On Monday February 20th, Corrales Police Officer Walter Heaton was presented with the VFW Law Enforcement Public Servant Award by Post #5432 Commander Terry Brown. Officer Heaton was nominated for the honor by Police Chief Vic Mangiacapra and has been an officer in our Village since 1986. He has received thirty-one (31) letters of commendation/appreciation and countless informal accolades for his outstanding service to our community. Congratulations on your well-deserved award, Walter! Our Village is a better and safer place because of you!
It has been almost a year since I was elected mayor of Corrales. The administration has made progress for the citizens, but there are still projects we would like to complete. One of those is the pedestrian access route in the commercial area. This one has been a challenge because we can’t seem to get on the same page as the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT). Their requirements for the path to be compliant with their guidelines would be onerous for most Corrales residents. The NMDOT seems to want us to take over Corrales Road completely and would probably give it to us in a heartbeat after we said yes. Any path on the road would still require safety guidelines that would possibly compromise businesses along Corrales Road. Feels like we are between a rock and a hard place.
Construction on the new gym has started. The finish date should be in the winter, perhaps by November. The administration has purchased the land north of the Post Office and will improve it for parking and, ultimately, an improved Growers’ Market space which would be safer with more space. Parking has been an issue in the village and hopefully this space will help alleviate some of that. We may not get any funding for it to be used by the Growers’ Market this season, but we remain hopeful. The administration is still waiting to close on the Gonzales property north of the bank. There are some family related issues that must be dealt with by the attorneys. The administrative complex (4324 Corrales Road) still has some questions to be addressed, including an animal services building designed per the village’s request that will be placed in the area animal services presently inhabits. We are hoping to place that order soon and get that facility in place before the intense heat of the summer is upon us. It has been over a year since Councilor Bill Woldman brought this up in a council meeting. The administration has spent the time since then doing research and developed this plan for the facility. A site development plan was already underway for the complex, which was a carryover from the previous administration, and we found that the animal services building was a good fit for the space without increasing the impervious surfaces greater than what is allowed by Village code. Being centralized in the administrative complex and not impacting any residential areas made that space the best choice and no additional site development plan would be necessary.
Progress is being made with regard to fire suppression and sewer expansion, but it is also a slow process. Both projects have received a grant from the New Mexico Clean Water State Revolving Fund, but there are some additional steps we must take. Even though the Village has a contract engineer, we are not able to have him complete the first stage of these projects. State guidelines require the Village put out a new RFP (Request for Proposals) to hire an engineer to complete the preliminary engineering report, then we can move forward with design.
The village seems to be making good progress overall. We still need additional staff for the police and fire departments. There are occasional bumps in the road, but how we get past those bumps will ultimately determine the success of the village. All of us in the administration do appreciate citizen’s support and understanding. We are all neighbors in this community and need to work together, not in opposition. Opponents of progress occasionally are the most vocal, finding it easier to cast mud and rocks at proposals and plans.
CRIME AND SAFETY UPDATE:
On Monday, 2/20 a resident reported that an Unemployment claim had fraudulently been filed via the use of her personal information. The citizen does not know how or when her data had been compromised, but remember to safeguard your personal and financial information both on paper and online, shred unneeded sensitive documents and visit the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions website for more information concerning Identity Theft / Unemployment Fraud: https://www.dws.state.nm.us/IdentityTheft
Please drive carefully and:
- Make sure that your vehicle is in safe operating condition and check your tires, brakes, lights and wipers often.
- Leave early and give yourself plenty of time to get where you’re going.
- Make sure everyone in your vehicle is properly buckled up.
- Don't text or otherwise drive distracted.
- Watch your speed and following distance.
- Don't let an aggressive driver bait you into a road rage incident.
- Look out for our pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians.
- Don't drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs or let someone you care about do so.
- Please call CPD at 505-891-7226 to report suspicious people / vehicles prowling around in your neighborhood.
- SEE IT, HEAR IT, REPORT IT
COVID & FLU SEASON UPDATE:
COVID is still with us as well as many cases of vomiting and diarrhea, which is most likely caused by the Norovirus. Hand sanitizer doesn’t kill norovirus, hand washing is the key, and Norovirus can live on contaminated surfaces for weeks unless cleaned correctly. You can get norovirus from touching contaminated surfaces, and it only takes a small amount of virus to infect someone. It is more difficult to kill than COVID, and is highly contagious! The CDC recommendation is to clean surfaces with bleach and hot soapy water.
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 www.MakeMyTestCount.org or by using an app or other digital option for self-reporting that may be included with your test. 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, 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.
We have experienced some extremely windy days and with that downed trees and brush debris. There will be many more windy days to come as we head into the springtime. Check your trees for dying or damaged branches. Taking care of your trees can help prevent injury and damage to your property. Along with spring wind comes increased fire danger. The fire department website has some great information on how to help protect your home.
UPCOMING EVENTS IN THE VILLAGE:
Sunday, March 5th – Corrales Growers’ Market – “Winter Market” – 11:00 am - 1:00 pm.
Sunday, March 5th – “First Sunday” - Sponsored by Corrales MainStreet - throughout the Corrales Business Corridor.
Sunday, March 5th – “Max Gomez” singer-songwriter will perform at the Old San Ysidro Church @ 7:30 pm – tickets are available online at: www.southwestrootsmusic.org
Wednesday, March 8th – “It’s Story Time” at the Corrales Library for preschoolers & toddlers @ 10:00 am.
Thursday, March 9th – Baby Chick Delivery @Village Mercantile, 3675 Corrales Road. Check website for more information at: https://www.thevillagemercantile.com/
Saturday, March 11th – Corrales Bosque Advisory Commission and the Corrales Fire Department will have a Cottonwood pole planting event. The location will be in the Bosque, North of Dixon with a meeting point at the Levee at Dixon Road @ 9:00 am. please email: bosqueadvisorycommission [at] gmail.com for more details.
Sunday, March 12th – Daylight Savings Time Begins.
Tuesday, March 14th – Appeal Hearing @ 5:30 pm & Regular Council Meeting at @ 6:30 pm, both at the courthouse building.
Friday, March 17th – St. Patrick’s Day - May your day be touched by some Irish luck!
Saturday, March 18th – “Spring Planting of the Story Book Garden” at the Corrales Library @ 10:30 am. This event is open for all children to participate in. The children will also decorate ceramic plant markers and Hanselmann Pottery will fire them to be placed in the garden.
Other updates about the Story Book Garden at the Corrales Library in La Entrada Park:
Five (5) of the new fruit trees have been planted. A custom wood arbor entrance will be installed next weekend (donated by a local artist). Corrales MainStreet is funding the cost of the first annual Community Art Project for the Storybook Garden. This year's project is entitled "Your Favorite Creature: in nature or fiction or your imagination." Maggie Robinson, one of our artist volunteers, is currently working with 5th graders on this.. Once the youth created creatures are glazed and fired, Maggie will assemble them into a diptych that will be displayed in the Storybook Garden. The Storybook Garden will also be featured on the 2024 Corrales Garden Tour.
If you know someone who would like to receive the weekly mayor’s message electronically, please email Melanie Romero at mromero [at] corrales-nm.org () or contact her by phone at: 505-897-0502 ext. 208.
Stay safe and please look out for each other,
Jim Fahey
Corrales Mayor