artdirector@sfreporter.com
Morning Word
COVID-19 by the numbers
New Mexico health officials yesterday reported 1,563 new COVID-19 cases for the three-day period of Feb. 19-21, bringing the statewide total so far to 508,863; DOH has designated 431,723 of those cases as recovered.
Bernalillo County had 395 cases, followed by Doña Ana County with 209 and San Juan County with 134. Santa Fe County had 111 new cases.
According to the most recent weekly vaccine report, between Jan. 17-Feb. 14, 51.7% of COVID-19 cases were among people who had not completed a primary vaccination series; 29.9% were among those who had completed the series but had not received a booster; and 18.4% were among those who were fully vaccinated and boosted. For hospitalizations, those figures change to 65.3%, 21.3% and 13.4%. The percentages shift to 67.1%, 23.6% and 9.3% for fatalities.
The state also reported 20 additional deaths, 15 of them recent; there have now been 6,794 fatalities statewide. As of yesterday, 322 people were hospitalized with COVID-19, a nearly 20% decrease from last Friday.
Currently, 91.7% percent of adults 18 years and older have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 77.8% have completed their primary series. Among the same demographic, 43.7% have had a booster shot. In the 12-17-year-old age group, 70.8% of people have had at least one dose and 60.6% have completed their primary series. Among children ages 5-11, 37.7% have had at least one dose of the Pfizer vaccine and 28.1% have completed their primary series. In Santa Fe County, 99% of people 18 and older have had at least one dose and 86.7% have completed their primary series.
New Mexicans can register for a COVID-19 vaccine here, schedule a COVID-19 vaccine booster here and view a public calendar for vaccine availability here. Parents can add dependents to their vaccine profiles here. You can read the guidelines for quarantine and isolation here.
You can order free at-home COVID-19 tests here and find other testing options at findatestnm.org. New Mexicans living in ZIP codes disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 may be eligible for five free tests through Accesscovidtest.org. You can self-report a positive COVID-19 test result to the health department here. The City of Santa Fe also is distributing free at-home rapid antigen COVID-19 tests.
For those who test positive for COVID-19, the state advises seeking treatments, such as the oral treatments Paxlovid (age 12+) and Molnupiravir (age 18+); as well as monoclonal antibody treatment. People seeking treatment who do not have a medical provider can call NMDOH’s COVID-19 hotline at 1-855-600-3453.
You can read all of SFR’s COVID-19 coverage here.
Schools hold onto masks for now, city rescinds
Santa Fe Public Schools will continue requiring masks for the next three weeks, and make them optional starting March 21, after the district’s spring break. SFPS announced the decision yesterday, following a weekend survey prompted by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s surprise immediate end to the statewide indoor mask mandate Feb. 17. According to a news release, more than 5,900 people participated in the survey, with most supportive of keeping masks in place at least until spring break. “For those who continue to wear masks once we make the transition, we are completely supportive,” Superintendent Hilario “Larry” Chavez said in a statement. “We also support parents who want to end their child’s mask wearing. We see allowing parents to choose the best course forward is a very positive development.” The March 21 date is contingent on COVID-19 data. “If there’s another surge like we experienced in January, we will need to consider universal masking,” Chavez said. “For now, I am confident that the data is heading in the right direction.”Santa Fe Community College will also keep its mask requirements in place for now, according to a Friday email from SFCC President Becky Rowley to the college community, which said the decision was made in consultation with college leadership, the Higher Education Department and the SFCC governing board. Rowley described Lujan Grisham’s decision to lift the mask mandate as “good news for our community and businesses,” but said she doesn’t plan to move away from the school’s current health and safety practices for now, which also include vaccination requirements for staff, faculty and students.
The City of Santa Fe, on the other hand, late Friday announced Mayor Alan Webber had amended its COVID-19 emergency orders and lifted the mask mandate in city facilities. According to a news release, City Manager John Blair notified city employees Thursday night of the change. “I’m encouraging all city staff to respect each other’s comfort levels and recognize that Santa Fe County is still classified as a having a high transmission rate, according to CDC data,” Blair said in a statement. “This means everyone is still encouraged to wear a mask in public, indoor settings. If you feel any risk, or if it’s your preference, please continue to wear a mask. You are not prohibited from wearing a mask.” The statement says the city will continue to support COVID-safe practices, such as supplying masks; continuing the use of sanitation stations; providing additional cleaning and fogging; distributing take-home antigen tests; supporting testing and vaccination operations; and using HEPA filters in its HVAC systems. Workers in the city’s Senior Division will continue to use masks, as will Fire Department personnel when they are on on medical calls. Police Department personnel will wear masks in any businesses or residences when requested to do so by that business or residence, and the federal transit system mask requirement will continue through at least March 18, 2022, applicable on Santa Fe Trails buses and at the airport.
Money approved for Paolo Soleri
Careful readers of the capital outlay bill recently passed by the Legislature may have noticed item #102: $3 million to “to plan, design and reconstruct the Paolo Soleri amphitheater at the Santa Fe Indian school.” Word of the possible revival of the much adored and defunct music venue sparked a slew of individual remembrances on social media of favorite shows there over the years (ours were Santana and De La Soul), and cautious optimism about its return. For quick history: Santa Fe Indian School, on whose campus the amphitheater is located, shut it down in 2010 due to its dilapidated condition, as well as the school’s ongoing campus renovation for its students. State Sen. Nancy Rodriguez, D-Santa Fe, who sponsored the capital outlay request, said SFIS representatives reached out to her and the governor’s office with the funding request. Should the amphitheater ultimately be restored, the school says its emphasis on students will continue: Santa Fe Indian School Superintendent Christie Abeyta tells the Santa Fe New Mexican the plan will be to use the space as both training and showcase venue for the SFIS and other schools’ art students. “There’s an image attached to Paolo Soleri as a concert venue,” Abeyta said. “We want to reimagine it for others.” The venue—which officials estimate could take up to $15 million to renovate—would, however, be available for community events.
City solicits budget feedback
The City of Santa Fe is encouraging the public to contribute thoughts and ideas on its fiscal year 2023 budget, which will be discussed during the public hearing portion of the City Council’s Feb. 23 meeting. “As the city moves into a series of budget hearings, this listening session is an opportunity for members of the public to express in advance their opinions, advocate for their priorities and share pertinent information with the governing body and other city officials about how they wish their tax dollars to be spent in the coming fiscal year,” a news release says. Finance Director Mary McCoy will provide an overview of the city budget at that virtual meeting (instructions for how to watch and participate available here). As for those comments, the city provides these questions as food for thought: Do you have ideas for advancing the city’s sustainability goals? For public health and safety? For equity? Do you have ideas for streamlining operations and enhancing services? The next budget will be designed in part to boost the recovery from the pandemic. What particular investments will have the most impact? What sort of quality-of-life investments you would like to see?
Egolf’s chief of staff announces run for his seat
ICYMI, House Speaker Brian Egolf’s chief of staff announced Friday she plans to run in the June 7 Democratic primary for his seat representing Santa Fe’s District 47. Egolf announced last Thursday he will not seek re-election. “For over 15 years I’ve worked in the state Legislature—first as a healthcare advocate, and more recently, as the chief of staff to the Speaker of the House, where we regained the Democratic majority with a majority of women and BIPOC lawmakers,” Reena Szczepanski said in a statement. “I am a mom and the daughter of immigrants and I know how hard it can be to navigate the system to get the services that your children need.” (Her last name is pronounced “Suh-PAN-skee,” a news release says). Szczepanski also is former executive director of Emerge New Mexico and former state director of the Drug Policy Alliance. An endorsement from Egolf accompanied her announcement: “Reena has been a smart, steady and effective leader for decades, working outside of the limelight to advance policy by supporting other elected leaders and community members,” Egolf’s statement read. “As one of her future constituents, I know District 47 would be lucky to have her as our representative.” Szczepanski also has served as president of the New Mexico Public Health Association and chair of the Santa Fe County Health Policy and Planning Commission.
Listen up
Writers and book lovers will likely enjoy this recent episode of the Last Word podcast on KSFR, which features host Carly Newfeld in a discussion with Kerri Maher about her novel The Paris Bookseller. The novel weaves together the story of bookseller Sylvia Beach, who opened the original Shakespeare and Company in 1919, and her saga to overcome censorship to publish the first edition of James Joyce’s groundbreaking Ulysses, currently celebrating its 100th anniversary.
Behind the scenes of the Rust investigation
First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies may not have filed charges yet in the fatal Rust movie set shooting, but she did spend some time talking with Vanity Fair about her work on the case. Carmack-Altwies says she was driving to Taos Oct. 21 to take the night off and was in a spot without cell service when the messages started arriving about the incident, in which Alec Baldwin fired a loaded weapon, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. Carmack-Altwies, upon receiving the messages, turned around and came home. The DA has not filed charges yet, but the story says her office expects to receive a forensics report from the FBI late this month “they hope will reveal critical details about the live round of ammunition that killed Hutchins, including—possibly—who physically handled it, placing the deadly object in an environment where it never should have been.” While charges may not apparently come for several months, “Carmack-Altwies already sees that Hutchins’ death was caused not by a single action but by numerous failures and mistakes. The cinematographer, mother, and wife was killed by an event cascade—each incident contributing to the moment that claimed her life. Virtually no one involved is willing to admit to any culpability, especially as the threat of prosecution looms.”
Española shelter receives $500,000 gift
Española Humane recently announced it had received a $500,000 anonymous donation—the largest in its history—from a longtime supporter. Shelter Executive Director Bridget Lindquist says much of the money will go toward the shelter’s $1.3 million endowment. According to a news release, the shelter’s 2022 budget is just under $3 million. “We are so grateful for this incredible contribution,” Lindquist said in a statement. “It means so much to everyone who works day-in and day-out for the pets in our community, creating a safe and healthy place for them and the people who love them.” Lindquist also says she hopes the recent contribution will encourage others to consider Española Humane for estate planning. The shelter, which was founded in 1992, says its priority has been and will continue to be its free spay/neuter program: “We believe that we can only reduce the number of unwanted pets through free spaying and neutering,” Lindquist says, “that also reduces the number of pets that come into our care.” According to data supplied by the shelter, the number of homeless animals entering the shelter in 2021 totaled 2,645, down from a high of 5,500 in 2012, a 51% decrease. The shelter began offering free spay/neuter and vaccinations in 2011; prior to COVID, it annually altered more than 6,000 dogs and cats.
A beekeeper’s journey
Institute of American Indian Arts Land Grant Extension Educator Melanie M. Kirby (Tortugas Pueblo) writes about her vocation as a beekeeper for Yes! magazine. In “Nectar Nomad in the Land of Enchantment,” Kirby writes that the bees found her 25 years ago and “have been guiding my life ever since. Their sound is a melodic journey that invites us to find our inner compass, helping us navigate toward our true purpose and potential. It quiets our anxieties and helps us recalibrate our priorities. It resonates with our own frequencies, connecting us to each other and the land.” Her journey began as a member of the Peace Corps, working with a beekeeping expert in Paraguay. A Fulbright Fellow, Kirby says the bees then “guided” her around the globe, “from South America to the South Pacific, to Central and North America, to the Caribbean, Europe, and Africa. All the while, they’ve exposed me to the vibrations of the world—the broadcast and reception of living things—from the murmur of rain whispering its seepage into soil, to the swaying of sun-seeking stalks as they crescendo into bursting blossoms full of perfume and weeping nectar, helping to nurture our ever-present cycles of life, death, and reciprocity.”
Eye on the sky
Santa Fe’s spring-like weather should continue today, with mostly sunny skies, a high temp near 53 degrees and southwest wind 10 to 20 mph. However, the National Weather Service says more weather is on its way, with a decent chance for snow Wednesday night into Thursday morning and a drop in temperature back down into the 30s (it is still winter for another 27 days, after all).
Thanks for reading! The Word had decided not to read the Atlantic magazine story about friendship everyone was talking about because it sounded kind of depressing, but then Margaret Atwood read it, so she felt obligated (it was less depressing than anticipated and pretty interesting).
