11 make Boys Town trip

Copyright © 2008
Gallup Independent
By Helen Davis
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — Eleven people from Grants who have an interest in a possible juvenile treatment center will visit the site of the 1917 Father Flanagan’s original Boys Town, now a youth treatment facility, in Nebraska this weekend.

The city of Grants expects to send Councilmen Fred Rodarte, Ron Ortiz and T. Walter Jaramillo; Rodarte’s son, Recreation Board member Brendon Rodarte and Chief of Police Steve Sena to look at the treatment center.

Mayor Joe Murietta said Tuesday night that he did not know how much the trip would cost the city, but could supply the information. The trip will be the third for some members of the council.

The younger Rodarte was approved as a board representative to the Omaha treatment facility on Monday evening in a special recreation board meeting. Horacek said he set up the meeting after discussing with the mayor last week the possibility of sending a recreation board member to look at Boys Town.

No other city boards were approached to send representatives, but Horacek said they city would pay if boards wanted to send a member.

City Manager Robert Horacek said the trip will cost the city approximately $3,750; no numbers are immediately available for the cost of previous trips taken by Rodarte and Jaramillo. The cost covers airfare and a per diem for each city representative.

Horacek said representatives going on the trip were selected by invitation.

Rodate has been coordinating trips to Boys Town to study the treatment facility because the city has been approached about the possibility of some type of Boys Town affiliated home or center being set up on 1,000 acres in Grants currently owned by developer Frank W. Sipan. Horacek,

Rodarte and the mayor say it is too early in the process to say what kind of potential facility is envisioned, how it would affect the community or specifically who it would serve.

Others expected to be on the plane for Omaha are County Commissioner Antonio “Tony” Gallegos; Laura Malaj of Futures Foundations Family Center; Elizabeth Rodarte, Councilman Rodarte’s wife; Jessica Hunter, teacher and Beth Armstead, vice president of students services at New Mexico State University-Grants.

Each agency is responsible for the cost of its representatives. City funds will not be used to cover expenses for Elizabeth Rodarte.