Welcome to December, the last month of 2021, which has been a year of challenges. Corrales is still here and is still beautiful, so let’s take advantage of the mild weather and clear blue skies.
Come to Corrales MainStreet’s Starlight Parade and St. Nick Celebration this Saturday, December 4th at 5:30 pm. The Parade will head south on Corrales Road, starting at Wagner Farm and ending at the Parks and Recreation Center. There will be treats for all. Everyone is welcome to decorate a float and join the line-up at 4:45 pm at Wagner’s. Many thanks to Lynn Siverts and Michael Chavez for creating a gorgeous Corrales 50th Anniversary float. Darn, those guys are good! Please cheer your friends and neighbors as they parade along Corrales Road. Even though it is an outdoor event, please be COVID safe.
Precautions are still necessary because COVID is hanging on like the particularly nasty infection that it is. Just when you hope it’s easing, along comes Omicron, sounding like something out of Star Wars. Please do not panic, but do be proactive for your own health and that of others. Wear a mask (K95 or N95), get vaccinated (the booster really helps) and be cautious in crowded areas, especially if you don’t know if folks are vaccinated.
Glass recycling is now available on the north side of the Administrative Parking lot at 4324 Corrales Road. Please remember, it’s only for glass – no trash. Roadrunner will provide clearer signage to help remind folks.
The Holiday food and gift drives are going well. You can drop off non-perishable food items at the Corrales Fire Station (4920 Corrales Road) through December 18th. Donate money for food or gifts by check to the Kiwanis Club of Corrales with “food drive” on the memo line or send donations to Corrales Fire Department, PO Box 3810, Corrales, New Mexico. Email, phone, or text Commander Tanya Lattin for gift tags at 505-702-4182 or tlattin [at] corrales-nm.org. Food and presents will be distributed by December 21st. Thank you for your generosity – it makes such a wonderful difference to families in Corrales.
The Corrales Police Department will be joining forces with APD, BCSO, NMSP, and ABQ Metro Crime Stoppers for the 27th Annual Cops for Kids Christmas program on Sunday, December 12th. This is a yearly event where officers are paired up with underprivileged children for the day. On average 100 to 120 children are selected to participate, chosen by referrals sent in from the City of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County after-school programs. Donations to the program can be made at http://www.crimestoppersnm.com, or by contacting Sonya Marquez at smarquez [at] cabq.gov or 505-917-6436.
There is concern about regulation of cannabis in the Village. The state of New Mexico legalized cannabis last April, granting its citizens the right to grow, sell and consume cannabis. The State did not give municipalities much guidance or local ability to regulate. They deliberately did not give us the right to “opt-out” and ban cannabis. They did not consider places like Corrales, which does not have specifically designated residential zones and where almost all of us live in Agricultural 1-acre (A-1) or Agricultural 2-acre (A-2) zones. So, what can we do? Corrales can regulate both the commercial production and sale of cannabis through “’reasonable’ time, place or manner” regulations. What does “reasonable” mean? That’s the problem: it’s unclear. Corrales did pass a baseline ordinance to meet state deadlines, and a short-term moratorium. Now the Village is working to amend the ordinance to further safeguard our residents living in A-1 and A-2 zones while staying within the law. To paraphrase Councilor Lucero, it’s like building a car while driving it. The Legislature may address this oversight in the 2022 and 2023 sessions, but given our unique agricultural heritage and limited zoning, the Village must persevere to find a workable and legal solution for the whole community.
Paving will begin on the Sagebrush trail today! The Village intends to have a ribbon-cutting ceremony when this long-awaited project is completed.
Happy update on the Time Capsule! While the photographs were too water damaged to recover, quite a few documents are identifiable, and the 25-year-old VHS tape of the Anniversary Celebration is now transferred to a disc (thanks again Ann Van Camp, Kitty Tynan and Mary Davis). The future likely holds a chance to talk about the docs and watch the video. I forgot to mention attendee Chris Allen, who was also a Councilor and filled most other offices in the Village. In my overview of the event, I likely missed others who have held elective office or volunteered for the community over the years. That sense of commitment makes our Village great. Thank you.
Candidate packets for anyone interested in running in the local March elections will be available in the Village Office and on the website beginning Monday, December 6th.
MainStreet’s Holly Daze on-line auction is going on now and new items are being added every day. Access the auction by 1) clicking on this link: https://visitcorrales.com/holly-daze, 2) Sending a text to 505-393-2500 and enter 104, where you will immediately get a text with the auction link or 3) Going to visitcorrales.com. You can shop local and help Corrales MainStreet fund local business outreach and historic preservation efforts.
Corrales Children's Librarian Brynn Cole has created our first ever Story Walk in La Entrada Park. Come enjoy The Farolitos of Christmas by Rudolfo Anaya. Each page is numbered, so you can walk around to read each page at your own pace.
Do not miss the 33rd Annual Winter Craft Show at the Old Church December 3rd, 4th and 5th, 10am - 5 pm. Check out details at: https://www.corraleshistory.org.
It’s a time of year when many are celebrating, but for others it’s a tough time. Resources are available for those in need. For more information, check: https://nmcrisisline.com.
This weekend there’s lots to do. Get out in the great weather, enjoy the Village, shop local, or do some decorating. Or just watch sports/Hallmark holiday movies. On Sunday, don't forget to visit the Corrales Grower's Market from 11 am - 1 pm. Whatever you choose to do, please be safe and enjoy yourself, Corrales-style.
Jo Anne Roake
Mayor of Corrales
