Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
From left, Kolt Wood, Kayla Wood, Patty Nunez and Echo Wood visit Riesha Baker's booth Saturday at the Christmas Expo event at the Tucumcari Convention Center.
Lynn Rodgers admires the unsigned abstract artwork at Saturday's ArtSpace auction event as she prepares to auction it off at the downtown gallery in Tucumcari.
Expo held at convention center
Tucumcari residents could shop for hand-crafted gift items while their kids visited with Santa at Saturday's Christmas Expo at the Tucumcari Convention Center.
Stormi Sena, along with Josie Apodaca, organized this year's event. She said this year's event is their fifth annual.
The expo, she said, was "just something we decided to do" five years ago.
According to Sena, proceeds this year from vendors' fees and food donations will go again to the Ministry of Hope, a local charity that offers food, clothes and other basics to needy Quay County residents.
Gallery supporters have fundraiser
Supporters of the Eastern New Mexico ArtSpace gallery gathered Saturday evening at the downtown Tucumcari gallery for a fundraising auction.
The auction combined live and silent bidding for a wide variety of items from small appliances to works by professional artists with 111 items in all, according to Sherri Keith, one of the organizers.
John Rodgers, with assistance from his wife, Lynn, provided rapid-fire auctioneer chatter to keep bidding active.
Kenna McKenzie provided harp music as the supporters gathered during breaks from the auction as participants enjoyed hors d'oeuvres and beverages.
Russell's gets grant for lighting
Russell's Endee Truck & Travel Center in San Jon has received a grant of $18,810 to install LED lighting to replace existing lighting equipment and increase energy efficiency.
The grant funds were made available through the U.S Department of Agriculture's Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).
The REAP program makes grants equivalent to 25 percent of project cost available to farm, ranch and small business operations that seek to improve their energy efficiency, according to a USDA news release.
The Russell's project will save an estimated 270,330 kWh per year, which would power the equivalent of 25 homes for the same period, the news release said.
USDA Rural Development State Director Terry Brunner said in the release that REAP grants allow businesses to save on their electric bills and that reduction in energy use brings environmental benefits.
Operators of small businesses, farms and ranches interested in participating in the REAP program may visit the USDA's website at http://www.usda.gov or call the Rural Development State Office in Albuquerque at 505-761-4950.