MEET OUR STAFF...CHRISTINA PALACIOS

Here, Christina, one of our golf cart maintenance people, poses with "Brandie" during a cold, breeze day in November.

Christina is one of the friendliest people you'll ever know... and one of the most efficient at this job that requires a lot of attention to details... watch it guys, when she is on duty, there is not one little scratch to a cart that goes unnoticed by this young lady from San Jose, CA. Christina moved to Gallup to visit and to stay with dad, who, in the 70's, used to work for Parks. Christina is the middle child of three, she has an older sister and a younger brother.

We first met Christina when she applied for one of the open positions at the beginning of this year. I was having a hard time finding someone who was willing to work holidays and weekends, then I received a call from the Kitti, at the Personnel Office in City Hall, "I have someone who really wants to work. She has been coming or calling almost every day and says she'll work on anything! I can transfer her application to those of the golf course!", "Please send her for an interview!" I said. She became one of the best "do it all" persons we have ever had.

I remember that during our interview, I asked, as I always do, if she had any problems working on weekends and/or holidays, or late in the summer evenings. Like most people (though most do not sound too convinced of their answer), she confidently said "No, I'll work whenever you ask me to. I really like working outside, and don't mind getting into things that other people don't want to do"; "you mind getting dirty?"... with that honest young smile of hers, almost proudly she said; "No, I love GETTING DIRTY!" After that answer, how could I deny her a chance to work for us?

Whether she is washing carts, or checking the golf course for down carts or whatever now Bob Weekes sends her to do, she is always working with a great attitude and big smile... and when finished with anything she has been asked to do, she always asks, "can I come and help with anything else, I'm done with all else". Christina turned out to be everything we needed her to be.... and in turn made us -and Kitti-look really good :-)!

Golf is not her game. She loves her Raiders and the San Francisco Giants. It was not clear on whether she liked the Lakers, Clippers or Kings, but she is definitely a sunny California girl and won't be any time soon roting for the Cowboys. She was too young when, like every Cowboys fan, I pulled out my hair in 1982 with the famous "Joe Montana-Dwight Clark Catch" (Yes, I still remember this great game and the painful feeling of being eliminated from a berth to the Super Bowl, when at Candlestick Park, with less than a minute left Joe Montana took the 49's from 27-21 behind, to a now famous 28-27 win and a subsequent Superbowl win).

But, though she has not taken up the game of golf, this summer she took the time to introduce the game to two of her nephews during our summer camp. That shows more than just work ethic, it shows that behind her work ethic, there are family values that she has not forgotten. And whether she was on duty or not, I still remember her coming to check on the nephews, every so often. We'll be looking forward to having her around next season.