The Sierra Health Council Community Training Collaborativehas helped organize the following events to assist you in obtainingthe best health insurance coverage for you and your family beforeit’s too late. The deadline is March 31.

At our health insurance enrollment events we will help youcreate your account, view all the

plans available in your area,and help you choose the

appropriate plan foryou and your family.Information tobring to the eventincludes your

monthly income,record of expenses,

family size and members,and social security numbers.

Tax credits or other services that can subsi-dize your premium cost can be estimated at the events. Afterchoosing a plan, you can enroll and then return to the site toreview updates and the status of your plan.

If you are a resident of New Mexico and currently uninsured,

you can also sign up yourself or get assistance with the processthrough these websites: www.bewellnm.com orwww.NMHIX.com (phone: 1-855-99-NMHIX).

These events are being conducted through the cooperation ofHEROs (Health Extension Rural Offices, UNM), Coordinated

Home Health Care, 4th StreetLab, Sierra Vista Com-

munity Health Center,Ben Archer, HealthAction NewMexico (HANM),C o m m u n i t yAction Agency ofSouthern New

Mexico (CAASNM),and the Income Support

Division (ISD). This event wasfacilitated by Sierra Health Council, and funded in part by a

grant from Con Alma Foundation.For questions contact Reilly Hami. email sierrahealthcoun-

cil@gmail.com or cell phone 510-798-1071. More is available atwww.sierrahealthcouncil.com

Following extensive closed-door executive session discussionslast Tuesday afternoon, Sierra County Commissioners reconvenedthe board's regular public session and voted unanimously to ter-minate the contract of Detention Center Administrator CurtisCherry.

As a result, County Manager MarkHuntzinger said Sierra CountySheriff Joe Baca would immedi-ately assume administrativeresponsibilities for theDetention Center until areplacement for Cherry couldbe hired.

On February 5, inresponse to numerousdocumented incidents,the Sierra County Sheriff'sDepartment officers and ateam of law enforcementagencies executed a searchwarrant on the DetentionCenter facility.

This search netted a significantamount of contraband materialsfrom inmate cells, including con-trolled substances, weapons andother prohibited items. TheFebruary 5 action also result-ed in a misdemeanor citationof Detention Center staffmember Ryan Reese forpossession of a switch-blade knife.

Sierra County authori-ties' immediate responsewas to transfer threeinmates, who were

SOURCE: National Weather Service

HIGH LOWFebruary 14 77 50February 15 81 51February 16 75 54February 17 70 47February 18 73 42February 19 74 45February 20 63 46AVGS. FOR WEEK BEGINNING FEB. 14

High 73º • Low 41º •Total Prec. 0

Extended Forecast

Friday, February 21P. Cloudy - high 70, low 44Saturday, February 22P. Cloudy - high 73, low 45Sunday, February 23P. Cloudy - high 73, low 44Monday, February 24Sunny - high 75, low 46Tuesday, February 25P. Cloudy - high 76, low 45Wednesday, February 26M. Sunny - high 72, low 46Thursday, February 27M. Sunny - high 69, low 45Friday, February 28Sunny - high 72, low 48

email: sentinel@gpkmedia.com

INSERTS INSIDE:Bullock’s Grocery

Family Dollar

News Briefs

Resourse Fair

The T-or-C Schools willhost a resource fairThursday, February 27 dur-ing parent/teacher confer-ences. For details on whowill be present and wheresee.

Story on Page A4

ChandlersSpeak OnLegislation

The Chandlers have spo-ken to the Sentinel regard-ing the proposed legislationin Santa Fe that wouldextend CYFD oversight onyouth facilities such as thatat the Tierra Blanca Ranch.

See Story Page A3

Burn PlannedThe BLM office has

announced a planned pre-scribed burn for the LewisCain allotment to beginWednesday.

Story on Page A12

School LookingAt Dog Service

While not budgeted forthe current school year, theT-or-C School Board waspresented with a hands ondemonstration for canineservices that could beplanned for next year, withaction from the board.

Story on Page A12

ContractAwarded OnSVH Work

The Sierra CountyCommission awarded thecontract for the recent bidof the SVH EmergencyRoom and Central Plantwork to Warren Construc-tion of Las Cruces.

See Story Page A2

Know YourNeighbor

Highlighted in thisweek’s feature of local resi-dents, is Julie Durham, whofell in love with SierraCounty as a child, anddespite moving around thecountry, found herself athome and in love in T-or-C.

Story on Page B10

• Sports on Page A7

• Obits on Page A11

Details On Each Stop On Page A9

Jail Administrator’s

Contract Terminated

FeBrUarY 21, 2014

QUIET MOMENTSFather, we know that

everyone who lives leavesa legacy. An obituary is abird’s eye accounting ofwhat they valued in lifeand often reveals whattheir children value as aresult. We want to leave alegacy of love, the purestand highest kind of love,that can only be found inthe Person of Jesus Christ,who laid down His life thatwe might be forgiven andenjoy eternal life. We wantto remain steadfast in ourChristian convictions sothat we pass on that whichmakes a hopeful, positive,and eternal difference inone’s journey here belowand up above. In the nameof Jesus we pray. Amen

22 pages, 2 inserts • 50¢

Cuchillo resident LeRoy Henderson was in hisyard last winter when a couple of out-of-state elkhunters drove into his driveway to inquire if anantique truck he had was for sale.

After telling them no, Henderson said theyasked him “What is there to do around here — isthere someone we can hire to take us on some

hikes or sightseeing tours?”The two men had paid thousands of dollars to

spend a week hunting elk in the nearby GilaNational Forest, and after bagging their limit onday one were looking for some adventure nearby,they said.

Sierra County residents know there is an abun-dance of adventurous activities within a day’sdrive, but for an out-of-town visitor who ends uphere without a guide to direct them to these

(SENTINEL File Photo)

Transforming Sierra County Into An Adventure Destination

As promised during a special public meetinglast August, officials with the New MexicoDepartment of Transportation (NMDOT) begana planned renovation of Date Street earlier thisweek.

The estimated $1.8 million project willinclude installation of sidewalks, ramps andother features, providing an American withDisabilities Act (ADA) compliant pedestriancorridor from Third Avenue northward to H.R.Ashbaugh Street (Wal-Mart intersection).

The NMDOT project will install improve-ments to both sides of Date Street betweenThird and Ninth Avenue and will include

expanded on-street parking in this area. Theinitiative will then continue improvementsalong the western side of Date Street north-ward to H.R. Ashbaugh Street.

NMDOT officials expect to complete the initia-tive by August of this year and are encouragingmotorists to exercise extra caution while passingthrough active construction zones.

Further information about the project is avail-able by contacting Aaron Chavarria through theNMDOT offices, located at 2912 East Pine Streetin Deming, New Mexico, or by phoning (575)544-6575. Chavarria may also be contacted byemail at aaron.chavarria@state.nm.us.

Creating

A Path

Story & Photo By Chuck WentworthSENTINEL

©Copyright 2014 Sierra County Sentinel

Enrollment Deadline Nears: Help Available

Bird Watching

Backcountry Camping

Big Game Hunting

Armendaris Ranch

Ladder Ranch Tours

Photo Tours

By Chuck WentworthSENTINEL

©Copyright 2014 Sierra County Sentinel

(‘JAIL’ Continued On Page A2)

SIERRA COUNTY ENROLLMENT EVENTTHURSDAY, FEB 27,

8 A.M.-2 P.M. AT 4TH STREET LAB,

360 W FOURTH ST, T-OR-C

HATCH-ARREYENROLLMENT EVENT

SAT., MARCH 1, A.M.-4 P.M. AT

COORDINATED HOMEHEALTH CARE, 231 W HALL ST,

HATCH.

HEALTH INSURANCEENROLLMENT EVENT

THUR., MARCH 6, 3 P.M.-7 P.M. AT

4TH STREET LAB, 360 W FOURTH ST,

T-OR-C

As adventure

tourism is

the fastest grow-

ing segment in

the tourism

industry, Sierra

County is poised

for success with

efforts coming

together to trans-

form the existing

local ‘secret spots’

into adventure

destinations for

all.

Photo By JR AbsherFor The SENTINEL

By Etta PettijohnFor The SENTINEL

©Copyright 2014 Sierra County Sentinel

(‘TRANSFORM’ Continued On Page A9)

SIERRA COUNTY SENTINEL FEBRuaRy 21, 2014 – A9

Below are just a few of the area’s natural won-ders that could provide guided adventuretourism opportunities:

•The 362,885-acre Armendaris Ranch offersChihuahuan and semi-desert grasslands withcottonwoods, willow; Fra Cristobal Mountainrange, with desert bighorn sheep, bison, prong-horn, desert mule deer, mountain lion, javelinand oryx; lava tubes of Jornada lava field, sum-mer home for one of the largest bat populationsin North America; historic Camino Real; and aSpanish mine dating back to 1658.

•Backcountry camping and hiking. In addi-tion to the scenic landscape there are many his-torical and archeological wonders within a day’shike on the national forest and Bureau of LandManagement properties.

•Big Game (elk) hunting/bugling tours. Insome parts of the country (see next week’s PartII) guides charge up to $150 for a half day to takesmall groups to areas where elk are known tocongregate during mating rituals. The hauntingsounds of the males “bugling” to their potentialmates is an outdoor experience available on mil-lions of acres of public and private lands in andaround the Gila National Forest, which has one ofthe best elk populations in the Southwestern U.S.

•Bird watching tours. The Rio Grande is animportant flyway for wintering birds, some sorare they draw people from across the globe tosee them. As part of its eco tours the Armendaris(which borders the Bosque del Apache NationalWildlife Refuge) offers viewing and photographyopportunities. According to Leigh AnnVradenburg, executive director of the Friends of

the Bosque, the annual Crane Festival, held lessthan an hour from Sierra County, hosts 6,000 vis-itors, in addition to the 200,000 that visit therefuge annually.

•The 156,439-acre Ladder Ranch offersmixed ecosystems, from desert grasslands topine forests. The Animas, Seco, Palomas, andCuchillo streams; amphibians, fish and wildlife.Bison representing a unique historic gene pool;archaeological remnants of the Mimbres culture.

•James Blue Photo Tours in east Africa andthe American West. In Africa he hosts photo-graphic tours of Mountain Gorillas and the bigcats; Sierra County, photographing abundance ofendangered/threatened species and nativewildlife.

•Outdoor recreation. According to the 2011National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and WildlifeAssociated Recreation, 783 thousand NewMexico residents and nonresidents fished, hunt-ed, or wildlife watched in New Mexico that year.Of those, 278 thousand fished, 69 thousandhunted, and 566 thousand participated inwildlife-watching activities, which includesobserving, feeding, and photographing wildlife.In 2011, state residents and nonresidents spent$937 million on wildlife recreation in the state,with trip-related expenditures of $447 million.With close to 3 million acres in the Gila, and hun-dreds of thousands of acres of BLM land sur-rounding this area, the potential for wildlifewatching activity is excellent. Elephant ButteLake and the Rio Grande also offer wildlife view-ing, kayaking, fishing, and numerous boatingactivities.

places, “what to do” remains amystery.

Finding these out of theway places to view wildlife,camp, hike, and view histori-cal and archeological wondersis something many travelerstoday are willing to pay for.

Many economically depress-ed areas across the U.S. havemanaged to take public landforests, hiking trails, ATV trails,lakes, rivers and other avail-able (and free) resources avail-able nearby and transformtheir communities by develop-ing opportunities for adven-ture and/or eco tourism.

These efforts have broughtjobs and prosperity to placesthat previously suffered pover-ty and hopelessness, and thesame opportunities are avail-able here in Sierra County.

ADVENTURE/ECOTOURISM

The fastest growing seg-ment in the tourism industry isin adventure travel. Adventuretravel is defined as a vacationor trip that takes one off thebeaten path, to a natural envi-ronment or remote locationwith the specific purpose ofactive physical participationand exploration of a new expe-rience.

The global adventure travelmarket has “accelerated” at a65 percent yearly rate since2009, according to the Adven-ture Tourism Market Study, aconsumer report by TheGeorge Washington University,conducted in partnership withthe Adventure Travel TradeAssociation. It is, according tothe Association of TourismTrade Organizations, thefastest growing segment in thetourism industry, both in theU.S. and abroad.

It’s not surprising, consider-ing more people are living clus-tered in urban or suburbanareas, rather than open spaces,according to the U.S. CensusBureau. The Bureau data indi-cates 80.7 percent of Ameri-cans lived in urban areas in2010, up nearly two percent-age points from 2000.

It stands to reason peoplewould prefer to spend theirvacation time, and money, onadventures in open countryfree from the crowds and mun-daneness.

This area is unique in that ithas all the right ingredients,the lake, river, Gila NationalForest, lava beds, hiking trails,ghost towns, archaeologicalwonders, and wildlife in place.And it is within a day’s drive ofmany of these population cen-ters (Albuquerque, Tuscon, ElPaso, Phoenix, Denver, etc.),where residents would cherisha day hiking and camping inthe Gila, kayaking in ElephantButte, or listening to mating elkbugle on a frosty fall morning.

And people who recognizethis, who understand what thisarea has to offer, are poised tobring the ones who hunger foradventure to our door.

THEY ARE COMING, ARE WE READY?

There are no shortages ofopinions on whether theSpaceport America facility is apipe dream or will transformthis area into a tourist mecca.

While many argue thesequestions, others are puttinginto place what it takes toaccommodate those theybelieve will come here, withmoney to spend, and lookingfor adventure.

Virgin Galactic (VG), ownedby Sir Richard Branson’s VirginGroup and aabar InvestmentsPJS, aims to be the world’s firstcommercial spaceline, and hasaccepted nearly $80 million indeposits from approximately640 individuals.

TOURISM---(Continued From Page 1)

Editor’s Note: The following is the first in a series detailingthe potential this area offers for the fastest growing segmentin the tourism industry, adventure/eco tourism. Next weekwe’ll give specific examples of areas across the nation thathave turned adventure tourism into a thriving industry.

Natural Wonders =

Premier Destination

The new spaceship (SpaceShipTwo, VSS Enterprise) andcarrier craft (WhiteKnightTwo,VMS Eve) have both beendeveloped for Virgin Galactic’svehicle fleet by Mojave-basedScaled Composites, and Bran-son is predicting the first com-mercial launch will take placein 2014.

These space tourists willpay big bucks to experience anout-of-the-seat, zero-gravitytrip with “astounding views ofthe planet from the black sky ofspace for tourist astronauts,”as well as a “microgravity plat-form for researchers,” accord-ing to the VG website.

This new age tourist will,likely, have family memberstraveling with them, andapparently have the finances tospend on showing them all theavailable adventure in thisarea, should they decide tospend time here.

VG officials have alreadyinspected the Truth or Conse-quences Municipal Airport,indicating the facility could seetraffic from those coming toexperience space travel. VGemployees and the touristswho come to see the facility areall potential customers foradventure outfitters here.

While the advent of spacetourism could truly transformthis area into a destination forthose seeking extreme adven-ture, another entrepreneur,Ted Turner, is in the process ofproviding these travelers witheven more opportunities. And,as Tom Waddell, manager ofTurner’s Armendaris Ranch inSierra County said, “Ted does-n’t do anything by accident.”

INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION/MARKETING

What business owner hasnot lamented about howimportant it is to advertise, andabout how without advertis-ing/promotion/marketing aproduct has little chance ofsuccess?

Between Turner and Bran-son this county is going to beknown across the globe, with-out Sierra County officials andbusinesses having spent adime. What business ownerwouldn’t want such exposure?

NBCUniversal recentlyannounced an exclusive multi-platform partnership with VGto televise the inaugural com-mercial space flight of SpaceShipTwo. NBC News’ PeacockProductions will chronicle thejourney in its holdings, whichinclude MSNBC, CNBC, SYFY,The Weather Channel andNBCNews.com, climaxing in aprimetime special airing onNBC the night before launch,and a three-hour live event on“TODAY,” hosted by Matt Lauerand Savannah Guthrie.

In addition, several highprofile celebrities are signedup to have their flights record-ed on music videos and more.

Turner Enterprises, head-quartered in Atlanta, con-firmed to the Sentinel they aredeveloping a marketing andadvertising plan for the SierraGrande Resort they purchasedlast summer, and to announcean expansion of eco-tours onthe two ranches Turner ownsin Sierra County.

They also confirmed therehave been “discussions” withBranson during the planning.

“We have had discussionswith Virgin Galactic about pro-viding ecotourism tours toVirgin Galactic tourists, andlook forward to working withVirgin Galactic on expandingtourism opportunities in theregion,” said Elena Cizmaric,

manager, Corporate Communi-cations for Turner Enterprises.

“Yes, we are in the processof developing a marketing andadvertising plan for SierraGrande and the eco tours,” shesaid. “Tours have been con-ducted on the Ladder andArmendaris ranches for morethan 20 years, with groupsranging from the WildlifeFederation, The Nature Con-servancy, Audubon and theUniversity of New Mexico visit-ing the ranches for tours andeducational opportunities.”

While the tours are primari-ly conducted to showcase theTurner vision of sustainableranching and wildlife conser-vation, said Cizmaric, wildlifeviewing and hunting on theranches for commercial pur-poses also bring many here.

“Over the years hundreds ofguests have visited the rancheson various tours,” she said.

“We have offered limitedopportunities for ecotourismon Turner ranches in recentyears, including birding, photo-graphic, wildlife and archaeo-logical tours,” she said, “But weare now looking to expandthose opportunities through acollaboration with profession-al wildlife photographer JamesBlue.”

Blue is a world-renownedphotographer who takes oth-ers on photographic tours ineast Africa and the AmericanWest.

Blue will be offering eco-tours and nature photographyon the Armendaris and Ladderranches starting May 15, 2014.Tours will originate at theSierra Grande Lodge and willoffer guests rare opportunitiesto see and photograph wildlife,experience the evening Batflight at the Jornado bat caves,and explore the remote upperreaches of Las Animas Creek(designated Important BirdArea) with more than 200species of birds, said Cizmaric.

Guests may also walk orhike through the vast andrugged properties looking fordeer, elk, black bear, bison,desert bighorn sheep, prong-horn antelope, mountain lion,oryx, bobcat, javelina, coyote,fox, and burrowing owlcolonies prairie dog colonies.

“At the end of the tour eachday, guests will return to theSierra Grande Lodge to relaxand enjoy the ancient restora-tive natural hot springs, holis-tic spa treatments and peacefulatmosphere,” she said.

When asked if there is anaverage time these touristsstay Cizmaric said at theTurner-owned Vermejo ParkRanch in northern NewMexico, which is currently theonly Turner ranch operating asa full service guest ranch, typi-cal stays range from a few daysto a week.

Cizmaric said they have justadded a brand new gym spaceat the Sierra Grande and willcontinue to make upgrades tothe property in the comingmonths, in anticipation of theincrease in tours.

While the resort will still beopen to the public, the ecotours are offered as an optionfor lodge guests to enjoy.

“Turner Enterprises looksforward to continuing ourclose relationship with localcommunities in Sierra County,and we’re excited to beinvolved with the growingtravel and tourism industry inthe area,” said Cizmaric.

What can be done to maxi-mize the opportunities sure tocome this way? How can localpeople turn these adventureseeking tourists into jobs andeconomic benefit for this area?See Part II of this series nextweek in the Sentinel foranswers.

(Courtesy Photo/J.R. Absher)

The Lava fields of northeastern Sierra County are one of many geological wonders found inthe area.

READERS VOTEVOTERS READ

If you’re looking to connect with voters...

*Source: Moore Information (January 2012), American Voter Media Use

* 84% of Democratic, 83% of Republican and 81% of Independent votersregularly read newspapers in print or online.

* Impressive online response! 51% of voters rate newspaper websites as reli-able, accurate and in-depth for local political/civic issues. That’s more than allother websites.

* 58% of voters who use mobile devices for political information use news-paper sources for that news.

* Seniority counts! The most reliable voting bloc, seniors, are frequent andregular newspaper readers - a whopping 84%.

* Surprise! 79% of young voters, 18-34, read a newspaper in print or onlineat least once a week. Even on mobile devices, young voters turn to newspapersources first for campaign and election news.

* When it comes to reliable, accurate and in-depth information about localpolitics, newspapers - print and online - rank #1.*

Your Best Connection Is The

(SENTINEL Photo By Frances Luna)

GrAnD openinG – T-or-C Chamber members watch on as El Faro owner, Armida Baray cutsthe ribbon during the grand opening celebration of the new restaurant in downtown T-or-C. Onhand for the ribbon cutting were T-or-C Chamber President Hans Townsend, members Jim andBettie Brannon and Sid Bryan and Baray’s family and staff.

Read The Sentinel Online Atgpkmedia.com

A Quote To

remember“I am much afraid that

schools will prove to be thegreat gates of hell unless theydiligently labor in explainingthe Holy Scriptures, engravingthem in the hearts of youth. Iadvise no one to place hischild where the scriptures donot reign paramount. Everyinstitution in which men arenot increasingly occupiedwith the Word of God mustbecome corrupt.”

- Martin Luther [1483-1546]

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