With apologies to the late Jimi Hendrix, there was a purple haze at the Performing Arts Center on the Rio Rancho High School campus Thursday evening.

The color was evident everywhere, as the city’s third annual Purple Ribbon Initiative wrapped up with mostly solemn items on the program, printed on purple paper.

“The violence ends when the silence ends,” was the theme for the observance.

Rio Rancho Observer '€” Gary Herron photo Rio Rancho High School students Kyle Fisk, left, and Athena Simpkins portrayed an embattled couple during Thursday evening'€™s Purple Ribbon Initiative conclusion at the Performing Arts Center.

Dianne Torrance, executive director of Haven House, a domestic violence victims shelter in Rio Rancho, told the crowd that the initiative’s purpose was “to help raise awareness of domestic violence as a social issue.”

October is recognized nationally as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and although the month-long recognition has ended, domestic awareness continues.

Rio Rancho Police Chief Bob Boone presented some sobering statistics: In Rio Rancho in 2008, his officers responded to 763 domestic violence assaults, and another 265 in the first five months of this year.

“We’re really not making a significant dent in this plague on our community,” he said.

Regretfully, he added, the loss of Detective Roberta Radosevich, who retired earlier Thursday, will be felt because she had done a lot in the fight to curb domestic violence and was responsible for the Crime Victims Assistance Unit in her post as the unofficial Domestic Violence czar.

“Rio Rancho was better because Roberta was here,” Boone said, introducing Cpl. Andrew Rodriguez as her successor in that role. “Andrew Rodriguez will try to fill her shoes.”

RRHS senior Chanel Wiese said she was hopeful the next generation would have a better outlook on relationships.

“It was easy to get people (at RRHS) involved to wear purple,” she said, wearing a satin purple blouse.

Wiese, who serves as the mayor of Mayor Tom Swisstack’s Youth Council, said she occasionally sees teenage girls in troubled relationships, often when the male is trying to assume control.

“A lot of females aren’t strong,” she said, although believing, “My generation is able to stand up for ourselves.

“So many girls in high school think they’re in love,” Wiese said. “Him loving me — or trying to control me. Young and old people are affected by domestic violence.”

Swisstack, who said children learn what they see, later echoed that thought. If kids see their parents fighting, often they believe that’s the way it is for couples in “loving” relationships.

“We forget young people pick up the habits of adults,” Torrance said. “Children are also victims. What do you want in life? Is (violence) what you want? Try to break the cycle.”

Swisstack, who issued a city proclamation, read by the newest city councilor, Tamara Gutierrez, offered the somber statement, “I am afraid for the future if we can’t do the work to make these changes.”

Two RRHS students, Athena Simpkins and Kyle Fisk, staged a short play in which Simpkins played a battered wife and Fisk her abusive husband, who constantly tries to downplay his actions by bringing her flowers. In the final scene, Simpkins has died and friends and family members are bringing her flowers.

RRHS teacher Wanda Romain followed two students who had read short poems about domestic violence with her real-life tale.

The observance concluded with glow-sticks held by almost everyone in the PAC, with the lights dimmed.

Torrance and Swisstack said they hoped for an even better Domestic Violence Awareness observance in 2010.

And, hopefully, Boone can present statistics that show the number of domestic-violence assault calls in Rio Rancho, about 2.5 a day, has dropped.