Official: Even with cuts, beautification money should be enough

Portales Deputy Clerk Veda Urioste says the $7,900 beautification grant the city received should be enough to maintain yearly cleaning projects even though funding has been cut.

File photo

Eastern New Mexico Students were among 105 volunteers who picked up trash in the community during last October's big community cleanup. The beautification grant the city received helps fund the awards of such cleanup projects.

The $7,900 will be used to continue a local program to aid in litter control and beautification projects in accordance with the New Mexico Litter Control and Beautification Act.

Last year, the city received $10,000 for this same program and $10,400 the year before. Urioste says that $7,900 should still be enough to hire community groups and organizations to clean up the community.

The money is also used for rewards and incentives during the major cleanups of the year, which are The Great American Cleanup in the spring and Trek for Trash in October.

Although the grant provides a great deal of support to clean the city, Urioste says keeping Portales beautiful is a community effort.

She is thankful to local businesses that donate prizes and food to those who volunteer during these major cleanups.

Local McDonald"s restaurant owner John Snowberger is one of the business owners that donates yearly to beautify Portales.

"I donate to everything that helps Portales," Snowberger said. "That McDonald"s was my first restaurant in Portales, so my answer is always going to be yes, especially if it involves making Portales prettier."

Although the bigger cleanups are a major factor in keeping the community clean through awareness, the majority of the grant money is used to hire youth groups, organizations and other civic groups to do beautification projects throughout the year.

The majority of the groups take on tasks that include picking up trash and painting over graffiti.

"We're just trying to beautify the city the best way we can," Urioste said. "The funding is gradually going down but any help we can get is good for us."

The city also hosts trash can design contests to engage youth to participate in the cleanups.

Jodi Kibbe, director of the Portales Recreation Center, said about 15 children participated in the trash can competition this year and a group from the center cleaned up a local park before Little League games started. She believes it's imperative that children learn to keep their community clean.

"It's their city and they're responsible to keep it clean," Kibbe said. "It takes everybody to clean up the community."

The city holds biannual Clean Campus contests as well, Lindsey-Steiner Elementary being the current title holder.

The rest of the funds are used to purchase materials for cleaning, advertising and the purchase of trees and shrubs.

"It's our community, it feels good for people to tell us our community is clean," Urioste said. "It makes me feel good and I'm sure it makes everyone feel good."

Urioste encourages youth of all ages to take part in the cleanups. She says she invites Eastern New Mexico University students to come out and join the fight to keep Portales clean.

"Even though they're at the university, this is their community too," Urioste said. "We want them to be involved."