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Morning Word
State takes over $1 million City of Santa Fe parks funds
The state Department of Finance Administration has redirected $1 million in 2021 capital outlay funds designated for City of Santa Fe parks to the state General Services Department to oversee. Santa Fe City Manager John Blair announced the news late Friday afternoon in news release in which he also apologized for not informing the Santa Fe City Council and public about a prior DFA letter forecasting the potential withholding of capital outlay and other state funding due to the city’s late audits. “Hindsight is always 20/20, and I understand that I should have shared the [DFA] letter with city councilors and the public in a timely manner,” Blair said in a statement Friday. “I apologize for not doing that.”
Regarding the parks allocation, Blair’s statement says he and other city officials were “working to understand the legal authority for, and the implications of, such an action.” DFA spokesman Henry Valdez tells SFR via email the authority comes from a 2013 executive order signed by former Gov. Susana Martinez, which states recipients of capital outlay appropriations require “timely audits.” The city’s 2021, 2020, 2019 and 2018 all were late; at last week’s City Council meeting, Finance Director Emily Oster said the city’s 2022 fiscal year audit should be completed by Dec. 4, but said she remains unsure whether the city can catch up and turn in its Fiscal Year 2023 audit when it is due Dec. 15. Moreover, Valdez notes, “the $1 million appropriation to DFA calls for upgrades to Santa Fe parks in Santa Fe County. The legislation allows DFA the authority to determine the suitable entity for the project. We provided the funds to GSD directly to ensure the completion of this capital project and avoid further delay in improving parks in Santa Fe.” Valdez says DFA recommends the city work with a fiscal agent until it can complete its outstanding audits and says the agency is “ready to assist the city to any appropriate extent to comply with the Executive Order so the community can benefit from the numerous appropriated capital outlay projects on the table,” he writes.
DA wants pre-trial detention for Oñate rally shooter
First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies tells SFR she will file a motion this morning to request Ryan Martinez, 23, remain incarcerated as he faces charges of attempted murder in the first degree and aggravated assault for use of a deadly weapon at the Sept. 28 Española protest over a statue of Juan de Oñate. State Police on Friday said in a news release Pojoaque Tribal police located and arrested Martinez shortly after he fled the shooting. He is slated to appear in Rio Arriba Magistrate Court today, but after Carmack-Altwies files pre-detention paperwork, jurisdiction of the case will move to and the hearing be rescheduled for District Court. Carmack-Altwies says she’s requesting pre-trial detention primarily due to “the nature of the charges. It’s bringing a gun to what was a peaceful protest and using that gun. In this district, for the most part, we are filing motions when people fire their guns at people. Those are the types of crimes that are the most violent and have the worst possible outcomes for the victims in general.” Martinez’s victim, Washington state artist and activist Jacob Johns (Hopi and Akimel O’odham), has undergone surgery in Albuquerque for a gunshot wound and is recovering with the help of family members who have flown to New Mexico, according to a GoFundMe established on his behalf, which had raised more than $182,000 as of press time. Red Nation, one of the Indigenous organizations that participated in the rally, issued its own chronology of events, including—a news release says—unheeded warnings to New Mexico officials before and lack of assistance during the rally. The Red Nation Podcast will be recording a live episode tonight about the shooting, organizers say.
SFPD announces public safety traffic operation
The Santa Fe Police Department on Friday announced a 34-day fall traffic safety operation blitz, during which officers will be focused on “high crash incident areas” within the city. Those areas include Airport Road, St. Francis Drive and Cerrillos Road, with “auxiliary areas of concern” including but not limited to: Rodeo Road, St. Michaels Drive, NM 599 (Veterans Memorial Highway), Old Pecos Trail and Bishops Lodge Road. During the fall blitz, SFPD will be conducting traffic enforcement related to speeding; seatbelt use; illegal cell phone use; racing; loud mufflers; and other traffic-related offenses, with a focus on public safety. SFPD also posted on Facebook the fines for various violations, a link to the city’s traffic laws and interacted with various folks asking questions about the fall blitz. A few highlights: Yes, SFPD will also ticket tourists for traffic violations. In response to a question about unhoused people and panhandling, SFPD posted a link to the city’s Community Services Connect program and a reminder that “being homeless is not in of itself a crime. Some folks that are homeless do engage in criminal activity, and some don’t. If a crime is committed, we will address the crime incident. Secondly concerning panhandling, it is not unlawful unless the person is aggressively panhandling or doing so in private property without the owners consent. Holding a sign on the side of the road asking for money (as long as traffic is not being affected) can be considered free speech.” And in response to one commenter who wrote: “Can’t have loud mufflers if you don’t have any,” SFPD responded: “I guess you can try that line with the Judge…let us know how it works out, might make a good meme.”
Clerk: Mail-in ballot portal open
Santa Fe County Clerk Katharine Clark on Friday issued a reminder to local voters that the mail-in ballot portal—through which voters can request mail-in ballots for the Nov. 7 election—is now open. “We want to make sure that every eligible voter has the opportunity to participate in the election, and that their votes are counted,” Clark said in a statement. “We strongly encourage voters to request their mail-in ballots as soon as possible,” she added, and recommended voters allow seven to 10 days for “ballots to travel in the mail to ensure a smooth voting experience.” Oct. 24 marks the final deadline for requesting a mail-in ballot, which can be done through the Secretary of State’s Voter Information Portal at NMVote.org, and requires online submission of a driver’s license or state ID number; social security number; and date of birth. Ballots will be mailed beginning starting Oct. 10, and voters should expect to receive them within seven days. “Be sure to fill out your ballot carefully, following the provided instructions, and return it by mail or at a secure drop-box location,” Clark said. “Ballots must be in our hands by 7 pm on election night, and any ballots received after then cannot be counted.” Clark says voters who have ballots in hand on or after Oct. 31 should return them in a drop box, the locations for which can be found at SantaFe.Vote. The Clerk’s Office last week also announced the youth winners of its “Future Voter” and “First Time Voter” sticker design contests. Capital High School Giovanni Ortega, 17, won the Future Voter sticker design; Nava Elementary School student Nahla Albadri, 9, won the First Time Voter design award.
Listen up
The new season of PBS show America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston includes a recent New Mexico episode in which writer, activist and comedian Thurston ponders the state’s “timeless” quality. “Most people experience time as linear, every minute tracked by our devices, rushing through life until nature demands that we stop,” Thurston says in the episode’s introduction. “But here in New Mexico, I can feel a shift. Time slows down and stretches in every direction. In these ancient ruins, the distant past feels alive, not just in the rocks, but in the earth, the air and the sky.” Thurston “slows down” in New Mexico and learns about turkey hunting at Manzano Mountain State Park; Native American and pueblo culture; community rebuilding in the aftermath of the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon fire; and New Mexico’s night sky.
O’Keeffe-inspired outerwear
Renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz may not consider herself a fashion photographer, but she recently shot here for “performance luxury apparel” company Canada Goose’s Live in the Open advertising campaign for its fall 2023 collection. According to a news release, Leibovitz returned to familiar terrain—Abiquiú—where she previously shot Georgia O’Keeffe’s home. The Canada Goose campaign also references O’Keeffe and features actor, musician, writer and composer Sheila Atim; wildlife filmmaker and cinematographer Sophie Darlington; and Olympic ice hockey goalie Kimberly Newell “in their element on the red hills of New Mexico.” Leibovitz depicts “the trio of tenacious Canada Goose muses equally at home on the arid terrains once frequented by O’Keeffe,” the news release says, with Leibovitz noting in a statement that “we were all bewitched by the power of the New Mexico landscape. Bringing them together in such an incredible, natural environment, was very inspiring.” The collection “echoes” New Mexico’s “raw landscapes and palette,” the news release says, and includes shades “inspired by nature itself,” such as Desert Sand, Limestone and Sagebrush. Articles of clothing in the collection include a variety of cold weather sweaters, vests and puffers, such as the $1,050 Garnet Long Vest.
Pretty and cheap
Santa Fe appears fourth in Redbook’s new list of the 30 “most beautiful cities in the world,” (right behind Vancouver and ahead of Hong Kong), with the magazine praising the local architecture, galleries, museums and cuisine. “The city also has a growing farm-to-table scene,” the story notes, “and countless spots for margaritas. Plus, its high desert landscape, especially scenic at sunset, is perfect for hiking.” Santa Fe also appears improbably in the #5 spot for The Travel’s list of the 10 “cheapest and (still exciting) vacation spots In the US.” We lack the fortitude to attempt a fact-check on this claim, so suffice it to say the write-up goes light on Santa Fe hotel and dinner prices and, instead, points out “cheap and free things to do in Santa Fe,” which are: “roam the city streets, explore Canyon Road art galleries, visit Santa Fe Plaza.” In a separate list for the budget-conscious travel, The Travel includes Albuquerque in the #2 spot for the 10 most affordable places in the US to visit in October. In that city, free and affordable activities include: free-to-access fishing at Tingley Beach; picnicking at Elena Gallegos Open Space; and educational experiences at Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, among other activities (none of which are roaming the streets). Albuquerque’s International Balloon Fiesta (Oct. 7-15) also has affordable ticket options.
Wild is the wind
The National Weather Service forecasts a 70% chance for precipitation today, with showers and thunderstorms likely—primarily after 3 pm. Otherwise, today will be mostly cloudy, with a high temperature near 72 degrees, and breezy, with a south wind 15 to 25 mph and gusts as high as 40 mph.
Thanks for reading! The Word plans to celebrate Banned Books Week (through Oct. 7) by checking out challenged books from the library.
