Article and Photos by Charlie McKee
2013 Democratic Party Annual Awards Dinner
Democratic Party Awards Dinner
MC Nick Seibel ponders the merits of silent auction items, biscochitos versus pie.
Democratic Party Awards Dinner
Calling Grant County "this Bright Blue Corner of New Mexico," Roxanne Lara, who has declared herself as candidate for Congressional District 2 in 2014, brings the audience to its feet, saying "We're going to lift New Mexico up and be strong in this country."
Democratic Party Awards Dinner
Multi-talented WNMU Professor of Music Danny Reyes regales the evening's audience with "canciones y exitos."
Democratic Party Awards Dinner
Representative Rudy Martinez (left) presents Rosalie Rael (right) with the Democratic Party Award, thanking her for getting people out to vote and for "being our mentor, our backbone, and our inspiration to keep New Mexico blue."
Democratic Party Awards Dinner
With great passion, Winnie Foy Momsen (right) urges the audience to "work hard and keep working hard to support Obama" and Democratic Party goals, as Rep. Rudy Martinez (left) presents her the Democratic Party Award for decades of tireless service to the Party.
Democratic Party Awards Dinner
Left to right: Guadalupe Cano and Senator Howie Morales present Fred Baca with the Community Service Award, as Nick Seibel applauds in the background. Cano and Morales paid emotional tribute to Baca as his former students, stating that Baca "teaches from the heart and believes in every student" (Morales) and "teaches how to think, not what to think" (Cano).
Democratic Party Awards Dinner
Grant County Democratic Party Chair Mary Hotvedt (right) enjoys a lighthearted moment, as Vice Chair Magdaleno Manzanarez (left) dubs them the "Mary Magdaleno Team."
Democratic Party Awards Dinner
State Senator and gubernatorial hopeful Howie Morales concludes the evening's cermonies by drawing parallels with JFK's strategies for dealing with challenges, by "being comfortable with being uncomfortable," and tells the audience: "One of us is powerful. All of us are unstoppable."
On Friday, Nov. 22, the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's assassination, Grant County Democrats gathered to celebrate the contributions of three outstanding local citizens whose service to the communities of Grant County and to the Democratic Party have been monumental. They are: Fred Baca, Winnie Foy Momsen and Rosalie Rael.
The Annual Awards Dinner was held in the Western New Mexico University (WNMU) Dining Hall, complete with background music by the nascent WNMU Jazz Ensemble under the direction of WNMU's new Professor of Music, Danny Reyes. Numerous local Democratic Party dignitaries and candidates for office graced the audience, as State Representative Rudy Martinez presented Rosalie Rael and Winnie Foy Momsen with the Democratic Party Awards, and Guadalupe Cano and State Senator Howie Morales presented Fred Baca with the Community Service Award. Master of Ceremonies Nick Seibel guided the evening event, including a silent auction of various artworks and scrumptious edibles.
Morales, who has announced his candidacy for Governor of New Mexico in the 2014 election, concluded the evening's presentations in memoriam of President Kennedy, highlighting Kennedy's recognition of the power of human connection and urging the audience to "re-ignite the passion of JFK, be the change and continue to be the change that is necessary!"