wetnwildgrl LRFA's blog: "Erica's blog"

In addition to September being National Biscuit, Chicken, Mushroom, Potato and Rice month, it is also National Honey Month. In 2005, Colorado's 26,000 bee colonies - large and small - produced 1.8 million pounds of honey valued at nearly $1.9 million. According to the National Honey Board, bees can travel as far as 55,000 miles and visit more than 2 million flowers to gather enough nectar to make just 1 pound of honey. Look for Colorado honey at local grocery stores, farmers' markets or on tables at restaurants across the state. Each month the Colorado Department of Agriculture features a different commodity to highlight the variety and quality of products grown in the state. Go to coloradoagriculture.com for a complete list of recipes. The following recipe comes from chef Justin Barbour of the Colorado Chefs Association. Although the coleslaw recipe will serve 6-8, the salmon recipe is for 1. Just repeat the instructions for multiple servings. The chutney will hold for several weeks in the refrigerator and can be used as desired. Honey Apple Coleslaw Ingredients 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup sour cream 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 3 cups green cabbage, shredded 2 Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into matchsticks 1 large carrot, peeled and shredded 1/4 cup yellow onion (optional), very thinly sliced 1/2 cup purple cabbage (optional) Directions Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, honey, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper and whisk well together. In a large bowl, combine cabbage, apples, carrots, onion, and purple cabbage. Toss with dressing until lightly and evenly coated. Chill before serving. Mango Chutney Ingredients 1/2 tablespoon finely diced shallots or garlic 2 teaspoons olive oil 4 ounces fresh mango, large dice 1 ounce water 2 tablespoon cider vinegar 2 tablespoons raisins 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon honey 1/2 of an orange, juiced 1 teaspoon kosher salt Directions Sauté shallots/garlic in olive oil 1-2 minutes. Add mango, and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add water, vinegar, raisins, brown sugar, honey, orange juice, salt. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until mango is soft and mixture reaches a syrup-like consistency. Remove from heat and set aside. Honey-Orange Glazed Salmon Ingredients 1 4 to 6-ounce skinless salmon fillet 3 tablespoons clove honey, divided use 1 teaspoon orange zest 1/2 of an orange, juiced 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt Directions Heat oven to 350. Melt honey, orange zest and juice, cinnamon and salt in small sauce pan. Simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat until ready to use. Mark salmon on grill. Place salmon in oven and bake for about 8 minutes or until it pulls away with a fork easily. Enjoy with a Colorado wine, such as a glass of Semi-Sweet Classic Mead from Medovina located in Niwot.

Quara 2004 Cafayate Valley Torrontes, about $9 Cafayate couldn't be more different from Mendoza, Argentina's most well-known wine region. Where Mendoza is lushly green, Cafayate offers sweeping vistas of wind- and water- scrubbed rocks of red, yellow and purple hues; where Mendoza specializes in red wines, like malbec, Salta's best wine is arguably a light, flowery white wine from a grape called torrontes. Torrontes thrives in the combination of intense sun and cool breezes that bathe Cafayate's vineyards at a chilly 6,000 feet. (One wonders how it would do if planted on Colorado's Western Slope.) The result can be tasted in Quara's torrontes ripe, juicy peach and litchi flavors that feel weightless, carried on a garden's worth of floral scents. Pour it for an aperitif or with light dishes, or whenever you need a taste of high summer.

GABF 25th Year Beer, $3.99 per 18-ounce bottle The 25th annual Great American Beer Festival, featuring 1,600 beers from 380 breweries, takes place Thursday through Saturday at the Colorado Convention Center. The silver celebration will be marked with - what else? - beer. Charlie Papazian, president of the Boulder-based Brewers Association and an accomplished home brewer, concocted 25th Year Beer, a single-batch brew "celebrating the flavor & diversity of American beer." Papazian says it's a variation on an IPA he's made several times, dry hopped with a rarely used New Zealand hop for aroma. It was brewed and bottled at Boulder Beer Co., one of three brewers at the first GABF still taking part. Sierra Nevada and River City Brewing in California are the other two. The 25th Year Beer will be available at Brewers Association tables at the GABF, Falling Rock in LoDo, Old Chicago outlets and in limited quantities in area retail outlets in 18-ounce bottles.

Crab Cakes Chez Grand-mere Created by Durango chef Michel Poumay, these crab cakes have become a favorite at his restaurant. Serves 4 as an entree, 8 as an appetizer. Ingredients 1 pound fresh jumbo lump crab meat 1 finely diced shallot 1 finely diced garlic clove 1 teaspoon baking powder 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro 2 eggs, separated (save egg whites) 6-8 sea (not bay) scallops 2 tablespoons heavy cream Pinch salt Pinch white pepper 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 tablespoon vegetable oil Directions Preheat oven to 375. In a mixing bowl, combine crab meat, shallot, garlic, baking powder, cilantro and egg yolks with a rubber spatula. In a blender or food processor combine scallops, egg whites and cream, salt and pepper. Purée for 2 minutes. Combine crab meat and scallop mixture and form crab cakes. In a nonstick fry pan melt butter and oil and pan fry cakes on each side to a lightly golden brown. Place cakes on a cookie sheet and bake 20 minutes. Serve with a rouille (right). Wine ideas: When dining at Chez Grand-mère, you might well want to spring for a bottle of crisp, minerally Pouilly-Fuissé from Charton- Trebuchet or other similarly exalted Burgundy off its extensive, Francophile wine list. At home, you could go with the same wine, or save a few bucks to spend on extra crab and choose an unoaked chardonnay such as Wishing Tree or Plantagenet Omrah from Western Australia, both of which run less than $20. -Tara Q. Thomas Brewhouse Mussels Chef Sean Clark of Steamworks Brewing Co. in Durango developed this recipe for the brewhouse, recently named "Best of the Festival" at Telluride Brews and Blues Fest. Serves 6-8. Ingredients 2 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup diced celery 1/4 cup diced carrots 1 medium shallot, chopped 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh minced thyme 2 pounds green lip mussels, scrubbed clean 4 ounces lager beer 3 tablespoons minced parsley Zest from 1 lemon 1 1/4 tablespoons sugar Fresh ground pepper and kosher salt to taste Directions Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced celery, carrots, shallots, garlic and fresh thyme to skillet and sauté until mixture begins to caramelize on the bottom. Over high heat, add mussels, beer, parsley, lemon zest and sugar to skillet and simmer high for 3-4 minutes, covered. Uncover and reduce heat to a simmer then season to taste with fresh ground pepper and salt. Discard unopened shells. Transfer contents to a large bowl. Serve immediately garnished with lemon. Wine ideas: Stick with beer - whatever you used to cook the mussels in, especially Steamworks Steam Engine Lager, which has both the sweetness and the hops bitterness to stand on equal footing with the dish. If you don't like beer, switch out the lager in the recipe with a crisp chardonnay, and drink the rest of the bottle with dinner. -Tara Q. Thomas Croque Monsieur This French hot sandwich is made of bread, ham, cheese and béchamel sauce. This recipe, from Jean-Pierre chef/owner Jean-Pierre Bleger can be found throughout France. The Croque Madame variation has a sunnyside-up egg on top. Serves 2. Ingredients: Béchamel sauce: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 teaspoons all purpose-flour 1 pint milk 1 egg yolk Pinch of nutmeg Pinch of salt and pepper Croque Monsieur: 4 slices brioche bread (or any artisan bread) 2 slices of ham 8 teaspoons béchamel sauce 4 ounces shredded Gruyere Directions Make béchamel sauce: Slowly melt butter in a sauce pan. Add flour, and stir constantly with a wooden spatula. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper. Over medium heat, add milk and stir vigorously for about 4 minutes. Whisk in egg yolk and continue whisking over a medium heat until mixture thickens. Do not boil. Make Croque Monsieur: Heat oven to 375. Warm brioche slices in a nonstick fry pan. Spread a coat of bechamel sauce on the first slice, then layer a slice of ham, an ounce of the Gruyere, and top it with a second slice of ham and top with a slice of brioche. Repeat process to make the second sandwich. Mix remaining béchamel and Gruyere over the top of each sandwich. Place in oven for 7-8 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Serve hot with a mixed green salad. Wine ideas: The fruity ease of a Beaujolais works well here. Skip the Nouveaus (especially if you find them at this time of year, as they'll have languished on the shelf for nearly a year) and go for one with the name of a village, such as Brouilly (Monsieur) or Fleurie (Madame). Jadot and Dubouef both make excellent examples for $15 or less. -Tara Q. Thomas Miso Broiled Black Cod "Saikyo-Yaki" This is a favorite of chef Sergio Verduzco at East by Southwest in Durango, and one that is easy to make at home. The ingredients can be found in Asian specialty stores or some supermarkets. Sal- mon, yellowtail, sea bass, or cod are good substitutes. Verduzco says the sweetness of miso against the richness of fish is "an exuberant combination." Serves 8. Ingredients 2 ounces sake 6 ounces sweet mirin (cooking rice wine) 2 cups white miso paste 1 cup sugar 1 3-pound black cod fillet cut on the bias into five, skin-on portions (or ask the butcher/fishmonger to slice it for you) Directions In a saucepan, bring sake and mirin to a boil for at least 1 minute to evaporate the alcohol in the sake. Reduce heat to low, add miso paste and stir until smooth. Add sugar and continue to mix until sugar granules dissolve. Stir constantly to keep sauce from scorching. Remove from heat and allow the sauce to cool completely. In a nonreactive container, marinate cod fillet, at least overnight, preferably 48 hours. Lay marinated fillets flat on a baking tray, and broil under a medium flame for approximately 10 minutes, or until a blistered glaze forms. Serve with a side of sticky rice and cucumber salad. Wine ideas: The satin richness and broad, ricey flavor of a cool, high-quality sake is dreamy with the sweet, meaty flavor of miso-glazed cod. Look for examples from importers such as Japan Prestige Sake International or Vine Connections, which makes buying sake easier with English translations on the labels. -Tara Q. Thomas Herb-Grilled Trout with Pancetta and Aged Sherry Vinaigrette This recipe is a favorite among Alison Dance's customers at her Cyprus Cafe in Durango. Serves 4. Ingredients 1 cup diced pancetta 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 red onion, thinly sliced 2-3 tablespoons aged sherry vinegar 4 trout filets, boned 1 tablespoon minced oregano 1 tablespoon minced parsley Olive oil Salt and pepper Directions Make vinaigrette: Cook pancetta in a medium pan over medium heat until crispy. Remove pancetta to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve drippings. In the same pan, sauté onion in olive oil until translucent. In a bowl, combine sautéed onion with pancetta, 6 tablespoons of pancetta drippings and 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar. Taste and adjust proportions; set aside. Oil and preheat a grill to medium high. Rinse trout filets and pat dry. Rub olive oil on both sides. Combine oregano and parsley. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper and the herb mixture. Place fish flesh side down on the grill for 3 minutes then turn fish 90 degrees to create cross-hatch grill marks. Grill 1 more minute and turn fish over. Finish grilling skin side down. Remove from grill and place on serving platter. Ladle warm vinaigrette over trout and serve. Wine ideas: Trout has a delicate flavor, but the pancetta ups the richness of this dish considerably. Find a wine that has a light body (to let the delicacy of the meat come through) yet a strong backbone (to stand up to the pork fat) - like a riesling. Try Eroica, a riesling from Washington State made by Chateau Ste. Michelle in conjunction with Ernst Loosen, a winegrower from Germany's Mosel, or Bonny Doon's Pacific Rim Riesling, a bargain at $11. -Tara Q. Thomas Rouille Ingredients 1 cup mayonnaise 8 finely puréed garlic cloves 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper 3 tablespoons real lemon juice Directions Combine mayonnaise, garlic, cayenne and lemon. Serve alongside crab cakes and garnish with baby lettuces. Aunt Lydia's Meat Loaf This recipe adapted from Ken & Sue's in Durango comes from Sue Fusco's 90-year-old aunt, who lives in Coral Gables, Fla. Serves 8-10. Ingredients 1 pound ground pork sausage 2 pounds ground top round beef 1 cup half and half 3 eggs 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon coarse grind black pepper 1 tablespoon minced garlic, or to taste 3/4 cup bread crumbs Directions Preheat oven to 400. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients well and separate into two loaves on a sheet pan. Bake 1 hour. Let loaves rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

As author Edward Humes opens "Over Here," about one of the most remarkable social-engineering efforts in U.S. history, Allan Howerton is trying to find his place in American society after fighting the Nazis during World War II. Howerton, who had been hustling fast-food hamburgers in Rahway, N.J., before being sent to Europe, feels the crush of veterans returning to the United States by the hundreds of thousands. Rather than allow the hordes of returning veterans to crush his spirit, Howerton decided to enroll in college, to earn a degree while sorting out his employment options. As he exits a crowded, creaky trolley car in an unfamiliar city, Howerton sees a sign confirming he has reached his destination. "University of Denver," the sign reads. Howerton enrolls for freshman classes. The G.I. Bill that helped World War II veterans readjust to civilian life after 1945 is one of the rare laws "everybody knows about." But Humes' expansive account of how the G.I. Bill changed American society in expected and unexpected ways demonstrates that what "everybody knows" is not even the half of it. Officially called the Servicemen's Readjustment Act, the law allowed millions of men and women to buy homes that would have been beyond their means, attend colleges by paying tuitions they could never have afforded and receive increasingly expensive, sophisticated health care. Humes, who earlier in his career made his living selling well-documented, well-written true crime narratives that are by definition depressing, has crafted a mostly upbeat saga this time around. Instead of focusing on Congress, the White House, the Pentagon and the courts, however, Humes moves away from the institutional saga to emphasize how the G.I. Bill altered the lives of individuals - like Howerton at the University of Denver. The human dramas scattered throughout the narrative are irresistible. Humes' real-life protagonists invent sophisticated weapons for use in the Cold War, populate suburbs in tract homes that alter the urban-rural equation, become beloved physicians and teachers and film directors - all because the G.I. Bill provided otherwise unimaginable opportunities. Humes leavens the upbeat chapters with a case study of a female veteran who faces obstacles receiving the benefits legally due to her, and a black veteran who must overcome even greater obstacles placed there by power brokers who failed to learn the lesson that all are equal on the battlefield. Veterans returning from the Civil War, World War I, Korea, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf did not fare as well across the board; the historical context provided by Humes makes the success of the G.I. Bill all the more poignant. What about Howerton at the University of Denver? As Humes notes, Howerton's college experience "was as much about healing as it was about learning, as much about getting over being a G.I. as it was about using the G.I. Bill." Of the 200 men in his combat division, 42 died under fire. "When he came home and found his way to Denver, he considered himself blessed, hale and hearty. In truth, he would later realize, he was 'torn up inside.' It took time for that to change." Howerton became involved in political campaigns while earning a bachelor's degree in international relations, worked for United Airlines, earned a master's degree, found a job in Washington, D.C., with a federal bureaucracy, married and fathered three children. Some authors overstate the importance of their topics, but Humes provides ample evidence for statements such as this: "If the bill's transformation of college in America from an elite bastion to a virtual entitlement proved revolutionary, its home loan provisions were nothing short of radical." The book will provide nostalgia for the World War II generation, and a well-rounded education for readers born later. Over Here How the G.I. Bill Transformed the American Dream By Edward Humes Harcourt, 336 pages, $26

Elena Mireles Hernandez, who died in Greeley on Aug. 17 at age 87, was a mother to 18 children she raised with a firm hand, a warm heart and high expectations. Born Aug. 18, 1918, in Doctor Arroyo, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, in the chaos of the Mexican Revolution, Hernandez was less than a year old when her young parents carried her across the border to Texas. She was so small, she could fit inside a shoebox. Her grandparents, who later told her that Mexican outlaw Pancho Villa once robbed them, raised Hernandez. They lived frugally, relying on a horse-drawn wagon for transportation. As soon as she was old enough, Hernandez joined her grandparents in field work and other jobs. She learned to play the accordion and earned extra money playing in Texas cantinas before marrying Bernardo Hernandez. She was a strict Catholic who kept a container of holy water in her bedroom and displayed statues of the Virgin of Guadalupe and other patron saints. "Moma was Catholic and didn't believe in birth control," said her youngest child, Jeannie Anderson, born 45 years after her eldest sibling. "Here I am, No. 18, a love child, and she still wanted that baby." Money was scarce and became scarcer after Bernardo Hernandez died, killed by a hit-and-run driver when Anderson was a teenager. By then, the Hernandez children knew to rise early, make their beds, do their chores and then turn to work. When school wasn't in session, they accompanied their parents to top beets and work in the farm fields near Fort Lupton. When they went home, Elena Hernandez took their stained clothes and washed them in cold water because it was cheaper than using hot water. "Moma grew up with ... cold water for washing and rinsing clothes, and her colors were bright and her whites as white as white," Anderson said. When the clothes dried, Hernandez ironed everything, including T-shirts. She taught her children to take care with their appearance and dress respectfully for church, though she didn't make the girls wear headscarves to Mass as she did. Each night, Hernandez cooked a meal that managed to expand to accommodate visitors. "Once you entered her house, she'd start cooking something to make sure you had dinner," Anderson said. "Nobody could leave with an empty stomach. Moma always said, 'Barriga llena, corazon contento' - stomach full, happy heart." Valente Mireles, Hernandez's the eldest son, was 71 when his mother died last month at the home of her youngest child. Besides her youngest and eldest children, Hernandez is survived by sons Antonio Hernandez of New Mexico, Ramon Hernandez of Northglenn, Jose Antonio Hernandez of Greeley and Dakota Clearwater of Upland, Calif.; daughters Macaela Hernandez and Aurora Cardoza, both of Greeley, Maria Huffman of Springfield, Ore., Felecita Murilloof Roggen, Dominga Hernandez of Hesperia, Calif., Barbara Ann Perez and Tomasa Gutierrez, both of Fort Lupton, and Vinceta Gonzales of Parker; and dozens of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Four children preceded her in death.

Rosemary Scutti was the first woman to be mayor of Williamsburg, but she wasn't the first Scutti. Her family, which has lived in the Williamsburg area for more than 100 years, had plenty of members in public office. Two of her uncles were mayor; her dad, Charles Scutti, was town clerk and her brother, Ty Scutti, was town clerk for decades. Her grandfather, Guilio Scutti, was an early-day marshal of the small town near Florence. "Some people called Wil liamsburg 'Scuttiville,"' said Scutti's niece, Chris Stutzman of Denver. The town was settled in 1888 by people working in the coal mines, and the Scuttis were some of the first. Rosemary Scutti, who had a tax service, was a champion bowler and softball pitcher. She died Sept. 10 in Cañon City after a brief illness. She was 77. There wasn't much Rosemary Scutti wasn't in the middle of. She started as a teller in the First National Bank in Florence and was a vice president and loan officer when she retired. She owned Scutti Tax Service, had a private "meals on wheels," delivering her own mostly Italian meals to widows, and continually loaned and gave money to people in need. At one time, she sold insurance and made loans to Freemont County residents. She was known for hosting huge family dinners and even collected clothes from townspeople, taking them to Cañon City to the dry cleaners. As mayor, she was often on site when town employees were digging ditches or repairing septic tanks. "She led with her heart," said Stutzman. "If she had it, she'd give it to you," always believing God would take care of her if she were in need. "She never gave up on anybody," said nephew John "Jay" Paolino of Monument, who spent part of his childhood in the house were Rosemary Scutti and other relatives lived. He recalls her making sure he "looked perfect" with hair combed and handkerchief in pocket every time he left the house. An excellent softball player, Rosemary Scutti "was a good hitter and a good pitcher," said Paolino. "But she wasn't speedy going around the bases." She had an opportunity to play in a national women's softball league but turned it down because "she hated to fly" and really didn't want to live anywhere but Williamsburg, family members said. Paolino recalled that many family members were worriers, but not Rosemary Scutti. "She always encouraged me to try different things, be positive and not worry," he said. Rosemary Ann Scutti was born Jan. 7, 1929, in Williamsburg and graduated from nearby Florence High school. In addition to her niece and nephew, she is survived by two other nieces, Barbara Cameron and Valerie Vendetti, both of Williamsburg; and two nephews, Gary Bardessona and Rick Vendetti, both of Pueblo. She was preceded in death by two sisters and one brother.

Daisy V. Ortega, who died Sept. 25 in Alamosa at age 90, was an old-school wife and mother, preferring wood stoves to microwave ovens, and sewing counterpanes so intricate that the Colorado Historical Society showcased one in a 2002 exhibit. "Who can live like that? I can't, but Mom wanted to start the fire in her wood stove every morning," said her daughter, Daisy M. Ortega, distinguished from her mother both by her nickname - Little Daisy - and her devotion to modern conveniences. Born Oct. 3, 1915, in San Luis, she was the daughter of Moises de la Luz Vigil and Teresa de Jesus Garcia. Both families date their heritage back to the time when this part of Colorado remained a Spanish land grant. She married A. Praxedes Ortega, who belonged to another family whose roots ran deep in the San Luis Valley, in 1936. The wedding took place in the Sangre de Cristo church, a cornerstone in the Ortegas' lives. It was where their children were baptized and received the Catholic sacraments, where the family attended midnight Mass on Christmas Eve and the annual Easter sunrise service. When Daisy Ortega learned colcha embroidery, a Spanish colonial technique, she was the one chosen to repair the church's prized altar cloth, which was used for her final sacrament. "At her funeral, one of Father Pat's words about Mom was this palla she had redone 20, 30 years ago," Little Daisy Ortega said. "He took her this cloth, with beautiful symbols and emblems - one is a giant starburst of sequins - and elaborate gold trim, and the rest of it all rags. So Mom actually re-created this palla. She took off the symbols, and put them back on again when she finished. It was a beautiful tribute to my mother's handiwork." Because she spent her life in Colorado's poorest county, Ortega believed firmly in the adage "Use it up, wear it out, make do or make without." She baked the family's bread in her wood-fired oven, and cooked meals on its stovetop. To fill her tamales, she used the meat from a pig's head she boiled on her stove. The pig's head came from the latest pig she had culled from the two or three kept, along with the chickens, in the Ortega's yard. The pigs functioned as living garbage disposals until they got big enough to butcher. Daisy Ortega dressed each carcass after her husband helped hang it up. She wasted nothing, including the animal's stomach, which she meticulously washed and saved for menudo. "Tell me, would you want to clean a pig's stomach?" Little Daisy Ortega asked. "Imagine being a teenager with a mother who made soap, who helped process dead animals, cleaned their stomachs and made the menudo! Yuck! Mom was a real pioneer woman." Ortega used a wringer washer, the ungainly precursor to modern washing machines. She felt it did a superior job of cleaning interminable mountains of laundry. She sewed her children's clothes, stitched the tablecloth that covered the dining room table, and made the afghans, quilts and counterpanes that covered the family beds. It never occurred to her to buy material for her sewing projects. Instead, she used scraps from outgrown dresses and shirts. No scrap was too small for a cathedral-window coverlet, a dauntingly complex assembly of tucked and folded muslin squares that each disclose a bit of fabric. Every stitch is different, and each originates from a separate angle. Though it was not technically a quilt in the purest sense of the word - the muslin squares contain no batting, and the flip side shows the squares sewn together without backing - one of Ortega's cathedral-window counterpanes was chosen for the 2002 "Quilts Speak: Stories in the Stitches" at the Colorado Historical Society. Each of the coverlet's bright windows features fabric that once was part of an Ortega relative's shirt, skirt, dress, tie, pants or pajamas. Urged by her daughter Sandra Garcia to show the coverlet to Colorado Historical Society curator Alisa Zhaller, Ortega told the story within each window. Here was a daughter's confirmation dress. Here was a toddler's skirt. Here was the suit her husband wore when he was a San Luis county judge. Here was a dress she wore as a young woman, sashaying past the filling station where her future husband worked. "The decision for the quilts we selected was based on aesthetic qualities, the technique and the time period in which they were made, and the part of the state where they were from," Zhaller said. "It had to do with Daisy, really, why I chose her quilt." Survivors include sons Delfino Ortega of Rio Rancho, N.M., Prax Ortega Jr. of San Luis and John W. Ortega of Aspen; daughters Annette LaBanc of Strongsville, Ohio, Linda Taylor of Carson, Calif., and Sandra Garcia and Daisy M. Ortega, both of Alamosa; sisters Emma Espinoza of San Luis, Anna Patterson and Julia Wade, both of Northglenn, and Joie Carpenter of Littleton; 13 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; and six great-great-grandchildren. Her husband, three children, one granddaughter, one brother and two sisters preceded her in death.

Cazenovia, Wis. - A teenager brought two guns to his rural school and shot the principal to death today after a struggle with adults and other students, authorities said. The 15-year-old was taken into custody and charged with first-degree intentional homicide, the district attorney said. No one else was hurt. It was not clear why the student opened fire or if Weston Schools Principal John Klang was the intended target, Sheriff Randy Stammen said. Witnesses said the student walked in with a shotgun before classes began. A custodian, teachers and students wrestled with him, but he broke through, took out a handgun and shot Klang three times, Stammen said. The custodian said the teen was a special-education student who told him he was there to kill someone, but did not say who. "He was calm, but he was on a mission," said Dave Thompson, 43, who also has two children at the school. Sophomore Shelly Rupp, 16, described the boy as a freshman with few friends and said he was "just weird in the head." "He always used to kid around about bringing things to school and hurting kids," she said at a gas station nearby where students and townspeople gathered. Thompson said the student first pointed a shotgun in a teacher's face. Thompson grabbed away the gun, but the student then appeared to be reaching for another gun, so Thompson and the teacher took cover. Thompson then ran into a kitchen to call 911. Junior Timmy Donovan said the student "pulled a .22 pistol out of his pants, and then started shooting the principal. And at that point, I guess the principal ran and tackled him to the ground." Klang, 49, was shot in the head, chest and leg, authorities said. He died hours later at a hospital in Madison. The student, identified as Eric Hainstock, could get life in prison if convicted, District Attorney Patricia Barrett said. Wisconsin does not have the death penalty. Children from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade attend the small school near Cazenovia, a community of about 300 people about 60 miles northwest of Madison. The shooting took place two days after a gunman took six students hostage in a Colorado high school and killed one of them before committing suicide. Laurie Rhea, 42, said the principal spent last weekend at the gas station washing cars for a homecoming fundraiser. "All the kids just loved him," she said. The shooting happened as the school was preparing for homecoming weekend. The homecoming parade, football game and dance were canceled or postponed.

I would have thought that people would have changed for the good since 9/11. As I read articles in the newspapers or watch the news and see what is going on in the other states I notice that people are still hurting others. However, I understand that people just dont change over night, but I would have thought that people would have more common sense. I hope that one day people will get to the point where they aren't killing each other for stupid, pathetic, and childish reasons. Why are people hurting others? Why do they choose to end innocent peoples lives? I dont know as of right now, but maybe one day it will change.