D e s e r t E x p o s u r e
May 2010
Business Beat
Moving on at MainStreet
This month's 25th anniversary celebration of the Silver City MainStreet Project will be the last hurrah for MainStreet manager Frank Milan, who is leaving the job after seven and a half years for "personal reasons, goals and objectives." The downtown nonprofit has already been recruiting for a replacement, with a hire date of May 16.
Milestones of MainStreet's first quarter-century, in partnership with the town of Silver City, include installation of new streetlights and sidewalks downtown and development of Big Ditch Park and the Visitor Center. MainStreet also rescued and refurbished the historic Silco Theatre (see October 2007 issue). Current initiatives include the downtown "gateway arch" planned for Broadway/Hudson and the Main Street Plaza at Big Ditch Park from 7th to 8th Streets.
The 25th anniversary celebration will include a silent auction, "Silver Shines," on May 15 from 2-4 p.m. at the Silco. According to board member Lucy Whitmarsh, "Auction items will celebrate the history, natural beauty, cultural heritage and diversity of the area." Silver City artists Nancy and John Wachhotz have donated four works of art to the auction. To donate, contact Whitmarsh at 574-8394 or lmwk@dishmail.net Other anniversary activities will begin at 10 a.m. on May 15, wrapping up with a "Social Soire" at Gallery 400 beginning at 7 p.m.
MainStreet will also host a fundraiser this month during the Tour of the Gila. The First Annual Market Street Festival, May 1, will feature vendors and food from Bullard to Arizona on Market Street, starting at 9 a.m., plus live music and a street dance with yo Paulie (12-3 p.m.) and Nuevo Sol (3:30-7 p.m.) and a Wine Garden at Gallery 400 from 12-7 p.m. ($5). For more information, call 534-9005.
Going Green
The Green Chamber of Commerce, whose Las Cruces launch we reported on back in December, has expanded its presence in Silver City. Both chapters were founded late last year, and the Las Cruces branch already boasts more than 500 members, but the Southwest/Silver City area has started to catch up, with more than 100 members and monthly meetings.
Mattie Eagle, owner of the environmentally savvy building-products store Material Good, is coordinating the Southwest New Mexico chapter based in Silver City. "We've so far been focusing on green jobs — how to really get them here and how to work with and expand existing training opportunities — along with local food and buying/thinking local," she explains. "So 'green' is more of a 'green/local economy' definition, and not necessarily all about businesses making green products and services."
According to the chapter's mission statement, the focus is on "Sustainable Economy Communities." That means communities that produce and exchange locally as many products needed by their citizens as they reasonably can, while reaching out to other communities to trade fairly in those products they cannot produce at home. The Green Chamber supports communities' unique character, cultural exchange and cooperation. In public policy, the group advocates for "decentralized ownership of businesses and farms, fair wages, taxes and budget allocations, trade policies benefiting local economies, and stewardship of the natural environment."
In such communities, "citizens appreciate the benefits of buying from sustainable economy businesses and, if necessary, are willing to pay a price premium to secure those personal and community benefits. Investors value businesses that are community stewards and as such accept a 'living return' on their financial investments rather than a maximum return, recognizing the value derived from enjoying a healthy and vibrant community and sustainable global economy." And media outlets "provide sources of news independent of corporate control, so that citizens can make informed decisions in the best interests of their communities and natural environment."
A website for the Green Chamber is currently under development, Eagle says. In the meantime, you can contact her at mattie@materialgood.com In Las Cruces, contact Nick Voges, nickvoges@gmail.com
Coming Attractions
Home Theater Solutions, which closed its store at 2215 S. Main St., is hoping to turn the power button back on at a new Las Cruces location, 1740 Calle de Mercado, sometime this month.
Ground has been broken for a new medical-office and commercial complex on the north side of Lohman Avenue in Las Cruces, between Roadrunner Parkway and Foothills Road. The two-building Taj Construction project, budgeted at about $2 million, will be completed by year's end.
Cashing in on Copper
Despite rumors that Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold might be bringing back some workers to its Grant County operations, New Mexico didn't get mentioned in a recent conference call with the media by CEO Richard Adkerson. The mining giant will, however, be ramping up output at its flagship Morenci copper mine in southeastern Arizona. Output at Morenci had been cut in half in 2008 and 2009 because of weak market conditions. Adkerson told reporters that the mill rate would be boosted to reach a rate of 50,000 short tons a day by 2011.
The news came in the wake of a soaring first-quarter profit report for Freeport-McMoran, which announced $2 a share profits (beating Wall Street expectations of $1.91) on $4.36 billion of revenue. The profit numbers represented a 20-fold jump and led the company to double its dividend.
Send business news to editor@desertexposure.com