Episcopal Church Looks Into Renting Magdalena Building

By John Severance

SOCORRO – Father Woody Peabody, the pastor at Epiphany Episcopal Church, addressed the Socorro County Commission Tuesday, Nov. 24, wondering about the status of 202 Spruce Building in Magdalena as a place of worship.
County manager Delilah Walsh said the building currently is vacant and it had been used by road crews and commissioner Philip Anaya said it was the old senior center.
Vice chair Daniel Monette said Walsh would look into it.
“We have to go through a realtor and assess the real-market value and come up with a rent,” Monette said.
Peabody said this week they are going to pursue renting the facility. “We will take a look at it and see if it is affordable,” Peabody said.
About 12 to 16 people worship with Peabody on the third Sunday of each month at the Presbyterian Community Church.
“The building used to be an Episcopal Church back in the 1950s or so,” Peabody said. “They said they would get back to us in about 30 days but with the holidays, I don’t expect to hear back until the first of the year. We will have a meeting and work it out by the hour. And if we grow, we can buy more time.”
Two days before Thanksgiving and with chair Rosie Tripp not in attendance, the commission approved a number of items but also tabled a few as well.
The board approved:
•Keith Banks as a Land Use Commissioner and Walsh pointed out there still is another opening on the board.
•A project 10-AL-165-095, which is an agreement between NMDOT and the Socorro County Sheriff’s Office. The grant is used to pay for DUI checkpoints and police saturation in the area. “It’s the same grant we apply for every year and it is just time to renew,” sheriff Philip Montoya told the commissioners.
• Approved a sick leave buyout, a telecommuting policy, a telephonic participation by commissioners and a travel policy for county employees.
•Approved a rental agreement with Wagner Equipment Company in which the county will pay $1,800 per month for new motor graders.
The county also tabled:
•A consideration of a special senior performance of Merry-Achi Christmas.
•Discussion of changes to the public nuisance ordinance.
•A agreement with the Socorro Electric Co-op, which dealt with a fiber line project.

Episcopal Church Looks Into Renting Magdalena Building