Eight extraordinary women of Taos were honored Wednesday evening (March 5) at the Taoseña awards, hosted by the Taos News at El Monte Sagrado.
When my mother Robin was a young girl, the woman who raised her, Manuelita Romero, hoped she would grow up to be a secretary. Manuelita was born in 1910, and for her generation, being a secretary …
Women Give Taos is more than just a giving circle — it’s a community of women mobilizing around the shared belief in the power of collective philanthropy. Through the spirit of generosity, …
“We’re building the airplane as we’re flying it” is how Mona Nozhackum describes Taos Women Connect, a new group formed by Nozhackum and Sonya Struck to foster connections between local women …
We know Northern New Mexico is filled with exceptional individuals who give so much to our communities — we just have too many places to look! This is how the Taos News hit on the perfect solution …
Claireen Espinoza moves across the front of her classroom at Taos Day School. She’s teaching a lesson about the branches of U.S. government — a timely topic that generates some questions. She …
When Rose Reza speaks about her work, her voice carries the strength of generations, the resilience of the land she nurtures, and the unwavering hope of a leader building pathways for her community. …
When asked what three things come to mind when she thinks of Peñasco, Kaori Lopez doesn’t hesitate: “Connection, love of land, rich culture.” Over a plate of pumpkin empanadas and mugs of tea, …
When asked her favorite verb, Chelsea Reidy replies: “Move.” It's perfect because Reidy, executive director of the Taos Center for the Arts, is a mover — as in, moving mountains and people to …
Meeting Augusta Sunshine Duran is like being bathed in healing light. Her important, healing mission: overcoming addictions and traumas of First Nation peoples. Duran runs Recovery Works!, a peer-led …
Sixty-five years, four months and 11 days. This is the exact number of days Mary Trujillo Mascareñas spent married to the love of her life, Ambrose Mascareñas, before his death Feb. 7 last year. If …
Sage Yardley has never sought recognition for what she does. For her, the work is about community — about parents, volunteers and organizations coming together to create opportunities for Native …
Dr. Kathryn Córdova, Ed.D, was nominated for Women of Impact for her contributions as an activist, journalist, educator, and archivist. Her storytelling and dedication to community made her a Taos …
At Assistance Dogs of the West in Taos, helping dogs learn to serve others is done with joy and respect for everyone involved. On a typical day at ADW-Taos, a visitor might be greeted by five …
The Taos County Chamber of Commerce has long been a cornerstone of the community, advocating for local businesses and promoting the region’s unique culture and attractions. This year, however, …
Elisabeth Brownell, who for 35 years owned and operated the Thunderbird Lodge in Taos Ski Valley with her husband, Tom, was 90 years old when she passed away in Santa Fe on New Year's Day. In the …
In "The Future of Our Gorge Bridge," former Taos News intern Angie Burns Diaz discusses the ugly side of the scenic Rio Grande Gorge Bridge — and proposes solutions. In "The Beauty After the Fire," …
There must be more than 24 hours in Angelina (Angie) Burns Diaz’s days. The Taos High School senior is president of the National Honor Society; president of the True Kids 1 Youth Council; youth …
Like so many seniors in the class of 2025, Mia Barela is busy. Crazy busy. In addition to finalizing her award-winning application for the Davis New Mexico Scholarship, she is interviewing area …
In the short film "The Beauty After the Fire," a drone focuses on a ponderosa pine, charred and skeletal amidst a forest of similar trees, with still a few patches of green still clinging to life. …
The Taos News and our sponsors celebrated the impact of eight women in our community Wednesday (March 6) at the sixth annual Taoseña awards at El Monte Sagrado. We are proud to recognize the trailblazers, the givers, and the voices of Taoseñas.
Women Give Taos (WGT) is a local giving circle whose contributions benefit local organizations offering services to women and children. Operating under the umbrella of the Taos Community Foundation, …
The phrases I dislike most are “She was talented … in her own right,” and “She was successful … in her own right.”
“Women owned and family run,” is the motto Rolling Still owner’s Liza Barrett and Nicole Barady use when describing their iconic Taos distillery. Their business partners, husbands Dan Irion and …
2024 Taoseña nominee Contessa Trujillo is a true steward of cultural preservation and sustainable tourism in Taos. With over two decades experience in arts and community engagement, Trujillo serves as Community Engagement Facilitator for the Destination Stewardship Plan and has been The Paseo Project’s Programs and Operations Manager since 2022.
2024 Taoseña nominee Letricia “Miss Tega” Ortega is the Department Head of Special Education Programs and Life Skills Teacher at Ranchos Elementary. As creator of the school’s life skills program, her classes help children who are severe-profound unlock their true potential and gain the skills needed for classroom and community involvement.
In the heart of Peñasco resides a community treasure — Doris Mae Sandoval. Her life goals: For everyone in the community to have the skills, resources, and support needed to thrive. To revive, and nurture a culture of kindness and respect, which in return will cultivate trust and unity. To honor the ancestors.
Bettina Sandoval, the Education and Training Division Director of Taos Pueblo, is passionate about education. She was born and raised on the Pueblo and attended the local Head Start and Taos Day School. After graduating from Taos High School, she attended the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. “I changed majors several times but finally realized that I was an educator and I wanted to make a difference for the next generations; so, I graduated with a degree in elementary education.”
Christine Autumn’s coming-to Taos story is as engaging and winsome as she is: she was living in Brooklyn, studying education and ceramics at the Pratt Institute and waiting tables at a nearby …
Astronomers are fond of saying there are more stars in the universe than grains of sand on Earth. When it comes to ratings, five stars are all one can get and Angel Fire’s Margaret VanAntwerp consistently receives five-star ratings for her care as a family nurse practitioner at Moreno Valley Healthcare Clinic.
Like so many who end up settling in the small mountain resort community, Jenny Church fell in love with Red River (and with her husband Nick) following yearly skiing pilgrimages she had taken with …
Walking into the Nurturing Center at Enos Garcia Elementary School is like entering a warm, cozy home — a combination living space and playroom with comfortable chairs, reading and eating nooks, and a daybed. Colorful art projects are everywhere, including a wall of origami birds, inviting one to paint, build, sew, or just chill out with a teddy bear.
Micah Roseberry is an organic farmer and educator. In addition to being the founder of the Farmhouse Café and Bakery, she has worked for years in farming and agricultural-education projects in and around Taos.
Our lives are a bit like a pointillist painting — tiny dots, each so small, each adding to the grand masterpiece. So it was for Questa’s Gaea McGahee. Impressions of her early life in Southern …
In the mountains and valleys of north central New Mexico, it can be difficult to define boundaries even if at first look they seem obvious. County, town and village lines exist, but natural …
No more turning away / From the weak and the weary / No more turning away / From the coldness inside / Just a world that we all must share. It’s not enough just to stand and stare / Is it only a …
Her very name is a manifestation of synchronicity. Where seasons meet, when spring meets winter, and hope meets resilience with the knowledge that one cannot thrive without the other. It is little wonder then, that the very notion of synchronicity — that we aren’t alone, that community does not survive isolated in a vacuum but rather, through connection — is at the (impressively big) heart of what April Winters brings to her community.
Luminous. Even through a Zoom meeting necessitated by blizzard conditions outside, this is the first impression one gets of Moreno Valley High School (MVHS) senior Ashlyn Clemons. The blue-eyed …
Taos Pueblo native Shannon Lujan is a Public Health Nurse for the Taos Pueblo Health and Community Services whose dedication to the health and well-being of the Pueblo and surrounding Taos community has earned her a nomination for the 2024 Taoseña Awards.
Malia Reeves, humble and soft-spoken about her expertise in the outdoors, emerges as a symbol of strength and inspiration—an embodiment of the spirit of women in this vibrant community. As a ski patroller at Taos Ski Valley, outdoor educator with the Field Institute of Taos (FITaos), and a substitute teacher at a local charter school, Malia’s work weaves together threads of passion, mentorship, and an innate commitment to dismantling gender barriers in the great outdoors.
