Hannah Best is a well known, well respected, lawyer who has the reputation of being one of the toughest and hardest working lawyers in her field.

The award Hannah received in the latter part of 2007 is the Charlie Driscoll Award. The award is named after criminal defense lawyer Charlie Driscoll, who became a Catholic priest at 65, and who also co-founded Dismas House. The award is given to a supporter in the legal community whose work ethics symbolizes advocacy, compassion and is representative of long and exemplary service to the New Mexico Bar and the community.

ALBUQUERQUE—Kenneth Carson Sr., was honored at New Mexico Voices for Children's 20th Anniversary Gala

Not to long ago, I was watching a segment on Public broadcasting on Slavery in America. The topic under discussion was Blacks in political office.

In 1789, African-Americans were defined in the Constitution as 3/5s of a person for counting representation, and could not vote at all. In 1865, following the Civil War, African –Americans were given the right to vote and the "3/5s clause" was rescinded. This was the 14^th and 15^th Amendment which stated: "the right to vote shall not be denied or abridged on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." Which meant, that states couldn't deny the right to vote to those who had been slaves?

There is a special air of pride and excitement surrounding the movie ‘The Great Debaters' a movie inspired by a true story. "The Great Debaters" chronicles the journey of Professor Melvin Tolson, a brilliant but volatile debate team coach who uses the power of words to shape a group of underdog students from Wiley College, a small black college in Marshall, Texas, in the deep south, into a historically elite debate team.

In 1935, Wiley's debate team defeated schools from elite black schools like Fisk and Howard, and then moved on to the unthinkable: debating and defeating students from white schools and eventually dethroning the reigning national debate champions, the University of Southern California, (not Harvard as depicted in the movie).

It's a highly inspirational movie that will hold a special place in the hearts of many movie goers for years to come. But for one special individual living in New Mexico the movie is a reminder of personal experiences with Wiley College and Mr. Melvin Tolson, the individual who is the movie's focus, and was her teacher, mentor and close friend.

There comes a time when words of praise aren't enough to stand in the shadows of a lifetime of accomplishments. The lives of Bernice "Pete" Powdrell and Robert Weldon Lawrence present that moment in time, as their lives have more than been examples for us to follow. Their lives reveal the essence of a pioneering spirit that embodied the hearts of tireless warriors daring to be first, while standing in the wake of catastrophe.

Through their lives dreams were realized, hope became expectations, and students became mentors and leaders. These New Mexico Icons will forever be remembered as the torch barriers who carried the light into the darkness of the cave, departing on the other side with fire enough to light the torches of young men and women in need of heroes.

When Shammara Henderson graduated from the University of New Mexico School of Law in May 2007, she was excited about the prospect of practicing law and making a difference in the world. She had to decide what path to take and weigh the possibilities. She had already served as an Extern with the United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico in the Violent Crimes Department, as a Summer Law Clerk for the City of Albuquerque helping with administrative hearings and she had worked as a legal research assistant under the guidance of Professor Alfred Mathewson.

Lenton Malry, Ph.D., is a driven man. Recently inducted into the Grambling State University's Alumni Hall of Fame, Dr. Malry has been a man on the go, in perpetual motion, from high school, through his years as a football letterman at Grambling, and through a 35 year career as an educator and public servant.

Jan 29, 2008 was a cold and icy day in Santa Fe, NM but veterans found a warm welcome at the Capitol Round House. This day was considered New Mexico Legislative Veterans' Day when veterans have the opportunity to present issues to the legislature. The NM Department of Veteran Services with the coordinating efforts of Jessie A. Ansures, the Legislative Liaison for DAV Chapter 3, ensured the events were well attended by many representatives and a strong showing of veterans. Up to 300 veterans made the icy trip to the capital from across the state arriving in cars, vans, trucks, and three bus loads.