Tucumcari is a wonderful town with a wonderful community college. Above all, you have an amazing rodeo coach.

I hope you realize and appreciate the talents and accomplishments of C.J. Aragon.

Here in Idaho, we are so proud of our Idaho native and have sent students from here to be tutored under his expertise. We’ve even flown the Mesalands Community College flag at every Idaho High School Rodeo Association District 6 rodeo this spring in his honor.

Thanks to C.J. Aragon — three times coach of the year — and to the entire team, both the men’s and women’s all-around honors were brought to Tucumcari.

The possibility is high for national titles and more academic all-Americans at the College National Finals Rodeo this month.

Four of Aragon’s top women competitors were in an automobile accident that claimed the life of one and placed the remaining three in non-competition status. He was able to pull the remaining team together and found a strong competitor in Sydni Blanchard, the reigning Grand Canyon region women’s all-around and 2008 Womens Professional Rodeo Association rookie of the year.

It's Aragon who draws this caliber of competitors and is the Grand Canyon region faculty director, on the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association rules committee, competes on the professional level and even represented the U.S.A. in Sydney, Australia.

To view Aragon's accomplishments visit the Mesalands website.

His wife, Tiff, is also a former two-time NIRA barrel and breakaway champion and is the “mom” to the entire team.

The Aragons have formed a team and for many of us parents living so far away, it is comforting to know our children are in a safe town, getting an excellent education, with an extra set of parents and a wonderful rodeo coach.

Laura Stutzman

Twin Falls, Idaho

VFW seeking volunteers

Memorial services were held May 31 at our cemetery in Tucumcari. Where were all our local citizens, who claim they remember our fallen heroes? Or for that matter, where were the family members of our deceased veterans?

We are members of our local Veterans of Foreign War organization and, along with a few of our die-hard members, do our part of the work involved. However, most of the members were World War II, Korea and Vietnam vets and are up in age — late 60s, 70s and 80s. Putting up flags and taking them down is becoming difficult for us.

We had five to put up flags and only four to take them down this Memorial Day weekend.

For next year I would like to challenge other organizations — Elks Lodge, Knights of Columbus, American Legion, etc. — as well as the community to assist us in honoring our veterans.

The Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts could also earn badges toward community service in this manner.

We always inform the public of the dates we plan to put out flags and pick them up through the media.

A special thank you to those that helped this year and those that attended the ceremony.

Geneva Encinias, president VFW ladies auxiliary

Delfido Gonzales, Post 2528