artdirector@sfreporter.com
MORNING WORD
School board to continue Fiesta debate Monday
Following hours of contentious testimony last night regarding a proposal to ban in-school appearances of the Fiesta Council next month, the Santa Fe Public Schools Board of Education plans to reconvene in a special meeting Monday. The board also voted unanimously for Superintendent Hilario “Larry” Chavez to meet over the weekend with the Santa Fe Fiesta Council and an Indigenous representative to collaborate on a compromise. The conflict reignites long-standing historical tension regarding conflicting narratives over Santa Fe’s history, similar to those that led to the destruction of the Plaza obelisk in 2020. The board last night heard from dozens of residents objecting to the resolution proposing the ban, which some said reopened an “old wound” from a policy passed in 2018 that limited the visits and pageantry to classes that study New Mexico history: fourth, seventh and ninth grades. Others, such as former ACLU New Mexico field worker Mary Ann Maestas, expressed support, with Maestas noting that her experiences with Fiesta court visits as an SFPS student had “really only served to normalize a religious and settler-colonial narrative. Our public schools are not a place for religious activities and to perpetuate historical myths or distortions.” According to School Board Member Sascha Anderson, the proposed resolution resulted after the Fiesta Council and the district failed after months of discussion to agree on ways to make the visits conform to curriculum recommendations from the SFPS Equity, Diversity and Engagement Department. She described the timing of the resolution as “terrible” and “kicking the hornet’s nest at the exact wrong time,” given that Fiestas begin Sept. 2.
Report: NM struggle with drugs and alcohol persists
Given the magnitude of New Mexico’s substance abuse problems and the $800 million invested in treatment, the state is spending relatively little on intervention and prevention, according to a progress update report presented at yesterday’s Legislative Finance Committee meeting (right around the 8:37 am mark). The report states that between 2019 and 2021, New Mexico’s alcohol-related death rate increased by 31%, and 2,274 New Mexicans died of alcohol-related deaths in 2021. Similarly, the state’s overdose death rate increased by 68%, and 1,029 New Mexicans died of a drug overdose in 2021. Preliminary 2022 overdose data suggests the state’s overdose death rate may have improved slightly. The state is spending approximately $800 million on the Medicaid behavioral health program—the primary funding source for substance use treatment—plus an additional $246 million annually for behavioral health services, which can include substance use treatment. “Overall, the state continues to struggle to leverage data in a timely way to better estimate SUD needs and treatment utilization,” the report notes. Alcohol use disorder is the most prevalent form of substance abuse disorder, the report notes, and “alcohol-related deaths are increasing at an accelerated rate,” with McKinley, Cibola, Rio Arriba, San Juan and Socorro counties “hotspots of alcohol-related deaths.”
LANL reports uptick in visitor interest
Interest in visiting Los Alamos National Laboratory has increased in the wake of Christopher Nolan’s film Oppenheimer, with LANL releasing information on how prospective guests can come learn more about Los Alamos and the lab—legally, that is. “The Laboratory is a unique place with special restrictions,” the lab notes, “many of which visitors have never heard of.” An FAQ on the subject notes that the lab is not open for tours, nor are “badges” to visit available to the general public. LANL instead encourages the public to visit Bradbury Science Museum; Los Alamos History Museum, Fuller Lodge, and Bathtub Row; and the Manhattan Project National Historical Park Visitor Center to learn more about the area. LANL also advises folks not to publish photographs of LANL facilities. “Photography of Los Alamos National Lab facilities—even taken from the street or your car—is prohibited, and we’re serious about it,” LANL says. “Security personnel could potentially take your device and delete your photos.” (Free unclassified LANL photos are available here). Earlier this month, LANL also published a Manhattan Project road trip that details spots of interest related to the atomic age.
New portraits of NM female judges unveiled
The state Supreme Court yesterday during a ceremony revealed new portraits of Chief Justices Barbara J. Vigil and Judith K. Nakamura, which will be displayed in the Hall of Chief Justices. Vigil and Nakamura were part of the court’s first female majority along with Justice Petra Jimenez Maes. Vigil served on the Supreme Court from 2012 to 2021, and was the third woman elected by members of the court as chief justice, according to a news release, and held the leadership position in 2014 to 2016. Vigil, who earlier in her career served as judge and in the First Judicial District, later had a short tenure as cabinet secretary for the state’s beleaguered Children, Youth and Families Department. Nakamura joined the court in 2015, retired in 2020 and held the position of chief Justice between 2017 and 2020. The fourth woman to lead the court since statehood, Nakamura earlier in her career sat as Second Judicial District Court judge for nearly three years and spent more than 14 years as a Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court judge. “These paintings serve as a permanent reminder of the extraordinary accomplishments and leadership provided by Justices Vigil and Nakamura on the Supreme Court and as trial court judges,” Chief Justice C. Shannon Bacon said in a statement. “Each of them strengthened the administration of justice with an unwavering dedication to ensuring that all New Mexicans are treated fairly under the laws of this state.”
Listen up
SFR’s fall nonfiction book recommendations includes Nuclear Nuevo México: Colonialism and the Effects of the Nuclear Industrial Complex on Nuevomexicanos by University of New Mexico Honors College Associate Professor Myrriah Gómez, which “presents a formidable and data-rich response to the hunger for alternative histories” that has emerged in the wake of Christopher Nolan’s scientist-centric film Oppenheimer. “But the book is at its best and most potent in the introduction and conclusion, where Gomez wraps her research in a deeply personal context,” reviewer Siena Sofia Bergt writes. A recent episode of KUNM’s University Showcase program features an interview between Gómez and KUNM News Director Megan Kamerick, in which Gómez, a Pojoaque Valley native, discusses her personal connection with the Manhattan Project, and its ongoing and unfolding legacy.
Pre-burn party
As of press time, seven days, 16 hours, 12 minutes and six seconds remained until the 99th burning of Zozobra on Sept. 1, but folks can sneak an early peak starting at 5 pm tonight at Santa Fe Place Mall, right next to Boot Barn, when ZozoFest kicks off its weekend festivities. “ZozoFest is the first chance for our community to meet Santa Fe’s most infamous citizen in all his gloomy glory,” Zozobra Event Chairman Ray Sandoval says in a statement provided to SFR. “When he’s up on his pole, waving his arms and growling, it can be a little scary for kids. But when they see him at ZozoFest, they learn about how he is constructed and in turn, that inspires them to make their own amazing little Zozobras at the arts and crafts tables. Kiwanis knows that lighting a fire in the hearts of our kids is the key to making sure that Zozobra will be with us for generations to come.” The event also provides a first chance to stuff your glooms into the giant puppet, take selfies with Old Man Gloom, view (and shop) at the Zozobra art show and get into a millennial mood for this year’s Decades Project installment (the last before next year’s 100th anniversary) celebrating Zozobra through the years with tunes from the 2000s and 2010s from DJ Sin. ZozoFest runs from 5 to 8 pm tonight; 10 am to 6 pm Saturday, Aug. 26 and 10 am to 4 pm, Sunday, Aug. 27. This year’s Zozobra poster artist Nathan Chavez will be on hand Saturday to sign posters; and the weekend also is a chance to buy Zozobra merchandise and collectibles while they last. Be sure to buy your tickets for the main event in advance—prices rise day of online and in person. Several of the splurge VIP packages have already sold out but, at least as of press time, tickets remained for the “fire pit,” “west of the wild one” and “east of the beast sections.” And, come Monday, if you’ve got gloom you need delivered, drop it off at SFR’s offices (1512 Pacheco St., Ste. D105). We will be collecting until the morning of Zozobra and will hand deliver the glooms to the base of the puppet before he burns next Friday.
Street style
If you missed the creative feast that was last weekend’s massive Santa Fe Indian Market, be sure to peruse Vogue magazine’s coverage, which includes stunning images by Santa Fe-based photographer Shayla Blatchford (Diné) that the full range of artists, designers and clothes, clothes, clothes. “One could spend many hours shopping the one-of-a-kind ribbon shirts from Penny Singer; printed hoodies and skirts from Elias Jade Not Afraid; elegant earrings and rings from jewelers such as Keri Ataumbi, Maria Samora, and Robin Waynee; and striking artwork by Wakeah Jhane and Penélope Joe,” Vogue Senior Fashion and Style Writer Christian Allaire (Ojibwe) writes. “Even better? The street style scene was a sight to behold in itself, as many in attendance used the opportunity to display their cultural pride. Attendees and artists showed up in their finest ensembles for the occasion.” If the Indigenous community had a Met Gala, he continues, Santa Fe Indian Market would be it: “Traditional items were paired with jeans or dresses for a cool, current feel. The annual Clothing Contest held on the plaza, meanwhile, displayed the best of time-honored regalia.”
Late monsoon?
We head into the last weekend of August with a strong chance for weather, according to the National Weather Service, which forecasts a 60% chance of precipitation today, with showers and thunderstorms mainly after 3pm. Look for increasing clouds, with a high temperature near 84 degrees and southeast wind 5 to 15 mph becoming west in the morning. Saturday and Sunday look just about the same, with a high likelihood of storms and temps in the low 80s. In case you’re wondering, New Mexico has only had 54 consecutive days of lightning this year—the lowest figure since meteorologist started tracking that particular stat.
Thanks for reading! The Word is trying to get rid of some books—her least favorite task—and so is procrastinating by reading this essay on the difficulty of getting rid of books.
