Portales Beautification Project

By: Amber Knox

 

There are people in this world who see a problem and are inspired to make a plan and be the change they want to see. Mike Davidson had been looking for ways for volunteers to help with trash and weed cleanup in Portales. When he saw a photo of his friend, Gary Watkins, alone in City Park pulling sticker patches, he knew he couldn’t let Gary do it alone. Thus, the Portales Beautification Project was born. In July of 2024 the Facebook page was born and there are now over 500 members.

According to the group page the mission of the Portales Beautification Project is, “to revitalize our town and create a community we can all take pride in. In a time when everything seems to require so much money, we believe that volunteer efforts are an effective and affordable way to make a significant impact on how our community looks. Through dedicated volunteers, the ‘Trash Talkers’ will work together to clean up parks, remove weeds, and support our community through various service projects. Let’s make Portales a cleaner, more vibrant place to live. Get involved, make a difference, and take pride in our town!”

The volunteers’ focus includes parks, baseball fields, the cemetery, and more. “When weather permits, we announce when we will be at a certain place. Folks are welcome to join us at those times and obviously they can operate on their own. They can follow our progress on Portales Beautification Project on Facebook. That is also the best place to message me for labor or money donations,” Davidson said.

Their big project is at the cemetery: “When we reached the cemetery, I walked over to Babyland, and it captured my heart. Many graves were covered up, and many had broken or missing markers. I knew we could make a difference. We’ve uncovered probably 30 or more markers, identified the names of several with missing information, and potentially identified two unknowns. In the general cemetery, we’ve discovered a veteran’s grave, a baby’s grave, and a family of three unmarked graves, along with quite a few that had most of the information worn away. Honestly, the detective work is kind of enjoyable to me,” Davidson explained.

Davidson makes the grave markers himself, “As I sit here now, I have about eight markers finished and am about to make a few more. I usually spread out the materials on the coffee table and make them while listening to the news. I’ll probably take the first batch out next week and put them in place.”

For those who want to help, Davidson suggests that volunteers take a walk through the cemetery and pick up the flower pieces that have blown off graves and the trash that the winds bring in. The parks and ball fields also have trash that blows in and needs picking up.

Davidson knows not everyone is physically able or has the time, but says, “For those who want to help but can’t physically, covering expenses is another way to support us. Both Gary and I have been each going through more than a full reel of weed trimmer line each week, and we’ve both burned through our personal weed eaters from using them every day. The cost of markers also adds up. We’ll always base our projects on what we can personally afford, but I don’t think we’ll be turning down any donations.”

So far, they have received donations from a friend and Ace Hardware. And over the last week, several residents have offered to sponsor some of the grave markers.

Our community is full of people who take pride in our town and the Portales Beautification Project is an opportunity to be part of the change you want to see. Search them out on Facebook to see photos of how they have helped Portales look its best.

(photo courtesy of Betty  Williamson)