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Written by Brad Buck
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Wednesday, 02 December 2009 12:43 |
Now, what do they do?
Santa Fe County fire officials are trying to figure that out after a tax was defeated that would have given them about $2 million for new equipment and stations.
“To my knowledge there is not another source of revenue that would address our need,” Fire Chief Stan Holden said.
The Republican Party of Santa Fe County mounted a campaign against raising taxes to pay for fire equipment and stations. But party Chairman Jim Bohlander said the GOP does not oppose new firefighting tools.
“I hope the County Commission takes a proactive step to funding the capital needs of the Santa Fe County Fire Department from their normal operating budget, funding mechanisms and the tax revenues already collected from the hardworking, tax-paying citizens of Santa Fe County,” Bohlander said.
But Holden said the fire and finance departments will work on possible solutions and make recommendations to the commission.
Less than 1 percent of eligible voters cast ballots in the Nov. 17 special election. About 59 percent of votes went against the tax, according to according to unofficial results from the county El ections Bureau.
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Wednesday, 02 December 2009 12:42 |
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Written by Lee James
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Wednesday, 02 December 2009 12:40 |
The lights are on in Madrid, and that means it’s Christmas.
Madrid bills itself as New Mexico’s Christmas Town, and the community of 300 residents really goes all out for the month of December.
The Madrid Christmas tradition was born in the early 1900s when Oscar Huber of Albuquerque and Cerillos Coal Co. and his employees developed a seasonal extravaganza.
By the 1930s, 150,000 lights were strung up through the town and in the hills around the town. It is said that planes could clearly see the lights as they flew over. Power for the lights was provided by the coal company’s generators.
The Madrid Christmas attracted thousands of visitors.
Waz Daniel, a Madrid historian said in a piece written for the New Mexico Free Press in 2008 that Christmas in Madrid provided some ideas for Walt Disney in building Disneyland.
“Main Street in Disneyland is a copy of Front Street in Madrid (that’s what the highway through town was called) and the Parade of Lights was taken from the Christmas parade,” Daniel wrote.
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Written by Staff Writer
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Wednesday, 02 December 2009 12:39 |
The city of Santa Fe will offer free parking during the holiday season as part of the “Buy Into It” campaign, which encourages people to support the local economy by spending in Santa Fe whenever possible.
Once again this year, Santa Feans will be able to park free and shop local through Jan. 3, 2010. Parking will be free at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center garage and the Railyard garage every Saturday and Sunday. Monday through Friday the first two hours of parking will be free. In addition, the city’s Parking Division will offer a 20 percent discount on all CashKey reloads.
The “Santa Fe — Buy Into It” partners (The New Mexican, The Santa Fe Reporter, Hutton Broadcasting, The Journal Santa Fe, The Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce, The New Mexico Free Press, Comcast Spotlight, Santa Fe Place, HK Advertising and the city of Santa Fe) are launching the holiday campaign in order to promote consumer confidence and awareness of the local economy.
The campaign is an unprecedented partnership, which brings these organizations together in a cooperative, proactive effort to support Santa Fe’s economy.
“We hope Santa Feans will make choices to spend in Santa Fe for the holiday season. Supporting local businesses and jobs is the most important thing each of us can do for the local economy,” said Mayor David Coss. “We can support local employment, civic services and each other’s businesses through our spending choices.”
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