GRANTS, NM – The Grants Community Pantry is preparing for a move. There is no set date, but according to Alice Perez, who is the Executive Director of the Community Pantry and Hope Garden in Gallup as well as the Grants Community Pantry, the move will happen by June 1. “Some of the red tape takes a little while,” Perez said. The new site located on Sakelares Boulevard will more than double the square footage of the current 3500 square foot Stephens Avenue location.

GRANTS, N.M. – Hospitable Grants wants you. The paid hospitality training program sponsored by Grants Main-Street Project is seeking employed and unemployed residents with a desire to join the hospitality industry and gain new skills to prepare them to be ambassadors for Cibola County. “We can train fifteen people max,” Will Yarborough said. As Executive Director of Grants MainStreet Project, Yarborough will be leading parts of the 12week training that will take place at the Grants Public Library. According to Yarborough, the program seeks to educate people about the cultural and geographical assets that surround the city of Grants as well as train folks in communication skills so they can offer great customer service to tourists and locals seeking information about the many surrounding beautiful places of interest.

It is April and time to make a decision on planting asparagus. Please read my article about asparagus from last week for my tips. Asparagus grows well in New Mexico: Lots of sun, warm days, cool nights, low humidity, and is drought and salt tolerant. All things we have in spades.

If you’ve been wondering where you’re going to buy your next half gallon of raw milk, look no further. DeSmet raw milk is back on the shelves at 1912 Market in Grants. Though there has been no end to the controversy surrounding the sale and consumption of raw milk, it is legal in the state of New Mexico except in Bernalillo County where health conscious consumers are forced to travel to the village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque or out to the DeSmet dairy in Bosque Farms. Kevin Branum, the owner/operator of 1912 Market has a close relationship with the DeSmet Farm. “In my previous life I was an agronomist with the USDA,” Branum said. He had the good fortune to work on the DeSmet farm and build a relationship with Mike DeSmet. “We’ve known each other on a personal level since 2015.” He was able to witness a clean and healthy dairy operation up close.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announces the beginning of a Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Five-Year Review of the Former Kirtland Air Force Base Demolition Bombing Range (KDBR) Munitions Response Site (MRS) in Cibola County, New Mexico. The property is now part of the El Malpais National Monument.

GRANTS, NM – New Mexico Firefighters Training Academy and Grants Fire and Rescue hosted a Vehicle Extrication 1 class for the past two weekends. Firefighters from GFR, Milan Volunteer Fire Department, Fence Lake Volunteer Fire Department, Cubero Volunteer Fire Department, and Bluewater Village Volunteer Fire Department participated in the extraction training.

Editors Note: This story originally ran in the March 22 edition, the date of the cleanup has changed and this story has been updated to reflect the change. GRANTS, NM - ‘Old Man Winter’ may chase us into spring, but longer days will soon lead to warmer days.