Assistant Dean of Student Affairs Abe Villarreal accepts proclamation re WNMU's Quasquicentennial Week, Feb. 11-17, from Silver City Mayor Ken Ladner.
By Roger Lanse
Silver City Mayor Ken Ladner proclaimed Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018, as Territorial Charter Day, commemorating 140 years of Silver City's charterhood.
Carmen Vendelin, Silver City Museum Director, presented a list of events planned for TCD, including a hike on Boston Hill from 8:30-10:30 a.m. (contact Sylveen at Royal Scepter 538-9001 for meeting location), Fort Bayard tours from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., an Urban Challenge Run at 9 a.m. from the Visitor Center, an 11 a.m. children's run in the Big Ditch below 6th Street, and dancing and music from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Penny Play House.
There will also be, Vendelin said, a history of mining in Grant County talk at 1 p.m. in the Silver City Grant County Chamber of Commerce and Conference Center, and a 2 p.m. re-enactment with current and former town officials at the Silver City Museum Annex.
According to Vendelin, deals from local merchants will be offered all day long and one may sign up for one, or more, of four volunteer service days during 2018. Council approved the four volunteer service days to be April 4 for District 4, June 9 for District 1, August 4 for District 2, and August 11 for District 3.
Abe Villarreal, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at Western New Mexico University accepted a second proclamation from Ladner, declaring Feb. 11-17, 2018 as "WNMU's Quasquicentennial Week," celebrating 125 years of education and training.
District 1 Councilor Cynthia Bettison stated that she has received positive feedback about the new town-constructed parking area off Arizona Street.
Bettison and Town Manager Alex Brown stated new gates, fencing and No Trespassing signs were put up along Ursa Major near 20th Street. They said, while walking, biking, and horseback riding are allowed on Ursa Major, everything other than the street itself is private property.
Heidi Ogas of the High Desert Humane Society in her annual report to council stated that they took in 387 dogs of which 72 were returned to their owners, and 374 cats of which 3 were returned to their owners.
Through their Our Paws Cause Thriftshop, Ogas said, 854 spay and neuter coupons were handed out. She said that less than 20 percent of adoptable dogs were euthanized and less than four percent of adoptable cats, all below the national average.
According to Ogas, the town's animal control officer has been vigilant and successful in reducing the feral cat population.
Council approved a resolution in support of NM House Bill 191 and Senate Bill 154 freezing the phase-out of hold harmless funding at 82 percent and expressing opposition to any further reductions in hold harmless payments. Brown informed council that the house bill has passed and been sent over to the senate.
A request for proposal for general engineering services for streets and drainage was approved by council as was moving the date for the March 13, council meeting at 6 p.m. in the Grant County Administration Center to March 16, at 9 a.m. at the same location.