Poco de Todo: January 2013

Sunday, January 20, 2013

So Long Fabian

(Book Cover)

New Mexico lost one of it's political giants today as Fabian Chavez died.

He was 88.

He tried to teach me about the New Mexico legislative process when I was assigned to cover the legislature, politics and elections for KOAT-TV way back in the 1970's. Fabian was hired to help bolster our coverage - now he'd be a political analyst.

I learned a lot.

Here is a picture I took of Fabian in Mexico City about 1981 or so.

Fabian and NMSU President Gerald Thomas, on the left, are listening to Mexican Attorney General Oscar Flores Sanchez. Also in the meeting, but not pictured, was Governor Bruce King.

Flores was a former Governor of the Mexican state of Chihuahua.

I was covering the Goodwill Visit of the New Mexico Amigos.

And here is Fabian peeking over the shoulder of State Senator Jack Eastham during KOAT-TV election coverage. Fabian was our Democratic Party Expert. Eastham was the GOP representative. That's Dick Knipfing on the right and me in the middle.

A Gentle Man - Rest In Peace

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Leonard Napolitano

A friend left us this week.

Dr. Leonard Napolitano.

He died one day before his 83rd birthday.

I remember so many times seeing Leonard, as Dean of the UNM Medical School, slipping through the halls of the New Mexico Legislature, looking for a few crumbs to help build the medical school. He found a lot of them.

In Santa Fe, Leonard and Bobby McBride would spend hours in the committee rooms - Bobby working on behalf of his clients and Leonard working on behalf of his school.

May they both be resting in peace - and watching the merry round house from above - enjoying a cigarette.