NEWS Local news and entertainment since 1969 El Prospero It LAS CRUCES HISPA IC CHAMBER OP COMM.:.RCE Inside LAS CRUCES HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE • MARCH/APRIL 2021 VOLUME 14, ISSUE 2 Tips And Tricks For Dining Post COVID BY MARIO BELL signs outside your venue. that employees don’t come OVID-19 was like an to the restaurant if they NMSU program unexpected blow to • Make gloves and masks have any symptoms. C the entire hospitality compulsory industry. It has completely Covering your hands and • Encourage social changed the way they do mouth is the first line of de- distancing business. The safety of staff fense against the coronavi- Using a digital waiter app and customers is the top rus. Make it compulsory for and POS, you can social priority of every restaura- your staff to use gloves and distance more effectively at feted nationwide teur. The present situation masks inside the venue for your venue. Manage your has added to this concern. their own safety. This will reservations accordingly. There are lots of ways in establish your restaurant as Keep your tables at least 1.5 which you can be the haven a haven among customers. meters apart from each oth- for your customers post- er. Make sure that the crowd COVID. You just need to • Schedule staff training in your restaurant stays know about the right direc- Most of the govern- controlled. It is important to tion to work towards. Try ments have started various do safe business for longer page 4 adopting technology such programs and training to than risking everything for as digital waiter app at your promote a healthier work getting more orders. FRIDAY, restaurant. Maintain high environment. You can let standards of cleanliness. your staff be a part of such • Pay attention to MARCH 19, 2021 This is your chance to im- From a digital waiter app unnecessary interaction Most such ordering apps programs so that they can sanitization press your customers even to online payments, lots of by making most of your have the option for online learn better on how to keep Customers will obviously more. Follow these simple restaurants have adopted processes digitalized. This menu, waiter assistance, themselves and their work- expect high standards of tips and you are good to go. technology as a means to will encourage a healthier payment etc. place safer. cleanliness while they dine. Dine-in has partially re- start more secure opera- environment for all. It is your duty to live up to I Volume 53, Number 12 opened after shutdown but tions. Listed below are few • Go cashless • Monitor your employees’ their satisfaction. You can there are still lots of linger- tips and tricks that you can • Implement online Cash flow is a fast way to health also implement the strategy ing questions regarding the also implement for safer ordering spread the virus from one Always stay updated on of cleaning up in front of your safety of customers. Their dining post-COVID. Using a digital waiter app person to the other. So, start your employees’ health customers at times. This way, expectations of the res- is the best practice in the taking online payments only. status. It is important for they will be more convinced. I lascrucesbulletin.com taurant have also changed • Minimize touchpoints current scenario. Menus are However, make sure that you to ensure that they are Do follow all the above- during this time. So, it is If you reduce the physical one of the most touched ob- you inform about it to your doing well. You also need mentioned points. They crucial to assure them that touchpoints for your staff as jects in any restaurant. But customers. You can post to make changes in your will help you to keep your you are doing the best that well as the customers, it will with online ordering, you about it on your website, medical leave policies and restaurant safe and success- you can for their safety. work in your favor. Avoid can eliminate their need. social channels, or put up make them more flexible so fully running post-COVID. NEWS WORKING FROM HOME .................................................................2, 7 FROM THE LOS AMIGOS CHAIR ......................................................... 5 FROM THE PRESIDENT ...................................................................... 3 SEN. HEINRICH ................................................................................ 6 INDEXINDEX SPACEPORT AMERICA ...................................................................... 4 TRAVEL TIPS FOR 2021 ..................................................................... 8 EphemeralEphemeral J. Paul Taylor Symposium slated page 15 beautybeauty A&E Public art festoons Las Cruces page 24 SW LIVING Water outlook The photo is of one section of the larger “Tierra Sagrada” mural in the amphitheater of Thomas Branigan Memorial Library, 200 E. Picacho Ave. It was painted by concerning for 2021 artist Eugenia AO Carmona of El Paso. The mural concept promotes local environment and agriculture. The project was a community mural project led by Cruces PHOTO BY KARLA WALTON, COURTESY OF CECI VASCONCELLOS, CITY OF LAS CRUCES page 33 Creatives, said City of Las Cruces Art Program Coordinator Ceci Vasconcellos, whose office hired the artist, funded the project with grant money and collaborated with the library for the location. The entire community was invited to help paint the mural. It was completed in September 2019. See more about public art on page 24. 2 | FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 2021 LAS CRUCES BULLETIN LAS CRUCES BULLETIN NEWS FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 2021 | 3 Senate tightens rules on medical marijuana By WALTER RUBEL of Health on this bill that areas of the state need to include state residents. me, people in other states vote, and now moves to Southern New Mexico Journalism is untrue,” he said. “The drive long distances, just “People who live in taking advantage of New the House with just five Collaborative department’s rules that to get three grams at a Texas get online and get Mexico’s medical mari- days left in the session, limit the amount of medi- time. a California doctor to juana program is really which ends Saturday, With two bills to le- cal cannabis that I can Bill sponsor Sen Gerald authorize a medical mari- humanitarian in nature.” March 20. Sen. Craig galize marijuana sales purchase to about three Ortiz y Pino, D-Albuquer- juana card, and then they Sen. Stuart Ingle, R- Brandt, R-Rio Rancho, stalled in the Senate Judi- grams a day is arbitrary que, said the amendment come into New Mexico Portales, noted that when said after the vote that ciary Committee, the New and capricious, and it’s would remove the safe- and use the card to pur- the bill was originally legislators could resolve Mexico Senate turned its not really based on a doc- guards to prevent abuse chase cannabis here,” passed 14 years ago, it a lot of issues with the attention to the state’s tor or medical science or and would result in more Ortiz y Pino said. was sold as being for medical marijuana pro- medical marijuana pro- research. It’s based on a marijuana being sold on Sen. Jeff Steinborn, those dying of cancer. gram by passing the le- gram Monday, March 15. political rule that was put the black market. D-Las Cruces, said he “We’ve come a long way galization bill. With Senate Bill 340, in place years ago.” “It basically converts has sympathy for those since then,” he said. “We need to get Pirtle’s the Senate voted to pro- Candelaria said he has our carefully regulated in Texas who need medi- Candelaria, a practic- bill down to the floor hibit sales to out-of-state a card from California medical cannabis pro- cal marijuana but do not ing attorney, represented so that we don’t have to residents who do not have because he can’t purchase gram into a come-and-get- qualify under the strin- cannabis supplier Ultra mess with this,” Brandt a medical marijuana card enough cannabis to meet it free-for-all; whatever gent laws in place there. Health in a lawsuit said. issued in New Mexico, his needs with just the you need, whatever you “I’ve come to under- against NMDOH when The Judiciary Commit- after first rejecting an New Mexico card. want, just come and get stand just how lifesav- it attempted to remove tee did not meet Monday amendment that would The cap of 1,750 plants it,” Ortiz y Pino said. “It ing and miraculous the reciprocity by rule. First and was not expected to have increased the daily per producer has not would create an enor- effects of cannabis can Judicial District Court hear the marijuana bills sales limit for medical been increased in years, mous shortage immedi- be for people who are Judge Matthew Wilson Tuesday, pushing them to cannabis patients from Candelaria said, creating ately, and it would force undergoing a lot of differ- originally ruled that Wednesday at the earliest. three grams to two an artificial shortage that the department to change ent medical conditions, NMDOH failed to jus- ounces. has resulted in higher the plant count, which is and just how restrictive tify an emergency rule Walter Rubel can be The amendment was prices and less availabil- what the real purpose of some other states can be,” change, but later clarified reached at waltrubel@ introduced by Sen. Jacob ity than in other states. this amendment is about. Steinborn said, adding that it could make the gmail.com. Find more Candelaria, D-Albu- He said the cap is based If we do that, the fear is it that it is only allowed in change through the nor- legislative content on mul- querque, who identified on politics, not science. increases the supply for Texas for those with a mal rulemaking process.