Former GOP Candidate Announces Mayoral Run

COVID-19 by the numbers

New Mexico health officials yesterday reported 281 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the statewide total so far to 199,054. The health department has designated 184,057 of those cases as recovered.

Bernalillo County had 79 new cases, followed by San Juan County with 47 and Doña Ana County with 22. Santa Fe County had 20 cases.

The state also announced four additional deaths; there have now been 4,089 fatalities. As of yesterday, 149 people were hospitalized with COVID-19.

Currently, 58.9% of New Mexicans have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 45.9% are fully vaccinated. In Santa Fe County, 69.2% have had at least one dose and 50.1% are fully inoculated.

The health department continues its push to vaccinate 60% of the public by the end of June, with Health Secretary Dr. Tracie Collins saying last week that DOH is now focusing on youth. To that end, the state recently partnered with Meow Wolf for a youth-centric vaccination promotion.

Santa Fe County, in partnership with the Pueblo of Pojoaque, NE Region Public Health Division and the Pojoaque School District, will hold a community vaccination event today from 1 to 5 pm at Buffalo Thunder Resort, which is open to the public. Any 16 to 17-year-olds who want a vaccine will need to have a parent present or a signed consent form.

You can read all of SFR’s COVID-19 coverage here. If you’ve had experiences with COVID-19, we would like to hear from you.

And then there were three

Santa Fe’s mayoral race picked up a third candidate yesterday. Alexis Martinez Johnson, who ran on the Republican ticket for last year’s 3rd Congressional District race, announced her intention to challenge Mayor Alan Webber. District 4 City Councilor JoAnne Vigil Coppler also is running in the non-partisan race. Johnson lost her bid for Congress to Democrat Teresa Leger Fernandez last November, but garnered 41% of the vote. During her campaign, Martinez was the first and possibly only woman to receive a citation from Santa Fe Police after she refused to wear a mask on the Plaza (which she then cited in a fundraising campaign for her congressional bid, which read: “Can I count on your support to send a message to the Socialists in Santa Fe that I have the support of the People, and that American Patriots are tired of their government over reach?”). In a statement on her mayoral campaign, Martinez said: “I believe in the potential of this city, but only if we abandon the divisive rhetoric and join under common goals like having safe infrastructure. As the next Santa Fe Mayor, I will prioritize safety, responsible modernization, and cultural heritage.”

State announces Territorial-era preservation work

The state Department of Cultural Affairs and Historic Sites announced a $395,000 preservation project yesterday, which will include work on the Lincoln Historic Site, where some of the state’s most significant historical Territorial Period structures reside (and the locale of famous figures such as Pat Garrett, John Chisum and Billy the Kid). The preservation initiative will include work on six historic structures, including the Lincoln County Courthouse, site of Billy the Kid’s violent final escape in April 1881, and the John Tunstall Store, constructed in 1877. “The community of Lincoln is arguably one of the most well-preserved frontier towns in the Western United States and provides a tangible link between New Mexico’s unique history and those who visit the site today,” Tim Roberts, deputy director of Facilities and Interpretation for New Mexico Historic Sites said in a statement. “This critical preservation work will guarantee these one-of-a-kind treasures survive to help educate future generations about New Mexico’s past and sustain the community of Lincoln’s historic integrity.”

City issues fire warnings

Yes, the weather is becoming increasingly summer-like and, yes, outdoor recreation beckons. However, the City of Santa Fe yesterday issued a list of prohibitions related to fire, owing to the extreme drought conditions. These include bans on: open burning, including campfires, bonfires or pit barbecues; burning of weeds, trash or other vegetation; using charcoal barbecue grills in public parks or recreation areas; smoking in public parks, recreation areas or on public trails; using any motorized all-terrain vehicles or motorcycles on city-owned parks, trails or recreation areas (except for the motocross track located off 599). And the sales of fireworks—aerial and ground—are prohibited as well within city limits.

Listen up

With spring comes the labor of preparing one’s yard along with the promise of a summer of flowers and vegetables. But gardening in Santa Fe has its own challenges and rewards, with the former category including weather, soil, water and insects. In a recent interview, KSFR’s Mary Lou Cooper talks with Lynn Payne, owner of Payne’s Nurseries, about the dos and don’ts of flower gardening in Santa Fe.

Waiting in the wings

While Santa Fe’s theater community embraced the “show must go on” maxim during the pandemic—with many fashioning online performances to tide audiences over—now the time has come for returning to the stage. Case in point: New Mexico Actors Lab, which took over the former Adobe Rose/Swan theater in Midtown just months before the pandemic, this week announced it will host an in-person four-show 2021 season starting in August. Managing Director Robert Benedetti tells SFR the company made it through the down time by producing Zoom shows and applying for grants, receiving all but one. The company is also renting out its space now to other performance companies. Benedetti says the company considered opening up for shows in June, but that felt too soon. August, when audiences will have returned, for example, to the Santa Fe Opera and Shakespeare at the Botanical Gardens, felt more comfortable. “We know there’s a tremendous pent-up hunger for live theater,” he says. “How much of that hunger can override whatever residual reservations people have about attending an indoor theatrical event remains to be seen.

From the vault

Hyperallergic gives a shout out to new Santa Fe gallery Art Vault, launched by the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation at the end of April, a 3,500-square-foot art space, which describes itself as the only digital art collection open to the public in the Southwest, and one of very few in the United States, with works from the foundation’s collection of algorithmic, interactive and video art (open 10 am to 5 pm Tuesday through Saturday). The gallery’s first floor features Networked Nature, an exhibition of 21 artworks that explore digital artists’ efforts “to harness the creative energy of the natural environment.” On the second floor, Saint Somebody includes 15 artworks from the foundation’s collection, including a recent acquisition of a major video art installation by Bill Viola. According to a news release from the foundation, Art Vault is taking the place of the Thoma Foundation’s Art House, at 231 Delgado Street, which will serve as the foundation’s main office location.

Come rain or shine

We may see some scattered showers and thunderstorms after noon today (the forecast predicts a 40% chance of precipitation). Otherwise, it will be partly sunny, with a high near 77 degrees and south wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southwest 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation: 40%. The high temp on Saturday will reach 72 degrees and it will be “breezy,” as in winds at 10 to 15 mph in the morning increasing to 20 to 25 mph in the afternoon and gusting as high as 35 mph. Sunday looks a little cooler with a high near 69 degrees, a partly sunny day and a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Sounds good!

Thanks for reading! Against her better judgement, The Word just took this NY Times quiz to determine if she was flourishing (is anyone flourishing at 5 am?). And then she read this story about how to flourish versus languish. And now she’s going back to bed.