News Flash

The new fish water feature at the Spring River Park and Zoo now has a name, thanks to a 6-year-old first-grader at Dexter Elementary School. The fish’s name of Bowie was the idea of Zeenah Sedillo Dixon.

Zeenah’s name suggestion was one of more than 30 entries submitted by children in the contest held to officially name the metallic, water-spraying fish that was unveiled at the zoo in May. Zoo visitors can check out Bowie at the zoo (corner of East College Boulevard and North Atkinson Avenue), and Bowie welcomes kids to climb around on him. Now that Bowie has been named, a plaque will be created to be installed near the colorful fish.

As the winner of the naming contest, Zeenah will receive a bicycle and helmet. The prize is being provided by those who purchased and donated the fish to the Roswell zoo. That group, which also selected the winning name, is Gemini Rosemont Commercial Real Estate, a national firm that has properties in New Mexico, and Roswell residents Kyle and Yasine Armstrong and Jacque and Randy Miller. The two couples and Gemini Rosemont purchased the fish at the 2016 New Mexico Appleseed's Parade of Playhouses auction fundraiser in Albuquerque. New Mexico Appleseed is an organization dedicated to addressing poverty in the state.

The fish water feature was designed by Mark Baker of Baker Architecture + Design of Albuquerque. It was built by AnchorBuilt, Inc., also of Albuquerque, with financial support from New Mexico’s Southwest Capital Bank.