Highlights from the Week of November 15, 2021
There's a lot going on in the City Different!
City Crew Busily Preparing Plaza for Lighting Ceremony
"THE TREES GROW FAST," said Mark Aragon (above, left), the chief of the Parks Department crew that's been preparing for the lighting ceremony next Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. "The more they grow, the more lights we need."

Aragon estimates that they're hanging some 30,000 energy-efficient LED lights, as well as putting electric luminarias and ornaments on portals and Christmas trees on light poles around the Plaza. The work takes eight workers a month to accomplish.

"It's stressful and strenuous," said Aragon on Wednesday afternoon. "There are vendors and traffic and tourists -- people don't watch where they're going. Safety is the big concern."

"But we're always happy to see the kids' faces and the moms and dads," said Randy Lopez (above, center), a New York Giants fan whose signature color combination is football the team's blue and white. His colleague Porfirio Lopez (right) is behind the gold and red combo, a tribute to his beloved San Francisco 49ers. Other crew members deserving of a shout are Lorenzo Corral, Eloy Lovato, Michael Baca, Andreas Lopez, Steven Apodaca, and Andrew Garcia.

Next Friday's tree lighting festivities get started at 3:30 and include live music, hot chocolate and cookies, and climax when Mayor Webber flips the switch around 6:15. Find details here.

During the holiday season, all the hard work that went into the spectacle is rewarding, says Aragon: "Even my exes show up and say, 'Good job!'"
MAYOR'S NOTE:
Holiday In
Santa Fe!
As we officially round into the holiday season here are a couple of things I hope you'll keep in mind.
 
First: Shop local. Shop Santa Fe first! We've got the cure for global supply chain disruptions right here. There's an unlimited variety of high quality gift items available at locally owned shops and on santafemarketplace.com. The Tourism Department launched the site last year to help our mom-and-pop vendors and artisans weather the pandemic. It was a great idea then, and it's still a great idea now.
 
Second: Keep in mind the current spike in COVID cases. As you travel around and gather for Thanksgiving, please don't let your guards down. We know the Delta variant is insidiously contagious. Breakthrough infections are a real concern. But we now we have access to booster shots and vaccinations for children. Our community—our families—cannot afford to suffer a worse seasonal outbreak of infections. We can do this, together.
 
After all we've been through, we deserve to have a safe and sacred holiday season. There's no place better to be than Santa Fe at this joyful time of year. Happy holidays!
Disc Golf Coming to SWAN Park
The City recently approved the installation of an 18-hole disc golf course at SWAN Park in March. "We’ve been planning for disc golf at SWAN since 2011,” said Melissa McDonald, Interim Director of the Parks Division. “The collaborative work between the City, local disc golf volunteers, and DiscGolfPark will lead to a great passive recreation option for community members of all ages and abilities." The project gets underway with a volunteer cleanup on December 11. Find the details here.
515 Boosters for Seniors!
In coordination with NM Aging and Long Term Services, Department of Health, and the City of Santa Fe’s Senior Services Division, 515 COVID boosters and 17 flu shots were administered to seniors last Friday at the Mary Esther Gonzales Senior Center. It was a hugely successful event for the older population of Santa Fe. It could not have happened without all the hard work of our state partners and the Office of Emergency Management, the Police Department, Fire Department, Parks Department and Seniors Division.
Another Cool Little Library
Councilors Signe Lindell (left) and Jamie Cassut (right) were joined at the GCCC on Wednesday by Councilor-elect Amanda Chavez (center) for the unveiling of another of the four little free libraries created by Meow Wolf. "Hexaflake-ious" is by artist Emilio Pincheira. The unveiling the final library, artist Ben Ortega’s "Phonics Character," will take place next Wednesday, November 24, at 9:00 a.m. at Rancho del Sol Park, 6068 Monte Azul Place, on the Avenue Contenta side of the park. Join the fun and donate a book!
Infrastructure, Jobs & Climate
Sustainability Officer Neal Denton interviewed U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernandez for the City’s monthly sustainability radio show, "Climate Matters," on Suave Radio (99.9 FM/810 AM). They discussed the new Infrastructure and Jobs Act and how it addresses climate change in and around Santa Fe. Listen to the recording on YouTube or tune in to the second broadcast on Wed., Nov. 24, 8:30 - 9:00 a.m.
Share this email with your networks!
City of Santa Fe | santafenm.gov