By Jim Owen

The Santa Clara Board of Trustees has entered into a grant agreement with the New Mexico Environment Department to upgrade the village's water system.

Officials will use a $174,000 capital outlay, allocated by the state Legislature earlier this year, to rewire the community's wells and install a system to automatically turn pumps off when the tanks are full. The pumps are to be converted to solar power.

In other business during their regularly scheduled monthly meeting Thursday afternoon, the trustees heard a report by the village's newly formed Action Committee. Formerly called the Beautification Committee, it was renamed because the volunteer members will plan community events, as well as coordinate beautification activities.

One such event is the annual Trunk or Treat celebration, which features residents showing off their decorated car trunks on Main Street. Prizes and games are planned for trick-or-treating children. The event is scheduled for 5-8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31.

Last weekend, the Action Committee worked with the Cobre football team, a high school class and the Tea Club to clean up yards in Santa Clara. The project served elderly and disabled residents who are unable to take care of their properties. The volunteers also worked on the yard of Santa Clara Catholic Church.

The committee, chaired by Trustee Olga Amador, plans to begin a Yard of the Month program to recognize residents who make their properties more attractive. Anyone wishing to join the committee may call City Hall at 575-537-2443.

Mayor Richard Bauch gave the board a report regarding a Thursday ceremony at the village cemetery. The event honored Lt. Juan Arroyos, a "buffalo soldier" and Apache scout who died in Santa Clara (then known as Central City) in 1876. Arroyos was given full military honors, including a 21-gun salute.

He had been buried in an unmarked grave, so the Santa Clara Historical Committee asked the Board of Trustees to spend about $250 for a grave marker. Terrazas Funeral Home donated a plaque.

On another matter, the trustees approved the new village code book, a tabbed binder containing all the community's ordinances. The statutes were organized, with duplications being removed, to make them easier to access.

In response to a recent traffic accident at the intersection of Prescott and Encino streets, village officials plan to assess the possible need for a speed bump to force vehicles to pass through the area more slowly.

The board will consider approving the speed bump during their next meeting, scheduled for 3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13. No one was injured in the accident.

The trustees promoted Alisha McAtee from utility clerk to deputy clerk, and confirmed that two recently hired village employees have successfully completed their probationary periods.

Mary Creese was granted a temporary conditional-use permit to keep horses at her home on South East Street. She reportedly obtained the animals after moving away, but returned to the property when it failed to sell. She plans to move again soon.

Content on the Beat

WARNING: All articles and photos with a byline or photo credit are copyrighted to the author or photographer. You may not use any information found within the articles without asking permission AND giving attribution to the source. Photos can be requested and may incur a nominal fee for use personally or commercially.

Disclaimer: If you find errors in articles not written by the Beat team but sent to us from other content providers, please contact the writer, not the Beat. For example, obituaries are always provided by the funeral home or a family member. We can fix errors, but please give details on where the error is so we can find it. News releases from government and non-profit entities are posted generally without change, except for legal notices, which incur a small charge.

NOTE: If an article does not have a byline, it was written by someone not affiliated with the Beat and then sent to the Beat for posting.

Images: We have received complaints about large images blocking parts of other articles. If you encounter this problem, click on the title of the article you want to read and it will take you to that article's page, which shows only that article without any intruders. 

New Columnists: The Beat continues to bring you new columnists. And check out the old faithfuls who continue to provide content.

Newsletter: If you opt in to the Join GCB Three Times Weekly Updates option above this to the right, you will be subscribed to email notifications with links to recently posted articles.

Submitting to the Beat

Those new to providing news releases to the Beat are asked to please check out submission guidelines at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/about/submissions. They are for your information to make life easier on the readers, as well as for the editor.

Advertising: Don't forget to tell advertisers that you saw their ads on the Beat.

Classifieds: We have changed Classifieds to a simpler option. Check periodically to see if any new ones have popped up. Send your information to editor@grantcountybeat.com and we will post it as soon as we can. Instructions and prices are on the page.

Editor's Notes

It has come to this editor's attention that people are sending information to the Grant County Beat Facebook page. Please be aware that the editor does not regularly monitor the page. If you have items you want to send to the editor, please send them to editor@grantcountybeat.com. Thanks!

Here for YOU: Consider the Beat your DAILY newspaper for up-to-date information about Grant County. It's at your fingertips! One Click to Local News. Thanks for your support for and your readership of Grant County's online news source—www.grantcountybeat.com

Feel free to notify editor@grantcountybeat.com if you notice any technical problems on the site. Your convenience is my desire for the Beat.  The Beat totally appreciates its readers and subscribers!  

Compliance: Because you are an esteemed member of The Grant County Beat readership, be assured that we at the Beat continue to do everything we can to be in full compliance with GDPR and pertinent US law, so that the information you have chosen to give to us cannot be compromised.