News
PRC Approves Electric Co-op's Variance

Biomass Firm Claims Deal

A Forge-Fired Degree

School Year Starts With Buses Rolling Smoothly

'They Took My Life Savings'

Minors Work at DWI Memorial

Saddle Makes All the Difference

Moriarty Discusses New School

Trustee May Step in for Hibbs

Committee Tackles Canyon Traffic

More
News

HOME	CLASSIFIEDS	OBITUARIES	SPORTS	OPINION

Thursday, March 1, 2007

Torrance County OKs Rodeo Arena Lighting

By Beth Hahn
Mountain View Telegraph
    Mountainair's rodeos will last a little longer this summer, because the arena will be lighted.
    The Torrance County Commission on Wednesday approved about $34,000 in electrical and lighting work at the rodeo grounds.
    Previous rodeos have had to be canceled or stopped because of darkness, according to Sudie Teaney, a county 4-H representative.
    Teaney said Wednesday that some of the construction work will be done by volunteers, which will save the county several thousand dollars.
    Torrance County was given $44,000 in December 2005 after the Hope Medical Clinic board dissolved. The board had been created about 40 years ago to bring a health care clinic to Estancia.
    Over the years, area residents gave money to the clinic board to support the clinic and its day-to-day operations. When Torrance County, with the help of state funds, built the new Esperanza Medical Center, the clinic board decided to donate its leftover funds back to the county and another $44,000 to the town of Estancia.
    Before the money had settled into county coffers, rodeo participants from Mountainair, many of them still in grade school, suggested that Torrance use the funds to obtain a matching state grant and upgrade the town's rodeo arena.
    Members of the original clinic board protested the use of the funds for rodeo ground improvements, saying the money was intended to improve the general health and welfare of all Torrance County residents, although they did not say specifically how.
    County commissioners opted to use the funds to gain a matching grant from the state for the rodeo arena improvements. Some private citizens also donated.
    The improvements have been delayed several times, because contractors did not bid on the project, bid estimates exceeded the $92,000 budget and the state refused to allow the county to use volunteers to work on the projects.
    If construction on the "crow's nest" and lighting begins on schedule, Teaney said the lights and booth will be finished in about 60 days— about one month into rodeo season.
    Teaney, whose birthday was Wednesday, said the completion of the bidding process was "a great birthday present."