The new year has begun, and the Village of Questa has some exciting news about grants we have been awarded. Mayor Ortega and the Village staff have been working diligently to secure funding through grants to not only improve its different departments but also the community of Questa as a whole.

We are honored to announce the Friends of the Questa Public Library has been awarded $56,000. The funding will be used to create beautiful landscaping behind the Questa Library, which will include benches, flowers, walkways, and a much-needed trail to Questa High School, so students can safely walk to the library and the Municipal Park. They come after school for study groups or a little reading time, and also enjoy being outside at the park. We are excited to see the result of this project and we hope that the entire community will enjoy it when it is completed. The Questa Public Library also received $175,000 from Congressional Direct Spending to be used for major repairs to the library and its new parking lot.

Questa Fire Captain Michael Cordova applied for a grants, and we are pleased to report he was awarded $300,000 for a new water tender for the Questa Fire Department as well as $15,000 for fire retention. The water tender is used for both wildland and structural fires in areas where water hydrants are unavailable. Questa has wonderful volunteer firefighters, and we are very thankful to have them in the community.

They work hard to ensure safety and security when the need arises.

The VOQ was awarded $20,000 from the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) for grant writing. The Village also received a $112,454 Quality-of-Life Grant, for a new playground structure for the Municipal Park, which will be fully equipped with new equipment, accessories, and lots of fun add-ons.

The Village of Questa is looking forward to making the most in service in the new year and all the opportunities presented.