Big pumpkin to be prize at Milan festival

By Jim Maniaci
Cibola County Bureau

MILAN — The "big" news coming from Wednesday night's Milan Board of Trustees study session is that Mayor Tom Ortega has laid claim to a gigantic pumpkin to be awarded to a local elementary school student at the annual Village Pumpkin Patch Festival.

The festival will be from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at the Village Farm next to Kearns Park north of the BNSF Railroad tracks off State Hwy. 605.

Trustee George Knotts said some 1,000 pumpkins were saved from a rainy destruction. "We got them into the barn just before it poured," he said.

Each year Trustee Vivian Brumbelow, who also works at Milan Elementary School, spearheads the effort with work done by the village staff. She said the 10 a.m. starting time is later than last year in an effort to let the temperature warm up a bit.

Anyone wanting to set up a booth and they are free to individuals, organizations and businesses should contact Deputy Village Clerk Teri Gallegos at 285-6694 during regular business hours. Since the village does not supply any of the food or beverages, the field is open to vendors to fill the need.

Once again, the hay rides will be offered. The village also plans to hand out small prize bags to the children.

Wednesday's non-action meeting took place to discuss matters which may or may not be placed on the agenda for the board's action at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19.

Extensive parks reports
With all five trustees present, the board received an extensive report from Bill McElroy, parks superintendent. He said as soon as Silvester Mirabal Park is finished, work will shift to Kearns Park.

During part of the discussion several people made some disparaging remarks about neighboring Grants city government and its parks-recreation efforts, including a question as to why a planned soccer field next to the Future Foundation Family Center hasn't received its grass and made ready for play.

The parks boss explained that dead trees have been removed from Mirabal, and the walking-jogging track has been completed. In the spring he wants to plant perenial flowers, pour a concrete pad, install a ramada over it and build a playground by the basketball court. Turf being harvested at Kearns will be installed at Mirabal.

Because the problem always comes down to kids vandalizing facilities, the mayor said he will have Police Chief Jerry Stephens increase patrols in the park. He said he would rather have park patrols than officers writing an excessive number of speeding tickets on Route 66. He pointed out that it is a state highway and therefore the main responsibility belongs to the New Mexico State Police Division for enforcing speed limits.

The other main park, Elkins, should have a ramada built over the old volleyball court, which is an existing concrete pad, the mayor added.

At Kearns, McElroy said he plans to install a locked gate at the entrance to the parking lot leading to the concession stand and some fencing in an effort to keep the concession stand from being vandalized. Walk-through gates need to be installed at Elkins, plus one at Mirabal, he added.

Brumbelow introduced establishing a fourth village park on Pion Drive, with some basketball courts and picnic facilities. She hopes this will reduce vandalism at Mirabal and the school.

"They don't care if it's a 20 foot by 20 foot pad, they'll play," she said of her proposed basketball courts. It also was noted basketball courts in parks most likely would reduce the number of mobile basketball backboards set up on curbs.

Keep golf course open
McElroy urged trustees to allow the 9-hole Zuni Mountain Golf Course to remain open all winter, except during bad weather. He also praised the staff member at the course and explained that during the winter the course is watered about once a month to keep the greens and fairways from becoming too dry.

During the discussion, it was mentioned that golfers will play on the course when nobody is there to collect fees, indicating support for keeping it open the year round.

McElroy told trustees he is ready to erect a "Welcome to the Village of Milan" sign at the east entrance on Route 66 at the beginning of the divided median off the overpass from Grants. Village Manager Marcella Sandoval said meetings are scheduled within a week with the New Mexico Transportation Department and requirements for the sign would be included.

New Corrections Corporation of America warden Walt Wells introduced himself, saying he plans to host quarterly lunches for selected groups to improve community relations. After he left, Trustee Knotts said the prison, which houses low-risk immigration immates, has a greenhouse.

This would tie in with the warden's comment about each agency helping the other, if possible, when needed.

The sourthern Georgia resident said he has been in the prison business 35 years, the last seven with CCA, plus 6.5 years with the Georgia state system and 21.5 years with the federal Prison Bureau in Leavenworth, Kans., Atlanta, Lewisburg, Pa., and Lompoc, Calif.

Sandoval will present next Thursday draft rates for renting the new community center. For discussion, the initial figures are $25 per hour for up to four hours or $400 per day (more than four hours) including deposit for the room only. For the entire facility she proposes $650 including deposit, with renters having to supply security guards. A 15 percent employee discount also will be proposed.

Other matters proposed for the agenda include:

• Approving the annual contract with the U.S. Forest Service for firefighting.
  
  
• At least two requests for water hookups outside the village limits.
  
  
• Trying to set an election date for mailed-in ballots to approve restaurants serving beer and wine with their food. Because of state law, Milan's election must be fitted into narrow windows between the Nov. 7 general election, Cibola County's vote on a sales tax increase to build a new county complex downtown and a Grants-Cibola County School District bond election.
  
  
• A report by Recreation Director Louie Castillo on the success of the recent Trek for Trash.
  
  
• The hiring of several new employees, the announcement of the employee of the month, minutes and financial reports, and possibly an announcement that all three area banks will be used.

Sandoval said that a state-favored economic development ordinance is expected to be presented in November.

She also recommends trustees wait until village contract attorney Bruce Boynton can present the polished draft of a new zoning code, then adopt the revised code and the attached maps at the same time. Trustee Ellen Baca commented that adopting the maps next Thursday means they would have to be tied to the existing ordinance. The trustee noted the present ordinance got the village into its current undesirable situation.

Sandoval advised trustees that patching pot holes has to wait until they dry, but that many people are complaining.

To contact reporter Jim Maniaci in Grants, telephone 285-6184 or (505) 870-7775 (cell).