The Santa Fe Reporter’s 50th year was anything but uneventful, and year 51 appears to have just handed its predecessor a beer. Yeah, sure the official start of SFR’s 51st year is further down the calendar, but if you’re reading this then that means we’ve successfully moved offices whilst publishing between holidays with a brand-new art director. Forgive me if my reach for poetic license lacks, like, poetry.
Did I mention we’ve moved?. That’s right, our new home is among the Shops at Design Center. Its proximity to the Roundhouse will make this year’s 60-day session a lot easier to cover and trips to Cleopatra Cafe for falafel more frequent.
This first issue of 2025 is also the last for some folks who’ve given heart, soul and unerring professionalism to SFR. The first issue of the new year is the last issue for an Evan Chandler byline. Evan, who took a job at a St. Louis business journal to move closer to friends and family, left us with what might be his best work in two years at the Santa Fe Reporter. Don’t miss their cover story about the tragic death of Gracen Coon. Evan, who also covered the Alec Baldwin trial and local elections, will be sorely missed. We wish them success in the Midwest. Mo Charnot will take over coverage of city politics and local crime.
We also said farewell to Brianna Kirkland, our longtime Digital Services Manager. On top of making sure sfreporter.com was always updated and looking its best, Bri oversaw dispersal of our newsletters and found time to back up our production team. We will miss her dearly and wish her only the best.
Finally, SFR says goodbye to its longtime Circulation Manager, Andy Bramble. Andy and his wife make their home in Madrid. There, they operate a school and train people in alternative energy practices. SFR has been Andy’s side-hustle for a while now, and he recently informed us that after 16 years, he needs to give full attention to his work at home.
The legacy of those hardworking, big-hearted people plus a lengthy list of contributors, advertisers, philanthropic grants and everyday donors inspire us to work even harder going forward. If SFR can survive a global pandemic, there’s no reason to believe it can’t thrive in the wake of holidays, staff changes, democracy in death throes and a move.
Help is on the way to SFR from our parent company Ctrl-P, which will bring expanded coverage of the goings-on at the Capitol as New Mexico’s crystal-blue persuasion braces for the oncoming MAGA-Musk circus.
How a circus long on promises, short on entertainment and very expensive to prop up impacts New Mexico will be among our chief concerns in 2025. But SFR’s main focus is right here in Santa Fe. In my short time in the high desert, it’s been made clear through your letters and what’s in plain sight that the No. 1 issue here is housing. The dearth of affordable housing and the striking number of people with none at all are directly related.
The first question we’ll try to answer is a simple one: who cares?
A lot of people care enough to write emails of concern or social media posts of alarm. Some folks even care enough to share their concerns with elected officials. But who cares enough to share more than words? Who makes it their business? Their career? Who cares enough to volunteer? Donate clothing, food or money? Are you willing to make the kind of sacrifices that might slow the escalation of property values? Prioritize the bottom line after affecting social change? If so, you’re the kind of people SFR would like to talk to.
SFR still relies on donations to operate. Now is a great time to become a Friend of the Reporter. Your tax-deductible donations help ensure Santa Fe’s middle-aged alternative weekly can continue to provide coverage of overlooked stories and people often ignored by the daily news well into its golden years.
Dave Cathey/Editor
dave@sfreporter.com
