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International New Mexico: Dixon Cooperative Radio Station
International New Mexico: Dixon Cooperative Radio Station 
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| New Mexico: Dixon Cooperative Radio Station |
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Copyright 2005 The New Mexican The Santa Fe New Mexican (New Mexico) November 24, 2005 Thursday SECTION: SPECIAL SECTIONS; Pg. E-5 LENGTH: 800 words HEADLINE: CLARK CASE BYLINE: JOHN SENA, PHOTO BY JANE PHILLIPS BODY: "One person could not have done this. And one person did not do this." Clark Case opens the Dixon Co-operative Market every Monday at 10 a.m. He carries in boxes of supplies that are left at the store's doorstep. Once inside the shop, Case makes a pot of coffee for customers. Then he settles in for the day's routine. The store, the only one in the small village of about 1,200 residents, has three rows filled with groceries, a couple of freezers and a small hardware section in the back. It has nearly everything anyone might need. But the co-op itself, and the small radio station housed in the same building -- as welcome as they are in a community that has had a hard time supporting businesses -- are only the backdrops for Case's story. The 41-year-old Iowa native has lived in Dixon for just 13 years, but in that time, he has made his presence felt. A native of Storm Lake, Iowa, though he prefers to be called a New Mexican these days, Case grew up on a farm with three brothers and two sisters. He attended a small Catholic high school where he was a multi-sport athlete and homecoming king. "There were about 130 students," Case said. "I knew all of them and they all knew me." After graduation, he spent four years at Iowa State University studying architecture. A case of burnout led him to transfer to the University of Iowa where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in history. After an initial plan to become a history professor did not work out, Case decided it was time for a change. He landed in Dixon by chance and began working as a carpenter. He also started his tenure as community volunteer. He volunteered at the local elementary school, teaching physical education and being a "lunch buddy," a program similar to Big Brothers Big Sisters. He lent his talents whenever he could. But when he got the idea for the co-op and radio station, he cemented his place as -- as one resident put it -- the man of the people. "The thing that made me really want to do it is that I got one fuzzy radio station in my house and there were no stores here in Dixon, you could not buy a newspaper," Case said. In the event that someone wanted to buy something, they had to travel to Peņasco or Velarde, or even Espaņola. "We had no place in town that you could run into your neighbors," Case said. "Both the radio station and co-op have created a community center." Case beams when he talks about the way Dixon's newest additions are helping to provide services that never existed or were inconsistent. Asking about all the work he did to bring those ideas to fruition, and a sheepish smile spreads across his face. "One person could not have done this," Case said. "And one person did not do this." And, in a way, Case is right. After calling for a meeting to gauge community interest in the co-op, more than 60 people showed up. Eventually, a board was elected and began meeting every week. The process took about two years and thousands of hours of volunteer time. At the heart, though, was Case. He was elected president of the board. He wrote, and received, grants for the co-op. In total, more than $40,000 in grants and gifts was collected. Now, about 250 households are registered members of the co-op. What makes Case really proud is that not only does Dixon have a store, but that it truly is a community effort. "The broad community of the Embudo Valley is not only benefiting, but actively involved." The radio station is no different. After hearing that the Federal Communications Commission was giving away low power FM radio licenses four years ago, Case got to work on the application. The station could only go to a community educational entity, so Case, also a member of the Dixon Library steering committee, made arrangements for the library to own the station. Now the station has about 20 volunteer disc jockeys who produce a variety of shows, including a children's story hour and community news shows. Case even records local elementary-school basketball games and airs them on the station. And he continues to volunteer at the school, stopping by once a week as part of a visiting-artist program. He is teaching students about broadcasting. Case said that he now knows nearly everyone in the community. And perhaps even more well-known than Case is his dog, Doug. If Doug isn't lounging outside Case's workshop, people know to check the station or the co-op. Doug is so popular, Case said, people volunteer to take care of the dog while Case is out of town. Despite all the work he has done, and continues to do, Case continues to look toward the future. He talked about expanding the store, putting in a commercial kitchen and increasing the inventory, all in an effort to help his community. "As long as we're providing the services the community needs, the co-op will grow," Case said. GRAPHIC: 1. Clark Case LOAD-DATE: November 27, 2005 |
