Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

Clovis to seek money for MLK improvements

Clovis city commission voted unanimously Thursday evening to seek funding for major improvements for the city's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. from Seventh Street north to Twenty-first Street.

"This is music to my ears," said district three commissioner Helen Casaus. Casaus and former city commissioner Fidel Madrid advocated for a major overhaul for the boulevard for a number of years.

Kelsey Knight, the city's marketing, communications and grant coordinator, appeared before the commission asking for approval to submit an application to the New Mexico Department of Transportation for a $4.6 million transportation project fund from the department with the city contributing $3.5 million to the project for a total cost of $8.1 million.

According to Knight, when the project is done the streets lanes will be widened and there'll be sidewalks just as the boulevard is now from Twenty-first Street north to Llano Estacado Blvd.

Knight said Thursday's early step is the commission's approval to submit an application for state funds so a projected start date is not known.

In addition to routine commission business Mayor Mike Morris challenged the community to pray for rain.

Morris also thanked Police Chief Rice and Police captain Roman Romero for opening up the animal shelter on Saturdays. Rice mentioned that citizen volunteers are still needed at the shelter.

Morris mentioned that he and some of the commissioners have taken phone calls from "concerned citizens" over the closing of Women's Medical Center in June. With those concerns in mind a meeting has been set up between Morris, Mayor pro tem Chris Bryant and Plains Regional Medical Center administrator Jorge Cruz concerning how the hospital will be addressing medical services for women in the area.

Morris issued a proclamation declaring May 2 through May 6 as "Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week" in Clovis. A number of teachers and staff from Clovis Municipal Schools and Clovis Christian School stood before the commission as the proclamation was read.

 
 
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