Celebrating Portales' past, present

Staff Writer

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link Staff photo: Anna George

Karl Terry, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, left, congratulates pioneers of the year Charlene Foster, right, and Laverne Lee on Saturday at Heritage Days.

Heritage Days is about remembering Portales’ past, but also celebrating its present.

“This is a time and a place for people to gather,” said Karl Terry, executive director of the Portales/Roosevelt County Chamber of Commerce.

Portales’ 31st annual Heritage Days Festival took place city wide on Saturday, from a parade snaking through town to the events taking place on Main Street to the vendors and live music at City Park.

City Park had more than 60 vendors this year, compared to around 50 in the past years, Terry said.

He said he also thinks this year’s crowd was larger than normal, with attractions ranging from games, food, music and an antique car show to pony rides.

One of the highlights, as always, was the Pioneer of the Year, awarded an active community member who is part of Portales’ history.

There were two recipients this year:

Laverne Lee and Charlene Foster.

“Its an honor to receive this award,” said Lee, who grew up in the Rogers community with Foster. She’s a retired bus-driving contractor with Dora schools.

Foster said her mother was pioneer of the year in 2000. Foster has lived in the Portales area for 82 years, only moving to follow her husband when he was in the service.

Christine Neal, registration helper at the car show, has been attending Heritage Days since its beginning, she said. She said she has been helping host the car show before Heritage Days was even a thought.

She said she’s involved for the young people who enjoy seeing the cars so much.

“We encourage families to come and enjoy it,” Neal said.

Heritage Days was important to James Fulcher, an irrigation repairman, because this was his first one.

Fulcher has only been living in Portales for two years. He walked with the Portales High School band in the parade.

As a part of band, music is everything to Fulcher, he said. This made him excited for the live music because it was original.

“It is unique, I have never seen anything like it,” Fulcher said.

Brandi Otterbacher, the visitor center manager at the Chamber of Commerce, has also only been living in Portales for two years. She got the opportunity to see the event from behind the scenes since the chamber organizes the festivities.

Otterbacher was assigned to the free children’s games because she enjoyed being around the kids, she said.

Heritage Days is special to her because it gives new people the opportunity to get to know the town better — both the people and the vendors, she said.

“I think a lot of new people get more acquainted with the area during Heritage Days,” she said.