James Elementary garden wins award

PORTALES — The Portales City Council heard a report on the award-winning school community garden at James Elementary during Tuesday’s meeting.

Caron Powers, Roosevelt County’s coordinator for Healthy Kids Healthy Communities New Mexico, said the school garden was started three years ago with six raised planter beds to grow spinach, lettuce, radishes and carrots for six second-grade classes.

“One thing that I really wanted to emphasize is how much this is not just a fluff project, that we really are educating our youth over there,” Powers said. “We’re having tastings, we’re having cooking, we’re having writing lessons, we’re having art lessons, we are having math lessons ... and this is one of those things kids are going to remember.”

Powers said the addition of 18 more raised planter beds over the past two years has allowed every first- and second-grade class at James Elementary to grow vegetables in its own bed.

Powers said the program was also recognized as the school garden of the year during the past legislative session.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting:

• Following an approximately 30-minute executive session, the council approved a motion made by Mayor Pro Tem Michael Miller directing the city attorney “to revise the contract with the city manager as was discussed, and if the city manager agrees to that, have it prepared and bring back to the council for approval at our next meeting.”

Miller declined to elaborate on the details of the changes to the contract, citing ongoing negotiations.

• The council approved a loan agreement with the National Museum of the Air Force for the city to continue hosting the F-111 jet static display.

City Clerk Joan Martinez-Terry said the plane would need to be maintained with new paint and decals, an estimated $20,000 cost if the city hired an outside company.

Councilor Jessica Smith suggested the painting project be considered for Eastern in Action, an annual community service day put on by Eastern New Mexico University students.

• The council unanimously approved the appointment of Rey Coss, a coordinator with Eastern New Mexico University’s campus life department, to fill a vacancy on the Portales Cultural Affairs Committee.

Councilor Oscar Robinson said Coss helped put on this year’s program honoring Martin Luther King Jr.

“With his leadership and his wisdom, we had a very successful Martin Luther King program. It was a lot of his visions that we incorporated in our program this year and without his efforts, I don’t think our program would be very successful this year,” Robinson said.

• The council approved a $60,000 contract for compliance water monitoring at the city landfill and wastewater treatment plant.