Unique Events

Saturday, Jan 19, Jimmy Stadler LIVE! Jimmy Stadler Live! Local musical legend, multi instrumentalist, and all around great guy, Jimmy Stadler will be live at the KTAOS Solar Center Friday, January 19! Jimmy plays all sorts of amazing original music as well as some of the classic hits to keep your feet moving!  Doors open at 3 p.m. for happy hour! NO COVER! Music starts early at 6:30 p.m.

Friday. Jan 25, The Rifters, The Rifters will be in the house performing some legendary Taos Country Music!  Don Richmond, Rod Taylor, and Jim Bradley make up this country trio with beautiful three part harmonies and music ranging from driving bluegrass to ethereal desert beauty! The Rifters are well known for keeping the crowd moving so when you come out this Friday night, be sure to bring you dancing shoes! 7 p.m. Doors, 8 p.m. Showtime, $10 general admission, all ages welcome with parent/guardian supervision.

Weekly Events:

Every Monday, starting January 21, Join us as we welcome Legendary musicians Bob Andrews and Brent Berry.  They will be playing a  mix of covers and originals. 6:30 - 9 p.m., No Cover.

Every Wednesday at 6 p.m., Art n’ a Glass with a special guest teacher. Paint away those Hump Day blues at Art n' a Glass! You're the Artist! A night of painting in a social setting. No experience required! Learn the fundamentals of painting with local professional Special Guest Artist. Templates available. Take your painting home! Limited space available. Tickets may be purchased here. $20 per event! Admission includes: Canvas, Paint, Brushes, and Extended Happy Hour Pricing! Hand Selected Special Wines Weekly!

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January renewals must be received by January 15

SANTA FE — The state Human Services Department is urging all SNAP recipients who are due for renewal of benefits in January to submit their renewal form no later than Jan. 15 in order to receive their February benefit. There are more than 25,000 SNAP households that are due for renewal, of which 14,500 are still outstanding. 

“HSD wants to ensure every eligible family maintains their benefit and is working overtime to get that done,” said David R. Scrase, MD, HSD Secretary-Designate. “But we need those households who are due for renewal to do their part and submit their renewal form in time for the Department to process it by the deadline we have been given to ensure those families have the food they need for the month of February.”

Due to the Federal Government shutdown, the SNAP program was not funded beyond January 31.  However, in an effort to minimize the impact of the shutdown, HSD decided to participate in a waiver option from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that will provide an early issuance of the February benefits on or before January 20. 

SNAP recipients are granted 12 months of benefits when first approved, and cases are reviewed for renewal every six months.  There are several efficient ways to submit the renewal form to the Income Support Division (ISD) to ensure it is received timely:

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Maggie Bear rips open her birthday present during a previous year's party. (Courtesy photo)Carlsbad, NM - New Mexico State Parks invites you to celebrate Maggie’s 14th Birthday Party on Saturday, January 19, 2019. Maggie, the Park’s black bear, has become a local celebrity because she paints with her feet.

Maggie was orphaned at the age of one month and was raised by a wildlife rehabilitator in Missouri until she found a home at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park when she was five months old. General Curator Holly Payne started Maggie on her artistic career shortly afterward as a behavioral enrichment activity.

• Guess Maggie’s weight for a chance to win a painting by our famous bear.
• Watch Maggie unwrap her edible birthday gifts at 12:30 p.m.
• Face Painting, activities, and crafts from 1 to 3 p.m.
• At 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., a docent will read “Maggie’s First Birthday,” a children’s story written and illustrated by former Docent Coordinator Susan Young.
• Maggie paintings and t-shirts are available for sale.

All visitor center activities are free, but regular admission fees apply to enter the zoo to see Maggie: children 6 and under free, 7-12 years $3; 13 and older $5.  For more information call the park at (575) 887-5516.

Taos, NM – On December 10, 2019 at around 10:00 a.m., uniformed State Police officers in Taos responded to an anonymous crime stoppers tip indicating that wanted felon Eduardo Rivera (29) was at his residence of 86 Camino De Corazon in Ranchos De Taos. 

Rivera was wanted on a state-wide extraditable warrant out of Colfax county for Conspiracy to Commit Criminal Damage to Property, Burglary of a Vehicle, Conspiracy to Commit Burglary of a Vehicle, Unlawful Taking of a Motor Vehicle, Conspiracy to Commit Unlawful Taking of a Motor Vehicle (2 counts) and Attempt to Commit a Felony: Unlawful Taking of a Motor Vehicle.

In addition to the outstanding warrant Mr. Rivera was known to have a history of charges in New Mexico and Colorado on counts of Fraud, Concealing Identity, Shoplifting, Residential Burglary, Auto Burglary, Tampering with Evidence, Resisting or Evading arrest, Aggravated Battery, Aggravated Fleeing, Aggravated Burglary, Unlawful taking of a Motor vehicle, and a litany of lesser charges related to these crimes. 

State Police officers arrived at the residence of Mr. Rivera, announced their presence and ordered Rivera to come outside. Rivera refused to exit and barricaded himself inside. State Police officers secured a perimeter around the residence and called for the response of the New Mexico State Police Tactical Team and State Police Critical Incident Team Negotiators.   

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Santa Fe, NM – Fenton Lake State Park will open to ice fishing on Friday, January 11, 2019. Recent cold weather has increased the lake’s ice depths to minimum standards, New Mexico State Parks and the Department of Game and Fish officials announced.

The State Parks Division and the Department of Game and Fish jointly manage the lake and surroundings. State Parks has the authority to close or restrict access to areas of parks, as well as to restrict, limit or prohibit activities such as ice fishing as conditions require. Such actions are taken in the interest of public safety and resource protection.

State officials remind you that you take a risk anytime you go out onto the ice. Before going out onto the ice, consider the following safety precautions:

• The use of ATVs on the ice is strictly prohibited. 
• Lifejackets Save Lives. Always wear a lifejacket (personal flotation device).
• Don’t fish alone.  Before you leave shore, inform someone of your destination and your expected time of return.
• Be aware of and prepared for weather conditions. Dress in layers and wear thermal underwear, fleece or wool, and wind and waterproof outerwear, especially for feet, hands and head. Take extra clothes, food, water, etc.
• Be prepared for emergencies. Carry equipment such as ice picks or awls, rope, and cellular phones. Pack a first-aid kit and matches or other sources for starting a fire.
• Keep fishing holes small and few. When drilling fishing holes with an ice auger, keep the diameter under eight inches. Bigger holes are not necessary to land fish and can create a safety hazard for others.

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Over the past eight years, CHI St. Joseph’s Children has spearheaded the creation of a collection of research and reports that paints a portrait of the development of thought and argument for the cause of funding early childhood programs. As the proponents addressed questions and concerns, a thorough investigation and understanding of early childhood and the Land Grant Permanent Fund, as a source of funding, has been accumulated. This research is available to not just legislators, but the public and media upon request. 

Since the idea of funding early childhood programs was first conceived, CHI St. Joseph’s Children has been committed to researching and developing a clear understanding of the needs of our children in New Mexico and the feasibility of the Land Grant Permanent Fund serving that need. In the years of this advocacy effort important questions have surfaced and through research, CHI St. Joseph’s Children has brought forward not just answers but sound researched arguments for the public and legislators to discern. In this progression of thought two constants have driven the argument: one, that our statistical evidence on the well-being of our children has been stagnant or worsening; and two, after deliberate investigation of funding sources, the Land Grant Permanent Fund continues to be the only sustainable option. The performance of the Land Grant Permanent Fund has proven our economic analysis to be correct, with an approximately one billion dollar growth per year. These two factors then drive the effort to bring our constitution and the archaic distribution formula up to speed with the current science on brain development.

The proposal of dedicating one percent of the “Common Schools” portion of the Land Grant Permanent Fund to early childhood programs has garnished public support, expert research, and financial feasibility, giving policy makers the confidence that this Constitutional Amendment is worthy of a public debate by being placed on the ballot. This is further validated with the recent ruling by Judge Singleton in the Yazzie/Martinez lawsuit. In this order it is clearly articulated that programs for children who are English-language learners, Native Americans and students with disabilities, including pre-kinder aged children, are not adequately funded.  

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SANTA FE — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Thursday released her first budget proposal ahead of the 2019 legislative session scheduled to begin next week.

The fiscal year 2020 executive recommendation represents the governor’s steadfast commitment to a transformed New Mexico, a thriving state where responsible, forward-thinking investments are made in public education and educators, early childhood education and education initiatives targeted at vulnerable and at-risk communities, local economic development, workforce training programs, health services, early intervention and staffing at the Children, Youth and Families Department.

“We are taking the steps to put our priorities into policy,” Gov. Lujan Grisham said. 

The budget proposal includes the following:

• An overall general fund recurring budget of $7.1 billion, a 13 percent increase with a 25 percent general fund reserve target. 
• ​More than $500 million in additional funding for public education, a true moonshot for New Mexico’s students, educators, parents and communities, which includes a 6 percent pay increase for teachers, principals and education personnel and a raise in tiered minimum salaries as well as minimum salaries for principals and a minimum wage increase for all education personnel to $12 an hour; $113 million to increase the at-risk index in the funding formula to provide for low-income students, minority students, English language learners and students with disabilities; $60 million for increasing the number of pre-kindergarten slots, the number of high-quality Pre-K educators, and financial aid for early childhood educators; $6 million for the Indian Education Fund; and $5 million for a program to support educators who have had to fund classroom supplies out of pocket, among numerous other new or enhanced funding initiatives that will boost student achievement and learning environments.

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January 10, 2019– Hospitality professionals are invited to register for the New Mexico Hospitality and Tourism Association TRENDS conference being presented on January 28, 2019. The annual marketing and research conference in Santa Fe features a preview of the latest travel trends and industry predictions that will help your hospitality and tourism business or organization thrive in 2019. Additionally, in attendance will be the newly appointed Department of Tourism Secretary, Jen Schroer.

“Each year tourism professionals attend TRENDS to gain access to state leaders, decision makers and thought leaders; to get up-to-date with emerging trends, advice and strategies from leading experts and industry leaders; to network with industry peers; and to collectively exert influence in New Mexico’s pivotal Tourism industry,” said CEO, Kathy Komoll.  

TRENDS is again partnering with the NM Association of Commerce and Industry (ACI) and Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce to provide access to their events, members and additional legislators. For more information and registration, visit the NM Trends website here.

About the New Mexico Hospitality Association (NMHA): NMHA delivers decades of combined experience to lead public policy and workforce development strategy for the state’s premiere industry. In 2017, the hospitality and tourism industry contributed $662 million in state and local tax revenue. Tourism had its largest economic impact in state history in 2017, injecting $6.6 billion into New Mexico’s economy and supporting nearly 94,000 jobs. The association represents member interests at the state and national level, cultivates professional development, and targets opportunity to incubate and foster long-term job and wealth creation statewide. The association’s members are playing a crucial role in growing tourism and New Mexico’s economy. For information and to join the association visit here.