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Category: Front Page News Front Page News
Published: 24 October 2014 24 October 2014

Members of volunteer fire departments recognized were, from left, Tyrone VFD members, Alan Leonard, Wendy Shaul and Roger Gros, General Services Director Randy Villa, Pinos Altos VFD Chief Lucy Whitmarsh and Fort Bayard VFD Cheif Joe Chavez.

Below, presenting and accepting proclamation, from left, are Commissioner Gabriel Ramos, Commission Chairman Brett Kasten, Learning Center for Dyslexia lead instructor Tamara Ogilvie, Commissioner Ron Hall, Learning Center board member Martin Miller and instructor Fiona Bailey.

Photos and Article by Mary Alice Murphy

During the public input portion of the Thursday, Oct. 23, 2014, regular Grant County Commission meeting, General Services Director Randy Villa asked to recognize two volunteer fire departments—Pinos Altos Volunteer Fire and Rescue and Fort Bayard VFD.

"The state Fire Marshal officer recognized these two area departments for lowing their ISO rating—Pinos Altos from 7 to 6, and Fort Bayard from 7 to 5," Villa said. "This will lower fire insurance costs for residences in the departments' areas."

Lucy Whitmarsh, P.A. VFR chief, accepted the plaque. "It is a team effort to improve service. We are honored to receive the plaque."

Joe Chavez, Fort Bayard VFD chief and chairman of the Rural Fire Departments Association, accepted the recognition, and said: "This is in dedication to members of the volunteer fire department."

Villa said the change in ISO rating also increases their amount of state funding. "Training, personnel and equipment all play a role. Whiskey Creek VFD recently had its inspection, and will hear within a few months whether the ISO has changed."

Villa said members of the Tyrone VFD recently attended a Fire Expo.

"Eight of us attended and five formed a team," Wendy Shaul, firefighter, said. "We competed in several events. The Emergency Medical Services team and individuals took first and second in several events. In firefighting, we entered enough events that we took a cumulative team total of 10 points higher than the next closest. Other members of the team were Alan Leonard, Shannon Farris, Derrick Grimes, and Charlotte Blaylock."

Roger Gros, the Tyrone VFD chief, thanked the commissioners "for the opportunity to attend these trainings. There were paid firefighters, as well as volunteer, participating in the expo."

Villa announced that Silver City Fire Marshal Milo Lambert also was named chief officer of the year at the expo.

Whitmarsh, as president of the Silver City MainStreet Board, made several announcements. This Saturday, Oct. 25, at 9 a.m. the All Souls Urban Trail Races, a 5K race and a 15K race, as well as a one-mile fun run will start in front of the Silco Theater on Bullard Street. All proceeds will go to help return the Silco Theater to its former 1920s Art Deco glory.

She also announced the Nov. 29 Lighted Christmas Parade was seeking entrants with the theme, "Silver City for the Holidays." A workshop to "help your presentation in the parade shine," will be held Nov. 1 from 10 a.m. to noon.

Lonnie Sandoval, representing the Loma Verde Subdivision road improvement assessment district asked for updates on progress on the road.

County Attorney Abigail Robinson explained the county had just filled ordinance officer Dori Dominguez's position, since her retirement. "Things will get moving again."

"Do we have the first steps done yet?" Sandoval asked.

"We got the dedication, but I can't remember where we are in the process," Robinson said. "Call (Planner) Anthony (Gutierrez) directly. He'll have Dori's notebook."

Commission Chairman Brett Kasten said he appreciate Sandoval's persistence. "We will get it done."

For a complete breakdown of the financial reports, including the expenditures and the cash flow analysis ending Sept. 20, go to http://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/18232-grant-county-commission-hears-how-much-it-saved-by-changing-insurance-providers .

The above link will also take you to a discussion on the 2015 insurance plan renewal with Rydeski and Company.

Commissioner Gabriel Ramos thanked Robert Rydeski for putting together a good plan. "And we keep the money local."

Commissioner Ron Hall said what he hears from employees is that they enjoy having a face they can talk to. "You've been receptive to them."

"I love working for you," Rydeski said.

Commissioners approved the transfer of a 2004 Ford Taurus Station Wagon from Senior Services to the DWI Program for $1,800.

George Julian Dworin, Silver City Arts and Cultural District director, presented the quarterly report on tourism, the Visitor Center and marketing for Silver City and Grant County.

"Thanks to the New Mexico Tourism Department, we had a wonderful opportunity to have prime real estate at the Albuquerque Balloon Festival," Dworin said. "The festival sees about 100,000 people a day, and we saw many of them. We had the chance to invite people from across the state, the nation and internationally to visit Silver City. We had such a tremendous experience. We have the same experience on a daily basis in the Visitor Center,"

" The Arts and Cultural District is under the Department of Economic Development and we work closely with eight other arts and cultural districts," Dworin continued. "Currently we are contracted by Silver City to promote tourism."

He said he is the chairman of the board of the Southwest Region Board of Tourism. "We also work with the Grant County Tourism Board."

On July 1, the Silver City Arts and Cultural District entered into a contract with Silver City to manage the Visitor Center and with Grant County for fulfillment. "We are adding interactive displays to the Visitor Center. We are working with the Forest Service and with local festivals and events. We have been the headquarters for several events."

In the first quarter of the fiscal year, Dworin said the Visitor Center had received more than 4,000 visitors, with the top three states being New Mexico, Arizona and Texas. "We also host many international visitors, with Germany, Canada and Mexico being at the top. We have lately seen people from Italy and Australia. We have seen cyclists coming off the Continental Divide Trail from their ride from the Canadian border, and in April, we will see those starting in Silver City heading up to Canada."

In tourism, Dworin said the ACD had received 2,418 leads with more than 3,300 mailings to date.

The Gila Cliff Dwellings has seen a 10 percent increase in visitors and City of Rocks, a 33 percent increase. "We have momentum in the national and regional press." He introduced Rebecca Martin, who serves as the Visitor Services and Fulfillment Manager. "She is a phenomenal host."

"Come down to the Visitor Center and get on rotations as a host and volunteer," Dworin invited the commissioners. "We have four-hour shifts."

Hall said he appreciated Dworin's comments at the recent Gila Economic Development Alliance Roundtable. "Do we get exit input after visits to give us a measuring stick for what to improve?"

"We have visitors, who come back and tell us how wonderful their experience was," Dworin said. "Most report we are an incredibly friendly community. I think they experience what I can only call the 'magic' for the area, with the landscape, the culture and people. We have no formal way to report exit input. The negatives we do hear are about having to drive to Emory Pass before finding out they need to go back the same way and come here by way of Hatch. I commend Scott Terry (Silver City-Grant County Chamber of Commerce president) for working on that issue. Also challenging is the Catwalk. It's open; it's closed. We know money has been appropriated, but some are traveling that far without knowing it's closed. When they check in with us first, we can reroute them to other venues."

"We are diligent," Kasten said. "Every time we talk to the Forest Service we ask about the Catwalk."

Ramos asked if Dworin is working with the Silver City-Grant County Chamber of Commerce.

"We are building that relationship," Dworin said. "Scott has lent stability to the organization. We speak often and candidly about the better job we can do for the community. With the Conference Center and the Visitor Center separate, we want to come together with a Visitor and Convention Center."

"I think that is a good idea," Ramos said. "I think we are duplicating efforts. Everyone is trying to do the same thing instead of working together."

"I concur," Dworin said.

The next item of business was to approve October as Dyslexia Awareness Month. Tamara Ogilvie, the lead instructor at the Learning Center for Dyslexia and Academic Success, introduced Martin Miller, vice chairman of the board and Fiona Bailey, an instructor.

"The learning center is formally serving the community," Ogilvie said. She read the mission statement, which says it will provide information and training for the community that promotes academic success, and teaches people with dyslexia and/or other learning difficulties using research-based methodologies.

"We provide scholarships; we provide parents with information," Ogilvie said. "We have programs to help all students be successful."

The organization hosted the Building Success summer program in 2013, but did not want to get in the way of the Silver Schools summer program in 2014. "We are planning another summer program in 2015. Current research shows that one in five people deals with dyslexia, ranging from lightly to severe. It can vary from difficulty remembering names to problems in oral communication. At the other end of the continuum are severe difficulties in learning to read and write. That comprises 1 percent to 2 percent of the population. The board has allocated funds for me to attend the International Dyslexia Conference in San Diego. I will come back with lots of information. We have four instructors trained or in the process of being trained through the Scottish Rite in Las Cruces. It's a two-year program. We have an instructor in Cliff and Fiona and Rebecca Ormand are working with students."

Also approved by commissioners was a memorandum of understanding between the New Mexico Department of Transportation and Grant County to provide federal assistance to Corre Caminos. Another agreement approved was between the NMDOT and Grant County for several Sheriff's Department grant programs—End Driving while Impaired; Buckle Up/Click It or Ticket and the 100 Days and Nights of Summer.

As the Grant County Indigent and Health Plan Claims Board, commissioners approved an indigent burial certificate for Terrazas Funeral Chapels and 223 indigent claims for $187,041.30.

There were only two short county reports. Clerk Robert Zamarripa said early voting continues in his office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Ramos said Halloween and the Silver/Cobre football game would both be next Friday, Oct. 31.

Commissioners went into executive session to discuss limited personnel matters, with discussion of performance of Grant County Detention Center employees.

The next meeting will be a single combined work and regular session at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12. Note change of date and time. This will be the only November meeting.