artdirector@sfreporter.com
Morning Word
House speaker announces new public safety initiative
With the possibility of a special legislative session still pending, Speaker of the House Javier Martinez, D-Albuquerque, yesterday announced he will be convening public and law enforcement officials, along with community advocates, to develop policy proposals to address public safety and behavioral health needs in Albuquerque and statewide. According to a news release, one of the group’s “primary charges” will be developing proposals to help inform lawmakers in advance of next year’s 60-day session to improve both the criminal justice and behavioral health care systems, and ensure the availability of mental health treatment to those in need. “In recent sessions, we’ve made significant progress to keep dangerous individuals off of our streets, keep firearms out of the wrong hands, and increase penalties for violent offenses, while also working to address the root cause of crime. But we know more work needs to be done,” Martinez said in a statement. “We’re going to keep bringing together all stakeholders, including our grassroots community leaders, to tackle crime from all angles and put forward meaningful solutions that improve public safety throughout New Mexico.” The group will meet throughout the legislative interim, according to the news release, which also quotes numerous supporters such as Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller, District Attorney Sam Bregman and New Mexico Supreme Court Justice Briana H. Zamora “We all want to make our communities safer,” Zamora said in a statement. “We also want to make sure that when our neighbors are struggling with substance use or mental health issues, they can get the help they need. Connecting the dots between law enforcement, the judiciary, community leaders, and policymakers is exactly what we need to develop effective solutions that will make a meaningful difference for families across our state.”
Following the end of the most recent legislative session, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said she considered the public safety agenda “incomplete” and would be considering a special session. The governor’s communications director, Michael Coleman, tells SFR that remains the case. “The governor welcomes input from Speaker Martinez, members of the law enforcement community and others as she continues her work to make New Mexico safer place,” Coleman writes via email. “Gov. Lujan Grisham appreciates the Speaker’s recognition that this is an area that requires our attention. The governor is still reviewing bills passed during the 30-day legislative session to determine if a special session is warranted. The possibility of a special session certainly remains on the table.” The governor has until March 6 to sign legislation.
Rust jurors see Gutierrez-Reed in video following shooting
“Welcome to the worst day of my life,” former Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed said to Santa Fe County Corporal Alexandra Hancock following the Oct. 21, 2021 fatal on-set shooting that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Jurors viewed and heard Gutierrez-Reed yesterday, the fourth day of Gutierrez-Reed’s trial on charges of involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering, via Hancock’s body-camera recording as she accompanied Gutierrez-Reed to use the restroom. “I can’t believe Alec Baldwin was holding the gun,” Gutierrez-Reed told Hancock. “That’s so f**ked.” Analysis of the gun—a .45 Colt revolver Baldwin says he didn’t fire—has been a focus of this week’s testimony, along with the dummy bullets, boxes of which were tested for fingerprints with varying degrees of success. Hancock, whose testimony continues today, told jurors the live ammunition found on the set following the shooting did not match live ammunition from PDQ Arm & Prop owner Seth Kenney, from whom Gutierrez-Reed said she received the ammunition. Kenney is expected to testify in the trial, which as of press time has included 17 witnesses for the state, with as many as 29 more expected. Yesterday’s witnesses also included New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator Chief Medical Examiner Heather Jarrell, who performed Hutchins’ autopsy and classified the cause of death as an accidental gunshot wound. If convicted of the charges against her, Gutierrez-Reed faces up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine. Baldwin’s trial begins July 10.
Worst-case scenarios
“In the life cycle of a disaster, there are four phases. Preparedness, Response, Recovery and Mitigation. Mitigation is the planning and actions that occur when no danger is in sight, intending to reduce or eliminate future events’ impacts.” We learned this from the opening paragraph of a Santa Fe County survey intended to help officials update the county’s Hazard Mitigation Plan. Santa Fe County has put out a call for public participation to that end and will hold public meetings March 6 and March 7; and a virtual one on March 14. “Public engagement is critical to the success of hazard mitigation planning,” Fire Chief Jacob Black said in a statement. “These meetings also provide a great opportunity for the public to learn about the county’s emergency management, mitigation and response efforts.” The survey addresses participants’ experiences with natural disasters, concerns about future disasters and asks them to select potential hazards they consider the largest local threats, such as wildfires and earthquakes. More details on various hazards can be found in prior versions of the county’s hazard mitigation plan—the most recent one we could find on the county’s website was approved in 2018. The survey also asks participants to evaluate various ways local government can prioritize/reduce or eliminate hazards, such as restricting development in hazard-prone areas and providing property owners with information on how to minimize damage to their homes.
State Parks Division proposes fee changes
The State Parks division is proposing several changes to its rules and fee structures, which have not kept up with inflation, according to a news release. The division oversees 35 locations in all 33 New Mexico counties and says fee adjustments are needed “to better support park operations and maintain our beautiful landscapes with diverse natural and cultural resources for future generations.” A recently completed fee study by the division recommends eliminating day-use fees for New Mexico residents, however, and implementing ones for non-residents. The recommendations also include: eliminating annual passes; adjusting camping, utility, boat registration and launching fees; and adjusting entrance fees at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park, as well as at Smokey Bear Historical Park. The state is now soliciting public input on these revisions, which can be reviewed here. Written comments will be accepted until March 29 and fees will not change until July 1. To submit comments on the proposed revisions, email EMNRD-ParksComments@emnrd.nm.gov or mail comments to EMNRD-State Parks Division, 1220 S. St. Francis Dr., Santa Fe, NM 87505. A public hearing on the proposed changes is scheduled for 6 pm, April 1 in Pecos Hall at the Wendell Chino Building.
Listen up
The most recent episode of the Untapped New York podcast delves into a ubiquitous topic of late—Manhattan Project founder physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer—but focuses on less familiar stomping grounds: New York City, where Oppenheimer spent his early life. Worry not: The episode also connects New York to New Mexico, and interviews Oppenheimer production designer and Oscar nominee Ruth de Jong about creating the film’s sets and filming here.
The big picture
Wealth of Geeks parses the ins and outs of the multi-billion dollar museum industry as a “tourism powerhouse,” opening with thoughts from New Mexico Museum of Art Executive Mark White on the power of the museum experience: “Most people visit museums as a social outing,” White says. “Art inspires emotionally, intellectually and spiritually, and the value of that experience lies not just in the personal interaction with an object but also in sharing that with a partner, family or friend. There is profound emotional weight in the shared experience.” Cha ching! Wealth of Geeks cites the global $25.2 billion valuation assigned the museum tourism industry last year, noting: “These institutions are more than centers for cultural and historical displays; they are key contributors to urban economies through tourism.” The story also specifically references Santa Fe’s chunk of the museum industry economy per the Arts and Economic Prosperity 6 report, which identified $353.8 million in total economic activity from the nonprofit arts and culture sector here in 2022. “We’re really drawn to the amazing art scene here in Santa Fe,” California tourist Robert Nask tells Wealth of Geeks. “My wife and I bought a beautiful piece of art from a gallery here last year, and we’re back to look for another. Santa Fe is special to us because we both love art so much.” Other cities highlighted in the story include: Grand Rapids, Michigan; Seattle, Washington; and Scottsdale, Arizona, to name a few.
Picture the burning puppet
As of press time, Zozobra’s 100th birthday remains approximately 183 days, 20 hours, three minutes and 14 seconds away, but is already generating buzz near and far, including shout-outs for the forthcoming celebration from Condé Nast Traveler and Frommers (to name just a few). Given New Mexico’s arts-focused nature (see the news brief above), art seems an appropriate way to jump into the Zozobra spirit in advance of the centennial. Indeed, Zozobra Event Chair Ray Sandoval, in a statement, says this year’s Zozobra art contest is a way “to share the celebration,” and a chance for “the young and the young at heart, to create their vision of Santa Fe’s favorite icon.” Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe offers multiple opportunities for participating: Artists can enter their creation for consideration in the 2024 adult and youth poster and T-shirt categories, for viewing in the ZozoFest art show and, this year, can be considered for exhibition at the New Mexico Museum of Art. And for those of us non-artists who instead have amassed a collection of Zozobra art (true story), those can also be submitted for consideration in the art exhibition. The official 100th Zozobra poster and art competition is open to all ages; the youth categories for each are limited to youth artists up to age 13. Submit original artwork for the poster, T-shirt or art exhibition here. To lend art for the exhibition, fill out this form. Artwork can also be hand-delivered to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Fe/Del Norte (6600 Valentine Way) between 3 and 5 pm, Monday through Friday through April 5. Work that is hand-delivered must include the required entry form. All submissions must be received however entered by April 5; and don’t post your art online first as that will disqualify the entry. Find even more details here.
Letting the dust settle
A calmer day awaits, as the National Weather Service forecasts a sunny day, with a high temperature near 50 degrees and north wind 10 to 15 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Overnight: We have a 20% chance for snow showers after 2 am and before 8 am tomorrow. Here’s a look at yesterday’s wind speeds.
Thanks for reading! So far The Word is enjoying Twin Peaks star Kyle MacLachlan and investigative journalist Joshua Davis’ new podcast about Varnamtown, described as a “real-life Twin Peaks” in rural North Carolina, which begins with an episode involving REO Speedwagon and Pablo Escobar (here’s some back story).
