About a week and a half ago I receive a phone call from Donna Kirkwood trying to track someone down. Amazingly, this happens much more often than you would probably believe. However, this call seemed different than most of the other "searching for" calls.

The lady on the other end of this call explained that the gentleman she was trying to track down had been a friend of her family back in the 1960s or so. They had lost touch of one another over 40 years ago. Back then, Craig Richard Evans lived in Colorado. But at some point it seems he may have moved to the Grant County area. After searching several internet sites and trying to gain a little more information about this Colorado man who moved to New Mexico, I determined he might live in the ranching area south of Silver City. I decided to call my friend, Grant County Commissioner Billy Billings to see if he had heard of Mr. Craig Richard Evans. Billy Billings thought about it a few minutes and said he knew a Mr. Evans, but he didn't think his name was Craig Richard Evans. To save ink, after a few phone calls between Mr. Evans, Mr. Billings and Mrs. Kirkwood... it seemed we had been successful.

So a telephone call was set up on a particular day at a particular time so that Mrs. Juanita Pedotto, the mother of Donna Pedotto Kirkwood, would receive a telephone call from Craig Richard "Dick" Evans wishing her a wonderful 100th birthday this past Saturday.

This is why I like my job.

Here's a quick Fort Bayard update. Last week Senator Howie Morales filed Senate Bill # 439 to transfer the historic Fort Bayard from the State of New Mexico to the Village of Santa Clara. As I mentioned last week, I have been visiting with various groups in Grant County to get support letters for the Village of Santa Clara's Fort Bayard Development Plan. So far, the City of Bayard and the Town of Hurley have drafted resolutions of support for this transfer to Santa Clara. The Silver City Grant Count Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors approved a letter of support. Other organizations that have also approved writing letters of support include: Kiwanis Club of Silver City, Silver City Rotary Club, The Grant County Rolling Stones Gem & Mineral Society, and the Grant County Federation of Republican Women. I am also expecting a letter of support from the Fort Bayard Historical Preservation Society. There are also private citizens who have stated they will write letters of support on behalf of their family. Anyone can do this. Call our Chamber of Commerce office at 575-538-3785 or stop by the office to receive an example of a "Support Letter". Then mail it to:
Village of Santa Clara Town Clerk Post Office Box 316 Santa Clara, New Mexico 88026.

This bill has not been heard by any committee yet, so there is still time for you to show your support of Santa Clara's plan to preserve the heritage of Fort Bayard and restore some of the buildings and future of this historic piece of New Mexico's history. If you own or manage a business that relies greatly on the tourism trade, you definitely should be willing to write a letter of support.

Fort Bayard could become a wonderful tourism destination bringing lots of guests from around the country to Grant County. Frankly, without changes Fort Bayard will probably become a place simply mentioned in the history books.

The Silver City Grant County Chamber of Commerce office is located in Watts Hall at the corner of Swan Street and Highway 180 East in Silver City. Our phone number is 575-538-3785 or you can send me an email at sterry@silvercity.org.