The seventh ranked UNM Lobos men’s soccer team hosted the Lobo TLC Heating, Cooling and Plumbing Invitational this past weekend beating Dartmouth 3-2 in a game that saw four goals scored in the first 20 minutes. Ben McKendry scored the game winner in the 66th minute scoring off a short pass from Blake Smith.
By following this phrase with “anglais” or “espagnol” I hopefully had an open line of communication with any French speaker I encountered. Six weeks in La Chapelle and another three weeks in République, both located in the 10eme arrondissement of arguably the most romantic city on Earth, was more than enough time to see to it that my heart bled for the French and my mouth formed the perfect pucker to pronounce: “Je peux prendre une photo de vous?”For all its predictable daytime tourist traps and gritty, damp nighttime streets, Paris stood as a monument for the development of my photographic eye and inspiration and will always remain coursing through my blood (not only because I am a quarter French) as an enchanting and nurturing giant.The opportunity to chase a photo essay through streets of Paris in the saddle of a steel, 12-speed vélo is not one you may stumble across every lifetime. Santé, salut et allez les bleus! (See pages 8 and 9 for full photo journal.)
Mario Montoya and Albert Rosales started teaching hip hop break dance classes at the Harwood Art Center last fall. Montoya lost his right leg after a football injury about 17 years ago, when he was in eighth grade. “I feel like I lost my anger with my leg and I became a better person,” Montoya said. He continued his hip hop life after that. Rosales is a local visual artist and break dance expert. Every Friday afternoon the pair teaches break dancing to an after-school program at Harwood. “I’m amazed by (the pair’s) ability of connecting themselves to each kid,” said the director of Youth and Education at Harwood, Vashti Moss. “It is absolutely the kids’ favorite class here.”
Van Pexa trains approximately 15 hours per week, and plays a sport in every season of the year. Pexa competes in a number of sporting events in the Special Olympics of New Mexico, including hockey, bocce, softball, golf, equestrian, bowling and basketball. Pexa said he started competing in sports competitions at age 13, and that his favorite sports to play are unified golf, in which each athlete has a partner he or she competes with, and equestrian riding. When Pexa is not competing, he watches his favorite athletes compete on the court at The Pit. For roughly 15 years he has had season tickets for Lobo basketball, has attended nearly every game and even travels to Las Vegas for the Mountain West Conference tournament. “He’s nothing less than fanatic about Lobo basketball,” his mother, Dana Pexa, said.
“Having no food, being homeless, being crazy” is what made Chris Patz, 21, want to change his life. Patz said he used drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy and crystal meth on a daily basis between the ages of 13 and 18. During that time, Patz went through two drug treatment programs, but relapsed after completing each. Now three years clean, Chris said he is preparing for the transition from a reserve to active duty recon Marine. Since his childhood, he said he dreamed of becoming one of the few people allowed to be a Recon Marine. In the meantime, Patz said he focuses on pottery, a passion of his since sixth grade. He just got back into pottery a month ago, and he said he finds himself “obsessed” with improving at his craft.
Mendy Lou Blackburn is an intuitive spiritual adviser and has practiced as a psychic for more than 40 years. She started reading Tarot cards when she was 15. Tarot is a study of the Hermetic Principles of Universal Law and Divine Principle. When she was 20, Blackburn discovered a book of palmistry by William Benham, which she said inspired her to practice palmistry. Palm reading is a study of human character. Blackburn gives palm reading and tarot card readings at her shop on Harvard Drive, which she owned for about a decade. She does readings at her shop, through the phone, or via Skype. Her shop is located at 139 Harvard Drive S.E. To find out more Blackburn and her practice, visit.Mendylou.com.
Solutions by The State News
