Mother’s Day Out program hosted a fun “Second Annual Toddler Olympics” in Placitas in June.

County officially purchases library land

—ANNE FROST, DIRECTOR, PLACITAS COMMUNITY LIBRARY

Sandoval County has completed the purchase of the four acres of land immediately west of Placitas Volunteer Fire Brigade along Highway 165 for the new Placitas Community Library building. The library and the board would like to thank Commissioners Bill Sapien and Orlando Lucero, County Manager Debbie Hays, Sue Strasia, Tom Ashe, and the Gerveys for making this possible. It has taken the efforts and patience of these and many other folks over several years and we are deeply grateful to all. Soon our “Request for Qualifications for Architects” will be issued by the County and, after an architect is chosen, we will be holding community meetings for input on the project. The building committee coordinator, Gail DellaPelle, has pulled together a phenomenal group to help us navigate through this process. Tally ho!

Our third annual Birthday Bash was a great success. Many thanks go to all who helped. We registered twenty-nine for our Children’s Summer Reading Program and Challenge. This year’s theme is “Get a Clue at Your Library.” The weekly program meets on Thursday mornings at 9:00, offering story hours and activities for those two- to five-years-old and six- to ten-years-old. Please join us.

The library board is seeking some new members. Our longtime secretary and outreach board member Judy Gajkowski is stepping down as family responsibilities and travel possibilities become her priority. The library has had the benefit of both Judy and her husband Bob’s enthusiasm on many projects and we will greatly miss their warmth, energy, and hours of hard work.

The board is looking for three additional members in the following areas: secretary, capital campaign chair, outreach and public relations. Please, if you are interested in joining this dynamic board, call the library at 867-3355 or send an email to Judy Labovitz at mjgar2@comcast.net.

P Soup—a sidebar

—GREG LEICHNER

I enjoyed what I mined from the dictionary under the letter P.

• pungle (1851)—pay, contribute, usually money, usually used with up; “Pungle up, everyone. The more we play, the better chance we have to win.”

• pyromancy (GK)—divination by fire; “After yoga I have an hour with my personal coach, then it’s off to my pyromancy class.”

• pyknic (1925)—shortness of stature, broadness of girth, and powerful muscularity; “Is a leprechaun sumo wrestler pyknic?”

• pyrosis (1789)—heartburn; “Honey, Sweetie Pie, my beloved pyrosis, I’ll take the garbage out when I take the garbage out.”

• perfervid (1856)—marked by overwrought or exaggerated emotion; “The mass protest in the city square was scripted and perfervid.”

• palooka (1924)—an incompetent boxer; oaf, lout; “Jerry Springer grew weary of the never-ending parade of loudmouths and palookas.”

• palter (1600)—to act insincerely or deceitfully; “The Leaders palter, and the People withdraw their allegiance.”

• pansexual (1926)—exhibiting or implying many forms of sexual _expression; The social self may be labeled heterosexual or homosexual, but the imaginary self is always pansexual.”

• puissant (ME, fr AF)—powerful; “Thanks to his high IQ, the nerd was puissant.”

• pukka (1776)—genuine, authentic; “I like pukka Mexican food.”

• pudibund (1656)—prudish; The pudibund Attorney General ordered that the statue behind him, a bronze nude, be covered with a drape.”

• ptyalism (1676)—an excessive flow of saliva; “Embarrassed by his ptyalism, the Werewolf finally called his physician and made an appointment.”

• pteridology (1855)—the study of ferns; “I sat down in the booth across from Fern Adams and began the interview.”

• pickthank (archaic)—sycophant [a servile self-seeking flatterer]; “Talk radio and cable TV news are overpopulated with personalities who are pickthanks.”

• phreaker (1984)—one who gains illegal access to the telephone system; “Major Quagmeyer, I’d like you to meet Rascal and Wookie, my two best phreakers.”

• phew (1604)—used to express relief or fatigue; “Phew! I’m glad the recount is over.”

Bernalillo’s Martha Liebert Public Library kicks off summer literacy programs

The town of Bernalillo announces the 2007 Summer Reading Program scheduled at the new Martha Liebert Public Library location at 124 Calle Malinche in Bernalillo. The Summer Reading Program will run from June 8 to 27. Special events and reading contests will be held throughout the summer. “The Martha Liebert Public Library is dedicated to the literary advancement of all community members,” says Mayor Patricia A. Chávez, “...these are among the many offerings the town provides for our youth.”

Children of all ages are encouraged to register at the library and obtain a reading log to record titles of books read during the summer. Certificates of completion will be given to all participants at the end of the program. Additionally, prizes will be given to those youth that read the most books in their age group.

Other scheduled library events include Diane the Magicienne, on July 18, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. To register or obtain more information on these planned events at the library, contact Juanita Montaño at 867-1440.

Mayor Patricia Chávez invites all community youth to participate in the 2007 Summer Reading Program and other summer programs at the Martha Liebert Library. To obtain additional information on the library programs and other events in the town of Bernalillo, go online to www.townofbernalillo.org.

New Mexico women still lack equality

The Institute of Women’s Policy Research reports in their 2007 Status of Women in New Mexico report that New Mexico reflects both the advances and limited progress achieved by women. Women in New Mexico are seeing important changes in their lives and in their access to political, economic, and social rights. However, they by no means enjoy equality with men, and women still lack many of the legal guarantees that would allow them to achieve that equality.

The 2007 Status of Women in New Mexico Counties report found that:

• Los Alamos County, ranked the number one county for New Mexico women, has the largest pay disparity between full-time, year-round employees who are men versus women. Los Alamos women earn fifty-seven cents on the dollar of men in that county—eighteen cents lower than New Mexico’s average wage gap rate.

• The percentage of women receiving prenatal care in the first trimester continues to be a problem within New Mexico. Colfax County reports 77.5 percent of women receiving first trimester prenatal care, whereas Catron County reports only forty percent. The fact that New Mexico has the lowest number of insured women in the nation may play a critical role in the decision to seek out treatment for prenatal care or any other health-related services.

• According to the Small Business Administration, in 2002, women-owned businesses totaled 42,272, an increase of nine percent since 1997. However, New Mexico still receives a “D” from the Institute of Women’s Policy Research for social and economic autonomy. Of New Mexico’s thirty-three counties, twenty-nine report over fifteen percent of their female population living below the federal poverty level. Of the remaining four counties, Los Alamos reports three percent of women living in poverty, Bernalillo, Sandoval, and Santa Fe report an average of thirteen percent of women living in poverty.

• Of all thirty-three counties, only Luna, Valencia, Mora, Socorro and Union have equal or above-equal female elected county officials, as compared to the percentage of the county’s female population. Guadalupe County, with zero elected female county officials, is ranked last in the state for political participation.

• Using 2000 data, New Mexico’s median annual income for women is $25,600, forty-second in the nation. Of the thirty-three New Mexico counties, however, only five counties come close to the median. Los Alamos women, who report a median annual income of $40,246, alter the state’s average as the next county, Santa Fe, reports $27,780 per year. Harding County women are at the other end of the scale, reporting $15,750 for a median annual income.

To view the complete report or individual counties, visit www.womenscommission.state.nm.us or call the Commission at (505) 222-6600 in Albuquerque or toll-free at (800) 432-9168.

Udall touts $3 million for native languages program

In June, U.S. Representative Tom Udall announced a total of $3 million in proposed funding for the Esther Martinez Native American Languages Program. Funding for the program was determined in Udall’s Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. He said, “This is an important step that will be vital in reversing the trend of disappearing native languages. The urgent need to protect and preserve Native American languages is clear.

“During my time in Congress, I have had the great honor of visiting the pueblos in my district and learned many of the traditions and characteristics unique to each individual tribe. One similarity, however, is that native languages are being lost. Tribal elders are often the only ones fluent in the language as an increasing number of children are growing up in homes that speak only English. Funding this program, named in Esther’s honor, is an indication that the importance of cultivating and passing languages down to younger generations is now being recognized.”

Udall serves as a Co-vice Chair of the Congressional Native American Caucus.