GENERAL INTEREST
Feb 2026
New Mexico History in 75 Minutes
By Teresa Reinhard
January 27, 2026. About 40 Mirehaven residents gathered in the Manzano Room to hear a presentation by Larry Larrichio, PhD, Adjunct Professor at UNM, speak about New Mexico history.
His comprehensive talk, “The Ethnogenesis of New Mexico: Reflections on the cultural construction of the Land of Enchantment over millennia”, spanned from prehistory to statehood in 1912 in about 75 minutes! He also noted New Mexico may be the only state to require all high school students and university students take a state history course.
He explained that ethnogenesis, the merging of diverse cultures, is key to understanding New Mexico history, which includes inhabitants from the Clovis and Folsom Eras (9200-8200 BCE), Spanish Colonial Period (1598-1821), Mexican Era (1821-1848), and Territorial Era, (1848-1912). Numerous cultures merged (many times violently), including Indigenous Peoples from the American Southwest and Plains, Central and South America, and the Spanish Empire. Each group contributed to creating our uniquely diverse culture.
For further understanding of our region’s history, he recommended the following sources.
- “Salt of the Earth” a landmark 1954 film based on the 1951-52 Empire Zinc strike in New Mexico. The movie was initially banned during the McCarthy era.
- “The Orphaned Land: New Mexico’s Environment Since the Manhattan Project” by V.B. Price, covers 50 years of environmental degradation in New Mexico.
- The PBS 2026 documentary, “No Greater Act: Pueblo Resistance” depicting the long history of resistance by Indigenous Peoples against colonization from 1540 to 1696.
Mirehaven Writing Workshop Sparks Stories and Unexpected Memories
Write with abandon, then fix later
by Chuck Webster MD, MSIE, MSIS
January 8, 2026. An Interactive writing workshop, offered by the Word Sherpas Writing interest group led by Lisa Haneberg and Rebecca Guevara, brought together a dozen Mirehaven residents to explore personal stories, essays, and poetry. The philosophy is to begin with lived experience and sensory memory before worrying about polish.
Haneberg and Guevara guided us through story forms and fundamentals, plot, setting, character, tone, and point of view, while encouraging experimentation in a supportive, low-pressure environment. Discussion also touched on revision, style guidelines, and the value of feedback from fellow writers. One principle surfaced repeatedly: write with abandon, then fix later.
By the end of the workshop, attendees left with fresh writing, practical tools, and renewed confidence in turning lived experience into meaningful stories. The Word Sherpas Writing Interest Group plans to offer additional workshops for Mirehaven residents and publish an anthology of Mirehaven stories, essays, and poems on the theme of “Retirement, Glorious Retirement.
Chuck’s Experience
The Hook
Thirty years ago, I almost got us killed.
The Action
I tried to stay present. Then I didn’t.
My mind emptied, and something rushed in.The Climax
Salt air. Brilliant blue sky. Wind in the sails. Spray on my face. Wet ropes squeaking under tension. The taste of salt on my lips. I was suddenly offshore on a Hobie Cat off the coast of Jamaica, thirty years ago, afloat, exposed, and very much the reason my wife believes I almost killed us.