Local Writers Win Awards

November 6, 2024

Writing, for many, is a way to transcribe experiences lived or imagined - and for three San Juan County writers, their writing received recognition in a recent Southwest Writers Contest. Roberta Summers, Kathleen Holmes, and Terry Nichols all received awards for their word in the short story, poetry, and travel categories. Summers will be signing her books at Feat of Clay on Saturday, Nov. 23. More good news for the freight line project - San Juan County and the Navajo Nation received $4 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Rail Administration’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement through the infrastructure law for the planning and development of a freight rail line connecting Farmington and Gallup. The funding will help complete the planning part of the freight rail line project. November is Native American Heritage Month - and Farmington Museum invites you to come celebrate and learn all month long with activities ranging from music to gallery openings to arts and crafts. All activities are free and open to the public. By Hannah Robertson. This story is sponsored by Boon's Family Thai BBQ and Home2Suites.

Learn More...

Southwest Writers - https://www.southwestwriters.com/

San Juan County - https://www.sjcounty.net/

Navajo Nation - https://www.navajo-nsn.gov/

U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Rail Administration’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement - https://railroads.dot.gov/grants-loans/consolidated-rail-infrastructure-and-safety-improvements-crisi-program

Farmington Museum - https://www.fmtn.org/248/Farmington-Museum-at-Gateway-Park

 

Boon's Family Thai BBQ - https://www.restaurantji.com/nm/farmington/boons-family-thai-bbq-/

Home2Suites - https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/fmnblht-home2-suites-farmington-bloomfield/

Read the Full Transcript

Writing Excellence in San Juan County was recognized in a recent Southwest Writers Contest with awards going to Roberta Summers, Kathleen Holms, and Terry Nichols. San Juan County and the Navajo Nation were named as recipients of a $4 million grant towards completing the planning for a freight rail line connecting Farmington and Gallup. And Farmington Museum invites you to come celebrate Native American Heritage Month with a variety of activities throughout the month. You're watching the "Local News Roundup," brought to you by Boon's Family Thai BBQ and Home 2 Suites. I'm Connor Shreve. Three San Juan County authors won awards in a recent Southwest Writers contest in the short story, poetry, and travel categories. Roberta Summers won an honorable mention for her short story, "Manhattan Rodent Control Operations," a short story set in the early 1900's when cats were used as rodent control in fancy hotels. Summers has also received awards for her book, "Fatal Winds," a story exploring the plight of people with cancer caused by radioactive fallout, and has recently published "Pele's Children," a sequel to her novel "Pele's Realm," a crime novel set in Hawaii. Summers will be signing her books at Feat of Clay in Aztec on Saturday, November 23rd from 2:00 to 4:00 PM. Kathleen Holms won four Free Verse Poetry awards, including first place. Since 2021, she's received seven awards for her poetry and four for her short stories. Terry Nichols won second place for her essay, "How to See An Elephant," A memoir of her Experiences in Sri Lanka in 1984. The Aztec local's novel, "The Dreaded Cliff," a middle-grad fantasy, has also won awards. All stories and poems from Summers, Holms, Nichols, and others will be published in a new anthology titled "Mosaic Voices," available on Amazon. San Juan County and the Navajo Nation have been allocated $4 million from the Infrastructure Law to complete the planning for a freight rail line connecting Farmington and Gallup. The project was chosen because it will provide a viable freight transportation model alternative to highway trucking, as well as providing jobs, stability, and economic growth in San Juan County and the Navajo Nation. Find information about the freight rail project, past community presentations, and updates on the planning process on the Freight Rails website. Come celebrate Native American Heritage Month at the Farmington Museum all November long. Enjoy live music on the terrace with Billy Crawlery II on Saturday, November 9th from 1:00 to 3:00 PM. Bring a picnic lunch and snacks and a blanket to enjoy the music. On Saturday, November 16th from 12:00 to 3:00 PM, celebrate the grand opening of a new Navajo exhibit with native American flute music and a presentation. Wrap up the month with an arts and crafts fair at the museum on Saturday, November 23rd from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. All these events and more are free and open to the public. You can learn more about these and other stories online at FarmingtonLocal.News. Thanks for watching this edition of the "Local News Roundup." I'm Connor Shreve.

PAST FARMINGTON LOCAL NEWS STORIES

November 6, 2024

Local Writers Win Awards

Writing, for many, is a way to transcribe experiences lived or imagined - and for three San Juan County writers, their writing received recognition in a recent Southwest Writers Contest. Roberta Summers, Kathleen Holmes, and Terry Nichols all received awards for their word in the short story, poetry, and travel categories. Summers will be signing her books at Feat of Clay on Saturday, Nov. 23. More good news for the freight line project - San Juan County and the Navajo Nation received $4 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Rail Administration’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement through the infrastructure law for the planning and development of a freight rail line connecting Farmington and Gallup. The funding will help complete the planning part of the freight rail line project. November is Native American Heritage Month - and Farmington Museum invites you to come celebrate and learn all month long with activities ranging from music to gallery openings to arts and crafts. All activities are free and open to the public. By Hannah Robertson. This story is sponsored by Boon's Family Thai BBQ and Home2Suites.
October 30, 2024

Arts and Culture Opportunities in the Southwest

The Fall Student Art Exhibit at San Juan College opens Friday, Nov. 1st. The exhibit features art from students and art instructors and will run through December 9th at the Henderson Fine Arts Center Art Gallery. Piedra Vista High School ceramics teacher Travis Jensen is the 2025 President’s Award of Distinction recipient from the New Mexico Art Education Association. The award honors Jensen’s dedication to his students and his contributions to art education. An open call to artists in the Four Corners from the Durango-La Plata County Airport went out last week for three installations in the new baggage claim area. The selection committee will be looking for artwork featuring the Four Corners region's cultural, geographical, and historical diversity. Proposals are due by 3:00 p.m. Dec. 17. By Hannah Robertson. This story is sponsored by Distill Beer Wine Spirits and Durango Motor Company.
October 30, 2024

Halloween Fun for Everyone!

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October 17, 2024

New Foundation Focused on Tribal & Rural Communities

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October 17, 2024

Get Outside and Help San Juan County’s Outdoors!

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October 4, 2024

Legends on the Animas 

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October 3, 2024

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October 3, 2024

Kicking Off Weekend Fun with Games, Music, Stomping

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September 18, 2024

Navajo Dam’s Lost Communities Panel at Aztec Museum

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Indigenous Arts Festival Returns

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Bike Bash Brewing

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Aztec Development Gets Grant Funding

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Four Corners Professional Women’s Summit Returns

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Small Business Networking Opportunities

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