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It’s Thursday, June 17, 2021
New Mexico Coronavirus Medical Hotline: 855-600-3453Non-health-related concerns: 833-551-0518Cope with COVID-19 Crisis Counseling: 505-954-1057New Mexico Vaccine Call Center: 1-855-600-3453
COVID-19 by the numbers
New Mexico health officials Wednesday reported 82 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the statewide total so far to 204,472. Bernalillo County led with 22 new cases and San Juan County followed with 11 cases. Santa Fe County had three new cases.
The state also announced three additional deaths, including one from Santa Fe County; there have now been 4,305 fatalities.New Mexico isn’t likely to hit its 60% vaccine goal by today’s target date—but it is coming very close, with just 21,307 shots to go, health officials said in a public address yesterday. Currently, 67.7% of New Mexicans have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 58.7% are fully vaccinated.
You can read all of SFR’s COVID-19 coverage here. If you’ve had experiences with COVID-19, we would like to hear from you.
Shot in the art arm
The Institute of American Indian Arts Museum of Contemporary Arts is $3 million richer thanks to a donation from MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. Scott wrote yesterday on Medium announcing the gifts she made with her new husband Dan Jewett about three weeks ago to MoCNA and 285 others. “These funds will support MoCNA’s goals to continue to showcase and advance the most progressive contemporary Indigenous arts and cultures through experimental and innovative expression. This gift allows the staff to think strategically to plan for our future and will continue to embolden the museum to support and empower others,” reads a statement from MoCNA Director Patsy Phillips. Last year, Scott gave IAIA $5 million. She has said she will give away most of her fortune during her lifetime and noted in the blog post that while she knew media would likely focus on wealth, she hoped they would instead tell a story of empowerment. “People struggling against inequities deserve center stage in stories about change they are creating,” Scott wrote. “This is equally—perhaps especially—true when their work is funded by wealth. Any wealth is a product of a collective effort that included them. The social structures that inflate wealth present obstacles to them. And despite those obstacles, they are providing solutions that benefit us all.”
Wilderness fire stays put
The Rincon Fire continues to burn at an elevation of about 11,000 feet near Hamilton Mesa in the Pecos Wilderness Area and has grown to about 531 acres. Trails and roads in the area are closed. While the US Forest Service warns weather and fuel conditions create the potential for increased fire activity, Operations Section Chief Buck Wickham said in an update video Wednesday that firefighters hope to keep the blaze west of the Rio Mora and called it a natural “understory burn” caused by lightning. The agency has added protective material to the historic Beatty Cabin and is developing contingency plans about other resources. Forest officials will hold a community meeting tonight at 8 pm at Mora High School and online.
Detox expansion
The number of beds available for people in Santa Fe who want to safely stop using drugs and alcohol is set to soon double with the opening of a county-owned detox center. The Santa Fe Recovery Center will operate the facility on Galisteo Street where the city and county formerly ran the Care Connection program. The new effort includes full-time medical staff and both the government and private providers have plans for expansion. There will be space for 27 people to safely withdraw from drugs and alcohol starting in the next week or two, up from the 15 beds the county has now.
Listen up
The week marks the 50th anniversary of a historic event at Albuquerque’s Roosevelt Park that rings with as much resonance today. Listen to archival audio from KUNM recorded on June 13 and 14, 1971, when a riot fueled by decades of racism and police abuse against Albuquerque’s Chicano community led to the presence of the National Guard. The story features news coverage by former KUNM staff Bill Dix and Mike Colvin, as well as Attorney General David Norvell, Lt. Governor Roberto Mondragon and Chicano movement activists.
Compassionate death law begins
Tomorrow is the effective date of New Mexico’s aid-in-dying law, the Elizabeth Whitefield End-of-Life Options Act. The law, named after a judge who died from cancer, allows terminally ill patients to obtain prescriptions to self-administer and was the product of years of legislative advocacy, including attempts in 2017 and 2019 before this year’s passage. The nonprofit End of Life Options New Mexico includes a broad steering committee of professionals who work in the area and is offering information and guidance as the law takes effect. “Our values include respecting each individual’s end-of-life choices in a compassionate and non-judgmental manner,” says Barak Wolff, board chair, in a statement. “We know there are seriously ill and dying New Mexicans anxious to learn more about medical aid in dying. We have already been getting many questions and requests for assistance from folks wanting to understand this new law.” Learn more at its website.
Out of the kitchen
Finding the right place to grab a bite or enjoy a leisurely meal are skills that might be rusty for some of us after the last year. SFR’s newest online Restaurant Directory gives a neighborhood look at Santa Fe’s culinary options, plus icons to indicate whether outdoor seating is available. And/or if eating at home is more your style, perhaps consider something for the backyard grill from the protein selection at Dr. Field Goods Butcher Shop and Deli. SFR’s Alex De Vore interviews head butcher Gabe Archuletta. “First off, we do whole animals. We get them from a farmer, locally sourced—it’s sustainable agriculture. We pick them up ourselves, I butcher them in-house from head to tail. Most grocery stores, pretty much all big box ones, are getting meat sent in boxes and they cut them on a bandsaw. I think it takes a bit more knowledge to do this,” he says.
So much heat
Four straight days of temperatures in the triple digits have led to a heat advisory in Farmington for another 100-degree day today. So that makes Santa Fe’s predicted high of 90 feel fine, right? The National Weather Service forecast calls for similar temps here through Sunday. No chance of rain is predicted today, but it returns Friday at 20%.
Thanks for reading! The Word thought this New Yorker essay on “Eavesdropping through the Pandemic” by Sarah Larson was spot-on. Contributions to SFR’s weekly Eavesdropper feature suffered during the pandemic, but they are making a comeback. Send yours to overheard@sfreporter.com.
