Year in review: Leadership changes dominate second half of 2022

The second half of 2023 in Quay County saw a multitude of local leadership changes that occurred or were imminent.

Paula Chacon, a former manager of Quay and Union counties, in August was hired as city manager for Tucumcari. She replaced interim city manager Mark Martinez, whose wishes to go back to his previous position as assistant city manager was granted.

At her first city commission meeting, Chacon gave a lengthy list of issues she addressed or wished to resolve.

In July, former longtime Texas schools administrator Alam Umholtz took over as superintendent at San Jon Municipal Schools. He replaced Janet Gladu, who left the area after four years to take a similar position in Illinois.

Also in July, Tucumcari municipal judge Christopher Maestas stepped down after less than a year in the position, citing health problems. He had been elected the previous November.

In September, Scott Osborn resigned from the Logan Municipal Schools board after nearly 10 years there. Osborn was relocating to Dalhart, Texas. A former school board member, Tom Humble, was appointed to replace him.

In mid-December, Tucumcari Mayor Ruth Ann Litchfield, citing health issues, announced her retirement, effective immediately. She had held that post for six years.

Also in mid-December, longtime Quay County Commission Chairman Franklin McCasland heard praises during his final meeting. McCasland, who had served a total of 16 years on the county commission, was term-limited.

McCasland's seat was scheduled to be filled this month by Brian Fortner, who won his GOP primary and general election race.

In another big change in the area, the chairman and CEO of Fast TV Network announced in October the company would acquire the years-vacant Kmart building and move its operations there by summer.

A New Mexico Route 66 museum and welcome center also will be placed there in the $8 million complex.

State commits $30M to water pipeline

July 13 - Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced $30 million in state funding for the Eastern New Mexico Water Supply Project, a pipeline that will pump water from the Ute Reservoir in Quay County to more than 70,000 residents of Clovis, Elida, Portales and Texico.

Logan's Strong named Player of the Year

July 13 - Logan catcher Park Strong was named Class 1A Player of the Year and Logan baseball coach Kyle Griffiths was named Class 1A Coach of the Year during recent All-State Team voting by the New Mexico Baseball Coaches Association.

Clayton official to take over as San Jon superintendent

July 20 - San Jon school board president Frank Gibson announced Clayton Municipal Schools business manager Alan Umholtz, 62, on Aug. 1 would replace Janet Gladu, who departed from the San Jon district last month after four years to take a similar position in Illinois. Umholtz held a lengthy administrative history at Texas school districts.

Tucumcari municipal judge resigns

July 20 - Tucumcari's municipal judge was resigning less than a year after he won a November election for the post. Christopher Maestas, 78, submitted his letter of resignation, effective July 22. Maestas stated he decided to step down "after careful consideration" due to health, physical and mental conditions. City officials later appointed Jerry Mares to fill the position.

THS robotics finishes sixth at world competition

July 27 - A Tucumcari High School robotics team of sophomores Aaron Chand and Justin Keith and junior Nolan Ryen finished sixth overall at a world competition in Oklahoma - the highest finish ever for a New Mexico squad.

Work begins on ballparks project

July 27 - Work began on a long-delayed baseball and softball park development project on Tucumcari's west side. Work started the morning of July 18 in clearing trees.

Mesalands receives $700K grant for nursing

July 27 - Mesalands Community College's president told the board of trustees the college earlier that day had landed a $700,000 grant to help launch its nursing program in fall 2023.

TPS board OKs some

dress-code changes

July 27 - The Tucumcari school board, admitting changes were overdue, approved revised student regulations on dress codes for the 2022-2023 school year, including more tolerance for multicolored hair and tattoos.

City settles on $1.50 raises for workers

Aug. 3- A divided Tucumcari City Commission settled on $1.50-an-hour raises for all city employees for fiscal year 2023 after considering $2.50-an-hour hikes for those workers or exclusively police officers.

Wellborn Pharmacy changes name, location

Aug. 10 - Wellborn Pharmacy closed its South Second Street location of about 60 years near downtown, moved to a bigger site on South First Street and renamed it Mesa Winds Healthmart Pharmacy when it reopened the next day.

Inflation, COVID blunt Rattler Reunion crowds

Aug. 10 - General price inflation and a flareup of COVID-19 cases in the region blunted attendance at the annual Rattler Reunion for Tucumcari High School alums. About 250 to 300 attended; organizers had hoped for more than 500.

City donates land for

ballparks

Aug. 17 - Tucumcari city commissioners at long last approved the donation of city land to Tucumcari Public Schools for the latter's ballpark redevelopment plan. Interim city manager Mark Martinez, saying the donation was "long overdue," said the complex deal involved not only city land near the convention center, but also county land.

Fair exhibitors aid local crash victims

Aug. 17 - Two Quay County Fair exhibitors donated almost $11,000 of their earnings from the Junior Livestock Auction to a Nara Visa couple seriously injured in a recent traffic accident.

Paula Chacon hired as city manager

Aug. 17 - The Tucumcari City Commission approved a three-year city manager contract for Paula Chacon, a former county manager for Quay County from 2001 to 2004 and a former county manager in Union County, as well.

MCC breaks ground for remodeling project

Aug. 24 - Mesalands Community College held a ceremonial groundbreaking for a $1.2 million remodel of its Academic and Student Success Center the college's president said would be "a major turning point" for the institution.

Audits late for city, college

Aug. 31 - Required financial audits from fiscal year 2021 of the City of Tucumcari and Mesalands Community College were more than eight months late, landing both on the state auditor's at-risk list and the possibility of a loss of state funds. The city resolved its tardiness before year's end, but the college had not.

MCC gets $2M endowment for nursing

Aug. 31 - Mesalands Community College received word it will receive a $2 million endowment for the college's forthcoming nursing program. Shannon Fries, director of nursing, told the board of trustees she was informed that day by the New Mexico Higher Education Department.

Historic Odeon Theatre reopens

Sept. 7 - The historic Odeon Theatre screened the 2016 Oscar-nominated film "Hell or High Water," the venue's first showing in almost 2 1/2 years after COVID-19 shutdowns, plus needed repairs and renovations.

Tucumcari, Logan police to get more than $1M

Sept. 14 - New Mexico's governor announced $41.5 million in grants from the state's Law Enforcement Recruiting Fund, including more than $1 million total for police departments in Tucumcari and Logan.

Drugstore closes due to lack of pharmacist

Sept. 21 - Bestcare Pharmacy in Tucumcari closed after it could not find another pharmacist to replace one who recently moved from the area. The closing left the city with one drugstore.

Paulita's making products at college

Sept. 21 - In a basketball gymnasium of what was Tucumcari's National Guard armory, Paulita's New Mexico was packaging green chile seasoning and other spices, and it would began jarring its other food products later this month. Paulita's had moved its operations from Rio Rancho.

Logan school board member steps down

Sept. 21 - The Logan school board approved a process to find a replacement for member Scott Osborn, who resigned from his position after nearly a decade. Osborn and his wife were relocating to Dalhart, Texas.

Fired Up festival makes its return

Sept. 28 - It was almost like the Fired Up festival never left. Teeming crowds, long lines and general enthusiasm for Tucumcari MainStreet's annual event at the city's historic railroad plaza mostly belied the three-year hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fast TV Network moving into Kmart building

Oct. 5 - The Fast TV Network announced it will move from Albuquerque into the vacant Kmart building in Tucumcari that will be home to a television and movie production facility and a New Mexico Route 66 museum and welcome center. The $8 million project will create between 30 and 70 jobs after its soft opening on July 1, 2023, said Mike Lee, Fast TV's president and CEO.

Familiar face appointed to Logan board

Oct. 12 - The Logan Municipal Schools board during a special meeting appointed Tom Humble, who served on the board for 12 years before losing re-election last year, to replace the recently resigned Scott Osborn.

Forrest Community Church marks its 100th year

Oct. 19 - Forrest Community Church held its 100th birthday celebration, and the event also served as a homecoming for many former members and residents. More than 80 people showed up, with more arriving when services began.

Racing commission rejects Tucumcari application

Oct. 19 - The New Mexico Racing Commission, citing the declining health of the state's horse-racing industry, unanimously denied a license application from Coronado Partners to build a racetrack and casino on Tucumcari's east side.

City gives $400K in motel funds for ballparks

Oct. 26 - In a compromise, the Tucumcari City Commission approved giving $400,000 in executive lodgers tax funds to Tucumcari Public Schools to help pay for lighting for its ballparks redevelopment project. A few commissioners had talked about giving $433,082 to cover the full expense.

'Next Exit' film premieres in Tucumcari

Nov. 2 - The Odeon Theatre in Tucumcari hosted what is believed to be its first-ever movie premiere - the life-after-death drama "Next Exit" that was shot partly in Tucumcari.

Tucumcari STEM team earns prestigious grant

Nov. 2 - Tucumcari High School's STEM team was one of 10 in the United States that landed a prestigious $7,500 grant and other support from the Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam program to build a problem-solving, technological invention.

Navajo Code Talker's speech draws 1,000

Nov. 9 - More than 1,000 people crowded into Tucumcari High School's gymnasium to listen to a speech by Thomas H. Begay, one of the last three surviving Navajo Code Talkers from World War II.

Fortner breezes to county commission win

Nov. 9 - Republican candidate Brian Fortner cruised to an easy win over Democratic challenger Tommy Wallace for the Quay County District 3 commission seat in unofficial general election results.

Effort to register non-citizen to vote fails

Nov. 16 - Ann Hall, a former chair of the Republican Party of Quay County, took a non-U.S. citizen to attempt to register to vote during the last week of early voting. Quay County Clerk Ellen White said during a county commission meeting the bid to register the non-citizen was unsuccessful.

Jim Morgan to retire from Mesalands

Nov. 23 - Mesalands Community College President Gregg Busch announced Jim Morgan, chief operations manager and a key figure in developing its wind-energy program, was set to retire on Dec. 31 after 23 years. On Busch's nomination, the board of trustees unanimously voted to grant Morgan chair emeritus status, which retains him staff privileges at the college.

San Jon opens second fire station

Nov. 23 - It took more time and money than anticipated, but the Village of San Jon celebrated the opening of a second fire station north of town. About 40 people attended the ceremonial ribbon-cutting.

Mesalands nursing clears a key hurdle

Nov. 23 - Mesalands Community College received a perfect score after a site visit by a Higher Education Commission team that recommends approval of the college's nursing program, paving the way for it to begin offering courses next fall.

Health providers see spike in flu cases

Dec. 7 - Not only was Quay County dealing with usual coronavirus cases, but it also was experiencing a spike of influenza infections. Trigg Memorial Hospital and the Quay County Family Health Center each were reporting elevated caseloads of flu.

City OKs resolution for new hospital

Dec. 7 - The Tucumcari City Commission unanimously approved a resolution asking for a special state appropriation to fund construction of a new hospital to replace the aging Dr. Dan C. Trigg Memorial Hospital in Tucumcari.

Departing county chairman applauded

Dec. 14 - Quay County Commission Chairman Franklin McCasland heard a steady stream of praise from fellow commissioners and other officials during his last meeting after a total of 16 years on the board.

Lady Rattler setter named all-state

Dec. 14 - Tucumcari sophomore setter Caylee Benavidez earned first-team all-state honors in Class 3A when teams were announced by the New Mexico High School Coaches Association.

Logan's only bank closes

Dec. 21 - At noon, one teller locked the front door while another taped a piece of paper on its glass, stating the New Mexico Bank & Trust branch was closed. With that, the village of Logan was without a bank for the first time in more than a century.

Tucumcari mayor abruptly retires

Dec. 21 - Tucumcari Mayor Ruth Ann Litchfield unexpectedly announced her immediate resignation, citing health reasons, at the end of the commission's regular meeting. Litchfield, 76, who represents District 3, had served on the city commission for eight years and was its mayor for six consecutive years.