I veer off lonesome U.S. 190 in west Texas, on to I-10 through El Paso, and then to Las Cruces, N.M., to visit old friends, colleagues and old haunts. Las Cruces is growing too fast - no longer a sleepy college town. Thankfully, nearby old Mesilla still retains its romantic charm.
An early stop is New Mexico State University, where I headed the Agricultural Economics Department for 11 years. The first person I meet is Dr. Janet Green, head of the College's Department of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management. She is surprised to see me and invites me to a college department heads dinner later that week. Janet was former secretary of tourism under previous Republican Gov. Gary Johnson. I do have some Republican friends, believe it or not, and Janet is among them.
Later, I look up my chiropractor friend, Doc Galles, master of the healing arts. He adjusts my back, and we head out for some good Mexican food. But it's Monday and the best places are closed, including Chopies in nearby La Mesa, home of the best chiles rellenos in the country. So we settle for second best.
The next morning I am having huevos rancheros with old pals Willie and Clyde. A voice calls out, "Hey John." It's another old friend, Mary Jane Garcia, now majority whip of the New Mexico State Senate. We exchange pleasantries and Mary Jane expresses her regrets that I lost my own bid for the Wisconsin Legislature.
Later, I have lunch with former colleagues Jim Peach, Kathy Brook and Mike and Lizbeth Ellis. In an earlier life, Jim and I collaborated on a number of writings, including an op-ed piece for Madison's Capital Times entitled, "A Baker's Dozen Obstacles to Economic Growth" (Feb. 4, 2004). Although we were a few years ahead of the current economic disaster, our observations were on target. The five of us celebrate Obama's win and the fact that New Mexico is now entirely blue - the governor, the legislature, two U.S. senators, and three congressmen. Not bad for a "swing state."
That afternoon, I stop by the office of one of those U.S. senators, Jeff Bingaman, with whom I had some association in years past. Unfortunately, I miss him by a couple of days, as he had been in town to receive an honorary doctorate from NMSU.
That evening, my phone rings. It is Kyle Baker, my campaign assistant treasurer in Monroe. Kyle informs me that my final campaign finance report isn't due for several weeks. Maybe I can stay a couple more days down here.
The next day, I run errands and take a run over to Mesilla. My adobe is still standing and my tenant is current on the rent. The luminarias around the plaza in Mesilla lend a festive aura to that historic pueblo - site of signing the Gadsden Purchase and the jail that once housed one of the West's infamous juvenile delinquents, Billy the Kid.
My phone rings. It is Monroe's accordionist par excellence, Del Heins. Del informs me that Squeezebox Night at Turner Hall is canceled due to blustery weather. I reply that it's OK, as I'm 1,400 miles away and would have trouble making it anyway. I can't resist informing Del that it's in the upper 50s and sunny here in the Land of Enchantment. Del says that he doesn't want to hear any more of that.
But Del's phone call settles it. I'm staying for the department head's dinner.
I'm staying at pal Willie Lujan's hacienda, so Willie takes me to a new upscale Irish pub for some liquid refreshment. What's this? An Irish pub in Las Cruces? That's nice, but it's another reminder that Las Cruces is growing too fast.
I arrive for the dinner and the first person I run into is former colleague Lowell Catlett, now dean of NMSU's College of Agriculture. Lowell is a nationally renowned public speaker, and one of the most charismatic characters I have ever met. And so is his lovely wife, Joni, just elected to her third term in New Mexico's House of Representatives.
In walks Garrey Carruthers, former Republican governor of New Mexico and, now, dean of NMSU's College of Business. I first met Garrey during our early careers as agricultural economists. Garrey has the distinction of being an economist who actually got elected to public office. Maybe it's because he's Republican, but I won't concede that.
So, the ex-gov chides Joni and me about being Dems. And Joni insists that I should have won my bid for public office. She's right, of course. But then there sometimes are extraneous events one can't control.
The dinner is outstanding. It's great to renew old friendships and to see that NMSU's College of Agriculture is in fine shape.
The next day, it's time to leave and see if I can make it back to Wisconsin between storms. I make a final run past my adobe and around the plaza in old Mesilla, bid hasta luego to Doc on the way out of town, and hit U.S. 54 to Alamogordo and north. I make my ritual stop in the hamlet of Carrizozo for a chile cheeseburger and hit the road north.
New Mexico is now a blue state, and Gov. Bill Richardson soon will be confirmed as secretary of commerce under President Obama. In Richardson's place will be Lt. Gov. Diane Denish. When active with the Dona Ana County Democrats, I had several occasions to meet Diane.
You heard it here first. Diane Denish will be another of America's outstanding female governors: Janet Napolitano of Arizona (President-elect Obama's designate for secretary of Homeland Security), Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas and Jennifer Granholm of Michigan.
Next stop is Tucumcari, fabled stop on historic Route 66 and hometown of Monroe Clinic's Spanish-English interpreter, Delores Leibold.
To be continued.
- John Waelti is Professor Emeritus and former Head of the Department of Agricultural Economics, New Mexico State University. He resides in Monroe and can be reached at jjwaelti@charter.net.
An early stop is New Mexico State University, where I headed the Agricultural Economics Department for 11 years. The first person I meet is Dr. Janet Green, head of the College's Department of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management. She is surprised to see me and invites me to a college department heads dinner later that week. Janet was former secretary of tourism under previous Republican Gov. Gary Johnson. I do have some Republican friends, believe it or not, and Janet is among them.
Later, I look up my chiropractor friend, Doc Galles, master of the healing arts. He adjusts my back, and we head out for some good Mexican food. But it's Monday and the best places are closed, including Chopies in nearby La Mesa, home of the best chiles rellenos in the country. So we settle for second best.
The next morning I am having huevos rancheros with old pals Willie and Clyde. A voice calls out, "Hey John." It's another old friend, Mary Jane Garcia, now majority whip of the New Mexico State Senate. We exchange pleasantries and Mary Jane expresses her regrets that I lost my own bid for the Wisconsin Legislature.
Later, I have lunch with former colleagues Jim Peach, Kathy Brook and Mike and Lizbeth Ellis. In an earlier life, Jim and I collaborated on a number of writings, including an op-ed piece for Madison's Capital Times entitled, "A Baker's Dozen Obstacles to Economic Growth" (Feb. 4, 2004). Although we were a few years ahead of the current economic disaster, our observations were on target. The five of us celebrate Obama's win and the fact that New Mexico is now entirely blue - the governor, the legislature, two U.S. senators, and three congressmen. Not bad for a "swing state."
That afternoon, I stop by the office of one of those U.S. senators, Jeff Bingaman, with whom I had some association in years past. Unfortunately, I miss him by a couple of days, as he had been in town to receive an honorary doctorate from NMSU.
That evening, my phone rings. It is Kyle Baker, my campaign assistant treasurer in Monroe. Kyle informs me that my final campaign finance report isn't due for several weeks. Maybe I can stay a couple more days down here.
The next day, I run errands and take a run over to Mesilla. My adobe is still standing and my tenant is current on the rent. The luminarias around the plaza in Mesilla lend a festive aura to that historic pueblo - site of signing the Gadsden Purchase and the jail that once housed one of the West's infamous juvenile delinquents, Billy the Kid.
My phone rings. It is Monroe's accordionist par excellence, Del Heins. Del informs me that Squeezebox Night at Turner Hall is canceled due to blustery weather. I reply that it's OK, as I'm 1,400 miles away and would have trouble making it anyway. I can't resist informing Del that it's in the upper 50s and sunny here in the Land of Enchantment. Del says that he doesn't want to hear any more of that.
But Del's phone call settles it. I'm staying for the department head's dinner.
I'm staying at pal Willie Lujan's hacienda, so Willie takes me to a new upscale Irish pub for some liquid refreshment. What's this? An Irish pub in Las Cruces? That's nice, but it's another reminder that Las Cruces is growing too fast.
I arrive for the dinner and the first person I run into is former colleague Lowell Catlett, now dean of NMSU's College of Agriculture. Lowell is a nationally renowned public speaker, and one of the most charismatic characters I have ever met. And so is his lovely wife, Joni, just elected to her third term in New Mexico's House of Representatives.
In walks Garrey Carruthers, former Republican governor of New Mexico and, now, dean of NMSU's College of Business. I first met Garrey during our early careers as agricultural economists. Garrey has the distinction of being an economist who actually got elected to public office. Maybe it's because he's Republican, but I won't concede that.
So, the ex-gov chides Joni and me about being Dems. And Joni insists that I should have won my bid for public office. She's right, of course. But then there sometimes are extraneous events one can't control.
The dinner is outstanding. It's great to renew old friendships and to see that NMSU's College of Agriculture is in fine shape.
The next day, it's time to leave and see if I can make it back to Wisconsin between storms. I make a final run past my adobe and around the plaza in old Mesilla, bid hasta luego to Doc on the way out of town, and hit U.S. 54 to Alamogordo and north. I make my ritual stop in the hamlet of Carrizozo for a chile cheeseburger and hit the road north.
New Mexico is now a blue state, and Gov. Bill Richardson soon will be confirmed as secretary of commerce under President Obama. In Richardson's place will be Lt. Gov. Diane Denish. When active with the Dona Ana County Democrats, I had several occasions to meet Diane.
You heard it here first. Diane Denish will be another of America's outstanding female governors: Janet Napolitano of Arizona (President-elect Obama's designate for secretary of Homeland Security), Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas and Jennifer Granholm of Michigan.
Next stop is Tucumcari, fabled stop on historic Route 66 and hometown of Monroe Clinic's Spanish-English interpreter, Delores Leibold.
To be continued.
- John Waelti is Professor Emeritus and former Head of the Department of Agricultural Economics, New Mexico State University. He resides in Monroe and can be reached at jjwaelti@charter.net.
