SANDOVAL PLACITAS PRSRT-STD U.S. Postage Paid BERNALILLO Placitas, NM CORRALES Permit #3 SANDOVAL Postal Customer or COUNTY Current Resident SignPOSt ECRWSS NEW MEXICO A N I NDEPENDENT L OCAL N EWSPAPER S INCE 1988 • VOL. 30 / NO . 11 • NOVEMBER 2018 • FREE PLACITAS HOLIDAY IVEN D FINE ARTS ILL & CRAFTS —B SALE November 17 & 18 Saturday 10-5 Sunday 10-4:30 In the Village of Placitas Turn to page 28, this Signpost. Sandoval County revives effort to resolve Placitas horse conflicts ~SIGNPOST STAFF Four years and little progress later, New Mexico First is again Outside the October 18 Sandoval County Commission meeting, Julia Bernal of Sandia Pueblo, trying to bring together the people, agencies, and governments co-director of the Pueblo Action Alliance, leads protestors chanting who deal with the free-roaming horses of Placitas. "You can't drink oil. Leave it in the soil." "Horses are a part of the fabric of Placitas," Placitas-area Com- missioner James Holden-Rhodes said during the October 4 San- doval County Commission meeting while adding, "The horses in Commission aims at passage of oil, gas Placitas are a public safety issue… We need to find a solution, and I think there's a common ground for us to reach out to." zoning ordinance In pressing for solutions, Holden-Rhodes helped arrange for ~BILL DIVEN the county to re-engage with New Mexico First. A zoning ordinance regulating oil and gas tion are posted on the county website San- The county first contracted with the nonpartisan public-policy drilling and production in Sandoval dovalCountyNM.com. organization in 2013 to lead a task force of residents and govern- County is on the calendar for approval this The County Commission, as it did in mental and tribal representatives. At the time the horse popula- month. 2017, tasked the Planning and Zoning tion had spiked to by some estimates more than one hundred However, the final form of the document (P&Z) Commission with drafting and rec- animals, increasing conflicts between horses and vehicles, horses remains uncertain. On October 18, San- ommending an oil and gas zoning ordi- and landowners, and among residents. doval County commissioners took their nance. And, as happened a year ago, the Earlier this year, an adult horse and a foal died in separate hit- first stab at melding competing proposals P&Z Commission punted two distinctly and-run collisions on Camino de las Huertas near the Placitas into a single draft before adjourning for different draft ordinances to the County Community and Senior Center. another day. Commission, both of which were rejected The task force report released in 2014 listed 21 suggested "We're here to cuss and discuss," Com- last time. actions for possible follow up. Those ranged from creating a missioner Jay Block said as the meeting "What we face tonight is of our own sanctuary and counting the horse population, neither of which moved into its fourth hour. "Two ordi- doing," Chapman said. has happened, to increasing highway signage, which happened nances were submitted. It's time to move Complicating the process this time is that recently through Holden-Rhodes' efforts. on." a third ordinance also remains in play. That An area of agreement was not letting the horses be sold for Commissioner James Holden-Rhodes reflects a split within the Citizens Working slaughter. suggested, and Chairman David Heil Group (CWG), appointed by the County One popular idea, a survey of Placitas community attitudes, is agreed, the commission could hold a sepa- Commission to craft an ordinance protect- now in play after wrapping up in mid-October. Results of the rate work session to focus on crafting the ing water, public health, and cultural two-week online survey currently are being analyzed. final document. Commissioner Don Chap- resources while still allowing oil and gas The survey raised four questions: Should a multiagency board man proffered each commissioner submit- production. be formed to deal with horse issues? Are you willing to pay for ting his own tweaks, comments or full Two working groups with the CWG such a board? If not such a board, what do you want? Where do drafts. came up with competing proposals, one you live? "I can just imagine if each one of us pres- recommended by the P&Z Commission, The next step would be up to the county. ents an ordinance next time," Heil said. "It's the other not. Support was also strong for using the dart-administered con- going to be a donnybrook as to how we Regardless, majors issues remain unre- traceptive PZP administered to reduce the natural growth of the figure out which one of those you're going solved. Those include how to engage tribes wandering herds. Legal barriers previously encountered may to accept." and pueblos in meaningful consultations in now be loosening. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary -- donny- dealing with drilling applications, how or "The county has been working with the Bureau of Land Man- brook: free-for-all brawl) whether to divide the county into districts agement and the New Mexico State Veterinarian on a joint-pow- By Signpost deadline, a work session had with separate zoning rules, and whether to ers agreement on fertility control," Anne Ryan, the county's not been scheduled, although three regular ban fracking outright in and near the Rio community services director, said during an October 4 presenta- meetings are planned during November. Grande Valley or make case-by-case deci- tion to the County Commission. "It's been slow but steady as Commissioners were to meet on November sions on well applications. we work through the legal matters… We recognize fertility 1 to finalize and publish an ordinance for a Or they could adopt a simplified draft control will not solve all the problems, but it's a step in the right final vote on November 29 with a Novem- that largely defers air, water, inspection, direction. —continued on page 6 ber 8 meeting intended to take care of other Native American, and enforcement con- business. cerns to state and federal laws and regula- Meeting agendas and documents includ- tors. Read the Signpost online at www.sandovalsignpost.com ing the draft ordinances under considera- —continued on page 5 ThThePl lP acitatas Artitistss Sereries CContinuesCoConontntitininunueueses iitsitts 32nd3232n2ndnddSd SSeasonSeaSeasasosonon wwithwiwitithth a PePerformancPPererfrforforformrmamanancncncece by Willy Succre and Friends Pianno Quintetsts Suundayay,y, November 25, 2018 aatt 3:00 p.m. invinnvnvitesnvivititeteses yoyouyouu too jjooiiin us foforfor JoanZucker, cello musmuussicsiic anandnd aartarrt Willy Sucre, viola in ththehee foothifofooooootoththihiiillsilillllsls Sandrd a Rivers, piano ,S[ZT[UPG;JNPXTLi, Julaniie Lee, violin violin The prooggram will include: Ernõ Dohnánynyi Piano Quintet NoNo. 1 in c minor,r, OpOp. 1 and Antonín Dvořák Piano Quintet NoNo. 2 in A MaMajajor,r, OpOp. 81 Concert generouslyly spsponsoredbbyy KrKristie and Dougug Doll THHE VISUAUAL AARTISTISAR TSTS “A“A onothth r De ayay i Placin tatas” R woticepeR blin hel d ale at 2:00 p.m. AcrryylicPa Pai tini ngng byby A e Knnierd namiKle The P al tas Aaci r ts Stis e es wri cle o vismes au l ar ts:tis y DraM ekesreD , oPh toto B ks aoo Cna Prvanad tsnis Thi p is scjeors detropput NccebeR dloa a, ixM Mex iaded a criE a WeWe g esbll-Ogend y,y, osM aicas ns d JeJe lwe ryry rain p rain br yN Nt Mey Axiew trco ts, HiHiigghghher WiWi dds om f then ooiisa div ooiisa f then P.P.K.W i malil s, eixM edMMee iad P.P.K. W smalili traepD ontme Ct Aaurtluf ffal irsa See you at thehC Concerts!! www.w.PlacitaasArtistsSeries.org )BMGG4FBTPOUJDLDLFUT PČFČFS TJHOJĕDBOU TBWBWJOHT BOE BSF TUJMM BWBWBJMBCBCMF BUBU http://wwww.w.placitatasartistsseries.org/concerts-tickckets.htm Individual concert tickets $225; students with ID $$15; anyny student ynd ba ynd through Grade 12 maayy be addmitted frfree of chargee with a payaying adult. notia the N notia Ena nmewondl t fofor thhe A tsr Tickets mmaayy be purchased: t"U"U UIF EPPS POF IPVS CFGPGPSF UIUIF TIPX X TVCKFDU UP BWBWBJMBCJMJUJUZUZ t "U"U htttp://www.w.placitatasartisttsserieses.org/concerts-ticckkets.htm t "U"U 5IF .FSD (SPDFSZ 4UPSF )PNFTUFBE 7JMMBHF 4IPQQJOH 1MB[B 1MBDJUJUBT t "U"U 6OEFS $IBSMSMJFTT $PWPWFST #PPLT 4 $BNJOP EFM 1VFCMP #FSOBMJMMP "MMDPODFSUT BSF BUBU -BT 1MBDJUBT 1SFTCZUFSJBO $IVSDI PO )XZXZZ JO 1MBDJUBT recnoC t//art s udehc le subjbj ce to ct ahange $POUBDUDU (voicemail) or email [email protected] PAGE 2 • NOVEMBER 2018 • SANDOVAL SIGNPOST • SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1988 CONTENTS Up Front—1 Real People-25 Public Safety—8 Sandoval Arts—28 Rachael Tingen, DMD Business—10 Calendar—32 Around Town-12 Senior Center—33 Health—14 Youth-34 Night Sky—18 Animal News—34 Eco-Beat-19 Classified Ads—36 Time Off—22 Stereogram—39 Gauntlet—24 MAIL: Signpost, P. O. Box 889 Placitas, NM 87043 PHONE: (505) 867-3810 WEBSITE: www.sandovalsignpost.com For the best general dentistry EMAIL: [email protected] CALENDAR: [email protected] ADVERTISING: [email protected] DEADLINE: The 20th of each month, prior to month of interest DROP BOX: On the wall inside The Merc, at Homestead Village, 221 Highway 165, Placitas, Two miles east off I-25 3 Homesteads Rd., Ste. B Exit 242. Placitas, NM 87043 SIGNPOST STAFF: PUBLISHERS: Barb and Ty Belknap EDITOR / BUSINESS MANAGER: Ty Belknap EDITOR / CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Barb Belknap NEWS EDITOR: Bill Diven NOVEMBER 2018 COPY EDITOR/PROOFREADER: Evan Belknap ART FEATURE WRITER: Oli Robbins STARTING AROUNDD 7 NIGHT SKY FEATURE WRITER: Charlie Christmann MASTHEAD & DESIGN SUPPORT: Gary Priester CARTOONIST: Rudi Klimpert (in memorium) AD SALES: Office Staff WEBMASTER: Bunny Bowen HOLIDAY DISTRIBUTION: Office Staff Sandoval Signpost is published monthly by PIES Belknap Publishing, Inc, P.