Home Care In Deming, NM

Ruth Saenz, left, and daughter-in-law, Jocelyn Castaneda discuss table settings for a recent quinceañera at Bridals & XV Suppliers located at 202 S. Gold Avenue in downtown Deming. (Headlight staff photo by Billy Armendariz)

Jocelyn Castaneda and Ruth Saenz are giving people in Deming and neighboring communities options. Those planning for that special day for a young woman or bride-to-be in town, before looking beyond Luna County, may find suitable options with the newly-opened Bridals & XV Suppliers in downtown Deming.

The new business is located at 202 S. Gold Avenue in the heart of Deming’s business district.

“My sister-in-law is planning a quinceañera later this year and Ruth and I were planning and shopping in El Paso for that special day,” Jocelyn told the Headlight.

From that shopping experience they met Danita Chavez, a shop owner who is well known for planning and supplying weddings and quinceañeras in El Paso and southern New Mexico.

“She told us she was planning to expand her business and offered to give us a partnership by opening this shop in Deming,” Jocelyn explained.

Jocelyn and Ruth began looking for a location downtown and Danita supplied the necessary inventory to fill a store.

Bridals & XV (the Roman numeral for 15) opened in early May and window displays immediately grabbed curious shoppers.

“It has been a steady stream of people coming into the shop to look and hear what we can offer,” Jocelyn noted. “We do have people walking in with a budget in mind and a theme and color scheme for their wedding or quinceañera.”

Upon entering the shop, you are met with a lavish table setting of pink satin in vanilla trim. Offset from the table is a sequenced gown on a mannequin set in the same colors.

“We can provide you with tables and place settings, DJ’s, a techno DJ from Arizona and a photographer/videographer,” Jocelyn said. “…And of course, dresses.” Themed decor and design are a specialty for Jocelyn and Ruth.

Danita made sure that Jocelyn and Ruth had all they needed to meet the demands of potential clientele in Deming and surrounding towns.

Jocelyn is originally from Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico. She met her husband, Deming native Raul, a year ago and the couple moved to Deming.

Jocelyn and Ruth trained in the business with Danita, who put them in a network with most of the elements for wedding and quinceañera supplies.

“It was a lot of work, but at the same time, Ruth and I were putting in work trying to get the store ready to open,” Jocelyn said. “We worked into the early morning hours to finish this store.”

El Paso and Juárez are the go-to shopping experience in this area. What Jocelyn and Ruth are planning to do is to make Bridals & XV Suppliers, with guidance from Danita Chavez, a one-stop shop.

“We take the stress of travel and time out of the equation,” Jocelyn stated. “If you can do all of your shopping for your wedding or quinceañera here in Deming with a budget in mind, we can be at your service.”

Billy Armendariz can be reached at [email protected].

Bridals & XV Suppliers

Who: Jocelyn Castaneda and Ruth Saenz

When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday thru Friday; 9 a.m. to noon Saturday

Where: 202 South Gold Avenue, Deming, NM

Services: Wedding and quinceañera planning and supplies, table settings, services. By appointment or walk-in.

Contact: Call 575-543-9923 or 575-277-4864.

Deming High soccer shifted to a smaller school level of competition and fared well during the Hatch Valley Red or Green Invitational Tournament played out Friday and Saturday.

Teams competing, along with Deming, included host Hatch Valley, Silver High of Silver City, Gadsden High of Anthony, N.M. and Santa Teresa High.

The Lady ‘Cats placed third overall and had two players selected to the Hatch Valley All-Tournament Team. Sophomore Alina Ortiz and senior Persephone Martin were recognized for outstanding play in the three matches played.

Deming (4-6) opened the tournament on Friday with a 3-1 loss to the Santa Teresa Desert Warriors.

The ‘Cats bounced back Saturday morning with a 2-0 shutout over the host Hatch Valley Bears and followed that up with a 3-1 victory over the Silver High Fighting Colts.

The tournament also provided the Lady ‘Cats and coaches Joslynn Garcia and Rebecca Valentine with an opportunity to gauge District 3-4A rivals Silver and Santa Teresa.

Deming girls will compete in District 3-4A in the month ahead, including Chaparral. Having defeated Silver this weekend and Chaparral (7-0) back on Sept. 2, Santa Teresa holds the advantage with its 3-1 match victory on Friday.

The Lady ‘Cats have sent an early-season message that they will challenge for a district title.

That district season will begin for the Lady ‘Cats on October 10 at Chaparral High School. Match time is at 5 p.m.

Before the district season unwinds, the team will face three matches against three Las Cruces schools.

On Thursday, they will host the Organ Mountain Knights at 5 p.m. at the DHS Soccer Field.

On Saturday, they will play the Mayfield High Trojans at 11 a.m. at the Field of Dreams and also play the Las Cruces High Bulldawgs at 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 19, also at the FOD.

Wildcats finish 2-0-1

Deming High boys took advantage of the small school challenge and stood above the pack, unbeaten in three matches, and taking top team honors at the Hatch Valley Red or Green Invitational Soccer Tournament this past weekend.

The Deming boys began play with a 1-all tie against Santa Teresa on Friday.

Saturday’s slate brought on two more matches and two Deming shutouts. The Wildcats blanked host Hatch Valley 3-0 and finished off the tournament with a 2-0 win over the Silver High Fighting Colts.

Deming (7-3-1) used the platform of the Hatch Invitational to build team confidence and cohesion as it navigates the remainder of its non-district schedule.

The ‘Cats junior varsity and varsity are set to host the Mayfield Trojans tonight, Tuesday, at 5 and 7 p.m. on Tuesday at the DHS Soccer Field.

On Thursday, they travel to face the Organ Mountain Knights at 7 p.m. at the Field of Dreams in Las Cruces. They will finish on the road at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 19, at Gadsden High in Anthony, N.M..

The ‘Cats will play three more non-district opponents before opening District 3-4A play October 10 against Chaparral in Deming.

Bill Armendariz is the Headlight sports editor. He can be reached at [email protected].

DEMING, N.M. —

Magali Gomez, a 5th grade teacher at Ruben S. Torres Elementary School in Deming, was surprised with the Milken Educator Award and a $25,000 cash prize Tuesday morning.

The Milken Awards have been called the "Oscars of Teaching." This school year the Milken Family Foundation is honoring up to 75 teachers across the country with the award.

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Gomez was selected because the high expectations she holds for her students resulted in their clear growth, both academically and personally.

Dr. Jane Foley, Milken Educator Award's senior vice president, spoke at an assembly celebrating Gomez's accomplishments in the classroom. She said Gomez "truly embodies the spirit" of the award.

"Her passion for cultivating tangible learning experiences in her classroom motivates her young students to envision a future for themselves as exemplary leaders in their community, just like their teacher," Foley said. "We offer our heartfelt congratulations to her."

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New Mexico Secretary of Public Education, Dr. Arsenio Romero, was also there to recognize the 5th-grade teacher's efforts in the classroom.

" I am thrilled for Magali Gomez," Romero said. "Her ability to adapt the latest evidence-based teaching models to relatable lessons for her students has produced tremendous academic achievement growth, and willingness to go the extra mile for her students makes her exactly the kind of educator New Mexico students deserve."

Milken Family Foundation

Magali Gomez sitting with her students as her name is called to receive the Milken Educator Award.

Gomez is known for creating innovative and inspiring ways to connect her students directly to the content she is teaching. Gomez regularly works to pull the "real world" into the classroom, inviting professionals in fields related to the content to come show her students how what they are learning is applied in life beyond school.

Dog and cat grooming is the primary way Angelina Perez expresses her love for animals.

“This is the best way possible for me to show my love and fill a need in this community,” Perez said following the recent grand opening of Ruff Cuts pet salon at 109 S. Gold Avenue.

Ruff Cuts did no business during the September 8 grand opening for the purpose of bringing in Deming Animal Shelter pets and finding them forever homes instead.

“We brought five pets into the shop and they all left with new owners,” Perez said with delight.

The Deming Luna County Chamber of Commerce rolled out the proverbial red carpet to welcome Perez and her daughter, Perla Reza, to the business community. Chamber members held a ceremonial ribbon cutting at the location.

“When I turned 40 this year, I decided that I needed to do something with my life,” Perez told the Headlight while clipping a black Schnauzer. “I always loved animals, so I decided to use my skills as a pet groomer for the community.”

Perez put focus on bringing new energy into her life and seeing if the business community would respond to her new venture.

“It’s been overwhelming,” Perez said of the interest in her business. “We offer competitive pricing with other groomers in the area and we also have a unique waiting area that we tried to make into some of the comforts of home.”

The waiting room brings a homey ambiance to the salon with a couch, running waterfall, wall hangings, plants and tapestries. “It’s cozy enough for our pet owners to relax while they wait for their pets,” Perez said.

Along with her daughter, Perez provides a full line of grooming services for dogs and cats, from clipping, nail trimming, bath and shampoo, ear cleaning, anal gland expressions, and custom cuts for certain breeds. There is also a special bath and brush for dogs and cats.

Angelina Perez at work. (Billy Armendariz/Deming Headlight)

“I did an eight-year apprenticeship before starting my own business,” Perez said. “I realized I could not be working as an apprentice all my life, so that’s when I focused on starting my own business, with the help of family and friends.”

During her time away from grooming, Perez said she rescued dogs and cats, and also worked with rescuing horses.

“It was long process to find a building suitable for pet grooming, but once we did find one, we began working on bringing it up to code,” Perez said.

She admits to being afraid of starting a new business on her own, but the support from family and friends kept her plugging away at the idea of a grooming salon.

“My brother is a contractor and he helped with renovating our salon,” Perez said. Her daughter, Perla, came aboard and the two groomers are seeing an uptick in business since the June 1st official opening. “She (Perla) is a great asset to the business,” Perez said.

“People that come through the door have seen our posts on social media or our flyers that we distributed,” Perez said. “We do live groomings online. I invite the pet owners who bring an aggressive dog to come into our back shop if they would like to work with me while I groom.”

Pricing ranges from $5 to $75. “I told my daughter as long as we can hold this price range, we will,” Perez said.

Billy Armendariz can be reached at [email protected].

If you go

Who: Angelina Perez, owner, and daughter, Perla Reza

What: Ruff Cuts Pet Grooming

When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday (by appointment). Last appointment by 2 p.m.

Where: 109 S. Gold Avenue

Services: Pet salon for dog and cats. Nail trimming, shampoo and brush, ear cleaning, breed specific clipping, and anal gland expression

Contact: Call 575-546-0122 or visit Ruff Cuts on Facebook

Unidos on Gold, a café located at 110 S. Gold Avenue, opened its doors in May and has already made an impact in the Deming community. Unidos is a branch project of Colores United, a local nonprofit organization.

Unidos is meant to be a resource center that serves coffee rather than a coffee shop with resources, as director Ariana Saludares puts it, but its primary purpose is to offer support to underprivileged communities, she added. Saludares is Colores United’s director.

Joseline Ramirez, a manager at Unidos, said the café’s main goal is to become a network connecting people with resources ranging from medical, legal, housing, food and education.

“Our dream is that the people that come in can get more than coffee. They can talk to us, tell us what they need and we can connect them to people who can help them,” Ramirez said.

El Centro de Comunidad on W. Spruce Street is one of their main outreach locations. There, people can find food and a change of clothes and get in contact with Colores for resources, according to Ramirez.

Before Unidos, Colores opened Charlie Cats Diner, a restaurant with a similar concept and also operated as a nonprofit enterprise. She attributed its demise to its location on the east side of town near Motel 6, saying it did not do enough business to sustain itself.

“What we’re doing here, we’re growing people, we’re not growing coffee… Food is not our business, people are. People are who we teach,” Saludares said.

Unidos is also an employment opportunity for interested youth community members. In collaboration with the state Department of Workforce Solutions and other organizations, they’ve been able to staff the café.

Marlene Carrasco, a junior at Mimbres High School, was hired through Workforce Solutions to work as a barista in Unidos a month after it opened. Carrasco said that working in Unidos has helped her develop her communication skills.

“Before I was really shy and with them (Unidos), little by little it has changed,” Carrasco said.

Due to financial struggles, both Carrasco and her older brother sought out Workforce Solutions to find jobs, where she was connected to Colores. Since last week, she has also began serving at El Centro de Comunidad.

“Working there has made me see life in another angle, that nothing is served on a silver platter,” Carrasco said.

Other programs within Colores include Project Mariposa, which assists immigrants, refugees, and migrants.

Elvis Hernandez, an immigrant from Venezuela, arrived in Deming last November. He traveled alongside his mother and uncle for 23 days, leaving three siblings and his father behind in his home country.

“I came here for economic reasons, for a better future since I’m still young. I didn’t have the opportunities in Venezuela that I had here,” Hernandez said. “It was hard (leaving). It’s still hard because I’ve never been far away from my family.”

Since then, he’s been volunteering for Colores United. Hernandez volunteered to assist refugees with Colores and has helped out at Unidos since it opened.

According to Saludares, the café was an opportunity for Hernandez to expand his communication skills and develop his English proficiency.

“People are kind (here), even though I don’t know how to speak English. If they talk to me, I try to communicate with them,” Hernandez said.

Unidos offers computer lab services and in the upcoming weeks plans to add breakfast and lunch items to their menu.

The New Mexico Foundation, University of New Mexico School of Medicine and Con Alma Community Foundation are among Colores’ main sponsors supporting their various programs, including Unidos.

Annya Loya can be reached at [email protected].