THATCHER — Hispanic Heritage Month begins Thursday, and the celebration starts with Eastern Arizona Hispanic Heritage Corporation board members appearing live on Voice of the Valley on KATO AM 1230 at 8:30 a.m.
Bob Rivera, Lupe Munoz and Michael Andazola will discuss the weekend’s events, including the local reading of Gov. Doug Ducey’s proclamation declaring Hispanic Heritage Month in Arizona by Lorraine Rivera, director of the Southern Arizona Office of the Governor based in Tucson.
Rivera, Munoz and Andazola will also talk about the organization’s kick-off event, Friday, Sept. 16, at 10 a.m., at the Lee Little Theater at Eastern Arizona College. Margarita Dolores Escobedo Wulftange and Frank L. Montoya will speak, and there will be a performance by mariachis Trio Valencia.
Margarita Dolores Escobedo Wulftange is a retired educator, having taught in a number of positions in Stockton, Calif., including grades 7-12 from 1959 to 1967, adult education 1968-70, as a college trainer 1970-75, bilingual education in grade 7-8 1976-88, an assistant principal 1989-91 and as principal 1991-96.
She also taught linguistics and multicultural education at Northern Arizona University from 1999 to 2007.
Since retiring to Safford, she has served as a regent with Catholic Daughters of the Americas, with the GFWC Woman’s Club Safford as International Committee Chair 2004-06 and as Vice President 2016-18 and with the Newman Center Board of Directors from 2016 to present.
In 1997 the Council for the Spanish Speaking named her Amiga of the Year, and in 1994 she was elected to the Mexican American Hall of Fame.
Frank L. Montoya, formerly of Clifton and now of Safford, is married to Sandra Loya Montoya, His parents are Frank Munoz Montoya and Eva Luna, and he has one sister and four brothers.
He worked Phelps Dodge for seven years as a laboror, and at the Clifton Circle K for 18 months until he attended the Arizona Law Enforcement Academy in Tucson in 1985.
Following his graduation, he joined the Clifton Police Department for eight months as a patrol officer, before starting his 30-year career with the Greenlee County Sheriff’s Office.
With the Sheriff’s Office, he served as a patrol sergeant, D.A.R.E officer, G.R.E.A.T officer, Search and Rescue coordinator and sergeant of investigations before assuming the duties of undersheriff for Sheriff Richard McCluskey.
Since retiring in 2017, he and his wife have served as caregivers for his mother-in-law, volunteer for Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in Clifton as members of the Cemetery Committee, teach Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults, is a member of the Knights of Columbus in Clifton and is a member of Arizona Council on Aging board for Southeastern Arizona.
Saturday, Sept. 17, will begin with the Hispanic Heritage Car Show, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on EAC’s south Thatcher campus. More than 60 awards will be presented to be the best lowriders, hot rods, motorcycles, bicycles and more.
The day closes with the eighth annual Hispanic Heritage Dinner and Show, from 6-9 p.m., in EAC’s Hoopes Activity Center.
Performers include Mariachi Estrella Juvenil, Mariachi Nueva Azteca de Tucson and Compania de Danza Folklorico Arizona.
The featured speaker is attorney Ernest Calderon.
Ernest Calderón, born and raised in Morenci, is the son of Nellie Duarte Calderón and Albert Provencio Calderón, formerly of Morenci and Verde Lee. His brother is Albert E. Calderón of Spokane, Wash., and his sister is Elaine Calderón McDaniel, of Safford. They are sixth-generation natives of what was once New Mexico Territory.
As a student, he was student body president at Morenci High School, at Northern Arizona University and at the University of Arizona College of Law, from which he graduated. A lifelong learner, he recently earned his Doctor of Education from the Rossier School at the University of Southern California.
As a young man, he served as an intern to former U.S. Rep. Morris K. Udall, former U.S. Sen. Dennis DeConcini (both on Capitol Hall in Washington, D.C.) and to former Governor Bruce Babbitt. Ernie was named the first Harry S. Truman Scholar to represent Arizona (one per state) in 1977 while at Northern Arizona University.
While in law school, he served as a law clerk to prominent Tucson attorney and judge, Stephen C. Villarreal (also from Morenci). After law school, he served as a judicial law clerk to Senior United States District Judge Walter Early Craig.
He is a legal scholar and is an elected member of the prestigious American Law Institute. Ernie was appointed by six Arizona governors, both Democrat and Republican, to serve or head various problem-solving commissions and task forces. Governor Janet Napolitano, his contemporary, appointed Ernie as one of her first major appointments to serve on the Arizona Board of Regents with direct oversight over Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona, from 2004 to 2012. He served as its president in 2009-10 and is honored to have a residence hall at Northern Arizona University named after him. He stands, sometimes at great controversy, for equal access to higher education regardless of the student’s background or pedigree. That is his living tribute to his parents.
Ernest has practiced law in Phoenix for 40 years. He was the first person of color to be elected by the lawyers of Arizona to serve as their president of the State Bar of Arizona and has been an active participant in the vetting and selection of Arizona judges for over 30 years. He is proud to be a lawyer and an educator.
Ernie is the father of four grown children, Michael (Afghan War veteran and MBA), Stephen (a new law graduate), Mary (a brand new lawyer) and Catherine (endeavoring businesswoman in Brooklyn, N.Y.). He and his wife, Terri K. Calderón (a distinguished nonprofit leader in her own right), live a modest but happy life in Phoenix, travel and express a daily appreciation to God for all His good works. Ernie is proud to be an eastern Arizonan.
There will also be presentations of the Hispanic Family of the Year and Teacher of the Year.
Hispanic Family of the year is Guadalupe Rodriguez and Linda Jean Orozco Munoz. The couple was married Jan. 3, 1970; they have three children: Kimberly Ann Jacobson (Dave), born 1970, James Guadalupe (Roxane), born 1971, and Amy Josephine (1972-2008); 10 grandchildren: Michael, Tiffany, Cloe, David / Ryan, Dominic / Paul, Veronica, Victoria and Roman; and 19 great-grandchildren: Aiden, Joey, Rylee, Madison, Emma, Ryan / Alyzza, Cynthia, Eric, Izzy / LJ, Mariposa, Magdalen, Elias / Isaiah, Lilly, Ethan, Aubrey and Addy.
Guadalupe worked for Boeing Airplane Co. in Seattle before being drafted and serving as an MP in the U.S. Army. After leaving the service, he worked as an engineer for Magma Copper Co. in San Manuel and for 26 years for Phelps Dodge before starting his own engineering consulting firm.
Linda owned Linda’s Child Care Services in Phoenix and Safford.
Their volunteer service includes Catholic Youth Organization co-leaders, Spanish and English choirs, Eucharistic ministers, soccer and T-ball assistant coaches and Cinco de Mayo Fiesta participants.
The Munoz family is a proud Hispanic American family which believes deeply in furthering education in order to live a pleasant lifestyle whether through university, college, school, craft, apprenticeship or self-taught. The ultimate is learning God’s way and the power of the Holy Trinity — to follow the “righteous path” while remaining diligent.
Teacher of the Year is Tylee Olmedo, a lifelong resident of the Gila Valley. She and her husband, Sergio, are expecting their first child this April.
Tylee attended Safford schools and graduated in 2015. She then went on to pursue her bachelor degree in education from ASU at EAC while working full time for Washington Federal. Tylee graduated from ASU in 2019 and began her career as the social studies teacher for Pima Elementary’s fifth and sixth gradees.
Tylee worked in Pima for three years until her recent transition to Safford schools. She now teaches at the same elementary school she attended as a child, Ruth Powell Elementary. She continues to teach sixth grade English language arts, writing, social studies and science.
Tylee has served as co-president of the Sunshine Committee at Pima Elementary and hopes to continue to bring small joys and help to teachers in her district and community. Tylee has a passion for technology and culture. She hopes to inspire her students to look at a variety of career paths and roads to success. Tylee also hopes to inspire her students to learn about their own cultures as well as the ones around them to help our students take pride in their community.
Tylee continues to work towards becoming a National Board-certified teacher and pursuing her master’s degree.
For more information about the weekend’s events, call 928-965-9775.
