2nd Annual Abiquiú Gathering of Artisans Returns June 14–15 with Art, Flavor, and Community5/28/2025  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Becca Fisher Email: [email protected] Website: abiquiuartscouncil.org 2nd Annual Abiquiú Gathering of Artisans Returns June 14–15 with Art, Flavor, and Community ABIQUIÚ, NM – The Abiquiú Arts Council is proud to present the 2nd Annual Abiquiú Gathering of Artisans, taking place on Friday and Saturday, June 14 & 15, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the Rio Arriba County Rural Event Center in Abiquiú. This vibrant, juried art show features 22 talented artists from across Rio Arriba County, NM, offering a unique opportunity to experience the depth and diversity of Northern New Mexico’s creative spirit—all in one stunning location. Visitors can expect a wide variety of fine art and hand-crafted work, including painting, pottery, jewelry, textiles, folk art, and more. Each artist has been carefully selected to represent the exceptional talent rooted in this region. Adding to the festivities, New Mexico favorite Chicano Dog will be on-site both days, serving up mouthwatering New Mexico-style hot dogs, frito pies, chips, drinks, and more, making this event a true feast for all the senses! The Abiquiú Gathering of Artisans is produced by the Abiquiú Arts Council 501(c)(3), a passionate, volunteer-run nonprofit dedicated to uplifting artists and enriching the cultural life of our region. The Council is also the organization behind the beloved Abiquiú Studio Tour, held annually every October, which draws art lovers from near and far to explore artist studios nestled throughout the iconic Abiquiú landscape. Admission is free, and the event is easy to find: From US-84, turn onto NM-554 and drive 1.3 miles to the Rural Event Center—just follow the signs and flags! Join us for a joyful weekend of art, food, and Northern New Mexico pride. Support your local artists, discover new favorites, and enjoy a day in one of New Mexico’s most inspiring communities. Visit www.abiquiustudiotour.org/abiquiu-gathering-of-artisans-artists/ for more details!
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 Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, pictured during a March news conference, announced Thursday she issued a state of emergency due to ongoing drought in New Mexico. She also called on counties to ban fireworks. (Eddie Moore / Albuquerque Journal) New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is urging counties across the state to ban fireworks and has ordered a task force to come up with short-term emergency measures to address the ongoing drought and mounting wildfire risk, her office announced on Wednesday.
The governor issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency last Thursday, which unlocks funds to help address the drought. It also directed the New Mexico Drought Task Force to meet, which it did Wednesday, to come up with ways to coordinate response efforts across more than 10 state agencies, according to a news release. New Mexico is currently experiencing some of the worst drought conditions ever recorded amid long-term predictions that the state could lose 25% of its water supply over the next 50 years. Snowpack, particularly in the southwestern part of the state, is at record lows, and about 87% of the state is experiencing drought conditions. Meanwhile, local, state, federal and tribal governments across New Mexico have imposed various levels of wildfire restrictions, citing the ongoing wildfire risk. A New Mexico State Forestry website compilation of those restrictions lists 38 jurisdictions that ban fireworks, campfires or impose other measures. “Despite some spring precipitation, almost all of New Mexico remains in conditions that threaten water supplies and elevate fire danger,” Lujan Grisham said in a news release. “The State Forester has enacted fire restrictions for high-risk areas, but we can’t stop there. This executive order ensures that we act decisively to conserve water and lessen our exposure to wildfire risk.” In its Wednesday meeting, the Drought Task Force, led by New Mexico State Engineer Elizabeth Anderson, began coming up with a list of short-term measures to reduce fire risk and help those affected by the drought, which it needs to have in place by July 31, according to the governor’s office. The task force also is tasked with compiling and sharing emergency and other funding sources to help families and governments respond to the drought. “New Mexico’s river basins have seen below average precipitation this year, and our reservoir levels are among the lowest on record,” Anderson said in a news release. “These conditions clearly justify emergency action.” As July 4 approaches, the governor wrote that she urges “New Mexico’s counties, municipalities and local governments to consider implementing firework bans pursuant to the Fireworks Safety and Licensing Act…as well as any other appropriate fire prevention measures that they may legally enact.”  The Española Valley High School football picture in an undated photo. A teachers union is calling on the Española School Board to intervene after an effort last month at the high school to collect student immigration data. (Photo courtesy EVHS) The National Education Association of New Mexico sent a letter Tuesday to the Española School Board asking for a “full and detailed explanation” of who authorized Española Valley High School’s directive to teachers last month, ostensibly as part of a standardized test, to collect students’ immigration statuses.
The union also accused the district of deleting the information it collected, which leaders said amounted to “destruction of evidence during an open union investigation.” That prompted the union to file a Prohibited Practice Complaint with the Public Employee Labor Relations Board of New Mexico. “We fear not only the impact these actions have on our membership but the students as a whole,” the union wrote in the letter. “We are writing to seek your help to rectify these matters. The district and staff deserve to have a school district that is lawful and free of fear and intimidation.” A teacher posted on Reddit on April 21 that they had reached out to the union after teachers were asked to collect the data as part of the WorkKeys standardized test, an assessment that the ACT created to measure job readiness. An ACT spokesperson told Source New Mexico last month that it never seeks that information, saying its collection is “not a requirement for taking our exams and is not information we collect or use in any way.” The letter calls on the school board to, by June 2, provide copies of all internal communications and documents regarding the directive; an “explanation of the rationale” for later deleting the collected data; and confirmation about whether the data was ever transmitted to ACT, Inc. In an interview Tuesday with Source New Mexico, NEA-NM spokesperson Edward Webster said the district needs to “stop playing the game” with the union and teachers about what happened and be transparent about what happened and why. Eric Spencer, the Española superintendent, did not respond to an email Tuesday afternoon from Source New Mexico. The school board meets this evening at 6 p.m., but the matter is not on the agenda. School board president Javin Coriz did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday afternoon. The effort to collect the data occurred amid fears that that information could be turned over to federal immigration authorities, and a few months after border patrol agents boarded a Las Cruces swim team’s school bus. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham recently said in an interview with Source that the state is continually beating back efforts by the federal government to collect private data about New Mexicans, including immigration data. The Legislature also passed several bills aiming to keep immigration data out of federal hands. The state Health Care Authority also recently denied a request from the federal Agriculture Department for cardholder data of those who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program assistance.  Removing a tick with a tweezers. Courtesy CDC Courtesy of the CDC COUNTY NEWS RELEASE & the Los Alamos Reporter
CDC COUNTY NEWS RELEASE If you find a tick attached to your skin, remove it as soon as possible. Do not wait to go to a healthcare provider to remove the tick. Delaying tick removal to get help from a healthcare provider could increase your risk of contracting a disease spread through tick bites, known as tickborne diseases. Follow these steps to remove a tick:
A word of caution: Do not use petroleum jelly, heat, nail polish, or other substances to try and make the tick detach from the skin. This may agitate the tick and force infected fluid from the tick into the skin. Check out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Tick Bite Bot – A tool to assist people in removing attached ticks and seeking health care, if appropriate, after a tick bite. The online mobile-friendly tool asks a series of questions covering topics such as tick attachment time and symptoms. Based on the user’s responses, the tool then provides information about recommended actions and resources. Find the tool on the CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/after-a-tick-bite/index.html How ticks spread disease Ticks transmit pathogens that cause disease through the process of feeding:
Symptoms of Tickborne Diseases Many tickborne diseases can have similar signs and symptoms. If you get a tick bite and develop the symptoms below within a few weeks, see your healthcare provider. The most common symptoms of tick-related illnesses include:
Men are menning. I have receipts. By Zach Hively A little while back, I wrote a style guide called How to Dress Yourself More Better for Tango, My Man—and Also for Life. It wound up being controversial, especially (or entirely) among men. In this authoritative guide, I called out everyone who thinks—and I paraphrase—that an outfit is suitable for special occasions if it was once launched out of a T-shirt cannon. And I do mean everyone. Even if the only people who think so are men. Many men, it turns out, do not want to hear that they present as the fashion equivalent of Great Value garbanzo beans. And that’s when they’re trying to dress nice.  You would think this helpful guide might have landed better coming from me, speaking with the authority that extends from being a man. And you might be right. Maybe the response I got was the best-case scenario. Imagine how badly these many men might have reacted if I had written that headline as literally any other type of human person. But still, I didn’t expect any real backlash, no matter how adamantly I suggested men might want to tuck in their shirts—shirts with buttons, even—if they wanted a chance at dancing with anyone at all. I am not used to being told I am wrong. Neither, it seems, is any other dude bro man. Did you know, for instance, that writing a set of “time to man up” tips means it’s open season on your chosen hairstyle? Unless you are a woman, or possibly a member of a non-dominant culture, your answer is almost certainly “No, I did not know that.”  “Well, dude’s got the wardrobe awareness going. Let’s hope he shifts his focus to hairstyle next.” I felt it only appropriate to respond to this follicle-challenged man-presenting individual. I replied, “I almost wrote a section on waxing our bald spots and receding hairlines, but instead I decided not to kick my fellow men in the genes.” But I soon stopped responding to the trolls. Especially when they’ve already proven that they don’t read past the social preview image. A demonstrated lack of reading comprehension does not generally stop these men from forming—and voicing—opinions. Did you know, for further instance, that trying to help your fellow man level up (both affordably and actionably) also opens you up for critique on your physique? Even when your physique is literally out of sight under a suit jacket in the provided photographs? Even when the function of a suit jacket is to make any man-shaped person instantly more man-shaped by hiding his actual body so no one can tell exactly how much he doesn’t work out?  “That dude is in desperate need of a haircut, a shave, and a gym membership.” Ah, and then we have those who just need to feel better about their manly selves by pointing out how other people are trying to feel better about their manly selves—because commenting on an internet post is simpler than dressing well and expressively:  “The desperation of people want to feel good about themselves…LOL” (says a group admin who clearly cares about adminning a welcoming environment). Perhaps this man-presenting person best utilized brevity to demonstrate that he is confident enough in his manhood not to take good care of it:  “So shallow.” Now, I have been acculturated to think that I cannot ever be wrong about anything, ever. Same as all these man-presenting folks. But their commentary was enough to make me start to doubt myself. Was I … for the first time in my life … a man in the wrong? Fortunately, no. Men are awful, but not me! At least not this one time. And how do I know? Because many of the people smarter than men are women, and not a single one of them saw fit to demean me in a public social media comment. Their perspective is more valid than the men-type people’s, because a great many of them appear to have actually read the piece.  “Not shallow! At a larger festival when trying to figure out who I might want to dance with, eight times out of 10, the man with a tucked in pressed shirt and a belt is the better dancer. A sport coat—always. Two times out of 10 the dude in shorts and a T-shirt is wonderful.” (Yes, the bar is set below “wears a belt.”)  “This was so fun to read! And so true!!! And yes put down the coffee!!!!”  “This is absolute gold! As a costumer, seamstress, and woman with eyes, I will absolutely choose a snazzily dressed leader over someone who clearly did not put in the effort. Bonus points if the shirt has a lovely touchable texture.” And some women-identifying readers offered men more ideas I wish I’d thought of first.  “#1 tip: SHOWER before you get dressed.” However, just because every woman with eyes and a sense of smell agrees with me—that man-presenting people who shower and wear clean clothes are more appealing—doesn’t mean I’m 100% right. I have been wrong about a few things. Such as presuming men will never change. One man sent in a picture that he—possibly for the first time in his adult life—wore slacks instead of jeans to a formal event. Another man shared advice for finding quality used suits. Yet another conceded I was right, failed entirely to attack my physical attributes, and instead just shared his own stance in a healthy, non-confrontational way.  “Every single advice is right on target, for my indignant rejection lol” In this process of obsessively lurking on other people’s posts to see how else they might support my ideas or take cheap shots at my hair, I started to realize something: This behavior is what women and other not-men risk dealing with every single time they venture onto the internet, or into public, or exist.
I suspect that these oppositional men were less incensed by my headline, if they even read it, and more peeved that women were out there agreeing with me that men can do better. Which we do. We, on the whole, really kinda suck. I suggested originally that men could do better by wearing clothes that fit. But I need to amend that. Men: we need to do better ALL THE TIME, WITH EVERYTHING, EVER. Yeah yeah, hashtag not all men. But all men. All of us, and often. So I leave my fellow man-presenting people with one final thought for you all to get mad at me about. We all know that universal problems don’t beget universal solutions until they happen to a man. Women have been dealing with this crap forever. But now it’s happened to me. So let’s cut it out. Enough is enough. Not even a tailored suit can make us look better when we resort to tearing other people down. [Note: all screenshotted responses were left on public posts, so the commenters are receiving greater anonymity here than they could reasonably expect.]  By Felicia Fredd
I’ve seen very few fatally over-watered garden plants in New Mexico. It tends to occur with new plantings, a time of more enthusiastic watering, but even then it seems limited to ‘touchy’ desert plants - young yucca and native sagebrush, for example. What I do see is a lot of is chronically under-watered plants. When people show me an ailing plant, and ask “What do you think is wrong?”, I’m almost always looking at long term drought effects: stunted plants with small off-color leaves, and little new growth. There’s often a physical history you can ‘read’ on the plant of multiple near deaths from sun scalding, twig and branch die-off, etc., and so while a plant may have received some ‘extra’ water, it clearly wouldn’t have been enough per watering, and far too much time between waterings. It can be such a source of pain that I think some would almost rather know a plant is suffering from an incurable disease. Yes, nutrient deficiencies and diseases are common, but even many of these problems can be traced to insufficient watering. Good news: watering issues are easily testable without sending out to a lab. Water better using deep water cycling for 2-3 weeks, and see if there’s a good response. That’s the test. Definitely do this before before turning to ‘soil amendments’ or fertilizers, and never fertilize a dehydrated plant: https://extension.unh.edu/resource/fertilizing-trees-and-shrubs-fact-sheet There are so many things that can be said about plant needs, so many exceptions to general rules, and so many disasters that will remain a mystery, but assuming your plants are appropriate for given light and soil conditions, aren’t sitting in a concrete pocket of caliche, aren’t getting peed on by the dog, etc., their most basic need is water, which they require for the following reasons: Photosynthesis Water is an essential ingredient in photosynthesis, the process by which plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to capture energy in the form of sugar (glucose). It is also the process responsible for storing all the energy we extract from fossil fuels, crops, and all of our food. https://www.ocean.washington.edu/research/gfd/has222-archive/lecture7B-06ClaraCarboncycleOutline.pdf Transport of Nutrients Water moves nutrients and minerals from the soil into the plant through its roots and up to the leaves. Water is the delivery system that allows plants to absorb, transport, and use nutrients. Without it, nutrients are unavailable - even if they're present in the soil. Water stress also reduces root activity, further blocking nutrient uptake. Maintaining Turgor Pressure Turgor pressure is the force exerted by water inside the central vacuole of plant cells, pushing the cell membrane against the rigid cell wall. It’s maintained when cells are full of water, creating internal pressure that keeps the plant upright and strong and enabling new growth. Without it, plants can’t grow effectively - even with nutrients and sunlight - because turgor pressure helps move sugars and other compounds through the phloem, the plant's nutrient transport system. Cooling Plants lose water through pores (stomata) in their leaves during transpiration. This helps cool plants while pulling more water and nutrients up from the roots. “A fully grown tree may lose several hundred gallons of water through its leaves on a hot, dry day. About 90% of the water that enters a plant's roots is used for cooling under warm dry conditions.”https://my.ucanr.edu/sites/marinmg/files/152980.pdf Biochemical Reactions Water acts as a solvent inside the plant. Nearly all of a plant’s biochemical processes require water to occur. Deep Watering Cycling Deep watering is equivalent perhaps to a good hour long rain, or about an 8” depth of soil saturation. It is much more than most people imagine is necessary per each watering. For general maintenance, and especially when talking localized drip irrigation timing, basic requirements are usually expressed as a few gallons a week for smaller plants, a few gallons more for larger shrubs, and about triple more for larger trees (tree root zones extend over a much larger area as well). However, those numbers in gallons, across X number of days, aren’t fully useful since they don’t account for specific plant needs, or the changes in temp, humidity, wind evaporation, etc., that result in faster/slower soil drying per week. The true amount necessary - which can only be determined by the visible health of your plants - will be a combination of deep watering (8” depth is a good consistent measure) followed by a drying cycle. The time to water again is when the top 2 inches of soil are again dry and crumbly, and certainly just as soon as you see leaf wilting - even if it’s in the middle of a hot day. During the drying period, oxygen and other gases flow back into soil pore spaces which plants need at their root zone for energy metabolism. Soggy, oxygen poor, soil is referred to as anaerobic or anoxic (not exactly the same thing). In any case, plants adapted to low oxygen soils - wetland plants, for example - can tolerate both low oxygen levels and the types of microorganisms found there. Xeric dryland plants cannot. So, deep watering forces oxygen and gases out, and a drying period let’s them back in. It’s the optimal cycling that brings everything into balance, and allows the most effective use of water. Shallow watering, such as when you lightly wet a soil surface on a hot day, does little more than force a desperate plant to develop shallow surface roots that are then exposed to more extreme heat and deadly drying. The term ‘over-watering’ is bit of a misnomer to me because it’s really a matter of under-oxygenating soil as part of a wet/dry cycle. I don’t worry about applying too much water as long as I get the second part right. I probably should be more concerned about over-watering because heavy flooding can cause problems with soil compaction and nutrient leaching, but that’s another story for another day... Interview with Ghost Ranch CEO David Evans By Jessica Rath  Kitchen Mesa Afternoon. Image credit: Ghost Ranch. Countless visitors from all over the United States come to Ghost Ranch every year, either to spend a few weeks during the summer, staying at a cabin and participating in one of the many programs offered, or for a day of outdoors adventure when they’re driving by on Hwy 84. For many of us who live in or around Abiquiú, Ghost Ranch evokes recollections of exceptional hikes. I’ll never forget the first time I made it to the top of Kitchen Mesa, all by myself, and the exhilarating views that took my breath away. I could see my minuscule car in the parking lot, an impressive testimony for the height I had climbed. It’s a region of glorious beauty which has captivated young and old for many years. Now imagine that you spent many joyful summers as a kid at Ghost Ranch, and you return as an adult lots of years later, to work there. Sounds amazing, doesn’t it! That’s what happened to David Evans, who started as Ghost Ranch’s new Chief Executive Officer in January 2024. He was kind enough to meet with me recently, when he told me about the long journey that brought him to Abiquiú.  As a child, David visited Ghost Ranch with his family. Image credit: Ghost Ranch. David grew up in Salina, Kansas. The first time he came to Ghost Ranch was when he was five years old and his mother taught a photography class here. And then he and his parents came every summer for years, sometimes they would drive here from Kansas, and sometimes they would take the train to Lamy. While his mother taught photography, his father took all sorts of different workshops. “So I grew up playing here every summer and had lots of wonderful first experiences here,” David told me. “The place has been really special to my whole family for years. My sister later worked on the college staff here. Professionally, my career has been in international relief and development, and so I lived in the Middle East for a long time.” How exciting! I asked David to tell me more. “I lived in Lebanon for a while, then in Iraq and in Jordan,” he continued. “I moved to Iraq in 2008 and I was there for about five years, and then I worked in Lebanon, and for a shorter stay in Jordan. I met my wife in Iraq, she's Scottish, and we were both doing aid work there.” I asked David to define what that entailed. What does it mean to do aid work? How did you help? “When we were in Iraq, the biggest program I worked on was designed to help Iraqis engage in local government,” he explained. “It was a program to help foster deeper engagement in the decisions that were affecting them through the government. It also supported local nonprofits, and then there were a number of different ways we would help people engage with their local leaders. Also, it involved delivering basic humanitarian needs, such as water, to different communities. We had a number of educational programs, programs to teach girls how to read, for example.” “Later, when I was in Lebanon, I had a regional position, and at that time, the Syrian war was in full swing,” David continued. “Lots of people were being driven across the border. And so the organization I worked with had operations in all the surrounding countries to help with refugees.” Now that the U.S. government stopped all support for overseas aid organizations, you must feel particularly bad because you were involved with some, I commented. “My wife and I both were just devastated, because the communities that we were working with desperately needed assistance. The result of years and years of effort was just wiped out. We all helped, and those communities will be suffering for sure,” David confirmed. That's really too sad. I didn’t want to dwell on this and asked whether he came back to the United States with his wife, after their time in the Middle East.  Ghost Ranch Trail Ride. Image credit: Ghost Ranch. “No, first we were in Southeast Asia for a while, for about five years,” David corrected. “We were in Myanmar, in Burma, and then Thailand. So we were working in Myanmar, and then after the coup, we had to leave in a hurry, and we moved to Thailand. Then we were working in Thailand, and I was eventually working for EarthRights International, a human rights and environmental defense organization. We lived in Chiang Mai, Thailand.” “We moved from Chiang Mai, Thailand back to the United States in January 2024, so a year and a half ago,” David continued. “I've got two boys, they're in second and fourth grade at Abiquiú Elementary. The move has been a big transition for them. Most of their memories are from Thailand and Myanmar!” What was different for them, I asked. “Well, I had to show them how to tie their shoes and wear jeans, for example,” David told me. “They were wearing flip flops and shorts their whole life.” I’m convinced that it's good for a young person to be exposed to many different cultures and languages and David confirmed that they're doing really well, playing basketball and soccer and things like that. Abiquiu Elementary is a lovely school, he said, so they're doing just great. And how did he end up at Ghost Ranch, I wanted to know.  Friends at Ghost Ranch. Image credit: Ghost Ranch. “When I was working in Thailand, the Chair of the search committee to fill this position emailed me out of the blue with this opportunity,” David told me. “He is a good friend of my mother, and I was very excited and applied for it. I really wanted this job, and when I got it we made the move back to the US.” And what does it entail to be the CEO of Ghost Ranch? What are your obligations and responsibilities, I asked. David’s answer was impressive. “Well, we're an education and conference center, and we offer wonderful programs in the arts, spirituality, and social justice. There are more than 100 rooms here, and we have guests all year round, but we're especially busy in the summer. We also offer a wonderful youth program, and part of that is a community camp for Rio Arriba County residents. In the summer we offer swimming lessons for kids who live around here. And we have a wonderful dining hall and a library. There are two different museums, an archeological museum and a paleontological museum. We have great hikes here. We've got a staff of about 55 people year round, and that goes up to 85 in the summer. We expand a lot in the summer in order to take care of all of our summer guests, and so my job is to oversee all of that.”  Papermaking workshop. Image credit: Ghost Ranch. He continued: “One of the main things we're doing right now is the construction of a large scale solar array. We'll be breaking ground with that soon, and then about 10% of our electricity will be solar. We're really excited about that. It's very important to us that we're good stewards of this land. For example, we're taking care of this field right out in front of us here.” David pointed to the big lot outside, in front of his office. “We got that ready to plant so that it's lovely and green soon. Taking care of our environment is top priority, and people learn that while they are here, that's just part of the whole experience.”  Mesa Housing. Image credit: Ghost Ranch. My next question had to do with continuity and innovation. As the new CEO, what is his vision for the future? David mentioned a number of exciting ideas. “We're really committed to adding in more social justice work that helps us embody our values. We're an inclusive place. We care a lot about the sustainability of our land and our resources, and we feel that this is a place where people can gather a lot of strength from. We want to make sure that we give people ways to move that strength with them, into their own communities. That's been an important focus for us. And over the last few months we've been looking for new and better ways for people to experience the ranch. We're opening a café in about a week, and that'll be up in our headquarters building. Right now we have a wonderful food service, but it's only for overnight guests. With the café we'll have a place for day visitors to join us for lunch and coffee.” “What other changes can I talk about? We want to add new rooms, so we're embarking on a fundraising drive to build new rooms. We have more people who want to visit than we have rooms, and so that's an important project for us on the horizon. And we are really focused as a team on making sure that we're a very welcoming place for everyone. It's been a big, big focus of ours for the last year.”  Hiking ‘On a Lark’ Trail. Image credit: Ghost Ranch. I asked about the flood in 2015, when heavy rains washed some of the buildings away. “We did a lot of work to restore that waterway,” David answered, “and we've trying to make sure that we've got the space to continue our primary classes. The classroom where we did our pottery classes was washed away, so we've been working to replace that.” Where does the funding for all this come from, I wanted to know. Is Ghost Ranch an independent organization, I asked. David explained: “The Presbyterian Church owns the land that we're on, and the National Ghost Ranch Foundation runs all of our programs. It's independent, but has a really strong and close working relationship with the Presbyterian Church. They have seats on our board and are the land owners. They're wonderful landlords and it's a very close collaboration, although the National Ghost Ranch Foundation is independent.” “We really appreciate and respect our Presbyterian roots and values. We want to maintain alignment with those values because those are our values as well. We want to make sure we're looking for ways to bring those values to life. We are open to everyone. We want to be a place for everyone.” Ever since my first hikes at Ghost Ranch in 2001 I’ve been impressed by the generosity of the Presbyterian Church to allow people free access to their land. There were no “Private Property” signs, no fences. This is so kind.  Evening Hike at Ghost Ranch. Image credit: Ghost Ranch. There is Chimney Rock, Box Canyon, and Kitchen Mesa. Have you added any new hikes, I wanted to know. “Yes, we have the Piedra Lumbre Trail, out in the Painted Desert, which is beautiful. And then we have a great trail called ‘On a Lark Trail’ and the ‘Matrimonial Trail’. So those are some wonderful hikes that we have. All the trails you mentioned are on forest service land, we've got a really good collaboration with Carson National Forest who work on those trails, together with an AmeriCorps team. We just restored a significant portion of the Chimney Rock Trail.”  Stained Glass Workshop. Image credit: Ghost Ranch. When I was driving north on Hwy 84 to Ghost Ranch, looking at the gorgeous rock formations, I started musing. They look so static, always the same. But they do change too over the many thousands of years, we just don’t notice it. Do you have classes about geology, I asked. David responded: “Yeah, we do. We have some great guided hikes that focus on teaching people about the geology of the area.”  Welding workshop. Image credit: Ghost Ranch. “We invite all of our neighbors from Rio Arriba County to come and visit,” David added. “We have a daily use fee, but Rio Arriba County residents don't have to pay. I want to make sure that everyone knows that we’re open to all, and I'd love to have all our neighbors come visit, check out our hikes, and join us. We like for people to sign in when they use the trails, just in case there's an emergency, but people are free to use the trails.” How many people come to visit in the summer, I asked David. “We had about 8,000 visitors so far. We often have over 20,000 day visitors a year,” I learned. “We now have programs year round. It's a really cozy place in the winter, and we’re working on expanding our year round offerings.” “Most recently, we had programs in the middle of January, and those are mostly art focused. It’s really a lovely time to be here. And then we host the Blossoms and Bones concert in September, so that'll be in the Fall, it's a three-day Music Festival. (Please click the link above for more info.) Also, David wanted to make sure people know about the Summer community camps for kids, one in June and one in July (again, check out the links for more info, low cost for Rio Arriba residents). And they offer swimming lessons this summer, where kids learn to swim – he learned to swim here, David told me. No more foreign travel for him and his family – he loves being back, and I bet that’s great for Ghost Ranch in terms of stability and continuity. David is very busy, and I’m grateful he took the time to talk to me. Make sure you visit Ghost Ranch this summer, and bring the kids!  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 22, 2025 Santa Fe, NM — Following the House of Representatives’ passage of the budget reconciliation “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” The Food Depot strongly opposes any provisions that reduce funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid. Any cuts to nutrition programs or actions that restrict access to foundational programs will increase hunger in New Mexico. We urge the U.S. Senate to reject these harmful proposals. “SNAP is a lifeline for families, seniors, veterans, and children in New Mexico. The Senate must reject these provisions before people face even greater challenges to access food and healthcare,” said Jill Dixon, Executive Director of The Food Depot. “Food banks cannot solve hunger alone. We need strong federal programs working with the charitable food system and other community partners to end hunger.” SNAP is the nation’s most effective anti-hunger program. The Food Bank network, while incredibly effective, can not replace the scale of federal programs. For every meal provided by food banks and other charitable food sources, SNAP provides nine meals. With nearly 50 million Americans facing food insecurity, the highest level in over a decade, The Food Depot urges investments in SNAP, not cuts or added eligibility requirements. Over 451,000 New Mexicans, or 1 in 5 people, are enrolled in SNAP. The program lifted 60,000 people out of poverty annually between 2015 and 2019, including 25,000 children. Cuts to SNAP would directly harm New Mexicans:
At a time when 16.6% of New Mexico households are struggling with food insecurity and 25.3% of children live in poverty, these programs must be strengthened and no unnecessary burdens should be placed on eligible families. Cuts to SNAP would additionally have a direct impact on New Mexico’s economy. In 2023, over 1,500 New Mexico retailers, including grocery stores and farmers’ markets, redeemed over $1.28 billion in SNAP benefits. Every $1 spent with SNAP generates up to $1.80 in economic activity. SNAP invests in local economies, especially in rural areas, by supporting family-owned grocery stores, farmers markets, and food retailers. Medicaid is also critical to New Mexico’s rural communities. With half of the state’s rural hospitals currently operating at loss and 39% of New Mexico’s population supported by Medicaid, cuts to Medicaid will have lasting effects on health and hunger. Cuts to Medicaid may lead to a further reduction in clinical services or even closures, leaving families without access to care. Approximately 40% of Medicaid recipients also use SNAP. The programs work together to improve health outcomes and reduce emergency room visits. When adults participate in SNAP, they have an average of $1,400 less in medical care costs than adults with low incomes who do not receive SNAP. Cutting both Medicaid and SNAP would be forcing families to choose between food, medicine, and survival. The Food Depot urges Senator Martin Heinrich, Senator Ben Ray Luján, and senators across the country to reject these cuts and protect SNAP and Medicaid. These programs are effective tools to end hunger and promote health. When preserved, these federal programs support the work of New Mexico’s charitable food system and the long-term stability of the state. The Food Depot stands ready to work with lawmakers on policies that support healthy, hunger-free communities. ### About The Food Depot The Food Depot, Northern New Mexico’s food bank, works to make healthy food accessible to every person in every community. Serving nine counties across 26,000 square miles, The Food Depot distributes nutritious food and essential resources to more than 40,000 people. A combination of innovative food programs, resource navigation, and bold advocacy supports individuals and families on the path to lasting food security. In 2024, The FoodDepot provided an average of 700,000 meals each month through a combination of its own direct programs and partnerships with more than 80 nonprofit agencies. Recognized for its impact and integrity, The Food Depot is aSanta Fe Chamber of Commerce Nonprofit of the Year, a Santa Fe Community Foundation Piñon Award recipient, and a four-star Charity Navigator nonprofit. Together, we can nourish communities and create a hunger-free future. Learn, donate, advocate, and volunteer at thefooddepot.org.  Abiquiu Inn Presents: The 2025 Abiquiu Inn Sculpture Walk & Garden A Premier Art Experience in Northern New Mexico Opening Reception: Sunday, June 1, 2025 • 3–5 PM Abiquiu, NM (May 22, 2025) — Abiquiu Inn proudly announces the opening of the 2025 Abiquiu Inn Sculpture Walk & Garden, an expansive and immersive outdoor exhibition featuring over 120 Sculptures by 46 acclaimed artists from across the country. The public is invited to attend the Opening Champagne Reception on Sunday, June 1, 2025, from 3 to 5 PM, where many of the artists will be in attendance. Now in its eighth year, Abiquiu Inn Sculpture Walk & Garden has grown into a premier annual art event in Northern New Mexico, offering collectors, art lovers, and visitors a rare opportunity to engage with a blend of traditional and contemporary sculpture in a stunning, natural landscape. The exhibition extends throughout the grounds of Abiquiu Inn—from the O’Keeffe Welcome Center to the shaded terraces and into the curated Sculpture Garden—creating a dynamic and contemplative journey through art and nature. The 2025 featured artists include: Sue Berkey, Tom Bowker, Alexander Brown, Robert Brubaker, Kelly Byars, Doug Coffin, Robert Coyle, Sara D’Alessandro, Julie Deery, Cliff Fragua, Istara Freedom, Debra Fritts, Hebe Garcia, Candyce Garrett, Matthew Gonzales ,James Goodman, Lisa Gordon, François Guillemin- le Corbeau, James Gregory, James Haire, Martin Helldorfer, Randolph Holland, Kimberly Holmes, Petro Hul, Brenda Jones, McCreery Jordan, James Kempes, Estella Loretto, Gino Miles, Gregory Morris, Kathy Morrow, Brad Neighbor, Gerry Newcomb, Fran Nicholson, Somers Randolph, Alexander Rudd, Kevin Sears, Kirk Seese, Eddy Shorty, Jill Shwaiko, Joe Spear, Patrick Sullivan, Christopher Thomson, Robert Dale Tsosie, Kenneth White and Star York. The concept for the Sculpture Walk & Garden was sparked in 2017 during a conversation between Abiquiu Inn owner Colin Noble and celebrated artist Doug Coffin. Recognizing the Inn’s unique setting as an ideal backdrop for sculpture, the two—along with renowned artist Star York—transformed the vision into a vibrant, annual event that now attracts collectors and visitors from across the region. With the number of installed works surpassing 100 this year, the exhibition stands as a testament to the growing influence and reputation of the Sculpture Walk & Garden as a cornerstone of New Mexico’s art scene. Abiquiu Inn is a 30-room charming hotel nestled in the heart of Abiquiu, NM. It showcases local and regional artists throughout its gallery spaces, dining room, and The Shop at Abiquiu Inn. For more information, visit abiquiuinn.com  Courtesy of the State of New Mexico Environment Department
For Immediate Release May 19, 2025 Contact: Drew Goretzka, Director of Communications New Mexico Environment Department 505.670.8911 | [email protected] New Mexico plans clean fuels program to protect air & boost economy SANTA FE — The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) has proposed a Clean Transportation Fuel Program to the state's Environmental Improvement Board (EIB). If approved, New Mexico would become the fourth state in the nation with a clean transportation fuel standard, following Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s signing of House Bill 41 in March 2024. This innovative market-based program would allow producers, importers, and dispensers of low-carbon fuels to generate and sell credits to those producing high-carbon fuels. “Under Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s leadership, New Mexico is diversifying its economy while addressing climate emissions — proving once again you don’t have choose between the two,” said Environment Secretary James Kenney. The program aims to: • Strengthen and diversify New Mexico’s economy. • Create new economic opportunities in the $3 billion alternative fuels market. • Attract investment in emerging industries like clean hydrogen and renewable propane. NMED developed the proposal after extensive public input, including approximately 90 responses to a discussion draft published in December 2024. The department also met with industry representatives, environmental advocates, and tribal governments. A 60-day public comment period is expected to begin in mid-June 2025, with the EIB considering all feedback before making a final decision. A copy of the petition, statement of reasons, and draft proposed rule is available here. |
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