President Biden Visits NM, Promises Wildfire Recovery Help

Biden pledges support for NM fire recovery

During his visit to New Mexico on Saturday, President Joe Biden publicly supported the Hermits Peak Fire Assistance Act, which would compensate victims of the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire, which grew from a US Forest Service prescribed burn and a smoldering pile burn, respectively. During an afternoon briefing, Biden said he had flown over the perimeter of the fire in Air Force One: “It’s an astounding amount of territory,” he said. “We have a responsibility to help this state recover, to help the families who have been here for centuries, and the beautiful Northern New Mexico villages who can’t go home and whose livelihoods have been fundamentally changed.” The bill, introduced by the state’s congressional delegation, will require approval from Congress. “I hope we’re able to get that done,” Biden said.

Biden also announced the federal government will be waiving the 25% non-federal cost share requirement for federal assistance enabled by the presidential disaster declaration—as requested by the delegation and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham—and covering 100% of the disaster response and recovery costs, such as debris removal. “I appreciate the president not only visiting our state today, but for committing to the people of New Mexico that the federal government will be here for the long-haul to help families and communities recover,” the governor said in a statement on Saturday. “It is the duty and the responsibility of the federal government to step in, and it was clear today that President Biden understands that. We will continue to work closely with the administration as we rebuild and find better ways to manage our forests together going forward.” As of last night, the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire had grown to 320,333 acres and was 70% contained; The Midnight Fire in Rio Arriba County is at 3,781 acres and 0% containment, with Operations Section Chief Jayson Coil from the Southwest Incident Management Team 1 managing the fire describing Sunday as a “good day” in last night’s community meeting. “Containment is a number I know means a lot to a lot of people,” Coil said, “but 0% containment does not mean 0% effort.” The Black Fire in the Gila National Forest is at 309,948 and 40% containment.

Guv announces $10 million in eligible funding for housing

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Friday announced $10 million in available funding for local and tribal governments to buy and/or renovate hotels, apartment buildings and other facilities to create temporary housing for New Mexicans experiencing homelessness. The state funds can be combined with local funds; local governments or agencies will operate the facilities (applications available here), and must also include plans to provide other types of social services. “The Casa Connection Grant Program will provide transitional housing opportunities for New Mexico communities to support an all-encompassing approach to reducing homelessness, including expanding on the work we’ve done to rebuild New Mexico’s behavioral health system,” the governor said in a statement. Proposals, the governor’s office says, “will be evaluated based on demonstrated need, feasibility, potential impact and the ability to operate shelter and support services, among other aspects.” New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness Executive Director Hank Hughes described the funding as “great news,” in a statement, adding that the program is “most welcome now when the overall shortage of affordable housing in New Mexico is making it especially hard to rehouse those who are homeless.” The City of Santa Fe already is part of a coalition transforming the former Lamplighter Inn into affordable housing units. The Salt Lake City-based developer Mountain Classic Real Estate recently announced the purchase of the Quality Inn on Cerrillos Road and the planned purchase of the nearby Motel 6 to convert into what it describes as “attainable” housing.

Heinrich part of national gun law negotiations

A bipartisan group of US Senators yesterday announced an agreement on gun safety measures, described by the New York Times as “a significant step toward ending a years-long congressional impasse on the issue.” The proposal, which has not yet been finalized, includes some measures toward enhanced background checks for potential gun buyers under the age of 21; expanded protections for victims of domestic violence; and increased funding for school safety and mental health resources, among other facets. “I am a gun owner. I also have two kids who grew up doing active shooter drills that would have been unimaginable when I was their age,” US Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-NM, one of the 10 Democrats in the group, said in a statement. “The level of gun violence in our country is appalling and unacceptable. In addition, I refuse to accept the idea that we are so divided that we can’t make this situation better and that’s exactly why I have been part of these efforts to find a meaningful path forward to reduce gun violence. These bipartisan negotiations show that we can work together and that we can create policies that will save lives.”

COVID-19 by the numbers

Reported June 10:

New cases: 990; 544,867 total cases

Deaths: seven; Santa Fe County has had 306 total deaths thus far; there have been 7,873 total fatalities statewide. Hospitalizations: 130. Patients on ventilators: 14.

Case rates: According to the most recent DOH report on geographical trends for COVID-19, as of June 6, the state had recorded 6,104 new cases in the preceding seven days—a nearly 55% increase from the prior seven-day period. Grant and Santa Fe counties had the two highest daily case rates per 100,000 population in the most recent time period: 82.5 and 64.8, respectively.

Community levels: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “community levels” tracking system—which uses case rates along with two hospital metrics in combination for its framework—for the seven-day period of June 2-9, San Juan and McKinley counties both show high—or “red”—levels. There are now 17 counties, including Santa Fe County, classified with yellow or “medium” levels—up from nine the week prior. CDC recommendations for individuals and communities based on the community-level rankings can be found here.

Resources: Vaccine registration; Booster registration Free at-home rapid antigen tests; Self-report a positive COVID-19 test result to the health department; COVID-19 treatment info: oral treatments Paxlovid (age 12+) and Molnupiravir (age 18+); and monoclonal antibody treatments. Toolkit for immunocompromised individuals. 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.

Listen up

Have the last two plus years of the COVID-19 pandemic left you feeling as though your social skills have atrophied? A recent episode of the University of New Mexico Health Hour podcast, “Whole Health In a Post-Pandemic World,” targets the anxiety some may be feeling in the aftermath of extreme social-distancing, with an emphasis from Dr. Laura Medina, director of UNM’s Center for Life, on the important role community plays in individual health (you can also view the discussion on YouTube).

Music and identity

New Mexico composer Raven Chacon (Diné), who became the first Native American composer to win the Pulitzer Prize last month, talks with the National Catholic Reporter about how his composition, “Voiceless Mass” explores “the tension between Catholic and Indigenous cultures—a tension that’s personal for Chacon.” The work was composed for the organ at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and performed there in November of 2021. In addition to the organ, the piece includes an ensemble of violins, flute, clarinets, cellos, percussion and electronic tones. “Having the opportunity to present this in a Catholic church, a church I grew up in, in parallel with my Indigenous ways, was something that resonated with me,” Chacon tells NCR. “This is a place where my family gathers. I was thinking of the building and its ability to amplify voices and what that would mean for me to voice concerns in this space.” Chacon also discusses the ways in which he identifies as Catholic—his father is of Hispanic descent and grew up Catholic—and the complexity of New Mexico’s cultural histories and identities.

The Marrakesh Express

As regular Morning Word readers know, travel magazines love New Mexico and often include the state and many of its cities and towns (including Santa Fe, of course) in its various tourist-centric round-ups. Case in point: A recent Travel & Leisure story incorporates Ojo Caliente Spa into its list of 13 of the best resorts in the US for “reconnecting with nature.” All this to say: Unusual shout-outs stand out. For example, a recent story fromThe Travel highlights “11 of the world’s most amazing natural arches,” with the Woodpecker Arch In Ramah making the cut. One of the myriad fascinating elements about the arches, the story says, are their names “and New Mexico’s Woodpecker Arch is no exception.” The arch seems to have been named for its appearance: “The hole of the archway appears to look like a bird that’s hanging onto the side of the stone monument to which it is attached.” When you’re done planning your arch-themed vacation, be sure to check out Moneywise magazine’s advice on how to have a summer vacation on a budget amidst rising inflation and gas costs. One way is to pick a cheaper version of the vacation you actually want to take. For instance, the magazine suggests: “…New Mexico is a good domestic alternative to exploring the sands of Morocco.” Sounds like a potential new marketing campaign for the state Tourism Department.

Monsoon countdown

Hot and windy weather persists today (and parts of the state saw record highs yesterday). The National Weather Service forecasts sunny skies with a high near 93 degrees and “breezy,” with a northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southwest 15 to 25 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph. Santa Fe could see rain and thunderstorms later in the week, just in time for Monsoon Awareness Week.

Thanks for reading! The Word is not participating in, but is monitoring, the panic over the pending Sriracha shortage (with empathy, not schadenfreude).