By Andrea Vasquez
The Town of Mountainair announced this year’s Pinto Bean Queen on March 29, the 84th anniversary of the inaugural competition, with the crowning of Corina Ortiz.
“The Town of Mountainair would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to both Aurelleia Chavez and Corina Ortiz for running for Pinto Bean Queen. We truly appreciate both of you, and as I’ve said before—in my eyes, you are both winners!” said Mayor Peter Nieto in a social media post.
“This was an incredibly close race, with only three votes separating the two,” he added.
Nieto had announced the withdrawal from one of the candidates days prior, urging the community to step forward and apply for this opportunity.
At the time, the competition had only one contender, and Nieto mentioned he had hopes for a “spirited competition” for the “prestigious title”
The crowning took place after the Mountainair Hall of Excellence celebratory event.
Mountainair inducted James R. “Jimmy” Sullenger; Eugene “Gene” Schmitz; Lionel & Edith Miranda; Patrick “Pat” Lucero; William “Tommy” Eschberger; Erineo “Eddie” & Amalia “Mollie” Padilla; Ramona “Monie” Torres Dew and Larry Gustin into its Hall of Excellence at the event.
“My family and I would like to thank Mayor Peter Nieto and everyone involved in making the Hall of Excellence happen. iIt was so very well done,” Patsy Gustin said. “Larry, Mike and I moved to Mountainair in 1968. Missy was born shortly thereafter, and Mountainair truly became home. Larry truly loved everyone that was honored, everyone that attended, and the whole town of Mountainair and surrounding area. Larry would have been so proud to receive the honor. A mere thank you is not adequate for the pride we felt. It was obvious how much time and effort went into the ceremony. Please accept our heartfelt gratitude.”
The crowning happened during a dance featuring Nathaniel Krantz.
The tradition of crowning the Pinto Bean Queen dates back to 1941 when Dorothy Anne Shockey was the very first to hold the title.
According to the Town of Mountainair, several queens were crowned throughout the 1940s, and the competition was revived in 2023. That year, the honor went to Aaliyah Lopez, who was then a junior at Mountainair High School.