Hello Alamo!
Today I’m doing something a bit different.
As many of you know, we lost someone who was committed to progress and positive change in our community last year. Honestly, the work and the grief that had to go into this memorial piece overwhelmed me a bit more than I expected, which is why I couldn’t push myself past my feelings in 2025. I know it will be personally cathartic, and I hope it helps others in the community grieve the anniversary too.
First, my story.
I knew of Ashlie Myers far longer than I actually knew her. Years ago, I heard that she helped found this group called New Voices Otero. I’m not going to get too deep into the specifics of what I’ve been through with the politics of this place because I’m sure you can guess, but up until restarting this blog, I could count on one hand the amount of times I’ve felt truly supported in Alamogordo. Discovering this group and the intentions behind it coincided with a really difficult time when I had to pick myself back up after a falling out. I wasn’t even certain what she looked like, but Myers gave me that little spark of hope that if I just kept trying, I’d find that this community was worth way more than what I gave it credit for.
And honestly, I think that is probably going to be what she’s remembered for most.
Myers was born on December 17, 1979 in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, according to her obituary.
Jeny Buckley first met Myers in 2022 when she organized a petition challenging Alamogordo’s resolution to designate us a “sanctuary for the unborn” (despite having no clinics within 100+ miles of here), instead asking it to be put to a vote.
Many, including former mayor Susan Payne, argued the city commission shouldn’t involve themselves in non-governmental affairs that were just meant to inflame tensions between party voters and divide the community (over a non-issue anyway).
The petition required 586 signatures. It got 650, including mine.
Even though some bureaucratic nonsense never actually put it to the vote, the effort definitely gained Myers quite a few supporters. She ran to unseat John Block in 2024.
Instead of divisive culture wars that don’t even affect the city (through proxy of his now-ex domestic partner Karl Melton), the core of her campaign ran on the community and everyone’s inherent right to a better life. According to her website AshlieMyers4Otero.wixsite.com, her top issues included fighting for better funding for schools, transportation and housing stability for veterans, and local and affordable access to healthcare.
Though most of the people on her campaign team wore many different hats, Buckley mostly oversaw the outreach, including social media, flyers, and signs.
“She went through so many trials and tribulations through her life, but instead of making it through and never looking back, she was always thinking of ways to make sure others didn’t have to walk through the fires she did. She wasn’t shy about speaking up for her beliefs… and she wanted a better world for all in the generations coming after us,” she said.
Alexis Romo, her campaign treasurer, believes that though Myers lost the election (by a much smaller margin than I remember), the relative success of it proves that Alamogordo is done with politicians unfocused on issues that actually matter. In fact, one of Romo’s favorite personal things about her was Myers’ honesty.
“You didn’t have to worry that she was talking out of both sides of her mouth.”
“She really took to heart that there are things that are a foundation of a community, like schools, healthcare, and caring for your neighbor, and we should all be working our hardest to make those areas better for everyone,” added Buckley. I think we could all sense that Ashlie Myers didn’t just put on the act for her campaign. She truly wanted the best for her community. If you happen to remember my piece on Community of Hope in Las Cruces, the included picture was snapped by Myers. The short time I knew her, it was an honor to look forward to what Alamogordo could be together.
Buckley could always tell that Myers lived life to the fullest; in her words, Ashlie was “on a mission,” at times “to squeeze every drop of experience out of this life.” I personally remember so many chats about her love for travel and music, and I could definitely see that in her. Looking back through her Facebook posts, it was very apparent she knew death was coming for her eventually, it was just a waiting game of when. I have no idea how she handled it with so much grace.
While also working on a degree in paralegal studies, Myers was introduced to Katie Anih by a mutual friend, and acted as a bit of a mentor to her. “I really appreciated her strength and ferocity towards change in our community and passion for people.”
In February 2025, the 2 went to Santa Fe to protest against Trump’s policies of deportation and cutting diversity programs. Seeing her passion in action is one of Anih’s favorite memories of Myers. Likewise, at her post-celebration of life potluck, everyone I talked to could only remember what a ray of light she was in their dark and uncertain times. Her commitment to helping people on both a personal and wider level through her friendship, her activism, and her campaign was inspiring to so many.
When we all needed something and someone to believe in, a single mom battling breast cancer stepped up to shine a light on how to be there for each other.
For this piece, I did also talk to one of her daughters, Emily Myers. Grief is ever-present, and the subject brought up quite a few feelings. Most of our interview was spent talking about her complicated yet improving relationship with her mom, her at-the-time dimmed aspirations for the future, and her hurt since a year ago today. I felt it was more important to just be in community with her in the moment, and I’m sure Ashlie would have approved.
Not every story can be neatly wrapped up. People inherently hold both a capacity for care and harm, that’s the full and lovely spectrum of humanity. Ashlie Myers did seem to be trying to do the very best she could right up until the end, though. I’ll miss her.
Salud.
No responses yet