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Morning Word
NM grieves Gov. Richardson’s death at 75
New Mexicans awoke Sept. 2 to another successful burn of Old Man Gloom and the shocking news that former Gov. Bill Richardson had died in his sleep at the age of 75. “He lived his entire life in the service of others—including both his time in government and his subsequent career helping to free people held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad,” Richardson Center for Global Engagement Vice President Mickey Bergman said in a statement over the weekend, which noted that Richardson’s wife of 50 years, Barbara, had been with him when he died. Richardson served as New Mexico’s governor for two terms from 2003 to 2010, following 14 years in the US Congress representing the state’s 3rd Congressional District. He served as US Ambassador to the United Nations from 1997 to 1998 and as Secretary of Energy under President Bill Clinton, from 1998 to 2000. In 2008, he sought the Democratic nomination for president, dropping out after Iowa and New Hampshire. Although he said at the time he hadn’t ruled out another run for president, that never came and he instead became well known for his work as a hostage negotiator. He founded the Richardson Center in 2011 and has been nominated multiple times for the Nobel Peace Prize, including this year by US Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján. Outpourings of grief and condolences were steady throughout the weekend from local officials and national ones. “He’d meet with anyone, fly anywhere, do whatever it took,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. “The multiple Nobel Peace Prize nominations he received are a testament to his ceaseless pursuit of freedom for Americans.” Memorial services will take place next week for Richardson, Bergman confirms: He will lie in state at the State Capitol rotunda from 11 am to 4 pm, Wednesday, Sept. 13; a funeral mass will take place from 11 am to 12:30 pm on Thursday, Sept. 14 at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi; a reception at the New Mexico Capitol Rotunda will be held from 1 to 2 pm, Thursday, Sept. 14. All events are open to the public.
PNM rate case begins today
Three weeks of regulatory hearings before the Public Regulation Commission kick off today regarding Public Service Company of New Mexico’s request for its first rate hike since 2016. PNM says in news releases its 2024 proposed range will be used to “implement critical infrastructure upgrades and rebuild aging equipment” that is “necessary to maintain and enhance reliability and take steps toward sustainable energy.” It also says it intends to “expand our customer outreach and education efforts to ensure low-income customers are aware of programs like bill assistance and payment options.” The Albuquerque Journal reports commercial and industrial consumers will shoulder more of the increase in rates than residential customers. Numerous advocacy and environmental groups have intervened in the case and question how much of the increase can be justified, the Journal reports, raising questions about the fairness of PNM recovering costs from past investments, for instance. Following three weeks of hearings, which will include testimony and cross-examinations on a variety of issues, two of the PRC’s three commissioners will reach a decision because Commissioner Pat O’Connell has recused himself due to a conflict of interest.
State tourism department reports record visits
New Mexico experienced an estimated 40.8 million trips last year, eclipsing 2021′s record of 39 million trips. Of those, the state Tourism Department reports, 16.7 million were overnight trips, a 5.8% increase from 2021. “There are many reasons to be excited about the news from the 2022 visitation report, especially as we continue to see strong growth in leisure travel complemented by encouraging trends in business travel,” Acting Cabinet Secretary Lancing Adams said in a statement. “With record visitation and a noticeable increase in business travel, the New Mexico Tourism Department is in a strong position to continue delivering on our mission to grow New Mexico’s economy through tourism.” According to the report, one major trend last year included increased business travel, which accounted for approximately 9% of all overnight trips versus 5% the year prior. Visitors’ trips last year also more frequently included cultural and outdoor activities compared to the US average: 49% versus 29% included culture; and 60% included an outdoor activity versus 49% for the US average. Spending by visitors in a variety of areas increased last year as well. For instance, lodging—the highest ticket item—accounted for 38% of spending last year: $1.9 million in total, a a 25.6% increase from 2021.
DOH reports first West Nile Virus death of the year
The state health department on Friday said a Valencia County man who died from West Nile Virus is the first death this year here linked to the disease, and one of 36 human cases confirmed by DOH through the end of last month. West Nile Virus, DOH says in a news release, is “the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States.” People typically contract the disease from infected mosquitos, and most have asymptomatic cases. Others can have flu-like symptoms, while the most serious cases cause neuroinvasive disease, which can impact the brain and nervous system and lead to death—with people 50 years and older and/or those with health issues at the most risk. Infections have been confirmed in residents of Bernalillo, Doña Ana, Lea, Mora, Rio Arriba, San Juan, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Taos, Torrance, Union, and Valencia counties. The virus has also been identified in 16 horses and two birds from Colfax, Doña Ana, Los Alamos, McKinley, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Sierra, Torrance, Union and Valencia counties. More information on prevention and symptoms can be found here.
Listen up
Water’s importance to New Mexico may be incontrovertible, but plenty of myths persist about the state’s most precious resource. University of New Mexico Professor of Practice in Water Policy and Governance John Fleck says one of those myths lies in the belief that water is chronically a source of conflict. Former Albuquerque Journal science reporter and author of Water is for Fighting Over and Other Myths About Water in the West, Fleck joins Report from Santa Fe host Lorene Mills in a discussion and myth-debunking about water in the West.
To the moon and back
The New York Times showcases rising star soprano Ailyn Pérez, who sang the title role in Dvořák’s Rusalka over the summer at the Santa Fe Opera. Because she was here, Pérez missed seeing in person the New York Metropolitan Opera’s billboards featuring her forthcoming performance in the Met’s production of Florencia en el Amazonas by Mexican composer Daniel Catán and inspired by Gabriel García Márquez. “I haven’t posted any of the photos, because I don’t want to post something and then it’s gone,” Pérez tells the Times. “But I see it, and I just think, ‘Wow, I’ve always wanted this, and I didn’t know it would be this role.’ It blows my mind.” The opera marks the Met’s first Spanish-language show in close to a century. “And at its heart is Pérez,” the story notes, “the daughter of Mexican immigrants.” Santa Fe figures importantly in Pérez’s career and personal life. She met the person who would become her husband, Soloman Howard, during the Santa Fe Opera’s 2016 production of Roméo and Juliette (she sang the role of Juliette; Howard, a bass, the Duke), although they didn’t begin dating until 2019. Still, from the beginning, “He took my breath away,” she said. Howard helped Pérez create the video of her singing “Song to the Moon” from Rusalka from this season’s production. They married here this summer a few days after the show’s opening night.
Waiting on October
Travel magazines can’t wait for October and, frankly, neither can we, particularly if our favorite month delivers temperatures below 90 degrees. The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (Oct. 7-15) lands it on Veranda’s list of the nine best places to travel next month (as does Marrakech in Morocco, where apparently October brings the saffron harvest). Forbes magazine also places the balloon fiesta on its list of the world’s top festivals this year, along with Spain’s tomato-throwing festival (which sadly we’ve missed) and Germany’s Oktoberfest (Sept. 16 to Oct. 3 in Munich). The Travel includes the balloon fiesta on its roundup of the 10 “biggest small-town festivals to add to your fall bucket list,” noting that “visitors are treated to a breathtaking spectacle as hundreds of colorful hot air balloons ascend into the clear blue sky. The festival also includes night glows, where balloons light up the night sky, and visitors can enjoy food vendors, live music, and arts and crafts.” For the record, Santa Fe’s October isn’t too shabby either, a point made by Brit & Co, which includes us on its list of five “cozy fall getaways” where “you can finally live out your Gilmore Girls fantasy.” B&C Creative Assistant Meredith Holser writes: “I’ve heard many times that Santa Fe, New Mexico is a sleepy town. And while that is somewhat true, I’d say it holds more of a tranquil vibe—not sleepy. Really, the locals and natives abide by a very special energy that you can’t find anywhere else.” Also for the record: We feel very, very sleepy right now as a result of reading that sentence.
High and dry
The National Weather Service forecasts a sunny day, with a high temperature near 83 degrees and north wind 5 to 15 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.
Thanks for reading! The Word suspects employing Chat GPT to pick out her outfits would be an improvement.
