artdirector@sfreporter.com
Morning Word
Groups fund staffing to end homelessness
New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness yesterday announced two new positions the organization says will help achieve “functional zero” homelessness for Santa Fe County by 2026. Functional zero homelessness, or “built for zero” homelessness is a measure that “ensures the number of people experiencing homelessness at any given time never exceeds the community’s capacity to ensure a positive exit,” Rosanne Haggerty, president & CEO of Community Solutions said in a statement. Community Solutions, Thornburg Foundation, Anchorum St. Vincent, Community and Santa Fe Community Foundation are providing a three-year funding commitment for both positions: a “system improvement lead” to improve coordination between service providers and stakeholders, and a data manager to improve data quality. “The new positions will significantly help our organization be even more equipped to respond to the needs of those experiencing homelessness,” New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness Executive Director Monet Silva said in a statement. Communities across the US “have achieved functional zero by creating by-name lists of homeless populations and carefully coordinating efforts among critical providers,” Thornburg Foundation Executive Director Allan Oliver says in a statement. “We’re learning from other communities and through a philanthropic partnership, we can help NMCEH create the key roles it will take to make Santa Fe the first functional zero community in New Mexico.” In addition, the Santa Fe City Council is slated to consider at its meeting tonight a $281,700 contract with the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness for operations at Consuelo’s Place Shelter.
State Police report officer shooting in Tesuque
New Mexico State Police yesterday reported an officer-involved shooting on Monday, July 24 in Tesuque. According to a news release, police were dispatched at approximately 9:30 pm “in reference to a male subject making threats to the homeowner who said her daughter’s boyfriend, Galen Mason-Muller of Algodones, was driving to her home to harm himself or someone else.” As the officers drove to the home, the homeowner told them Mason-Muller had arrived and kicked in the door, made entry into her residence and had a pistol. He reportedly chased her around the kitchen, but she was able to escape. Officers reached Tesuque at 10:15 pm and saw Mason-Muller outside the home with a gun. “At some point during the encounter with Galen, a NMSP officer fired at least one round from their duty weapon,” striking Mason-Muller, who was taken to the hospital with injuries believed to be non-life-threatening. No officers were injured; the firing officer, who will not be identified until “interviews are complete” has been placed on administrative leave. The New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau is investigating and will turn its findings over to the District Attorney’s Office.
City seeks trash rate increase
The Santa Fe City Council tonight will consider the second of two planned rate increases for residential and commercial trash services. Residential rates will grow $2.75 per month, from $19.25 to $22. Commercial roll-off categories will have several increases, including a scheduled service increase from $225 to $235 per pull. Those rises follow recommendations from a 2020 study by Newgen Strategies and Solutions, LLC, which included them as a component of a five-year plan to ensure the city’s Environmental Services Division “continues to receive enough revenue to cover the cost of providing services,” a news release notes. The first increase—which was the division’s first in six years—went into effect last year. If the second is approved tonight, new rates will be implemented on Sept. 1, 2023. The second rate increase will affect residential collection and commercial roll-off trash/recycling collection services, and includes a suggested cart replacement fee of $60 for “customers whose carts are damaged due to negligence beyond normal wear and tear, and for requests for replacement due to customer preference.”
Forest Service: New restrictions start July 27
Stage 2 fire restrictions for Santa Fe National Forest lands west of the Rio Grande will go into effect at 8 am tomorrow, July 27, while all SFNF lands east of the Rio Grande will remain in Stage 1 fire restrictions. “Unusually hot and dry weather for July across New Mexico has prompted the decision to have different restriction levels for the forest,” according to a SFNF news release. “The soil and fuel moisture on the east side is not as critical on the west side due to the amount of rain and snow that was received this spring. Conditions on the west side are considered extreme.” Stage 2 restrictions prohibit several activities, including: building, maintaining or using a fire, campfire or stove fire, whereas Stage 1 restrictions allow visitors to use campfires in designated campground, picnic or manufactured structures built for such activities. Read the complete restrictions for each stage here.
Listen up
As SFR recently reported, cannabis smoking lounges are not allowed in Santa Fe city limits, despite being permissible under state law. In the most recent episode of our Leaf Brief podcast, host Andy Lyman hangs out with Canna Fe Manager Pamela Martinez Stahnke and learns what she has planned for the space above the dispensary given that a lounge is off the table. For even more cannabis-news, be sure to check out our brand new edition of our monthly Leaf Brief newsletter.
Eye on August
“August in New Mexico means Santa Fe Indian Market,” proclaims Cowboys & Indians magazine, a sentiment with which we would be hard-pressed to successfully argue. Tickets are on sale for the Aug. 19-20 market featuring, C&I notes, “close to 1,000 artists from more than 200 Indigenous nations in the US and Canada,” along with new fashion designers, a “fresh” tagline (“The First Year of the Next Century”) and a new executive director: Jamie Schulze (Northern Cheyenne/Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate). C&I talks with artists about the impact the market has had on their lives, such as fine art photographer and best-of-class winner Cara Romero, who shares her favorite things to see, do, and eat at the market (“lamb frybread tacos with green chile” for the last one). Romero says she always makes a point of buying art from both an emerging artist and an elder each year, and says US Interior Secretary Deb Haaland’s visit to her booth in 2021 was “probably one of the most exciting people who ever came by.” The story also suggests other local activities to sample during August in addition to Indian Market, and provides a roundup of wineries, restaurant suggestions and even a reading list.
SWAIA announces film festival
Also on the Santa Fe Indian Market beat, Southwestern Association for Indian Arts, which produces Indian Market, has launched a dedicated website for its acclaimed Indigenous fashion show. In addition, SWAIA announced yesterday the launch of the Get Indigenous Film Festival (GIFF), which, according to a news release, will kick off with a double-bill screening of the newest season openers of FX’s Reservation Dogs and AMC’s Dark Winds at 7pm, Thursday, Aug. 17 at the Violet Crown Cinema, followed by an after-party at the newly opened Nuckolls Brewing Company. The festival also will include a panel discussion from 11 am to 1 pm on Saturday, Aug. 19 at the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, with details on participants forthcoming. “Our soft launch of the Get Indigenous Film Festival at this year’s Indian Market is, on one level, to celebrate these shows about Native experiences currently receiving so much acclaim,” SWAIA Executive Director Jamie Schulze (Northern Cheyenne / Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate) says in a statement. “Their success highlights Native excellence and Native voices. In addition to showcasing traditional Native arts, we at SWAIA are creating a film-inclusive environment with our new and exciting Get Indigenous Film Festival. Film and television can reach a diverse audience who may have not been exposed to the rich beauty of Indigenous cultures. Our mission is to promote Native arts from every culture, this includes the culture of the silver screen.”
More rain, please
Yesterday’s rain fell briefly, but it sure felt nice. Let’s hope for more today. The National Weather Service forecasts a 20% chance for precipitation with isolated showers and thunderstorms after noon, on an otherwise mostly sunny day with a high temperature near 96 degrees. North wind 5 to 15 mph will become south in the afternoon, with a 30% chance for more precipitation via scattered showers and thunderstorms this evening before midnight.
Thanks for reading! The Word broke down and saw Barbie and is now reading about how set designers constructed the dream houses.
