SC-GC Chamber of Commerce Community Awards and Fire Response Tribute 111425

Article by Mary Alice Murphy
Photos by Lynn Janes

[Editor's Note: The photos are posted in a separate article. And I have now proofread this article to correct a bunch of errors and fumble finger typos.]

The Silver City-Grant County Chamber of Commerce held its annual Community Awards Banquet to honor local citizens. This year, the Chamber added a special tribute to those who participated in the response to the Trout Fire. Due to the firefighters and law enforcement who served during the Trout Fire in 2025, the damage to homes, personal property and the Gila National Forest, although substantial, could have been much worse. They saved most homes in the Mimbres, with two houses deep in the forest that burned. The firefighters stopped the fire after it climbed over the ridge and threatened to run down the hill into Pinos Altos, and into the areas north of Silver City.

The fire departments involved included all the volunteer fire departments—Sapillo Creek, Lower Mimbres, Pinos Altos, Fort Bayard, Upper Mimbres, Tyrone, Cliff-Gila, Whiskey Creek and the Grant County, Silver City, Santa Clara, Bayard and Hurley fire departments. Also recognized were Law EnforcementDepartments, including New Mexico State Police, Grant County Sheriff's Department, as well as Silver City, Bayard and Santa Clara police departments. Guests from these departments received their meals at no cost thanks to donors who appreciated their service.

Bear Mountain Lodge served as the caterer of the event for about 320 guests, with the lodge's own take on a Thanksgiving meal, with turkey, ham, stuffing, gravy, potatoes, green beans, rolls, and a pumpkin-puree based dessert. W&N Enterprises provided the no-host bar.

Prior to the dinner, Chamber Director Romeo Cruz opened the event with the Presentation of the Colors by members of the Gaffney-Oglesby Marine Corps League Detachment 1328, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

Cruz then asked all active and military veterans to stand as he wished Happy 250th birthday to the Army, the Navy and the Marine Corps.

He also recognized current elected officials, as well as those recently elected.

Cruz introduced his board members: President Bart Roselli, Vice President Sharon Offutt, Secretary Melanie Gomez, Treasurer Jack Herndon, Other board members include Mike Morones, Patrick Cohn, Ray Borst, and Professor Miguel Vicens-Feliberty and past presidents Bruce Ashburn and Sabrina Pack.

Roselli noted that Cruz has grown the chamber membership to nearly 300 members, including organizations and individuals. He cited many of the successes of the past year, including the monthly luncheons, which feature speakers on various topics, the "amazing" Fourth of July celebration, and the participation in state chambers of commerce gatherings. "The Chamber Community Awards stands as a capstone event of the year as a chamber. It's a moment to recognize the people, the businesses and the organizations whose hard work, leadership and service strength in Grant County make it a place we are all proud of. It's reminded me, once again, the power of community and us all working together, and why the Chamber of Commerce matters. Thank you all for the privilege of serving as president this year."

The incoming President Sharon Offutt said she was truly excited to serve as Chamber president for 2026. "Our chamber has a proud history of advocating for local businesses, fostering economic growth and building strong Community Partnerships, and I look forward to continuing that success. My commitment is to support our mission by championing the needs of our business community, encouraging collaboration and creating opportunities that strengthen our local economy."

Cruz then introduced his team. "It seems that every year I come up here to introduce my new team, because all of you steal them. But, I have a great team this year, Edward Flores, Rori Smith and my intern Salvador Samaniego."

Cruz then invited Mike Morones to recognize "two exceptional community leaders. Help me welcome to the stage, our Town Manager Alex Brown and our Silver City Mayor Ken Ladner," Morones said. He noted that he had met both about 30 years ago at Western New Mexico University. Ladner taught the chemistry course he took and Brown taught a government accounting class. Morones said that Brown has worked at the town for an unheard of more than 20 years as town manager and finance director. "That long a tenure is extremely rare, but it's a credit to his work, his ethic, the wonderful things he has done. I would like to present Alex with this recognition for your continuous years of service to our community."

Morones then spoke about Ladner. "Being in his class was a gift that I think that everyone of us should have had. But, it wasn't my last experience with him. At least 20 years ago, I had the pleasure of working with him on the MainStreet board. I learned so much from him and he mentored me on so many levels of governance. That was well before my time as councilor and then mayor. I could go on for hours on what he has accomplished. He was able to get us through the tragedy of Covid. It's also just a credit to his ability to lead and govern our great town, and on behalf of the chamber, we'd like to presentyou with recognition for your countless hours of service to our community."

Brown said he didn't know he was supposed to talk. "I want to thank everybody for the recognition. It's been an honor serving this community, not just Silver City, but Grant County. I think that's part of some of the things I'm most proud of is working, being able to work regionally, not just in Silver City, but the Mining District, county, all of the rest of us. Those are the things that have been really important to me. I hope we can continue to do that. We need to think about community. That's what's important."

Ladner noted that he has had the privilege of working with Alex for the past 10 years. "I like to think of him as Mr. Silver City, because you look at what takes place in Silver City, all the new roads we have on Ridge Road and Little Walnut and all of those things, and the Regional Water Plan and the Rec Center and all of these things resulted because Alex had a hand in all of that, and I really want to thank him for the privilege of his working with me for the past 10 years. One of the most gratifying things for me as mayor has been the opportunity of working with our community members. We have tremendous community members."

He said when he was first elected he was invited to speak at the annual LGBTQ festival. He didn't know what to say, but his wife Becky suggested he just talk about what he likes about Silver City. "After I welcomed everybody to the festival, I somehow came up with a slogan that I hadn't even thought of before, and I said, you know, Silver City is a city of unconditional love, and for that to happen, it means every one of us has to love each other, we have to treat each other with respect, and we have to honor each other's beliefs, because every one of us is important. So I want to thank you for allowing me the privilege of serving as your mayor during the past 10 years."

Cruz invited Borst to the podium to recognize the sponsors of the chamber and those who also sponsored the event for the firefighters and law enforcement who served on the Trout Fire.

The chamber annual sponsors are Western New Mexico University, the town of Silver City, Freeport-McMoRan and PNM. Those who sponsored the event included W&N Enterprises, Gila Regional Medical Center, SkyWest Media, American Legion, Marine Corps League, State Rep. Luis Terrazas, First American Bank, First Savings Bank, Grant County, The Grant County Beat, WSI Southwest Inc., Circle Heart and Silver Benefit Advisors.

Cruz said many others had also contributed. " Thank all those who made tonight possible."

Sabrina Pack gave the invocation. "We gather in gratitude, grateful for this community, for the many hands and hearts that serve it and for the strength we find when we work together. We give thanks for the first responders, firefighters, law enforcement and volunteers who stood in harm's way during the Trout Fire, and for every person in this room who contributes to making Grant County a place of resilience, generosity and hope. As we begin this evening, we ask the spirit of grace to rest over this room. May this be a night where we focus on what unites us, where we appreciate the good in one another, and the spirit of community rises above anything that might divide. It. May tonight's fellowship remind us that even in challenging times, our greatest resource is each other. We give thanks for this meal we're about to share, for the hands of the ppreparers and for the blessing of being together in community."

She then pointed out the meal would be served in the lobby, and invited the back rows and the elderly and disabled to go first out the back door of the room, then moving toward the front until everyone was served.
______________

After the dinner, Chamber Director Romeo Cruz showed a video that the Gila National Forest Supervisor Camille Howes had created by SkyWest Media as a tribute to those who served on the fire.

Cruz noted that when the Trout Fire flared up, he saw the worry on Howes' face, which increased his worry. He told her he would talk to the Grant County Fire Department and "we'll go dig ditches and trenches if that's what you need." She told Cruz that she spent more than $11 million on the fire, and much more had been spent by all the fire departments that served to save the community.

Part of the video showed newscasts out of Albuquerque noting that because of the governor's emergency declaration,. The New Mexico State Police and Albuquerque Fire and Rescue had also come down to help.

Howes in the video expressed her gratitude for the firefighters and for the leadership of the county in their participation.

Acting Gov. Howie Morales also participated via a video and said he was sorry he could not be there, as the Governor was out of town. He also thanked the Chamber, Cruz and the team of the Grant County Convention Center for going above and beyond by recognizing the fire fighters and law enforcement, as well as the community leaders who would receive awards.

County Manager Charlene Webb spoke about the Grant County firefighters. "These men and women leave their warm beds, their family dinners, their holiday gatherings, even their jobs to respond. They juggle a regular life like you and I do, along with training, maintaining equipment and responding to calls. And they do this because they have a fundamental desire to help others and to serve our community. They don't do this for rewards or personal gain, and they don't do it for a paycheck. The resiliency of our volunteer firefighters during the Trout fire was staggering."

She continued: "I've been in local government for a little over 24 years now, and I can say I've never worked with a group like this. They are the illustration of the heart and soul of a volunteer firefighter, and I thank you so much for your service. So all of the Grant County Firefighters, would you please stand?"

Cruz presented a plaque of appreciation to Webb.

Grant County Fire Chief Roger Groves thanked everyone who supported the firefighters, with food readily available. "Our refrigerators were overflowing. Our firefighters were well taken care of. So thank you, each and every one of you that stood by me out there. We were there a long time. Days were long and hot out there on highway 35. It got a little dicey for the crew that was out there on the night of the 18th and we thank all of you for what you did."

Sabrina Pack of SkyWest Media presented a plaque of appreciation to Groves.

At that point, representatives from each fire department were brought to the stage and recognized.

Pack noted their radio stations had aired more than 100 announcements about the fire, alerting the residents who needed to be "Ready, Set, Go" for evacuations.

Training for the Ready, Set Go program had been initiated earlier in the year, but those who trained had no idea they would be using it that soon.

Other comments from various individuals noted how the response to the fire had involved the entire community. Some, who had come from elsewhere in the state, said they had never seen a community come together like Grant County did to support the firefighters and how the volunteers had worked in conjunction with the Forest Service firefighters. Also mentioned was PNM, which determined it would be best to cut off the power to houses so that new fires would not pop up. Law Enforcement helped deliver food and medications to those who lost power and their food supplies, although the fire did not directly impact them.

State Senator Gabriel Ramos said Morales had expressed it well when he called everyone local heroes, and "that's exactly what our first responders are, our firefighters, our police officers." He also recognized Freeport McMoRan for their donations and volunteers who helped with what was needed. "I still remember looking that night, looking at the mountain, and seeing that orange blaze coming over. And we sat and prayed a little bit and said, 'God, please help these firefighters. They're brave souls and their hard work and their hard fight.' We just can't say enough on how thankful we are to all of you. We really do appreciate you and those of you sitting out there, God bless you all, and God bless your families. Thank you so much for what you do. "

State Rep. Luis Terrazas thanked the chamber for recognizing those who worked the Trout Fire. "We had so many people come together, from the towns, from the county, from across the state. We had a meeting a couple of weeks before the fire started knowing that we needed to prepare in case something happened." He noted that in addition to the firefighters and law enforcement, "we had people from the schools, and we must thank Freeport and Gila Regional. We had people moving sandbags preparing for after the fire. The National Guard came out to help." He apologized for not making all the meetings, but he thanked his "righthand guy, Bruce Ashburn. I'm so blessed to have him helping me."

He noted that he, too, when he saw the fire top the ridge, said "Lord Almighty God, help us. Help protect all the firefighters. Lord, protect our people." He added the the volunteers and all those that helped: "It shows the unity that a tragedy like this, a fire can bring all of us together. So I hope that we continue to work together, as we did during the fire, and we respect each other and continue working beautifully as a community, as the community that we are. God bless you."

Ashburn then read a proclamation from the Legislature, signed by both the House and the Senate,"which is not a typical thing to do," Ramos and Terrazas worked together to get it done, and it was signed by them, as well as the Speaker of the House and the Chief Clerk. Ramos and Terrazas stationed themselves on each side of the stage to give a small token of appreciation from the chamber and a copy of the certificate to each department representative, and Sheriff Raul Villanueva, as they came forward. Ashburn handed the framed proclamation to Groves. " I want you to know that he fights for you guys every day."

Pack came to the podium and presented certificate of appreciation to Cruz. "As you know, this was the evacuation center and headquarters for many pieces of this during parts of the fire. Romeo and his team went above and beyond to help our community. This small piece of paper is a gesture of our full appreciation for what he does."

Then Cruz presented certificates of appreciation to various entities who helped out during the Trout Fire. They included PNM, Grant County Community Foundation, WNMU Foundation, Silver Consolidated school, Cobre Consolidated school, Freeport-McMoRan, Sierra County Emergency Management, Grant County emergency management. High Desert Humane Society, Southwest Horseman's Association, Post 18 American Legion, town of Silver City, city of Bayard, town of Hurley, the village of Santa Clara, Fort Bayard Historic Preservation Society, Sky West Media, Mountain Ridge East, Harbor Freight. She noted it was only a partial list and more certificates are available for those who helped out.

Cruz then announced "the other part of tonight, which is recognizing seven individuals and organizations for their outstanding work over the years and we're going to have board member, incoming president, Sharon Offutt to start this off."

Each presenter read from a document compiled by SkyWest from nominations and comments from those who nominated and supported each award.

"The first Chamber Community Award for 2025 is the Employee of the Year, Sheila Hudman," Offutt read. "This recipient exemplifies dedication, leadership and commitment to excellence that has made a lasting impact on our community. For 13 years, Sheila has served the village of Santa Clara with distinction, and in her current role as administrator, she has gone above and beyond, managing critical projects, securing funding for infrastructure improvements and ensuring that residents receive the highest level of service. Sheila's contributions extend beyond just Santa Clara. She has actively supported the clerks in Hurley and Bayard sharing her knowledge and experience to help them learn and succeed. In addition, she has led housing development projects, creating opportunities for families and driving long term community growth. Her nominator said it best. 'Sheila truly represents the heart of Santa Clara. Her dedication, integrity and willingness to work with others have made a real difference in our community. She's someone you can always count on to get things done and to do them the right way.'"

Santa Clara Mayor Arnold Lopez joined Sheila on the stage. He said he wouldn't make it long like his council meetings. "But Sharon said it all. Those were outstanding, golden words. So Sheila, thank you for what you do."

Hudman said: "To the person who nominated me and the group who voted me as Employee of the Year, I'm going to start crying. Don't let me do that. I have an awesome mayor, awesome
Council, extraordinary employees, and most of all of a community that gives, and I love to give back, and I want to thank very much my family that puts up with me, getting phone calls at night on the weekends, let's go get keys. Oh, I gotta do the Tamal Fiesta, all of that. So thank you very much, everybody."

Chamber Board Member Melanie Gomez said: "It is my honor to present the Small Business of the Year Award to WSI, Southwest, Inc, a company that represents the very best of the Grant County Business Community. What began in 2004 as Williamson services, a one person electrical operation, has grown into one of the most respected service providers in southwest New Mexico today, WSI employs a whole team of licensed electricians, office staff and support personnel, proudly serving customers across Grant, Hidalgo, Luna And Catron counties. WSI success is rooted in the same values that guided it from the beginning—honesty, quality and reliability. Their work ranges from new installations and maintenance calls to specialized industrial and agriculture projects, and they are the trusted local provider for generic generator installation and service helping keep homes and businesses with power during unexpected outages. But what truly sets their day apart is their heart. They treat every customer like their neighbor, every project like it's being done for family.Their dedication to serving rural New Mexico has strengthened our region, created local jobs and helped countless families stay safe and connected. Tonight, we proudly recognize WSI Southwest for their integrity, growth and unwavering commitment to our community."

"I'm not very good at this, but I would like to thank the people who nominated us," the owner, Jubal Williamson, said. "I has been a good experience for us over the past 21 years, and we appreciate the customers. We know a lot of faces here that I've worked for and been around my whole life. This is our home, and we appreciate you guys. The team of leaders that I have behind me are all our supervisors for our company, and I can't do without them. We're blessed to have them, and we appreciate you guys. Thank you."

Board Member Jack Herndon presented the volunteer of the year award to Kathryn McCarroll. "Kathryn serves and touches many corners of this community. Kathryn  served during 60 of the 63 nights at the Warming Center. She welcomed every guest, helped prepare meals, assisted with clothing and supplies. She drove individuals to the hospital when needed, and listened to their stories. Guests often said that they had never been treated with such dignity. Kathryn asked each person, 'are you hungry?' And made sure that they were felt, seen, safe and valued. Her compassion, calm presence and unwavering dependability helped keep all the guests warm, fed, connected with vital services. Many are now working towards jobs, because someone believed in them. The Warming Center would not have gone so successfully without her. She's also given her time to the archeology society board. She serves as vice president of Grant County Rolling Stones Gem and Mineral Society. She leads as president of the local chapter of the Southwest New Mexico. ACLU and is an active member of both Gila Native Plant Society and the Housing and Behavioral Health Task Force. There's a saying that all volunteers do not seek recognition. They simply see a need and answer it. Kathryn embodies that spirit. Her steady commitment strengthens our community, and tonight, we are proud to honor her service."

"This is wonderful, but I don't deserve it," McCarroll said. "The firefighters definitely deserved a whole lot more. The Warming Center was started with a small budget. The community gave us bedding and clothes, and d food. They prepared meals. It was just absolutely wonderful. We had people of all ages and they all had stories. They were all characters, and they were well received. And we stayed up all night, and some of them roamed around, and there were some interesting things going on. We averaged about 35 individuals every night, but we fed more than that, probably about 50 people. They got very good meals, and we had cots that they slept on, and they would keep them there, and bedding and all that. And we had people that did the laundry. It was really a community effort. Thank you very much."

Mike Morones presented the Community Stewardship Nonprofit of the Year award to the Gila Resources Information Project, an organization that has been serving Grant County more than 25 years. "This past year marked the completion of an extraordinary three-yearSan Vicente Creek stewardship project, a landmark effort that revitalized one of the our community's most important natural resources and corridors through many partnerships. GRIP helped remove more than 300 tons of invasive trees from 55 acres, reducing riparian fire risk and restoring ecological balance. They planted over 800 native trees and shrubs, installed 75 water harvesting features to slow the storm waters and reduce erosion. They completed more than 1000 native willows and cottonwood plantings to stabilize the creek banks. Their work also protected crucial town infrastructure by safeguarding the main sewer lines from erosion and constructing controlled structures that restored natural creek flow. Their impact has extended even further during the Trout fire, with theirAirWise program, which provided real time air quality data to residents and first responders, helping the community make informed health decisions during a critical moment. Their pick it up Toss No Mas campaign and leadership of the Southwest New Mexico community forestry network continues to mobilize volunteers who clean, restore and beautify our public spaces. Tonight, we proudly recognize their work."

"There are lots of people to thank," GRIP Director Allyson Siwik said. "I think Senator Ramos says it takes a village, right? I'd like to thank the chamber and Sabrina Pack for nominating us. We're really thrilled." She asked her team to stand up and they received applause.

"We're thrilled to receive this award and be acknowledged for our work to protect our land, air and water here in southwestern New Mexico, I'd like to acknowledge the vision and leadership from our hard working and committed board. It's a privilege of mine to be working with an amazing and dedicated team of staff who get the work done on ground, and our work would not be possible without strong community collaboration across academia, government, businesses and nonprofits. So I really need to say thank you to all of our partners, so key partners and funders that I'd like to thank tonight, the town of Silver City number one, Alex and Mayor Ladner, we could not do all that we've been able to do without your partnership. So we really appreciate that. New Mexico Environment Department, New Mexico Department of Tourism, Western New Mexico University, University of New Mexico Inspires Program, and the US Forest Service. They funded us and partnered with us and made this work possible. Other important partners that have done this amazing work on the ground include Stream Dynamics, Southwest Tree Solutions, Gila Woodnet. Upper Gila Watershed Alliance, New Earth project, Integrated Biological Solutions, Aldo Leopold, Charter School and its Youth Conservation Corps and SWNM AcCT. And last but not least, volunteers. We could not do all the work that we do here in our community without volunteers. So we thank them all, and thank you very much to the chamber for this award.

Bruce Ashburn presented the next award for the 2025 Nonprofit Organization of the Year. "For more than 15 years now, our next award recipient has been a vital force in our community, providing trauma, informed support, Education and Advocacy for survivors of sexual violence. Led by director Chelsea Cooper and assisted by program director Monica Davis, this team has grown from four members to a dynamic group of 12 and from a budget of about $400,000 a year to over $800,000 annually. They serve about 110 survivors per year and have provided over 700 therapy sessions in the past year's time, their outreach touches over 1000 students per year. Their nominators said it best when they said they are not just a nonprofit organization, they're a movement for dignity, justice and healing. Their dedication, their dedicated team, many of them survivors themselves, bring compassion, courage and conviction to everything that they do. Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to present to you the winners of the 2025 Nonprofit Organization of the Year, the Silver Regional Sexual aAssault Support Services and Child Advocacy Center— SASS.

Cooper accepted the award "I want to recognize Representative Terrazas and Senator Ramos for your support this year during our human trafficking conference. On behalf of SASS, I'm deeply honored to accept the Nonprofit of the Year award. I first want to express my gratitude to the chamber and to the selection committee and to our community for recognizing the work that we do. This award is not just a recognition of our organization, it is a recognition of survivors, of hope and belief that every person deserves safety, dignity and support at Silver Regional SASS. We walk beside people on some of the hardest days of their lives. We provide advocacy, crisis response, education, medical therapy and prevention, because we know that creating a safer community takes all of us working together. This award reminds us that our community stands with survivors, and that means more than words can express. I would like to thank our staff. I would like to actually —just stand up—because you guys are really such an incredible group of advocates, educators and leaders who show up every day with compassion and strength. The work that they do is not easy, but they do it with heart, integrity and unwavering commitment. I am proud of each and every one of you all. Thank you as well to the our board of directors and for their guidance and support and to our partners across the community, from law enforcement to healthcare providers to schools who help us ensure no survivor has to navigate their journey alone. Most importantly, I want to honor your children and survivors who trust us with their stories, their courage inspires everything we do. This award belongs to them. We will continue to expand our services, strengthen prevention efforts and advocate for safer future for our region. There is still much work ahead, but tonight, we celebrate how far we have come and the power working together as a community. Thank you for this incredible honor, and thank you for standing with Silver RegionalSASS."

Board Member Dr Miguel Vicens presented the next award.

"It's my honor to present the Citizen of the Year Award to Patricia Morales Cano, a lifelong Silver City resident whose work has strengthened this community across Education, Culture and public service, Patricia taught Spanish and Chicano studies at WNMU for more than 25 years. She taught 1000s of students, including future leaders, future teachers, professionals and elected leaders, and helped shape a more and more inclusive and welcoming campus. Through her service on faculty senate and diversity task force, she supported student athletes for decades over in her home for meals, guidance and encouragement beyond the university. Patricia has been a driving force for cultural acceleration and preservation. She led the Grant County Chicano music project, producing multicultural events such honoring La Virgen de Guadalupe, and wrote and directed the original play at Chicano Christmas, which united dozens of local performers and filled the Fine Arts Center Theater. Patricia is also deeply engaged in community problem solving. She founded and shares the Grand County citizens Task Force on homelessness and behavioral health, bringing agencies, leaders and residents together to address critical needs. This past winter, she initiated the opening of the emergency Warming Center, helping 147 unhoused individuals stay safe, an effort that earned her recognition as a 2025 New Mexico True Hero. Patricia is a connector, a creator, a champion for others, and tonight, we proudly recognize her exceptional service as our Citizen of the Year. Please help me welcome her."

Cano said: "Thank you so much. I would like to thank the chamber for this tremendous honor. It really means a great deal to me. All the things that my former colleague mentioned about me could not have happened without the help of my daughter, Guadalupe, and I would like to acknowledge her. I get these wild ideas about things that I need to create, and she pokes holes in all of them, and then we work out the details, and we get things done. So she really deserves part of this, this honor as well. I would like to take this opportunity to mention that in 2026, I have two projects going, and one, I hope that many of you will participate in it. It is a two-day celebration of Day of Dead. I'm planning this because it is a way to bring the community together, because there is no greater equalizer than death, and if we learn how to to work together, to actually celebrate it, I think this community will be very, very healthy. And the second project that I have, I'm going in a different direction, and I would like to announce that I'm going into politics, state politics. So the name Morales Cano is going to be important. And I want you to realize that when we say Morales Cano, that's me. Don't get this confused. That's Guadalupe. It's time for Patricia to get into politics. So thank you very much to the chamber, and I hope to really see many of you at the Day of the Dead event preparations. You will be able to read about them in the Grant County Beat. Thank you so much."

Cahmber Board President Bart Roselli said: "So, I'd like to invite Mary Alice Murphy up to the stage tonight, as we conclude our celebration with the capstone, our highest honor. This is our most prestigious award, and it's named after someone who made a very deep and long, lasting effect on our community, Linda Kay Jones. It's called The Linda K Jones Lifetime Achievement Award, and the award recognizes an individual whose life's work has strengthened our community, uplifted others and left a legacy that endures far beyond any one of her many accomplishments. This year, we honor someone whose contributions have shaped the very fabric of Grant County for close to three decades, Mary Alice Murphy for more than 25 years, has chronicled the life of the community with curiosity and compassion and unwavering commitment to accuracy, something we're in a little short supply of these days, but she's fighting. She is the founder, owner, editor, reporter and photographer of the Grant County Beat. Who's not read the Grant County Beat? And there ought to be no hands that come up. She said she'll speak to you afterwards. She has given us an invaluable gift of accessible, reliable journalism offered freely to the public because she believes information should serve everyone, not just convince them, but serve everyone. And as Mayor Ladner pointed out, nearly every public meeting, festival, presentation, community event, you can count on one constant, Mary Alice Murphy is going to be there, camera in hand, ensuring that the story is told accurately and expressively. But Mary Alice's contributions extend far beyond reporting. She has always been a storyteller of the human spirit, that heart, that's something that makes her special to be here in Grant County at the time when a World War II veteran or family member had a story that needed to be preserved. She made time, even when there was no financial return. She documented the lives of local veterans long before their stories risked being forgotten. Not just a chronicler, but a visionary. She saw the need to preserve these very, very important and touching stories of our veterans. All of these stories came together in another labor of love on Mary Alice's part. They came together in a deeply meaningful book entitled 'God's Umbrella.' She sold some copies, she gave away a lot more, and never once thought about recognition. You can buy a copy at Silver City Museum gift store. She simply wanted those important voices that affected our lives, both locally, nationally and internationally, that they were recorded with dignity. Her service to our veterans also includes years of unwavering support for Wreaths Across America forour national cemetery in difficult years when re sponsorship seemed uncertain. Mary Alice worked tirelessly behind the scenes, writing, photographing, raising awareness until every marker was honored with a Wreath. She has also supported the arts and local culture, from her early days singing with the Hi Lo Silvers to supporting the group photographically and logistically after her voice left. At least you had one. I never had one. And in the heart of everything she does is a profound respect for the truth. Mary Alice has consistently upheld the highest journalistic standards, keeping reporting and opinion separate, ensuring that her work remains focused on accuracy, fairness and service to the public. Mary Alice once hesitated about being nominated for this award, as you can imagine, because, in her words, she's simply doing the work that she believes needs to be done, but that humility is exactly what makes her so extraordinary. Her lifetime of service has strengthened our civic life. Connected residents, honored our veterans and presented our stories and helped this community see itself more clearly. Tonight, we recognize not a single act but a lifetime, decades of giving, documenting, advocating, supporting and showing up. A lifetime of generosity, integrity and quiet leadership that has touched every corner and probably everyone of us in this room. It's with deep gratitude and great pride that the Chamber of Commerce presents the 2025 Linda K Jones Lifetime Achievement Award to Mary Alice Murphy."

Murphy began: "Well, you all know I take notes, and I like to write stories, so I wrote a speech, and then I tore it up, because I decided the only thing I need to just say is thank you. I thank my team, Lynn, who is taking pictures tonight, my other freelancers that help me often without pay, because the Beat doesn't make much. It really needs more support. For you all, I get plenty of community support through news releases, and I thank all of you for doing that, because the Beat wouldn't exist without those, and this community that never goes to sleep. There's always something going on. And I had to laugh at curiosity. I'm actually nosy. I want to know what's going on, so, yes, I'm curious. I don't want to miss anything, even when there's three or four things on the same Saturday. I try my best. And there's one thing he said about my quiet leadership. I don't think my husband would ever say that I'm quiet. I probably owe him the most thanks, because he has supported me all the way through this journey. He waves bye when I'm heading out the door. He says, will you be home for dinner? Well, he's cooking dinner, so he has to know when I'm going to be home so he can have it ready. He's my staunch, staunch supporter. For 57 years, he's put up with me. I'm also very honored to follow in Linda Kate Jones's steps, because she did amazing things for this community, and we still miss her, because she died some years back. But thank you, all of you. And if anybody wants to become a reporter or whatever, let me know. I pay a pittance, so you better do it to reach people. I want to thank whoever nominated me and who helped me get this awesome award."

Cruz concluded with: "So we come to the end of our 2025 event. But before I leave I want to let you know that ,I, too have a passion. I have a passion for my work. I have a passion to help people, and that passion is supported by my wife. She's walking out the door taking my daughter, who's not feeling good right now, but she's my heart. She's my soul. Her and my kids. You know they push me to do everything that I do today. They show me the love that I want to show you. So thank you, honey. I believe I want to give last thanks to my board. I have a great board. And you know, if you worked under a board, my board is  wonderful. We work together, we work problems out, we we look towards the future, and it's all service oriented. We all have a servant's heart, and we're here to serve our community, our business community. I'd like to thank my staff again. couldn't do this without you guys. We couldn't do what we did for the Trout Fire, for the Fourth of July, for the governor's visit, for this has been a long year.

"I'd like to thank Bear Mountain Lodge, wonderful food again. I'd like to thank W and N enterprises, Jim and Debbie. Thank you for all your support from Western New Mexico University, the town of Silver City, Grant County, PNM, Freeport-McMoRan, thank you for always keeping us in mind and helping us support our business community. I want to give a special thanks to the person that really helped me push this through. It seems like every year we get a little bit better, little bit more flashy, and I'd like to thank Dr. Sabrina Pack of SkyWest media. She's gone through with the event, website, registration, programs, design of all the awards and custom key chains, PowerPoint and just being somebody to talk to you. Tank you again, everybody. Please support your neighbors. There's so much division in this world. The Trout Fire showed us that we don't have to be divided. We just have to love each other. And I love you greatly."