Gov. Lujan Grisham Unveils Plans for $30 Million Literacy Institute

Gov unveils plans for $30 million literacy institute

During a literacy summit in Santa Fe yesterday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced plans to push for $30 million in the next legislative session to create a literacy institute. The governor’s office said yesterday’s summit included attendees from literacy institutions across the US that the governor and other state leaders visited this year, including Barksdale Literacy Institute Chief Academic Officer for Tools 4 Reading Antonio Fierro; Kansas Center for Reading Director David Hurford at Pittsburg State University; and Dawn Brookhart from the AIM Institute for Learning and Research in Pennsylvania. The summit’s focus included improving literacy outcomes here through the use of a pedagogical approach known as Structured Literacy or “Science of Reading.” “Until every child in New Mexico can read proficiently at their grade level, we must keep deploying every tool at our disposal,” the governor said in a statement. “I have no doubt that our strategy of bringing students, parents, teachers and higher education institutions up to speed in the Science of Reading will yield results.” Education Secretary Arsenio Romero said in a statement he has seen the Science of Reading “deliver results time and again. This is a bold, decisive direction for the state, and I am confident that our students and our state will benefit from the investment in Structured Literacy.” The governor’s office says the Science of Reading approach already is being implemented across the state and across grade levels: the Early Childhood Education and Care Department began using LETRS-EC, a version tailored to younger students, during the 2019-2020 school year; the Public Education Department launched a statewide structured literacy initiative in the 2020-2021 school year and has 9,000 educators and staff enrolled in training; the Higher Education Department funds 18 adult literacy and 26 adult education programs statewide that teach essential literacy skills to adults.

Nov. 7 candidates finalized

All candidates for the Nov. 7 election have been finalized, the Santa Fe County Clerk’s office announced yesterday in a news release, “pending any court challenges. Yesterday was the only day for potential write-in candidates to file, and the deadline for candidates who had already qualified for the ballot to withdraw has passed.” In the Santa Fe City Council races, Eric Morelli withdrew from the District 3 race, which narrows that race to two candidates: Planning Commissioner Pilar Faulkner and former police officer Louis Carlos, eliminating the possibility of a ranked-choice election. All other candidates in the races for City Council and municipal judge qualified, with the District 1 race remaining the most crowded, with four candidates. One of those candidates, former City Attorney Geno Zamora, received a high-profile endorsement yesterday from former Mayor Debbie Jaramillo—who also previously represented District 1—who wrote in a fundraising email: “Geno and I both share a deep knowledge, understanding, and love for our historical community and way of life. I trust that Geno will support the critical issues affecting our city’s ability to remain diverse, keep our children here—and make Santa Fe better for everyone.”

Lujan Grisham replaces Homeland Security head

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham yesterday said Major General Miguel Aguilar will lead the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and serve as interim secretary after Secretary David Dye steps down on Sept. 15. Aguilar, a former state policeman, will continue to lead the New Mexico National Guard while serving in his new role. “My direction to General Aguilar is clear: DHSEM needs to be focused squarely on assisting New Mexicans affected by emergencies. That includes making sure that state resources are getting out as quickly as possible to the victims of the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon fire,” the governor said in a statement. “Gen. Aguilar is the right person for the job, and I have full confidence in both his ability to lead and his dedication to serving the people of our great state.” A news release credits Aguilar for his work during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as during last year’s wildfire season and subsequent flooding. “I’m looking forward to continuing to build up the state’s capacity to prepare for and respond to emergencies as well as streamline the state’s processes for getting aid out to New Mexicans in need,” Aguilar said in a statement. “I’m grateful to Gov. Lujan Grisham for placing her trust in me.”

Calling all outdoor rec entrepreneurs

Registration opens today for Adventure Pitch 2023, a featured event at the state’s annual Outdoor Economics Conference, which will be held this year in Santa Fe Oct. 23-25 (check out last year’s start-up pitch here). Santa Fe County, one of the conference’s sponsors, promoted the Adventure Pitch in a news release yesterday, noting: “The outdoor recreation industry plays an essential role in New Mexico’s economy and culture. With its diverse landscapes, from the majestic peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the vast desert expanses, New Mexico provides a natural playground for outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds. This industry not only fuels job creation and stimulates local businesses but also fosters a deep connection between people and love of place.” The conference’s schedule will include panels on all facets of the interface between outdoor recreation and the economy, as well as field trips to various notable outdoor areas in the state, including the Valles Caldera, Caja del Rio and Diablo Canyon.

Listen up

Last month, SFR published Mary Hudetz’s story on the delayed returns of Native American remains, originally published by nonprofit journalism organization ProPublica as part of The Repatriation Project. This morning’s Let’s Talk New Mexico program from KUNM, airing at 8 am, will “explore the use of Native American remains for academic purposes and the challenge of getting remains returned to their homelands.” Guests will include: Hudetz, an enrolled member of the Crow Tribe in Montana; Theresa Pasqual, director of the historic preservation office for the Pueblo of Acoma; Museum of Indian Arts & Culture Executive Director Pollyanna “Polly” Nordstrand (Hopi); Carla Sinopoli, director of the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology at the University of New Mexico; and Kari Schleher, the Maxwell Museum’s faculty curator. Share your thoughts by emailing letstalk@kunm.org, call in live to (505) 277-5866 or leave a voice message online. Listen on 89.9 FM or online.

Park-taking NM

Outside Online serves up its recommendations for the best adventures in each national park, and the picks come with authority: Writer Emily Pennington in 2020 embarked on a year-long journey to visit every single national park and partake in all the experiences they have to offer (an undertaking Pennington chronicled in her memoir Feral, which published last spring). As for New Mexico, Pennington recommends taking a guided King’s Palace Tour at Carlsbad Caverns, which the National Park Service says “will take you into the deepest portion of the cavern open to the public, 830 feet (253 meters) beneath the desert surface.” If you’re lucky, Pennington writes, “your guide will conduct a blackout, allowing you to take in the wild darkness of the passageways.” Meanwhile, at White Sands, Pennington recommends hiking the five-mile Alkali Flat Trail, which she says “will bring you right into the heart of the action. As the longest trail in the park, it’s often the least-crowded of the bunch, allowing walkers to take their time and marvel at the otherworldly serenity of the largest gypsum dunefield in the world. Stick around after the hike for a completely Rothko-esque sunset show.” The trail, NPS says, " is the dry lakebed of Lake Otero, a lake that filled the bottom of the Tularosa Basin during the last ice age and covered 1,600 square miles.”

Get the picture

Speaking of White Sands, third-place winner of the Washington Post’s annual travel photo contest, Washington DC-resident Linda Rubenstein, placed with her shot of the national park taken in November 2022. “I was utterly astounded by its otherworldliness, and I felt as if I had landed on the moon,” Rubenstein says. “The dunes were like small mountains whose surfaces and textures were ever-changing by the direction of the wind, and the sun’s reflection on the white sand was blindingly bright. My feet sinking into the cool sand, I climbed atop one of the sand dunes to survey the landscape and saw only one other person in this area of the park, perhaps the owner of the lone vehicle in the lot. The wind was fierce and whipping the sand about, and I thought that these unusual yet well-placed protective shelters were a perfect respite from it.” White Sands, some may recall, also appeared in the winning photographs from New Mexico Magazine’s most recent annual contest (Jim Stein’s “Evening Light,” which captured the clearing of a storm at the park and placed first in the landscape category). The deadline for this year’s contest approaches: 11:59 pm, Friday, Sept. 15. The contest is open to amateur photographers, has no entry fee and several categories. Find more details and the rules here and read about the prizes here.

Hot shot

The National Weather Service forecasts another sunny day, with a high temperature near 88 degrees and north wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west 15 to 20 mph this morning. Record-high temps are expected around the state. Should it ever become winter here, Southwest Airlines this week launched a nonstop flight from Albuquerque to Long Beach.

Thanks for reading! The Word is enjoying Al Green’s new cover of the late Lou Reed’s song “Perfect Day” (as well as Reed’s live version circa 2000).