Dear Editor;
2020 has been a difficult year for a lot of people. I have never experienced a time in my life where people were so afraid. This pandemic has successively shut down our State and many parts of our nation. These things were on my mind and weighed heavy on my heart as I drove through Grants the other night. As I passed Fire and Ice Park and City Hall I saw all the lights and Christmas inflatables, I thought about the employees of the City that spent countless hours putting them up to brighten everyone's spirits. I pulled over and made a list of things I see every day and found my heart lifted with immense gratitude.
Our maintenance crew, led by Steve Gonzalez and our Streets Department, led by Luis Lopez, labor every day to make the City of Grants a great place to live. Grass is constantly being cut and bushes trimmed and buildings being painted and maintained, along with the roads, water and sewer pipes being replaced or repaired constantly. Our employees keep the City Cemetery looking beautiful. Paul Cheromiah and Manuel Manzanares can be seen every day cleaning up trash and junk from along our City's streets. These two gentlemen labor hard every day and their efforts are noticed by the people that come through our City and comment on its cleanliness.
Our good friends at Jacobs keep our Wastewater Treatment Plant going and they are the ones that are called out at 2:00am when a pipe breaks. Most residents are not aware when they get up to take their showers and the water is flowing because Jacobs got it fixed before anyone gets up. Thank you Edward Salazar and all the employees of Jacobs.
When there is tragedy you can count on the men and women of the Grants Fire Department and Police Department to be there to help. These public servants do a job that is incredibly hard. They see things that most of us will never see in a lifetime. They are heroes and they make our lives much better! Thank you Chief Hays and Chief Chavez for your leadership and great staffs!
Thank you to our City Manager, Laura Jaramillo, our Mayor, Modey Hicks, our City Council, our Water Department employees, and our recreational people that do so much for all of us! Thank you Don Jaramillo, Projects Director, and Marc Teshima, Public Works Director, that have been in high gear to improve infrastructure and flooding issues. We can't forget our Mary that keeps the City beautiful and the administration staff at City Hall. Thank you Shannon DeVine for your diligent and constant work in the Code Enforcement Office.
We have much to be grateful for, there is beauty all around us.
Christmas is a time of miracles, love and friendship. It is a time to minister to those in need and bless the poor and unfortunate. I am grateful for that wonderous little stranger that was born in a manger over 2000 years ago. His life still lifts and brings hope to all mankind.
Merry Christmas to all!
Robert S. Windhorst
Code Enforcement Officer, City of Grants
Editor’s notes: The Cibola Citizen seeks and welcomes letters to the editor on any and all topics. All letters must be no longer than 500 words (one full page, single spaced) and contain the writer’s name and contact phone number for verification. Unsigned letters will not be printed. The Cibola Citizen reserves the right to edit any and all submissions.