Troubled Highway

Troubled Highway

By. William Aranda
11/24/12
Writing & Editing 271
MW 12:30 -2:00


             While traveling in the back of the Sandia mountains at this time of year, people expect to see the changing colors of all the trees surrounding them, not a concrete barrier with the words “Who Killed Carla?” in huge printed letters on it along with a picture of Carla Salina Simmons, whose body was found on the stretch of highway back in 1999. That’s what travelers will see when driving on Highway 165 between Placitas and Sandia Peak Ski Area.

              On the evening of November 29, 1999, Simmons was driving to through the back mountains to Placitas to see her friend. On the way there, she over corrected, got her front right tire stuck in a broken culvert, near the Sandia Man Cave parking lot, leaving her stranded on the dark highway.

               Sometime during the evening she was brutally beaten and strangled by an unknown assailant. Simmons was left there throughout the night and eventually died of hypothermia. The next morning, a jogger found her semi-nude body, along with her van, and called police. Since the crime occurred on National Forest Land, the case was handed over to the FBI.

              Sandoval County Sergeant J. Hunt vaguely remembers the case but knows the impact it had on the family. “The mother and father have been relentless in finding whoever did this,” he says.

              After years of investigating, the crime remains unsolved.

              The area where her body was found is now the home of a road side memorial. The concrete barrier with the words “Who Killed Carla?” on it also includes a photo of a young Carla, two wanted posters from the FBI, and a picture of the Virgin de Guadalupe. Just a few feet away from the barrier is a cross, with Carla’s name and dates of birth and death, surrounded by rosaries and flowers.

              Carla isn’t the only person to have lost her life in this area of Highway 165 however.

              Between 2000 and 2012, three other people have lost their lives within the half mile of Highway 165 at or close to the Sandia Man Caves.

             An unknown woman, who had been stricken with cancer, was seen wondering that particular area, in the spring of 2001, in the days leading up to her death that May. She climbed up the treacherous terrain leading up to the caves and jumped to her death. Her body was eventually discovered by hikers.

              On July 17, 2010, Placitas resident Matthew Dykes was taking photographs on the same path when he lost his footing and fell to his death.  His death was ruled an accident by the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office.

             And the most recent case, on June 9, 2012, Olivia Lovato’s body was recovered from a burning car on the highway below the caves. Since the Lovato case is still under investigation, not much else is known at this point.

             Hunt has some strong advice for anybody who plans on traveling through the mountains during this time of year. “In the winter, it would be in your best interest if you’re not to be up there at all unless you have to.”

              The roadside barrier with photos of Carla Salina Simmons on Highway 165 is what passerby see when heading to Placitas or Sandia Peak Ski Resort

                                    Nearby is the cross and flowers placed in her memory.

            Sandia Man Cave from Highway 165 near Simmons roadside memorial. Three other people have lost their lives in or near this area.



References
http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-108334762/light-went-out.html

http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-78063498/police-suspect-suicide-death.html

http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/mans-body-discovered-in-mountains

http://www.abqjournal.com/main/2012/06/16/riorancho/police-id-body-in-burnedout-car.html

Lobo Howl 2012

UNM Fans Get Ready for Basketball Season

       With basketball season just around the corner, fans throughout the Albuquerque community, along with University of New Mexico students, wanted to come out to Lobo Howl to support both the women’s and men’s basketball teams. Lobo Howl is an event held at The Pit every year before basketball season and is somewhat of a pep rally for the community. The Pit is packed with fans of all ages buying merchandise, taking pictures, and getting ready to watch both teams scrimmage. The night got started with the men’s team signing autographs in the lobby while the women’s team got ready to play. In the meantime, the student section was filled with excitement and Lobo spirit as they waited to see the 2012-2013 season teams take the court.

      “I’m more than excited for basketball season. My favorite part is definitely getting to The Pit early and waiting in line to get in for a game. It’s a lot of fun,” said UNM sophomore Kyle Spielbusch.

“Coming in and the atmosphere, being around all the fans, and the energy this arena has is contagious and I absolutely love it,” said Brian Fennema, a recent UNM graduate, when asked about his favorite thing about Lobo Basketball season at The Pit.

      “I’m a Lobo and I love the energy you get being at the Pit. You don’t even have to know much about basketball, it’s that everyone loves it so much, you just feel it,” said junior Michaela Laverty.

Lobo fans have always taken pride in their spirit at various athletic events.

“I’m in my fourth year and we’ve been through a lot and it’s been awesome to see all of the Lobos, win or lose, how each year we’ve still kept that Lobo pride, Lobo nation. This year, it’s finally going in the greatest way but it doesn’t make a difference, we love them just the same either way,” said senior Kylie Jacobsen about why she loves being a Lobo.

      Students weren’t the only ones excited about the upcoming season. There were season ticket holders and families at The Pit that have been coming to Lobo basketball games for years.

      “We’ve been coming to Lobo games at the Pit for about ten years now,” said Shannon Guitierrez, who went to Lobo Howl with her husband and son. “They’ve done so good and they get better and better every year. All of our kids are big Lobo fans!”

  Shortly after the night got started, the women’s team took to the court to play a scrimmage game. They even surprised everyone with a choreographed dance routine that included “Thriller”.  The players then went to the lobby to sign autographs for fans.

       Some of the players transferred from other schools to play for the Lobos and they are very excited about this season.

“It’s a new season, a new school, everybody’s pumped, as you can when we were out there…” said Ebony Walker, a junior post for the Lobo women’s basketball team.

“Coming in from Texas Tech, being a Lobo means everything to me, being back in my hometown. We had a good crowd today and great fans, I love it,” added Walker, who is originally from Albuquerque.

At around 8:00 p.m., the men’s basketball team, a community favorite, came out onto the court to play a scrimmage game. Shortly after that, they entertained the fans with their annual dunk contest, where the players jump over their teammates and try to get a slam-dunk.

        After the men had an exciting dunk contest, fans were rushing down to the court trying to get a picture with a player before they went back to the locker room.

Lobo Howl is definitely a favorite event for fans throughout the community, as well as the UNM community. It brings everyone together and gets them excited to come out and support the Lobos at every game.

        The next scheduled women’s basketball game is on November 15 against Texas Tech University at 7 p.m. at The Pit. The next scheduled men’s basketball game is on November 12 against Davidson with an 11:59 p.m. tipoff at The Pit. This game is a part of ESPN’s Midnight Madness and will be televised.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1sL70uQaUg&list=UUEjkrL2CzR2iLLpsf4g688w&index=1&feature=plcp

Duke City Punk

Duke City Punk

                    “There Is No Exit Strategy” is the motto for Albuquerque based hard-core punk band Subvert. They have only been around for a few months but are ready to show the city what they are made of. They want to be heard and want to inspire people to chase their dreams as well.

                     The group consists of vocalist Sean Routt, guitarist Zack Luten, bassist Mike Walling, and drummer Casey Frew. Song writing and performing live are the primary focuses for this band. “I’ve always wanted to be a performer; I’ve always wanted to get my point across,” says Walling, “rather than just talking about it, telling people ‘this is how I feel’ I’d rather show them how I feel.”

                    Subvert has been together since spring of this year, but the four have known each other for years. “We’d all talk to each other in some ways” says Routt, “I know Casey and Zack have talked as far back as elementary school.”“I always thought Sean would be a good front man because of his theatre background” says Frew, “there are not a lot of people out there that want to be put into that position.”

                     Subvert’s main influences include Rage Against The Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Refused, Every Time I Die and NOFX among many others.

                   “The stylization that Tim Commerford plays with his bass is kind of where I get my influence on the bass” says Walling, “a lot slapping, a lot of pulling and heavy stuff.”

                    Frew says he doesn’t listen to specific drummers, but a variety of music ranging from reggae to death metal, although he does mention Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers as one of his favorite drummers. Routt cites Dennis Lyxzén of the Refused and James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem as his favorite singers.

                    Laten is influenced by classic rock artists such as Aerosmith, Jimi Hendrix, Van Halen and Led Zeppelin; he also cites Jimmy Page as his favorite guitar player.

                   Although Subvert is classified as punk, they like to incorporate all styles of music into their songs. They don’t really look at what kind of punk songs they can write but what they can piece together as songwriters.

                   The latter is “entirely collaborative” among the quartet. “If you’re a song writer you can make anything,” says Luten. “You’re not tied down to any specific genre.”
             
                  They have five songs written so far in their catalogue, two of which entitled “Pink House White” and “Fuckansas”. Routt says that another song that they have written is a three song suite close to nine minutes long.

                 Subvert are looking forward to their upcoming shows at Winnings Coffee Company on October 3 and Belen Fest 2 on October 20. Belen Fest is a festival in Belen that will feature 20 other punk and metal groups, some from out-of-state.
           
                 The members of Subvert also have some advice for beginning musicians. They tell beginners to never give up on their dreams and play what is in their hearts. “Honestly, the best way to practice is to just play,” says Frew.

Sources

All information provided by the members of Subvert

New Mexico wildlife for New Mexicans

New Mexico wildlife for New Mexicans

                                                                                                                                        

             April 8, 2011 seemed like any regular day; but this was a day that New Mexico outdoorsmen won’t soon forget. It was on this Friday in early April that Governor Susana Martinez signed into law Senate Bill 196, which would increase the amount of hunting tags that would go to New Mexico residents. Residents will now receive 84 percent of all hunting tags while 10 percent will go to private landowners within the state and 6 percent will go to non-residents.

             In previous years, residents would receive 78 percent of big game tags while 22 percent went to non-residents.

             The original bill was introduced to New Mexico legislature in 2010 by Senator George Munoz of Gallup. He said he wanted New Mexicans to receive 90 percent of big game tags while 10 percent went to non-residents, but this was changed in early 2011.

             Resident hunter John Cruger, who has lived in Albuquerque since 1978, feels that the bill will do well for New Mexico outdoorsmen and women.

            “It’s an improvement of what has been going on in the past,” says Cruger. “We’re already paying taxes for our weapons and gear but it’s an insult to be giving most of our tags to people who don’t even live here”.

             He also mentioned that the states surrounding New Mexico give their residents a good percentage of big game tags.

             Many non-resident hunters, however, are not happy about the new law. Many out of state hunters have voiced their concerns online about the new law.

             One hunter even said, “everybody should boycott the NM draw in protest this year”.

              Resident hunter, Kevin Earl, feels differently. “The hunters of New Mexico support the bulk of wildlife not only with game tags, but with weapons, ammo, various gear for hunting and fishing through the taxes,” Earl said. “It’s because of this that residents should have more big game tags”.

             This bill not only helps New Mexico hunters; it helps the economy as well.

             The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said residents spend more money on hunting and fishing gear than non-residents. This is due to the fact that residents buy all of their gear from the same places and hunt in familiar territory.

             Earl also added that there should be reciprocity for all states regarding hunting. “If we go to another state to hunt and are treated one way, then non-residents who hunt in New Mexico should be treated the same way”, he said.

             Both hunters said the bill will secure antelope tags. “The last time I drew for antelope…I can’t even remember the last time I drew,” Cruger says, “but I do remember it’s been over 20 years”.

             Earl added that most antelope tags go to landowners, who can sell their tags to non-residents in order to turn a profit. This new bill has changed that significantly.

            When asked if he would feel differently about SB 196, Cruger simply replied “of course”.

                                 John Cruger enjoys a relaxing afternoon at his afternoon.

                                   Part of Crugers big game collection.


Sources
1. http://www.santafenewmexican.com/localnews/Senate-bill-hikes-N-M--hunters--shot-at-license
2. http://www.nmpolitics.net/index/2011/04/governor-don%E2%80%99t-forget-resident-hunters/
3. http://onyourownadventures.com/hunttalk/showthread.php?t=246214