Articles from the December 28, 2007 edition

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1 package corn tortillas 1 pound ground beef 2 medium cans green chilis 1 large white onion 2 cloves garlic 1 can nacho cheese soup 1 can cream of chicken soup Shredded Mexican blend cheese Cooking oil Add 2 tablespoons of oil to hot skillet. Sauté chopped garlic cloves and onion. Brown ground beef and drain. Add soup, green chilis, onion and garlic. Soften tortillas by heating both sides in oiled skillet. Place one layer of tortillas in a casserole dish. Cover with meat mixture. Add a layer of cheese. Repeat until meat...

Curry County Literacy Council provides free literacy tutoring to any adult in Curry County. Volunteers from all walks of life are welcome. Contact: Nancy Blake Clarke, 769-4096; www.clovis.edu/students/centerforstudentsuccess/cclc/volunteers.asp... Full story

Name: Babycakes About: She is an 8 year old calico cat. She has tiny legs and a teeny tiny tail. She likes to sleep in my hair and is mean most of the time. She once ate a piece of macaroni, it was cool, I never saw a cat eat a noodle before. Owner: Cheyanne Bardin... Full story

Name: Tifa, she is a Rottweiler About: She is about two years old and still very much a puppy.... She insists she is a lap dog! She loves to play with our kids, with her rope ties and wrestle... When she absolutely wants attention she oozes into our lap, with half of her body still on the floor. Owners: Eric and Cathy Tapia... Full story

2 (12-ounce) cans SPAM Classic, divided 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1-1/2 cups cornmeal 1/2 cup sugar 4 teaspoons baking powder 2 cups milk 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 eggs 1 cup canned corn 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack and Colby Cheese heart shaped muffin pans or small disposable heart-shaped pans Preheat oven to 400F. Slice one can of SPAM into 8 slices and set aside. In bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar and baking powder. In another bowl combine milk, oil and eggs. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in...

1 cup water 1/2 cup butter or margarine 1 cup flour 4 eggs 6 oz Instant french vanilla pudding mix 3 cups milk 8 oz cream cheese 16 oz whipped topping chocolate syrup Bring water and margarine to a boil. Add flour all at once. Remove from heat. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Spread in greased 9x13 cake pan. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Set aside to cool. Crust will look raised and irregular but will settle as it cools. Beat together pudding mix, milk and cream cheese. Spread over cooled cream puff...

Clovis Pride seeks volunteers to help enhance and improve the city through beautification and other projects. Claire Burroughes, 763-9653.... Full story

City of Clovis, Senior Meals Program, needs volunteers to help deliver meals to homebound senior citizens. About three hours a day. 769-7908.... Full story

Activities Baxter-Curren Senior Center Bingo — 1 p.m., Thursdays, 908 Hickory. Information: 769-7908. Baxter-Curren Jam Session — 6:30 p.m., first and third Tuesdays, 908 Hickory. Music instrument playing. Information: 769-7908. Baxter-Curren Music Sessions — 6 p.m., second and fourth Tuesdays, 908 Hickory. Music singing and playing. Information: 763-4113. Circle Eight Squares — 9 p.m., first and third Fridays, La Casa Senior Center, 12th and Cameo. Information: 762-1349. Clovis Community Band — 7 p.m., Mondays on Marshall...

City of Clovis Public Works Committee currently has a vacancy for a District 4 representative. The committee advises the city commission on public works activities such as drainage, landfill and streets. The committee meets at 8:30 a.m. on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Claire Burroughes, 763-9653.... Full story

The following books are available at the Clovis-Carver Public Library: The Lesser Evil: The Diaries of Victor Klemperer 1945-59 by Victor Klemperer was given by John Olsen in memory of Marion Olsen. A portrait of East German life in the early years of the Cold War is presented with unsparing honesty and directness, offering a poignant document about communism and the political choices that so many Europeans faced after WWII. Heat by Bill Buford was given by John Olsen in memory of Marion Olsen. This entertaining account of...

It took me years, not months, to discern the importance of beginning a new year. Obviously to a child, and less obviously to a young adult, time rolls endlessly ahead of you — an ocean of time, a roadmap of time, a night sky of time. Then one day or one year, it stops — you stop. You realize the value and validity of new beginnings, of starting a fresh set of hopes and dreams. You realize that you don’t have forever. Perhaps you make a mistake you cannot correct, or you score a victory that you know will never be repea...

La Casa Senior Center 1120 Cameo St. Monday: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., daily activities including pool, crafts, ceramics, sewing, quilting, dominos, puzzles, card games, computer access, blood pressure checks and therapeutic massage chairs. Tuesday: Closed for the New Year holiday. Wednesday: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., daily activities; 10:30 a.m. indoor exercise; 1 - 3 p.m. – bingo; 2 p.m. refreshments. Thursday: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., daily activities; 10:30 a.m. indoor exercise; 1 p.m. Loteria (Spanish bingo); 2 p.m. refreshments. Friday: 9 a...

Howard Marvin and Velmeta Howard of Clovis will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on Jan. 1, 2008. The couple was married Jan. 1, 1948. They have four children, eight grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild. He is a retired jeweler. She is a retired LPN. Hughes George C. and Ruth Ann Hughes of Lubbock, Texas celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on Nov. 10 at their home. The couple was married Nov. 8, 1942 in Hobart, Okla. He is former Assistant Superintendent of Portales Schools. She...

Partin/Huddleston Jerry and Karla Partin of Portales announce the engagement and approaching marriage of their daughter, Emily Partin, of Portales, to Jeffery Huddleston of Clovis. He is the son of Wayne and Dana Huddleston of Katy, Texas. The couple will exchange vows at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 19 at Central Christian Church in Portales. The reception will follow at the church. The bride-elect is a 2005 graduate of Eastern New Mexico University. She is employed at Covenant Health System. The prospective groom is a 2004 graduate of...

Don McAlavy

In the year of 1903 Tom Brown, a young man of about 22 years, boarded a train for New Mexico’s lonely prairies. Now Tom really did not know just where he was going or what he was going for. He had heard of the wild and woolly west, and something seemed to attract him, so he came. When Tom arrived at Texico, he seemed to think that was far enough west, although it was just inside of New Mexico. Stepping off the train he said to himself: “I must see the roundup grounds (rodeo grounds)”. As he walked along he found in Texic...

I had two miscarriages after my first daughter was born. Although they were early in the pregnancy, I felt a deep sense of loss and despair for the babies I lost, and it took me a long time to recover and move forward. I hated having to tell everyone that the baby didn't make it. I dreaded the uncomfortable silence and awkward conversation when I saw a friend or bumped into a random acquaintance at the supermarket. After our losses, my husband and I decided we would wait until the second trimester to share any future pregnanc... Full story

The following books are available at the Portales Public Library: The Elite Forces Manual of Mental & Physical Endurance This book uses techniques developed by special forces units to train their recruits. The author has used these techniques to create a manual aimed to help you attain the peak of mental and physical fitness using simple steps and procedures. This manual includes more than 120 photographs and artwork illustrating the training regimes used by special forces soldiers around the world. Killer Elite: the Inside...

The Portales News-Tribune offers this space for community events. To submit or change an announcement, contact the Editorial Department at 356-4481 several days in advance. For Sunday’s paper, items must be submitted by mid-day Wednesday. Please keep submissions brief and to the point as space is limited. Sunday Lamp Lighters Alcoholics Anonymous — 11 a.m. to noon, non-smoking regular, 1223 W. Ivy. Hotline, 769-6052. Hope for Hurting Women — 6 p.m., prayer, support and encouragement for women, Web Direct Store, 1529 S. Ave....

Partin/Huddleston Jerry and Karla Partin of Portales announce the engagement and approaching marriage of their daughter, Emily Partin, of Portales, to Jeffery Huddleston of Clovis. He is the son of Wayne and Dana Huddleston of Katy, Texas. The couple will exchange vows at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 19 at Central Christian Church in Portales. The reception will follow at the church. The bride-elect is a 2005 graduate of Eastern New Mexico University. She is employed at Covenant Health System. The prospective groom is a 2004 graduate of...

Hughes George C. and Ruth Ann Hughes of Lubbock, Texas celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on Nov. 10 at their home. The couple was married Nov. 8, 1942 in Hobart, Okla. He is former Assistant Superintendent of Portales Schools. She is a retired teacher. Howard Marvin and Velmeta Howard of Clovis will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on Jan. 1, 2008. The couple was married Jan. 1, 1948. They have four children, eight grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild. He is a retired jeweler....

SILVER CITY — Senate President Pro Tem Ben Altamirano, the longest-serving member of the New Mexico Legislature, has died at his home in Silver City. He was 77. Gov. Bill Richardson made the announcement late Thursday, saying Altamirano was a true statesman whose love for New Mexico helped him earn the respect of everyone who crossed his path. “I am deeply saddened by the passing of a great New Mexican and my dear friend, Benny Altamirano. ... Benny will be dearly missed,” Richardson said. Details about Altamirano’s death w... Full story