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Council postpones Old Pecos Trail vote
The Santa Fe City Council will resume discussion at its first meeting in January regarding a controversial development plan for Old Pecos Trail. The Council voted at about 11 pm last night to pause the hearing, following a long night of testimony regarding the proposal, which would rezone approximately 9.59 acres—as recommended by the Planning Commission last summer—to allow for a 25-lot subdivision. Residents have expressed concern about traffic, as well as the corridor’s designation as a scenic roadway. “I don’t think given the level of interest and concern, I don’t think you want this governing body voting on this at 2:30 in the morning,” Mayor Alan Webber said, noting that while postponing until next year was “inconvenient,” doing so would “render a much better process and a much better outcome, regardless of the outcome, it won’t be done at 3 in the morning with exhausted residents and exhausted Council members.” Webber also requested residents who had testified last night return to the Jan. 11 hearing; Council members agreed that perhaps having the hearing earlier in the night at its next meeting—it was the final item on last night’s agenda—might help curtail another late night. The mayor and councilors also named specific people from the hearing they hope will return to answer questions.
HSD: Medicaid top priority
The state Human Services Department yesterday submitted its 2024 fiscal year budget request: $1.6 billion, along with an additional $8.4 billion in federal funds the department intends to use to help the more than 1 million New Mexicans whose Medicaid and food assistance will decline when the federal COVID-19 public health emergency designation ends. HSD, which presented its plans yesterday to the Legislative Finance Committee, is proposing five program expansions, along with plans to strengthen Medicaid, expand behavioral health services and comply with federal infrastructure requirements. “Our mission is to transform the lives of the 1,088,981 New Mexicans we serve through our programs and services, and now we have the opportunity to develop a new Medicaid waiver to drive transformation in healthcare,” HSD Secretary Dr. David Scrase said in a statement. “HSD has a once in a century opportunity to fund measurable improvements in health outcomes as every state dollar in Medicaid generates an additional $3.52 in a federal match—it’s a great investment that can dramatically strengthen our healthcare system that has served New Mexico so valiantly during the pandemic.” Medicaid came under review earlier this week following the release of a legislative accountability report on the program that found “Medicaid enrollees face significant barriers accessing timely and adequate healthcare.”
Pediatric COVID-19 boosters arriving in NM
The state health department announced yesterday pediatric-focused COVID-19 boosters will be arriving in New Mexico this week. The news follows the recent approval by the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for updated (bivalent) COVID-19 vaccines targeting the Omicron variant for children ages 6 months through 5 years. “This is great news as more children have the opportunity to get the most up-to-date protection from COVID-19 variants,” DOH Deputy Secretary Dr. Laura Parajón said in a statement. “Vaccines are our best defense against severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID. Now is the time to make sure the entire family is up-to-date so we can have the best protection for the winter holidays.” Children 6 months through 5 years of age who received the original Moderna COVID-19 vaccine are eligible to receive a single booster of the updated Moderna COVID-19 vaccine two months after completing a primary series. Children 6 months through 4 years of age who have not yet received the third dose of their primary series will now receive the updated Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine as the third dose in their primary series. Those in that age group who have already completed their three-dose primary series with the original Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine will not be eligible for a booster dose at this time. Parents and caregivers can schedule their children’s vaccines here.
COVID-19 by the numbers
Reported Dec. 14: New cases: 440; 654,144 total cases. According to the most recent report on geographic trends for the week of Dec. 5-11, the state had a nearly 21% decrease in reported cases compared to the prior week. Deaths: six; Santa Fe County has had 375 total deaths; 8,755; total fatalities statewide. Statewide hospitalizations: 208. Patients on ventilators: eight.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent Dec. 8 “community levels” map, which uses a combination of hospital and case rate metrics to calculate COVID-19 risk for the prior seven-day period, shows eight counties categorized as “orange”—high risk—for COVID-19, versus three last week. They are: Cibola, Guadalupe, McKinley, Otero, San Juan, San Miguel, Torrance and Valencia. Santa Fe County remains “green,” classified as lower risk. Twelve counties are “yellow,” with medium risk. Corresponding recommendations for each level can be found here.
Resources: CDC interactive booster eligibility tool; NM DOH vaccine & booster registration; CDC isolation and exposure interactive tool; Curative testing sites; COVID-19 treatment info; NMDOH immunocompromised tool kit. People seeking treatment who do not have a medical provider can call NMDOH’s COVID-19 hotline at 1-855-600-3453. DOH encourages residents to download the NM Notify app and to report positive COVID-19 home tests on the app.
You can read all of SFR’s COVID-19 coverage here.
Listen up
CNN recently looked at the impact climate change is having on the ski industry, where warmer temperatures threaten ski resorts’ primary resource (snow), and where the resorts themselves are undertaking green initiatives to mitigate energy consumption. On a recent edition of the New Mexico News podcast, hosts Gabrielle Burkhart and Chris McKee of KRQE News 13 talk with Ski New Mexico Executive Director George Brooks about the 2022/2023 season for the state’s eight ski areas, particularly in the aftermath of the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon wildfire, which threatened Sipapu Ski and Summer Resort. “Even though we all are worried about what’s going to go on, we believe we can produce a good ski result on the slopes,” Brooks said. “We’re still very optimistic.”
Turquoise fashion
When Sicilian designer Fausto Puglisi debuted his first collection for Robert Cavalli last year, he told Paper magazine he wanted to keep the look “very focused on what’s going on now in the world” (while holding onto the animal prints). For his pre-fall 2023 collection unveiled this month, Vogue magazine reports Puglisi relied on his “muses”: Georgia O’Keeffe and Millicent Rogers. “New Mexico is the link between them,” Vogue notes, “both women called it home.” And Puglisi made a trip to the Southwest earlier this year, an influence notable in the collection: “Its turquoise jewelry accessorizes many of his pre-fall looks, and he used the veined blue stone to inspire the vivid color of floaty chiffon dresses.” Beyond that, the “sharply tailored pieces in Prince of Wales checks, and double-face cashmere coats” would have been useful to Rogers, Vogue writes, “in her pre-New Mexico days as a New York socialite.” Puglisi also hat-tips New Mexico in several Instagram posts highlighting looks from the pre-fall collection.
Catch the rainbow
My Modern Met spotlights Albuquerque-based ceramicist Christine Tenenholtz, whose “array of rainbow-colored creations inspires joy and evokes happy childhood memories.” Tenenholtz has made ceramics for 30 years, and tells My Modern Met her process has changed over time. “Now that I’m older, I’m choosing to make whatever feels fun and inspiring at the moment. That’s pretty much my creative ethos these days. I will get an idea to combine lines and color in a graphic way on a piece, and I may do some sketching or test glaze colorways, but I don’t really know what to expect until I hold the fired piece in my hands, or view it on the table in a grouping of from 10 feet away, or drink from a cup that I’ve made.” Tenenholtz will be having a mug and cup sale starting Dec. 17 for those noticing how much of her online inventory has sold out. And speaking of local pottery (and art, jewelry and other goods), be sure to plan on attending Vital Spaces Winter Market from 4 to 9 pm this Friday in the Farmers Market Pavilion to finish (or start) your holiday shopping. Catch a preview of the participating artists here.
Out in the cold
This cold snap continues today, with the National Weather Service forecasting mostly sunny skies with a high temperature near 35 degrees, but wind chill values as low as zero—with similar conditions for at least the next few days. North wind 10 to 15 mph will become west in the afternoon.
Thanks for reading! The Word found all of the photographs chosen by Nature magazine as the best science photos of 2022 stunning, but particularly loved the floral coral.
