July 22, 2008 - Day 1 of the ROUNDHOUSE ON THE ROAD Tour

My Roundhouse on the Road tour began bright and early Tuesday morning. Although I was anxious to get on the road and meet with people, my first task was to get the word out. At 6:00 am I had early morning television and radio interviews to let people know we were on the way. Then we loaded up the bus and got on the road at about 6:30 am.

Santa Rosa:

In Santa Rosa, I had breakfast at Joseph's Restaurant with Representative and Mayor Jose Campos, city officials and several community leaders. After a hearty breakfast, we drove down the street and parked our mobile office in front of the Santa Rosa City Hall to host the first office hours of the tour. We were busy right away! I met with various people on many issues, but the most common concern was health care access. Santa Rosa is in dire need of a new hospital. Local, county and state officials from the area are all making this their number one priority and will be requesting capital outlay in the next regular legislative session to get this new hospital built.
I also had the opportunity to tour the local Santa Rosa senior center. The seniors were enjoying their catfish lunch, and I hear a lot about the need for a retirement home in the community.

Fort Sumner:

Fort Sumner is one of the oldest towns in New Mexico and it was great to visit this historic town again. I met with city officials, local leaders and constituents for lunch at the public library. The primary issue we discussed was expansion of the Melrose Bombing Range. Towards the end of lunch, I was given a collection of cactus in a green pot. The pot is made of a combination of concrete and some recycled biomass. The pots and plants in combination make up one of the projects being done at the local high school; the plants and pots that are made and grown by the students are then sold in a local shop. Before leaving town, I stopped at a local store for a coke float and to further connect with the residents of Fort Sumner.

Melrose:

After Fort Sumner, I proceeded to Melrose. Melrose is home to one of the most elderly populations and the youngest mayor in New Mexico. In Melrose, I met with the Mayor and about 30 citizens at the senior center. What a great crowd! I spent some time introducing myself and taking general questions from the crowd before meeting with them in small groups to discuss their concerns. One issue that continued to surface was the need for a local clinic to help treat minor injuries or infections. When the meetings were concluded I traveled to Clovis for the night.

Clovis:

It was a long first day but I can't tell you how much fun I am having. I get to do a lot of interesting things as Lt. Governor, but one of the most enjoyable is getting to sit down and visit with people from all around the state in their own communities. This was a great first day and I'm looking forward to the rest of the trip, including more time in Clovis and Portales.
Check back tomorrow for more updates from the ROUNDHOUSE ON THE ROAD TOUR.