Cibola celebrating 25 years as a county

By Jim Tiffin
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — Plans are under way and not finalized, but there is no doubt County Manager David Ulibarri has certain ideas on how to celebrate Cibola County's 25th anniversary this year.

"We are going to have some programs and celebrations in conjunction with other events this summer," Ulibarri said.

Those events are the Fiesta de Colores in May, the centennial of San Rafael, the July 4th Independence Day parade and on the week of June 19, which is the day the county was created in 1981, he hopes to have a memorial plaque presented to the public on the front of the county complex at 515 W. High St.

Probably the most involved and most public-oriented part of the 25th anniversary will come during the Fiesta de Colores.

As part of the four-day event, Ulibarri said there will be a huge banner touting the anniversary and perhaps a program.

Paul L. Milan, co-chair of the Fiesta, said he thinks a program on May 6, the event runs from Thursday through Sunday, May 4-7, with speeches honoring the 25 years of the county's history will be included in the festivities.

Ulibarri said coordinators and the county are working closely to finalize plans for the infusion of the county's celebration into the annual Fiesta. This is the 12th year the Fiesta, which celebrates all cultures, has been held. it will be held again at St. Teresa's Catholic School.

"I would also like to see a the county build a float for the Fourth of July parade and have our county's first publicly elected commissioners and officials , those who are still living, and the current elected commissioners and officials on the float together," he said.

Also, the week of June 19, Ulibarri said he would like to see the county have a plaque created , also with the names of the county's first elected officials and commissioners and the current elected officials and commissioners.

"I'd like to unveil that plaque to the public and those elected officials and commissioners speak, at the front of the county building," he said.

He said San Rafael Centennial officials and Star Gonzales-Elkins from the Grants-Cibola County Chamber of Commerce are working with him on plans for inclusion in events as well.

— To contact reporter Jim Tiffin call (505) 287-2197 or e-mail: tiffin.independent@yahoo.com