Year in review: Racino dominated 2018's end

Editor's note: This is the final story in a series reviewing 2018 in Quay County. A story covering January through April appeared in the Dec. 26 edition, while a story covering May through August appeared in the Jan. 2 edition.

More than 1,100 people attended the racing commission's hearing in October to hear about Coronado Partners' plans for Tucumcari. It was by far the largest crowd at any of the applicants' hearings.

However, the racing commission's scheduled decision on the license in early December was derailed after applicants from Lordsburg filed a lawsuit, requesting a preliminary injunction against the license process. The New Mexico attorney general's office subsequently discouraged any decision by commissioners until the legal matter was resolved, which wouldn't be until the new year.

The Tucumcari City Commission chose Chris Arias as District 4 commissioner, replacing Robert Lumpkin, who died of cancer in July.

Logan hired a new village manager, Scott Parnell, who hailed from Los Lunas but had family in Quay and Harding counties.

Incumbent Quay County Sheriff Russell Shafer breezed to re-election, and county residents easily renewed a gross-receipts tax for Trigg Memorial Hospital.

Here are the top stories in the Quay County Sun from September to December, in chronological order:

Sept. 5 - Blue Swallow Motel put up for sale

With mixed feelings, the owners of the Blue Swallow Motel - Tucumcari's most famous historic Route 66 motel - said they have put the property up for sale.

Co-owners Kevin and Nancy Mueller announced the listing on Facebook. The Michigan natives bought the motel in 2011 and made improvements to the property, including new plumbing, new subfloors, new tankless water heaters and, most recently, a new roof.

Hamilton Reality in Tucumcari listed the motel at $1.2 million.

Sept. 12 - Plateau to buy Comcast assets in Tucumcari

Plateau Telecommunications announced it will purchase Comcast's cable television assets in Tucumcari and expand its Plateau Fiber high-speed internet services in that market.

Launa Waller, regulatory manager for Plateau, stated in an email the company will hire the Comcast employees, "so there will not be a decrease (or increase) in local employees at this time."

The news release also stated Plateau plans to upgrade the existing coaxial cable-TV system that will make Plateau Fiber services - including gigabit-speed internet, video and voice - available to all locations Comcast passed in Tucumcari.

Sept. 19 - Mesalands likely will buy closed armory

Mesalands Community College likely will buy the closed New Mexico Army National Guard armory building near its campus for $1.

The college's board of trustees passed a resolution that directs college President John Groesbeck to be the agent who presents a final sale agreement for the property later to the state's armory board.

Groesbeck said the college was eyeing the armory for several possible uses because it contains a full commercial kitchen and gymnasium. He also said the facility might be used for an engraving or gunsmithing program.

Oct. 3 - Company may convert ethanol plant to methane

A long-closed ethanol plant in Tucumcari may be converted into a methane plant and become fully operational by mid-2020.

Tucumcari Bio-Energy Co. is hunting for investors and may begin converting the plant to methane gas production as soon as early 2019, said Robert Hockaday, president of the company.

Bringing the plant on the city's north side to full production would require 18 months, he said. Once that happens, Tucumcari Bio-Energy could produce up to $12 million in methane, carbon dioxide and compost each year. The plant would employ 40 people during the ramp-up to production, then 20 once it's fully operational.

Oct. 3 - Attendance at Fired Up festival breaks record

Despite incomplete data, the Fired Up festival in downtown Tucumcari surpassed its goal of 4,000 people attending.

Tucumcari MainStreet executive director Gail Houser said the official total stood at a record 4,024, despite one volunteer's counter that went missing over the weekend. The organization stations volunteers with clicker counters at three entrance points and counts each person walking into the festival area.

The previous Fired Up attendance record was 3,374.

Oct. 10 - Company plans wind farm near Grady

A Virginia-based energy company plans a wind farm near Grady that will generate about 150 jobs in Quay County when it tentatively goes online in 2020.

The Quay County Commission learned of the development during a presentation by Marc Sydnor, a developer with Apex Clean Energy based in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Sydnor said Apex has secured 40,000 acres of leases for the Grady-Martin Wind Energy project that would generate 297 megawatts of electricity with 80 to 120 wind turbines. The proposed development area lies west of wind farms near Broadview and Caprock.

Oct. 10 - 1,100 turn out for racino presentation

More than 1,100 people crammed into the Tucumcari Convention Center's main ballroom to hear Coronado Partners principals and their supporters make their pitch to the New Mexico Racing Commission to award the sixth and final horse-racing license to Tucumcari.

Vehicles filled the convention center's parking lot more than 30 minutes before the hearing. The audience frequently applauded during presenters' pro-Tucumcari statements.

During the public-comment part of the hearing, more than 30 people spoke in support of the "racino" project. One spoke against it. Another speaker's stance on the racino was some of both.

Oct. 17 - Logan hires new village manager

Scott Parnell, the village of Logan's new manager, hailed from Los Lunas. But he has roots in Quay County, which was why he applied for the Logan position earlier this year.

"My wife's family is from here," said Parnell, referring to his spouse, Kandi, from Logan Village Hall. "We've got ties to Quay and Harding counties. It seemed like a fantastic opportunity for a homecoming of sorts."

Parnell, 49, was a field manager for the Pulte Group, a home-construction company, in Los Lunas. Before that, he served on the parks and recreation commission in Rio Rancho from 2006 to 2011.

Oct. 31 - Cactus RV Park sign hauled off after sale to collector

Workers dismantled and hauled away a 1950s-era neon sign from the Cactus RV Park in Tucumcari after a collector from Albuquerque purchased it.

It was the second time in less than a year a vintage neon sign along Route 66 in Tucumcari was taken away. In February, a sign collector in Wisconsin bought the Paradise Motel sign on the town's west end after the abandoned property suffered its second suspicious fire in less than six months.

Andy and Sue Patel, who have owned the Cactus at 1316 E. Tucumcari Blvd. for nearly 40 years, have been selling off many belongings in recent weeks in anticipation of selling the property. Andy Patel said they've been negotiating with the O'Reilly Auto Parts chain.

Oct. 31 - Tucumcari District 4 commissioner chosen

Chris Arias became Tucumcari District 4 commissioner after the city commission voted him into office during its regular meeting.

Arias, a manager a Tucumcari's Dollar General store, fills a vacancy created by the July death of District 4 commissioner Robert Lumpkin.

Other candidates for the post were Nicholas Bradfield, manager of plant services at Dan C. Trigg Memorial Hospital in Tucumcari, and Shannon Lumpkin, a video producer and a daughter of Robert Lumpkin.

After taking an oath of office from city clerk Angelica Gray, Arias assumed his assigned seat in the commission chambers and said "I'm very humbled" at being selected.

Nov. 14 - Easy wins for sheriff, hospital tax

Quay County's sheriff easily won re-election, and a renewal of a gross-receipts tax for Tucumcari's hospital breezed to victory on Election Day.

The campaign for sheriff was the only Quay County contested race. According to certified results from the county clerk's office, incumbent Sheriff Russell Shafer, a Republican, earned 1,955 votes, or nearly 64 percent, compared to the 1,102 votes for Democratic challenger Reyes Gonzales, a Tucumcari police officer.

Approval of a continuation of a gross-receipts tax for Dan C. Trigg Memorial Hospital earned 2,353 votes, or just shy of 80 percent of the vote, compared to 605 "no" votes. The tax brings in about $200,000 annually to Tucumcari's hospital.

Nov. 14 - City officials agree they should appoint new judge

The Tucumcari City Commission agreed without taking action the commission should appoint a new municipal judge in the wake of Municipal Judge Joe Dominguez's resignation Oct. 29.

Dominguez recently had resigned under terms of an order from the New Mexico Judicial Standards Commission, which reviewed his standing after Dominguez was arrested for driving while intoxicated in February.

According to a news release from the commission, Dominguez resigned rather than face further disciplinary action from the commission.

Dominguez was on unpaid suspension since Feb. 22 after the arrest.

Under terms of the order, Dominguez is banned from serving as a judge in any capacity and from seeking any elected position as a judge.

Nov. 21 - Logan volleyball wins state again

Harlie Roach's spike proved to be the clincher in the Lady Longhorns' second straight state title during the Class 1A Volleyball State Championship Match in Rio Rancho.

Logan's 23-25, 25-20, 25-13, 21-25, 16-14 victory was its 15th straight and fourth in a row over District 6-1A rival Melrose (21-4). Three of those matches went five sets. Logan finished 21-3.

It was a rare meeting of defending state champions as the Buffaloes won last year's 1A title and the Longhorns in 2A before the New Mexico Activities Association's reclassification put the teams together this season.

Nov. 28 - School board reviews district's master plan

The Tucumcari Public Schools board of education received a draft of the district's five-year master plan and a "wish list" of possible future improvement projects during its regular meeting.

Projects on the list for 2019 to 2024 were ranked by priority to expedite its share of possible state funding, including from general-obligation bounds. The school district doesn't necessarily expect to fulfill all the $20.37 million list of projects, hence its ranking from most to least important.

Schools superintendent Aaron McKinney said he expects the five-year plan to be finalized and approved by the board in December or January.

Among possible high-priority projects on the district's wish list were new entries for school buildings, finish perimeter fencing, handicap ramps, parking-lot lighting and upgrades to fire alarms and intercoms.

Dec. 5 – Tucumcari mayor named to governor-elect's transition team

Tucumcari Mayor Ruth Ann Litchfield was named to the governor-elect's transition team on public education issues.

Litchfield, a schoolteacher in Tucumcari for 31 years before retiring and entering city politics, was named to the public education department transition team for governor-elect Michelle Lujan Grisham along with nearly 30 other people.

Litchfield said she wasn't told what to expect with two upcoming meetings with Lujan Grisham's team in Santa Fe, but she assumes it will be about matters pertaining to elementary education.

Dec. 12 - State racing commission delays license decision

The New Mexico Racing Commission said it still wants to award a sixth horse-racing license, but that process unexpectedly was placed on hold after one of the applicants in Lordsburg requested a preliminary injunction to stop it.

Commissioners were expected to vote Dec. 6 on which applicant in Tucumcari, Clovis or Lordsburg would receive the coveted license that would lead to a racetrack, a casino and hundreds of jobs. Instead, New Mexico chief deputy attorney general Tania Maestas recommended the commission table any action until legal issues brought up by Lordsburg were resolved. Commissioners unanimously tabled the decision without discussion.

About 80 people, including about a dozen from Quay County, had gathered in the African American Performing Arts Center in Albuquerque to hear the license announcement. The announcement to table the decision brought mostly stunned silence and a smattering of exasperated laughter.

Dec. 19 - Tucumcari native oversaw security for Bush funeral train

A Tucumcari native held a crucial role in ensuring George H.W. Bush's funeral train departed from suburban Houston smoothly and safely before the former U.S. president was buried later that day in College Station, Texas.

Leo Marquez, senior special agent for the Union Pacific Railroad, oversaw security for a four-day period from when the railroad's specially painted blue-and-gray 4141 George Bush Locomotive (designed in Air Force One colors in tribute to the 41st president) was being prepared at its facility in Spring, Texas, until its departure with Bush's casket to his presidential library at Texas A&M University.

"It was a lot of long hours, but it went very well," Marquez said of the experience. "The hard work and preparation paid off. I just considered it to be an honor to be a part of the team that was chosen to participate. To be a part of history was pretty neat, a pretty awesome feeling."

Dec. 26 - Ken's Ice Cream and More closes

Ken's Ice Cream and More, a fixture along Tucumcari's Route 66 for decades, abruptly closed.

The Facebook page for the restaurant at 1804 E. Route 66 Blvd. posted this message: "We have closed Ken's. Want to say thank you to everyone who has supported us. We will miss the great customers and wonderful friend(s) we have made in Tucumcari. You will be greatly missed."

Paula Barnett was listed on the restaurant's Facebook page as the operator of the restaurant since December 2015.

"We weren't making any money," Barnett said. "Business was not there."

Dec. 26 - Racing commissioners commit to awarding license

With a request for an injunction still pending in a courtroom, the New Mexico Racing Commission refrained, as expected, from awarding a coveted sixth horse-racing license to applicants in Clovis, Tucumcari or Lordsburg.

Commissioners, however, passed a resolution by a 3-1 vote that stated the commission is "committed" to awarding a sixth license "once we get the attorney general's office approval or the judge grants or denies the petition," Commission Chairman Ray Willis said.

"We're frustrated we're unable to move forward," Willis said to the audience of about 25 people - many of them supporters or partners in the proposed horse-racing tracks and casinos - in the commission's boardroom.

A week later, the New Mexico attorney general's office again discouraged any decision by commissioners until the legal matter was resolved, which wouldn't be until the new year.