Volunteers needed to continue
the Rose Garden legacy by Matthew Clark
This past summer a group of dedicated volunteers completed six weeks of hard work to revitalize the Aztec Memorial Rose Garden. Meeting early each Monday morning to beat the summer heat; roses were trimmed, weeds were pulled and mulch provided by the City of Aztec was placed in all of the beds. In recent years the members of the Desert Planters Garden Club who created and maintained the garden have passed on. Dianne Lane, a long time club member was carrying the load, and she needed help. Without the amazing care the rose garden had been given for so many years, it was in need of some real TLC. The volunteers led by Rosalind Ragsdale, who brought both members of the Master Gardeners and Aztec residents to help, really improved the condition of the garden. Students from Vista Nueva High School pushed us over the finish line by moving a lot of mulch. This year we hope to get an earlier start on the maintenance, and with the foundation we laid last summer the project will be much less daunting.
The Memorial Rose Garden has been a part of Aztec history for more than 40 years. In 1970 the Chamber of Commerce approached the Desert Planters Garden Club, and asked them to research the possibility of creating a memorial garden. The Desert Planters had been beautifying Aztec with projects since their formation in 1954. Club officers LaVerne Shelhamer, Alyne Willoughby, Irene Feil, Leona Fraker, Lorraine Evenstad, Revay Douglass, Floy Bass, and Eileen Stewart all quickly embraced the idea for creating a memorial garden in Aztec. In no time a committee was created and they were underway.
With help from the City Manager, John McGinn, a location for the garden was found next to the newly built Civic Center. The City of Aztec agreed to donate the land and soon plans were drawn up by local landscape artist Don Pigford, and adopted by the Memorial Garden Committee. Radio and newspaper publicity started to bring in contributions to a fund for the creation of the garden. This provided the start up money for the project.
By 1971 initial work on the Memorial Garden was completed. Water was piped to the grounds, and the area was cleared and leveled. Cement walks were poured. Additional funds were raised by The Desert Planters with Plant and Bake Sales. In just a short amount of time the garden had gone from an idea to a reality.
The official dedication of the Memorial Rose Garden was on May 2, 1972. The Athens Women’s Club donated the statue of the Grecian Maiden and that was placed in the garden. With the funds raised, the first 26 Roman Holiday Floribunda Rose bushes were planted around the base of the statue. That year the first memorial markers were constructed. Name plates were also chosen. From that time on the expansion and upkeep of the Memorial Garden was funded by donations from the families that asked to have names placed on the memorial walls.
The following year over two hundred roses were planted: Hybrid Teas, and Floribunda varieties. Watering was done by hand until an automatic watering system was put in place in 1974 when electricity was first routed to the site. The City of Aztec has continued to supply water and electricity to the garden ever since.
In the decades that followed, The Desert Planters Garden Club continued to care for the garden and add names to the Memorial walls. More roses were planted, and more walls were constructed. In 1984 a Blue Star Memorial Marker was placed at the garden. Names were added each year and a Remembrance Service was held on Memorial Day to acknowledge all the wonderful people memorialized in the garden. Today there are more than one thousand names remembered on the walls surrounding the rose garden. They serve as a wonderful reminder of the many great people and families that helped create Aztec.
This May will mark the 40th Anniversary of the dedication of the Memorial Rose Garden. This is an important milestone for our community. The garden is a wonderful reminder of what individuals can accomplish together. To help preserve the legacy left by the Desert Planters Garden Club all of the records were recently donated to the San Juan County Historical Society so they can be shared with future generations.
We are seeking more volunteers who are interested in continuing the tradition. Work will begin in March with pruning, followed by weeding and fertilizing throughout the growing season. For more information or to volunteer call 634-8273 or e-mail aztecmemorialrosegarden@gmail.com. A Facebook page has also been created for the garden, and can be found at www.facebook.com/aztecrosegarden.
Candidates Forum
Join us on Monday,
February 13, 2012 from
6:00 – 8:00pm at the
Aztec Community/Senior Center The Aztec Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a forum for the Aztec City Commissioner and Municipal Judge candidates. This event is free and open to the public. Candidates will answer questions submitted by the community and the 2012 class of Leadership San Juan. If you plan on voting, do not miss this opportunity to hear each of the candidates speaking first hand on issues.
For more information contact Christa at
334-7646 or director@aztecchamber.com
Marcin Jakubowski:
Open-Sourced Blueprints
For Civilization
The Aztec Local News (TALON) is published semimonthly, on the 1st and middle of each month. As a community-input newspaper, serving the Aztec, Bloomfield, Cedar Hill, Center Point, Flora Vista, Navajo Dam, and Blanco areas, we welcome stories, news, events, poetry, photos, etc. from area residents. Please call 334-1039, fax 334-1551, or e-mail us at aztecnews@sisna.com, to give us your input.
6500 copies of The Aztec Local News are delivered to over 150 locations in the area for free pickup and mailed to those who prefer the convenience of a subscription.
Editor & Publisher: Candy Frizzell, 505-334-1039
Journalist: Katee McClure, 330-4616
Reporter: Debra Mayeux
For ad information: Candy Frizzell, 334-1039
Photographer: Katee McClure
Proofreaders: Gina Martinez, Linda Lawson, Debbie Israel
Subscriptions: Debbie Israel
How to avoid foods made with genetically modified organisms (GMOs)