Gila EDA participants hear reports from community members 032015

By Mary Alice Murphy

After hearing the featured speakers, Charles and Melissa Kelly of the Silver City Sears store, participants at the Gila Economic Development Alliance Roundtable, held on March 20, 2015, spoke about their organizations.

Priscilla Lucero, Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments executive director, said the COG was invited to apply for a $250,000 grant for implementation of the Renewable Energy Implementation Plan. "It's a three-year grant to build the capacity for renewable energy. We are also applying for $600,000 from the Economic Development Administration for furnishings for the Business and Conference Center. We will begin seeing construction on three years worth of Colonias Infrastructure Fund loans and grants. Bayard just received $20,000 from the Freeport Community Investment Fund for signage. Emily (Gojkovich of the COG) is still waiting to hear on the Promise Zone designation, for which we came in runner-up last year. We should hear by the end of May."

Linda Smrkovsky of Deming said a region in Kentucky got the first Promise Zone. "About $18 million has gone into the area as a result. We were the runner-up. The Promise Zone designation includes 10 years of technical assistance, with two years of certified economic developers' help and three years of economic development help."

Christine Logan, New Mexico Economic Development Department regional representative, said the Mimbres-Paquime Connection has come back to life and is trying to connect nine communities, including Silver City, Bayard, Hurley and Deming to Janos and Ascension in Chihuahua, Mexico, to bring tourists and then more residents.

"We are seeing more interest in starting a business or relocating," Logan said. "We have state financing for businesses that bring in jobs."

Grant County District 3 Commissioner Ron Hall said work at the airport is ongoing. "We have fuel now, so pilots are not bypassing us to get fuel. We are developing and working on a new configuration of runways that pilots have been asking for for years. We are repairing the one main runway, which had huge cracks."

Skip Thacker, Bridge Community board president, said the group, which wants to build a long-term care facility, owns 10 acres, but the site has no sewer or gas hookups. "We are working on three other options. And oh, we could use macro funding of $14 million."

Maureen Craig, representing Mimbres Region Arts Council said Chocolate Fantasia was "the best yet. We sold 570 tickets. I believe our arts council is the best for economic development. Tomorrow we have the Guatemalan Mercado and the Bike and Blues Festival is coming soon. MRAC has its rack program, where you can put your cards in our racks, all over town. Contact us for more information. If you are not already a sponsor, and many of you are, we invite you to become an individual member, which will let the programs keep going and growing."

Jeremy Lewis of Furniture Gallery invited people to go to the Home & Garden Expo "today (Friday) and tomorrow (Saturday). We have a lot going on in our little plaza with Sears. Kwal Paints will be Sherwin-Williams Paints, and we have Furniture Gallery and America's Mattress Store. We are collaborating on advertising and events."

Pat Hunt of the Natural Resource Conservation Service said the group puts money into the community, in helping with conservation. "We work with the soil and water conservation districts and the wildland interface program for protecting property. And with my other hat, the non-profit Copper Cowbelles, we are holding our Shindig April 25 at the Flame."

Lee Gruber, co-owner with her husband David Del Junco of Syzygy Tileworks said for the first time since 2008, they have their employees working 40-hour weeks. "We are also applying for a grant to beautify the front of our building. And then my other hat, the Clay Festival. We are thrilled to have Roxanne Swentzell, an internationally known clay artist, coming this year. We will continue to put Silver City on the map."

She reported the Arts and Cultural District received a grant to participate in the Tucson Book Festival for five days. "We promoted Silver City, as well as our local book festival-the Southwest Festival of the Written Word. We are also visiting other communities promoting Silver City."

Nick Seibel, owner/editor-in-chief of the Silver City Daily Press said, within the next month or so, the newspaper would be expanding its days of publication, thanks to advertising and subscriptions. Tuesday, May 5, will be the 80th anniversary of the Daily Press becoming a daily from the weekly Silver City Independent. We will have a street party in front of the old Silver City Daily Press building."

Connie Glenn of Workforce Connections said the agency is doing the WorkKeys program with the Silver High School and Opportunity School seniors. "It's skill-based testing, so the kids know what they are facing when they get out of school. We want to expand to the other high schools."

Workforce Connections is also working with the Juvenile Probation and Parole Office so that juveniles when they have finished their community service can work in a store and "we pay their wages."

As part of the Recycling Advisory Council, Glenn said the Habitat for Humanity ReStore and the landfill are working together in setting a section aside where people can cull out things that can be repurposed. "We are at a 27 percent rate for recyclables. Our goal is 50 percent by 2017."

Lucy Whitmarsh of Silver City MainStreet Project said the office for the NM Department of Transportation personnel during the Hudson Street Bridge replacement is on South Bullard Street, as is viewing access to watch what's going on.

A newly expanded business downtown, Custom Steelworks, will do motorcycle repair and customization.

April 10, 11, and 12 will be the Continental Divide Trail kickoff weekend. The trailhead is at the Visitor Center, which will be the central point for activities.

Whitmarsh said the Little Toad would be having a festival that weekend from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on April 11, with a street closure on Bullard. "It fits into the context of bringing in people who are interested in hiking and biking. If a person has a positive experience, it fits together to get people to stay."

Dave Thomas of WNM Communications said the company is 80 percent complete with building its fiber optic ring around the town. "The company put in $4 million capital investment in our territory to bring better broadband to rural America. We have spent about $1 million just here. We will be contacting you to sign up. We offer better service at a lower price."

Bruce Ashburn of PNM and a Silver City-Grant County Chamber of Commerce board member said the chamber was averaging one new member a week and sending out 20 to 70 relocation packets a month. "Scott Terry couldn't be here, because he is attending two statewide conferences."

"With my PNM hat, for $40 you can get a PNM Home Energy audit, which includes the installation of power strips, CFL light bulbs, and other energy-saving items," he said. "For those who are income-qualified, they get a break on the $40 and can qualify for a new refrigerator. We still have energy rebates for businesses."

To a question about Fort Bayard, this author said the groups were working with the state on projects.

Arlene Schadel, Gila EDA member, said she is also part of Theater Group New Mexico's upcoming "Mary Poppins." "We have a cast of about 40 from 8 years old to 70. It will take place April 24, 25, 26."