some deal of se-
crecy involving the inner workings of their
group, however enough has been written to
give a basic idea of what’s required to join.
Officially, you must:
■ Be 21 years of age or older and of good
character
■ Have valid drivers license with motor-
cycle endorsement
■ Own and operate a motorcycle capa-
ble of traveling interstate speeds
■ Must have met one of the following re-
quirements:
■ Current or former federal, state or lo-
cal agent, police or correctional officer
■ Current or former military service,
serving honorably
■ Employed as firefighter, ems or public
service provider
■ Members can also bring spouse into
club
Meetings for the Expendables are held
every second Saturday at 7 p.m. at Brix
Sports Bar on Main Street in Trinidad.
Anybody fitting the mold and interested in
joining is invited to attend. “We will kick
off our bike run season on Memorial Day
weekend and will get runs going every
weekend or whenever we can. We just want
to be a positive light in the community,”
said Murnane.
ing, breathing thing over there with Medic-
aid and food stamp benefits,” said Lopez in
earlier reports.
Tuesday, Lopez said much the same when
asked about the rise in caseloads for her de-
partment. “Everyday it’s new faces walking
in. And staff say everyday their seeing new
people.” Commissioner Mack Louden asked
ifLopezsawaplateautotheriseinsight.“We
really don’t know where these new people
are coming from, or why,” said Lopez.
Lopez educated the commissioners on
a state ordered desk audit of background
checks on foster homes. Lopez said all homes
were cleared and detailed the qualification
required for foster care providers.
The meeting then took a familiar turn as
the commissioners and Lopez began to docu-
ment the deteriorating condition of the Hu-
man Services offices: A tilting floor, a faulty
furnace and a number of costly fixes. “We’re
just hoping it doesn’t get worse before we
get out of there,” was Lopez’ common reply.
County Administrator Leanne Fabec stated
the DHS was still slated to move to another
facility, with it’s own history of problems,
this year.
“That’s been the one of the most upsetting
things I’ve faced since I’ve been here. We’ve
never had a line item for maintenance since
I’ve been here,” said Commissioner Gary
Hill. “I know the money crunch we’re in. But
when you have a house, you have to account
for maintenance.”
COMMUNITY