New Mexico Ranks Last—Again—for Child Well-Being

NM ranks last in child well-being

Annual data released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation places New Mexico last among states for the second consecutive year when it comes to child well-being. Nonetheless, advocates point to positive strides for the state in the last few years. “The data show that the state must keep pushing itself to create opportunities for all New Mexico kids to thrive, but we’ve also seen progress in most indicators, and many recent family-focused state policy changes give us strong reasons to expect that we’ll continue to see improvements in the future,” New Mexico Voices for Children Executive Director Amber Wallin says in a statement regarding the 2023 Kids Count data book; New Mexico Voices for Children runs the state’s Kids Count program. “For example, the state has recently become a national leader in making child care affordable for more families, an improvement that our families, early educators, and local businesses are seeing, but that does not yet show up in the rankings.” A news release from New Mexico Voices for Children also points out that many of the data sets in the report date from 2021, the same year New Mexico announced expanded child care assistance. The data book assesses 16 indicators of child well being, such as poverty, graduation rates and teen birth rates, grouping them into “four domains”: economic well being, for which New Mexico ranked 49th; education (50th); health (44th); family and community (48th). Nonetheless, Wallin says: “If we are strictly comparing New Mexico to itself from a decade ago,” Wallin says, “It’s clear we’ve made remarkable progress.”

Acclaimed author Cormac McCarthy, 89, dies in Santa Fe

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Cormac McCarthy died of natural causes at his home in Santa Fe yesterday at the age of 89. “Cormac McCarthy changed the course of literature,” Nihar Malaviya, CEO of Penguin Random House, said in a statement. “For 60 years, he demonstrated an unwavering dedication to his craft, and to exploring the infinite possibilities and power of the written word.” As described by the New York Times, McCarthy’s fiction “took a dark view of the human condition and was often macabre,” with characters who, like McCarthy himself, lived as outsiders. In a guide to his books, the Times writes that “from the start his writing drew comparisons to novelists as different as William Faulkner and Mark Twain, but his themes were always and recognizably his own: justice, despair, the futile but urgent need for hope in a fallen world.” Writing for the New Yorker last year, James Woods describes McCarthy’s prose possessing “two dominant styles” of afflatus and deflatus, with his Pultizer-Prize winning novel The Road (2007) as “both the fulfillment and the transformation of this profligately gifted stylist, because in it the two styles justified themselves and came together to make a third style, of punishing and limpid beauty.”McCarthy earned acclaim and awards for books such as The Road, Blood Meridian, No Country for Old Men and the National Book Award winner All the Pretty Horses, but his latest—and last—two novels, The Passenger and Stella Maris, also drew tremendous praise. Those novels also showcased McCarthy’s varied interests in math and physics—topics in which he immersed himself at the Santa Fe Institute, where he served as a trustee. “Today feels to me like a terrible disaster where many of us lost a good friend, the Santa Fe Institute lost one of its finest minds, and the world has lost one of its greatest authors,” SFI President David Krakauer says in a statement. “Cormac refuted through his life and work the pettifogging myth that one cannot be both broad and deep. He read everything, he could sing and play a folk song after a single listen, he loved a well-tailored suit, he designed houses for his friends, he tortured himself with the philosophy of mathematics, and he schooled me in the geometry of the ideal bookshelf. Not sure what to make of the world without him in it.”

County Commission approves annexation carve-out

The Santa Fe Board of County Commissioners last night agreed to compromise and allow hundreds of residents of Area 1B, just north of the Village of Agua Fría, to join the historic village and thus remain outside city limits. The rest of the area, however, will be annexed into the city proper. The decision caps months of delayed votes and dispute between residents who opposed annexation; Homewise, which supports it and intends to develop land it owns in the area; the city, which also supports the annexation; and county commissioners. Court challenges from the City of Santa Fe and Homewise over the legality of the residents’ original petition to join the village remain pending. While commissioners voted unanimously last night to allow for the “carve-out” for those residents who will remain in the county, County Commission Chair Anna Hansen said she still believes the entire area “is part of the traditional historic village. Residents proved that 100%, and maybe more than 100%.” Nonetheless, she noted, the new map, which cuts out swaths of privately and state-owned land for the city to annex, represents a solution that most can work with. “As responsible elected officials, it is our job to represent our community and our constituents. It is also our job to compromise,” Hansen said.

Oh, happy day

Happy National New Mexico Day! While today would not appear to be the kind of holiday for which one receives paid-time off, June 14 does include perks for New Mexico residents. For example: free admission to any of the state’s 35 parks (not including camping or rental fees); eight state-operated museums or seven historic sites with a valid New Mexico ID. “This is a perfect opportunity to get out to a New Mexico State Park and make memories that will last a lifetime,” Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department Secretary Sarah Cottrell Propst said in a statement (if anyone has an experience that produces an indelible memory today, do let us know). In addition, state officials also highlighted today as a chance to shop locally; the Tourism Department’s recently published Summer Gift Guide includes close to 100 New Mexico True Certified products; the state program also supports a variety of New Mexico True Certified experiences. “New Mexico is truly a one-of-a-kind place,” Tourism Secretary Jen Paul Schroer said. “National New Mexico Day is a perfect opportunity for us to recognize and appreciate the access that we have to so many cultural institutions and outdoor recreation offerings here in the Land of Enchantment.” Share or check out #NationalNewMexicoDay experiences on the New Mexico True Instagram.

Listen up

Unsurprisingly, writer/producer Lee Zlotoff has a few secrets when it comes to being inventive. After all, the man created MacGyver. On the most recent episode of The Film Talk radio show/podcast, host Jacques Paisner talks with Zlotoff, a Santa Fe resident, about his current projects (yes, there’s a MacGyver musical); his program for veterans; and how tapping into the subconscious mind is key for creativity.

NM by the book

The Washington Post’s book recommendations for summer murder-mystery reading includes the latest from New Mexico author Alisa Lynn Valdés: Hollow Beasts, which the Post describes as having a plot “ripped from the headlines” alongside “an authentic voice, fine writing and a protagonist with a complicated backstory and one of the most dangerous jobs in American law enforcement: game warden.” That protagonist, Jodi Luna, moves back home to “the rugged northern New Mexico wilderness” from Boston after her husband dies. A poacher she catches ends up stalking her and her daughter, thrusting Luna into the world of an extremist group that shines “a spotlight on racism and white supremacy in the Southwest,” the Post writes. And for those hoping to stick with a New Mexico/fiction theme in their summer reading, The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis, publishing June 27, has been highly anticipated for months among sci-fi readers. In brief, as described by Publisher’s Weekly: “While attending her best friend’s UFO-themed wedding” in Roswell, “no-nonsense Francie is abducted by Indy, an alien who needs assistance in navigating the city. Francie becomes his hostage chauffeur, and they pick up a wild cast of characters, including a charming con man.” PW’s starred review called it “an absolute blast with abundant humor.”

Fly away home

Ever wondered what it would be like to fly out of New Mexico in a semi-private plane? Wonder no more. Writing for Insider, Molly O’Brien details her experience flying round-trip on Taos Air, operated by the semi-private airline JSX. The $700 round-trip ticket from Burbank, California was more than worth it, O’Brien writes, with a private terminal, easy check-in, easier security protocols and a lounge with coffee, hot chocolate etc. More to the point: The plane only had approximately 30 people aboard: “The interior of the plane was so spacious that I had an entire row to myself since the seat next to me had been turned into an enormous cupholder,” O’Brien writes. On board, she had free snacks, free booze, fast Wifi. Once off the plane, her bag and a shuttle were waiting. “Overall, it was the easiest flying experience I’d ever had, and I’d take JSX again in a heartbeat,”she says, and “All of the perks that came with my flight—complimentary checked bags, Wi-Fi, snacks, and drinks— combined with the ease of getting on and off the airplane made me feel like my ticket was most definitely worth the extra money.”

Summer warm-up

The National Weather Service forecasts a slight chance of “sprinkles” after noon. Otherwise, it will be sunny, with a high temperature near 82 degrees and north wind 5 to 15 mph becoming west in the afternoon.

Thanks for reading! The Word wishes she was on the Audubon Osprey Boat House.