‘Good Neighbor’ nominations due

The Santa Fe Association of Realtors (SFAR) is seeking nominations for its first annual Good Neighbor Award. The program recognizes Realtors who’ve made an extraordinary impact through volunteer community service. One winner will be announced in December at SFAR’s annual membership meeting and will be featured in this monthly column and other media outreach. The winner will receive a $1,000 grant for his or her community cause, along with local publicity. The winner will be encouraged to apply for the National Association of Realtors annual Good Neighbor Award.

“Realtors are working harder than ever to make a difference in their communities through volunteer work,” said SFAR’s president, Kurt Hill, qualifying broker with Adobes & Dirt, LLC. “For almost two decades, nationally, more than 180 Good Neighbors have shown outstanding dedication to their causes, which has had a tremendous impact on their neighbors and community. We are delighted to have an opportunity to start a local program recognizing Realtors here in Santa Fe.”

Anyone can nominate a Good Neigh- bor. Common examples include the nominee’s qualifying broker, a colleague, a spouse, or a representative from the charity. Many candidates nominate themselves; however, the nominee must be a Realtor and a current member of the association in good standing.

Our Good Neighbor Award is generously supported byWells Fargo Home Mortgage and the Santa Fe Association of Realtors. Good Neighbor Award entries must be received by Nov. 9, 2018. To learnmore about the program, how candidates will be scored, and to access an electronic entry form, visit www.sfar.com.

In more good news, SFAR was grateful for the recent media attention given to the Louis Montaño Park Mural Restoration Project. The project has now attracted volunteer support from Art for Change and Danza Tonantzin de Analco, a local dance group that regularly meets at the park.

About three years ago, the Santa Fe Association of Realtors partnered with the City of Santa Fe, the Boys& Girls Club of Santa Fe/Del Norte, the Historic Guadalupe community, the Community Learning Network, and the City of Santa Fe Arts Commission to repaint and refurbish the existing murals at the park. We’d like to recognize the Realtor volunteers who participated from the association and affiliate members who donated water and snacks; the Santa Fe Arts Commission, which provided $500 in funding for paint and supplies; and the City of Santa Fe Parks Division staffmembers for their time repairing the existing stucco and other park maintenance. The association extends its appreciation to these groups as well as to councilors Signe Lindell, Roman Abeyta, and Renee Villarreal for their personal efforts to support the mural-restoration project. This team of volunteers and helpers could not have taken on this project without the original muralist, Carlos Cervantes, guiding the process.

In the first phase of the project, the SFAR received a $2,300 Placemaking micro-grant from the National Association of Realtors thatwas used to build a reading chair and free library in the park. A special shout out to the youth painters from the Boys and Girls Club, Hannah Riseley-White for helping coordinate the youth mural painting, Sam Ulibarri for building the reading chair, and the Literacy Volunteers of Santa Fe for helping to fund and build the free library. These placemaking grants are intended to help Realtor Associations partner with others to plan, organize, implement and maintain placemaking activities in their communities and they work.

The renewed and refreshed Louis Montaño Park is a wonderful achievement for the Santa Fe community.

Rubel “Paco” Arguello is a Santa Fe native and chief executive of the Santa Fe Association of Realtors.