[Editor's Note: This is the first of a multi-part series of articles on the long, combined work session and regular meeting of the Grant County Commission held on Jan. 9, 2020. This one covers election of chairman and vice chairman, as well as the first presentation, which was by the Grant County Extension Service.]

The first major item of business on the agenda addressed the election of officers, usually a routine majority decision.

When District 1 Commissioner and Chairman Chris Ponce asked for nominations for chairperson, District 3 Commissioner Alicia Edwards said she would like discussion on "how we select our chairperson. I thought we should have had a conversation on it last year, but we didn't. The question I have is: Have either of you, who have served as chairman (Ponce and District 4 Commissioner Billy Billings), ever blocked an item on the agenda?"

Billings said he didn't really remember, but he didn't think so. "I was uncomfortable with some items, but the manager said they had to stay on the agenda, so they did."

Ponce said he just wants to make sure that every commissioner has a voice.

Billings said: "Beyond what the commissioners requested, I questioned what a citizen wanted put on the agenda, but I allowed it to stay."

"If that is our policy, then it changes the purpose of the chair," Edwards said. "It takes politics out of the chair position. If the chair had the right to block an item, I'm glad it's not policy. I think the chairperson position should rotate in a 1-year rotation. Then the position is not political but represents the constituents."

District 2 Commissioner Javier Salas said he sees the duties of the chair to review agenda items, but also to contact constituents and talk to people from D.C. to Santa Fe. "The chair also manages the flow of the meeting. I commend Chairman Ponce for keeping us from being political."

District 5 Commissioner Harry Browne said he has heard no negatives on Chairman Ponce. "I think we value consensus, even if it takes longer. Part of rotating positions, it makes the chair treat everyone fairly. For the good of the body, I believed rotation was a good idea. I never nominated myself, because I don't think I have the time. I appreciate that Ponce retired from his job, so he could spend more time as chair."

Edwards said she wanted to make it clear that what she was saying in no way was indicating that Ponce hasn't done a good job. "It's a radical idea of a way to run a governmental body. I think we represent our districts, but also the entire community."

Billings agreed the chair controls the flow of the meetings. "I don't think rotating is a good idea. I prefer selecting the chairman by majority. I also like what Edwards said about the body having authority. We as individuals have no authority. When one of us requests something, staff has to realize that we individually have no authority."

"When I'm up here, it's the board of commissioners that make the decisions," Ponce said. "It's an honor, but I have to realize that individually I have no authority. We need to think more about rotating."

Edwards noted that they often say they are going to talk about an issue, but they never get around to it. "I think any one of us would make a great chair."

Salas said although he is retired, he is busier than ever. "I think the chair has more of a time requirement. For me, I think I would be a muddled mess up here."

The commissioners approved Ponce to continue as chair. Browne nominated Edwards as vice chair, and she was approved to the position.

"This is a group I've been fortunate to work with," Salas said. "I think we have made logical decisions and not put politics into them. I think we're doing the best when we listen to our constituents."

The next item on the agenda was the first presentation. Judy O'Loughlin, Grant County Family and Consumer Science Education Agent, introduced Jessica Swapp, 4-H agent, and Tenisha Fell, 4-H assistant, who has extended outreach to elementary schools.

"In addition to our reports, we have another staff person, April Teague, who works 30 hours a week on SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) through USDA funding," O'Loughlin said.

"Grant County received a grant from the Freeport-McMoRan Community Investment Fund to do hospitality training," she continued. "Right now, we are in full flow. Studies on the guest service training show that if a person knows how to talk about the area, a visitor spends an extra four hours in the venue, spending money."

The training allows servers, gas station attendants, lodging employees to tell people about things to do in the area.

"We also are providing food server and food manager training," O'Loughlin said. "Without having it here, people would have to travel to receive it. So far, we've had 52 people go through the food server training and 34 through the food manager training, and we have more on the way."

Edwards asked how many of the trainees had passed the tests.

"More than half have passed," O'Loughlin said. "Some had to take it twice before passing."

She said the grant gave the Extension Office access to Jean Hertzman, director of the hotel and tourism program at New Mexico State University. "We want to collaborate with Western New Mexico University, too. Jean also did a wine training. Rebecca Martin of the Visitor Center has shared things that people can do around the area. Emmarie Flores, who teaches culinary arts at Silver High School, has brought her students to the training, so they have benefitted, too. Some have jobs as a result."

O'Loughlin said the Strong Women, Strong Bones exercise program, developed by Tufts University, has been one of her most successful. "We have 430 signing in each month. We about about 200 uniques a year. They keep coming back. It's also the most efficient cost wise. The weights were purchased as part of the program, so the only thing we provide is fresh lemon-water. It has been continuous for more than 10 years, with 5,237 signatures for last year. It lasts about an hour and it's free."

The Disease Self-Management Program provides tools to participants to manage their chronic disease. The six-week program offers tips on different chronic conditions. "It gives folks tools to manage their conditions. The majority of those at the end of the course, rated their ability to manage their diseases at a 7, 8 or 9 on a 10-point scale.

She also talked about the "Healthy You" program, which is developed by Colorado State University, and is designed to promote behavior and attitude changes. It's not a diet program, but a healthy living program. "We expected a one-in-seven success rate, but we have had four of the participants who have gone from obese to overweight and overweight to healthy."

Kitchen Creations is another program the Extensions Service provides. "It is sponsored by the Department of Health," O'Loughlin said. "We are about to hold it on the last Saturday of January and the first Saturday of February. Parts 1 and 2 are on the first Saturday and parts 3 and 4 on the second Saturday. The program teaches people with diabetes what their plate should look like."

Salas said he was surprised to hear about these programs. "I've always thought Extension only serves the agricultural and ranching communities. You're always pushing me to do the diabetes program. I think I should."

"We're open to any needs of what we should be doing to serve the residents of the county," O'Loughlin said.

She introduced Swapp and said she has brought a new generation of 4-Hers into the program.

Swapp said the staff at the Extension office has to write a report each year, as well as provide a plan of work. "My plan for this year has three parts—livestock, horticultural and 4-H. We send out assessments to people asking what they need help with. In 2017, statewide revenue from livestock production was down $29 million, 14 percent down from the previous year. In Grant County, it decreased by 8 percent. Profitability is a growing concern, so we developed two programs to address the issue. Producers heard from NMSU extension specialists on how to better manage herds during drought, about vaccination techniques and about the beef quality assurance program. We are encouraging the younger generation that is going into ranching. When the participants evaluated the programs, 89.5 percent said they increased their knowledge.

"In horticultural issues, we produced a gardening series,"Swapp continued. "In Grant County 20.3 percent of residents are below the poverty line. Those in the lower income households spend 35.1 percent of their household incomes on food, so healthy, available and affordable food is a growing concern for residents in the county. The six programs educated the community on different aspects of growing your own food with science-based information from NMSU and the Grant Count cooperative extension agriculture agent. Clients learned about how to start a vegetable garden, about garden insect identification and control and treatment, weed identification and control and treatment, different types of gardens, including small plot, container and straw-bale gardening, as well as small poultry flock management."

This program served 84 clients in Grant County. Forty-seven completed surveys showed that at least 70 percent to 82.9 percent gained knowledge in the different segments.

For the agricultural part of the program, 308 contacts were made, up 42 percent over 2018.

"Nationwide, only 38 percent of fourth-graders are proficient in science, and, in 2015, only 25 percent of New Mexico fourth-graders are proficient in science," she reported. "In the Silver Consolidated School District, 13-29 percent of fourth-graders are below proficient in science."

The Extension Service in Grant County partnered with teachers to present the 4-H Egg-to-Chick program. "The teachers and students develop the eggs in an incubator provided by the Extension Office until the chicks hatch. Once hatched the chick remain in the classroom for one to two weeks before they return to a poultry producer in the community. We went into the classrooms of several teachers on a weekly basis to educate students on embryology science. The programs reached 61 students. With 50 completed surveys by students, 47 said they increased their knowledge about how eggs are hatched in an incubator, 47 increased their knowledge about chick growth and development in the egg, and 45 increased their knowledge about the process by which chicks exit their shells. Fertilized eggs were donated by a local community poultry producer. I also held 9 classes on vermiculture, which is using worms to compost vegetable waste."

"My newest initiative is a podcast," Swapp said. "I rolled it out at the end of 2019. I asked the advisory council about it and they told me to roll with it. As far we we know, this is the first podcast ever for the university agriculture department. I had to teach myself how to do it from YouTube videos. We have people from other countries listening in, too. We are getting hits from just about every state. I'm really excited about it."

Ponce thanked the extension staff for what they do for the county.

Browne said he thought the vermiculture class and podcasts were awesome.

Salas said he was most excited about the diabetes program. "Are they archived anywhere?"

"They will be on the podcasts," Swapp said. "It will address diabetes, but you won't get the benefits you would get from being in the class."

O'Loughlin pointed out that the extension office is not permitted to post some things on social media or talk about them on podcasts. "We have to get rid of the stumbling blocks."

Edwards said: "I think you do amazing work. I love what you're doing in the schools. And the podcast is incredibly creative."

Swapp said four episodes are already on Apple, Sticher Radio, Spotify and "I have a website for it."

The next article in the series will address the monthly report from GRMC.

[Editor's Note: An intervening article will cover information on the new Silver City-Grant County Chamber of Commerce director.]