Corona Virus Updates Candidates Flock to Openings for Elective Office
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SANDOVAL PLACITAS PRSRT-STD U.S. Postage Paid BERNALILLO Placitas, NM Permit #3 CORRALES SANDOVAL Postal Customer or Current Resident COUNTY ECRWSS NEW MEXICO SignA N INDEPENDENT PLOCALO NEWSPAPERSt S INCE 1988 • VOL. 31 / NO .4 • APRIL 2020 • FREE IVEN Candidates flock to openings D ILL for elective office —B ~SIGNPOST STAFF The coming elections promise to bring new faces to offices across the county and in Placitas where voters will help to fill open seats in the state House and Senate. Among the familiar names not appearing on the June 2 pri- mary ballots are Sandoval County Clerk Eileen Garbagni and Treasurer Laura Montoya, who are term-limited; District Attor- ney Lemuel Martinez, first elected in 2000; and state Sen. John Sapien, D-Corrales, who is retiring from Senate District 9 after three four-year terms. Montoya is a candidate in the Demo- cratic primary for New Mexico’s northern-district U.S. House seat being vacated by Rep. Ben Ray Luján, who is running to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Tom Udall. Also missing from the local-level ballot will be state Rep. Gregg Schmedes, R-Tijeras, whose three-county District 22 includes Placitas. After one two-year term, he’s challenging fellow Republican Sen. James White of Albuquerque in Senate District 19. Casa Rosa Food Pantry volunteer Doug Chapman is ready to deliver the goods Other candidates are not unfamiliar as several former office- after the food bank shift to drive-through pickup. It being shortly after St. Patrick’s Day, holders are working to get back into the game as listed below. the balloon attached to his cap reads “Elbow Me” instead of “Kiss Me, I’m Irish.” Those include former Bernalillo Town Councilor Ronnie Sis- neros, former state representatives Ben Rodefer, James Roger Corona virus updates Madalena and Bob Perls, and former County Commission Dar- ryl Madalena. ~BILL DIVEN Additionally, Bernalillo school board member Jodilynn Ortiz, who ran against Sapien in the 2016 primary, is among the four Emergency orders evolving as COVID-19 outbreak spreads Democrats and three Republicans vying for that seat. And As this edition of the Signpost goes to press, Lujan Grisham issued an executive order, Jessica Velasquez, who narrowly lost to Schmedes after a the national and local response to COVID-19 declaring a public health emergency in the recount two years ago, is running unopposed in the Demo- (the illness) and the new or novel coron- state. Beyond inherent state powers to pro- cratic primary as is Stefani Lord on the Republican ballot. avirus that causes it, continue to evolve tect health and safety, the order cites the Early voting at multiple locations begins on May 16 and con- daily, if not hourly. state Public Health Emergency Response Act tinues through May 30, the Saturday before the primary. The information in the following stories and All Hazards Emergency Management Absentee voting begins on May 5 with ballots being submitted was current when written but may have Act as underlying the orders. by mail or in person to the county clerk before the polls close changed by the time you read this. Regard- At the time, 39 states had reported at least on June 2. less, the national health and economic crisis one thousand confirmed or presumptive As the outbreak of the COVID-19 illness disrupts traditional shows little sign of abating soon. COVID-19 cases. As of March 28, the Centers campaigning, candidates are increasingly active on their web- The pandemic has disrupted commerce for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sites and social media. across the country, not excluding New Mex- had tallied more than 103,000 cases reported Candidates who filed on March 10 for selected state and local ico and all routine operations of Sandoval from all fifty states, the District of Columbia, offices affecting Sandoval County follow along with confirmed County and its municipalities. Emergency, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin web links. Find voter information on the websites of the Secre- utility, and other essential services continue, Islands with 1,668 deaths. tary of State (sos.state.nm.us) and Sandoval County Bureau of but as noted in related stories that follow, On March 24, New Mexico announced the Elections (sandovalcountynm.gov). many county, town, and school staff people state’s one hundredth confirmed case. By are still active using workarounds for things March 28, it was 208 cases, 92 in Bernalillo STATE SENATE DISTRICT 9 like senior meals. County. Fifteen of those were in Sandoval (PLACITAS, BERNALILLO, CORRALES, SANDIA PUEBLO, PEÑA BLANCA) First detected and reported by the Chinese County, with the rest spread around 17 of 33 Democrat: government in late 2019, the World Health counties from the Four Corners to the east- • Ben Rodefer, Corrales, benrodefer.com Organization (WHO) announced the emer- ern plains and the southern border. • Kevin David Lucero, Corrales gence of COVID-19 (abbreviated from coron- Two reported deaths involved men with • Jodilynn Ortiz, Placitas, jodilynnortiz.com avirus disease 2019) on January 30. The chronic health issues. The New Mexico • Brenda Grace McKenna, Corrales, federal Department of Health and Human Department of Health (DOH) identified brendamckennaforsenate.com Services declared a public health emergency them as a 70-year-old from Eddy County Republican: the next day, in part to engage state and and an 80-year-old from Bernalillo County. • Tania Arletha Dennis, Corrales, taniadennisfornm.com community-level preparedness and combat “For anyone in our state who had not yet • John Stahlman Clark, Placitas, johnclark4nm.com spread of the disease. acknowledged this virus as the urgent public • Bridget E. Condon, Rio Rancho, bridget4nm.com The day after the first New Mexico case health crisis that it is, who has not accepted was revealed (March 11), Gov. Michelle the extremely compelling need to stay home, STATE SENATE DISTRICT 22 Democrat: —continued on page 3 • Benny Shendo Jr., Jemez Pueblo Republican: • Susan E. Aguayo, Rio Rancho, susan4nmsenate.com —continued on page 8 Find the Signpost online at www.sandovalsignpost.com iinnvitesnvnvivitititetteses s yyouyoou too jjoinjojoioinin uss forffoor mumusicususisicic andanndd artarrt iin thethhe foofoooothillsotoththihilillllsls “Sandiaas PostSt-Storm”P” Photographbh by Erica Wene delOll-Oglesbby The Placitas Arttistts Series Continues itts 33rd Seeason! Sunday, April 19, 2020 at 3:000 p.m. Kim Fredenburgh pressents “Songsg and Dances” Music for Flute Ki m Glicklil ch, piano nn, Schulhoff, Debussy, ven nMn Materials rine Irish, Pastel Meg Leonard, Pastel & Oil Painting Rebecca Nolda & P.K.. Williams, Mixed Mede ia Dana Roth, Photography Evening Calm Elizabetth Potter, Jewelry Dana Roth Tickets may be purchased: t On thePPAS website tAt the dooor one hour before the show, subject to availability t At the Merc Grocery Store, Homestead Village Shopping Plaza, Placitas tAt Underr Charlie’s CoversBookss, 160 S. CaminodelPueblo, Bernalillo Individual concerrt tickets $25; students with ID $15; any student through Grade 12 may be admitted free of charge with a paying adult. All concerts are at Las Placitas Preesbyterian Churchc on Hwy. 165 in Placitas. www.P. lacitasArtistsSeries.orgg 5055-867-8080 info@o PlacitasArtistsSeries.orgg This rp oject iss made possible in part by New Mexico Arts, a division of the Deppartment of Cultural Affairs,i andn the Natit onal Endowment for the Arts TIMEE, DDAATE, AND PROOGRAM SUBJECT TO CHHAANGE PAGE 2 • APRIL 2020 • SANDOVAL SIGNPOST • SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1988 CONTENTS from page 1——— Up Front—1 Sandoval Arts—20 Updates Business-7 Calendar—22 Around Town-9 Night Sky-23 today lays bare the very real, very Dr. Deidra Casaus Real People-10 Gauntlet-24 life-or-death consequences of this Board Certified Public Safety-11 Senior Center—25 disease,” Lujan Grisham said in a Eco-Beat-12 Youth-25 May 25 statement. “I ask all New Optometric Physician Time Off 15 Animal News—26 Mexicans to include the sick and Health-16 Classified Ads—29 their families in their prayers–as well 505-771-EYES as the health care workers and those others on the front lines helping to MAIL: protect us from this disease.” Contacts • Glasses • Eye Diseases Signpost, P. O. Box 889 On March 25, the state imple- 160 S. Camino del Pueblo • Bernalillo mented its emergency-alert system, Placitas, NM 87043 www.thevisionstorenewmexico.com PHONE: (505) 867-3810 sending out its first message urging WEBSITE: www.sandovalsignpost.com people to “stay home, save lives.” EMAIL: [email protected] The DOH also had detected com- Open for Business now! Call for appointment! CALENDAR: [email protected] munity spread (person-to-person ADVERTISING: [email protected] spread) and not just travelers return- DEADLINE: ing from known hotspots. The 20th of each month, prior to month of interest “The agency reports that given the DROP BOX: On the wall inside The Merc, at Homestead Village, infectious nature of the virus it is 221 Highway 165, Placitas, Two miles east off I-25 likely other residents are infected but Nearly New Exit 242. yet to be tested or confirmed posi- A Repeat Boutique Operated by Bound for Success, Inc. SIGNPOST STAFF: tive,” a statement from DOH read. PUBLISHERS: Barb and Ty Belknap The department is actively tracing Our “STUFF a BAG” promo was such a big hit, EDITOR / BUSINESS MANAGER: Ty Belknap contacts of those people and testing we are continuing with our EDITOR / CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Barb Belknap those showing any symptoms, the NEWS EDITOR: Bill Diven statement added. $5 PER ITEM—5-item limit Special! COPY EDITOR / PROOFREADER: Evan Belknap Additional restrictions enacted on Some single items are $25 & UP! NIGHT SKY FEATURE WRITER: Charlie Christmann March 23 closed the work sites of NOW, only $5 EACH!!! MASTHEAD & DESIGN SUPPORT: Gary Priester nonessential businesses, while allow- CARTOONIST: Rudi Klimpert (in memorium) AD SALES: Office Staff ing work by remote means.