Nearly 40,000 households in seven rural New Mexico school districts will receive high-speed home internet in coming months, following state grants from the Office of Broadband Access and Expansion’s Student Connect program.

The OBAE’s Student Connect program falls under the office’s Connect New Mexico Fund, which was established in 2021 by the legislature. It designated $70 million in state funds to expand broadband in unserved and underserved areas. Working to connect rural students and educational institutions was one of the intentions behind the creation of the fund.

Mike Curtis, spokesperson for the OBAE, said about $56 million has been awarded through the Connect New Mexico Fund so far, but this recent award came from the subprogram created specifically to help students.

Through the award of $13.5 million two internet service providers and Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo will expand high-speed internet connection to 38,482 households, according to an OBAE news release. This will ensure students and teachers continue to have access to high speed internet outside of the school setting.

The money will go toward building towers, installing fixed wireless service and providing receivers to homes. Projects are expected to be completed by June 30, 2025. According to the news release, students and school staff benefiting from the home access will also receive three years of free internet access.

​Awardees include Resound Networks, based out of Pampa, Texas; Oso Internet Solutions from Ramah, New Mexico; and Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo in Rio Arriba County. Connection will be extended to remote areas of Doña Ana, Catron, Cibola, Rio Arriba and Valencia counties, impacting students and teachers in seven school districts:

• Belen Consolidated Schools
• Gadsden Independent School District
• Grants Cibola County Schools
• Hatch Valley Public Schools
• Los Lunas Public Schools
• Ohkay Owingeh Community School
• Quemado Independent School District
  The Student Connect program grants became available in October and still has about $11.4 million in grants available for applicants. Other Connect New Mexico Fund grants awarded outside of the connection to school districts include areas in Doña Ana, Valencia, Colfax, Socorro, Grant, Hidalgo, Lincoln, Chaves, Otero, Eddy, Luna, Sierra and San Miguel counties, as well as Picuris, San Ildefonso, Isleta, Laguna and Tesuque pueblos.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers News:
 
ABIQUIU – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers staff at Abiquiu Lake will host their annual midwinter eagle survey, 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025.

No pre-registration is required, and all are welcome to participate.

The event is free and open to the public. Volunteers are asked to meet at the Abiquiu Lake Visitor Center for registration beginning at 9 a.m. Hot coffee and snacks will be provided during registration.

A presentation about eagles and other potential bird sightings will begin at 9:30 a.m. The count will start at 10 a.m. and run until noon.

“We already have confirmed sightings of bald eagles at the lake,” said Kara Rapp, natural resource specialist at Abiquiu Lake. “We are hoping to even see more eagles at this year’s event.”
​
All volunteers are asked to dress warmly and consider current weather conditions. Spotting scopes, binoculars, and/or long-range cameras are also recommended to aid in spotting eagles.
The purpose of the eagle count survey is to gather individuals to help count eagles along standard, non-overlapping survey routes as part of a nationwide midwinter bald eagle survey. It is also a great opportunity to encourage shared environmental stewardship efforts with the public to promote wildlife conservation.
 
National Wildlife Federation officials have asked participants in each state to count eagles along standard routes to provide data on count trends. The basic objectives of the survey are to index the total wintering bald eagle populations in the lower 48 states, determine eagle distribution during a standardized survey period, and identify previously unrecognized areas of important winter habitat.
 
The annual midwinter survey represents a unique source of long-term, baseline data. Unlike nesting surveys, this provides information on both breeding and non-breeding segments of the population at a potentially limiting time of the year. The count has become a national tradition since 1984 and is an annual event at Abiquiu Lake. In addition to providing information on eagle trends, distribution, and habitat, the count has helped to create public interest in bald eagles and their conservation.
 
To join the event, come to the Abiquiu Lake Visitor Center at 9 a.m. Jan. 11, 2025, at 4731 Hwy 96 in Abiquiu, just 2 miles west of the Hwy 84 junction.

by Karima Alavi
 
You may recall Jessica Rath’s June 7 article in the Abiquiu News about new plans being implemented by the Board of Trustees at Abiquiu’s Dar al Islam facility. The newly appointed director, Rafaat Ludin, spoke of Dar al Islam’s commitment to connecting with surrounding communities. One component of that plan was set into action recently when Dar al Islam sponsored the Abiquiu Studio Tour and hosted artists for the first time.
 
Ten artists registered to show their work during that glorious October weekend. The event was organized in large part by ceramicist Samia van Hattum who sold her stoneware and earrings, along with beaded and feather jewelry offered by Sasha Barrionuevo. Samia received accolades from participating artists not only for keeping things organized, but also for her generous hosting skills that made participants feel welcomed and taken care of. To quote Emmy Cheney, who sold micaceous pottery, everything was “beautifully done thanks to Samia.” 
 
Almost every artist who showed work at Dar al Islam had visited the site before, even if just once. In fact, painter Isaac Alarid Pease remembered his last visit to the site as part of an Abiquiu Elementary School field trip. “I had memories of a beautiful white building with corners you could whisper into and have conversations with your friends across the arch.”  
 
Photographer Gary Pikarsky, a 7-year veteran of the studio tour, said his sales this year were among some of the most successful he’s seen. He’s already making plans to show at Dar al Islam next year, calling it the best venue he has ever displayed at for the tour.
 
Over six hundred visitors listened as their tires crunched up a gravel road through the typical scenic beauty of Abiquiu before arriving at the mosque and campus. Typical that is, until they turned one corner and got a panoramic view of Plaza Blanca, rock formations made famous by another Abiquiu artist, Georgia O’Keeffe, and situated on Dar al Islam property.
 
Once inside, first-time visitors encountered the magic of sacred architecture with its domes, detailed woodwork, and a series of arches that leads one down the main hall. Add to that the fragrance of Middle Eastern dishes like kabob and spiced rice that drifted through the building like a culinary musk, cooked on-site by Rehana Archuletta, owner of Kohinoor, the Santa Fe catering business that offered visitors a mix of Mexican lunch items along with Middle East specialties that day. Rehana grew up at Dar al Islam, living with her family in one of the small homes on the property. As the only chef on-site during the studio tour, she managed to cook 175 meals that were served by her daughter and Server Extraordinaire, Hadiyyah.
 
By the end of the weekend a band of tired, but satisfied artists followed the caravan of visitors back down the hill, backlit by a sunset of yellow, orange, and purple. Another photo op for Gary.

SFNF

​This permit allows you to cut a Christmas Tree within designated areas of the Santa Fe National Forest! Lifelong memories are built during these special times and we are happy to help with any information gathering you'll need to make this trip a safe and enjoyable one.  

Please be sure to read and agree to all the tips and guidelines when selecting your tree.
The Santa Fe National Forest permit is valid for trees 5-inches in diameter and up to 10-feet-in-height.  

Trees taller than 10-feet require an additional permit - which can you purchase in the same transaction. For example, if you want 15-foot tree, you need to purchase two (2) Santa Fe National Forest (5-inches in diameter and up to 10-feet-in-height) permits. 

Trees larger than 5-inches in diameter and taller than 10-feet-in-height without two permits may be confiscated and the permit holder may be cited. 
​
The limit per household is 3 trees. 
Cutting dates are Friday, Nov 15, 2024 - Tuesday, Dec 31, 2024

For more information and purchasing online click

We better our odds of survival by not inviting anyone else to join in. So what if we are a proper pair of Ebenezers, only with a lot less money? We like the idea of sharing one single holiday all to ourselves and our own infallible food preferences.

That holiday is sometimes Arbor Day. But we’ll take it, because we align on most every Timeless Holiday Controversy there is.

Pumpkin pie over pecan pie. Butter over margarine. Star Wars over Star Trek (though why not both). I’m staunchly pro-Christmas, while she prefers no chile at all. (It’s a harmonious discord, because I eat her sides of both red and green.)

We even agree that—brace yourselves—turkey is not the best holiday-dinner bird. For starters, it feeds far more people than we want to invite. But mainly, we tend to forget to thaw it the recommended 3-6 weeks before overcooking it.

This year, however, we decided to do things differently. Little did I know just how differently.
You see, the other day, my girlfriend sent me a photo from the grocery store. The text showed a shelf tag with special member pricing on MISCELLANEOUS POULTRY.
​
“Baby,” she wrote me. “Two, three, or four?”

In high desert rural communities fire departments worry about water.  So, let’s talk about water.  How much water do you need to put out a house fire?  The long answer begins with “It depends” followed by a stream of qualifications, specifications, and calculations.  The short answer is “A lot.”  A fully engulfed structure fire might require 30,000 gallons of water to extinguish.  And where does that water come from.  In places such as Albuquerque or Roswell, where there are fire hydrants every 500 feet or so along the streets, the water is effectively already on the scene when firefighters arrive.  In places such as Abiquiu, which lack community water systems and street hydrants, every drop of water used at a fire must be transported to that fire.  And it has to get there right away.  This is not a small problem.

The Abiquiu Volunteer Fire Department is now better prepared to address that problem.  This past autumn it took delivery of a new “tender,” a fire apparatus designed specifically to move water to fire scenes.  Built by E-One, a major manufacturer of fire vehicles, the new truck can carry 2,000 gallons of water and quickly dispense that water with its 750 gallons per minute pump.  With the new tender joining its fleet of trucks, Abiquiu Fire now has 7000 gallons of water “on wheels” and the capacity to sustain a water supply by means of a “water shuttle” of trucks moving between the fire scene and the underground water storage tanks at the Abiquiu and Medanales stations.  In addition to significantly improving the department’s ability to fight fires, the increased water capacity may also improve Abiquiu’s Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating which may reduce homeowners’ premiums for fire insurance.
​
Fire trucks are alarmingly expensive, often costing more than many homes.  This new tender checked out at $430,000, a price that was covered by a $300,000 grant from the state fire marshal and $130,000 saved by the department over several years from its operating budget.  It’s money well spent. 

The Creative Coding Workshop will take place over nine Saturday sessions, beginning January 11, 2025, through May 3, 2025, at the UNM Taos Klauer Campus/UNM Taos HIVE.The program is free for 10–12 high school students and will be led by industry experts, including:

• Ian Harrison, 3D artist, animator, and programmer, serving as the workshop’s Lead Instructor.
• Agnes Chavez, interdisciplinary artist and educator, as STEAM integration designer.
• Alison Johnson, award-winning experimental filmmaker, as Guest Instructor and XR Design Speaker.

The curriculum will guide students through foundational programming concepts, such as variables, loops, and functions, while encouraging them to apply these skills to create interactive artwork, animations, and generative designs. Upon completion, students will receive Google Code Next T-shirts, and Google certificates, and gain eligibility for ongoing STEMarts Lab internships and participation in the STEMarts Creative Team contributing to its mixed-reality sci-art art installations.

This is the first year of the Creative Coding Workshop, with plans to introduce advanced-level workshops in the coming years for students interested in furthering their skills.

Google Code Next’s MissionGoogle Code Next is committed to closing the learning gap in computer science (CS) education by providing free, culturally relevant and engaging computer science programming for Black, Latinx, and Indigenous high school students. The program’s goal is to cultivate the next generation of tech leaders, equip them with the skills for rewarding careers in technology, and empower them for the future of learning and work.
Code Next achieves this mission by:

• Partnering with community-based organizations like STEMarts Lab.
• Meeting students where they are, in their communities.
• Providing the tools and technology necessary for success in CS education and STEM careers.

Through this partnership, STEMarts Lab joins a network of innovative affiliate programs designed to break down barriers in CS education and inspire underrepresented students to become leaders in tech.

Empowering Students Through Art and TechnologySTEMarts Lab has a long history of integrating art, science, and technology into transformative educational experiences. This partnership with Google Code Next marks an exciting new chapter in STEMarts Lab’s mission to empower the next generation with the tools they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
"The Creative Coding Workshop is more than just teaching students to code," said Chavez. "It’s about empowering them to explore the intersection of art, society, and technology, unlock their creative potential, and envision themselves as future innovators and changemakers in the 21st-century workforce."
"Students who excel in the program will have opportunities to advance their skills and join the STEMarts Creative Team in a paid role, where they can contribute to cutting-edge mixed reality art installations and inspire other students to explore creative coding."

How to Apply
​Registration for the Creative Coding Workshop is now open. High school students interested in participating can register online at https://tinyurl.com/googlecreativecoding. For questions please contact STEMarts Lab at stemartslab@gmail.com.. Applications are due by December 19, 2024 to be eligible. First come First Serve.

About STEMarts LabSTEMarts Lab is a STEAM youth leadership program that prepares young people to change the world for the better through professional opportunities, cutting-edge projects, and immersive art experiences. Operating as a production studio, STEMarts Lab engages participants in creating collaborative sci-art installations that address real-world challenges while equipping future youth leaders with essential workforce skills. Through partnerships with global STEAM mentors, access to advanced technologies, and participation in immersive projects, the organization fosters creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration. STEMarts Lab empowers youth to envision and actively contribute to a more equitable and sustainable future as informed planetary citizens and change-makers​​.
For more information about the Creative Coding Workshop or STEMarts Lab, visit www.stemarts.com

A new chapter in the decade-long lawsuit in the U.S. Supreme Court over Rio Grande water is set to begin.
 
After a close, 5-4 ruling from the Supreme Court dashed a proposed deal to end the litigation, the federal government and states of Colorado, New Mexico and Texas have been ordered back to mediation, which begins Tuesday in Washington D.C.
 
In addition to the parties, there will be attorneys for groups including farming interests, the cities of Albuquerque and Las Cruces, water utilities and irrigation districts, joining the talks.
 
In 2013, Texas sued New Mexico, alleging that groundwater pumping in southern New Mexico diverted water out of the Rio Grande owed to Texas violating the 86-year old agreement called the Rio Grande Compact. Signed in 1938, the compact divided use of the Rio Grande between Colorado, New Mexico and Texas.
 
Only the Supreme Court has the power to rule on disputes between states.
 
A dispute over baselines for groundwater
​
One of the core disagreements between the federal government and the three states is determining how much groundwater pumping needs to be cut along the Rio Grande in southern New Mexico. In the arid region, water is crucial for growing crops like chile and pecans, and both groundwater and water from the Rio Grande are used for irrigation.
 
In the rejected settlement agreement, the states requested a baseline adjusted to more groundwater pumping and drought conditions determined by an equation called the “D2 curve.”
 
The D2 curve was used as part of a 2008 settlement ending a fight between the irrigation districts and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation over drought concerns.
 
Alternately, the federal government has previously asked for the states to adopt restrictions from when the compact was first signed.
 
The states will continue to argue for the D2 curve baseline, said James Grayson, the chief deputy for the New Mexico Department of Justice.
 
“In 1938, there was essentially no groundwater being used, and so the United States is essentially advocating to go back to that time and that way of using only surface water,” Grayson said.
 
The City of Las Cruces and the New Mexico Attorney General have urged federal officials in recent months to make a deal with the states before the start of Donald Trump’s presidency in January and compromise on its position to drastically limit groundwater pumping in southern New Mexico.
 
In a Nov. 14 letter, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, a Democrat, appealed to U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Halaand to drop the objections.
 
“Time is running out,” Torrez wrote. “And I am pleading with you to resolve this issue for the benefit of all parties, but especially for the people of southern New Mexico, rather than leaving the matter to become a political bargaining chip for the next administration.”
 
In an October letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, the City of Las Cruces stated that cutting pumping to a 1938 level would reduce the city’s groundwater use by 93%.
 
This action “would cripple farmers, families and communities in southern New Mexico,” and would require the state’s second-largest city to find a new source of water, requiring a $1 billion investment and take about 15 years to put into place.
 
In 2023 testimony before lawmakers, state officials said New Mexico would need to cut groundwater use in southern New Mexico by at least 17,000 acre-feet to meet the deal set by the D2 curve baseline, by reducing pecan and chile fields. If the 1938 standard was required, cuts would need to be in the hundreds of thousands of acre-feet.
 
How we got here
The contours of the dispute have changed since the case was first brought in 2013. Drought conditions in the early 2000s sparked a protracted series of water lawsuits in lower courts between the federal government, states, cities and counties and irrigation districts along the Rio Grande.
 
In 2019, the high court unanimously allowed the U.S. federal government to intervene as a party in the case, arguing that a series of federal dams, irrigation canals and ditches were threatened by New Mexico’s groundwater pumping. That federal infrastructure is used to deliver Rio Grande water to Mexico under a 1906 treaty and also meets agreements with two regional irrigation districts.
 
While the federal government initially sided with Texas in the lawsuit, a series of compromises eventually put the states in one camp and the federal government (and the regional irrigation districts) in another.
 
Colorado, New Mexico and Texas came to an eleventh-hour settlement in 2022, but the federal government objected and said that the deal couldn’t be made without their agreement.
 
In June, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with the federal government’s objections, rejecting the proposed deal.
 
Earlier this year, justices appointed a new special master, who oversees the progress of the case.
 
After an October hearing, Judge D. Brooks Smith ordered the parties into mediation, which starts Tuesday and will end Thursday, but could continue to be extended. If mediation talks break down entirely, the parties will resume going to trial.