Our monsoon season has arrived. Now most days offer some chance of much-needed rain (and some relief from the heat). Plus, our cool mornings are back!
The latest COVID data shows that New Mexico is doing better than we were a couple of weeks ago and better than Arizona and Texas. But it’s still not good enough. Yesterday we had the highest number of cases we have ever had. Closed spaces, close contact and crowded conditions all pose risks; when all 3 conditions are present, it is just plain dangerous. We can crush the virus (as we did before), but we have to wear masks, avoid crowds and not travel out state. New Mexico provides a lot of good scientific data and some truly engaging graphics about myth v. reality and even man’s best friend modeling the right and wrong way to wear a mask. They should be updated later today under the Press Conference Slides at https://cv.nmhealth.org/newsroom/. And don’t forget our own Village website has updated COVID19 information. (Thank you Commander Lattin.)
As always, getting ourselves out of the COVID crisis is up to each of us. There is absolutely no doubt that masks and social distancing make a huge difference. You can look it up. Making it into partisan politics is just a distraction and a waste of lives. Let’s do right by each other.
Because the COVID numbers are so high, public school for K-12 will not be in-person until after Labor Day (September 7). Until then, local school districts will be opening and offering distance learning. On another front, some federal unemployment benefits are due to run out soon, while New Mexico waits for the US Senate to act. If you need help, please go to: http://www.newmexico.gov/i-need-assistance.
The Village has been busy this last month. We have passed our final budget and you can find it on our website under Budgets. The Governing Body voted to move forward with the potential acquisition of a conservation easement. We have also started working on our capital outlay projects for the upcoming fiscal year which can be found under ICIP Information. Every year the Village submits to the state a list of infrastructure/equipment requests, seeking Legislative funds to improve our local infrastructure. The Governing Body will be working with this list and the Administration will submit the final version to the state in mid-September. Last year, we received more than one million dollars but most of it disappeared with the pandemic and economic troubles. Will Corrales get back capital outlay monies this next fiscal year? Maybe not; however, we will still do our best to advocate for our Village and projects we agree will help us provide better service to you, the public.
The Village continues to look for services it can offer right now. Lynn Siverts, Director of Parks and Recreation, is seeing if it is possible to keep the swimming pool open longer this year. We will keep you posted. Further, the Corrales Community Library is now going to host an Authors’ Series via Zoom on the last Tuesday of each month at 7 pm. The first installment will be August 25, and feature our own Corrales Writing Group as they discuss their new (and well-rated) anthology, “Kale is a Four Letter Word.”
This weekend, the Corrales Growers’ Market is open Sunday from 9-12. A Wednesday market has also been added. Some local restaurants are adding outdoor tent seating. This weekend should bring rain, so maybe you should hunt for your umbrella. Whatever you do, please stay safe and enjoy yourself, Corrales-style.
Jo Anne Roake