When you care about a place, you take care of it.
That idea is nothing new in Questa. For generations, local families have invested their time, skills, and hard work in the places they share. Sometimes that means taking on a big challenge. Other times, it means fixing something small to make a familiar place safer, more welcoming, or simply something the community can be proud of.
Two upcoming projects in Questa, supported by the LOR Foundation, demonstrate how Questeños are once again putting that spirit into action.
We’re all familiar with the intersection of Highways 522 and 38—one of Questa’s most visible gateways—and we know it has seen better days. The brickwork is dated, weeds have taken over, and the clock hasn’t worked for years. Simply put, it doesn’t reflect the community we know and love.
So, the Village of Questa and the Questa Economic Development Fund formed a volunteer Beautification Committee, and a committee member brought an idea to LOR: improve the intersection with water-wise landscaping and features honoring Questa’s mining and agricultural roots. LOR provided $25,000 to help cover the work and materials, including rock, boulders, grading, and drip irrigation.
Keep an eye out in the coming months as the work gets underway. As the improvements take shape, we hope they’ll serve as a reminder that this project is about more than making an intersection look nicer. It’s about taking pride in a village where generations of people have worked hard to build their lives and raise their families—and about making sure one of the first things people see when they arrive reflects that pride.
That same spirit is behind another upcoming project at the Questa Public Library.
The library belongs to everyone, from kids and families to longtime residents. But its front entrance often becomes muddy, creating an unsafe and unwelcoming approach for those who use it. A board member of the Friends of the Questa Public Library saw a practical problem and stepped forward with a solution: improve the landscaping to create a safer, more accessible entrance for everyone.
The Friends had already raised $6,000 from the community, and LOR contributed an additional $10,000 for gravel, landscaping materials, equipment, and labor. Once the work is complete, the library will have an entrance that reflects the care it has for its patrons before they even step through the door.
That’s what investing in Questa can look like.
It doesn’t always require a huge project, but it should always start with local people who know their community well enough to recognize its needs.
Maybe you know a park or gathering place that could use some attention. Maybe there’s something that would make life a little easier for local families, kids, or older neighbors. If you’ve found yourself thinking, “Someone ought to do something about that,” LOR Foundation wants to hear your idea.
You don’t need to submit a formal application or know exactly how to make it happen. Every request for support starts with a simple conversation, and most eligible projects receive funding in under 30 days—so there’s still time to turn an idea into action before the end of the year.
Questa belongs to the people who call it home. What would you do to make it even better? To start a conversation, contact Questa Community Officer Maria Gonzalez at maria@lorfoundation.org or visit LORFoundation.org.
