Santa Fe New Mexican, Dec. 21, 2023 by The New Mexican

Galisteo residents say roadwork damaging village

Experts warn of ‘phantom’ debt on rise in U.S.

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Pause on cannabis retailer licensing proposed

City seeks developers for housing tracts in northwest Parcel will be set aside for homes at below-market rate

Lawmakers want changes to act that created industry

By Carina Julig

cjulig@sfnewmexican.com

Santa Fe residents could soon see affordable housing options in an unusual part of town — the northwest side. The city is seeking proposals from developers for the purchase of seven parcels totaling nearly 230 acres in the Las Estrellas community off N.M. 599 and Ridgetop Road, with one 19-acre parcel set aside for homes offered at below-market rates. The seven tracts combined, valued at $5 million and comprising 228.5 acres, would be the largest mixed-use development in northern Santa Fe. The process has been years in the making. City Councilors Michael Garcia and Renee Villarreal and Mayor Alan Webber sponsored a resolution for development of the city-owned land that was approved nearly a year ago. The measure sets aside a tract known as 6A to be donated or sold to a developer Please see story on Page A-4

By Robert Nott

rnott@sfnewmexican.com

LUIS SÁNCHEZ SATURNO/THE NEW MEXICAN.

Jennifer Young ﬁlls up farolito bags with sand Friday at her home. She’s been assembling them for years for the annual Canyon Road Farolito Walk on Christmas Eve.

CHRISTMAS EVE IS IN THE BAG

‘Farolito elves’ of Canyon Road assemble 5,000 holiday lights for annual tradition By Robert Nott

rnott@sfnewmexican.com

High court set for key role in ’24 elections Decision on Trump’s ballot eligibility just one of many big questions justices face By Robert Barnes and Perry Stein The Washington Post

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court will be pressed to answer multiple questions crucial to next year’s presidential election, thrust into a pivotal role not seen since its 2000 decision that sealed the victory for President George W. Bush. Bush v. Gore split the nation and left lasting scars. However, the legal battles being waged in courtrooms across the nation involving former president Donald Trump and his bid to regain the presidency are more numerous, more complicated and could prove even more divisive in a polarized nation. Some of the cases raise issues never squarely addressed by the Supreme Court, and seem to be quandaries that can be settled only by the nine justices. They include Tuesday’s ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court that Trump’s name cannot appear on the primary election ballot in that state because he engaged in insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, and Trump’s claim that he is protected by presidential immunity from being prosecuted for trying to block Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.

o wonder Jennifer Young’s driveway looks like a construction project, with a pile of sand reaching well over four feet tall at one point and bags and helpers all around. Her small home not far off of West Alameda Street has become an assembly line where she and a small crew work for about a month making something everyone in Santa Fe loves come Christmas Eve. Farolitos. Call Young the head of the farolito elves. As owner of Santa Fe Farolitos, she was working one recent weekday morning on making 5,000

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Please see story on Page A-4

IF YOU GO What: Christmas Eve Farolito Walk. When: 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday. Where: Canyon Road. Admission: Free, no reservations required. More info: farolitowalk.com Public transit: City of Santa Fe Transit is offering free transit fare for the walk event starting at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. Continuous shuttle service will run between the South Capitol Rail Runner Station and the Santa Fe Visitor Center/ Capitol parking lot at the intersection of Old Santa Fe Trail and Paseo de Peralta. Return shuttle service is scheduled to end at 9:30 p.m., but no waiting attendees will be left without transport. Call 505-9552001 for more information.

Please see story on Page A-4

Progress in cease-fire talks; Israel finds command center U.S. keeps up pressure to scale back offensive, reduce harm to civilians By Josef Federman, Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy The Associated Press

HATEM ALI/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Palestinians line up for a free meal Wednesday in Rafah, Gaza Strip. Nearly 2 million have been displaced.

Pasapick pasatiempomagazine.com

JERUSALEM — The Israeli military on Wednesday said it had uncovered a major Hamas command center in the heart of Gaza City, inﬂicting what it described as a serious blow to the Islamic militant group as pressure grows on Israel to scale back its devastating military offensive in the coastal enclave. The army said it had exposed the center of a vast underground network used by Hamas to move weapons, militants and supplies throughout the Gaza Strip. Israel has said destroying the

tunnels is a major objective of the offensive. The announcement came as Hamas’ top leader arrived in Egypt for talks aimed at brokering a temporary cease-ﬁre and a new deal for Hamas to swap Israeli hostages for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Israeli leaders have vowed to press ahead with the two-month-old offensive, launched in response to a bloody cross-border attack by Hamas in October that killed some 1,200 people and saw 240 others taken hostage. The offensive has devastated much of northern Gaza, killed nearly 20,000 Palestinians, and driven some 1.9 million people — nearly 85% of the population — from their homes. The widespread destruction and heavy civilian death

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Santa Fe Pro Musica Holiday Bach Festival

Today

Complete solo Cello Suites, Part II, featuring Tanya Tomkins; 7:30 p.m.; St. Francis Auditorium, 107 W. Palace Avenue; tickets start at $35; 505-988-4640, ext. 1000; tickets. sfpromusica.org; additional performances through Dec. 29.

Partly cloudy. High 46, low 29.

More events Fridays in Pasatiempo

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Index

of the candle-in-paper-bag lights to line Canyon Road and surrounding streets for the city’s annual Farolito Walk, which takes place Sunday. “It’s taken over my house,” she said as she walked through the kitchen area, where one work table was set up, and outside on the back porch, where there was another. All around her were big paper bags ﬁlled with little paper bags as she worked to meet the needs of about 35 commercial clients on Canyon Road and another 30 or so residential clients nearby. She’s got it down to a science when it comes to keeping the line moving. Each double-folded bag ﬁrst

Earlier this year, many cannabis industry insiders and supporters asked the state to issue a temporary halt on issuing new licenses for cannabis retail businesses. They may get their wish. Two lawmakers are working on a bill that would make what they call needed changes to the state’s Cannabis Regulation Act — including a provision allowing the state Regulation and Licensing Department, which oversees the industry through its Cannabis Control Division, to put a hold on approving new cannabis retail licenses. The proposed initiative, part of a discussion draft bill still being worked out, comes less than six months after more than 100 cannabis businesses and supporters wrote a letter to the Governor’s Office asking for a halt on issuing new retail licenses. They cited concerns about an oversaturation of the market and said the cannabis industry is experiencing “extreme instability” since recreational sales became legal in April 2022. The signers asked the state to set up a mechanism to “pause new cannabis licensees and provide regulators with a safety valve to turn the application acceptance process back on” once the legal market has stabilized. Jessie Hunt who helped spearhead the letter, said in an interview she would like to see legislators go further than that — she and others are pushing legislation that would initiate an eightmonth halt to new licenses. She said that will give the state

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Rejecting shots More parents are refusing childhood vaccines. Experts say COVID-19 misinformation gets some blame. PAGE A-4

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IN BRIEF Trump’s GOP presidential rivals join in criticism of Colorado ballot ruling Former President Donald Trump’s Republican presidential opponents are joining in his criticism of a Colorado Supreme Court ruling Tuesday that Trump could not appear on the ballot for the state’s presidential primary due to his role in the Capitol insurrection. In a historic 4-3 decision Tuesday, the Colorado court ruled Trump was disqualiﬁed under an 1868 provision of the Constitution that prevents insurrectionists from holding office, citing the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, when a pro-Trump mob overran the U.S. Capitol to stop the certiﬁcation of Joe Biden’s electoral win. The most fervent defense of Trump came from entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who claimed in a nearly 400word statement the Colorado decision was “what an actual attack on democracy looks like.” Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis did not mention Trump by name but suggested without citing evidence the Colorado Supreme Court justices were politically motivated. Former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley told reporters in Iowa on Tuesday that Trump should be defeated at the polls, not in the courts.

Labor costs easing for hospitals, senior living in sign of recovery Hospitals are seeing relief on the labor front, a development that could hasten the sector’s tentative steps to recovery, according to Fitch Ratings. In recent months, average hourly earnings growth has been “relatively flat” and vacancies are shrinking, analysts Richard Park, Kevin Holloran and Mark Pascaris wrote in a note Wednesday. Yet the landscape for hiring remains “hypercompetitive,” thanks to the rising cost of living and the departure of skilled labor from the workforce. Hospitals were forced to turn to expensive outside help early in the pandemic, as nurses and other workers left the field. Since then, striking workers have scored significant wage gains at major systems including Kaiser Permanente this year.

Federal judge blocks Calif. law to ban firearms in most public places SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal judge Wednesday temporarily blocked a California law that would have banned carrying ﬁrearms in most public places, ruling it violates the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and deprives people of their ability to defend themselves and their loved ones. The law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September was set to take effect Jan. 1. It would have prohibited people from carrying concealed guns in 26 places including public parks and playgrounds, churches, banks and zoos. The ban would apply whether the person has a permit to carry a concealed weapon or not.

Argentines take to the streets to protest new austerity measures BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Protests against austerity and deregulation measures announced by newly elected President Javier Milei went off relatively peacefully in Argentina’s capital Wednesday, after a government warning against blocking streets. The protest drew thousands of marchers. Undeterred by the opposition, Milei later announced a sweeping series of initiatives aimed at transforming Argentina’s failing, heavily regulated economy, including widespread privatizations of state-run industries. The approximately 300 changes would earmark many government companies for privatization, and loosen protections for renters, employees and shoppers. New Mexican wire services

Services that let customers pay with installments soaring in popularity, raising fears of loose spending, system risk By Ben Casselman and Jordyn Holman

The New York Times

CAMILLA MENDES DOS SANTOS/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

David Thiel, chief technologist at the Stanford Internet Observatory and author of its report that discovered images of child sexual abuse in the data used to train artiﬁcial intelligence image-generators, said AI tools being “rushed to market” led to a lack of concern for the consequences.

Study: Some AI trained on explicit images of kids Image-generators contained thousands of sexual abuse pictures By Matt O’Brien and Haleluya Hadero

The Associated Press

idden inside the foundation of popular artificial intelligence image-generators are thousands of images of child sexual abuse, according to a new report that urges companies to take action to address a harmful flaw in the technology they built. Those same images have made it easier for AI systems to produce realistic and explicit imagery of fake children as well as transform social media photos of fully clothed real teens into nudes, much to the alarm of schools and law enforcement around the world. Until recently, anti-abuse researchers thought the only way some unchecked AI tools produced abusive imagery of children was by essentially combining what they’ve learned from two separate buckets of online images — adult pornography and benign photos of kids. But the Stanford Internet Observatory found more than 3,200 images of suspected child sexual abuse in the giant AI database LAION, an index of online images and captions that’s been used to train leading AI image-makers such as Stable Diffusion. The watchdog group based at Stanford University worked with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection and other anti-abuse charities to identify the illegal material and report the original photo links to law enforcement. It said roughly 1,000 of the images it found were externally validated. The response was immediate. On the eve of the Wednesday release of the Stanford Internet Observatory’s report, LAION told The Associated Press it was temporarily removing its datasets. While the images account for just a fraction of LAION’s index of some 5.8 billion images, the Stanford group says it is likely influencing the ability of AI tools to generate harmful outputs and reinforcing the prior abuse of real victims who appear multiple times. It’s not an easy problem to fix, and traces back to many generative AI projects being “effectively rushed to market” and made widely accessible because the field is so competitive, said Stanford Internet Observatory’s chief technologist David Thiel, who authored the report.

“Taking an entire internet-wide scrape and making that dataset to train models is something that should have been confined to a research operation, if anything, and is not something that should have been opensourced without a lot more rigorous attention,” Thiel said in an interview. A prominent LAION user that helped shape the dataset’s development is London-based startup Stability AI, maker of the Stable Diffusion text-to-image models. New versions of Stable Diffusion have made it much harder to create harmful content, but an older version introduced last year — which Stability AI says it didn’t release — is still baked into other applications and tools and remains “the most popular model for generating explicit imagery,” according to the Stanford report. “We can’t take that back. That model is in the hands of many people on their local machines,” said Lloyd Richardson, director of information technology at the Canadian Centre for Child Protection. Stability AI on Wednesday said it only hosts filtered versions of Stable Diffusion and “since taking over the exclusive development of Stable Diffusion, Stability AI has taken proactive steps to mitigate the risk of misuse.” “Those filters remove unsafe content from reaching the models,” the company said in a prepared statement. “By removing that content before it ever reaches the model, we can help to prevent the model from generating unsafe content.” Many text-to-image generators are derived in some way from the LAION database, though it’s not always clear which ones. OpenAI, maker of DALL-E and ChatGPT, said it doesn’t use LAION and has fine-tuned its models to refuse requests for sexual content involving minors. LAION said this week it developed “rigorous filters” to detect and remove illegal content before releasing its datasets and is still working to improve those filters. The Stanford report acknowledged LAION’s developers made some attempts to filter out “underage” explicit content but might have done a better job had they consulted earlier with child safety experts.

FTC unveils sweeping plan to boost youth privacy online By Cristiano Lima The Washington Post

The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday unveiled a major proposal to expand protections for children’s personal data and limit what information companies can collect from kids online, marking one of the U.S. government’s most aggressive efforts to create digital safeguards for children. Under the proposal, digital platforms would be required to turn off targeted ads to children under 13 by default and prohibited from using certain data to send kids push notiﬁcations or “nudges” to encourage them to keep using their products. The plan, which still needs to be

adopted, marks one of the most signiﬁcant attempts by U.S. regulators to broaden their oversight over children’s online privacy, an issue that has gained bipartisan traction across states and the federal government. The proposed rulemaking seeks to update the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act a landmark 1998 law requiring websites and other digital service providers to obtain consent from parents before collecting data from users under 13, among other safeguards. The agency unveiled the long-awaited plan in a call for comment from the public on Wednesday. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill for years have called for expanding COPPA’s protections to adapt to developments

in the technology sector, but the efforts have faltered amid disagreements between House and Senate lawmakers over broader privacy protections. President Joe Biden has repeatedly called on Congress to take action on the issue, urging lawmakers in his State of the Union address this year to “pass bipartisan legislation to stop Big Tech from collecting personal data on kids and teenagers online, ban targeted advertising to children and impose stricter limits on the personal data that companies collect on all of us.” “The proposed changes to COPPA are much-needed, especially in an era where online tools are essential for navigating daily life-and where ﬁrms are deploying increasingly sophisticated digital tools to

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surveil children,” FTC Chair Lina Khan, a Democrat, said in a statement. If adopted, the proposal could lead to more scrutiny of and legal clashes with the tech sector. The FTC earlier this year unveiled another expansive proposal to bar Meta from monetizing data it collects from teens by updating a privacy pact the company and agency struck in 2020. But Meta is ﬁghting to block the plan in federal court. The new proposed rules would also expand protections against the collection of children’s data in schools, allowing ed tech companies to collect and use data from students only for educational purposes authorized by schools and not for any commercial purpose.

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“Buy Now, Pay Later” loans are helping to fuel a record-setting holiday shopping season. Economists worry they could also be masking and exacerbating cracks in Americans’ financial well-being. The loans, which allow consumers to pay for purchases in installments, often interest-free, have soared in popularity because of high prices and interest rates. Retailers have used them to attract customers and to get people to spend more. But such loans may be encouraging younger and lower-income Americans to take on too much debt, according to consumer groups and some lawmakers. And because such loans aren’t routinely reported to credit bureaus or captured in public data, they could also represent a hidden source of risk to the financial system. “The more I dig into it, the more concerned I am,” said Tim Quinlan, a Wells Fargo economist who recently published a report that described paylater loans as “phantom debt.” Traditional measures of consumer credit indicate U.S. household finances overall are relatively healthy. But, Quinlan said, “if those are missing the fastest-growing piece of the market, then those reassurances aren’t worth a darn.” Estimates of the size of this market vary widely. Quinlan thinks spending through pay-later options was about $46 billion this year. That is relatively small when compared with the more than $3 trillion Americans put on their credit cards last year. But such loans — offered by companies like Klarna, Affirm, Afterpay and PayPal — have climbed fast. This growth comes at a moment when the finances of some Americans are starting to show early signs of strain. Credit card borrowing is at a record high in dollar terms — although not as a share of income — and delinquencies, although low by historical standards, are rising. That stress is especially evident among younger adults. People in their 20s and 30s are by far the biggest users of pay-later loans, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. That could be both a sign of financial problems — young people may be using pay-later loans after maxing out credit cards — and a cause of it by encouraging them to spend excessively. Pay-later loans became available in the United States years ago, but they took off during the pandemic when online shopping surged. The products are somewhat similar to the layaway programs offered decades earlier by retailers. The most common loans require buyers to pay one-quarter of the purchase price upfront, with the rest usually paid in three installments over six weeks. Such loans are typically interest-free, although users sometimes end up owing fees. Pay-later companies make most of their money by charging fees to retailers. Pay-later companies say their products are better for borrowers than credit cards or payday loans. They say by offering shorter loans, they can better assess borrowers’ ability to repay. But not all consumers use pay-later options carefully. A report from the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau this year found nearly 43% of pay-later users had overdrawn a bank account in the previous 12 months, compared with 17% of nonusers.

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Thursday, December 21, 2023

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Housing aid hits lowest level in nearly 25 years By Jason Deparle

The New York Times

WASHINGTON — As the safety net has expanded over the past generation, the food stamp rolls have doubled, Medicaid enrollment has tripled, and payments from the earned-income tax credit have nearly quadrupled. But one major form of aid has grown scarcer. After decades of rising rents, housing assistance for the poorest tenants has fallen to the lowest level in nearly a quarter-century. The three main federal programs for the neediest renters — public housing, Section 8 and Housing Choice Vouchers — serve 287,000 fewer households than they did at their peak in 2004, a new analysis shows. That is a 6% drop, while the number of eligible households without aid grew by about one-quarter, to 15 million. “We’re not just treading water; we’re falling further behind,” said Chris Herbert, the managing director of the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, which prepared

the analysis at the request of The New York Times. “That was an eyeopener, even for me.” In an exception to the trend of falling aid, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit helped build several million subsidized apartments, but most are not affordable to the neediest renters without additional aid. Nearly two-thirds of renters in the bottom income quintile face “severe cost burdens,” the Harvard analysis found, meaning they spend more than half their income for shelter. That is a record high, up from about half two decades ago, and it coincides with government ﬁndings of record homelessness this year. Unlike entitlement programs such as food stamps or Medicaid, which automatically grow with need, rental aid is set by Congress each year and reaches only a small share of eligible households. Rising rents have constrained the programs’ growth by making aid more expensive. Housing aid also lacks the

business allies that support other programs. It suffers from the stigma left by problems in public housing, though most help now consists of vouchers for private dwellings. And housing aid is especially concentrated among Black households, exposing it to racial opposition. “For a whole variety of reasons, it’s been harder to expand housing assistance than other programs for low-income families, though they generally serve the same people,” said Ingrid Gould Ellen, a housing expert at New York University. The experience of Tiffany Frazier illustrates the weakness of the housing safety net. A caseworker with the South Carolina Department of Mental Health, Frazier, 35, lost Section 8 housing two years ago when faulty plumbing ﬂooded her Charleston apartment. With the waiting list for subsidized apartments closed and private rents beyond reach, she lives in her cousin’s converted garage and shares a bed with her 14-year-old son, Kam’Ryn — a

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Tiffany Frazier and her son, Kam’Ryn, examine items in the storage unit they moved their belongings to after losing their Section 8 housing in Charleston, S.C. With the waiting list for subsidized apartments closed and private rents beyond reach, the two are sharing a bed in the converted garage of Frazier’s cousin. ELIZABETH BICK/THE NEW YORK TIMES

bed mate bulky enough to play high school football. They tease each other about snoring, but the displacement has unsettled them. Kam’Ryn’s grades fell, and Frazier got so depressed from doubling up, initially with her sister, that she took a medical leave from her previous job. “Dear God, I’m dying!!!!!!!” she wrote in her journal. “I can’t sleep. I can’t focus. I feel like I’m failing.” Although she recently earned a master’s degree and a raise to $40,000 a year, an apartment would consume about half her income, a burden too high to

sustain. “I wish people could understand — there’s just no place for people like me to go,” she said. While housing assistance has never reached all who qualify, for decades it rapidly expanded. From the mid-1960s to the mid1990s, the three core programs, which generally limit shelter costs to 30% of income, grew by 3.7 million households — about 125,000 a year. That ended in 1995, when Republicans took control of Congress. Conservatives saw the programs as failed welfare

efforts, with rents as low as zero, no work requirements and a constituency of urban Democrats. The expansion stalled, then aid shrank. Since peaking in 2004, the number of households served has fallen by 16,000 a year, the Harvard analysis shows. The decline stems partly from the demolition of distressed public housing, with only partial replacement of the lost dwellings. The number of Section 8 apartments also declined, as contracts let old properties switch to market rents. Vouchers grew but not enough to compensate. While vouchers seek to give tenants more choice, many landlords refuse to take them. About 40% of voucher holders do not sign leases in the allotted time, and most forfeit the assistance. In the past three decades, Medicaid has added more than 60 million people, but housing aid reaches fewer households than in 1994.

Carmakers fight massive air bag EU countries reach migration deal recall that could cost $10 billion By Matina Stevis-Gridneff The New York Times

By Keith Laing

Bloomberg News

Carmakers are lobbying against an extraordinary push by U.S. regulators to force a recall of as many as 52 million air bag inflators. Companies like General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. said in letters to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released Wednesday that there’s no proof the parts made by ARC Automotive Inc. are defective despite reports that some inflators have exploded in a crash, injuring or killing passengers. NHTSA is calling for a broad recall over ARC’s objections, a move that may cost carmakers up to $10 billion. Despite the objection from ARC and multiple automakers, NHTSA continues to march ahead with the steps required for it to take unilateral action. The comment period ended Monday and the agency will make a final decision on whether the parts are defective as early as next year, according to a person familiar with its thinking. That would be the last step before a mandatory recall, although ARC could challenge the decision in court. GM said in comments posted online by NHTSA it disagrees with the agency’s initial decision that the ARC air bags are defective, which it said “falls far short of the agency’s technical and procedural standards, especially in major defects enforcement cases.” GM said it has already “voluntarily recalled over one million ARC air bag inflators.” The company said NHTSA’s recall could extend to “as much as 15% of the over 300 million registered motor vehicles in the United States,” and

the agency had failed to demonstrate this “is legally required or would advance public safety.” Ford also said “serious concerns” about the scope of the recall, which would impact more than 2 million vehicles the firm manufactured between 2005 and 2017, the Dearborn, Mich., company said: “Within those millions of Ford vehicles, there have been zero reported ruptures of ARC Inflators in the field.” ARC’s air bags are used in cars made by GM, Ford, Stellantis NV, Tesla Inc., Volkswagen AG, Hyundai Motor Co., BMW, Kia Corp., Maserati, Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Porsche and Toyota Motor Corp. It’s extremely unusual for regulators to force a recall since most manufacturers usually agree to fix defective parts. In this case, NHTSA is eager to avoid a repeat of the Takata air bags saga more than a decade ago. Those fixes took years to complete and wound up becoming the biggest auto recall in U.S. history. GM attributed $1.1 billion in costs to Takata-related repairs in the fourth quarter of 2020, while Ford’s costs were $600 million in that period. Those estimates came out to be about $200 per repair, said Michael Brooks, executive director of the Washington-based Center for Auto Safety, which advocates for stringent auto regulation. “I would guess that we’re looking at around $10 billion for replacement of 50 million air bags” with ARC inflators, Brooks said. Knoxville, Tenn.-based ARC didn’t reply to requests for comment. The company has been cooperating with NHTSA’s

investigation since 2015 and it said in its response posted online Wednesday it “strongly disagrees” with the need for a massive recall. ARC said NHTSA was not basing its current position on objective technical or engineering conclusions despite “an eight-year investigation involving numerous vehicle manufacturers and suppliers; dozens of information requests,” meetings with suppliers, or field recovery and tests. Rosemary Shahan, president of the Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety group, said an aggressive stance against ARC’s parts is appropriate “because it appears clear they are defective and pose an unreasonable risk to safety — the legal standard for triggering a safety recall.” The agency said in May it had identified at least seven cases of ruptured air bags that led to injuries, including two deaths, dating from 2009 to as recently as March. Regulators believe welding performed in the manufacturing of ARC inflators may have left debris inside the part. During a crash, gas produced by ignition is supposed to fill up the bag. But when the channel is clogged, it can cause excess pressure to build up inside the inflator and potentially spray metal fragments.

BRUSSELS — European countries struck a key deal Wednesday to overhaul their joint migration system, an agreement years in the making and aimed at allaying mounting pressure from ascendant far-right political parties across the continent. The European Union migration and asylum pact took three years to negotiate and was only achieved through a patchwork of compromises. With anti-migrant sentiment rising and driving a shift to the right in Europe and beyond, negotiators were under pressure to ﬁnalize the agreement before elections this summer across the bloc’s 27 nations. The agreement aims to make it easier to deport failed asylum-seekers and to limit entry

of migrants into the bloc. It also seeks to give governments a greater sense of control over their borders while bolstering the EU’s role in migration management — treating it as a European issue, not just a national one. “Migration is a European challenge that requires European solutions,” said Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission. “It means that Europeans will decide who comes to the EU and who can stay, not the smugglers. It means protecting those in need.” Migration has long been a source of major tension and divisions in Europe, with the belief widespread in some countries that they are unfairly carrying a greater load by nature of their geographic location. Wednesday’s deal is an attempt to heal those rifts by creating

a system that more evenly distributes migrants and the costs of receiving them. It is also an attempt to fend off the far right, which has weaponized migration to appeal to a broader audience and forced what was once a fringe issue into the political mainstream — putting the right to seek asylum at risk globally. The pact stipulates assessments of whether a person is eligible for asylum will take place at borders. It would make it harder for asylum-seekers to move on from the countries they arrive in — while offering further support to those nations through a so-called solidarity mechanism. That mechanism would help countries like Greece and Italy that receive more asylum-seekers by sending some to countries that receive fewer or offering those nations ﬁnancial compensation.

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Thursday, December 21, 2023

More parents are opting out of vaccinations than ever By Devi Shastri

The Associated Press

When Idaho had a rare measles outbreak a few months ago, health officials scrambled to keep it from spreading. In the end, 10 people, all in one family, were infected, all unvaccinated. This time, the state was lucky, said the region’s medical director Dr. Perry Jansen. The family quickly quarantined and the children were already taught at home. The outbreak could have been worse if the kids were in public school, given the state’s low vaccination rates, he said. In Idaho last year, parents opted out of state-required vaccines for 12% of

kids entering kindergarten, the highest rate in the nation. “We tend to forget that diseases like measles and polio used to kill people,” said Jansen, medical director of the Southwest District Health Department, which handled the outbreak in September. All states require children to have certain routine vaccines to go to public school, and often private school and day care, to prevent outbreaks of once-common childhood diseases like measles, mumps, whooping cough, chickenpox and polio. All provide exemptions for children who have a medical reason for avoiding the shots. Most also offer waivers for religious beliefs. Fifteen allow a

waiver for any personal belief. Last school year, vaccination waivers among kindergartners hit an all-time high: 3% in total, according to a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. Waivers for religious or personal beliefs have been on the rise, driven by some states loosening laws, in others by vaccine misinformation and political rhetoric ampliﬁed during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Idaho, “a parent only has to provide a signed statement,” to get a waiver, the state’s health department said. A change in state law before the 2018-19 school year made it easier to get waivers. The state’s exemption rate that

City seeks developers for housing tracts in northwest Continued from Page A-1

at below-market value for construction of affordable homes; the remaining lots are to be sold in a bid process giving preference to local companies. The resolution followed a failed attempt in 2021 by former Councilor JoAnne Vigil Coppler to mandate preference for local developers, which did not pass due to other councilors’ concerns. Tract 6A is on the west side of Ridgetop Road, Villarreal said. Development of Las Estrellas, also known as Las Estrellas at Santa Fe Estates, is guided by a master plan the city adopted in 2005 that includes requirements for senior housing, recreation and open space, and commercial sites such as retail and office space. The city placed an ad in Wednes-

GABRIELA CAMPOS/NEW MEXICAN FILE PHOTO

The city of Santa Fe intends to sell seven parcels of land totaling nearly 230 acres near N.M. 599 and Ridgetop Road, seen last year.

day’s edition of The New Mexican announcing it was accepting bids for the market-rate housing tracts “at the heart of Northern New Mexico’s fast-growing science and technology corridor.” The city also issued a news release this week describing the development as “serving the busy Albuquerque-Santa

Fe-Los Alamos corridor.” City senior adviser Bernie Toon said officials are eager for the developments to get underway. “We would really like, obviously, to get this project moving as quickly as we can,” he said. Toon, who joined the city in mid-Sep-

year was 7.7%. September’s measles outbreak started when a resident of Nampa, the state’s third largest city, returned home from a trip abroad. Measles is usually brought into the U.S. through travel since widespread vaccination has all but eliminated local spread of the disease. It takes a very high level of vaccination — around 95% — to protect against the spread of measles and other diseases, experts say. During the pandemic, the national rate for vaccinations among kindergartners dropped to 93%. Health experts say interventions on every level are needed to get more kids immunized: doctors talking to parents,

social media campaigns, easier access to vaccines in some areas, enforcement by schools in others. Last year, most states had an increase in waivers. Hawaii, which allows medical and religious waivers, saw rates double from the previous school year. Nearly 6.5% of kindergartners have an exemption for at least one required vaccine. It’s impossible to know the reasons behind a waiver, said Ronald Balajadia, immunization program manager for Hawaii State Department of Health. But misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines “has bled through to routine vaccines” that people wouldn’t normally question, Balajadia said.

tember, said he wasn’t sure why the the bid process started only this month following approval of a resolution back in January. The time frame for construction will depend on what kind of bids the city receives for the land, he added. On Dec. 12 the city released a “request for qualiﬁcations” from developers interested in creating affordable housing on tract 6A, with a submission deadline of Jan. 15. The city will consider a discounted price or even donating the parcel “to the right developer,” the release states. A feasibility study on 6A, submitted to the city Dec. 1, found a maximum of 86 housing units could be built there under city regulations. The tract would be ideal for multifamily housing, the study said. An invitation for bids on the other tracts was issued Monday, with a Jan. 22 deadline for submissions. The city will hold a news conference to discuss the property Dec. 27. Toon said the relatively short window of time should be enough time for bidders to turn in applications. “We wanted to see what we could get on bids right out of the box so we can hopefully get the project moving,” he said.

Garcia said he was disappointed the preference for local developers was not mentioned in the city’s news release announcing it was seeking bids. “This is something I believe we need to ensure everyone interested in bidding is well aware of,” he said. Toon said the local preference is an important component, “but it’s not going to stop us from going with somebody outside the city if nobody in the city is interested.” Under the resolution, the local preference will give bidders up to a 6% advantage on their applications if they have had a city of Santa Fe or Santa Fe County business license for the past three years and if they have a resident business certificate from the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department. Garcia said he believes the process of seeking developers for Las Estrellas parcels is an example of the city practicing due diligence to ensure its resources are being used to their maximum benefit; he hopes a similar process will take place as plans move forward for redevelopment of the city-owned midtown campus. “At the end of the day these are public assets,” Garcia said. “Ensuring they provide the most benefit to the public [as] possible is the desired outcome.”

Pause on cannabis retailer licensing proposed Continued from Page A-1

Regulation and Licensing Department time to analyze the situation and catch up on its regulatory requirements. “We really believe there should be a pause until the market stabilizes,” Hunt, a spokeswoman for both R. Greenleaf Organics and Everest Cannabis Co., said. Rep. Alan Martinez, R-Bernalillo, said he also supports efforts to impose a temporary halt because he thinks “there are a lot of people who invested their life savings who are now looking at losing everything because there is a cannabis shop on every corner.” Martinez said he wants lawmakers to take their time figuring out the specifics “so we don’t flood the market again.” The issue of possibly regulating the number of retail licenses first came up as lawmakers and cannabis supporters hashed out details to find a way to legalize the sale, use and possession of recreational cannabis in 2021. One early bill included legislation that would have allowed the Regulation and Licensing Department to find a way to do that if needed, but that language fell by the wayside as the Cannabis Regulation Act was rewritten. Sen. Katy Duhigg, D-Albuquerque, and Rep. Andrea Romero, D-Santa Fe, brought the idea up again during an interim Courts, Corrections and Justice Committee hearing earlier this month. Duhigg told lawmakers they were looking for a way to “appropriately limit licensure” when the market gets “wonky.” Duhigg said in the interview Wednesday she believes there are a lot of New Mexican cannabis retailers who are “not making it. We have a situation where there is a supersaturated market and a race to the bottom [in terms of pricing] to get consumers, and that’s something only the really big guys can absorb.” According to the Cannabis Control Division website, New Mexico has approved over 1,000 cannabis retail licenses, though that does not mean all of them are operating. There are over 40 in Santa Fe. Duke Rodriguez, president and CEO of New Mexico Top Organics-Ultra Health, the state’s largest cannabis company, initially supported including language in the Cannabis Regulation Act letting it cap licenses. He warned of there being too much product and said many mom and pop sellers would likely go out of business. But now, he said in an interview Wednesday, it’s too late to consider any sort of pause, an initiative he calls “at best naive.” He said, based on his research, of the 1,000 licenses in play “probably 700 are active and operational and the other 300 posses a right to open and there is no pause language to stop them, so you are just talking about new applicants at a future date.” Duhigg and Romero said they do not support a mandatory license stop. “I’m not in favor of limiting retail

licenses,” Romero said in an interview. “I think it’s great to let the Regulation and Licensing Department have that power [to issue a halt] to provide a check and balance approach to how we run the show.” Todd Stevens, director of the Cannabis Control Division, wrote in an email Wednesday that his department is working “with all interested parties to consider all sides of this issue and make a thoughtful recommendation. “The idea of a license moratorium is a complex issue that must be weighed carefully to determine the short-term and long-term impacts on existing and potential future licensees under the Cannabis Regulation Act, as well as potential impacts on consumers,” he wrote. Duhigg and Romero are also suggesting other changes to the Cannabis Regulation Act, based on what they said during the committee hearing. Those proposed changes include: ◆ Allowing New Mexicans with a liquor license to also obtain a cannabis retail license with the provision they cannot sell both alcohol and cannabis at the same location. Currently the state prohibits someone with an alcohol license from having a cannabis license; Duhigg said that’s because the original law was intended to ensure retailers did not sell both products at the same business site. ◆ Lifting the $125,000 license cap fee for big cannabis operators to run vertically integrated cannabis operations — which means they can grow, manufacture and sell product — and requiring them to pay a license fee per plant. Duhigg said the $125,000 cap is “essentially a giveaway” for larger chain organizations that are producing more plants and thus making more money. ◆ Altering language in the original law that says all those in the cannabis business must provide proof of water rights. Duhigg said this makes sense with cannabis producers, but not retailers who are not necessarily growing their own product. Romero said it’s not unusual for lawmakers to revisit legislation and revise it based on what they have seen happen since a law went into effect. “Every state that has legalized cannabis since its inception has gone back to its cannabis laws every single year and made changes,” she said. “When you set up an entirely new industry, you will learn things.” She said she and Duhigg have been in contact with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office, as well as with the Regulation and Licensing Department, about their proposal, which they hope to introduce during the 30-day legislative session scheduled to start in mid-January. Though 30-day sessions are focused on the budget and the governor has the right to introduce or reject any legislation not tied to the budget, Romero said she feels conﬁdent the cannabis bill will get a hearing.

LEFT: D.R. Romeo, left, and Jennifer Young, ﬁll up farolito bags with sand Friday at Young’s home. She has about a month to get all the farolitos made and then just hours to get them in place on Canyon Road on Christmas Eve. BELOW: David Smith of Santa Fe ﬁlls up farolito bags with sand Friday at Young’s home. PHOTOS BY LUIS SÁNCHEZ SATURNO THE NEW MEXICAN

CHRISTMAS EVE IS IN THE BAG Continued from Page A-1

gets a scoop of not quite 16 ounces of sand — almost a cup of coffee’s worth. Fun fact: Based on timing one worker’s efforts to double-fold a bag, it takes about 12 seconds per bag. Then the workers drop a candle, with the wick pulled up sharply and ready for a light, in the sand, and stack the bags four deep, three wide in a larger paper grocery bag. Her elf team hits Canyon Road as early as 9 a.m. on Christmas Eve and begins setting up the decorations. Around 3 p.m., they begin lighting the candles with the goal of having them all done by the time darkness falls around 5 p.m. Well aware the weather and wind can play havoc with their plan to provide goodwill and cheer to the thousands of people who take part in the Christmas Eve walk, she makes sure they all have some spare candles in their pockets lest some not work or the wind whips the bag against the ﬂame and the bag goes up in smoke. It’s not easy work, she said. She has about a month to get all the farolitos made and then just hours to get them in place on Christmas Eve. She also takes orders from members of the public who want pre-made farolitos. The candles burn for about 15 hours, she said, so the vast majority are done when the sun rises on Christmas. Henry Monahan, director of Morning Star Gallery on Canyon Road, said the gallery has been using Young’s services for at least a decade. He said she provides around 750 farolitos for the gallery. “It adds a sense of community when we do the Canyon Road walk,” he said. Young said she didn’t envision becoming the queen of the farolitos when she taught at The Children’s School, a preschool in Eldorado. Young started teaching there in 2008, and when she bought the school in 2010, she inherited the fundraiser the school held to raise money by making readyto-light farolitos.

The school closed in 2017, and that’s when she turned the fundraiser into a holiday-season business called Santa Fe Farolitos. The biggest challenge is dealing with the two tons of sand she orders before Thanksgiving. It’s heavy, it’s wet, and she and her workmates have to ﬁnd ways to dry it out before they can use it. On Christmas Eve, after the last of the farolitos is lit and burning, Young leaves Canyon Road as the thousands who walk it to enjoy the farolitos start to arrive. As she walks back to her car, she said, there’ s a sense “of sadness that this rush is now over.” She likes, however, watching people enjoy the beauty of the candles. “They’re in the moment, on Canyon Road on Christmas Eve,” she said. “And that feels great.” And when she goes back home, guess what she does? She lights up another three or four dozen farolitos for her own yard. Once the holiday season is past, Young said she can go back to other businesses she engages in as a personal trainer, an interior designer and a hospitality worker.

She’s considered expanding the farolito business into the non-holiday seasons, perhaps making them for wedding ceremonies or other celebrations, but she’s not sure there’s a need there — yet. In the meantime, she takes pride in what she and her crew do to make Christmas Eve a little brighter in Santa Fe. “I hold the golden key to the Christmas Eve walk,” she said with a smile as she loaded another coffee cup full of sand into a bag.

CITY ISSUES AMNESTY FOR FAROLITO BURNING Santa Fe Fire Department Chief Brian Moya and Fire Marshal Geronimo Griego have granted a citywide amnesty for farolito and luminaria burning starting at sundown Sunday and ending at dawn Monday. Usually, open burning without a permit issued by the fire department is prohibited under the city’s fire code, city officials said in a news release. This temporary seasonal amnesty extends throughout the city of Santa Fe for community members to burn farolitos and luminarias on Christmas Eve to celebrate the holiday, the release says.

Thursday, December 21, 2023

Progress in talks; Israel finds command center

on how to “stop this aggression, especially that our enemy now knows that it cannot achieve any of its goals.” Israel has rejected Hamas’ demands for a mass prisoner release so far. But it has a history of lopsided exchanges for captive Israelis, and the government is under heavy public pressure to bring the hostages home safely. Egypt, along with Qatar and the U.S., helped mediate a weeklong cease-fire in November in which Hamas freed over 100 hostages in exchange for Israel’s release of 240 Palestinian prisoners. Hamas and other militants are still holding an estimated 129 captives, though roughly 20 are believed to have died in captivity. U.N. Security Council members are negotiating an Arab-sponsored resolution to halt the fighting in some way to allow for an increase in desperately needed humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza. A vote on the resolution, first scheduled for Monday, was pushed back again on Wednesday in the hopes of getting the U.S. to support it or allow it to pass after it vetoed an earlier cease-fire call.

mistaken shooting of three Israelis held hostage in Gaza toll has drawn increasing interna- found that, five days before the tional calls for a cease-fire. shooting, a military search dog Hamas militants have put up with a body camera had captured stiff resistance lately against audio of them shouting for help Israeli ground troops, and its in Hebrew. forces appear to remain largely Hagari said the recording intact in southern Gaza. It also was not reviewed until after the continues to fire rockets into hostages were killed while trying Israel every day. to make themselves known to The United States, Israel’s Israeli forces. closest ally, has continued to supThe incident has sparked port Israel’s right to defend itself an uproar in Israel and put while also urging greater effort to pressure on the government to protect Gaza’s civilians. reach a new deal with Hamas. But in some of the toughest The military chief has said the American language yet, Secretary shooting was against its rules of of State Antony Blinken on engagement. Wednesday called on Israel to The Israeli military campaign scale back its operation. now is largely focused on south“It’s clear that the conflict will ern Gaza, where it says Hamas’ move and needs to move to a leaders are hiding. lower-intensity phase,” Blinken “We will continue the war until said. He said the U.S. wants to the end. It will continue until see “more targeted operations” Hamas is destroyed, until victory,” with smaller levels of forces Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statefocused on specific targets, such Humanitarian crisis as Hamas’ leaders and the group’s ment. “Whoever thinks we will stop is detached from reality.” tunnel network. Mobile phone and internet “As that happens, I think you’ll service was down across Gaza see as well, the harm done to Cease-fire talks again on Wednesday. The outage civilians also decrease signifigain momentum could complicate efforts to comcantly,” he said. municate with Hamas leaders As Netanyahu vowed to conHis comments were more inside the territory who went tinue the war, there were new pointed than statements by into hiding after Oct. 7. signs of progress in cease-fire Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, The war has led to a humantalks. who in a visit to Israel this week itarian crisis in Gaza. Tens Hamas’ top leader, Ismail Hanisaid the U.S. would not dictate yeh, traveled to Cairo for talks on of thousands of people are any time frames to its ally. crammed into shelters and the war, part of a flurry of diplotent camps amid shortages of macy. In recent days, top Israeli, Tunnel network food, medicine and other basic American and Qatari officials supplies. Israel’s foreign minister The Israeli military escorted have also held cease-fire talks. Israeli reporters into Palestine “These are very serious discus- traveled to Cyprus to discuss the possibility of establishing a marSquare in the heart of Gaza City sions and negotiations, and we to show off what it described hope that they lead somewhere,” itime corridor that would allow as the center of Hamas’ tunnel the White House’s national secu- the delivery of large amounts of humanitarian aid to Gaza. network. rity spokesman, John Kirby, said Military commanders boasted At least 46 people were killed aboard Air Force One while travthat they had uncovered offices, eling with President Joe Biden to and more than 100 wounded tunnels and elevators used by early Wednesday after Israel Wisconsin. Hamas’ top leaders. The military bombarded the urban Jabaliya Biden, however, indicated a released videos of underground deal was still a ways off. “There’s refugee camp near Gaza City, offices and claimed to have according to Munir al-Bursh, a no expectation at this point, but found a wheelchair belonging senior Health Ministry official. we are pushing,” he said. Asked to Hamas’ shadowy military At least five people were killed about the rising death toll in commander, Mohammed Deif, and dozens injured in another Gaza, Biden said: It’s tragic.” who has not been seen in public strike that hit three residential Hamas says no more hostages in years. homes and a mosque in Gaza’s will be released until the war The army’s chief spokesman, ends. It is insisting on the release southern city of Rafah WednesRear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said day, health officials said. of large numbers of Palestinian the army had located a vast The Health Ministry in Hamasprisoners, including high-level underground complex. “They all militants convicted in deadly run Gaza said Tuesday the death used this infrastructure routinely, attacks, for remaining captives. toll since the start of the war had during emergencies and also at Osama Hamdan, a senior risen to more than 19,600. It does the beginning of the war on Oct. Hamas official in Beirut, said the not distinguish between civilian 7,” he said. He said the tunnels efforts right now are focused and combatant deaths. stretched across Gaza and into major hospitals. The claims could QUAIL RUN LIGHT-FILLED CONDOMINIUM | SANTA FE not be independently verified. Hagari also indicated that 3101 Old Pecos #139 Israel was winding down its 2BD | 2BA | $569,000 sothebysrealty.com/id/5G4GV9 operations in northern Gaza, including Gaza City, where it has Highly sought after Ground Floor been battling Hamas militants condominium in a premier location at Quail Run. Offers large storage closet, for weeks. He said the army had smart separation of bedrooms and moved into a final remaining ample space to enjoy the outdoors. Hamas stronghold, the Gaza City LEEA MUSSER neighborhood of Tufah. 505.670.4696 Cell • 505.988.8088 Office But the army also acknowlleea.musser@sothebys.realty sothebysrealty.com edged a significant misstep. An Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. 505.982.6207 investigation into its soldiers’ Continued from Page A-1

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High court set for key role in ’24 have been sentenced under the questions about Trump’s civil law, and more are awaiting trial. liability in the events of Jan. 6, The court, with a 6-to-3 Meanwhile, special counsel and the gag orders imposed by conservative majority that Jack Smith has asked the judges overseeing his criminal features three justices chosen Supreme Court to fast-track con- case in D.C. and a civil case in by Trump, has a slumping sideration of Trump’s claim that New York, which Trump says public approval rating and a he is immune from prosecution hinder his ability to campaign reputation dulled by precefor the alleged election obstrucfor the Republican nomination. dent-reversing decisions and tion — intensifying the legal Polls show him far ahead as the public concerns about ethics jockeying over whether Trump’s leading contender. and outside gifts. The public criminal trial in D.C. will stay on If that were not enough, there views the court through a schedule to begin March 4. is abortion. starkly partisan lens, according Trump’s lawyers told the court The justices will decide this to polls, with Democrats regWednesday that there was no term whether to limit access to istering little confidence in the need to expedite their considera key drug used in more than court and Republicans feeling ation of that issue, arguing the half of U.S. abortions. That case just the opposite. government has not given a good returns the issue of reproductive Some Democrats in Conreason to bypass a lower appeals rights to the high court for the gress have called on Justice court. Republican attorneys first time since the conservative Clarence Thomas to recuse general from 19 states filed a brief majority overturned Roe v. Wade himself from cases involving supporting Trump’s position. in June 2022. Trump’s political interests The high court could decide Polls show the decision in because of his wife Virginia whether to take up the immunity Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s “Ginni” Thomas’s role in Health Organization was an issue on an expedited timetable encouraging the former presiunpopular one, and a politically as early as this week. dent to challenge the results of “The United States recognizes valuable issue for liberals and his loss to Biden. Democrats. Since the decision, that this is an extraordinary “Unlike in 2000 the general voters in seven states have request,” Smith told the justices political instability in the United in his filing last week. “This is an rebelled against conservative States makes the situation legislatures and their restrictions extraordinary case.” now much more precarious,” on abortion, voting to ensure a Trump’s legal team countered Richard Hasen, an election law right to the procedure in state a case with stakes as high as expert at UCLA, wrote Tuesday this one should not be rushed constitutions. Ohio, with its Republican-leaning electorate, night on his blog. and called Smith’s attempt to was the latest to do so. Hasen was reacting to Colo- expedite the appeals process a Republicans have struggled rado’s dramatic 4-to-3 decision, partisan attempt to shape the with how to present the issue, which was the first time a court presidential election. while Kentucky Gov. Andy “The fact that this case arises has found that a presidential Beshear, a Democrat, won reeleccandidate could be barred from in the vortex of political dispute tion by campaigning on an aborelection because of a post-Civil warrants caution, not haste,” tion rights message. The same War constitutional amendment Trump’s filing reads. Delay is day, Democrats took full control in Trump’s interest; if he wins that prevents insurrectionists another term in the White House, of the Virginia legislature, after from holding office. Other states are considering he could order his Justice Depart- pledging to block Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s intentions similar lawsuits, some of which ment to drop the case against to curb abortion there. have failed in lower courts; the him. Even as they urge the court to But it is the question about the Colorado court put its ruling reject Smith’s petition, lawyers viability of Trump’s candidacy on hold until Trump’s lawyers for Trump will be simultaneously that is the most perilous. — who have vowed to appeal asking the justices to quickly The novelty of the question — can ask the U.S. Supreme review and reverse the Colorado makes it difficult to predict the Court to settle the issue. decision. outcome of the U.S. Supreme It would be only one more Waiting in the wings are Court’s likely review. item on a weighty list. The justices already have said they will decide the validity of a law used to charge hundreds of people in connection with the Jan. 6 riot, which also has been levied against Trump as part of his four-count federal election obstruction case in Washington. The law makes it a crime to obstruct or impede an official 505.982.6256 proceeding — in this case, disruption of Congress’s formal mcpartlonroofing.com certification of Biden’s victory. Scores of Jan. 6 riot defendants Continued from Page A-1

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Thursday, December 21, 2023

States trashing stockpiles of masks, pandemic gear

Venezuela swaps 10 Americans for ally of president By Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Genevieve Glatsky and Lara Jakes

The New York Times

WASHINGTON — The United States has released a close ally of President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela in exchange for 10 jailed Americans, including six designated as wrongfully detained. Alex Saab, who has been accused by the United States of “profiting from starvation” of Venezuelans, is a Colombian businessperson and financial fixer for Maduro. He was indicted in 2019 in connection with a bribery scheme that siphoned an estimated $350 million from a Venezuelan government housing project. Among the Americans released were Jerrel Kenemore and Eyvin Hernandez, who had been arrested in March 2022; Joseph Cristella who was arrested in Venezuela in September 2022; and Savoi Wright, a businessperson from California whose family said he had been wrongfully detained after the FBI learned in October that he had been arrested. The United States had designated them all as wrongfully detained. Senior U.S. officials declined to reveal details about the other Americans who were released, but they said the exchange meant that all the Americans believed to be wrongfully detained in Venezuela had been freed. As a part of the agreement, Venezuela also agreed to return to the United States former defense contractor Leonard Glenn Francis, known as Fat Leonard, who is at the center of one of the U.S. Navy’s largest corruption cases. Maduro will also release 20 Venezuelan political prisoners, as well as Roberto Abdul, an opposition leader in Venezuela, U.S. officials said. The arrest warrants of three other Venezuelans were also suspended. The deal came after months of negotiations between President Joe Biden and Maduro’s top officials, which were brokered by Qatar, according to U.S. officials. It comes as the Biden administration tries to improve relations with the authoritarian government in Caracas. The United States recently restarted deportation flights to Venezuela and agreed to lift some sanctions after the Maduro administration agreed to take tentative steps toward free and fair elections. “It looks like Maduro, so far, is keeping his commitment on a free election,” Biden told reporters Wednesday. “But it ain’t done yet. We’ve got a long way to go. But it’s good so far.” Biden later released a statement confirming that the Americans were on their way back to the United States. “These individuals have lost far too much precious time with their loved ones, and their families have suffered every day in their absence,” Biden said. “I am grateful that their ordeal is finally over, and that these families are being made whole once more.”

NATION & WORLD

By Jennifer Peltz and David A. Lieb The Associated Press

REBECCA NOBLE/NEW YORK TIMES FILE PHOTO

A Border Patrol agent directs migrants into lines earlier this month to be taken to a processing center near Lukeville, Ariz. Concerns are growing in Washington that violent crime in Mexico is adding to the tidal wave of migration at the border.

Crime fears loom over approaching Mexico election southern border. “When you see a breakdown The New York Times in the ability of security services to protect civilians, when it isn’t MEXICO CITY — Five med- just cartel-on-cartel violence, ical students found dead inside it has to matter to the United a vehicle, their bodies bearing States,” said Roberta Jacobson, signs of torture. a former U.S. ambassador to Four bystanders fatally shot Mexico. “No. 1, probably for this by gunmen who fired at a hair administration, because it will salon. drive migration if people are Eleven young people gunned displaced.” down by criminals who shot up An extraordinary number a holiday party. of Mexican families — nearly The recent attacks — all 160,000 — were caught crossing in the past month — are the the southern border illegally latest in a string of mass killings from October 2022 to Septemin Mexico that have drawn ber, four times as many as in the renewed attention to the govprevious year, according to U.S. ernment’s struggle to control government figures. The influx, the violence raging across the migration experts say, was country. spurred in part by cartels forc“Wherever you look, there ing people out of their homes is a nephew, a brother, a friend with threats of recruitment, dead,” said Angélica Zamudio extortion or death. Almanza, whose nephew was Mexicans’ resentment of their killed in the shooting at the holi- criminal overlords has reached day party Sunday in Guanajuato, a boiling point in some parts of one of the most violent states in the country. Mexico. This month, farmers in cenShe was, she said, “between tral Mexico unleashed their rage fear, helplessness, rage.” on gang members who were In the run-up to a crucial trying to extort them, using presidential election in Mexico machetes and rifles to chase next summer, violence has down and kill 10 suspected become perhaps the single most members of a local cell of the important political issue in the Michoacán Family cartel, offination, where polling shows cials said. insecurity is the population’s Some on social media celetop concern and the ruling party brated the incident, which was faces pressure to show progress partially caught on video, as a in its fight against increasingly triumph of regular citizens over powerful drug cartels. their tormentors in the face of Preliminary investigations an absent government. offer few clues about whether But the revolt came at a cost. some new dynamic in the Even though President criminal underworld is behind Andrés Manuel López Obrador the recent spate of mass killings. sent hundreds of soldiers to What is clear, analysts say, is the area, the cartel’s pursuit of that they are all driven by one revenge has prompted more constant that no Mexican leader than 100 families to flee their has touched: almost total impu- homes in fear, according to local nity for criminals. news media reports. Less than 4% of criminal López Obrador came to office investigations are ever solved in in 2018 promising to overhaul Mexico, studies show, and about the country’s approach to crime, 92% of crimes went unreported with an emphasis on addressing in 2022. the poverty that drives young “The criminals are emboldpeople to join gangs in the first ened, because they know there’s place rather than aggressively practically zero chance of facing confronting the cartels in the any punishment,” said Eduardo streets. Guerrero, a Mexico City-based The strategy, which López security consultant. “They know Obrador called “hugs, not they can do whatever they want, bullets,” has had some success, that’s the common denominaanalysts say. Over the last five tor.” years, homicides have modestly The cartels’ dominance has declined and surveys show that also become a focus for U.S. people in cities feel safer than officials, with Republicans they did under the previous threatening to invade Mexico to president. combat the criminal groups and Still, reports of extortion and concern growing in Washington of missing people have shot that criminal groups’ attacks on up since 2018, and killings are communities are adding to the still close to the highest levels tidal wave of migration at the recorded. By Natalie Kitroeff and Emiliano Rodríguez Mega

When the coronavirus pandemic took hold in an unprepared U.S., states scrambled for masks and other protective gear. Three years later, as the grips of the pandemic have loosened, many states are now trying to deal with an excess of protective gear, ditching their supplies in droves. With expiration dates passing and few requests to tap into its stockpile, Ohio auctioned off 393,000 gowns for just $2,451 and ended up throwing away another 7.2 million, along with expired masks, gloves and other materials. The expiring supplies had cost about $29 million in federal money. A similar reckoning is happening around the country. Items are aging, and as a deadline to allocate federal COVID-19 cash approaches next year, states must decide how much to invest in maintaining warehouses and supply stockpiles. An Associated Press investigation found that at least 15 states, from Alaska to Vermont, have tossed some of their trove of personal protective equipment because of expiration, surpluses and a lack of willing takers. Into the trash went more than 18 million masks, 22 million gowns, 500,000 gloves, and more. That’s not counting states that didn’t give the AP exact ﬁgures or responded in cases or other measures. Rhode Island said it got rid of 829 tons of PPE; Maryland disposed of more than $93 million in supplies. “What a real waste. That’s what happens when you don’t

BRAD BASHORE/MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SENIOR SERVICES VIA THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Boxes of personal protective equipment maintained by the state of Missouri are seen in a warehouse earlier this month in Jefferson City, Mo.

prepare, when you have a bustand-boom public health system,” where a lack of planning leads to panicked over-purchasing in emergencies, said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. “It shows that we really have to do a better job of managing our stockpiles.” The AP sent inquiries about PPE stockpiles to all 50 states over the past several months. About half responded. States emphasize that they distributed far more gear than they discarded and have gone to great lengths to donate the leftovers. Washington state sent hundreds of thousands of supplies to the Marshall Islands last year, yet ended up throwing out millions more items after they expired. Many states are keeping at least a portion, and sometimes all, of their remaining protective

gear. Some even plan to update their stockpiles. But others say the vagaries of the pandemic and the PPE supply left no choice but to acquire the items, and now to throw them out, however reluctantly. Expiration dates are set because materials can degrade and might not work as intended. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has set the fair market value of expired supplies at zero dollars. “Anytime you’re involved in a situation where you’re recalling how difficult it was to get something in the ﬁrst place, and then having to watch that go or not be used in the way it was intended to be used, certainly, there’s some frustration in that,” said Louis Eubank, who runs the South Carolina health department’s COVID-19 coordination office. The state has discarded over 650,000 expired masks.

Parents fear for future of kids poisoned by lead in fruit pouches By Jonel Aleccia

The Associated Press

When Cora Dibert went for a routine blood test in October, the toddler brought along her favorite new snack: a squeeze pouch of WanaBana cinnamon-ﬂavored apple puree. “She sucked them dry,” recalls her 26-year-old mother, Morgan Shurtleff, of Elgin, Oklahoma. Within a week, the family got an alarming call. The test showed that the 1-year-old had lead poisoning, with nearly four times as much lead as the level that raises concern. Only later did Shurtleff learn that that the fruit puree Cora’s grandmother bought at a Dollar Tree store may have been the cause. “That was the scariest thing that ever happened to me,” Shurtleff says. Cora is among dozens of young kids across the U.S. poisoned by lead linked to

tainted pouches of the cinnamon-and-fruit puree. The exact number of affected children is unclear. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports at least 205 conﬁrmed, probable or suspected cases from 33 states. Using a different reporting method, the Food and Drug Administration counts at least 69 kids ages 6 and younger sickened in 28 states as of Dec. 14. Tests show victims had blood lead readings up to eight times higher than the federal reference level of concern, health officials said. Samples of the puree showed lead contamination over 200 times what the FDA allows. The pouches were sold under three brands — WanaBana, Schnucks and Weis. The products were produced at a plant in Ecuador and ﬁrst imported to the U.S. in November 2022, the officials said. Testing of cinnamon samples

supplied to the factory showed “extremely high” levels of lead — more than 2,000 times higher than a proposed FDA maximum, the agency said. FDA officials have raised the prospect that the contamination was intentional. One possibility is that the cinnamon was contaminated for economic reasons, the agency said. That could mean an ingredient such as lead may have been added to boost the value of the cinnamon. Spices such as turmeric, cinnamon and paprika have been known to be mixed with lead chromate or lead oxide, compounds that mirror the spices’ colors, said Karen Everstine, technical director for FoodchainID, a company that tracks food supply chains. “The intent is not to make people sick. Nobody wants to do that because then they get caught,” Everstine said. “What they want to do is make money.”

SHOWCASE YOUR BRAND IN THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE WHERE ART MEETS SOUL.

Calling All Advertisers MAGAZINE SPACE RESERVATION DEADLINE: MONDAY, JAN. 8 To advertise, contact: 505-995-3852 or advertising@sf newmexican.com

For more information: Nancy McDonald - Santa Fe Community Services: 505-310-3624 Chaplain Joe (Dudziak) - CJSO: 505-470-8051 Stéphanie LeFebvre: 505-310-4430

Thursday, December 21, 2023

LOCAL&REGION

THE SANTA FE NEW MEXICAN

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Ethics board affirms state treasurer violated campaign law Dispute between Montoya, ex-treasurer centered on $10K contribution he said came from disguised donor By Daniel J. Chacón dchacon@sfnewmexican.com

The State Ethics Commission has upheld a hearing officer’s decision ﬁnding State Treasurer Laura Montoya violated campaign ﬁnance reporting laws by accepting $10,000 in concealed contributions. The commission’s decision, which comes after it heard oral arguments earlier this month, stems from an ethics complaint lodged against Montoya by her political nemesis, former State Treasurer Tim Eichenberg, and appeals of the hearing

officer’s order ﬁled by both Montoya and Eichenberg, who largely prevailed in the case. Montoya wrote in a text message Wednesday her predecessor’s complaint has been nothing but a political distraction. “While I appreciate the commission’s affirmation of the hearing officer’s conclusion that there was no evidence of bad faith or harm to the public, I am looking forward to getting on with the state’s business as I was elected to do,” she wrote. Eichenberg, who could not be reached for comment, had

supported his former chief of staff, Heather Benavidez, over Montoya in the highly contentious Democratic primary race in 2022. The race, dubbed an ugly slugfest, was peppered with attacks and counterattacks between Eichenberg and Montoya, who beat Benavidez handily and then went on to win the general election. Before the primary, Eichenberg ﬁled a complaint alleging Montoya knowingly accepted $10,000 in campaign contributions in which the original donor was disguised and unknown. An investigation revealed Montoya had received the money from a real estate developer through a political action committee that acted

as a conduit and then failed to report the true source of the contribution in campaign ﬁnance reports. Retired U.S. Magistrate Alan Torgerson concluded Oct. 3 Montoya had violated the Campaign Reporting Act by knowingly receiving $10,000 in “straw donor” campaign contributions. Torgerson imposed a $1,000 civil penalty but didn’t order Montoya to return the contributions “because there is little evidence of bad faith on the part of [Montoya] or of public harm.” In his ﬁndings of fact and conclusions of law, Torgerson called Montoya’s testimony at a public hearing “inconsistent and not credible.” Even though he essentially prevailed in the complaint, Eichenberg

appealed Togerson’s decision. So did Walker Boyd, intervening general counsel for the commission. The pair argued Montoya shouldn’t just pay a civil fine but should forfeit the $10,000 in contributions “as a result of an unlawful solicitation,” a news release states. Montoya filed her own appeal, claiming Torgerson’s “findings and conclusions were reversible, based on a lack of substantial evidence,” the release states. A public hearing and witness depositions revealed new details about the case, including a donor who expressed concerns about being hit up for money by other Please see story on Page A-8

Laura Montoya

Tim Eichenberg

Ironing out bumps State hears complaints from Galisteo residents who say road work damaging houses and village

JIM WEBER/NEW MEXICAN FILE PHOTO

Eva Sanchez, from left, gets in a splash ﬁght with niece Adrianna Castillo, daughter Monica Sanchez and brother Symajor Castillo in July at Abiquiú Lake. The lake will institute a $5 fee for visits starting Jan. 1.

Abiquiú Lake to institute $5 fee for daily visits, host eagle survey Implementation of ‘general day use’ fee comes after comparability studies to costs at other regional outdoor recreation sites By Nicholas Gilmore

ngilmore@sfnewmexican.com

tions at the start of this project’s phase. “They felt that based on what we were doing, it wasn’t going to impact the structures within the village,” said Rick Padilla, state director of highway operations. When asked about residents seeing cracks forming in their interior walls, Padilla suggested there’s no deﬁnite link to the roadwork. “We can’t determine it’s construction,” Padilla said. “I think that’s what’s going to be carried out in the claims process.” Jennifer Martin, whose house is near the highway, said she’s one of nine people who have ﬁled claims with the state about

Starting in 2024, Abiquiú Lake will no longer be free to visit for general day use. The Albuquerque District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will institute a $5 fee to visit the lake starting Jan. 1, a news release from the agency announced Tuesday. The implementation of a fee for all “general day use” comes after fee comparability studies to “ensure recreation fees are fair and equitable with surrounding recreation facilities,” the release says. The new fee to visit Abiquiú Lake matches day use fees already in place at New Mexico state parks, including Navajo Lake and Storrie Lake. “Throughout the region, visitation has continued to increase and the cost of maintaining recreation facilities has continued to rise with inﬂation,” the release states. The fee will help to pay for a boat launch, the release says. Camping fees will remain unchanged in the new year. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is also welcoming anyone who is interested to join in counting bald eagles at Abiquiú Lake in two weeks. The annual midwinter eagle survey is free and open to the public, the agency announced in a news release, and it will take place from 9 a.m. to noon Jan. 6. Participants are encouraged to dress warmly and bring spotting scopes, binoculars or long-range cameras to help spot eagles. No preregistration is required. Registration for the event

Please see story on Page A-8

GABRIELA CAMPOS/NEW MEXICAN FILE PHOTO

Construction crews can be seen looking over the coyote fence at Jennifer Martin’s home in Galisteo in November. Martin is one of several residents in the village who say the construction is disruptive to the village’s character and the vibrations from the road work are damaging their homes. State transportation ofﬁcials listened to complaints about the project Wednesday at a packed community hearing.

By Scott Wyland

swyland@sfnewmexican.com

GALISTEO tate transportation officials faced irate residents who packed a community center Tuesday to grill them about a highway project that is disrupting this sleepy village and, they say, damaging some homes near the roadway. The project to widen and resurface N.M. 41 has generated noise and vibrations that, residents say, are causing cracks inside homes and degrading Galisteo’s rural serenity and historic character by paving the way for motorists and semi-trucks to barrel through town at faster speeds.

The common lament was the modernized highway is changing Galisteo, and the village will never be the same. Residents questioned the timing of the highway being widened as Houston-based Enterprise Products prepares to open a fuel depot down the road in Moriarty. About 100 trucks will pick up fuel from the site daily to deliver to regional dealers, and although it’s unknown how many will drive through Galisteo, the tanker traffic is certain to increase. Officials say monitoring devices that were recently set up where roadwork is being done show the vibrations aren’t strong enough to damage structures, validating managers’ decision not to gauge the vibra-

RE D RIVE R M O T ORC YCLE R ALLY SHO O TIN G

Texas biker gang member accepts plea deal By Liam Easley The Taos News

TAOS — An Austin, Texas, man charged during the fatal Memorial Day biker club

shooting in Red River pleaded guilty last week to one count of possession of a controlled substance. Per his plea agreement with the 8th Judicial District Attor-

A New Mexico State Police ofﬁcer cruises past Texas Reds in Red River after a shooting that left three dead and ﬁve injured in May. An Austin, Texas, man charged during the fatal biker club shooting pleaded guilty last week to one count of possession of a controlled substance. MARIANNE TODD/NEW MEXICAN FILE PHOTO

Pasaplus

A quick guide to fun in the North

Friday SIN NOMBRE BRASS QUINTET St. Bede’s Episcopal Church, 550 W. San Mateo Road

Including Sweelinck’s Hodie Christus natus est, The First Noel and music of Irving Berlin, Mel Tormé and Buddy Greene; 4 p.m.; no charge.

CHRISTMAS CLASSICS & CAROLS First Presbyterian Church, 208 Grant Ave. Baritone Travis Bregier sings It’s Beginning to Look Like Christmas,

Design and headlines: Jordan Fox, jfox@sfnewmexican.com

ney’s Office, Matthew Jackson will receive a conditional discharge following 12 months of unsupervised probation. Jackson, a member of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club, was arrested May 27 after the Red River Memorial Day Motorcycle Rally shootout that left three other biker club members dead and ﬁve wounded. The shooting started from a feud between

the Bandidos Motorcycle Club and the Water Dogs Motorcycle Club. One arrestee, Jacob Castillo, was initially charged with ﬁrst-degree murder, although this case was dismissed without prejudice and had yet to be reﬁled. Another, Christopher Garcia, who is also a member

Victorian dress; 2 and 7 p.m.; $15; upstartcrowsofsantafe.org.

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and other popular tunes; 5:30 p.m., doors 5:15 p.m.; donations accepted.

performance script, performed in Victorian dress; 6:30 p.m. Friday and Monday; $15; upstartcrowsofsantafe.org.

Circus-arts troupe; 2 and 6 p.m.; $10-$15 in advance, $20 at the door, youth $5.

‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’

Saturday

Unitarian Universalist Santa Fe, 107 W. Barcelona St., 505-982-9674

The Garden Stage at La Tienda, 7 Caliente Road, Eldorado Upstart Readers present a dramatic reading of Charles Dickens’ Christmas tale from Dickens’ own

WINTER CABARET: IN THE CLOUDS Wise Fool New Mexico, 1131-B Siler Road, 505-992-2588

‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’

Upstart Readers present a dramatic reading of Charles Dickens’ Christmas tale from Dickens’ own performance script, performed in

Please see story on Page A-8

Sunday CANYON ROAD CHRISTMAS EVE FAROLITO WALK Annual pedestrian-only holiday tradition, with farolito-lined streets; begins at dusk.

Compiled by Pamela Beach SANTAFENEWMEXICAN.COM

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THE SANTA FE NEW MEXICAN

The New Mexican

The Empty Stocking Fund is a long-standing project of The New Mexican. Each year, hundreds of people receive aid from the fund during the holiday season to help cover rent payments, medical bills, utility costs, car repairs, home improvements and other needs. Who it helps: Applicants, who must live within 50 miles of Santa Fe and must provide documents that provide proof of their identity, are considered without regard to race, age, ethnicity, gender identity or sexual orientation. Applications are now closed. How it works: Applications for funding are carefully vetted. Members of the Empty Stocking Committee review requests, meet with each qualifying applicant to examine records of outstanding bills or other needs and verify the applicant’s income. If a request is approved, the committee sends a check directly to the service supplier. Requests can be as much as $2,500 per household depending on the need. 2023 goal: $399,000. This holiday charity project, which began in 1981, is jointly administered by the Santa Fe Community Foundation, Enterprise Bank and Trust, the Salvation Army, Presbyterian Medical Services, The Life Link, Habitat for Humanity, Esperanza Shelter, Youth Shelters and Family Services, Gerard’s House and a private individual. To donate: Make your tax-deductible donation online by visiting santafenewmexican.com/ empty_stocking or mail a check to The New Mexican’s Empty Stocking Fund c/o The Santa Fe Community Foundation, P.O. Box 1827, Santa Fe, 87504-1827. Cash and coin donations are always welcome. Those can be dropped off at the offices of the newspaper at 150 Washington Ave., Suite 206. Donors can request to remain anonymous. If you can provide a service such as rooﬁng or home repairs, contact Habitat for Humanity at repairs@ santafehabitat.org. If you can contribute food, clothing, toys, housewares, furniture, ﬁrewood or other items or services, call the Salvation Army at 505-988-8054. DONATIONS Anonymous: $103.09 Anonymous: $250 Anonymous: $250 Anonymous: $40 Anonymous: $515.46 Anonymous: $50 AAA Self Storage Company: $200 Kathy Adelsheim and Laurel Awishus: $1,250 Jane E. Alderman: $100 Grant Alexander: $51.55 Jesse and Mackenzie Allen: $103.09 Keith K. Anderson and Barbara G. Lenssen: $250 Donald Apodaca, in honor of Donald Apodaca: $51.55 Carol Armbruster and John Haynes: $200 Association of Government Accountants — New Mexico Chapter: $100 David and Maya Aubrey: $100 Bar C Metal Roofing Suppliers Inc.: $1,000 Deborah Baker and Thom Cole: $206.19 Andy and Lynn Barbero, in honor of Kent Morris and Dr. Marcia Auld: $103.09 Paul Bardacke: $250 Chris Barnes: $51.55 Wayne and Karen Barnes: $500 Robert and Katherine Barns: $51.55 Garland and Linda Bellamy: $100 Ellen and Paul Biderman: $150 Mary and Bruce Black: $250 Stuart Bluestone and Judy Naumburg: $250 Karleen Boggio-Montgomery: $100 Bruce and Cynthia Bolene: $1,000 Patricia Bott: $100 Diane and David Bricker: $100 Valerie Brooker and Melvin Duncan: $200 The Brooks Children: $200 Brooks family, in honor of Dave Gunderson and Diane Brooks: $309.28 Mark and Lisa R. Brown: $103.09 Markeeta McNatt Brown: $500 Christina Bruce: $100 Kate Buckley and Steve Dichter: $200 Jim and Paula Burdelski: $100 Jennifer and Reagan Burkholder: $154.64 Cumulative total: $240,858.43

Red River shooting Continued from Page A-7

of the Bandidos, was charged with possession of a controlled substance and conspiracy to commit tampering with evidence. A jury trial has been set in his case for Feb. 26. Although not charged directly in connection to the shootings, police said Jackson brought a ﬁrearm into a nearby restaurant licensed to carry liquor and was also in possession of methamphetamine. The ﬁrearms charge was dropped by the state as part of the plea agreement.

LOCAL & REGION

Thursday, December 21, 2023

U.S. historians ID New Mexico soldier killed during WWII By Susan Montoya Bryan Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE — After years of combing through military records and making some key deductions, a team of U.S. government historians and researchers has finally put a name to case file X-3212, identifying an Army private from Eastern New Mexico named Homer Mitchell who died during World War II. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency this week announced the findings, which were confirmed by laboratory testing and brought closure to Mitchell’s family members. Mitchell is one of nearly 160 service members who have been accounted for over the last fiscal year as part of a massive, yearslong effort headed by the federal agency. The list of service members from various conflicts who have yet to be accounted for tops 81,000, but officials say more than 37,000 of those — mostly from World War II — are considered to be recoverable. Each case can take years and involves poring through old reports and medical records, said Sean Everette, who leads outreach and communications for the agency. Work on Mitchell’s case began in 2018. Researchers determined that X-3212 had to be one of three soldiers who went missing in the Pachten Forest along Germany’s western border, with Mitchell being the strongest possibility. “It took nearly three years just for the historical research part. It then took the lab almost two more years before Mitchell could be positively identified,” Everette said. Hearing the news was surreal for Mitchell’s family, many of whom are military veterans themselves. Scattered from New Mexico to Oklahoma and Texas, they will be gathering next spring in Portales to bury the soldier. Mind-blowing is how his great niece, Sonja Dennin, described the news, noting it’s been nearly 80 years since

Mitchell died. Mitchell, the youngest among his siblings, had enlisted in 1943 and underwent training at military bases on the other side of the country before shipping out to Europe. His parents were devastated by his death and the lack of information back then added to the grief, Dennin said Wednesday during a phone interview. “He was so young and it was so painful to them — the way he was lost and not being able to properly bury him,” she said. Mitchell, 20, was killed on Dec. 10, 1944, as his battalion was hammered by heavy ﬁre from German forces. The battle came just months after he and tens of thousands of other troops landed in Normandy and began their push toward Germany. The intensity of the mortar and artillery strikes during that December battle made recovering the casualties impossible. It wasn’t until after the war that the American Graves Registration Command was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel in Europe. They conducted investigations in the area between 1946 and 1950. They were unable to identify Mitchell’s remains among what was found and officially declared him Killed in Action in November 1951. It was learned that after the battle someone buried Mitchell along with three other soldiers at the civilian cemetery in Hüttersdorf, Germany. Those unidentiﬁed remains were eventually interred in France, where they had remained until 2021 when historians were able to solidify the link to Mitchell. Work by the agency’s laboratory then ensued. “They do have a methodical way of going about it,” Dennin said, “But, yes, it was comforting to know that when he was initially buried, whoever it was, took care to make sure that he was laid to rest.”

Galisteo Continued from Page A-7

damage the loud, rumbling equipment has done to their homes. Cracks mar her ceilings and walls, and more than one wooden ceiling beam has begun separating from a wall, indicating possible structural damage — all of which appeared in the past few months, she said. Martin wrote in an email Wednesday a state claims adjuster spent the morning looking through a half-dozen homes. She said she has low expectations about the residents being compensated after an attorney she knows told her the state almost never decides in favor of homeowners in construction-impact cases. It’s no surprise state officials were dismissive of people reporting construction damaging the interior of their homes, she wrote. “I know how much my house was shaking,” Martin “They obviously want to get out of any responsibility. I think it’s their usual reply and how they [handle] these situations.” Crews rebuilt two bridges south of Galisteo in the project’s ﬁrst phase and then rebuilt a 9-mile stretch of highway south of the bridges to Clark Hill in the second phase. They are now in the third phase, improving and widening a 5.5-mile section of highway from north of town to U.S. 285. They will monitor vibrations at the start of the next phase to ensure there are no impacts to homes and historic structures like Galisteo’s church, said state Transportation Secretary Ricky Serna. He was referring to the Iglesia Nuestra Señora de los Remedios — the Church of Our Lady of the Remedies — which was built in the 1880s on the site where a 1700s mission church with the same name once stood. Design for this fourth phase is scheduled to start in the spring at about the same time the third phase is wrapping up, Serna said. The community will get to weigh in on this phase, he said, with the agency seeking community feedback at various stages. People’s suggestions will be seriously considered, including the option to forgo the improvements altogether, Serna said. “Everyone is aware of the historic nature of the community,” district

GABRIELA CAMPOS/NEW MEXICAN FILE PHOTO

Jennifer Martin stands in her Galisteo living room during a tour last month to see damage to her home that has appeared since a highway-widening project began nearby two months ago. At least half a dozen residents say their homes are sustaining damage, she said, but state ofﬁcials said Wednesday at a community meeting that monitoring devices haven’t picked up vibrations strong enough from the work to damage any buildings.

engineer Paul Brasher told residents, noting a phase was added to accommodate people’s concerns. Many residents seemed pleased about having more say in this final phase, which they feel has the most potential impact on the village. Resident Elayne Patton said changes should be kept to a minimum — perhaps simply fixing the potholes and resurfacing the roadway — so the area will retain its historic feel. That, in turn, will encourage people to drive through at a reasonable speed, she said. “I think we all want the center of the village to look like it does now,” Patton said. A few people questioned whether the highway widening was tied to the Moriarty fuel depot, and whether the state could get the tankers to take an alternative route. Serna assured them it was not linked to the depot, saying the state first examined the corridor’s needed upgrades, including widening the highway’s shoulders, more than a decade ago. In so many words he said the fuel transfer station and highway improvements were coincidental. The state can’t order truckers not to use a public highway unless infrastructure such as a bridge can’t support the big rigs, he said. Ultimately, it’s up to whoever runs the tankers whether they’re willing to take a longer route

Ethics board affirms state treasurer violated campaign finance law Continued from Page A-7

political candidates if his name appeared on campaign finance reports next to a significant contribution. The findings of fact state Donald “Donnie” Leonard invited Montoya to a lunch meeting in Corrales with potential donors Sept. 21, 2021. Leonard is a former Sandoval County commissioner who was volunteering on her campaign at the time. Montoya gave a short speech to the 10 or so people in attendance and solicited contributions. After the lunch ended, Mon-

toya texted Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver with a question about contribution limits. “So if a PAC gives me $10,000 is that ok to report in this report as the full $10k or do I have to only report $5,200,” she asked via text, according to the report. “Montoya testiﬁed that she wasn’t sure why she made her inquiries to the Secretary of State about contribution limits on September 21, 2021,” the report states. Meanwhile, Leonard and Gary Plante, a real estate developer who attended the lunch, drove separately to a nearby bank.

to spare the village the traffic, he said, but in general a driver will choose the shorter route to save time and fuel. Many residents expressed concerns about cars driving through the village faster since the stretch of highway was widened and wondered what could be done to slow down motorists. Brasher agreed it’s a problem. Although the posted speed limit is 35 mph, motorists are averaging closer to 50 mph, he said. Brasher and other officials suggested installing a “welcome to Galisteo” sign,” which they said tends to slow down drivers because they realize they’re going through a town and not just blowing past a few scattered, roadside houses. Signs warning drivers they’re entering a town with electronic surveillance are also effective, Serna said. Mike Anaya, 59, who grew up in Galisteo, said some folks would like the village to be the same as it was when he was a child, with just a half-dozen cars passing through a day, but that’s not the modern reality. Scrapping the fourth phase would be unwise, Anaya said, because the village would lose out on state funding for what he thinks are much-overdue road improvements. “We can’t just do nothing,” Anaya said. “We have to ﬁx this road and make it nice. I’m all for Phase 4, and I think we’ve got to do it right.”

“Two cashier’s checks, both in the amount of $5,000 and both made payable to Adelante Sandoval, were created and dated September 21, 2021,” the report states. Adelante Sandoval is a political action committee that supports Democratic candidates in Sandoval County, where Montoya previously served two terms as treasurer. That same afternoon, Montoya received a text from Chris Daul, a political consultant who manages the PAC. “I’m trying to call you but it wont go thru. Try calling me,” Daul texted. Montoya responded less than two hours later with a thumbsup emoji and also sent him a screenshot of her text exchange with Toulouse Oliver. Four days later, the PAC wrote a check for $10,000 to “Laura Montoya 4 NM.” The check was cashed Sept. 27, 2021. Daul testiﬁed his PAC gave

IN BRIEF Ski Santa Fe will open upper mountain Friday The upper mountain at Ski Santa Fe will open Friday. The Millennium and Tesuque Peak triple chairs will open for the ﬁrst time this season, along with about 90% of the upper mountain’s trails, ski basin officials said in a news release Wednesday. “This last storm cycle brought 15 inches of new snow and the conditions are fantastic,” the release says. Advanced terrain trails that are opening include Roadrunner, Avalanche Bowl, Tequila Sunrise, Cody’s Glade, Big Rocks Trees, Richard’s Run, Columbine, Sunrise Glade, South Burn, Desperado, Central Park and others, the release says. Groomed terrain will include Gayway, Sunset, Sunrise, Highline, Lobo, Alpine and Lower Burro. All ski basin facilities, stores and restaurants also will be open. The ski basin is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Officials warn of ‘pig butchering’ scams on New Mexico seniors State officials warn of what they call “pig butchering” scams targeting seniors throughout New Mexico during the holiday season. In such scams, fraudsters reach out to potential victims by voicemail or text message and attempt to build a relationship over a period of time before eventually turning the conversation toward cryptocurrency or investing, says a news release issued Wednesday from the Securities Division of the state Regulation and Licensing Department. “The perpetrator ‘fattens up’ the victim by building a relationship and eventually, after what can equate to months, the victim is ‘butchered’ for much, if not all, of their life savings,” the release states. The scam poses a particular threat to seniors and those with “fewer social contacts,” the release says. The agency provided the following warning signs of “pig butchering” scams: u Random communication from an unknown person. u Unsolicited investment offers received by email, social media or phone. u Investment opportunities with toogood-to-be-true returns. u Displays of urgency. u Fraudulent ads posted on the internet or social media. u A request to transfer your crypto investment to an alternate crypto address. Investment scams or suspected senior ﬁnancial exploitation should be reported to the Securities Division, the release states. The New Mexican

Abiquiú Lake Continued from Page A-7

will begin at Abiquiú Lake Visitors Center at 9 a.m., with a presentation about eagles and other potential bird sightings at 9:30 a.m. before the count, the release says. The event has been a national tradition since 1984, according to the release, providing a “unique source of long-term, baseline data” on eagles across the country. The National Wildlife Federation has asked participants in each state to count eagles along standard routes each year in order to index the total wintering bald eagle populations in the lower 48 states, determine eagle distribution during a standardized survey period and to identify previously unrecognized areas of important winter habitat, the release says. “Unlike nesting surveys, this provides information on both breeding and non-breeding segments of the population at a potentially limiting time of the year,” the release states. “In addition to providing information on eagle trends, distribution and habitat, the count has helped to create public interest in bald eagles and their conservation.”

the $10,000 to Montoya’s campaign because, “based on a conversation that had taken place at some point, I was asked to make that contribution to her,” the report states. “It was his understanding that [the two $5,000 contributions] had been earmarked for Ms. Montoya.” Though he didn’t recall who gave the order, Daul testiﬁed “he had narrowed the earmarking instruction as most likely coming from” Leonard or Montoya. Campaign ﬁnance reports show Montoya reported receiving two separate contributions from Adelante Sandoval on Sept. 27, 2021, one for $5,200 and the other for $4,800. The PAC had contributed $500 to Montoya’s campaign a month earlier, exceeding the limit of $10,400, an “error” that prompted Montoya’s campaign to return $100 to the PAC as an “excess contribution,” according to the report.

The hearing officer found Montoya’s text to the secretary of state implied she knew Adelante Sandoval would be receiving a directed contribution from Plante. “The circumstantial evidence regarding the timing of the text to the Secretary of State (minutes after the lunch ended), the text from Mr. Daul that he was trying to call her at 2:15 pm that afternoon, and her emoji of a thumbs up at 4:01 pm is circumstantial evidence that Ms. Montoya was aware of the directed contribution and of the fact that it was $10,000,” the report states. In a text exchange with The New Mexican, Montoya denied the assertion her testimony was inconsistent and not credible. “I have been consistent throughout this process,” she wrote. Follow Daniel J. Chacón on Twitter @danieljchacon.

Thursday, December 21, 2023

THE SANTA FE NEW MEXICAN

Robert M. McKinney

Robin M. Martin

Phill Casaus

Inez Russell Gomez

Owner, 1949-2001

Locally owned and independent, founded 1849

Editor

A-9

Owner

Editorial Page Editor

OUR VIEW

Pope Francis again calls for all to be welcome

ope Francis continues to preach the gospel, using words but preferring action — just as the likely apocryphal quotation by his namesake, St. Francis, advises. That saying, if you’ve forgotten, goes like this: “Preach the gospel at all times and if necessary, use words.” This time, the pope’s action is one of compassion, allowing priests to bless same-sex couples to show they are welcome in the Roman Catholic Church. It is yet another move by this pope to open the arms of the church to all. The church, Francis said at the historic synod held earlier this year, must be for everyone. To that end, women and laypeople are going to vote alongside bishops when the final document from the synod is produced. Already, an action hinted at when the synod began — the blessing of same-sex couples — has been endorsed by the pope. Other discussions on the agenda include allowing women to become deacons of the Catholic Church and involving laypeople more fully in church decisions. The announcement on the blessing of

same-sex couples again differentiated between sacramental marriage, which the church views as lifelong and between one man and woman, and other kinds of relationships. It is the sort of decision that is angering many, whether conservative bishops who condemn homosexuality or the many gay people who are married or in long-term partnerships. They want equality in their church and the world. Yet it’s an important step to ensure inclusion. “For, those seeking a blessing should not be required to have prior moral perfection,” the statement from the church said. “There is no intention to legitimize anything, but rather to open one’s life to God, to ask for his help to live better, and also to invoke the Holy Spirit so that the values of the Gospel may be lived with greater faithfulness,” it added. This is the latest outreach from a pope who has welcomed LGBTQ+ Catholics throughout his papacy. In 2013, there was his famous “Who am I to judge?” question in reference to a purportedly gay priest. Earlier in 2023, the pope told The Associated

Press flatly that, “Being homosexual is not a crime.” Some of his bishops should heed their shepherd. No other pope has been so clear that all are welcome. It is a reversal, too, of a 2021 declaration from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that the church couldn’t bless the unions of two women or two men because, “God cannot bless sin.” Pope Francis removed the official responsible for that pronouncement and now has reversed the statement. His position is clear: So-called irregular unions, whether gay or unmarried heterosexuals living together, remain sin in the eyes of the Catholic Church. But that doesn’t preclude the necessity of grace. “Even when a person’s relationship with God is clouded by sin, he can always ask for a blessing, stretching out his hand to God,” the document said. “Thus, when people ask for a blessing, an exhaustive moral analysis should not be placed as a precondition for conferring it.” He used that same logic when he directed

eVOICES

CO M M E N TA RY B R I A N R I E D L

Cutting IRS not a conservative move

Views from the web

Ethics board advances search for online critic ‘Jay Baker,’ Dec. 14 This is very dictator-Trumpish retaliation. The Jay Bakers have brought so much corruption to light. The crooks and mini-Trumps are desperate to silence him/ her/them. ¡Que viva! Jay Baker.” Emilia Martinez How can you trust you’re hearing the truth from someone hiding behind a false name? You can’t.” Bob Novak

“

THE PAST 100 YEARS From The Santa Fe New Mexican: Dec. 21, 1923: The smaller folks in the grade schools have written their letters to Santa Claus and mysterious expectancy prefaced the various school building. Each room had its Christmas tree which was decorated by children themselves. For once the teachers were lesser quantities and were almost forgotten. Dec. 21, 1948: SANTA FE, Dec. 21 — Arthur N. Morgan, city editor of The Santa Fe New Mexican and dean of statehouse newsmen, is the new president of the Santa Fe Press club. The meeting was held at the Pink Adobe. His election came last night at the annual election meeting of the working press organization. He succeeds Sanky Trumble, Associated Press correspondent. Dec. 21, 1973: Fifty-five mile per hour speed limit signs could be up in New Mexico by the first of February, Gov. Bruce King told newsmen Thursday. King said he felt the state legislature could act on the 55 mile per hour speed limit “by the time they receive the mandate from Congress.” Dec. 21, 1998: Santa Feans are fidgety over the way local officials are handling money — and it’s understandable. Santa Fe County’s books came under criticism from the state auditor’s office early this year. … Then came Santa Fe Public Schools, which for a while was operating with a budget that was $1.2 million overstated, leading it to shuffle money to pay bills. It was only the latest during a couple of decades of financial gaffes. … Now it’s City Hall: The Bricks-and-Mortar fund, one of three supplied by lodgers’ taxes, has shrunk from $6 million to around $500,000 during the past thee years.

WRITE US Send letters, preferably on local topics, up to one a month, using the online form at santafenewmexican.com.

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect for the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, to make clear babies born out of wedlock can be baptized and, as they grow, receive other sacraments. Cardinal Fernández noted Pope Francis had addressed the issue in 2012 when he was still archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina. “There are priests who do not baptize the children of single mothers because [the children] were not conceived in the sanctity of marriage. They are the hypocrites of today,” the future pope had said. “They turn God’s people away from salvation.” His words of welcome and compassionate actions are not popular with the right wing of the church, including a strong conservative faction in the United States. In the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, Archbishop John C. Wester had this to say: “I think it’s a wonderful decision the pope has made, and I support it completely. God loves us all. That is what the pope is saying.” May his priests listen. Using words, and following through with actions to bring the love of God to all. St. Francis — and Jesus — would be pleased.

LE T TERS T O THE EDIT OR

Bring house sharing to S.F.

he New Mexican ran the best article (“Houston shows a way to reduce homelessness,” Commentary, Dec. 17) by Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times. In Houston, homelessness has been reduced by more than 60% by an initiative called PadSplit. It sounds so workable for neighborhoods, owners and renters. This is a wonderfully brilliant idea and it doesn’t degrade neighborhoods. It could be sprinkled around city. If the people who now work trying to fund help for folks sleeping on the streets, such as the man on Siler Road by the gas station who was allegedly dragged by a vehicle, put it together, such a program locally could provide help for many people. Sharing a home also could be a lifesaver for those who live alone and could use added income to stay in their homes. Starting a home-sharing program requires a dedicated group of people, but it could really help people. Come on, all you volunteers and caring people who deal with the homeless, step up and get something like this started in Santa Fe. We are not big like Houston, but we can be a mighty force in this effort to do something about a problem that is so heartbreaking in our city and our country. Emily Warntz

Santa Fe

The real toll The Geneva-based, Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor estimates the real number of Palestinians killed since the beginning of the Israeli campaign in Gaza at 25,000, including 10,000 children, given the fact at least 8,000 people have been trapped beneath the rubble of devastated buildings and most likely are dead. Liam Watson

Santa Fe

Helping hands Thank you to the lovely good Samaritans in the Violet Crown parking garage after their movie Dec. 12. And to the other gentleman who helped me get out of my parking situation, which was my own fault, I’m admitting. Merry, merry. And Happy, happy to these kind people. John G. Connell

Santa Fe

Editorial page editor: Inez Russell Gomez, 505-986-3053, igomez@sfnewmexican.com, Twitter @inezrussell

Wrong for Santa Fe As a wife of a nuclear submariner, for those 50 years I have tried to educate myself about the consequences of our weapons; as a teacher of junior and senior English for 30, I’ve invited countless speakers from our Monterey, Calif.area Defense Language Institute and Naval Postgrad School to speak in classrooms. One of those was a commanding officer of a nuclear submarine, whose capacity, if ignited in a chain reaction, could annihilate the world. Given this reality, a student asked him whether, if given the order, he would in fact comply and ﬁre its nuclear arsenal. Our foreign policy of nuclear deterrence compelled him to say yes. It is unconscionable for one human community caught in the mechanism of obedience to agree to snuff out the biosphere on which all life depends, to snuff out our second dependency, the infrastructure, and our third, our bodies. This mindset distinguishes the pathological character of the modern world: that, as Freud indicated, we are as driven by the death instinct as by the life instinct. This is a sickness. Part of this pathology distorts our will to live and to promote the life of others by cultivating a belief that nuclear weapons make us secure, that they will never be used. How foolhardy! No weapon will be withheld when the suffering accelerates and total defeat draws near. That our city of holy faith might not only welcome but promote the plutonium pit construction is a travesty to our Earth. Maj-Britt Eagle

Santa Fe

Jobs of destruction Los Alamos National Laboratory is getting $1.67 billion for nuclear programs, and yet the lab has not cleaned up the pollution from the 1950s. The government is willing to pay for plutonium pits that destabilize the health and safety of people around the world, yet there is no money for people harmed by fallout from nuclear testing or while working in uranium mines after 1971. Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján support this money for LANL, yet the jobs the senators tout do not create better living conditions, improve infrastructure or support improved health. They are jobs of destruction. Who is looking out for the health and welfare of this state and our nation?

Nancy King

Santa Fe

ast year, President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats enacted $80 billion in new IRS funding for the next decade. During the debt limit debate earlier this year, Republicans successfully negotiated a $20 billion cut in that funding. And now, in the appropriations showdown, they’re going after the rest of it. The IRS has long been an easy and popular target because few of us enjoy paying taxes. And the agency has invited criticism with its history of overzealous audits, including a heavy-handed targeting of conservative nonprofit organizations during the Obama administration that fueled the latest round of GOP cuts. However, defunding and weakening the IRS is not conservative. To the contrary, it will ultimately drive up deficits and raise middle-class taxes. Between 2010 and 2021, the inflation-adjusted IRS budget fell by nearly one-quarter, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Tax enforcement staff declined by 31%, and the number of revenue agents collapsed to 1954 levels — even as the taxpaying population doubled and the tax code grew vastly more complex. Thus, during the 2010s, audit rates fell by 54% for large corporations and 71% for millionaires. Consequently, the amount of unpaid taxes has jumped to $625 billion per year, driven heavily by the underreporting of corporate and pass-through business income. Unpaid personal income taxes are concentrated among the highest-earning 5% of taxpayers, although errors involving credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit also cost $42 billion annually. Nevertheless, House Republicans recently proposed “paying for” emergency aid to Israel with IRS cuts. When the Congressional Budget Office showed that the bill’s $14 billion in IRS rescissions would reduce tax collections by $26 billion — offsetting none of the Israel funding — House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., dismissively responded that “only in Washington when you cut spending do they call it an increase in the deficit.” Yet defunding the IRS costs the government money because each dollar in tax enforcement spending brings in as much as $5 to $9 in unpaid taxes (particularly if focused on high earners). Populist pandering aside, lawmakers understand that collecting money requires staff and salaries — you don’t see their political campaigns forgoing fundraising staff to save money. The original $80 billion in new IRS funding — to be split between taxpayer services, operations, modernization and tax enforcement focused on

upper-income taxpayers — was projected to bring in $180 billion over the decade. We need this revenue. My fellow fiscal conservatives must grasp the inescapable truth that in the long-term, federal taxes are headed upward. Annual budget deficits now exceed $2 trillion and will surpass $3 trillion within a decade, due overwhelmingly to soaring Social Security and Medicare shortfalls that neither party is willing to touch, and to rising interest rates on the federal debt. Even the most aggressive GOP cuts to discretionary spending would merely trim the projected deficit a decade from now from $3.3 trillion to $3.0 trillion. So unless lawmakers are willing to finally address Social Security and Medicare, the only remaining debate is over whose taxes will rise and by how much. Simply enforcing existing tax laws is the lowest-hanging fruit — and protecting millionaires from IRS audits (sacrificing trillions of dollars in potential tax revenue over the long term) is a luxury middle-class taxpayers can no longer afford. More funding can also improve taxpayer services, as roughly 80% of taxpayer phone calls to the IRS go unanswered, and the agency faces a mail backlog of 31 million returns. When the agency receives paper returns, employees often must manually enter them into the IRS computers — line by line. And if a number is entered incorrectly, the return processing is delayed until 1970s-era computer programs can identify and fix the error. Moreover, conservatives should support a functional IRS as a matter of fairness and the rule of law. If our employers can easily hire accountants to evade taxes, our neighbors can collect extra child-tax-credit payments and our contractors can work fully off the books, then the rest of us might feel like chumps. Ultimately, winning over GOP appropriators requires addressing the IRS’ long history of overreach and targeting of conservative organizations. While the national taxpayer advocate is supposed to represent taxpayers dealing with the IRS, being appointed by the treasury secretary might limit his or her independence. One option would be allowing congressional Republicans and Democrats to appoint their own independent auditors to embed in the IRS with full investigative authority. Curtailing IRS abuses does not require tolerating $625 billion in annual tax evasion. That’s an expense we can’t afford. Brian Riedl is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. This first appeared in The Washington Post. SANTAFENEWMEXICAN.COM

A-10

THE SANTA FE NEW MEXICAN

ALMANAC

Midnight through 6 p.m. Wednesday

Santa Fe Area .Yesterday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.00" .... .Month . . . . . to . . .date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.15" .... . . . . .to Year . .date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11.47" .....

AREA RAINFALL

Albuquerque Area .Yesterday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.00" .... . . . . . . to Month . . .date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.76" ....

Tonight

Today

Partly Cloudy.

POLLEN COUNTS Santa Fe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3, Severity . . . .Low ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Juniper Allergens ...... Albuquerque . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3, Severity . . . .Low ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Juniper Allergens ...... Source: https://pollen.com

TODAY'S UV INDEX + 10 8 6 4 2 0

Extreme Very High High Moderate Low

The UV index forecasts the ultraviolet radiation coming from the sun. The higher the number the more risk of sun damage to your skin.

42 / 28

Humidity (Noon)

Tuesday

Rain & Snow Possible. Partly Cloudy.

37 / 19

Mostly Sunny.

34 / 18

Humidity (Noon)

Wednesday

Sunny.

36 / 21

Humidity (Noon)

39 / 22

Humidity (Noon)

75%

57%

86%

73%

67%

58%

52%

Wind: NE 10 mph

Wind: SSE 10 mph

Wind: SSW 20 mph

Wind: WNW 15 mph

Wind: NW 15 mph

Wind: WSW 15 mph

NATIONAL WEATHER

NEW MEXICO WEATHER Shown is today's weather. Temperatures are today's highs and tonight's lows. Taos 45 / 21

Farmington 50 / 30

Pecos 50 / 29 Albuquerque 56 / 30

Truth or Consequences 61 / 36

Las Vegas 66/51

Denver 60/32

L St. Louis 57/44

New Orleans 66/55

10s

20s

Mérida 83/59

Guadalajara 77/56

30s

40s

50s

60s

Carlsbad 65 / 39

70s

Rain

68° in Causey 17° in Costilla

80s

90s

100s

110s

Thunderstorms

Snow

Ice

Jet Stream

Warm

Cold

Stationary

The Northeast will see partly to mostly cloudy skies with the highest temperature of 56 in East St. Louis, Ill. The Southeast will experience partly to mostly cloudy skies with the highest temperature of 74 in Pembroke Pines, Fla. In the Northwest there will be partly cloudy skies with the highest temperature of 59 in Oakridge, Ore. The Southwest will see partly cloudy skies with the highest temperature of 76 in Mesa, Ariz.

WEATHER HISTORY

NEW MEXICO CITIES

Yesterday Today Tomorrow Hi/Lo W Hi/Lo W Hi/Lo W City

Alamogordo 61/34 mc 60/39 pc 63/42 s Albuquerque 48/32 mc 56/30 pc 54/36 mc Angel Fire 42/19 pc 41/11 pc 46/21 pc Artesia 61/39 mc 63/37 s 64/44 s Carlsbad 63/34 mc 65/39 pc 64/44 s Chama 47/26 mc 44/19 mc 46/27 mc Cimarron 42/19 mc 50/26 s 53/32 pc Clayton 62/41 pc 59/34 pc 60/38 s Cloudcroft 61/34 mc 43/27 pc 46/30 pc Clovis 62/37 pc 63/36 pc 64/41 s Crownpoint 49/31 mc 45/31 pc 47/35 mc Deming 58/37 ra 62/36 pc 63/42 pc 46/30 mc 52/25 pc 50/31 pc Espan~ ola Farmington 51/32 ra 50/30 pc 51/38 mc Fort Sumner 62/40 mc 64/32 s 62/38 pc Gallup 49/25 cl 52/26 pc 49/32 sh Grants 44/25 mc 52/27 pc 49/32 mc Hobbs 64/39 mc 62/41 mc 64/47 s Las Cruces 54/37 ra 63/39 pc 66/46 pc

Las Vegas Lordsburg Los Alamos Los Lunas Portales Raton Red River Rio Rancho Roswell Ruidoso Santa Rosa Silver City Socorro T or C Taos Tucumcari Univ. Park White Rock Zuni

Yesterday Today Tomorrow Hi/Lo W Hi/Lo W Hi/Lo W 46/31 mc 52/27 s 53/32 pc 50/42 ra 63/39 s 64/40 sh 46/30 mc 44/28 pc 45/33 pc 47/31 s 54/27 pc 55/34 mc 62/37 pc 64/34 pc 65/42 s 52/28 pc 51/28 s 52/33 pc 42/19 mc 42/17 pc 43/23 pc 46/27 ra 54/30 pc 52/36 mc 61/36 mc 64/38 s 65/44 pc 55/37 mc 54/32 s 55/34 pc 62/37 ra 60/31 s 61/37 pc 55/35 ra 57/38 s 55/39 sh 46/35 mc 57/31 pc 58/38 mc 53/37 ra 61/36 pc 62/42 pc 45/23 mc 45/21 mc 49/28 pc 64/32 pc 62/31 s 63/40 s 54/37 ra 63/39 pc 66/45 pc 46/30 mc 48/27 pc 47/32 pc 47/33 cl 55/29 s 54/34 sh

Dec. 21, 1929 - A tremendous storm produced snow from the Rio Grande Valley of Texas to southern Arkansas. The storm produced 26 inches of snow at Hillsboro, Texas, 18 inches at El Dorado, Ark. and 14 inches at Bossier, La.

NATIONAL EXTREMES WEDNESDAY High

81° in Brownsville, Texas

NIGHT SKY

Low

-4° in Canaan Valley, W.Va.

Sunrise Today Friday Saturday

Mercury 7:09 a.m. 7:10 a.m. 7:10 a.m.

Rise Set

7:17 a.m. 5:07 p.m.

4:54 p.m. 4:54 p.m. 4:55 p.m.

Rise Set

Mars

4:00 a.m. 2:33 p.m.

Rise Set

6:28 a.m. 4:09 p.m.

1:10 p.m. 1:40 p.m. 2:14 p.m.

Rise Set

1:39 p.m. --

1:38 a.m. 2:46 a.m. 3:54 a.m.

Rise Set

Uranus

10:56 a.m. 9:49 p.m.

Rise Set

2:17 p.m. --

Sunset Today Friday Saturday Today Friday Saturday

WIND TRACKER

Moonset Today Friday Saturday

8 p.m.

2 a.m. Fri.

Full Dec. 26

Last Q. Jan. 3

Venus

Jupiter

Moonrise

Weather (w): cl-cloudy, fg-fog, hz-haze, mc-mostly cloudy, pc-partly cloudy, r-rain, rs-rain & snow, s-sunny, sh-showers, sn-snow, ss-snow showers, t-thunderstorms

2 p.m.

Cancún 78/69

Fronts:

STATE EXTREMES WEDNESDAY

8 a.m. Thu.

Miami 74/67

Monterrey 69/58

Mexico City 69/53

-0s

Washington D.C. 47/29

Atlanta 57/36

Dallas 64/54

Hobbs 62 / 41

High Low

Hermosillo 80/63 La Paz 79/73

Alamogordo 60 / 39

New York 40/27

Detroit 42/32

Chicago 42/38

Omaha 53/43

Albuquerque 56/30 Phoenix 75/55

Roswell 64 / 38

Las Cruces 63 / 39

City

Los Angeles 65/55

Clovis 63 / 36

Ruidoso 54 / 32 Sillver City 57 7 / 38

San Francisco 64/52

Las Vegas 52 / 27

Boise 45/34

Boston 35/22

Minneapolis 41/36

Billings 55/33

Santa Fe 46 / 29

Los Alamos 44 / 28

Seattle 49/43

Clayton 59 / 34

52 / 25

Gallup G 5 / 26 52

Raton 51 / 28

~ ola Espan

AIR QUALITY INDEX

Source: www.airnow.gov

47 / 32

Humidity (Noon)

Monday

71%

A partial list of the City of Santa Fe's Comprehensive Water Conservation Requirements currently in effect: No outside watering from 10am to 6pm from May 1 to October 31. For a complete list of requirements call: 955-4225 http://www.santafenm.gov/water_conservation

0-50, Good; 51-100, Moderate; 101-150, Unhealthy for sensitive groups; 151-200, Unhealthy; 201-300, Very Unhealthy, 301-500, Hazardous

Rain & Snow Likely.

Sunday

Wind: N 15 mph

WATER STATISTICS

.Wednesday's . . . . . . . . . . . rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 .. . . . . . . . .Forecast Today's . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 ..

Saturday

Partly Cloudy.

Humidity (Mid.)

Los Alamos Area .Yesterday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.00" .... . . . . . . to Month . . .date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.12" ....

The following water statistics of December 19th are provided by the City Water Division (in millions of gallons). Total water produced from: Canyon Water Treatment Plant: 3.993 Buckman Water Treatment Plant: 1.672 City Wells: 0.0 Buckman Wells: 0.358 Total production: 6.022 Total consumption: 6.555 Santa Fe reservoir inflow: 1.03 Reservoir storage: 305.28 Estimated reservoir capacity: 23.89%

Friday

Clear.

Humidity (Noon)

Las Vegas Area .Yesterday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.00" .... . . . . . . to Month . . .date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.03" ....

Taos Area .Yesterday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.00" .... . . . . . . to Month . . .date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.69" ....

NATIONAL CITIES

7 DAY FORECAST FOR SANTA FE

Santa Fe Airport Temperatures High/low . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49°/31° ...... Normal . . . . . . . high/low . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43°/18° ...... . . . . . . .high Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58° . . . in . . 1955 .... . . . . . . .low Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5° . . in . . 1951 .... Santa Fe Airport Precipitation .Yesterday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.00" .... .Month . . . . . to . . .date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.59" .... . . . . . . . month Normal . . . . . .to . . date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.54" .... Year . . . . .to . .date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7.13" .... Normal . . . . . . . year . . . . to . . .date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13.27" ..... Last . . . . year . . . . .to. .date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11.81" .....

THE WEATHER

Thursday, December 21, 2023

Saturn

New Jan. 11

First Q. Jan. 17

City Anchorage Atlanta Baltimore Bangor Billings Bismarck Boise Boston Charleston,SC Charlotte Chicago Cincinnati Cleveland Dallas Denver Des Moines Detroit Fairbanks Flagstaff Helena Honolulu Houston Indianapolis Kansas City Las Vegas Los Angeles Louisville Memphis Miami Milwaukee Minneapolis New Orleans New York City Oklahoma City Omaha Orlando Philadelphia Phoenix Pittsburgh Portland,OR Richmond Salt Lake City San Antonio San Diego San Francisco Seattle Sioux Falls St. Louis Tampa Trenton Tulsa Washington,DC

Yesterday Today Tomorrow Hi/Lo W Hi/Lo W Hi/Lo W 25/21 cl 17/3 mc 18/8 pc 54/23 mc 57/36 pc 59/42 mc 50/32 s 49/32 s 45/36 pc 40/26 pc 28/14 s 29/13 s 57/37 pc 55/33 s 54/31 s 36/18 mc 38/22 mc 42/23 s 43/32 fg 45/34 fg 49/31 mc 45/30 s 35/22 s 36/23 s 55/28 s 58/38 pc 61/44 mc 52/23 s 56/33 pc 55/34 mc 43/31 pc 42/38 cl 44/41 ra 50/19 s 49/31 mc 52/39 mc 45/28 pc 41/33 cl 44/37 mc 67/44 mc 64/54 sh 66/58 sh 58/39 mc 60/32 pc 56/33 pc 48/26 mc 49/44 cl 52/43 ra 45/32 pc 42/32 mc 43/37 cl 9/1 mc -3/-12 sn -5/-11 sn 49/30 mc 50/27 mc 42/26 sh 49/24 mc 44/28 pc 45/29 s 75/69 ra 79/70 sh 80/71 sh 70/48 mc 67/58 mc 68/60 sh 50/25 s 52/36 mc 51/42 cl 57/39 mc 56/50 cl 57/51 ra 68/45 pc 66/51 sh 62/46 sh 66/61 ra 65/55 ra 64/51 sh 54/26 s 51/32 mc 54/41 mc 54/35 mc 56/41 mc 60/48 mc 72/57 mc 74/67 pc 75/68 mc 43/28 pc 42/38 mc 45/40 ra 42/28 pc 41/36 mc 45/39 cl 61/48 mc 66/55 pc 68/56 mc 46/30 s 40/27 s 38/31 s 56/39 mc 61/54 sh 63/53 mc 47/25 mc 53/43 mc 55/39 ra 66/46 mc 69/55 pc 71/58 mc 46/29 pc 43/25 s 40/29 pc 77/60 mc 75/55 s 62/56 sh 39/21 s 42/26 mc 47/34 mc 52/39 mc 50/41 mc 48/36 ra 49/26 ra 64/50 mc 62/45 pc 50/34 mc 50/33 pc 51/34 mc 76/52 mc 69/60 sh 70/61 sh 68/59 mc 68/55 sh 65/54 sh 61/55 ra 64/52 mc 62/47 pc 54/36 pc 49/43 mc 46/36 ra 46/20 mc 48/36 mc 49/31 pc 57/30 mc 57/44 mc 54/48 ra 70/48 mc 73/54 pc 74/58 mc 45/26 pc 43/21 s 40/26 pc 61/43 mc 61/51 mc 62/53 sh 49/28 s 47/29 pc 44/32 pc

WORLD CITIES City Amsterdam Athens Baghdad Beijing Berlin Bermuda Bogota Cairo Copenhagen Dublin Frankfurt Guatemala City Istanbul Jerusalem Johannesburg Lima London Madrid Mexico City Moscow Nassau New Delhi Oslo Paris Rio Rome Seoul Stockholm Sydney Tel Aviv Tokyo Toronto Vienna

Yesterday Today Tomorrow Hi/Lo W Hi/Lo W Hi/Lo W 49/45 ra 60/49 pc 64/43 mc 17/1 s 44/41 ra 70/63 ra 68/48 ra 70/55 pc 41/38 ra 51/45 ra 46/41 ra 68/42 s 55/40 s 59/49 mc 84/62 ra 79/66 cl 51/41 mc 53/35 ra 70/41 s 38/34 ra 73/70 mc 72/48 pc 30/19 sn 49/41 ra 88/71 s 58/43 s 27/18 sn 35/31 sn 70/61 ra 74/53 s 54/42 mc 38/28 mc 47/42 pc

52/49 ra 60/53 ra 65/39 mc 19/6 s 48/39 ra 63/61 ra 62/53 ra 69/59 mc 45/37 ra 53/50 ra 51/45 ra 69/44 s 54/50 mc 59/51 cl 93/64 s 73/67 cl 54/51 ra 52/40 s 69/53 pc 34/32 sn 73/70 ra 73/48 mc 25/14 sn 53/49 ra 85/73 mc 57/47 s 17/7 s 35/29 sn 70/61 ra 69/63 mc 52/44 pc 36/29 mc 47/42 ra

48/44 ra 59/52 mc 73/58 ra 22/10 s 40/38 sn 61/60 ra 64/52 ra 69/55 s 37/34 sn 51/49 ra 46/41 ra 72/47 s 55/48 ra 55/48 s 88/70 mc 74/68 cl 51/49 ra 54/41 s 69/53 cl 32/29 cl 73/72 ra 75/59 s 29/20 cl 53/50 ra 87/74 ra 60/52 ra 19/11 pc 33/30 sn 69/63 mc 66/62 ra 45/40 s 35/31 cl 44/40 ra

As work ‘sick shaming’ rises, so do cold medicine sales By Cailley LaPara and Kristen V. Brown Bloomberg News

At the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Meg McNamara’s employer sent her home with symptoms that looked a lot like COVID-19, but she knew better. A negative COVID-19 test proved the 37-year-old’s coughs and red eyes were just her usual allergies. Determined to not be wrongly accused again, the New York-based physician’s assistant turned to over-the-counter medication. She started popping Benadryl every morning to mask her symptoms, but that caused other problems. “It was a nasty experience,” said McNamara who often suffered from drowsiness — a side effect of Benadryl. “I’m always tired. For me to have a little bit more fatigue in my life is not acceptable.” As the pandemic has receded, McNamara is emblematic of the dilemma facing Americans. They’re under pressure to show

STEVEN SENNE/ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

Interior designers Stephanie Jones, left, and Tara Martin wear masks while working in a conference room at the design ﬁrm Bergmeyer in Boston in 2020. Since the pandemic, social pressure to not appear sick at work may be driving cold medicine sales.

up for work and social gatherings, yet even the hint of a sniffle can be enough to brand someone an outcast. To cope with these dueling obligations, they’re using more cold and allergy meds to cope — and potentially overtreating themselves in the process. In the U.S., sales of upper

respiratory over-the-counter medications rose 23% to $11.8 billion in the 52 weeks through early December from the same period in 2019 before the pandemic, according to researcher NIQ. Cold and ﬂu treatments, which make up about a quarter of the category, grew faster with a 30% gain —

much to the beneﬁt of producers that make Mucinex and the Vicks and DayQuil brands. Sales at the division housing over-the-counter drugs Zyrtec, Benadryl and Sudafed rose 10% to $4.9 billion in the ﬁrst nine months of the year, by far its company’s top-performing unit. Brands have at times encouraged consumers to load up on over-the-counter meds and carry on — potentially spreading germs. A spot for DayQuil has touted how “life doesn’t stop for a cold.” And one for Robitussin, shows a woman downing the cough syrup so she can get back to the office. Meanwhile, consumers may be harming their health. Taking too much of any medication is generally frowned upon by doctors, and doing so increases the risk of side effects, such as high blood pressure from nasal decongestants and the fatigue McNamara experienced from allergy medication. It also isn’t good to ignore

symptoms or try to suppress them entirely because that can prolong an illness by impacting its natural course, according to Jennifer Bourgeois, a clinical pharmacist at SingleCare, an online pharmacy platform. “These cough and cold symptoms — because there’s so much overlap with symptoms of COVID-19 there’s this kind of fear,” Bourgeois said. That leads to a “knee-jerk” reaction to use them, which ups the risk of side effects, she said. Simon Williams, a psychology researcher at Swansea University in Wales, has studied the pandemic’s impact on social behaviors since 2020. He found people felt an increasing sense of being judged for coughs and sniffles. And while some of that scrutiny has waned, it’s likely to remain for some time, he said. The increase in remote work since the pandemic may also be adding to overtreatment. Companies usually guide employees to stay home if ill. But COVID-19

normalized working while sick for many because it could be done in isolation at home without any judgment. And to get through a workday while sick — even from bed — likely takes more meds than just sleeping it off. Recent data also suggests all workers, whether remote or in-person, are calling in sick less often as employers push for more time in the office. A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed fewer people this fall have missed work because of illness than in the previous two years. Take Courtney Berentsen, a product manager in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has asthma that turns a regular cold into a hacking, but non-contagious, cough that lasts months. “It feels like I’m setting a bad precedent by coming to work sick, but it will be like a month before I come back if I have to wait until I have no cough,” she said.

Nebraska man’s vintage video game collection may be worth $1M By Kyle Melnick

The Washington Post

As he was packing up his Nebraska video game store more than two decades ago, Mark Odorisio considered what to do with the hundreds of games that had not even made it onto the shelves before the business closed. His best options were to hold a sale for the leftover games or to store them for the future. “Screw the ﬁre sale,” Mark recalled thinking in 1998. “I’d rather take a chance that ... these games might be worth something.” Mark placed more than 300 sealed games into boxes and moved them to an Omaha storage unit. As 23 years passed, Mark lost track of what the games were worth and decided he would pass them on to his nieces and nephews. But in 2021, Mark’s older brother, Tim, found the vintage games in the warehouse and was curious about their worth. The ’90s-era games, including Chrono Trigger and Mortal Kombat, were

still in near-perfect condition. He said he sought out guidance at an Omaha video game store, where the employees were shocked at what Tim had brought them. The Odorisios eventually had the video games appraised, and about 170 of them were found to be rare and in good condition. Gameroom, the store where Tim took the games in 2021, is helping the Odorisios sell the collection, which was recently posted online. Mark said he’s hoping to sell the games for nearly $1 million — a ﬁgure much higher than he had expected when he stored them. “I didn’t think they were going to be worth anything during my lifetime,” Mark, 62, told The Washington Post. Mark opened Game Street in Omaha in 1994, primarily selling games for Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis. But his store started losing money a few years later, so he closed it in 1998 and pivoted into work as a book and magazine distributor. In the summer of 2021, Tim was in the

storage unit checking the value of his old basketball cards — Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Pierce — when he saw the boxes of video games and checked on some titles online. Opened versions of Mark’s games were selling for a few hundred dollars each, Tim said. That fall, Tim took a box of the games to Gameroom. A few weeks later, Tim said he spoke with employees at Wata, a grading company based in Santa Ana, Calif. Tim recalled them estimating the games could sell for about $1 million if they were graded, a process that involves inspectors rating a game between zero and 10 based on its condition. Games that receive a higher score typically sell for more money. After that meeting, Mark told Tim he thought the games might sell for $100,000. “We might have to add a zero to that,” Tim, who is now 71, recalled telling Mark. In April 2022, Mark loaded about 15 boxes of games into his minivan and

drove about 1,550 miles to the grading company’s headquarters in California. One of the most valuable games in the collection is Chrono Trigger, a Japanese role-playing game that follows characters who travel through time to prevent world destruction. Wata, the grading company, has only graded 26 copies of the Super Nintendo game that was released in 1995, according to its population reports. Wata had never even graded nine games in Mark’s collection, including Uncharted Waters, Battle Blaze and The Combatribes. Scott Endsley, the owner of a video game grading company in Kansas City, Kan., told the Post that Chrono Trigger alone could sell for more than $50,000. Other games could also sell for tens of thousands of dollars, he said. “There’s not tons of copies of any of these things out there,” Endsley said. “When you buy a video game, you open it up and you play it, right? Having sealed video games is pretty rare any-

way, but then to get one of these types of titles is pretty unusual.” Mark returned to California this past summer to pick up the games. Many rated a 9.0 or above, including the marquee games Chrono Trigger, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Street Fighter II: Champion Edition and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time, all of which rated 9.8. Mark drove back to Omaha and stored the games in a vault. Gameroom owner Chris Thompson agreed to sell the games in hopes of giving his store exposure; he announced the collection last month. Tim said an auction house offered to buy the games for about $500,000, but he and Mark are hoping to sell the collection for at least $700,000. Plus, they’re considering waiting to sell the games in anticipation that their value will increase — a move Endsley said could pay off. “There’s always going to be people looking to recapture their childhood,” he said.

Paws Classifieds Time Out

SPORTS

B-5 B-6 B-9

SECTION B ThuRSDay, DecemBeR 21, 2023 THE SANTA FE NEW MEXICAN

UNM FO O TBALL

Lobos unveil new staff, two high school recruits By James Barron

jbarron@sfnewmexican.com

The 2023 football season may be three weeks in the rearview mirror for the University of New Mexico Lobos, but Wednesday was a busy day for the program. It started with the announcement of the coaching staff under recently hired head coach Bronco Mendenhall — one that was full of coaches and coordinators who worked under him at his previous stops at BYU and Virginia. Also Wednesday, the ﬁrst day of the early signing period for college football programs, a pair of high school players committed to play for UNM next season.

The big hires were Jason Beck as offensive coordinator and Nick Howell as the defensive coordinator. Beck spent the past two seasons at Syracuse, the ﬁrst as quarterbacks coach before taking over the offense this year. The Orange averaged 25.5 points per game but went through a stretch when it scored just four touchdowns in four games. It should come as no surprise Syracuse lost every game in that period. Still, the Orange averaged 358.7 yards per game and produced a second-team All-ACC performer in running back LeQuint Allen. As for Howell, he has spent the past 11 seasons as a defensive coordinator — nine of those under Mendenhall at BYU (2012-15) and Virginia (2016-21). He ran

the defense at Vanderbilt the past two seasons, with the Commodores tying for the Southeastern Conference lead in interceptions with 12 this season. All 14 people on Mendenhall’s staff played, coached or did both under Mendenhall during his tenures at BYU and Virginia. Mendenhall was hired two weeks ago to replace Danny Gonzales, who was ﬁred after four years with UNM. Meanwhile, Mendenhall got a start on his recruiting class with the signings of a pair of high school seniors —

linebacker John Sierra from Las Cruces Centennial and lineman Sa’Kylee Woodard of Canyon del Oro in Tucson, Ariz. Sierra played in nine games for the Hawks, who went 7-3 and reached the Class 6A quarterﬁnals. The 6-foot-2 210-pounder recorded 65 tackles and 31/2 sacks from his outside linebacker position. Sierra was an All-District 3-6A selection and was recently named to the Class 6A All-State ﬁrst team. Woodard was a part of a line dubbed Please see story on Page B-3

Bronco Mendenhall is introduced to fans as the new head coach for the University of New Mexico football team during halftime of the UNM men’s basketball game against UC Santa Barbara on Dec. 6 in The Pit. SAM WASSON/FOR THE NEW MEXICAN

UNM MEN’S BA SKE TBALL NEW ME XICO 78, UC IRVINE 65

SIG NIN G DAY

Lobos come alive in time

UNM smashes through UC Irvine’s defense in second half to win

By James Barron

jbarron@sfnewmexican.com

ALBUQUERQUE hat the UC Irvine Anteaters took away by choice, the New Mexico Lobos took back by force. For the first 15 minutes of Wednesday’s nonconference matchup between UC Irvine and UNM in The Pit, the visiting team simply built a brick wall around the rim, thanks in large part to a 5-for-19 shooting start by the Lobos. But as quickly as walls form, they can fall apart. It took some shot-making from outside the paint to end the first half with a flurry, then UNM simply crashed through that wall and made it to the basket at will to produce a 78-65 victory for its 10th straight win of the season. Life is much easier when shots begin to fall, and that is what the Lobos did over the last 25 minutes of the game. They made 22 of their last 47 tries from the field and found a way around the Anteaters’ size in the paint to get to the rim. It was senior forward Nelly Junior Joseph going through the Great Wall of UC Irvine, which used four players 6-foot-9 or taller to patrol the paint, that helped change the tone of the game. He scored six of the Lobos’ first eight points to start the second half, as a 33-27 halftime lead grew to 41-34 on his pair of free throws with 15:37 left. It was a marked shift from the first half, which saw the Lobos

MIKE STEWART/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart gestures Dec. 2 during the ﬁrst half of the Southeastern Conference championship against Alabama in Atlanta.

Georgia has top class after 5-star flip Ohio State breathes sigh of relief on No. 1 player By Ralph D. Russo

The Associated Press

The early signing period in college football opened Wednesday with some five-star drama. Georgia likely locked up the top recruiting class by flipping an in-state blue-chip player away from Florida State. The consensus No. 1 recruit in the country had Ohio State’s Ryan Day literally sighing with relief, and then made the coach wait hours before officially becoming a Buckeye. Florida managed to hold on to a couple of five-stars amid a flurry of late de-commits. Meanwhile, the long and winding recruitment of Dylan Raiola ended bright and early with the highly touted quarterback signing a national letter of intent with Nebraska, the school where his father was an All-American offensive lineman. College football’s early signing period, jammed into what has become an overloaded December calendar with postseason games and players transferring, has become the signing period. “The schedule is not good. It’s chaotic,” Penn State coach James Franklin told reporters.

Please see story on Page B-3 ABOVE: UNM guard Donovan Dent pushes toward the basket while being guarded by UC Irvine’s Pierre Crockrell II during Wednesday’s game in The Pit. FAR LEFT: UNM guard Jaelen House leaps to make a shot while UC Irvine’s Bent Leuchten defends during Wednesday’s game at The Pit. LEFT: UNM forward Mustapha Amzil tries to get past UC Irvine’s defense during Wednesday’s game in The Pit.

Please see story on Page B-3

GABRIELA CAMPOS/THE NEW MEXICAN

Y E AR IN RE VIEW SP ORTS BE T TING

Texas, California stand fast against surge in legalized gambling By mark anderson

The Associated Press

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Legalized sports betting continued its expansion this year while also factoring into scandals in college athletics and suspensions in the NFL for players who violated the league’s gambling policy. Six states either passed legislation to legalize sports wagering or allowed sportsbooks to begin accepting bets. Another state, Florida, relaunched sports betting after a two-year legal battle ended when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in October in the casinos’ favor. Still on the sidelines, however,

are the nation’s two most populous states — California and Texas. Sports betting proponents will hope to make progress against significant headwinds in both states in 2024. There was no apparent movement in California this year to legalize sports betting after two competing measures, including one backed financially by Native American tribes, went down in flames in 2022 at the ballot box. Baird Fogel, a California attorney who works with the sports betting industry, said the key is getting the full support of the tribes. “Remember, the tribes don’t

need this,” Fogel said. “They can wait forever. That’s the trick here, what everybody needs to get their heads around. You’ve got to proactively come to them with an idea of how to get their support because without their support, this is going nowhere.” He said the tribes could be receptive if approached correctly. Connecticut and New Jersey reached deals, Fogel said, because those states made agreements with the tribal casinos. Some kind of revenue split, Fogel said, could get a similar deal done in California. “It’s got to happen,” Fogel said. Please see story on Page B-4

Sports editor: Will Webber, wwebber@sfnewmexican.com Design and headlines: Eric J. Hedlund, ehedlund@sfnewmexican.com

A man places a bet in September 2021 at one of the sports wagering kiosks at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn. Legalized sports betting continued its expansion in 2023 with six states either passing legislation or beginning to accept wagering, Fanatics got into the business and professional leagues and college athletics continued to further embrace the industry. SUSAN HAIGH ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

SANTAFENEWMEXICAN.COM

B-2

SCOREBOARD

Thursday, December 21, 2023

THE SANTA FE NEW MEXICAN

TODAY ON TV Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts. All times local. COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S) 1 p.m. ESPNU — The Diamond Head Classic: Nevada vs. Temple, Quarterfinal, Honolulu 3 p.m. ESPNU — The Diamond Head Classic: TCU vs. Old Dominion, Quarterfinal, Honolulu 4 p.m. ESPN — Kentucky at Louisville 4:30 p.m. BTN — Jacksonville at Purdue 5 p.m. PAC-12N — Utah Tech at Colorado 5 p.m. PEACOCK — LeMoyne at Penn St. 5 p.m. SECN — Abilene Christian at Arkansas 6 p.m. ACCN — Stonehill at Miami 6:30 p.m. BTN — North Alabama at Indiana 7 p.m. CBSSN — Stanford at San Diego St. 7 p.m. ESPN2 — The Diamond Head Classic: Georgia Tech vs. UMass, Quarterfinal, Honolulu 7 p.m. PAC-12N — Kent St. at Oregon 7 p.m. SECN — Lamar at LSU 9 p.m. PAC-12N — Boise St. vs. Washington St., Spokane, Wash. 9:30 p.m. ESPN2 — The Diamond Head Classic: Portland at Hawaii, Quarterfinal

Hoops at the Nike Tournament of Champions: TBD, Third-Place Game, Mesa, Ariz. 8 p.m. ESPNU — GEICO Holiday Hoops at the Nike Tournament of Champions: TBD, Championship, Mesa, Ariz.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S) Noon PAC-12N — N. Colorado at Colorado 4 p.m. ACCN — W. Michigan at Notre Dame

10:45 a.m. FS2 — Saudi Pro League: Abha at Al-Hilal 1 p.m. USA — Premier League: Brighton & Hove Albion at Crystal Palace

COLLEGE FOOTBALL 6 p.m. ESPN — The Boca Raton Bowl: South Florida vs. Syracuse, Boca Raton, Fla.

4 a.m. TENNIS — World Tennis League Day 11: Hawks v. Falcons 7 a.m. TENNIS — Ultima World Tennis League Day 11: Eagles v. Kites 4 a.m. Friday TENNIS — World Tennis League Day 12: Kites v. Falcons

NBA 7 p.m. NBATV — L.A. Lakers at Minnesota NBA G-LEAGUE 9 a.m. ESPN2 — Winter Showcase: Santa Cruz vs. Westchester, Semifinal, Orlando, Fla. 11:30 a.m. ESPN2 — Winter Showcase: College Park vs. Indiana, Semifinal, Orlando, Fla. 11:30 a.m. NBATV — Winter Showcase: Mexico City vs. Motor City, Orlando, Fla. 2 p.m. NBATV — Winter Showcase: Delaware vs. South Bay, Orlando, Fla. 5 p.m. ESPN2 — Winter Showcase: G-League Ignite vs. Grand Rapids, Orlando, Fla. NFL

Thursday Boys basketball — Academy for Technology and the Classics at Wagon Mound, 5:30 p.m. Pecos at McCurdy, 7 p.m. Coronado at Questa, 5:30 p.m. Mora at Maxwell, 6:30 p.m. Moriarty at West Las Vegas, 7 p.m. Girls basketball — Española Valley at Los Lunas, 7 p.m. Pecos at McCurdy, 5:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, DEC. 30 PEACH BOWL MUSIC CITY BOWL

Nashville, Tenn. Maryland vs. Auburn, noon

ORANGE BOWL

Miami No. 4 Florida St. vs. No. 6 Georgia, 2 p.m.

ARIZONA BOWL

Tucson, Ariz. Toledo vs. Wyoming, 2:30 p.m.

MONDAY, JAN. 1 RELIAQUEST BOWL

SOCCER (MEN’S)

Citrus Bowl Orlando, Fla. No. 20 Iowa vs. No. 25 Tennessee, 11 a.m.

NO. 13 LSU VS. WISCONSIN, 10 A.M.

FIESTA BOWL

Glendale, Ariz. No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 18 Liberty, 11 a.m.

ROSE BOWL CFP SEMIFINAL

Pasadena, Calif. No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 5 Alabama, 3 p.m.

ALLSTATE SUGAR BOWL CFP SEMIFINAL

New Orleans No. 2 Washington vs. No. 3 Texas, 6:45 p.m.

MONDAY, JAN. 8 CFP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP Houston Semiﬁnal winners, 5:30 p.m.

BASKETBALL NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE ATLANTIC

NFL AMERICAN CONFERENCE EAST W

Miami Buffalo e-N.Y. Jets e-New England

10 8 5 3

SOUTH

4 6 9 11

Houston Indianapolis Jacksonville e-Tennessee

8 8 8 5

NORTH

WEST

3 5 6 7

Kansas City Denver Las Vegas L.A. Chargers

.571 .571 .571 .357

SOUTH

NORTH

Detroit Minnesota Green Bay Chicago

WEST

HOME

AWAY

AFC

NFC

DIV

5-2-0 3-4-0 3-5-0 4-3-0

3-4-0 5-2-0 5-1-0 1-6-0

PCT

HOME

AWAY

AFC

NFC

DIV

.643 .500 .429 .357

PCT

0 0 0 0

.714 .714 .357 .286

PCT

.500 .500 .429 .143

PCT

0 0 0 0

.714 .500 .429 .357

0 0 0 0

THURSDAY’S GAME

New Orleans at L.A. Rams, 6:15 p.m.

SATURDAY’S GAMES

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, 2:30 p.m. Buffalo at L.A. Chargers, 6 p.m.

SUNDAY’S GAMES

Cleveland at Houston, 11 a.m. Detroit at Minnesota, 11 a.m. Green Bay at Carolina, 11 a.m. Indianapolis at Atlanta, 11 a.m. Seattle at Tennessee, 11 a.m. Washington at N.Y. Jets, 11 a.m. Jacksonville at Tampa Bay, 2:05 p.m. Arizona at Chicago, 2:25 p.m. Dallas at Miami, 2:25 p.m. New England at Denver, 6:15 p.m.

MONDAY’S GAMES

Las Vegas at Kansas City, 11 a.m. N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia, 2:30 p.m. Baltimore at San Francisco, 6:15 p.m.

THURSDAY, DEC. 28

N.Y. Jets at Cleveland, 6:15 p.m.

SATURDAY, DEC. 30

Detroit at Dallas, 6:15 p.m.

SUNDAY, DEC. 31

Arizona at Philadelphia, 11 a.m. Atlanta at Chicago, 11 a.m. Carolina at Jacksonville, 11 a.m. L.A. Rams at N.Y. Giants, 11 a.m. Las Vegas at Indianapolis, 11 a.m. Miami at Baltimore, 11 a.m. New England at Buffalo, 11 a.m. New Orleans at Tampa Bay, 11 a.m. San Francisco at Washington, 11 a.m. Tennessee at Houston, 11 a.m. Pittsburgh at Seattle, 2:05 p.m. Cincinnati at Kansas City, 2:25 p.m. L.A. Chargers at Denver, 2:25 p.m. Green Bay at Minnesota, 6:20 p.m.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL BOWL SCORES, SCHEDULE SATURDAY, DEC. 16 MYRTLE BEACH BOWL Conway, S.C. Ohio 41, Georgia Southern 21

CELEBRATION BOWL

PCT

.786 .500 .500 .214

319 304 265 303

431 359 189 281

309 296 258 206

245 351 280 345

4-3-0 4-3-0 5-3-0 2-5-0

264 341 338 423

4-3-0 3-3-0 4-3-0 2-4-0

HOME

331 269 301 329

425 327 300 259

7-0-0 5-1-0 3-3-0 1-5-0

HOME

267 290 278 348

382 290 300 287

HOME

5-2-0 2-4-0 4-3-0 3-3-0

234 310 335 376

HOME

5-1-0 4-3-0 5-2-0 2-5-0

5-2-0 3-4-0 1-5-0 3-4-0

3-4-0 4-4-0 2-5-0 0-8-0

AWAY

Charlotte, N.C. W. Kentucky 38, Old Dominion 35, OT Frisco, Texas UTSA 35, Marshall 17

THURSDAY, DEC. 21 BOCA RATON BOWL Boca Raton, Fla. USF vs. Syracuse, 6 p.m.

Milwaukee Cleveland Indiana Chicago Detroit

20 16 14 12 2

7 12 12 17 25

NFC

2-2-0 2-3-0 1-2-0 1-4-0

9-1-0 5-4-0 6-5-0 2-7-0

DIV

5-0-0 4-1-0 1-4-0 0-5-0

Montgomery, Ala. Arkansas St. vs. N. Illinois, 10 a.m.

BIRMINGHAM BOWL Birmingham, Ala. Troy vs. Duke, 10 a.m.

ARMED FORCES BOWL

Fort Worth, Texas No. 24 James Madison vs. Air Force, 1:30 p.m.

FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL Boise, Idaho Georgia St. vs. Utah St., 1:30 p.m.

68 VENTURES BOWL

Mobile, Ala. South Alabama vs. Eastern Michigan, 5 p.m.

LAS VEGAS BOWL

Las Vegas Utah vs. Northwestern, 5:30 p.m.

HAWAII BOWL

Honolulu, Hawaii Coastal Carolina vs. San Jose St., 8:30 p.m.

TUESDAY, DEC. 26 QUICK LANE BOWL

Detroit Bowling Green vs. Minnesota, noon

FIRST RESPONDER BOWL Dallas Texas St. vs. Rice, 3:30 p.m.

GUARANTEED RATE BOWL

Phoenix Kansas vs. UNLV, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 27 MILITARY BOWL PRESENTED Annapolis, Md. No. 23 Tulane vs. Virginia Tech, noon

DUKE’S MAYO BOWL

Charlotte, N.C. North Carolina vs. West Virginia, 3:30 p.m.

HOLIDAY BOWL

San Diego, Calif. No. 16 Louisville vs. Southern Cal, 6 p.m. Houston No. 22 Oklahoma St. vs. Texas A&M, 7 p.m.

Boston No. 17 SMU vs. Boston College, 9 a.m.

PINSTRIPE BOWL

New York Rutgers vs. Miami, 12:15 p.m.

Orlando, Fla. No. 19 NC State vs. Kansas St., 3:45 p.m.

San Antonio, Texas No. 12 Oklahoma No. 14 Arizona, 7:15 p.m.

FRIDAY, DEC. 29 GATOR BOWL

Jacksonville, Fla. Clemson vs. Kentucky, 10 a.m.

El Paso, Texas No. 15 Notre Dame vs. No. 21 Oregon St., noon

COTTON BOWL

Arlington, Texas No. 7 Ohio St. vs. No. 9 Missouri, 6 p.m.

PACIFIC

PCT

TUESDAY’S GAMES

.741 .571 .538 .414 .074

PCT

DIV

2-2-0 3-1-0 3-2-0 1-4-0

NORTHWEST

— 1 4½ 9 12

PCT

Memphis 115, New Orleans 113 Milwaukee 132, San Antonio 119 Portland 109, Phoenix 104 Golden State 132, Boston 126, OT

SATURDAY, DEC. 23 CAMELLIA BOWL

LIBERTY BOWL

DIV

Tampa, Fla. Geogia Tech vs. UCF, 4:30 p.m.

Memphis, Tenn. Memphis vs. Iowa St., 1:30 p.m.

SOUTHWEST

— 2 5 8 10

.615 .571 .444 .269 .154

WESTERN CONFERENCE

10 10 13 13 14

4-1-0 3-1-0 2-2-0 0-5-0

.778 .704 .593 .481 .407

17 16 15 14 13

FRIDAY, DEC. 22 GASPARILLA BOWL

SUN BOWL

L.A. Clippers Sacramento L.A. Lakers Phoenix Golden State

3-1-0 2-2-0 2-2-0 1-3-0

DIV

6-2-0 3-4-0 2-5-0 1-6-0

CENTRAL

6 8 10 18 19

NFC

ALAMO BOWL

FAMOUS TOASTERY BOWL

AFC

10 12 15 19 22

20 17 19 10 7

AFC

POP-TARTS BOWL

Shreveport, La. Texas Tech 34, California 14 Monday, Dec. 18

NFC

4-5-0 6-4-0 4-6-0 1-9-0

PCT

16 16 12 7 4

Minnesota Oklahoma City Denver Utah Portland

AWAY

Inglewood, Calif. UCLA 35, Boise St. 22

INDEPENDENCE BOWL

AFC

3-2-0 1-3-0 2-2-0 1-3-0

Orlando Miami Atlanta Charlotte Washington

11 12 12 19 22

2-2-0 2-1-0 2-2-0 2-3-0

Albuquerque, N.M. Fresno St. 37, New Mexico St. 10

LA BOWL HOSTED

7-3-0 6-3-0 4-5-0 2-8-0

16 16 13 7 4

6-3-0 6-3-0 4-5-0 4-5-0

THURSDAY, DEC. 28 FENWAY BOWL

Orlando, Fla. Appalachian St. 13, Miami (Ohio) 9

3-1-0 4-1-0 1-4-0 2-2-0

PCT

6 8 11 14 16

Dallas New Orleans Houston Memphis San Antonio

4-1-0 1-4-0 2-3-0 1-4-0

New Orleans Jacksonville St. 34, Louisiana 31, OT

NEW MEXICO BOWL

NFC

DIV

5-2-0 5-3-0 2-5-0 2-6-0

TEXAS BOWL

CURE BOWL

2-3-0 3-2-0 2-3-0 2-3-0

AFC

3-4-0 5-3-0 2-6-0 3-5-0

Atlanta Florida A&M 30, Howard 26

NEW ORLEANS BOWL

7-2-0 4-5-0 4-5-0 3-6-0

AWAY

NFC

2-2-0 3-2-0 4-1-0 0-4-0

5-2-0 7-1-0 5-3-0 4-4-0

AFC

3-2-0 2-2-0 2-1-0 2-2-0

3-2-0 3-2-0 0-4-0 3-1-0

y-San Francisco 11 3 L.A. Rams 7 7 Seattle 7 7 e-Arizona 3 11 e-Eliminated from playoffs x-clinched playoff spot y-clinched division

TUESDAY, DEC 19 FRISCO BOWL

5-4-0 6-4-0 6-5-0 3-7-0

4-0-0 3-2-0 5-0-0 2-2-0

0 0 0 0

4 7 8 9

4-1-0 2-2-0 1-4-0 2-2-0

7-3-0 6-3-0 3-6-0 5-5-0

3-1-0 4-1-0 2-2-0 0-5-0

6-1-0 2-4-0 3-3-0 3-3-0

0 0 0 0

295 343 313 301

7-3-0 4-5-0 3-7-0 3-6-0

AWAY

7 7 8 12

306 344 319 257

DIV

HOME

10 7 6 5

NFC

4 4 9 10

7 7 6 2

4-3-0 2-4-0 2-4-0 2-4-0

6-1-0 6-2-0 3-5-0 1-7-0

AFC

225 289 311 280

New Orleans Tampa Bay Atlanta e-Carolina

294 254 287 299

AWAY

384 309 307 223

5 7 8 9

10 10 5 4

441 379 201 186

HOME

.786 .643 .571 .500

NATIONAL CONFERENCE EAST x-Dallas x-Philadelphia N.Y. Giants e-Washington

PCT

0 0 0 0

9 7 6 5

PCT

0 0 0 0

11 9 8 7

.714 .571 .357 .214

6 6 6 9

x-Baltimore Cleveland Cincinnati Pittsburgh

PCT

21 19 16 13 11

SOUTHEAST

0 0 0 0

Boston Phila. New York Brooklyn Toronto

— 4½ 5½ 9 18

.593 .571 .520 .269 .154

— ½ 2 8½ 11½

.769 .680 .655 .357 .269

— 2½ 2½ 11 13

PCT

.630 .615 .536 .519 .481

— ½ 2½ 3 4

THURSDAY’S GAMES

Utah at Detroit, 5 p.m. New Orleans at Cleveland, 5:30 p.m. Indiana at Memphis, 6 p.m. L.A. Clippers at Oklahoma City, 6 p.m. Orlando at Milwaukee, 6 p.m. San Antonio at Chicago, 6 p.m. L.A. Lakers at Minnesota, 7 p.m. Washington at Portland, 8 p.m.

FT REB M-A O-T A PF PTS 0-2 1-3 1-4 0-4 0-2 2-3 0-6 1-5 3-6 0-1 0-1 0-1

4 1 6 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 1 0

4 2 0 3 1 2 4 0 1 0 2 1

200 22-58 15-22 8-38 16 20

6 5 6 9 14 9 2 6 4 4 0 0

Percentages: FG .379, FT .682. 3-Point Goals: 6-22, .273 (Hohn 4-9, Henry 1-3, Saran 1-3, C.Welling 0-1, Leuchten 0-1, Thoerner 0-1, Tillis 0-4). Team Rebounds: 4. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 7 (C.Welling 3, Keeler 2, Leuchten 2). Turnovers: 15 (Crockrell 6, Tillis 2, H.Welling, Hohn, Keeler, Leuchten, Redﬁeld, Saran, Ujadughele). Steals: 6 (Henry 2, Crockrell, Hohn, Leuchten, Saran). Technical Fouls: None.

FG FT REB NEW MEXICO MIN M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS

Toppin Joseph Baker Dent House Washington Amzil Appelhans Forsling Webb

TOTALS

28 3-7 31 3-6 22 2-7 36 5-12 37 5-16 18 3-7 15 4-7 6 1-2 6 0-2 1 0-0

3-4 3-11 6-8 3-7 0-0 0-0 1-2 0-4 9-9 1-3 0-3 0-5 2-2 1-4 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-1 0-0 0-0

0 0 1 1 5 1 0 1 1 0

3 4 0 1 3 3 3 0 2 0

9 12 6 12 20 6 11 2 0 0

200 26-66 21-28 9-35 10 19 78

Percentages: FG .394, FT .750. 3-Point Goals: 5-19, .263 (Baker 2-5, Dent 1-2, House 1-3, Amzil 1-4, Appelhans 0-1, Toppin 0-2, Washington 0-2). Team Rebounds: 9. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 5 (Toppin 2, Amzil, Dent, Joseph). Turnovers: 9 (Dent 4, Toppin 3, Joseph, Washington). Steals: 9 (Joseph 3, Toppin 3, Appelhans, Dent, Washington). Technical Fouls: None.

UC IRVINE NEW MEXICO

27 33

38 45

SOUTH

Belmont 74, Arkansas St. 70 Dallas 74, Hendrix 65 Duke 78, Baylor 70 ETSU 70, UMKC 57 East Carolina 79, Delaware St. 50 Georgia 94, Mount St. Mary’s 82 Lipscomb 101, Bryan 55 Marymount 73, Lynchburg 71 NC Central 79, Longwood 70 NC State 82, Saint Louis 70 SE Louisiana 48, Grambling St. 47 UT Martin 78, William Woods 75

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL WEDNESDAY’S SCORES EAST

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEW MEXICO 78, UC IRVINE 65

TOTALS

Catholic 99, Roanoke 72 Ohio Wesleyan 76, La Roche 65 Pittsburgh 62, Fort Wayne 48 Radford 66, West Virginia 65 Rider 88, Delaware 85, OT Robert Morris 75, St. Francis (Pa.) 73 Salisbury 75, Washington College (Md.) 53 Seton Hall 75, UConn 60 St. John’s 81, Xavier 66 Waynesburg 55, Pitt.-Greensburg 50 York (Pa.) 89, Penn State-Altoona 86

Cal St.-Fullerton 67, Paciﬁc 56 California 71, UC San Diego 67 Chicago St. 55, Bethune-Cookman 54 Denver 90, Northern New Mexico 57 Gonzaga 100, Jackson St. 76 Grand Canyon 76, Sam Houston St. 64 Liberty 79, Utah Valley St. 63 New Mexico 78, UC Irvine 65 Northwestern 65, Arizona St. 46 San Francisco 91, N. Arizona 51 San Jose St. 81, Santa Clara 78 Seattle 79, Louisiana Tech 73, OT UC Santa Barbara 94, Howard 81 Utah 85, Bellarmine 43 Wyoming 78, S. Dakota St. 65

Milwaukee at New York, 10:30 a.m. Boston at L.A. Clippers, 1:30 p.m. Denver at Charlotte, 5 p.m. Houston at New Orleans, 5 p.m. Orlando at Indiana, 5 p.m. Detroit at Brooklyn, 5:30 p.m. Memphis at Atlanta, 5:30 p.m. Utah at Toronto, 5:30 p.m. Cleveland at Chicago, 6 p.m. L.A. Lakers at Oklahoma City, 6 p.m. Portland at Golden State, 6:30 p.m. San Antonio at Dallas, 6:30 p.m. Minnesota at Sacramento, 8 p.m.

2-2 3-4 0-0 4-4 0-2 0-0 0-0 2-4 4-6 0-0 0-0 0-0

WEDNESDAY’S SCORES EAST

FAR WEST

SATURDAY’S GAMES

2-8 1-2 3-7 2-6 5-13 4-11 1-3 2-4 0-0 2-2 0-0 0-2

No. 1 Purdue (10-1) did not play. Next: vs. Jacksonville, Thursday. No. 2 Kansas (10-1) did not play. Next: vs. Yale, Friday. No. 3 Houston (11-0) did not play. Next: vs. Texas St., Thursday. No. 4 Arizona (9-1) beat Alabama 87-74. Next: vs. No. 14 FAU, Saturday. No. 5 UConn (10-2) lost to Seton Hall 75-60. Next: vs. St. John’s, Saturday. No. 6 Marquette (9-3) did not play. Next: vs. Georgetown, Friday. No. 7 Oklahoma (10-1) lost to No. 11 North Carolina 81-69. Next: vs. Cent. Arkansas, Thursday. No. 8 Tennessee (8-3) did not play. Next: vs. Tarleton St., Thursday. No. 9 Kentucky (8-2) did not play. Next: at Louisville, Thursday. No. 10 Baylor (9-2) lost to No. 21 Duke 78-70. Next: vs. MVSU, Friday. No. 11 North Carolina (8-3) beat No. 7 Oklahoma 81-69. Next: vs. Charleston Southern, Friday. No. 12 Creighton (9-3) lost to Villanova 68-66, OT. Next: at No. 6 Marquette, Saturday. No. 13 Illinois (8-2) did not play. Next: at Missouri, Friday. No. 14 FAU (9-2) did not play. Next: at No. 4 Arizona, Saturday. No. 15 Gonzaga (9-3) beat Jackson St. 100-76. Next: vs. San Diego St., Friday. No. 16 Colorado St. (10-1) did not play. Next: at Loyola Marymount, Friday. No. 17 BYU (10-1) did not play. Next: vs. Bellarmine, Friday. No. 18 Clemson (9-1) did not play. Next: vs. Queens (NC), Friday. No. 19 Texas (8-2) did not play. Next: vs. Texas A&M-CC, Friday. No. 20 James Madison (11-0) did not play. Next: at Morgan St., Friday. No. 21 Duke (8-3) beat No. 10 Baylor 78-70. Next: vs. Queens (NC), Saturday. No. 22 Virginia (9-2) did not play. Next: vs. Morgan St., Wednesday. No. 23 Memphis (9-2) did not play. Next: vs. Vanderbilt, Saturday. No. 24 Wisconsin (8-3) did not play. Next: vs. Chicago St., Friday. No. 25 Mississippi (11-0) did not play. Next: at Southern Miss., Saturday.

SOUTHWEST

FRIDAY’S GAMES

FG M-A

Boys basketball — Abq. West Mesa at Capital, 2 p.m. Española Valley at West Las Vegas, 1:30 p.m. Escalante at Native American Community Academy, 3 p.m. Girls basketball — Española Valley at West Las Vegas, noon

Hardin-Simmons 83, Texas Lutheran 67 North Carolina 81, Oklahoma 69 Oklahoma St. 76, Wofford 70 Rice 82, Prairie View 56 Schreiner 83, McMurry 75 UTEP 67, Norfolk St. 65 W. Illinois 65, Cent. Arkansas 54

Toronto at Phila., 5 p.m. Denver at Brooklyn, 5:30 p.m. Atlanta at Miami, 6 p.m. Dallas at Houston, 6 p.m. Phoenix at Sacramento, 8 p.m. Washington at Golden State, 8 p.m.

23 15 29 25 31 21 13 13 10 8 7 5

Saturday

Beloit 68, Dominican 67 Carroll (Wis.) 87, Lakeland 66 Concordia (Wis.) 79, Concordia (Ill.) 70 Dayton 91, Oakland 67 Eastern 82, Wabash 76, OT Elmhurst 81, Trine 74 Evansville 82, Tennessee Tech 51 Hope 73, North Central College 65 Iowa 103, UMBC 81 Loras 77, Blackburn 63 Nebraska 83, North Dakota 75 Rockford 73, Earlham 59 St. Norbert 59, Wis.-Oshkosh 57 Vermont 86, Toledo 60 Villanova 68, Creighton 66, OT

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

Tillis C.Welling Crockrell Henry Hohn Saran Keeler Leuchten Ujadughele H.Welling Redﬁeld Thoerner

Boys basketball — Peñasco at Santa Rosa, 6 p.m. Bernalillo at Taos, 7 p.m.

MIDWEST

Cleveland 124, Utah 116 Indiana 144, Charlotte 113 Miami 115, Orlando 106 Phila. 127, Minnesota 113 Denver 113, Toronto 104 New York 121, Brooklyn 102 Chicago 124, L.A. Lakers 108 Atlanta 134, Houston 127 L.A. Clippers 120, Dallas 111 Boston 144, Sacramento 119

UC IRVINE MIN

Friday

MEN’S TOP 25 WEDNESDAY

Atlanta No. 10 Penn St. vs. No. 11 Mississippi, 10 a.m.

Tampa, Fla.

FOOTBALL

Cuba at Escalante, 6;30 p.m. Coronado at Questa, 5 p.m. Mora at Maxwell, 5 p.m. Wrestling — Dual: Abq. Valley at Pojoaque Valley, 4 p.m.

Subject to change. Check with schools regarding tickets and game times and dates. Send changes to sports@sfnewmexican.com.

6:15 p.m. PRIME VIDEO — New Orleans at L.A. Rams

TENNIS

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL (BOY’S) 6 p.m. ESPNU — GEICO Holiday

PREP SCHEDULE

— —

65 78

Albany (NY) 74, UMass 52 Binghamton 73, Army 51 Boston College 94, Bryant 57 Holy Cross 55, Merrimack 43 Maryland 78, James Madison 55 Penn St. 101, CCSU 73 Saint Joseph’s 72, New Hampshire 54 Seton Hall 57, Georgetown 49 UAB 79, Wagner 39 UConn 111, Bold 34 UMBC 60, American 59 Vermont 70, Sacred Heart 64

SOUTH

Alabama 99, Jacksonville 61 Auburn 69, Washington St. 62 Austin Peay 57, New Mexico St. 55, OT Cleveland St. 70, Southern Miss. 63 Coastal Carolina 53, Chattanooga 49 Duke 70, Toledo 45 ETSU 60, Gardner-Webb 48 FIU 73, Chicago St. 55 Florida Gulf Coast 61, Drexel 35 Florida St. 110, Alabama St. 45 Georgia 65, Pittsburgh 59 Georgia Tech 81, SC-Upstate 50 Grambling St. 69, Nicholls 50 LSU 80, Coppin St. 48 Liberty 65, Grand Canyon 52 Louisville 59, Washington 51 Maine 80, Duquesne 72 Miami 59, Jackson St. 52 Middle Tennessee 83, N. Kentucky 42 NC A&T 66, Bethune-Cookman 47 NC State 87, Old Dominion 50 New Orleans 83, Alcorn St. 59 North Florida 55, Winthrop 49 San Diego St. 75, Kennesaw St. 52 Stetson 78, Valparaiso 62 Texas St. 63, Alabama A&M 52 Troy 98, Stephen F. Austin 78 Tulane 66, UALR 57 Tulsa 48, SE Louisiana 47 VCU 59, Md.-Eastern Shore 36 Vanderbilt 70, Dayton 53 W. Carolina 69, Queens (NC) 63

MIDWEST

DePaul 76, Xavier 55 Florida 82, Michigan 65 Ill. Chicago 81, UTEP 65 Iowa St. 87, N. Iowa 70 Kansas 69, Nebraska 52 Kansas St. 84, Southern U. 52 Michigan St. 83, Richmond 76 Milwaukee 100, V-Hawks 37 Missouri St. 56, BYU 55 N. Dakota St. 67, Cent. Michigan 57 Oral Roberts 76, Wichita St. 74

PREP ROUNDUP Boys basketball

What happened: Don’t look now, but the Roadrunners are 5-0 after beating the Dragons in a nondistrict game Wednesday in Larson Gymnasium. NMSD outscored Monte del Sol 15-8 in the second quarter to build a 27-18 halftime lead, and it grew to 44-33 entering the fourth. The Dragons, though, chipped away at the lead, but Roadrunners head coach Fran Lopez said his team showed a lot of patience and grit down the MONTE stretch. DEL SOL Top players: Adrien Ercolino scored 18 of his team-high 22 points for NMSD in the second half, with eight coming in the fourth quarter. Ty Todorovic drained five 3-pointers on his way to a 21-point night. Monte del Sol was paced by Devin Moore’s 23 points. What’s next: NMSD returns to the court Jan. 10 when it begins District 7-1A play against Coronado. Monte del Sol (2-7) plays Peñasco in the Dual-Cities Tournament at Santa Rosa on Dec. 29.

N.M. SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF

59 53

What happened: The Cardinals only led 30-25 at the half, but they outscored the Tigers 18-10 in the third to push the margin to 48-35 in a nondistrict game in Michael Marr Gymnasium. Esteban Medina was crucial to the third-quarter spurt, scoring half of Robertson’s points in the quarter. Top players: Medina had 19 points to lead the way for the Cardinals, while Nathaniel Gonzales added 11. Lionel Salazar scored 13 points to pace the Tigers. What’s next: Robertson (5-1) takes on Socorro in the opening round of the Stu Clark Tournament at New Mexico Highlands University on Wednesday. Taos (3-2) takes on Bernalillo on Friday at home.

LAS VEGAS ROBERTSON

60 TAOS

What happened: On Tuesday, the Elks used their depth and pressure to force a plethora of Patriots turnovers that fed the transition game in a nondistrict game. The lead grew to as much as 35, and Pojoaque head coach Ryan Cordova used his third string for much of the final quarter. “A great, great defensive effort,” Cordova said. Top players: Joziah Salazar had a game-high 25 points for the Elks, while Seraphin Mendez added 14. What’s next: Pojoaque lost Wednesday to Hot Springs 67-58 to fall to 6-5 overall. The Elks’ next game is Jan. 4 at the Portales Shootout against the host Rams.

POJOAQUE VALLEY

MIYAMURA

Girls basketball

What happened: The Lady Dons exploded for 18 points in the second quarter to erase a 12-11 deficit after the opening 8 minutes of a nondistrict game in Gillie Lopez Gymnasium. That run was enough to hold off the pesky Wildcats, as West Las Vegas led 29-20 at the half and 42-32 heading into the fourth. The Lady Dons only shot two free throws in the fourth quarter, even with Tularosa within shouting distance. Top players: Alexis Pacheco scored 13 of her 21 points in the second quarter to lead the Lady Dons. Tyra Horner scored all 10 of her points in the second half in support of Pacheco. Ray Ann Chavez had 14 points to pace the Wildcats, but all but four came in the first half. What’s next: West Las Vegas (7-2) takes on Española Valley at noon Saturday at home.

WEST LAS VEGAS

TULAROSA

The New Mexican FRIDAY’S GAMES

Purdue 79, Indiana St. 63 SIU-Edwardsville 106, Harris-Stowe 38 South Dakota 68, Bradley 47 South Florida 85, IUPUI 49 Texas 104, Texas Rio Grande Valley 51 W. Kentucky 66, Nevada 60

Philadelphia at Detroit, 5 p.m. Edmonton at N.Y. Rangers, 5:30 p.m. Boston at Winnipeg, 6 p.m. Montreal at Chicago, 6:30 p.m.

SATURDAY’S GAMES

SOUTHWEST

Arkansas 60, Illinois 59 Baylor 61, Providence 36 Cal Baptist 83, Texas Southern 62 Cent. Arkansas 75, Northwestern St. 57 Houston 71, Rice 63, OT Incarnate Word 70, Texas Lutheran 36 TCU 96, Omaha 56 Texas A&M 88, Prairie View 36

FAR WEST

Arizona St. 80, Fresno St. 76 Gonzaga 81, Arizona 69 Mississippi St. 82, Colorado St. 75 Montana 72, San Diego 52 Oklahoma St. 87, Utah Tech 61 Oregon St. 92, SE Louisiana 69 Paciﬁc 108, Cal Maritime 45 Portland 67, Portland St. 54 Stanford 92, UC Davis 52 UC Riverside 82, Cal Lutheran 49 UC San Diego 62, Boise St. 56 UC Santa Barbara 107, Life Paciﬁc College 53

HOCKEY NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE ATLANTIC

GP W L OT PTS GF GA

Boston Toronto Florida Tampa Bay Detroit Montreal Buffalo Ottawa

30 19 5 29 16 7 31 18 11 33 15 13 32 15 13 31 14 13 33 13 17 27 11 16

6 6 2 5 4 4 3 0

44 97 77 38 108 95 38 91 81 35 111 115 34 112 104 32 87 106 29 94 114 22 91 93

30 22 7 31 18 10 32 15 8 32 17 12 29 16 9 30 16 12 30 14 13 33 11 17

1 3 9 3 4 2 3 5

45 101 82 39 93 81 39 99 104 37 106 103 36 73 82 34 103 107 31 87 84 27 105 121

METROPOLITAN GP W L OT PTS GF GA

N.Y. Rangers Philadelphia N.Y. Islanders Carolina Washington New Jersey Pittsburgh Columbus

WESTERN CONFERENCE CENTRAL

GP W

PACIFIC

GP W

Winnipeg Dallas Colorado Nashville Arizona St. Louis Minnesota Chicago

31 30 32 32 31 31 30 31

19 18 19 18 16 15 13 10

L OT PTS

9 8 11 14 13 15 13 20

3 4 2 0 2 1 4 1

41 40 40 36 34 31 30 21

L OT PTS

GF GA

104 81 107 95 115 99 101 99 97 89 89 105 93 98 73 111

GF GA

Vegas 33 21 7 5 47 116 87 Vancouver 33 22 9 2 46 125 81 Los Angeles 29 18 7 4 40 102 70 Calgary 32 13 14 5 31 96 110 Seattle 34 11 14 9 31 92 110 Edmonton 29 13 15 1 27 98 100 Anaheim 31 12 19 0 24 84 105 San Jose 32 9 20 3 21 67 128 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Top three teams in each division and two wild cards per conference advance to playoffs.

TUESDAY’S GAMES

Tampa Bay 6, St. Louis 1 Columbus 9, Buffalo 4 Philadelphia 3, New Jersey 2, OT N.Y. Rangers 5, Toronto 2 Carolina 6, Vegas 3 Minnesota 4, Boston 3, OT N.Y. Islanders 3, Edmonton 1 Vancouver 5, Nashville 2 Chicago 3, Colorado 2 Arizona 4, Ottawa 3 Los Angeles 4, San Jose 1

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

Washington 3, N.Y. Islanders 2, OT Winnipeg 5, Detroit 2 Seattle 2, Los Angeles 1

THURSDAY’S GAMES

Carolina at Pittsburgh, 5 p.m. Nashville at Philadelphia, 5 p.m. St. Louis at Florida, 5 p.m. Toronto at Buffalo, 5 p.m. Vegas at Tampa Bay, 5 p.m. Washington at Columbus, 5 p.m. Edmonton at New Jersey, 5:30 p.m. Montreal at Minnesota, 6 p.m. Vancouver at Dallas, 6 p.m. Ottawa at Colorado, 7 p.m. Calgary at Anaheim, 8 p.m. Arizona at San Jose, 8:30 p.m.

Dallas at Nashville, 1 p.m. Vegas at Florida, 1 p.m. Boston at Minnesota, 5 p.m. Detroit at New Jersey, 5 p.m. Pittsburgh at Ottawa, 5 p.m. Tampa Bay at Washington, 5 p.m. Toronto at Columbus, 5 p.m. Buffalo at N.Y. Rangers, 5:30 p.m. N.Y. Islanders at Carolina, 5:30 p.m. Chicago at St. Louis, 6 p.m. Seattle at Anaheim, 6 p.m. Arizona at Colorado, 7 p.m. Calgary at Los Angeles, 8 p.m. San Jose at Vancouver, 8 p.m.

TRANSACTIONS BASEBALL Major League Baseball American League CHICAGO WHITE SOX — Selected the contract of RHP Josimar Cousin from Birmingham (SL). Designated RHP Luis Patino for assignment. DETROIT TIGERS — Agreed to terms with RHP Jack Flaherty on a one-year contract. National League NEW YORK METS — Acquired RHP Adrioa Houser and OF Tyrone Taylor from Milwaukee in exchange for a minor league RHP Coleman Crow. PITTSBURGH PIRATES — Agreed to terms with OF Andrew McCutchen on a one-year contract. Traded RHP Roddery Munoz to Miami for cash. Minor League Frontier League EVANSVILLE OTTERS — Sold the contract of OF Noah Myers to Tampa Bay and RHP Jake Polancic to Milwaukee. FLORENCE Y’ALLS — Sold the contract of RHP Aaron Rund. LAKE ERIE CRUSHERS — Sold the contract of RHP Trevor Kunci to Texas. NEW JERSEY JACKALS — Signed INF Miguel Gomez and 1B Keylon Mack. OTTAWA TITANS — Traded RHP Justin Showalter to New Jersey in exchange for C Justin Mazzone. QUEBEC CAPITALES — Signed RHP Tyler Bryant. FOOTBALL National Football League ARIZONA CARDINALS — Signed TE John Samuel Shenker and re-signed LB Davion Taylor to the practice squad. Released WR Daniel Arias from the practice squad. Signed TE Travis Vokolek from Baltimore’s practice squad. Promoted LB Tyreek Maddox-Williams to the active roster from the practice squad. Placed TE Geoff Swaim and LB Josh Woods on injured reserve/ ATLANTA FALCONS — Signed DL Tommy Togiai from the Cleveland practice squad to the active roster. BALTIMORE RAVENS — Signed TE Ben Mason to the practice squad. CAROLINA PANTHERS — Released QB Jake Luton from the practice squad. Designated LB Claudin Cherelus to return from injured reserve. CINCINNATI BENGALS — Acquired DT Travis Bell off waivers from Atlanta. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS — Re-signed QB Max Duggan to the practice squad. NEW YORK GIANTS — Designated OL Matt Pearl ad RB Gary Brightwell to return from injured reserve to practice. NEW YORK JETS — Activated QB Aaron Rodgers from injured reserve to practice. Waived FB Nick Bawden. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS — Designated WR Rakim Jarrett to return from injured reserve to practice. Reinstated OL Silas Dzansi from the practice squad injured reserve list. TENNESSEE TITANS — Signed LB Garret Wallow to the active roster from the Houston practice squad. Placed WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine on injured reserve. Designated CB Caleb Farley to return from injured reserve to practice and will remain on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. Canadian Football League WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS — Agreed to terms with LB Tanner Cadwallader on a two-year extension contract. HOCKEY National Hockey League ANAHEIM DUCKS — Loaned G Calle Clang to San Deigo (AHL). Recalled G Alex Stalock from San Diego. DETROIT RED WINGS — Reassigned G John Lethemon to Grand Rapids (AHL) from Toledo (ECHL).

SPORTS

Thursday, December 21, 2023

THE SANTA FE NEW MEXICAN

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MEN’S T OP 25 COLLEG E BA SKE TBALL

WOMEN’S T OP 25 COLLEG E BA SKE TBALL

Richmond has 23 as Seton Hall uses tight defense to stifle No. 5 UConn

NC State blows out Old Dominion for a 12-0 start

The Associated Press

NEWARK, N.J. — Kadary Richmond had 23 points and eight steals, Dre Davis added 17 points and Seton Seton Hall 75 Hall used 5 UConn 60 suffocating defense to stun No. 5 UConn 75-60 on Wednesday night for its biggest victory in three years. The win in the Big East Conference opener for both teams was the third straight for Seton Hall (8-4) and snapped a threegame winning streak for the Huskies (10-2). UConn previous loss was a 69-65 setback at No. 2 Kansas. The last time Seton Hall beat the No. 5 team was in January 2020 when it knocked off Butler. The Pirates beat Villanova twice when the Wildcats were ranked third. The Huskies played the ﬁnal 16:33 without starting center Donovan Clingan, who left after an apparent injury to his lower right leg. The sophomore had 14 points and seven rebounds. He went to the locker room and returned to the bench but did not play again. Pirates big man Jaden Bediako added 10 points, nine rebounds and three blocks, while clogging up the middle and making Clingan work for every point.

Al-Amir Dawes added 11 points. Tristen Newton had 16 points for UConn, which committed a season-high 17 turnovers and were held to a season-low point total. Seton Hall, which shot 59% in beating Missouri on Sunday, shot 29 of 56 from the field, or 52%. Trailing 20-10 with 8:47 left in the first half, Seton Hall closed out the period with a 24-9 spurt that featured eight points by Davis and seven straight at one point by Richmond. With the score tied at 27, Dawes scored four points and Davis three to gives the Pirates a 34-29 halftime lead. UConn never threatened in the second half and Seton Hall held a double-digit lead the final 7:32. NO. 11 NORTH CAROLINA 81, NO. 7 OKLAHOMA 69 In Charlotte, N.C., RJ Davis scored 23 points, Armando Bacot added 14 points and eight rebounds and North Carolina handed Oklahoma its first loss of the season. Cormac Ryan had 13 points and Harrison Ingram added 11 for the Tar Heels (8-3), who snapped a two-game losing streak. Otega Oweh had 23 points and Javian McCollum had 14 for Oklahoma (10-1). The Sooners’ loss leaves No. 3 Houston, No. 20 James Madison and No. 25 Ole Miss as the only

The Associated Press

PETER K. AFRIYIE/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Seton Hall guard Kadary Richmond, front, posts up UConn guard Tristen Newton during the ﬁrst half of Wednesday’s game in Newark, N.J. Seton Hall upset No. 5 UConn 75-60. unbeaten teams in Division I basketball.

NO. 21 DUKE 78, NO. 10 BAYLOR 70 In New York, Jared McCain scored 21 points and reserve forward Ryan Young was right in the middle of the decisive surge down the stretch as Duke beat Baylor 78-70 at Madison Square Garden. Jeremy Roach added 18 points and Kyle Filipowski had 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Blue Devils (8-3). RayJ Dennis had 17 points and Ja’Kobe Walter scored 15 for the Bears (9-2), who lost for the second time in five days following a 9-0 start. The score was tied at 61 with six minutes left before Duke reeled off nine straight points as part of a 14-1 run to take control. With Filipowsk on the bench with four fouls, Young made the go-ahead layup off a feed from Roach.

VILLANOVA 68, NO. 12 CREIGHTON 66 (OT) In Omaha, Neb., Eric Dixon made the go-ahead 3-pointer with 28 seconds left in overtime to finish his 32-point night and Villanova held off Creighton in the Big East opener for both teams. The Bluejays (9-3) led by

Lobos come alive in time

NO. 15 GONZAGA 100, JACKSON STATE 76 In Spokane, Wash., Graham Ike scored 22 points in 17 minutes, Braden Huff added 17 points off the bench, and Gonzaga ran away in the second half for the win over Jackson State. The Zags (9-3) rebounded from their loss to No. 5 UConn last Friday. Nolan Hickman scored 18 points and Ryan Nembhard added 11 points and six assists. Anton Watson finished with 10 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two steals, and moved into second place on the school’s all-time steals list, trailing only John Stockton. Ken Evans Jr. led Jackson State (4-8) with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Chase Adams added 14 and Coltie Young had 13 points.

UNM center Nelly Junior Joseph scores during Wednesday night’s game against UC Irvine in The Pit. GABRIELA CAMPOS/THE NEW MEXICAN

Continued from Page B-1

(11-1) roam around the basket but not attack it in the way they had during their hot streak. “They’re pretty tall,” freshman forward JT Toppin said. “I didn’t expect it. They’re long and tall.” A trio of Anteater bigs who were 6-10 and taller — Bent Leuchten, Dean Keeler and Carter Welling — combined for nine points and seven boards on the offensive end, and their five blocks had the UNM offense sputtering after taking an early 6-1 lead. The Lobos hit just 1 of 13 shots in one stretch and UC Irvine took a 12-10 lead on Keeler’s turnaround hook shot from the baseline with 12:06 left in the half. Lobos head coach Richard Pitino said the team’s inability to hit shots — particularly those at the rim — helped put them in a 21-18 hole late midway through the opening half. “We’ve been great at layups,” Pitino said. “They’re big. They took away layups. If you’re not going to knock down shots, how are you going to score? Now, you throw the ball into the post more and Nelly gets fouled. That’s great. JT started scoring a little bit more.” That helped in the second half, but UNM needed to find a way to score when those opportunities weren’t there in the opening half. It took some perimeter shooting to finally get the Lobos

14 early in the second half before Villanova (8-4) rallied to tie it and force overtime. Trey Alexander scored all eight of Creighton’s points in overtime and finished with 16 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. Baylor Scheierman also had 16 points and Ryan Kalkbrenner added 14. After Dixon, Hakim Hart with 10 points, was the only other Wildcat in double digits.

into a good rhythm. UNM missed its first nine 3-pointers before Jemari Baker Jr. dropped a triple from the right wing with 3:37 left in the half that gave the Lobos a 25-22 lead and led to Anteaters head coach Russell Turner’s first of two timeouts to end the half. It was part of a 15-6 run to close the first half, and the Lobos found ways to get to the rim in the final 65 seconds. Senior Mustapha Amzil, who did not

play in his team’s 73-72 win over New Mexico State on Dec. 15, came up with a layup with 1:05 left that pushed the lead to 30-25. He followed that with a putback of a Jaelen House missed a layup with 26 seconds left to make it 32-27 Lobos. Pitino said Amzil’s chance came when Isaac Mushila missed the game because of a sprained ankle. “He was that next guy ready to go,” Pitino said.

Turnovers also helped flip the momentum of the opening half, as the Lobos forced three in the last 5 minutes of the half. It set the stage for a much more productive final 20 minutes, as New Mexico managed nine steals overall. That was one shy of a fourth straight game with at least 10 steals. “And when you think about it, Jaelen House didn’t have one,” Pitino said. “So, I thought we turned up the heat better in the second half than the first half. We have some quick guards that can get some deflections.” Still, it took a 15-2 run early in the second half to finally put the Anteaters away. House got it started with a baseline jumper for a 43-36 advantage. He followed that with a corner 3 off a pass from junior Sebastian Forsling for 46-36 with 13:26 to go. He scored eight of the Lobos’ points during the run. Four of them came on free throws at the 12:11 mark to up the margin to 54-37. It stemmed from a technical foul UC Irvine head coach Russell Turner drew after House was fouled on a breakaway that represented the 10th team foul on the Anteaters. They had five in the first half. House finished with 20 points to lead a quartet of double-digit scorers, and 14 came in the second half. Donovan Dent and Joseph each scored 12 and Amzil reached 11 when he drained a 3 with 42 seconds left. Justin Hohn led UC Irvine (7-5) with 14 points.

Georgia has top class after 5-star ﬂip Continued from Page B-1

The big schools sign the bulk of their recruiting classes on the first day of the three-day early signing period. The traditional signing period in February is now more for schools lagging behind, maybe because of a coaching change, or those looking to add some finishing touches. Almost all the best recruits will be off the board by the end of the week, most signing with schools they have been committed to for months — like Jeremiah Smith, a receiver from Florida considered the top recruit in this class. Smith was a long-time Ohio State commit, but that didn’t stop in-state programs from continuing to pursue him. Not until Smith slipped on an Ohio State cap at a signing day ceremony at his high school did he put an end to any doubt he might flip to a college closer to home, like Miami. “I’ll be taking my talents to THE Ohio State University,” Smith said. Day was holding his signing day news conference at the time. When he was told Smith had stayed true to the Buckeyes, the

coach asked “Really?” and pretended as if his knees were buckling before letting out a deep breath. The Buckeyes were vying with Georgia and Alabama for the No. 1 overall recruiting class. “This is signing day and when you have really good players it’s going to come down to the wire. That’s how it goes,” Day said. Day was cautious about speaking about Smith before his signed NLI was officially in hand and it turned out he was right to be so. Almost 10 hours later, Ohio State announced Smith had signed. Georgia might have locked up the top spot at the expense of Florida State. KJ Bolden, a defensive back from Buford High School near Atlanta, decided to stay home and join the Bulldogs after being a verbal commitment to the Seminoles since August. “I reached out to him when he committed elsewhere,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “I told him we had a lot of respect for him, and we weren’t going to stop recruiting him, that we thought this was the best place for him.” According to 247 Sports’ composite rank-

ings, which provide a consensus of the major online recruiting ratings, Smart will have the No. 1 class for the third time since 2018. It was some good news for the Bulldogs, who missed out on a shot at a third straight national title after losing to Alabama in the Southeastern Conference championship game. Florida State lost another five-star when defensive linemen Armondo Blount signed with Miami. Blount had originally committed to Miami and flipped to FSU before switching it up again on signing day. Rival Florida was also working on a possible top-five class, but coming off a 5-7 season coach Billy Napier couldn’t keep the group together. Five-star cornerback Xavier Filsaime from Texas flipped to the Longhorns earlier this week and then the Gators lost four-star defensive linemen Adarius Hayes (to Miami) and Amaris Williams (to Auburn) and four-star receiver Izaiah Williams (to Texas A&M). “It’s a battle. There’s no doubt about it,” Napier told reporters. “We got some young men who were up for the challenge. Some were not up for the challenge.”

NORFOLK, Va. — Madison Hayes scored 17 points to lead six players in double figures and 3 NC State 87 No. 3 North Old Dominion 50 Carolina State ran away from Old Dominion 87-50 on Wednesday night. Aziaha James, from nearby Virginia Beach, added 16 points and Zoe Brooks had 11 assists as the Wolfpack (12-0) capped the fifth unbeaten nonconference schedule in its history and its third 12-0 start in the past 11 seasons under coach Wes Moore. Brenda Fontana led Old Dominion (8-2) with 12 points and Nnenna Orji had 10, but the Lady Monarchs lost their second straight. It was also Old Dominion’s first home loss in nonconference action in 13 games dating to last season. NO. 5 TEXAS 105, UT RIO GRAND VALLEY 51 In Edinburg, Texas, Rori Harmon scored 12 points and became the fastest Texas player to reach 500 assists and the Longhorns cruised to a win over UT Rio Grand Valley. All 12 Longhorns scored, seven of them in double figures and three joined Harmon with 12 points. Shaylee Gonzales, Aaliyah Moore and DeYona Gasta also had 12 points. Harmon had eight assists, giving the junior 501 in 79 games. Moore had nine rebounds. Iyana Dorsey had 19 points for the Vaqueros (0-10), Charlotte O’Keefe had 11 and Kade Jackerott 10. UTRGV shot 29% (14 of 48), going 6 of 24 behind the arc.

NO. 7 LSU 80, COPPIN STATE 48 In Baltimore, Angel Reese scored 26 points in a victorious return to her hometown, and LSU beat Coppin State. Reese, who was a high school star in Baltimore at St. Frances Academy, played two seasons at Maryland before transferring to LSU and winning a national title last season. She dominated the early going as the Tigers (12-1) took control and never really relinquished it. At 6-foot-3, Reese was at least 2 inches taller than every player on Coppin State’s roster. She finished with six rebounds and five steals in addition to her game-high scoring total. Flau’jae Johnson added 18 points for the Tigers.

NO. 9 STANFORD 92, UC DAVIS 52 In San Francisco, Hannah Jump became Stanford’s career 3-point leader when she hit from deep in the first quarter, and Kiki Iriafen had 20 points and 11 rebounds as Stanford powered past Northern California neighbor UC Davis. Cameron Brink added 21 points, four rebounds and two blocked shots as the Cardinal (10-1) moved Hall of Fame coach Tara VanDerveer seven victories from becoming the winningest college coach ever. Elena Bosgana added 14 points and six rebounds as Stanford finished with six players scoring in double figures. Evanne Turner scored 17 points to lead the cold-shooting Aggies (4-6) and Tova Sabel, averaging 13.2 points come into the game, finished with 11 points on 4-of-15 shooting with three 3s.

NO. 10 BAYLOR 61, PROVIDENCE 36 In Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Bella Fontleroy scored 14 points, Sarah Andrews added 12 points and Baylor routed Providence in the West Palm Beach Classic. The game was hampered by 40 fouls and 41 turnovers — with 27 miscues by the Friars. Baylor shot just 39% from the field and Providence didn’t make its 10th field goal until the 5:56 mark of the fourth quarter. Dre’Una Edwards had 10 points

and eight rebounds, and Yaya Felder added 10 points, nine rebounds and five assists for Baylor (10-0).

NO. 12 KANSAS STATE 84, SOUTHERN 52 In Manhattan, Kan., Ayoka Lee continued her red-hot shooting pace and scored 20 points to lead Kansas State over Southern. Lee made 8 of 10 shots, including 1 for 1 from 3-point distance, and made all three of her free throws. She has made 46 of 59 shots (78%) over the past four games and has scored 108 points in that stretch. Serena Sundell had 11 points with seven assists and five rebounds for the Wildcats (12-1). Taryn Sides had 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists. The Wildcats shot 56.7% and scored 40 points in the paint.

NO. 17 UCONN 111, TORONTO METROPOLITAN 34 In Toronto, Aaliyah Edwards scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in her homecoming, leading UConn over Toronto Metropolitan. Behind Edwards, who was two shy of her career high while shooting 9 of 13 from the field plus 8 of 9 at the foul line, the Huskies (10-3) were never challenged. Freshman KK Arnold scored a season-high 21 points for UConn. Ashlynn Shade had 20, Qadence Samuels set a season best with 18, and Paige Bueckers scored 11.

NO. 19 LOUISVILLE 59, NO. 23 WASHINGTON 51 In Louisville, Ky., Olivia Cochran scored 14 points, Nyla Harris added 11 and Louisville stayed undefeated at home with a win over Washington. Louisville closed the first half on a 6-0 run, with the last four by Sydney Taylor, and opened the second half by scoring five straight points for the first double-digit lead of the game at 36-26. Kiki Jefferson, averaging a team-high 12.7 points per game, and Taylor each added eight points for Louisville (11-2), which picked up its second ranked win of the season.

NO. 20 GONZAGA 81, ARIZONA 69 In Phoenix, Yvonne Ejim scored 21 of her 27 points in the first half, Brynna Maxwell scored 14 of her 17 in a dominant third quarter and Gonzaga defeated Arizona in the Jerry Colangelo Classic. The Bulldogs were 12 of 16 in the third quarter and were shooting 68% (28 of 41) entering the final 10 minutes. Kayleigh Truong added 17 points for Gonzaga (12-2) on 6-of-7 shooting with four 3-pointers. Her twin sister Kaylynne had six assists. Eliza Hollingsworth had 11 rebounds for the Zags.

NO. 21 FLORIDA STATE 110, ALABAMA STATE 45 In Tallahassee, Fla., Ta’Niya Latson’s 23 points led six players in double figures and Florida State coasted to a win over Alabama State. The 110 points tied for the third most in Florida State history, behind the 114 in 1991 and 113 in 2022. The 65-point win was the sixth largest and biggest since winning by 66 in 2009. And the 14 3-pointers were one shy of a school record. Alexis Tucker and Sara Bejedi both had 15 points for the Seminoles (9-3), Makayla Timpson had 14 with eight rebounds and O’Mariah Gordon scored 10, putting all five starters in double figures. Brianna Turnage had 11 on the bench, going 4 for 4 with three 3s.

NO. 25 TCU 96, OMAHA 56 In Fort Worth, Texas, Sedona Prince scored 26 points and grabbed 17 rebounds, Madison Conner added 19 points and TCU beat Omaha for its record 12th-straight win. TCU (12-0), which has won 13 of its last 14 games dating to the 2023 Big 12 Tournament, is off to its best start in program history.

Lobos unveil new staff, two prep recruits Continued from Page B-1

the “Trench Mob” that led the way to an undefeated season and a 4A title in Arizona. He was named First Team All-Conference and he was an honorable mention All-State selection by the Arizona Republic. Mendenhall said in a news release the early signing period is not something that is on his

and his coaching staff’s timetable as far as signing players. “Our goal is to have our roster set and ready when we arrive at fall camp in July so everything we do is to work to maximize what we are doing for the roster,” Mendenhall said. “We are being very intentional in our timelines and how we will build this program so that we can have sustained success.”

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Y E AR IN RE VIEW

NFL

Penske threepeat a potential theme for NASCAR in 2024 Hamlin, Elliott on the mend from offseason surgeries By Pete Iacobelli

The Associated Press

Roger Penske achieved something this season the pioneering motorports magnate had never done in his long, accomplished career with back-to-back NASCAR championships. Ryan Blaney gave Penske consecutive series titles at Phoenix last month after teammate Joey Logano’s title-winning run in 2022. “You win one, and you start all over again,” Penske said. “They don’t give you an extra lap ahead of everybody after you win one. Last year, Joey did a great job, and by the way when you think about it, last year at Phoenix, if you watched it, Ryan was a good wing man. He had a fast car at Phoenix, so we knew that he had the speed.” That showed throughout this past season as Blaney won three times, including twice in the playoffs and was fastest when it counted most with eight top 10 finishes in the final 12 races. Blaney was gushing after his championship after starring in a pair of Penske firsts: Winning the Coca-Cola 600 to combine with Josef Newgarden’s Indianapolis 500 win on Memorial Day weekend and then earning that NASCAR crown. “You don’t get to do that often, do something for Roger that he hasn’t done before, and to be able to bring that to him is definitely very special,” Blaney said. Count on Blaney and Logano to go hard after a Penske threepeat when the season kicks off next season.

Banged up A couple of other title contenders in Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott will bear watching after offseason surgeries. Hamlin had said 2023 was his year before getting eliminated from contention in the next-tolast race of the season. He had shoulder surgery in November that he said was more complicated than expected. Hamlin said it will affect offseason preparations headed into next year. Elliott had shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum and he believes he’ll be ready for next year. He missed six races in 2023 after injuring his leg snowboarding. A healthy Elliott should make Hendrick Motorsports as strong as ever. Past champion Kyle Larson and William Byron combined for 10 victories and ﬁnished second and third in the series standings.

SPORTS

Thursday, December 21, 2023

Tuning in NASCAR fans will have several new streaming ways to watch after the sport’s seven-year media rights deal that includes Amazon, TNT and Max. The new arrangement is worth $7.7 billion when a previously announced $1.1 billion contract with CW is ﬁgured in, according to the Sports Business Journal. NASCAR has not detailed the contract’s value.

Biggest surprise Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing’s revival under ex-series champion Brad Keselowski, an owner who helped Jack Roush’s once-great program return to prominence this season. The program got drivers Chris Buescher and Keselowski into the playoffs with Buescher winning three races and advancing to the ﬁnal eight.

Biggest letdown Kevin Harvick rode through his ﬁnal NASCAR season without a victory, despite tributes and remembrances at almost every stop on the circuit. The Stewart-Haas driver came close, winding up second behind William Byron at Darlington in May. Harvick ends his career with 60 wins and a record 14 straight playoff appearances, along with a 2014 series championship.

Top rookie Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs’ grandson, was the 2022 Xfinity Series champion and backed that up by winning rookie of the year in his first full Cup Series season driving his granddad’s No. 54 car. The 21-year-old Gibbs had nine top-10 finishes this past season with his best showing a fourth at the Roval course in Charlotte last October.

Retirement age? Martin Truex Jr., the 2017 NASCAR champion, thought about stepping out of the cockpit of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing car at age 43 before signing a one-year extension. Several times during the year, Truex sounded like a racer ready to join contemporaries Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and now Harvick outside the NASCAR garage.

One to watch Noah Gragson is getting a second chance after a “like” of a social media post about murdered George Floyd nearly cost him his NASCAR career. The talented 25-year-old spent the past ﬁve months working on personal growth and maturity following his dismissal from Legacy Motor Club. He has been signed by Stewart-Haas Racing to drive the No. 10 formerly run by Aric Almirola.

Roger Penske, left, achieved something this season the pioneering motorsports magnate had never done in his long, accomplished career with back-toback NASCAR championships. AJ MAST THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Rodgers activated from IR Change is next step in Jets quarterback’s rehab, but he won’t play until next season

By Dennis Waszak Jr.

The Associated Press

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. aron Rodgers will remain on the practice field to continue working on his return for the New York Jets — for next season. The four-time NFL MVP was activated from the injured reserve list Wednesday, a move coach Robert Saleh said is merely the next step in Rodgers’ rehabilitation from a torn left Achilles tendon. The Jets had until Wednesday to activate Rodgers — whose 21-day practice window began Nov. 29 — or he would revert back to IR for the rest of the season. Instead, Rodgers will be able to participate at practice as part of New York’s 53-man roster. Players on IR can remain with the team but can’t practice. “We’ve got the roster flexibility with all the different things that have happened over the course of the last couple of weeks,” Saleh said, referring to several other injuries suffered by Jets players. “It’s all part of his rehab and just having him out on the football field is a plus for everybody. It’s a plus for him, it’s a plus for his teammates, so we’re going to keep him on the 53.” The 40-year-old Rodgers said Tuesday on The Pat McAfee Show he’s not yet 100% healthy and is still a few weeks away. He said if the Jets remained in the playoff hunt, he would have pushed to play Sunday against Washington, but New York was routed 30-0 and eliminated from postseason contention for the 13th straight year. “He tried everything he could to get back,” Saleh said. “And, you know, who knows if the circumstances were different? Get a couple of these wins, maybe we’re having a different conversation. But I know he gave everything he could.” Rodgers reiterated his goal has been to play “at least two years,” and he considered this season a “lost” year. So, he doesn’t anticipate next season being his last in the NFL.

LYNNE SLADKY/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers looks up during the second half of Sunday’s game against the Dolphins in Miami Gardens, Fla.

“I think he’s going to play until his wheels fall off,” Saleh said. “I don’t think it’s one, two. I think he’ll go three, four, ﬁve, if he can. That’s just my opinion.” Rodgers said during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show he has full faith in Saleh, general manager Joe Douglas and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, and the team needs to “reload” and not “rebuild” during the offseason. “I appreciate it,” Saleh said of Rodgers’ endorsement. “He’s here every day, and it’s appreciated.” Rodgers had surgery two days after his injury and was attempting to make the fastest return from a torn Achilles tendon of any known professional athlete. The operation reportedly included a “speed bridge” — an internal brace on the Achilles tendon — procedure that helps expedite the healing process. He has made remarkable strides in his recovery, and Saleh even said last Friday the quarterback “looks normal” during his

limited practice activities. Rodgers has been participating in individual and 7-on-7 drills while also taking snaps from under center and jogging, but he hasn’t yet done 11-on-11 team drills. The Jets had only a walkthrough practice Wednesday and Rodgers was estimated as a non-participant on the injury report. Rodgers said Tuesday he would try to ramp things up this week if the Jets remained in contention, but now without a timetable, “obviously we can be as smart as we need to be.” Meanwhile, quarterback Zach Wilson remains in the concussion protocol and didn’t participate in the walkthrough but is improving, according to Saleh. If Wilson can’t play Sunday, Trevor Siemian would start in his place. Brett Rypien also is on the roster. “At this point in my career, especially, any chance I get to play is awesome,” the 31-year-old said. “If it happens, I’ll be ready. If not, hoping Zach’s coming back if he feels all right.”

Rams, Saints roll into showdown with playoff spots in sight By Greg Beacham

The Associated Press

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The short week of rest and recovery for a Thursday night game is never a welcome sight on the schedule for NFL teams. Getting that assignment in Week 16 is particularly unpleasant for beat-up players and sleep-deprived coaches — and even more daunting when the matchup carries significant playoff implications. Yet the Los Angeles Rams and the New Orleans Saints have reasons to be positive about the timing of their compelling matchup at SoFi Stadium. The Rams (7-7) have won four of five while playing their best football in two years, and they would like to keep their momentum going. “Feels good to actually be playing at what we’re capable of,” Rams linebacker Ernest Jones said. “Early on, we let a lot of games slip, so it’s good to be rolling again. We can’t wait to show everyone that this young team, we’re still going to fight.” The Saints (7-7) are also on a roll with two straight dominant wins, including a 24-6 thrashing of the Giants last Sunday. They also know they’ll also return home from this quick trip to the West Coast with extra time for healing and preparation for two games that could be even more important. “After a good game that we

Rams safety John Johnson III, left, celebrates after intercepting a pass intended for Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin during the second half of Sunday’s game in Los Angeles.

TODAY ON TV 6:15 p.m. on Prime Video — New Orleans at L.A. Rams

had as a team … you want to get back out there because you feel good,” Saints quarterback Derek Carr said. “Really, it’s in the mindset, as I’ve learned over my 10 years. You’ve got to set your mind for Thursdays. They’re going to happen whether you want them to or not, and you’ve got to bring the energy and the effort to have a good day.” Even a few weeks ago, the Saints visiting the Rams didn’t look like a matchup worthy of prime time, since both teams had struggled to stay above .500 and in playoff contention this season. But both teams have played their way into the thick of the NFC postseason race since then, setting up a compelling contrast of styles and strengths. Sean McVay’s offense has moved up to eighth in the league with a series of strong performances led by Matthew Stafford, who is on a roll with 12 TD passes and one interception in the past four games. “I think they’ve got a lot of guys that have played in a lot of big-time games,” McVay said of the Saints. “This is a team that knows how to play winning football in the month of December, so we’ve got a great challenge.” New Orleans will counter with its excellent secondary leading a defense that hasn’t

RYAN SUN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

allowed a touchdown in two straight games. This game is important to the ﬁrst-place Saints, but they ﬁnish the season with two NFC South matchups, including a showdown on New Year’s Eve with division co-leader Tampa Bay. “At this point we still have our destiny in our hands,” Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan said. “We don’t have to rely on anybody except us to try and get a playoff berth. … The moment we falter is the moment we give somebody else our fate, and I’ve been there before, probably the last two seasons. That’s not what I’m looking for.”

Recent rivalry The Saints and Rams have split two meetings since Los Angeles’ overtime win in New Orleans in the NFC championship game in January 2019 — and neither game was good for quarterbacks. Drew Brees broke his hand in the Saints’ loss in Los Angeles in September 2019 and missed the next ﬁve games, although it didn’t stop New Orleans from going 13-3 that season. Stafford then played his ﬁnal

game of last season in the Rams’ 27-20 loss in New Orleans last November, leaving early with a possible concussion and eventually being ruled out for the season with a bruised spinal cord.

Veteran leadership Last week, the Saints’ coaching staff strategically placed gas cans in the locker stalls of some key veteran players. The unspoken question was: How much gas do you have in the tank for a crucial late-season stretch? “We kind of challenged older veteran players to step up and be at their best when their best is needed,” Saints coach Dennis Allen said. Saints middle linebacker Demario Davis, now in his 12th NFL season, responded with a 10-tackle game highlighted by a sack and two tackles for loss against New York. Jordan played through ankle soreness and helped the Saints limit the Giants to just 60 yards rushing. “It feels like it’s time for older guys to corral the team in terms of just sideline, in terms of energy, in terms of leading the charge,” Jordan said.

Texas, California stand fast against surge in legalized gambling Continued from Page B-1

“The tax revenue alone is insane. Any casino is already generating nearly $9 billion a year in California alone. I can’t even imagine what that number would balloon to if you were able to do this from the comfort of your own home on a mobile device.” In Texas, any push for casino gambling is a matter of playing a potentially years-long game. Proponents have poured millions into political action committees and campaign donations. Casino magnate Miriam Adelson, who in November entered into an agreement to buy the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, donated $1 million to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s 2022 campaign. Gaming measures have slowly picked up support, but a spending wave has

yet to deliver a Texas-sized jackpot in a Legislature where resistance to legalizing casinos still runs deep. The Texas Republican Party passed a resolution that showed renewed opposition to casino gambling among party activists. There has been no bigger obstacle than Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who controls the state Senate and wields enormous inﬂuence over what bills even come up for a vote. A gambling measure that would have allowed mobile sports betting passed the House last spring but never even got a vote in the Senate. “The Republican electorate controls Texas,” longtime Republican consultant Bill Miller said. “I don’t think right now they are enamored of casino gaming. It’s daunting task to turn that around.” Texas lawmakers do not meet again

in regular session until 2025 and Patrick may run for re-election in 2026. “Over time, gaming is going to come to Texas in all versions. Casinos will be the last version,” Miller said. “You have to have patience and you have to have money. You have to have the ﬁnancial standing to stay in the game.” There are signals that Adelson-led Las Vegas Sands is willing to dig in and wait. Dallas-area media report property records indicate that the casino company purchased around 100 acres of land near the old Texas Stadium site in Irving. Georgia and Missouri are other states to watch in 2024. A bill could be reintroduced in Georgia, where two other measures already have failed. A bill that passed in the Missouri House this year didn’t get out of the Senate, but it could

be resurrected. Sports betting for decades faced massive opposition from the NCAA and professional leagues because of a concern about potential point shaving that could call into question the legitimacy of games and matches. But with sports betting now widely accepted and even promoted, those in positions of power at the college and pro levels are having to adapt even as negative headlines emerge. More than 40 Iowa and Iowa State athletes were implicated in a sports-betting investigation, and nine athletes pleaded guilty to underage gambling. Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon was ﬁred after suspicious betting tied to a Crimson Tide game occurred at a Cincinnati sportsbook. The NFL has also suspended mul-

tiple players this year for violating the league’s sports-betting policy. Sports betting supporters have long argued that making wagering legal makes it easier to track down improprieties, such as unusual changes in betting lines. Betting done off the books, they say, is nearly impossible to monitor. “Gambling is still going on in these states, whether or not it’s lawful,” Fogel said. “What that means is it’s going on in an unregulated manner. It’s going untaxed. There’s no integrity program in place where there can be safeguards and regulations. Betting is occurring. I’m not saying that’s the reason to pass legislation, but it is a reason.” Whether more states ﬁnd that a compelling reason, including in California and Texas, to legalize sports betting is something to watch in 2024.

Thursday, December 21, 2023

PAWS Sorry, dogs: Study finds cats play fetch, too By Leo Sands

The Washington Post

They are sleeker, more understated, and rarely as desperate for humans’ attention as their canine counterparts. But, according to a new study, many cats share a trait more frequently associated with pet dogs: They play fetch. The peer-reviewed study, published this month, dispels any lingering myth that cats do not know how to retrieve objects for their owners, said its authors, who based their findings on a survey of the owners of 1,154 cats that played fetch on every continent except Antarctica. Some cats can and do play fetch, they found, although it depended on the feline’s individual traits and the bond shared with its owner. “It was more common than people were probably expecting, and even I was expecting,” Jemma Forman, an animal psychologist at the University of Sussex and an author of the study, said. The authors of the study, published in the Scientific Reports journal, said they believe it is the most extensive conducted to date on this specific behavior among cats. The authors found that the vast majority of the domesticated cats surveyed — 94% — were not trained to play fetch but did so spontaneously. Most owners first noticed their cats fetching within the animal’s first year of life. Owners most frequently reported 7 months as the age cats began fetching. The study, limited to cats whose owners already reported fetching, did not assess how prevalent the behavior was among the general cat population. While many cats do fetch, Forman suggested that more research was needed to determine how common it was more generally. A cat’s breed was not a barrier to its ability to fetch, the study found, although Siamese cats were particularly well represented in the sample. It is also not yet clear if cats fetch for the same reason as dogs, who enjoy the bonding reward from their owners, the study said. It may simply be because cats are fascinated by the object, perhaps because it reminds them of prey. “We’re not quite sure whether it would be a social purpose, or that object-playing purpose in cats,” Forman said. “Some humans might prefer to play football and some like to play golf. Some cats just prefer to play fetch,” added co-author Elizabeth Renner, a psychologist at Northumbria University.

ADOPTIONS AT SANTA FE PETSMART Noon to 3 p.m., 3561 Zafarano Drive Presented by the Española Humane. Visit espanolahumane.org.

CAT ADOPTIONS AT PETCO 1 to 4 p.m., 2006 Cerrillos Road Presented by Felines & Friends New Mexico. Visit FandFnm.org.

hree years after surviving the Medio Fire in August 2020, Yakko and his friends, Wakko and Dot, are still waiting for a home they can call their own. The trio of cats had been living in the forest as semi-feral strays when they were trapped and saved. Sadly, they did not have a home to return to after the fire and are being cared for by Felines & Friends at Santa Fe Cats. Yakko and his friends were initially reluctant to engage with staff and volunteers. “Being trapped during a fire had of course been traumatic, and living indoors was probably all new to them,” said Lisa Phifer, one of Felines & Friends’ volunteer caregivers at Santa Fe Cats. During their first year, the trio spent much of their time perched in a cat tree together, enjoying sun and safety but without much interest in human contact. By 2022, Felines & Friends staff and volunteers started to see their distinct personalities emerge. Dot, the only girl, was the first to start actively seeking treats from staff and volunteers. Soon Yakko followed Dot’s lead, becoming more self-confident and gently nosing his way past the others at treat time. “Yakko and Dot are both big fans of Churu lick-able treats, so we started to pet them while they were enjoying treats,” Phifer said. By this summer, Yakko and Dot were both actively seeking and enjoying human contact. Wacko remained the shy kitty in the bunch, quietly welcoming crunchy treats from patient human friends while spending most of his time with Dot. Meanwhile, Yakko emerged from his shell as a friendly boy who enjoys not only treats but also being the center of attention. After three years in Felines & Friends’ care and at approximately 5 years old, Phifer believes Yakko is ready to go home with a patient adopter willing to give him time and space to adjust. “Yakko is somewhat selective about cat friends. He fares better with female cats and submissive males,” explained Phifer. “Yakko and other dominant male community cats at Felines & Friends have had skirmishes recently, although Yakko is not always the instigator and may just have learned to stand up for himself.” Felines & Friends does not know how Yakko would be around dogs or young children. He is not aggressive with people and would probably learn to enjoy attention from patient adults and teens. The affection of a semi-feral cat turned friendly is a triumph, not just for a cat like Yakko but also for his human caregivers. “This is precisely why many of us volunteer and work at Santa Fe Cats. Whether rescued from a fire like Yakko or saved years after abandonment, the love of a semi-feral is hard-won and all the more sweet,” Phifer said. Yakko has shown he enjoys human attention and indoor living. Now he just needs an adopter willing to give him that chance in a home. If you are interested in giving Yakko a

Sandra Jaramillo

Rescue Report

home for Christmas or after the holidays, apply to adopt at FandFnm.org to meet him. Wacko and Dot are also available for adoption. Since Wacko relies on Dot for comfort, Felines & Friends is hoping they will be adopted together. To meet more cats awaiting adoption, stop by Felines & Friends adoption centers at Petco Santa Fe and Teca Tu.

Yakko

Tracks Dew Paws Rescue: Precious is an 11-year-old mixed breed who was surrendered when her owner could no longer afford to care for her. Precious has been medically vetted and needs ocular surgery for cataracts. Precious gets around well with partial vision in one eye and gets along with both cats and dogs. Her adoption fee is waived in lieu of a good home for Precious to spend her senior years. If you are interested in fostering or adopting Precious, call 505-412-9096 or go to infodewpaws@ gmail.com for more Precious information. Española Humane: Calling all lap dog lovers: Can you resist this sweet snaggletooth? Twyla is stealing hearts around the world from the Puppy Patch at Ojo Santa Fe. Twyla goes home spayed, microchipped, up to date on vaccines and with six months of free heartworm prevention. Apply to adopt her or her siblings at espanolahumane.org, and appointments will be scheduled for approved adopters. Russell is a 1-year-old, 8-pound lover boy ready to purr his way into your heart for the holidays; he goes home neutered, vaccinated and microchipped. The shelter at 108 Hamm Parkway is open to walk-in adopters 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Call 505-753-8662 for more information. Felines & Friends: Spuckie, Hoagie, Zepplin and Blimpie were rescued as friendly 4-month-old stray brothers in need of spay/neuter and rehoming. Shorthaired gray Blimpie is very affectionate. He likes to be held, rub against your leg and sleep in your bed. One-year-old black-and-white brothers Cookie and Cream were rescued as friendly strays. These “twins” are soft and snuggly and sweet as can be. They may take a few days to acclimate to a new home but will soon reward their family with purrs and head butts. They appear comfortable with people of all ages and

‘Share the Love’ adoption event to be held at Subaru of Santa Fe Get into the holiday spirit this week at Subaru of Santa Fe’s “Share the Love” adoption event. Many puppies, kittens and dogs will be on hand and ready to go home

Levi Twyla

Russell

Blimpie

Tundra

other cats, and would probably enjoy being adopted together. Apply to adopt these boys at FandFnm. org or stop by Felines & Friends adoption centers at Petco Santa Fe and Teca Tu in the DeVargas Center mall. More than 170 cats are available for adoption. All have been spayed/neutered, vaccinated, tested and microchipped. Most have been socialized in foster homes. The Horse Shelter: Levi is a 4-yearold, sorrel grade, quarter horse-type gelding. He is a smart and conﬁdent little guy. He has been out on multiple solo trail rides and handled it very well. He can get a little hesitant when it comes to learning something new, but with repetition and consistency, he eventually ﬁgures it out. This guy will be one sturdy mount with more training and time under saddle. Levi still requires an experienced rider at this time to help further his training. If you are interested in Levi, review his riding video

with a lucky family. The event at Subaru of Santa Fe, 7511 Cerrillos Road, will be from 1 to 6 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Upgrades to Frank Ortiz Dog Park to be discussed on ‘Pet Chat’ Santa Fe’s most popular dog park is getting ready for a signiﬁcant upgrade, and you can be part of it. This week

P ET P I C I N B LO O M

Ricky

at thehorseshelter.org or call 505-577-4041 for more information. The Santa Fe Animal Shelter & Humane Society: Ricky is a handsome 11/2-year-old medium mixed-breed fellow. At the shelter, Ricky has been a timid guy who really needs someone who is going to stick by his side. He is house trained and is great on leash. All he needs is a little time to warm up to you. Tundra is a gorgeous 3-year-old mixed breed with a lot of shepard in him. He loves everyone he meets and loves his daily walks and treats. He will be the perfect companion for anyone who will love him. Meet pets looking for homes at the Santa Fe animal shelter, 100 Caja del Rio Road. The shelter’s adoption hours are from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. For more information, call 505-983-4309, ext. 1610. Contact Sandra Jaramillo at sjaramillo80@ yahoo.com.

on Pet Chat with Murad & Bobbi, hear all about the new master plan for the Frank Oritz Dog Park. From new structures, trail maps and security systems, the team at the Dog Park Project discusses big plans for the off-leash dog park. Plus, a tribute to the oldest dog that ever lived. Pet Chat with Murad & Bobbi airs 9 a.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday on 1260 AM and 103.7 FM. To engage with the show, email the hosts at petchat@santafe.com. The New Mexican

“Christmas is a season for kindling the fire for hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of ~ Washington Irving charity in the heart.”

Saturday KITTEN ADOPTIONS AT TECA TU Noon to 3 p.m., Teca Tu, DeVargas Center mall Presented by Felines & Friends New Mexico. Visit FandFnm.org.

The Santa Fe New Mexican’s ofﬁces at 150 Washington Avenue will be closed Monday, December 25, and reopen at 8 a.m. Tuesday, December 26. Distribution and home delivery will operate normally during the Christmas holiday. The Distribution Center will close Monday, December 25, and reopen at 6 a.m. Tuesday, December 26. The newsroom can be reached at 505-986-3035.

ADOPTIONS AT SANTA FE PETSMART Noon to 3 p.m., Zafarano Drive Presented by the Española Humane. Visit espanolahumane.org.

CAT ADOPTIONS AT PETCO 1 to 4 p.m., 2006 Cerrillos Road Presented by Felines & Friends NM. Visit FandFnm.org.

Sunday CAT ADOPTIONS AT PETCO 1 to 4 p.m., 2006 Cerrillos Road Presented by Felines & Friends New Mexico. Visit FandFnm.org.

SHARE YOUR PET PIC

Email your pictures to bbarker@ sfnewmexican.com. All photos should be at least 4 inches wide at 300 dpi. No money will be paid for published photographs. Images must be original and submitted by the copyright owner.

B-5

Saved from fire, semi-feral cat is ready for a home

PET CALENDAR IN BRIEF Friday

THE SANTA FE NEW MEXICAN

Have a safe and wonderful holiday!

SUBMITTED BY JANE BRICKNER

Elroy, adopted by Dottie Brandmeyer from a litter of seven puppies, thinks he is a beautiful ﬂower in Dottie’s garden.

Monday, December 25, 2023 • Christmas

FOR RELEASE DECEMBER 21, 2023

B-6 THE SANTA FE NEW MEXICAN Thursday, December 21, 2023

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle to place an ad call: 986-3000 | email: classad@sfnewmexican.com | visit: sfnmclassifieds.com

sfnm«classifieds Edited by Patti Varol

ACROSS 1 Less risqué 6 Faction 10 Yearn (for) 14 Name said to activate an Amazon gadget 15 Potato, in Indian cooking 16 Satellite whose day is almost 30 Earth days 17 Bogs 18 Word with bar or Bell 19 Oodles 20 Review that says, “Hitchcock serves up a twist that you won’t see coming”? 23 The Thrashers, on sports crawls 24 “ur the best” 25 __ and Herzegovina 27 Cuddling on the bus, e.g. 28 Silk Sonic musician Anderson .__ 30 Fox Sports journalist Hale 31 Review that says, “Bit of a downer, but Soderbergh delivers”? 34 __ the line 35 Headed up 36 Donkey 37 Review that says, “Idina Menzel shines as Elsa”? 42 Frightened cry 43 Figure of interest? 44 Private chats, briefly 45 Chew out 47 Unruly head of hair 48 Pleased sigh 51 In-depth news story, or any of the reviews mentioned in this puzzle? 55 High-fiber food 56 Goes bad 57 Keypad key 58 Live a nomadic life 59 Palo __, California

rentals

MISCELLANEOUS

STAR ST ART T TO TODAY AND STA STAY ALL YEAR!

APARTMENTS FURNISHED

THE SANT SANTA A FE NEW MEXICAN MEXICAN IS SEEKING CARRIERS CARRIERS FOR FOR ROUTES IN LOS LOS ALAMOS AND ALBUQUERQUE. This is a great way to make some money and still have most of your day for other things - like time with family, other jobs or school. These routes pay $1,000 every other week and take 2 to 2.5 hours a day.

1 bdrm.+ office + great amenities Indoor pool, sauna & gym. Furnished garden level condo. Arroyo views. 1 bdrm. + guest/office. Full size refrigerator, W/D, dishwasher & AC. Housekeeping included. Great long term corporate/film industry rental. Pet-friendly. Minutes to 10K, skiing, markets & historic downtown. $2,350 monthly casitagalisteo@gmail.com

12/21/23

By Lisa Senzel & Will Nediger

Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved

60 Harriet Tubman portrayer Cynthia 61 Matures 62 Efficient 63 Iberian infants DOWN 1 St. Petersburg neighbor 2 Top celebs 3 Actress Streep 4 Corporate VIP 5 Jones of “Parks and Rec” 6 Skewered Thai dish 7 Splashy style 8 __-Cola 9 Strip of computer icons 10 Collect over time 11 “SNL” regular who wrote the memoir “A Very Punchable Face” 12 Indiana residents 13 Sinus specialist, for short 21 Norwegian saint 22 Oxen connector 26 Strong insect 27 Company VIP 28 Fragment 29 Outlet letters

Classifieds Where treasures are found daily

Applicants should call: 505-986-3010 or email circulation@ cir culation@ sfnewmexican..com sfnewmexican

PINE WOOD $350 FOR FULL MEASURED CORD. HALF CORD, $180. FREE DELIVERY IN SANTA FE AREA. 505-316-3205

FURNITURE

Italian Leather Couch For Sale. 84 inch length. Good condition. Perfect for home or professional office. Black. Eldorado area. Asking $1250 Contact John 719-357-3221

JEWELRY Indian made, quality, contemporary jewelry. Including concho belts, large assortment of earrings, and many bolos. All new. 505-983-6676

WANT TO BUY CASH PAID PAID FOR FOR VINYL RECORDS RECORDS 33RPM Albums/LPs, 45RPM Singles/7”s, even 78s! Bring them to our NEW location at 131 W. Water St in Santa Fe every weekday from 11AM to 4PM or Call 505-399-5060 to schedule an appointment!

Call 986-3000

APARTMENTS UNFURNISHED WANTED: FULLFULL-TIME DELIVERY DELIVER Y DRIVER

31 Used a paternity benefit, perhaps 32 Sharp’s counterpart 33 Skillets, woks, etc. 34 Eater of 26-Downs on a log? 37 Tina of “Mean Girls” 38 Part of Q.E.D. 39 Marketing kin of “organic”

12/21/23

40 Smell 41 Countless 46 Freeway divisions 47 Stoneworker 48 Be part of, as a film 49 Excedrin alternative 50 Deli subs 52 Part to play 53 Jazz great James 54 Memo starter 55 Product of Bali

Available, near town 1 bdr., 1 bath apartment in town. one parking space; Yard, Washer; Tenant pays gas and electric. No pets. $1550/ month Sam 505-557-9581 Casita. Exclusive Eastside. East Alameda. 2 bed 1 bath. washer/dryer. Fireplace. Saltillo Tile. Radiant heating. Carport. $2500/ mo. 505-982-3907 2 bdrm. 1 bath. Centrally located near Santa Fe High School. Upstairs unit with yard. $1250.00 per month plus utilities. Inquiries may call office at 505-988-5299. 2 Bedroom 1 Bath. Located in a small single-story compound. Fenced yard. Fireplace. $1250.00 per month plus utilities. Inquiries may call 505-988-5299

HOUSES FURNISHED

Call 986-3000 to place your ad!

DECEMBER HOLIDAY DEADLINES 2023 PUBLICATION DATE

DEADLINE

RETAIL & CLASSIFIED DISPLAY Wed. & Thurs., Dec. 27 & 28 Thrifty Nickel, December 28 Friday, Pasatiempo, Dec. 29 Saturday TV Book, Dec. 30

Friday, Dec. 22, Noon Friday, Dec. 22, Noon Friday, Dec. 23, Noon Friday, Dec. 22, 5pm

4 bedroom 2 bath available Dec. 10th. Gated community. 2 Car Garage. Large backyard. $4000/ mo. Short or longterm lease. Call 505-484-7889

Spectacular 3 Bdrm. 2 Ba. Newly remodeled with an extra-large den plus fireplace. New central air conditioning and heating. Plus, an excellent large game room easily handles a ping pong or pool table or can be a home office. Super low maintenance exterior. DON’T MISS THIS ONE! $3000.00 per month. Inquiries can call office at 505-988-5299

Light Bright professional ofﬁce for lease. 900 +~ square feet. $1200 per Month. Includes three large ofﬁces and large reception area. Call/text Andrew for details 505-316-1228.

jobs

Wed., Dec. 20, Noon Thur., Dec. 21, 2pm Friday, Dec. 22, Noon Friday, Dec. 22, 1pm

OBITUARIES Sun., Mon. & Tue., Dec. 24, 25, 26

Friday, Dec. 22, Noon

Death Notices – After the above deadlines, phone the New Mexican through Saturday, December 23, at 505-986-3095. LEGALS Friday, Dec. 22, Noon

COMMUNITY CALENDAR Thursday, Dec. 21, 5pm

The N New ew M Mexican exican is a family family-friendly,, equal friendly equal--opportunity employ emplo yer, and we offer a comprehensiv compr ehensive e beneﬁts pack ackage. age. You ma may y apply her here e: https:// https: //sfnm.co/ sfnm.co/sfnmjobs sfnmjobs or come by our facility at 1 N New ew Mexican Plaz Plaza a to pick up an application.

MAIL MANAGER Responsible person needed to work Wednesdays and possibly Thursdays to stuff, label and organize weekly mailings. Excellent organizational skills and references required. 505-820-2333 or robett@prodigy.net

CALL 986-3000 TO PLACE YOUR AD!

announcements Pomeranian puppies Blue male $800, tcups $1250. Black Maltipoo pups $600 female $500 male. Pure bred Maltese pups $800. Yorkie pups $1250. 505-901-2094 505-929-3333

OFFICES

CLASSIFIED JOBS & LINE ADS Sunday JOBS, December 24 Fri. & Sat., December 22 & 23 Sunday, December 24 Mon. & Tue., December 25 & 26

PETS - SUPPLIES

PART-TIME

HOUSES UNFURNISHED

ATTENTION ADVERTISERS

The Santa Fe New Mexican seeks a dependable person with a valid driver’s license and spotless driving record to help us get the news out to the community we serve. As Single Copy Delivery Driver, you’ll be responsible for making sure The New Mexican is available everywhere it’s sold. Duties include stocking vending racks, supplying street vendors, monitoring inventory, and safely operating a company vehicle in every weather condition Northern New Mexico has to offer. Hours are 4:30am12:30pm, Thursday-Monday—your workday is done when most folks are just getting to lunch!

pets

NO-STRESS IN-HOME CA CAT CARE CARE Licensed & Professional Reasonable Rates THE CAT CONCIERGE Call Judy Roberts Santa Fe 505-954-1878 thecatconciergesantafe.com

Get Results!

Wednesday, December 27

The New Mexican is a daily newspaper and our subscribers love having it at their homes every day. You can make that happen! You must have a clean driving record and a reliable vehicle. This is a year-round, independent contractor position. You pick up the papers at our production plant in Santa Fe. It’s early morning in and done!

Place an ad Today!

Classifieds

Wednesday, December 27

FIREWOOD - FUEL

PERSONALS REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED BAPTIZED,, EVERY EVER Y ONE OF YOU YOU IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS.. AND YE SHALL SINS RECEIVE RE CEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY HOL Y SPIRIT. SPIRIT. ACTS ACTS 2-38

merchandise

Pomeranian Puppies 4 sale Pomeranian puppies beautiful, toys and T-cups, males and females, rare exotic colors, registered and 1st vaccinations received, long time reputable breeder. 1500.00 505-550-7319

EDUCATION Santa Fe Fe Girls’ School Seeking Full-time middle-school math teacher. Passionate colleagues, supportive administration, curious, dedicated students. Also seeking Summer Camp Coordinator for all-girls day camp.

ANTIQUES

dglass@santafegirlsschool.org

Small breed puppies Registered small breed local NM puppies for sale. Potty pad started. Payment plan available. Shots included. Check out cmoes-puppies.com or text 575-308-3017. Cards/PayPal/ CashApp/ApplePay all accepted

JOB SEEKERS IN HOME CARE SERVICE If you need help taking care of your Elderly Family Members in need, I have many years of experience and patience. I am a Certiﬁed CNA. I can help with your family members necessities. So you can be free of all your worries. I am available day or night. I have excellent references, please contact me at (505)316-4668

MID CENTURY 20TH CENTURY DESIGN Buy and Sell Furniture, Decorative Arts, Applied Arts, Art and Jewelry. Stephen Maras Antiques 924 Paseo De Peralta Smantique@aol.com 10am - 4pm or Appointments 847-567-3991

Maremma sheepdog puppies Purebred Maremma puppies, pedigree, first shots, de-wormed, ready now. please call for more info. 1000 9709858610

LegalNotice Cal 986-30

Monica Trujillo, Treasurer, and Kelse Lighthizer, Chair, for Acequia del Barranco Blanco (Applicants), 1757 State Road 502, Santa Fe, New Mexico, filed with the STATE ENGINEER Application No. SD-00144-26 for Permit to Change Place of Use (PLA) of an Existing Water PETS - SUPPLIES Right (Non 72-12-1) within the Nambe-Pojoaque Tesuque Stream System (Rio Grande Underground Basin) of the State of New Mexico. Santa Fe is the county affected by the diversion and in which the water has been or will be put to beneficial use. This notice is ordered to be published French bulldog pups, females $1500. in the Santa Fe NewUtd Mexican. Potty trained. Health guarantee. CLASSIC CARS The Applicants seek to on shots. 4 months old, loving and change playful. Great addition to your home.the PLA for 505-901-2094 505-929-3333. 0.34 irrigated acres of surface water currently used for irrigation purposes, diverted from Acequia de Barranco Blanco SD-00144 located at a point where X = 407,789 Easting and Y = 3,371,724 Northing, UTM Zone 13 North, NAD83. The1984 current Volvo Wagon Cross Country. Cavalier King Charles male PLApuppy. for SD-00144-26 is Auto. All-wheel drive. Leather interior. Blenom color. All shots and 184,000 Miles. SUPER CLEAN. $5700 in medical. the SW1/4 NW1/4 3.5 months old. $1475. 575-779-0272 obo. 505-603-8636 SW1/4 of Section 07 of Township 19 North, YORKSHIRE TERRIERS Range 9 East, Teacup and standard size AKC. Parti New Mexico Principle IMPORTS and chocolate Yorkie babies. First shots and deworming. Meridian Beautiful(NMPM), also colors. Male and female available. 15 as being lodescribed Suburu Forester. Beautiful Pearl years experience. $1500-$2000 withat 1- 1 2010 cated Kokopelli Grey. AWD. $6000. Call 575-770-5598 year health guarantee. Call/ text Drive on land owned 505-239-8843. by Sefarino, Ruby, and Eric Valdez, and 2 Kokopelli Drive, on land owned by App for iOS and Android Tiffany Valdez, in the county of Santa Fe, Santa Fe, New Mexico. The new PLA, File No. SD-00144-27, is located on land owned by the Applicants within the NW1/4 SW1/4 of Section 07 of Township 19 North, Range 9 East, NMPM, also described as being located on a parcel west adjacent to the current POU for BICYCLES Get it now SD-00144-26 on Tract I Private Claim 167 santafenewmexican.com/theapp Exception 122 on land Red and white border collie/ owned by Acequia del Australian shepherd puppies for sale. Blanco. The Barranco 2 male 2 females available 12/26.of use and purpose Parents are working dogs, and point of diversion will puppies are fourth generation not change. bloodline $200. Call/ text 505-670-5410 To view the applicaCKC Yorkie Male. Black and tan. Cute tion and supporting and playful. Shots and wormed. Will documentation conbe about 4 lbs grown. $950 tact o.b.o.the State Engineer 505-227-7728 District 6 Office at CKC Male Maltese. So sweet (505) and 827-6120 to Schwinn playful! Born June 21, 2023.arrange Shots anda date andMountain Bike 2000 24 speed mountain bike,full suspenwormed. $750 o.b.o. 505-227-7728 time for an sion,recently appointoverhauled, new ment.Born The District Of- shifters. It’s a sweet CKC Wheaton Female Scotty. tires,6 grip fice is located in suite June 6, 2023. Smart and playful. Shots ride. $149 970-406-0101 102 of the Bataan Meand wormed. $750 o.b.o. 505-227-7728 morial Building at 407 Galisteo Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501. Any person, firm or corporation or other entity asserting standing to file objections or protests shall do so in writingLEGALS (objection LEGALS LEGALS must be legible, signed, and include LEGAL #91996 the writer’s complete LEGAL #92030 name, phone number, NOTICE is hereby given email address, and NOTICE OF PUBLIC that on June 1,2023, mailing address). If HEARING - Santa Fe Monica Trujillo, Treas- the protest does not Civic Housing (SFCHA) urer, and Kelse include the complete – will convene a public Lighthizer, Chair, for name, phone number, hearing to discuss the Acequia del Barranco email address, and 5 Year Capital Fund AcBlanco (Applicants), mailing address, it tion Plan for 2023-2027 1757 State Road 502, may be deemed in- and the Capital Fund Santa Fe, New Mexico, valid and not accepted awards for 2020, 2022 filed with the STATE for filing unless and 2023 along with ENGINEER Application Protestant provides their respective AnNo. SD-00144-26 for with the protest an af- nual Statements on Permit to Change fidavit stating that it February 20, 2024. The Place of Use (PLA) of does not have one of SFCHA Plan is a coman Existing Water the above-liste ele- prehensive guide to Right (Non 72-12-1) ments/requirements public housing agency within the Nambe-Po- (phone number, mail- policies, programs, opjoaque Tesuque ing address, email ad- erations and strateStream System (Rio dress, etc.). The gies for meeting local Grande Underground objection to the ap- housing needs and Basin) of the State of proval of the applica- goals. It is through the New Mexico. Santa Fe tion must be based on: Five -Year Capital Fund is the county affected (I) Detriment: if detri- Action Plan and Anby the diversion and in ment, you must specif- nual Statement that which the water has ically identify your SFCHA proposes capibeen or will be put to water rights; and/or tal needs and yearly beneficial use. This no- (2) Public expenditures based on tice is ordered to be Welfare/Conservation awarded capital fund published in the Santa of Water: if public wel- amounts. In addition Fe New Mexican. fare or conservation of to Santa Fe housing The Applicants seek to water within the state Sites, the SFCHA manchange the PLA for of New Mexico, you ages public housing in 0.34 irrigated acres of shall be required to Espanola and mansurface water cur- provide evidence ages Section 8 vouchrently used for at multiple showing how you will ers irrigation purposes, di- be substantially and locations. These Plans verted from Acequia specifically affected. are available for rede Barranco Blanco The written protest view on weekdays SD-00144 located at a must be filed, in tripli- from 8:30 to 4:30 at 664 point where X = cate, at the District 6 Alta Vista Street in 407,789 Easting and Y Office or by mail at PO Santa Fe and at 136 = 3,371,724 Northing, Box 25102, Santa Fe, Calle Pajarito in EsUTM Zone 13 North, NM 87504-5102, on or panola. The Public NAD83. The current before February 9, Hearing will be conPLA for SD-00144-26 is 2024, Facsimiles ducted at the SFCHA in the SW1/4 NW1/4 (faxes) will be ac- Administration BuildSW1/4 of Section 07 of cepted as a valid ing in Santa Fe, 664 Township 19 North, protest if the hard Alta Vista Street. The Range 9 East, copy is hand-delivered Public Hearing will be New Mexico Principle or mailed and post- held during the meetMeridian (NMPM), also marked within 24- ing of the Board of described as being lo- hours of the facsimile. Commissioners on cated at 1 Kokopelli Mailing postmark will February 20, 2024 and Drive on land owned be used to validate the will start at 5:30 PM. by Sefarino, Ruby, and 24-hour period. You may contact David Eric Valdez, and 2 Protests can be faxed Martinez, Deputy DiKokopelli Drive, on to the Office of the rector for additional land owned by State Engineer, (505) information, including Tiffany Valdez, in the 827-6682. If no valid accessibility for percounty of Santa Fe, protest or objection is sons with disabilities, Santa Fe, New Mexico. filed, the State Office 505-930-5901 or The new PLA, File No. Engineer will evaluate Cell 505-321-1689. This SD-00144-27, is located the application in ac- meeting will be acceson land owned by the cordance with the pro- sible through Zoom, Applicants within the visions of Chapter 72 meeting information NW1/4 SW1/4 of Sec- NMSA 1978. below: tion 07 of Township 19 Zoom Meeting ID: 881 North, Range 9 East, Pub: Dec 7, 14, 21, 2023 5595 0076 NMPM, also described Passcode: 870727 as being located on a Place Your parcel west adjacent Invite Link: Legal Notice Today! https://us02web.zoom to the current POU for SD-00144-26 on Tract I .us/j/88155950076?pw Call: Private Claim 167 d=SkJyZmtuQ0MwWE 505.986.3000 Exception 122 on land ErRVArVTE4dW5TQT09 owned by Acequia del Barranco Blanco. The LEGAL #92037 Pub: Dec 21, 28, 2023 purpose of use and point of diversion will Cellco Partnership and LEGAL #92009 not change. its controlled affiliates Garcia To view the applica- doing business as Ver- Stephanie Commistion and supporting izon Wireless (Verizon Richard, documentation con- Wireless) is proposing sioner of Public Lands tact the State Engineer to collocate antennas State of New Mexico District 6 Office at at 29.25-ft on a 30-ft OF (505) 827-6120 to structure at 220 W. San COMMISSIONER arrange a date and Francisco St, Santa Fe, PUBLIC LANDS time for an appoint- Santa Fe Co., NM NOTICE OF SEALED BID Public com- PUBLIC AUCTION ment. The District 6 Of- 87501. fice is located in suite ments regarding po- FOR SALE OF LAND 102 of the Bataan Me- tential effects from Land Sale LE-1421, morial Building at 407 this site on historic 44.5267 (plus/minus) Galisteo Street, Santa properties may be acres submitted within 30 Fe, NM 87501. Any person, firm or days from the date of Sandoval County, New corporation or other this publication to: Mexico entity asserting stand- Project 6123008435 ing to file objections or ENB c/o EBI Consult- The Commissioner of protests shall do so in ing, 6876 Susquehanna Public Lands (“Comwriting (objection Trail South, York, PA missioner”) gives nomust be legible, 17403, ebellersen@ebi- tice of a sealed bid signed, and include consulting.com, or at auction pursuant to the New Mexico Enthe writer’s complete (407)792-9506. abling Act (36 Stat. name, phone number, Continued... Continued... 557) and NMSA 1978, email address, and Pub: Dec 21, 2023 Sections 19-7-1 and 19mailing address). If 7-2 to sell 44.5267 the protest does not (plus/minus) acres of include the complete state trust lands (the name, phone number, “Land”) located in email address, and

sfnm«classifieds cars & trucks

eNewMexican

recreational

7-2 to sell 44.5267 (plus/minus) acres of state trust lands (the “Land”) located in Sandoval County, New Mexico, more particularly described as follows:

mum Bid, with additional amounts in increments of $10,000.00. Sealed bids must be accompanied by a $3,000.00 non-refundable sale application fee and deposits in the amounts set forth below. Deposits must be in the form specified in the Bid Information Sheet (Exhibit “1” of the bid packet). Failure to include the sale application fee and required deposits will result in disqualification. In addition to making the required transaction cost deposit, the successful bidder will be required to pay all costs associated with the auction and sale. The deposits of unsuccessful bidders will be refunded. See the bid packet for additional information and requirements regarding the required deposits.

Thursday, December 21, 2023

THE SANTA FE NEW MEXICAN

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Tract 17 of Unit 17 as the same is shown and designated on the plat entitled “Paseo GateCAMPERS & RVS way Parcel A, Tracts 1 thru 9, 10A, 10B, 10C, 11 thru 18, A and B-1A, a Replat of Portions of Tract C in the Town of Alameda Grant Unit Seventeen etc.,” filed in the office of the County Clerk, Sandoval County, New Mexico on November 14, 2008 as Instrument No. 2008033908;

FURRY BEST FRIENDS

Being and intended to be part of Lot 3 (34.9360 acres), part of Lot 4 (1.1106 acres), and part of Lot 2 1979 Apollo, 33ft RV, Stored for (8.4801 acres), Section over 10 years. All ﬁberglass top of 32, Township 13 North, the line. 42,000 original miles. Range or 3 East, N.M.P.M. Great for temporary living

construction ofﬁce. Needs TLC. The Land is located in Transaction Cost De$2,177. 505-699-6161

any way YOU want it 1

Everyone loves a handsome hunk of chunkycheeked tabby cat! RUSSELL is a oneyear-old, 8 lb. lover boy ready to purr his way into your heart for the holidays. He goes home neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped. We are open to walk-in adopters Monday-Saturday, 11am-4:30pm.

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Cal 986-30

Calling all lap dog lovers! Can you resist this sweet snaggletooth? TWYLA is stealing hearts around the world from our Puppy Patch at Ojo Santa Fe! Twyla goes home spayed, microchipped, up to date on vaccines, and with six months of free heartworm prevention. Apply to adopt her or her siblings on our website and we can schedule appointments for approved adopters. www. espanolahumane.org 505-753-8662

posit: Advertising public auction (estimated) $5,005.60 Advertising Section 197-9.1 public meeting $996.23 Tract 17 appraisal and appraisal review $6,634.32 Tract 17 survey $3,689.33 DIGITAL ACCESS The Land is offered Total Transaction Cost “AS IS”; the Commis- Deposit $16,325.48 sioner does not make any representations or The sealed bid must provide any war- be accompanied by a $16,325.48 ranties regarding title both to the Land or its con- transaction cost dedition or fitness for posit and a performany purpose. The ance deposit in the Land is offered for a amount of $392,100.00, cash sale (i.e., full pay- representing 10% of ment in cash due at the Minimum Bid. closing) as a single For more information, contact Española Humane tract; bids for less Bids must conform 108 to Hamm Parkway, Española NM 87532 strictly the requirethan the entire tractat The NEW will not be considered. ments set forth in the bid packet be suborand call . eNewMexican Details regarding the mitted in a sealed More animals are available on the website at marked App for iOS auction, and Androidpotential sale, package applicable rules, bid- “Land Sale No. LEor ding • Unlimited online access to instructions and 1421.” forms are set forth in santafenewmexican.com the and bid packet, which Sealed bids must be can be obtained by submitted to the State pasatiempomagazine.com writing the State Land Land Office, 310 Old LEGAL #92012 • Unlimited online Office, P.O. Box 1148, Santa Fe Trail, Santa Santa Fe, NM 87504, At- Fe, NM, 87501 (courier STATE OF NEW MEXICO • eNewmexian digital replica LEGAL #92009 tention: Christopher service or personal de- COUNTY OF SANTA FE Wolf, Special Project livery) or P.O. Box 1148, FIRST JUDICIAL Stephanie Garcia Analyst, by telephone Santa Fe, NM 87504- DISTRICT COURT Richard, Commis- at 505-827-5095, or by 1148 (USPS postal Attention: Case No. sioner of Public Lands e-mail to mail), State of New Mexico cwolf@slo.state.nm.us Christopher Wolf, Spe- D-101-PB-2023-00115 . The bid packet also is cial Projects Analyst. COMMISSIONER OF posted on the State BIDS MUST BE RE- IN THE MATTER OF THE NO LATER ESTATE OF PUBLIC LANDS Land Office website, CEIVED NOTICE OF SEALED BID www.nmstatelands.or THAN 12:00 P.M. on PRISCILLIANO M. PUBLIC AUCTION QUESTIONS? g. The bid packet is in- February 29, 2024. LEGAL #92023 TRUJILLO, DECEASED FOR SALE OF LAND corporated in this no505-986-3010 Land Sale LE-1421, tice by reference and Sealed bids will be NOTICE OF HEARING LEGAL PUBLIC NOTICE44.5267 (plus/minus) should be reviewed in opened on March 1, REQUEST FOR acres detail before submit- 2024 at 9:30 a.m. at the PLEASE TAKE NOTICE PROPOSAL New Mexico State that the above-entiting a bid. Land Office (Morgan tled cause has been The State of New MexSandoval County, New Mexico The Minimum Bid to Hall), 310 Old Santa Fe scheduled for a hear- ico General Services purchase the Land is Trail, Santa Fe, New ing before the Honor- Department Facilities The Commissioner of $3,921,000.00 (three Mexico 87501. able Francis J. Mathew, Management Division Public Lands (“Com- million nine hundred District Judge, Division (FMD) is seeking proThe Commissioner remissioner”) gives notwenty-one thousand for construcI for the date, time, posals LEGALS LEGALS LEGALS LEGALS LEGALS tice of a sealed bid dollars). Bids offering serves the right to re- and place set forth tion special auction pursuant to less than the minimum ject all bids and below: inspections services the New Mexico En- will not be considered. withdraw the Land Date: Tuesday, January on an ‘on-call’ basis in abling Act (36 Stat. Bidders are encour- from sale or to reiniti- 16, 2024 New Mexico. This is 557) and NMSA 1978, aged to offer amounts ate the process of of- Time: 11:30 a.m. the official notice that Sections 19-7-1 and 19- greater than the Mini- fering the Land for Place: In-Person the Request for Pro7-2 to sell 44.5267 mum Bid, with addi- sale or exchange on Judge Steve Herrera posal (RFP) will be (plus/minus) acres of tional amounts in the same or different Judicial Complex available to the public state trust lands (the increments of terms at a future date. First Judicial District on or about December The Commissioner’s Court (3rd Floor) “Land”) located in $10,000.00. 21, 2023. selection of a bid shall 225 Montezuma Sandoval County, New Mexico, more particu- Sealed bids must be not constitute or be Avenue, Santa Fe, NM This RFP#40-35000-23larly described as fol- accompanied by a evidence of a contract 87501 08752 can be found onlows: $3,000.00 non-refund- between the Commis- Purpose: Verified line at: able sale application sioner and the se- Petition for Formal https://bids.sciquest. Tract 17 of Unit 17 as fee and deposits in the lected bidder. The Probate and com/apps/Router/Pub will Appointment of the same is shown and amounts set forth Commissioner licEvent?Cusdesignated on the plat below. Deposits must have no obligation to Personal tomerOrg=Stateentitled “Paseo Gate- be in the form speci- any bidder unless and Representative OfNewMexico&tab=P way Parcel A, Tracts 1 fied in the Bid Informa- until the Commis- Time Allotted: HX_NAV_Sourcinthru 9, 10A, 10B, 10C, 11 tion Sheet (Exhibit “1” sioner and that bidder 30 Minutes gOpenForBid&tma written thru 18, A and B-1A, a of the bid packet). execute stmp=1467214109161 Replat of Portions of Failure to include the agreement for con- Pub: Dec 14, 21, 28, Tract C in the Town of sale application fee veyance of the Land. 2023 Any inquiries regardAlameda Grant Unit and required deposits Closing shall occur no ing this RFP should be Seventeen etc.,” filed will result in disqualifi- later than 90 days LEGAL #92019 made to the FMD Proin the office of the cation. In addition to after the selection of curement Manager, NOTICE OF PUBLIC County Clerk, San- making the required the winning bid. Martin Kuziel, at 505HEARING Santa Fe doval County, New transaction cost de- Upon satisfaction of 827-2141 or Mexico on November posit, the successful all of the conditions Civic Housing (SFCHA) martin.kuziel@gsd.nm – will convene a public 14, 2008 as Instrument bidder will be required for completing the .gov No. 2008033908; to pay all costs associ- sale, the Commis- hearing to discuss the ated with the auction sioner will convey the Annual/Five Year Plan Pub: Dec 21, 2023 Being and intended to and sale. The deposits Land subject to all on February 20, 2024. be part of Lot 3 of unsuccessful bid- valid easements and The SFCHA Plan is a (34.9360 acres), part of ders will be refunded. other encumbrances comprehensive guide public housing To place a Lot 4 (1.1106 acres), See the bid packet for shown in the records to and part of Lot 2 additional information of the State Land Of- agency policies, proLegal Notice grams, operations and (8.4801 acres), Section and requirements re- fice and the Sandoval Call 986-3000 32, Township 13 North, garding the required County Clerk’s Office. strategies for meeting Bidders are responsi- local housing needs Range 3 East, N.M.P.M. deposits. ble for verifying en- and goals. It is through The Land is located in Transaction Cost De- cumbrances and their the Five Year and An- LEGAL #92031 effect on the Land. The nual Plan that the the Paseo Gateway posit: master plan area, Advertising public Commissioner will fur- SFCHA receives capital NOTICE OF PUBLIC ther reserve to the funding. In addition to HEARING - Santa Fe within the municipal auction (estimated) State all minerals of Santa Fe housing Sites, Civic Housing (SFCHA) boundaries of the City $5,005.60 of Rio Rancho in San- Advertising Section 19- whatsoever kind, ge- the SFCHA manages – will convene a public othermal resources, public housing in Es- hearing to discuss the doval County, west of 7-9.1 public meeting and certain water panola and manages Annual/Five Year Plan V. Sue Cleveland High $996.23 School, north of Paseo Tract 17 appraisal and rights, together with Section 8 vouchers at on February 20, 2024. rights of access and multiple locations. The The SFCHA Plan is a del Volcan and east of appraisal review surface use necessary Annual plan is avail- comprehensive guide Loma Colorado Boule- $6,634.32 for or incident to ex- able for review on to vard. Tract 17 survey public housing ploration for and ex- weekdays from 8:30 to agency policies, pro$3,689.33 4:30 at 664 Alta Vista The Land is offered Total Transaction Cost traction and removal grams, operations and of such minerals, geot- Street in Santa Fe and strategies for meeting “AS IS”; the Commis- Deposit $16,325.48 at 136 Calle Pajarito in hermal resources, and sioner does not make local housing needs any representations or The sealed bid must water rights. Bidders Espanola. The Public and goals. It is through provide any war- be accompanied by may request that the Hearing will be con- the Five Year and Anranties regarding title both a $16,325.48 Commissioner enter ducted at the SFCHA nual Plan that the to the Land or its con- transaction cost de- into a surface non-dis- Administration Build- SFCHA receives capital dition or fitness for posit and a perform- turbance agreement ing in Santa Fe, 664 funding. In addition to a separately Alta Vista Street. The Santa Fe housing Sites, any purpose. The ance deposit in the for Public Hearing will be the SFCHA manages Land is offered for a amount of $392,100.00, agreed upon fee. held during the meet- public housing in Escash sale (i.e., full pay- representing 10% of Disabled individuals ing of the Board of panola and manages ment in cash due at the Minimum Bid. on Section 8 vouchers at requiring aid to bid Commissioners closing) as a single tract; bids for less Bids must conform may call (505) 827- February 20, 2024 and multiple locations. The than the entire tract strictly to the require- 5095; FAX 827-6157 or will start at 5:30 PM. Annual plan is availwill not be considered. ments set forth in the TTY (800) 659-8331. You may contact David able for review on bid packet and be sub- Upon request, this no- Martinez, Deputy Di- weekdays from 8:30 to Details regarding the mitted in a sealed tice may be available rector for additional 4:30 at 664 Alta Vista information, including Street in Santa Fe and auction, potential sale, package marked in other formats. accessibility for per- at 136 Calle Pajarito in applicable rules, bid- “Land Sale No. LEPub: Dec 21, 28, 2023, sons with disabilities, Espanola. The Public ding instructions and 1421.” Jan 4, 11, 18, 25, Feb 1, Office 505-930-5901 or Hearing will be conforms are set forth in Cell 505-321-1689. This ducted at the SFCHA the bid packet, which Sealed bids must be 8, 15, 22, 2024 meeting will be acces- Administration Buildcan be obtained by submitted to the State sible through Zoom, ing in Santa Fe, 664 writing the State Land Land Office, 310 Old LEGAL #92012 meeting information Alta Vista Street. The Office, P.O. Box 1148, Santa Fe Trail, Santa Santa Fe, NM 87504, At- Fe, NM, 87501 (courier STATE OF NEW MEXICO below: Public Hearing will be tention: Christopher service or personal de- COUNTY OF SANTA FE Zoom Meeting ID: 881 held during the meet5595 0076 Wolf, Special Project livery) or P.O. Box 1148, FIRST JUDICIAL ing of the Board of Passcode: 870727 Analyst, by telephone Santa Fe, NM 87504- DISTRICT COURT Commissioners on Invite Link: at 505-827-5095, or by 1148 (USPS postal February 20, 2024 and https://us02web.zoom will start at 5:30 PM. e-mail to mail), Attention: Case No. .us/j/88155950076?pw You may contact David cwolf@slo.state.nm.us Christopher Wolf, Spe- D-101-PB-2023-00115 d=SkJyZmtuQ0MwWE Martinez, Deputy Di. The bid packet also is cial Projects Analyst. posted on the State BIDS MUST BE RE- IN THE MATTER OF THE ErRVArVTE4dW5TQT09 rector for additional Land Office website, CEIVED NO LATER ESTATE OF information, including Pub: Dec 21, 28, 2023 www.nmstatelands.or THAN 12:00 P.M. on PRISCILLIANO M. accessibility for perTRUJILLO, DECEASED g. The bid packet is in- February 29, 2024. sons with disabilities, LEGAL #92023 corporated in this noOffice 505-930-5901 or tice by reference and Sealed bids will be NOTICE OF HEARING LEGAL PUBLIC NOTICE- Cell 505-321-1689. This should be reviewed in opened on March 1, meeting will be accesREQUEST FOR detail before submit- 2024 at 9:30 a.m. at the PLEASE TAKE NOTICE PROPOSAL sible through Zoom, ting a bid. New Mexico State that the above-entimeeting information Land Office (Morgan tled cause has been The State of New Mex- below: The Minimum Bid to Hall), 310 Old Santa Fe scheduled for a hear- ico General Services Zoom Meeting ID: 881 purchase the Land is Trail, Santa Fe, New ing before the Honor- Department Facilities 5595 0076 able Francis J. Mathew, Management Division Passcode: 870727 $3,921,000.00 (three Mexico 87501. District Judge, Division (FMD) is seeking pro- Invite million nine hundred Link: twenty-one thousand The Commissioner re- I for the date, time, posals for construc- https://us02web.zoom dollars). Bids offering serves the right to re- and place set forth tion .us/j/88155950076?pw special less than the minimum ject all bids and below: inspections services d=SkJyZmtuQ0MwWE will not be considered. withdraw the Land Date: Tuesday, January on an ‘on-call’ basis in ErRVArVTE4dW5TQT09 Bidders are encour- fromContinued... sale or to reiniti- 16, 2024 Continued... NewContinued... Mexico. This is Continued... aged to offer amounts ate the process of of- Time: 11:30 a.m. the official notice that Pub: Dec 21, 28, 2023 greater than the Mini- fering the Land for Place: In-Person the Request for Promum Bid, with addi- sale or exchange on Judge Steve Herrera posal (RFP) will be tional amounts in the same or different Judicial Complex available to the public increments of terms at a future date. First Judicial District on or about December Court (3rd Floor) $10,000.00. The Commissioner’s the Paseo Gateway master plan area, within the municipal boundaries of the City of Rio Rancho in Sandoval County, west of V. Sue Cleveland High School, north of Paseo del Volcan and east of Loma Colorado BouleTWO WAYS TO UNLIMITED vard.

sfnm«classifieds

B-7

petango.com/española

to place legals call: 986-3000 | toll free: 800-873-3362 | email: legals@sfnewmexican.com

LEGALS

LEGAL #92039

Bids can be downloaded from our website, www.generalservices.state.nm.us /s t a t e p u r c h a s i n g , Questions? Call (505) 827-0472. Sealed bids will be publicly opened online via Microsoft Teams at 2:00 PM, MST/MDT on dates indicated. Request for Proposals are due at time indicated inside RFP and are not opened publicly. https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup -join/19%3ameeting_NDBmNmQzMDUtNzNjYi00YzUyLTky OGEtMTE5ZDZiMGRhOGE2%40thread.v 2/0?context=%7b%22 Tid%22%3a%2204aa6 bf4-d436-426f-bfa404b7a70e60ff%22%2c %22Oid%22%3a%2217 362856-1f15-4445-851cd0a4af6e7161%22%7d 1/10/2024 40-80500-23-17067 NMDOT Te m p o rary Lane Line Markers 2/15/2024 42-35000-23-08741 GSD General Services Department and Motor Vehicle Division & Environment Department Los Alamos Land or Building Acquisition Pub: Dec 21, 2023 LEGAL #92041

PUBLIC NOTICE: The Food Depot is informing the public of the opportunity for participation in New Mexico Farmers’ Marketing Association’s (NMFMA) Regional Farm to Food Bank (RF2FB) Egg Purchasing Pilot for Food Hubs. The RF2FB program is managed by The Food Depot, with funding from the USDA Local Food Purchasing Assistance program (LFPA), and purchases local products on behalf of the food banks in New Mexico for distribution to all 33 counties. The stipulations set out by NMFMA’s Approved Supplier Program are designed to invest in local supply chains and empower local producers to participate. RF2FB participation is compliant under the USDA LFPA cooperative agreement terms. To learn more, please visit NMFMA’s website at: www.newmexicofma.org or email questions@farmersmarketsnm.org. Pub: Dec 21, 2023

Place Your Legal Notice Today! Call: 505.986.3000

B-8 THE SANTA FE NEW MEXICAN Thursday, December 21, 2023

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Fill in the blank cells using numbers 1 to 9. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and 3x3 block. Use logic and process elimination to solve the puzzle. The difficulty level ranges from Bronze (easiest) to Silver to Gold (hardest).

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12/21/23

Solution to 12/20/23

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TIME OUT

ACROSS 1 Sonic boom generator? 5 “Curious George” channel 8 Puts on, perhaps 12 Motion propellers 13 Chris of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” 15 Going rate? 16 N.L. East team 17 “Vive ___!” 18 Wishy-washy words 19 English rock band with a string section, for short 20 Post-mortem exam 22 Word before drum or trumpet 23 Acting dangerously, like this puzzle’s subject 26 Forever and ever 27 Company with a pine tree and mountains in its logo 28 “Otello,” for one 29 “Otello” composer 30 Something to believe in, informally 31 Married a woman, archaically 32 Lake home to the cryptid “Bessie” 33 Places of respite 35 “Hogwash!”

36 “___ puns are a rare medium well done” (dad joke) 38 Super-celebrities 40 “Hotel Transylvania” nickname 42 Kiss in Kent 43 R&B trio with the album “CrazySexyCool” 46 One way for a co. to raise money 47 “Go you!” 48 Abbr. that completes “_ea_ _oon” 51 Style that’s long behind 53 Rapper with the 2007 hit “Lip Gloss” 55 Alphabetically first in a set of 12 56 ___ hijacking, another term for “typosquatting” 58 Hunt in spy films 59 That’s the key! 60 “Dominus illuminatio ___” (Oxford’s motto) 61 Prey for an arctic fox 62 State that’s approximately trapezoidal: Abbr. 63 Group cleared by this puzzle’s subject, depicted literally 64 Late start?

No. 1116

DOWN 1 2012 Macklemore & Ryan Lewis single with the lyric “I can’t change even if I tried” 2 Pencils not used for writing 3 Punny advice to this puzzle’s subject 4 Jerk 5 One of three South African capitals 6 Certain member of the House of Lords 7 Rhythminterrupting jazz technique 8 Back

9 Description of this puzzle’s subject 10 Is a no-body? 11 Some promotional material 13 Charging station feature 14 “The Addams Family” nickname 20 “___ Mack” (2010s Disney show) 21 Cry of pain 24 “That it is” 25 Noted feature of “The Brothers Karamazov” 33 So-called “African unicorn” 34 Part of Egypt that’s in Asia 37 One of Microsoft’s “core fonts”

39 Creator of Sherlock Holmes 41 State capital with the nickname “Arch City” 42 Paper handed out as a matter of course? 43 Cargo hauler 44 Slip 45 Pasting prompt 48 Lake that feeds the Truckee River 49 Lilliputian 50 Bit of comic book art 52 Item missing in “business casual” 54 Original “Are You the One?” channel 57 “T_RN,” for “No U-Turn,” e.g.

Thursday, December 21, 2023

HOCUS FOCUS

JUMBLE

Annual subscriptions are available for the best of Sunday crosswords from the last 50 years: 1-888-7-ACROSS. AT&T users: Text NYTX to 386 to download puzzles, or visit nytimes. com/mobilexword for more information. Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 2,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). Share tips: nytimes.com/wordplay. Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/learning/xwords.

HOROSCOPE The stars show the kind of day you’ll have: 5-Dynamic; 4-Positive; 3-Average; 2-So-so; 1-Difficult HAPPY BIRTHDAY for Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023: You are energetic and strongwilled; however, you are also secretive. In 2024, you will experience exciting changes and increased freedom. MOON ALERT: Avoid shopping or important decisions from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. PST. After that, the Moon moves from Aries into Taurus. ARIES (March 21-April 19) HHHH With the Moon in your sign dancing with your ruler

Mars, you have lots of energy today to go after what you want. Talk to authority about projects from the past. Tonight: Check your possessions. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) HHH Behind-the-scenes projects, especially related to shared property, banking or inheritances, might come together today. Tonight: You win! GEMINI (May 21-June 20) HHHH You’ve got energy and enthusiasm to enjoy time with partners, friends and groups. In fact, you might be involved in a competition. Tonight: Solitude. CANCER (June 21-July 22) HHHH People notice you today. They admire your energy to take charge and get things done.

Meanwhile, this is a solid day to sit down with partners to make long-range plans for the future. Tonight: Friendships.

lively today. In fact, you might attract someone to you who is energetic and “in your face.” Tonight: Check your finances.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) HHHH Respect your desire to do something different today. Change things up a bit. Take a short trip or explore your neighborhood. See new places, meet new faces and learn new things. Tonight: You’re admired.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) HHHH This is a good day to study something. It’s also an excellent day to teach, because your mind is focused and serious. Any mental work that you do today will be done with care. Tonight: Cooperate.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) HHH Discussions about shared property, especially related to family, will go well today. Meanwhile, this is an excellent day to teach kids or practice sports techniques. Tonight: Explore!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) HHHH This is a playful day! Accept invitations. Take a long lunch. Meet the gang at happy hour. Outdoor sports, the arts and fun activities with kids will appeal to you. Tonight: Work.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) HHHH Discussions with partners and close friends will be

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) HHH Today, retrograde Mercury is dancing with your ruler

Saturn, which gives you a critical eye for everything around you. This is why you’re quick to see flaws in your environment. Tonight: Play! AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) HHHH Your ability to research something is excellent today. You’ll be like a dog with a bone. You will leave no stone unturned. This could lead to lively discussions at home about how to deal with a family member. Tonight: Cocoon. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) HHH Bosses and authority figures might be impressed with your energy, ambition and ideas about financial matters. You also might see ways to solve problems, teaching young people or dealing with them in group situations. Tonight: Socialize.

THE SANTA FE NEW MEXICAN

D EA R A N N I E

Uninvited guests threaten wedding fun Dear Annie: My nephew will be getting married in a couple of months. They are trying to stick to a budget. On their wedding website, there is a “question-andanswer” page with details for the big day. It clearly states that although they love children, it is an adults only event. It also states that plus ones are not invited. My youngest brother has asked my sister — the mother of the groom — if he could bring his two kids as well as a guest of one of the children. My sister said yes, which understandably upset my nephew. I also hear that a sister of the bride plans to attend, along with uninvited children, because she does not have a babysitter. How do you think things like this should be handled? I have no children, but I think it is disrespectful to go against the couple’s wishes. I personally think my sister needs to get in touch with my youngest brother and tell him she misspoke. I’d say his daughters are welcome to come visit but not to come to the wedding. What thoughts might you have on the subject? — Hoping for a Respectful Wedding Dear Hoping: You are absolutely right that the couple’s wishes are to be respected. I’m not sure why your sister felt she had authority over the guest list, but you should tell her exactly what you told me in this letter. It’s your nephew’s special day, and if his guests cannot follow the rules he so clearly laid out, they shouldn’t attend. Hopefully your sister can reach out to everyone she misinformed and let them know she was mistaken before the news has time to reach the couple and inevitably cause them stress. Dear Annie: My girlfriend has a 36-year-old son who refuses to work. He has every excuse in the book. No job is right for him. Without any education or training, he wants to make $20 per hour. Even then, he either quits or gets fired. He has lived off family for all of the five years I’ve known him and currently lives with us. He never found any job, even part-time, last year and never paid any rent. We were forced to move. Now we are in a 55-plus community that does not allow anyone younger. He has been hiding in the living room and porch. If discovered, the community can evict us. How do we get him out? — Stuck With GF’s Son Dear Stuck: The first step is making sure you and your girlfriend are on the same page. Is she OK with her son living with you? Does she think his behavior is a problem? Assuming she agrees with you, the next step would be to initiate a loving yet honest conversation between the three of you. Give him a timeline to move out, and you can even help him try to find a job. Better late than never.

Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com.

SUPER QUIZ Take this Super Quiz to a Ph.D. Score 1 point for each correct answer on the Freshman Level, 2 points on the Graduate Level and 3 points on the Ph.D. Level.

Subject:

TODAY IN HISTORY

SHEINWOLD’S BRIDGE

Today is Thursday, Dec. 21, the 355th day of 2023. There are 10 days left in the year. Winter begins at 8:27 p.m. MST. Today’s highlight in history: On Dec. 21, 1864, during the Civil War, Union forces led by Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman concluded their “March to the Sea” as they captured Savannah, Ga.

5. What were

CHRISTMAS GOSPEL

the two other

QUIZ

gifts in addition to

(e.g., To which city

CRYPTOQUIP

B-9

did Mary and Joseph

frankincense? Answer________

travel for the census?

6. “You will find

Answer: Bethlehem.)

a baby ... lying in a

FRESHMAN LEVEL 1. Who was the ruler of the Roman Empire when Jesus was born? Answer________ 2. Who said that the baby was to be named Jesus? Answer________ 3. What is frankincense? Answer________

manger.” What is a manger? Answer________ PH.D. LEVEL 7. Where in the Bible do we read about the birth of Jesus? Answer________ 8. Who initiated the murder of infants to get rid of Jesus?

KENKEN

GRADUATE LEVEL 4. In what direction

Rules • Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 through 6 without repeating. • The numbers within the heavily outlines boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners. • Freebies: Fill in single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner.

Answer________ 9. Joseph was

was the star when the

warned in a dream to

wise men spotted it?

flee to _____.

Answer________

ANSWERS: 1. Caesar Augustus. 2. The angel Gabriel. 3. A gum resin used in precious perfume and as incense. 4. In the east. 5. Gold and myrrh. 6. A feeding trough. 7. Luke 2. 8. King Herod. 9. Egypt. SCORING: 18 points — congratulations, doctor; 15 to 17 points — honors graduate; 10 to 14 points — you’re plenty smart, but no grind; 4 to 9 points — you really should hit the books harder; 1 point to 3 points — enroll in remedial courses immediately; 0 points — who reads the questions to you? (c) 2023 Ken Fisher

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Thursday, December 21, 2023

WITHOUT RESERVATIONS

TUNDRA

BABY BLUES

B-10

PEANUTS

F MINUS

MACANUDO

LA CUCARACHA

RHYMES WITH ORANGE

ZITS

PICKLES

LUANN

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE

NON SEQUITUR