SUN Staff Report

The message was clear: “Keep litter out of our territory.” It’s a phrase that’s plastered on city buses and heard on commercials throughout the state, and feature characters from the “Breaking Bad” TV series that was filmed in New Mexico and starred Bryan Cranston as Walter White, along with a cast of characters that included Daniel and Luis Moncada, better known as the Salamanca cousins.

The Moncadas joined Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham Friday in Española, to promote a two-day statewide litter event, ahead of Earth Day. The trio visited Ranchitos Park as part of the Española Clean Up, held from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. They traveled to Taos later that afternoon for the Eco Park Clean Up and went to Los Lunas and Socorro on Saturday.

Española Mayor Dennis Tim Salazar, District 1 City Councilor Aaron Salazar and District 4 City Council Member Samuel LeDoux attended the Friday event at Ranchitos Park, along with Ohkay Owingeh Governor Benny Lujan and Northern New Mexico College President Hector Balderas, among others.

Cleanup events took place across the state on Friday and Saturday, but the governor was not scheduled to attend those.