Things that every kid should know

Here's a list of things every kid who grows up in Socorro should know:

• Sedillo springs, which used to be the town's water supply is the only known location of Socorro Isopods, a pill bug that lives in the water.
  
• The town's name means "help" and can be used positively (as in assistance) and as a exclamation --"Socorro!".
  
• Despite what your mother says about running the water while you brush your teeth, Socorro is not a desert. It gets 12 inches of rain a year, two inches more than deserts, making it merely "semiarid".
  
• Socorro Texas was founded by Piro Indians who left Socorro NM to go back to Old Mexico during the Publeo revolt -- they were in trouble for helping the Spanish.
  
• Socorro is nationally known among birders for the Bosque del Apache wildlife refuge and among amateur astronomers for The Enchanted Skies star party.
  
• Elfego Baca, the Hispanic folk hero, was born in Socorro and served here as mayor and sheriff. When he was 19, he deputized himself, went to Frisco (present day Reserve) and tried to arrest a Anglo cowboy who had abused Hispanic ranchers. There was a 30 hour shootout, involving more than 1000 rounds of ammunition. Since his law enforcement credentials were a bit shaky so he later had to stand trial for the arrest. The story grew in the telling and Baca had a long political career.
  
• Socorro used to have a roller skating rink and a bowling alley. Those were the days.
  
  
  
• Conrad Hilton, who founded the Hilton hotel chain, was born in San Antonio and moved to the "big town" of Socorro. The first half of his autobiography, "Be My Guest", is all about growing up in New Mexico
  
• New Mexico has the highest numbers of Ph.D.s per capita in the U.S. Within New Mexico, Los Alamos has 261, Albuquerque has 76 and Socorro (city) at 67 per 1000 (PhD or professional degrees, US Census, 2000).
  
• The Nicotine Patch was invented by a former professor at NMT and he and NMT share the patent for it.
  
• New Mexico has the second highest teenage birth rate in the country: 64.1 per 1000. Socorro (2006) "only" has 57 per 1000, placing it 17 out of 33 counties in New Mexico.
  
• The Pueblo Revolt of 1680 was the single most successful Native American revolt against European invaders. The revolt drove all Spanish from New Mexico for 12 years.