Valentine’s Day, also called St. Valentine’s Day, is celebrated every year on February 14th. It has been suggested that the holiday has origins in the Roman festival of Lupercalia held in mid-February, which celebrated the coming of spring. At the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius I forbid the celebration of Lupercalia and is sometimes attributed with replacing it with St. Valentine’s Day, but the true origin of the holiday is vague at best. Valentine’s Day did not come to be celebrated as a day of romance and expression of love until about the 14th century. Regardless of its origin, we should all celebrate love and kindness with our friends and loved ones.
Mitigation efforts to clean up hazardous materials are underway at the Jones’ house property. Once cleanup is finished, then demolition will proceed. I would like to give a huge shout out to all the Village employees in Parks and Rec, Public Works, P&Z personnel and the administrative staff who went through all of the old records that were stored in the Jones house and moved them to the temporary containers at public works. Hundreds of boxes needed to be moved and inspected. Exercise equipment planned for use in the renovated old gym had to be moved into a container. That work, plus the excavation work at the new gym site done by these employees, saved the Village a lot of money!
The committee assisting the Village with planning the Arts, Community, and Education Center have completed their planning efforts with a conceptual design that will form the basis for the architectural design and plan for this project. Finding funds for this project to come to fruition will be the Village’s next step.
At the last council meeting on February 7th, a preliminary discussion was held regarding pay increases for elected officials. No decisions were made, but more information will be obtained by the administration before any decisions are made. Also at this meeting, the Council gave the go-ahead to Public Works Director Michael Chavez to apply for grants from the Local Government Road Fund (LGRF) and the Municipal Arterial Program (MAP) that will be used for crack and seal road work on Loma Larga and for the Coronado Road repaving. Both programs are administered by the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT).
A future agenda item for the Village Council regarding municipal elections being managed by the county will be discussed once more information can be put together for the council. The administration thinks it will save the Village some money and be more compatible and consistent with surrounding communities.
CRIME & SAFETY UPDATE:
On Monday, 1/30/23 a resident reported that his information had been fraudulently used in an attempt to obtain a loan. The citizen did not know how or when his data had been compromised. Remember to safeguard your personal / financial information both on paper and online, shred unneeded sensitive documents, monitor your accounts, consider placing a freeze on your credit and visit the FTC website for additional information concerning identity theft: https://consumer.ftc.gov/identity-theft-and-online-security/identity-theft
Shortly after 11:00AM on Saturday, 2/4/23 a resident of Cielo Azul contacted CPD and reported that his father’s vehicle (which he stated he had left running on the street about 200’ away from his home while he walked his dog) was stolen at about 3:00AM. The vehicle was involved in a crash (from which the driver fled the scene) in Albuquerque at approximately 4:43AM. The complainant claimed that he did not know anything about the collision or who was driving and, although he had originally called the police shortly after 3:00AM, he did not come to the door at that time and later claimed that he had fallen asleep. Never leave unattended vehicles running and remember to remove all valuables, close the windows, lock the doors and set the alarm before walking away. Anti-theft devices, such as steering wheel / brake pedal locks and kill switches help add layers of protection to your car, as well.
Please look out for each other in your neighborhoods and report suspicious persons, vehicles, or circumstances by calling 505-891-7226 (9-1-1 for emergencies).
SEE IT, HEAR IT, REPORT IT!
COVID & FLU SEASON UPDATE:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is updating its easy step-by-step guide to include information about reporting your over-the-counter (OTC) at-home COVID-19 test results. You can voluntarily and anonymously report your positive or negative test results every time you use an at-home COVID-19 test by going to MakeMyTestCount.org or by using an app or other digital option for self-reporting that may be included with your test. Alternately, you can report your home test with the State of New Mexico at www.nmnotify.com. Please report your test at only one of these sites.
This valuable test data helps public health departments know how fast the virus is spreading and helps them assess and modify their response to COVID-19 in their local communities, states, or across the country.
As a reminder, FREE Covid home test kits are still available at Village Hall, Corrales Fire Station, and the Corrales Library. Please remember to wear a mask indoors (especially in crowds), social distance, when possible, wash your hands frequently and stay home if you feel sick.
The FDA has increased and updated the shelf life of most home tests. To check the tests that you have, the FDA website can be found on the Village of Corrales website under COVID – 19 Resources.
UPCOMING EVENTS IN THE VILLAGE:
Friday, February 10th- Nationally known singer & songwriter Mollie O’Brien will be performing with Rich Moore at the Old San Ysidro Church @ 7:30 pm. Get tickets at: https://occasionalmusic.org/
Saturday, February 11th – East Ella Fuel Break Clean-Up with the Corrales Fire Department & The Bosque Advisory Commission from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. Hauling old branches, wood, tree trimmings and removing invasive grasses to help reduce the fire threat in the bosque. For more information, please contact Joan Hashimoto at: joanhashi [at] gmail.com () .
Saturday, February 11th – The Brazil Guitar Duo of João Luiz and Douglas Lora returns to the Music in Corrales concert series. Unfortunately, this concert is SOLD OUT. There will be no ticket sales at the door. However, please visit their website to find out about upcoming performances at: https://www.musicincorrales.org/
Tuesday, February 14th – Happy Valentine’s Day – spend the day with someone you love.
Thursday, February 16th - San Ysidro Parish golf tournament at Top Golf, 1600 Desert Surf Circle, NE ABQ. Check in time is at 11:45 am with tee time at 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Late registration will be $135.00 after February 6, 2023 to enter and includes lunch, bay cost and goodie bag. Golf clubs are available or bring your own. Mulligans are $5.00 each or 5 for $20.00 available day of the event. Teams are encouraged to register! All male, all female, or Coed teams accepted! There will be awards! Come and enjoy raffles, food, drinks, and plenty of fun! For more information and to register for this event please visit: https://sanysidroparish.org/golftournament.
Sunday, February 19th – “The Mexican Period 1821-1848” speaker series by Leslie Kim at the Historic Old San Ysidro Church @ 2pm – This is a FREE event that is open to the public.
Monday, February 20th – President’s Day – Village offices will be OPEN.
Tuesday, February 21st – Appeal Hearing to decide the fate of the Village Administration Complex Site Development Plan in the council chambers at the courthouse @ 6:00 pm.
Wednesday, February 22nd – Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.
Tuesday, February 28th – Regular Council Meeting in the council chambers at the courthouse @ 6:30 pm.
*****ROAD CLOSURE ANNOUNCEMENT*****
Sagebrush Drive between Corrales Road and Loma Larga will be CLOSED beginning February 20th, 2023 through March 6th, 2023 to replace a damaged culvert. Keep an eye on the Village website for the most up-to-date information.
For more information about meetings, events and projects going on in the Village of Corrales, please go to our website. If you know someone who would like to receive the Mayor’s Message by email, please contact the Village Clerk, Melanie Romero at mromero [at] corrales-nm.org () or by phone at: 505-897-9502 ext 208.
Enjoy Valentine’s Day with your sweetheart!
Jim Fahey
Corrales Mayor
The public works crew from left to right: Julian Trujillo, Director Michael Chavez, Steve Lesku, and Danny Lovato
The parks and recreation staff left to right: Director Lynn Siverts and Benny Gonzales