Community News

Silver City, NM - The Fort Bayard Revitalization Plan is a comprehensive effort to preserve and enhance the historic Fort Bayard site, ensuring it remains a valued cultural and economic resource for the region. The plan incorporates extensive community input to guide recommendations for the site’s future development.

The project is being carried out in three phases. Phase 1, Discovery, analyzes existing conditions and engages stakeholders to identify needs and opportunities. Phase 2, Visioning, evaluates market trends and establishes priorities for land use, mobility, and placemaking. Phase 3, Plan and Adoption, focuses on developing strategies, policies, and investment frameworks, incorporating community feedback to refine design concepts and finalize the plan for adoption.

Renee Maderazo, with her living sculpture, graduates in May with a Master of Arts in TeachingSILVER CITY, NM — For Renee Maderazo, the road to a master's degree wasn't a paved highway; it was a winding trail. This path led her from the exhausting "slog" of the freelance world to the transformative, high-desert landscape of the Gila. Maderazo will graduate on May 8 from Western New Mexico University (WNMU) with a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT). This milestone marks Maderazo's evolution to a confident artist and educator. 

Maderazo's journey began in Arizona, far from Silver City's quiet mountains. After earning her BFA from the University of Arizona, Maderazo spent three years navigating the professional "grind." She balanced the pressures of freelance graphic design with shifts in the restaurant industry, a familiar "day job" reality for many creatives. "I was just going through the motions," Maderazo recalled. "The hustle took a lot of the joy of making art out of it. It was directionless."

On Tuesday, April 21, The Commons received funding from Energy Transfer, as one of the company's stops to spread funding from the organization to five other state organizations.

In the center is The Commons Manager Ben Rasmussen, who received the check from Energy Transfer personnel Matthew Gonzales, Mike Futch, Vicki Granado and Bridget Condon.

Attached is the April edition of the Spark. This month's edition focuses on Red Flag Warnings and Power Safety Shutoffs. In conjunction with the Spark, please find attached the Fire Weather Concerns from the NWS for the Southwest New Mexico area. The chart predicts the Maximum Red Flag Threat (RFTI), the Relative Humidity (RH) and the Maximum winds predicted for the week.

Grant County has a new interactive GIS Map viewer. The map can be found be going to the Grant County Website, click on Government, click on Departments and then click on https://grantcountynm.gov/187/Planning-Community-Development to find the Grant County GIS Map Viewer on the left side of the page.

Joselyne Salas graduates from WNMU in May with a Bachelor of Science in K-8 educationSILVER CITY, NM —When Western New Mexico University (WNMU) student Joselyne Salas receives her Bachelor of Science in K-8 Education at Spring Commencement, it will be a moment that represents far more than a collection of earned credits; it is the culmination of a decade defined by resilience and the breaking of generational barriers.

Salas's path to this degree was not a straight line, but a series of courageous, purposeful steps. By reviving a long-deferred dream, she has proven that success follows its own timeline. Now, Salas stands ready to translate her personal triumph into professional impact, bringing her unique perspective and dedication to regional classrooms.

Salas's academic story began with a decade-long hiatus. After high school, she embraced motherhood, focusing on her daughters and building her family. Yet, Salas's dream of a university education persisted. Returning as an adult learner, she brought a clarity shaped by experience, fueled by a desire to realize her potential and be an example to her children.

Silver City, NM — The Hearth, a growing community gathering space located at 1915 N. Swan Street, is inviting local residents, organizations, and leaders to take an active role in its future through the launch of a new Community Stewardship Initiative.

Born in 2023 during a moment of transition, The Hearth emerged from a question posed by community members and Presbytery leadership as First Presbyterian Church faced closure: What does this space want to become now?

Rather than allowing the building to sit empty, a group of local leaders reimagined it as a place where the spirit of gathering, care, and connection could continue—while expanding to serve a broader and more diverse community.

Sandra Varela will graduate in May from WNMU with her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood and Family Support.SILVER CITY, NM — For Deming resident Sandra Varela, graduating during the Western New Mexico University (WNMU) Spring Commencement in May marks the finish line of a journey involving immense sacrifice and an iron will to keep hope alive. Accepting her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood and Family Support, Varela will do so beside her deepest sources of courage: her daughter, Valerie Varela, and her son, Julio Varela, sharing the moment as a family forged by resilience.

Varela's journey was forged through life's grueling trials. Her story as a WNMU Mustang is one of persistent strength, beginning in the shadow of a challenging marriage and an exceptionally difficult divorce process. Throughout those years, Varela dedicated herself to her children's well-being, often setting her own aspirations aside to put her children first as she navigated the complexities of single parenthood.

Photos Courtesy of Southwest Regional Museum of Art and Art Center are below.

The Inaugural Outreach Program of Southwest Regional Museum of Art and Art Center has been a positive 2026 learning experience for elementary school children in Animas, NM. Requested of the Art Museum by the Animas School District, this Outreach Program was developed and taught by Claude Smith III, a SWRMA Board Member, WNMU Professor Emeritus, and well known Silver City potter. Smith traveled each week to Animas bringing materials, historic examples, and tools.

Smith talked with and demonstrated for the children how to work with clay, guided them through processes, and engaged and encouraged them in creating their own designs, while also teaching about the history of pots and the ancient Mimbreño and more recent Native Americans who make pottery. Smith also provided contemporary ceramic examples and brought a potter's wheel to demonstrate another way to create with clay.