Cleanup planned for Saturday

Tony Parra: PNT Staff Writer

April is Keep New Mexico Beautiful month and Portales residents will be doing their part by cleaning and picking up trash on Saturday.

The Keep Portales Beautiful event will start at 9 a.m. Veda Urioste, deputy clerk for the city of Portales, is one of the organizers of the event. Urioste has helped with the trash cleanup since 1999. April is recognized as Keep New Mexico Beautiful month. The national Keep America Beautiful Great American Cleanup has been going on for more than 20 years.

“It’s so exciting, I’m looking forward to it,” Amie Franz of the Roosevelt County Chamber of Commerce and an organizer of the event said. “Last year was the first time I did it. We had ladies come with their children under the age of 10 help with the cleanup. It’s not just groups and organizations. It’s great to see individuals from the community come out and help.”

Urioste said people can show up before 9 a.m. at the Portales City Park and sign up for the trash pickup.

“This is definitely our biggest cleanup of the year for Portales,” Urioste said. “There’s quiet a few areas that need cleaning because of the wind. There’s a lot of trash that needs to be picked up along U.S. Highway 70.”

Franz and Sharon King of the Roosevelt County Chamber of Commerce will also be helping with the sign-up and distributing maps with routes and locations of the places which need to be cleaned. Dianne Parker, city councilor, is also one of the coordinators of the events.

Franz said locations are designated based on the size of the group and the age of the individuals. For example, residential areas are designated for groups like The Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Downtown and areas along U.S. 70 are designated for older people like the Eastern New Mexico University Greyhound football players.

Urioste said Greyhound football players are also helping to keep track of the scavenger hunt which will be part of the event.

Those who help clean Portales will be treated to hot dogs and cokes for lunch. Wal-Mart donated plates and chips while La Tienda donated the hot dogs. There will also be a drawing for cash prizes and certificates from local businesses, like free movie rentals from Landall’s Box Office or certificates at Taco Box, Sonic, McDonald’s, McCarty’s Cafe, Mark’s Eastern Grill, Pizza Hut, Domino’s Pizza, Cattle Baron and Pat’s Twin Cronnie.

Some of the areas designated for cleanup are along U.S. 70, Kilgore Street, residential areas and downtown.

For more information, contact Urioste at 356-6662, ext. 18.