When Romero took the job, the cheerleading program was not flourishing at Pojoaque High with only four cheerleaders the year before she started coaching.

“I think I helped bring spirit back into the program,” Romero said. “In my four years, we always had from 11 to 15 cheerleaders and in 2011 we got fourth at state.”

Romero said she resigned because she felt it was time to move on. “I need to put my family first,” she said. “People don’t realize how much time it takes to be a cheer leading coach. Even though I’m resigning, I bleed green and always will.”

Ryan Wolf (Out Field), Mychael Parish (Pitcher), and Roberto Garcia (DH) were all nominated for the North/South All-Star game.  Wolf and Parish were selected.to play in the North/South game, which is now being held on the NMHU campus in the last week in June. It’s represented by athletes’ from A to AAA.

Last year’s head baseball coach Anthony Garcia said ,"I was disappointed Roberto didn’t make it but it’s a large pool to be selected from and I’m happy that Ryan and Mychael got in.”

“I want to spend more time hunting and fishing and more time working in the garden,” Garcia said.

Garcia guided the Elks to second place in district his first two years and they made the State Tournament in each of his four seasons.

The registration fee is $140, cash or money order. Ages 6-12 yrs. Please call 505-231-1982 with questions or to register.

An El Rancho mobile home fire claimed the life of 48-year old Pauline Roybal whose burnt body was found in the debris of the 11: p.m. Sunday fire.

The body was unofficially identified by Melinda Gomez, daughter of the deceased.  However, the body will not be officially identified by the State Office of Medical Investigations until a full medical investigation has taken place.

Fire investigators remained at the site on Monday. At this time, there is no evidence as to how the fire began.

El Rancho residents report there have been several fires in the area in recent months.

Here’s this week’s question: U.S. Representative Ben R. Lujan has endorsed David Coss, a Santa Fe resident, over Carl Trujillo, a Pojoaque Valley resident, for State Representative from District 46. What’s your opinion of Lujan’s endorsement?

We approached ten people with this question. In my nine years of doing Speak Out, with the New Mexican and PojoaqueNews.com, this is this first time no one wanted to go on record to answer the question.  So, we’re asking readers to respond.  If you decide to comment, please give your first and last name.

For those of you new to Pojoaque Valley, Trujillo ran against Ben Lujan, Sr. in the 2010 primary election for State Representative from District 46. He lost by 84 votes.

Top row, left to right: Coach Paul Martinez, Carlos Madrid, Joseph Chacon, Adan Lopez, Ryan Maestas, Coach Benito Maestas. Bottom row, left to right: Anthony Rodriguez, Derrick Grasmick, Christopher Martinez, Darren Montoya and Eppie Velarde.

The Northern New Mexico Style AAU basketball team won the Southwest Salsa Slam Championship in Albuquerque, NM on April 27-29. The style, comprised of players mostly from Pojoaque Valley High, defeated the Albuquerque Mavericks in the championship game 58-56

Babicke, a junior, won the 100, 200, 400 and long jump. She also anchored the second place 1,600 relay team to accumulate a meet high 30 points in pacing the Elkettes to a 55 point second place finish behind meet champion Hope Christian with 96 points.

Berryman led the Elks to a 42 point fourth place. Silver was the meet champion with 85 points. Berryman won the long jump, 100 and 200. His victories garnered him high point honors in the meet.

Senior journeyman Sam Roybal made a strong contribution. He ran fifth in the 3,200, sixth in the 800 and fifth in the 1,600.

Elks’ Results:

Long jump- 1. C.J. Berryman, 21-9 ¼ .
3,200- 5. Sam Roybal, 10:33.45.
100- 1. C.J. Berryman, 11.24.
800- 6. Sam Roybal, 2:02.78.
400- 6. C.J. Berryman, 51.28.
200- 1. C.J. Berryman, 22.68; 6. Robert Ortiz, 23.97.
800 relay- 6. Pojoaque, 1:35.09.
1,600 medley- 2. Pojoaque, 3:54.70.
1,600 relay- 5. Pojoaque, 3:36.83.

Elkettes’ Results:

Long jump- 1. Amanda Babicke, 17-11 ½ .
100- 1. Amanda Babicke, 12.61.
800- 4. Melinda Quintana, 2:29.89.
800 relay- 4. Pojoaque, 1:51.57.
400-1. Amanda Babicke, 58.44.
1,600 medley-5. Pojoaque, 4:38.76.
200-1. Amanda Babicke, 26.24.
 

By J.T. Knoll

The first American Mother's Day was decreed by Julia Ward Howe who, in 1870, proclaimed it as a pacifist reaction to the Civil War.

Modern Mother's Day was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother and began a campaign to make Mother's Day a recognized holiday in the United States. Although Jarvis was successful in 1914, she was already disappointed with its commercialization by the 1920s. Her disappointment did nothing to deter it. It’s estimated by USA Today that mothers will “feel the love” this year to the tune of $18.6 billion.

Not surprising. There is perhaps no other subject about which so many stories, songs and poems have been written as mothers and mothering.

I’ve collected a few quotes about the subject that give a variety of perspectives on motherhood as ideology, institution, and experience.

Psychiatric pioneer Sigmund Freud wrote, “A man who has been the indisputable favorite of his mother keeps for life the feeling of a conqueror.”

This seems to have been the case with Pablo Picasso, who said, “My mother said to me, 'If you are a soldier, you will become a general. If you are a monk, you will become the Pope.' Instead, I was a painter, and became Picasso.”

In the same vein, George Washington is quoted as saying, “All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.”

A word on George’s mom: According to a book on his mother by Jean Fritz, Mary Washington had "a mind of her own.” She liked the isolation of the family farm near Fredricksburg, hated getting dressed up, and preferred to spend her time fishing with her first and favorite son, George, or rocking on the porch, smoking her pipe. While he was away during the French and Indian Wars, she wrote George to complain about how she was fresh out of butter (and could he please send some).

I personally identify with Mark Twain’s quote: “My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.”

Speaking of mothers having trouble with children, here’s a wacky quote from Groucho Marx, “My mother loved children — she would have given anything if I had been one.” Seems it could well have been Groucho that Mae West was talking about when she said, “His mother should have thrown him out and kept the stork.”

Marguerite Duras wrote, “Our mothers always remain the strangest, craziest people we've ever met.” Indeed, just last week I heard a radio program in which Susan Salter Williams talked about her mother who, when she died of cancer, left her journals, all of which turned out to be blank! It certainly left Williams with a poetic mystery to ponder.

Being a mother doesn’t come naturally or easily to all women. They make mistakes and struggle to come to terms with life, just like the rest of us. Those who find themselves playing the victim role because of wounds carried from their childhood with a flawed mother might well consider this quote by Nancy Friday, “Blaming mother is just a negative way of clinging to her still.” Along the same lines, Alice Walker wrote, “Yes, Mother. I can see you are flawed. You have not hidden it. That is your greatest gift to me.”

According to Erma Bombeck, when your mother asks, "Do you want a piece of advice?" it is a mere formality. It doesn't matter if you answer yes or no. You're going to get it anyway.

Bombeck also wrote said that when the Good Lord was creating mothers, He was into his sixth day of “overtime” when an angel appeared and said, “You’re doing a lot of fiddling around on this one.” And the Lord said, “Have you read the specs on this order? She has to be completely washable, but not plastic; have 180 movable parts… all replaceable; run on black coffee and leftovers; have a lap that disappears when she stands up; a kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointed love affair; three pairs of eyes; and six pairs of hands.”

The angel bent over and ran her finger across the mother’s cheek. “There’s a leak,” she pronounced. “I told You You were trying to push too much into this model.”

“It’s not a leak,” said the Lord. “It’s a tear.”

“What’s it for?”

“It’s for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness, and pride.”

“You are a genius,” said the angel.

The Lord looked somber. “I didn’t put it there,” He said.

J.T. Knoll is a writer, speaker and prevention and wellness coordinator at Pittsburg State University. He also operates Knoll Training, Consulting & Counseling Services in Pittsburg. He can be reached at 231-0499 or jtknoll@swbell.net