Businesses re-open, look ahead As New Mexico moves forward with its partial re-opening of businesses and offices, the governor has emphasized the ongoing success the state has had in meeting gating requirements. In a Wednesday press conference, the governor announced that New Mexico appeared to be through the peak of virus cases, and posed the possibility of restaurants opening on a partial basis (50% capacity) as soon as early June, providing that all COVID Safe Practices (CSPs) are adhered to and the gating criteria continue to be met. This news is encouraging to the many dining businesses that have either been closed completely or operating only for curbside pick-up or takeout, but is unfortunately too late to save the many New Mexico restaurants that have had to close permanently because of the pandemic. Tourism re-opens with focus on safety With so much of New Mexico’s business dependent on tourism, various locations in the state are strategizing ways to attract visitors to their communities and their businesses. On the state level, efforts to re-open the tourist industry are focusing on those travelling by car, who will be attracted not only by what NM has to offer, but by how safe they feel travelling in New Mexico will be. To support this effort, NM True, in partnership with the NM Hospitality Association, is launching a “New Mexico Safe” campaign that will showcase and promote the practice of CSPs by all businesses in order to “build consumer confidence in travelers” that NM is a safe place to visit. The department will be offering a free training and certification program for all business leaders who can then advertise their business as CSP certification compliant. The New Mexico Tourism department industry member website provides a rich resource for information, data, opportunities, learning, and support, including access to free coaching from a business consultant. Summer Food for Children Schedule As mentioned in an earlier newsletter, the school meal delivery program that has operated during the previous few months will continue during the summer, providing free meals to any child age 18 or under who is in need. You can view the schedule for the meal distribution for the West Las Vegas School district here. For questions, call Annette Baca at 505-426 2528. End of school ceremonies and summer routines change As the school year closes with many health and safety guidelines still in place across the state, students and families will continue to adjust to changes in expected rituals and routines. For West Las Vegas High School's seniors, for whom long awaited traditional graduation celebrations have been cancelled, West Las Vegas High School will be conducting a “drive by graduation” on Saturday 23 May. For more information, consult this flier or go to the West Las Vegas High School Facebook page. Other families are figuring out how to plan for the summer. While traditional summer activities and programming will not be available, at least not during the early weeks of the summer, the recent easing of restrictions will allow some “in-person summer programs and sports camps” to operate. These programs can be provided only if they are “restricted to 5:1 child to adult ratios" and include "children who live in the local geographic area only.” All in-person summer programs will also need to comply with the “required COVID-19 Safe Practices of Summer Youth Programs.” As an option, many school districts and youth groups are also developing online summer programs. The West Las Vegas School District is currently finalizing plans for their summer programs, and expect to have details available by the end of this week. Stay tuned! Free summer meals for children The Summer Meals for Children program provides free meals during the summer for all children age 18 and under. This summer, the state will continue the “grab and go” meal delivery format, which has provided so many meals so successfully during the COVID-19 outbreak. The program will make food available through the same school bus delivery and drop-off point system that has been used for distributing meals since the pandemic started. Any child in need of food during the summer, even if not enrolled in the New Mexico public school system, is eligible for these meals. Deliveries are tentatively scheduled to run June 8th - August 7th, but details are not yet finalized. The schedule should be completed and available by the end of this week. Stay tuned. Free coaching and planning for online instruction available to teachers and administrators Although plans for the fall school semester are still uncertain, many schools and teachers may be preparing for classroom instruction taking place at least partially online. Free resources to assist districts in planning and improving their distance learning is available through the Always Ready for Learning Network , a program of the Learning Accelerator. The network, a “philanthropically-supported initiative to ensure K-12 school district leaders … get urgent and customized guidance,” offers FREE services, including:
The time to vote In the midst of the pandemic and the anticipation of a partial re-opening of the state this weekend, its important to remember that these and many other matters that impact our daily lives will be driven and managed in the coming year by our elected officials. For many of us, this makes voting in the upcoming June primary election a personal as well as a political action, and makes voter participation more important than ever. Absentee Ballot If you are already registered to vote, you can vote by absentee ballot. Begin by searching for your voter registration through the New Mexico Secretary of State voter information portal. Once your information is retrieved and confirmed to be correct, you can fill out an absentee ballot application . To complete the application, you must confirm your identity by providing driver’s license and social security numbers. Your absentee ballot will then be mailed to you by the local county clerk. The deadline for submitting an application for an absentee ballot is May 28th.. The deadline for returning a completed absentee ballot is June 2. According to a March press release from the New Mexico Secretary of State, “All absentee ballots may be returned … to the voter’s County Clerk’s Office, or at an alternative voting location … or any Election Day polling location….” Due to the timeframe, we recommend that you do not mail in your ballot but that you physically deliver your absentee ballot to one of these locations. The following sites are eligible to receive absentee ballots in San Miguel County:
Saturday May 30th, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Deliver to office or drop in red ballot box outside the office.
Saturday May 16th, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Drop in absentee box during early voting hours. Vote Early, Register Soon You can vote early at either the San Miguel County Clerk’s office or at the Ribera Cultural Center alternate voting site. Early voting is available on the same days and at the same times as listed above. If you need to register to vote, or to correct your voter registration information, you can visit the San Miguel County Clerk’s office, where you can register in person or correct/update your registration. You may register to vote or update your registration until 6:00 p.m. on Saturday May 30th. If you choose this option, you will also be able to “vote early” within 30 minutes of registering or making changes to your voter registration information. Yesterday afternoon’s press conference on the coronavirus from New Mexico Governor Lujan-Grisham highlighted new orders impacting all New Mexicans and addressed plans for the first phase of reopening the economy. The new orders will go into effect on Saturday 16 May, though the governor emphasized that all steps for partial re-opening remain contingent on the state continuing to meet the criteria indicating it is safe to do so. The press conference provided new information about the virus, including updates on cases and spread statewide, as well as comparative data by county and region. Information was also given about “superspreader” events and the new research regarding the different symptoms the virus manifests in children. The following are key points from the presentation regarding statewide changes for the Phase 1 partial re-opening.
You can review key slides from the press conference here, or watch the full webcast on the governor’s Facebook page. (You will need to advance 7 minutes or so before the live video begins.) The conversation in relation to the pandemic has shifted towards issues of re-opening, and to consideration of the economic challenges faced by businesses, communities, and different regions of the state. One of the largest economic hurdles New Mexico now faces is the impact that the COVID-19 virus has had on the tourism sector in New Mexico. Statewide, tourism numbers are down dramatically, and are likely to remain suppressed for some time. As hotels and restaurants continue to work with reduced capacity and social distancing restrictions, and more statewide events are cancelled, such as the Santa Fe Opera and Chamber Music Festival, tourism numbers will continue to be impacted. While many businesses rush to build their online presence and emphasize items that can be marketed remotely, those products and services that depend on tourism seem be facing fewer options in a critically contracting tourist industry. However, there is another side to the tourism story: regional, driving-based tourism may still prosper, as low gas prices and a willingness to travel locally in personal vehicles may encourage travel for many this summer. New Mexico businesses and communities can respond to this shift by targeting travelers from nearby states and promoting outdoor activities or scenic driving routes. Local services can be expanded to include the amenities needed to support these individualized, outdoor activities, such as picnic supplies, thermoses of coffee, boxed meals, and self-guided “niche” tours. Businesses can also work together to encourage social distancing and simultaneously leverage a more “distributed” shopping experience to advantage. Small shops can provide attractive outside seating in “waiting areas” that offer water or lemonade and also showcase products or provide incentives. Communities can consider creating small, open-market settings in public spaces that provide small, pop-up style venues for businesses on a limited or rotating schedule. This accommodation to best practices during the pandemic can build a positive business climate overall by creating interesting alternatives to the traditional “store to store” shopping atmosphere, alternatives that may enable greater customer engagement and generate higher levels of interest, loyalty, and repeat sales. For more discussion and ideas about sustaining your business and the local economy during the pandemic, register for the free webinar this Thursday 14 May at 2:15 – 3:15 p.m. “Beyond Bricks and Mortar: Alternatives to the Traditional Building/Customer Relationship,” hosted by the New Mexico Economic Development Department and New Mexico Main Street. An additional video conference, “Beat the Virus” Roundtable, will be held Friday 15 May, 10:15 – 11:45. You can contact info@nmmainstreet.org for login details. |
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April 2021
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