New redistricting group created slate of fair maps, but will lawmakers listen? - Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico
State legislators today are considering a slate of proposed political maps produced by a nonpartisan committee after public meetings this year. But whether lawmakers will do more than just consider the maps remains to be seen.
Legislation creating the Citizen Redistricting Committee does not require lawmakers to adopt any of the recommendations from the new committee, which was devised to remove partisanship from the once-a-decade redistricting process.
Instead, the law creating the panel just requires that the group submit maps for the Legislature’s “consideration,” in the same manner that an interim legislative committee recommends legislation to the House or Senate.
Isaac De Luna, a spokesperson for the Center for Civic Policy, said it’s a concern that, after all the committee’s painstaking work on producing independent maps, lawmakers will just introduce and then approve maps of their own.
“There is obviously that possibility, where because of how the process is structured, that the Legislature does not have to adopt or follow any of the recommendations of the Citizens Redistricting Committee,” De Luna said this morning. “But that is why our work is so important, right? For the last six months, we’ve been ensuring that there is public pressure.”
The Center for Civic Policy proposed a congressional map that the citizen committee ultimately adopted for one of its recommendations to the Legislature. That map aimed to create a Hispanic majority in the 2nd Congressional District and, in doing so, included a swath of southeastern New Mexico in a district that contains Santa Fe.
The group met since July around the state, hearing from numerous members of the public and interest groups. The seven-member panel’s makeup was intended to not be over-represented with one political party and to not include recent lobbyists or public officials.
The committee submitted three maps of congressional districts, three state House of Representatives maps and three state Senate maps. The maps were drawn, in consultation with experts hired by the panel, to have roughly similar populations while keeping intact communities and neighborhoods within the state. The maps have been evaluated for lack of partisanship by an independent expert.
Both chambers of the Legislature will adopt maps during the special session that began at noon today, and Gov. Michelle Lujan-Grisham can veto them.
Sen. Mimi Stewart, the Senate’s president pro tem, has said the Senate will look closely at the maps produced by the committee, but she has already identified changes her chamber will likely make. The Senate will need to tweak maps where two legislators are drawn into the same district, forcing those senators to either quit or run against each other, Stewart said.
For example, the proposed committee map for Albuquerque has Sen. Bill O’Neill’s house in Sen. Katy Duhigg’s district. Stewart said they’ll have to find a way to fix that.
“There’s plenty of solutions,” Stewart has said. “You can just go in and do a little bit of redrawing of some of the lines.”
That means lawmakers could alter districts for a decade based on where elected officials live right now.
But she said the Legislature will do its best to honor the committee and the tribal maps.
“There are just some great things that they’ve done, and so we will try to follow those maps and minimize the changes,” she said.
The process for reviewing each map has not yet been adopted by either chamber.
Lawmakers are also simultaneously trying to figure out where to spend about $1.1 billion in federal money passed through the American Rescue Plan Act during this session.
Democrat-led New Mexico delves into political redistricting - By Morgan Lee Associated Press
Efforts to draw new political maps in New Mexico began in earnest Monday as a Democrat-led Legislature convened a special legislative session on redistricting.
States must redraw their congressional districts every 10 years to reflect new population numbers. The New Mexico Legislature met shortly after noon, with no specific deadline to forge an agreement on new voting district boundaries for three congressional seats, 112 legislators and commission overseeing charter schools.
Map recommendations have been provided to legislators by a citizens' advisory panel under a hybrid redistricting system. Legislators can adopt, modify or discard the suggested maps and start from scratch.
Strong opinions emerged immediately as Sen. Jacob Candelaria of Albuquerque condemned an unpublished state Senate map from Democratic colleagues that he claims would dilute the influence of Latino voters in Albuquerque's working class West Side.
"You would strip representation from people that I represent, many of whom are Hispanic, simply because it benefits you at the ballot box," Candelaria said.
Candelaria, who previously announced he won't run for reelection in 2024, announced a change in his party affiliation from Democratic to unaffiliated, denouncing the corrosive effects of extreme partisanship. That leaves a 26-seat Democratic majority in the 42-seat Senate, with 15 Republicans.
Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham holds veto authority over the redistricting process. It's the first time in 30 years that the process is being overseen by both a Democratic governor and Democratic majorities in the Legislature.
New Mexico presents unusual challenges in efforts to comply with the U.S. Voting Rights Act and preserve communities of interest and give minority voters a fair shot to elect candidates of their choice.
Nearly half of New Mexico residents claim Hispanic ancestry — the largest share of any state. Native American communities account for about 12% of residents in New Mexico and are seeking to bolster political influence through a variety of strategies.
Boundaries are likely to change significantly for a congressional swing district in southern New Mexico that flipped to Republican control in 2020, amid population growth in a major oil-production region.
Those changes have national implications. Republicans need a net gain of just five seats to take control of the U.S. House and effectively freeze President Joe Biden's agenda on climate change, the economy and other issues.
Democrats currently hold two congressional seats out of three for New Mexico.
The special session also is open to proposals for spending roughly $1.1 billion in federal pandemic relief.
The state Supreme Court ruled in November that those relief funds must be appropriated by the Legislature and not just the governor.
The special session heralded other changes at the legislature. Guns for the first time are not allowed in the roundhouse without special permission, with security screening stations installed at entrances. Proof of vaccination also is being required to enter the state Capitol.
Energy companies seek to make case in proposed merger - By Susan Montoya Bryan Associated Press
Global energy giant Iberdrola, New Mexico's largest electric utility and other groups on Monday asked state regulators to present oral arguments before a vote is taken on a proposed multibillion-dollar merger that would affect more than 500,000 customers and potentially the pace of renewable energy development in the state.
The Public Regulation Commission has the final say on whether Iberdrola subsidiary Avangrid can acquire PNM Resources, and its two utilities — Public Service Co. of New Mexico and Texas New Mexico Power. The all-cash transaction has been valued at more than $4.3 billion and would open the door for Iberdrola and Avangrid in a state where more wind and solar power could be generated and exported to larger markets.
A hearing examiner with the commission has recommended that the deal be rejected, and three of the five elected commissioners said last week they opposed approval.
While critics argue that the merger would not be in the public interest given Avangrid's track record in other states, utility officials as part of an advertising blitz have been touting more than $300 million in rate relief for PNM customers, economic development investments, the creation of 150 jobs and other concessions reached through negotiations with parties in the case.
All but one party either directly support the merger or don't oppose it based on concessions agreed to by Avangrid.
Commissioners during a meeting last week still questioned whether PNM's customer service and reliability would deteriorate if the deal is approved and if state regulators could ensure Avangrid's compliance with all the negotiated agreements.
Pat Vincent-Collawn, PNM Resources' chair, president and CEO, said being able to make oral arguments before the commission would allow the parties to address any remaining issues in a transparent way. She called the decision before the commission critical.
"We feel comfortable that throughout the process various parties in this case have raised the same questions and negotiated commitments to provide the appropriate safeguards and strengthened benefits to ensure our merger is the right move for customers, communities and economic development in New Mexico," she said in a statement to The Associated Press.
As part of the negotiated safeguards, PNM and Avangrid could face penalties for not meeting standards when it comes to reliability.
The case has been a year in the making, with Public Regulation Commission hearing officer Ashley Schannauer spending several months overseeing evidence gathering and two weeks of public hearings during the summer.
Schannauer last week presented his recommendation for the commission to veto the proposal. He also cited certain conditions commissioners should implement if they decide to support the merger. A final decision is expected this month.
Exxon Mobil rolls out plan to cut emissions in Permian Basin - By Cathy Bussewitz And Susan Montoya Bryan Associated Press
Exxon Mobil says it has a plan for cutting greenhouse gas emissions from its operations in one of the most prolific oilfields in the United States, saying it hopes to achieve its net-zero goal for operations in the Permian Basin by 2030.
The company made the announcement Monday, saying the effort will target both its own operations as well as indirect emissions associated with the electricity it buys to power well sites and other infrastructure in the basin, which spans parts of southeastern New Mexico and West Texas.
Although limited, Exxon's announcement is significant because it's the first tangible commitment the company has made to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, compared to major European oil and gas companies which set more tangible targets, said Artem Abramov, head of shale research at Rystad Energy.
"In the past, they were somewhat criticized for the lack of any sort of tangible commitment," Abramov said.
The reach of Exxon's commitment is narrow in several ways. For one, the goal is limited to its operations in a basin that represents about 12-13% of its total oil and gas production this year, Abramov said.
Exxon's commitment does not addresses what are called "Scope 3" emissions, the largest category, which include the emissions produced when customers burn its oil or gas. The only way Exxon could reduce those emissions would be to cut back on how much oil and gas the company produces.
However, rather than reducing, Exxon's production in the Permian Basin has been growing.
Exxon's announcement dovetails with what is required of oil and gas companies operating in New Mexico under rules adopted by state regulators earlier this year. That includes better detection of methane emissions, upgrading equipment and eliminating routine flaring, which is the practice of burning off unwanted natural gas into atmosphere.
Touted by state officials as some of the strongest gas capture requirements in the nation, New Mexico's rules set a target of capturing 98% of all natural gas waste by the end of 2026.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also is poised to tighten federal methane regulations for the industry, and the New Mexico Environment Department is crafting its own rules aimed at oilfield equipment that emits methane, volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides.
The U.S. House Science Committee also has notified chief executives of Exxon and nine major oil companies that they must disclose more data about their methane emissions in the Permian Basin.
Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, a Texas Democrat who chairs the panel, said the companies' current approach to monitoring methane emissions in the basin is inadequate. She said U.S. companies must do more to meet a recent pledge by the U.S. and more than 100 other countries to cut methane emissions by 30% by the end of the decade.
Besides Exxon, companies receiving the letter included Occidental Petroleum, ConocoPhillips, Chevron, Devon Energy and Pioneer Natural Resources.
Johnson said she was concerned that leak-detection and repair programs conducted by the oil industry may not identify intermittent leaks that contribute to climate pollution.
The committee set a Jan. 21 deadline for companies to provide data on methane leaks and detection efforts.
House Democrats have approved a plan to impose a fee on methane leaks from oil and gas wells, but the plan faces strong opposition from the industry and criticism by centrist Democrats as it moves to the Senate.
Exxon has made progress with reducing flaring in the Permian Basin. In 2018, Exxon was flaring 11.3% of its gas in the basin. The company brought that down 0.28% in the third quarter of 2021.
Earlier this month, Exxon said it would boost its spending on greenhouse gas emission-reduction projects to $15 billion over the next six years. The energy giant has been under pressure to reduce climate-harming emissions and investors forced turnover on the company's board in June.
Major European oil and gas companies such as Shell and BP have been diversifying to invest more in solar and wind energy, but "when it comes to Exxon Mobil, they are not necessarily that proactive when it comes to renewable energy," Abramov said. "They are investing in solar and wind to generate power for their oil and gas extraction. It's not something they see as a future contributor to their revenue stream."
Ex-Navajo Nation controller faces new criminal complaints - Farmington Daily Times, Associated Press
The Navajo Nation has filed new criminal complaints against its former top financial officer, accusing her of misrepresenting information on a company hired to do rapid COVID-19 testing on the reservation.
The complaints filed Friday in tribal court allege that Pearline Kirk, the former Navajo Nation controller, violated tribal law in advising the government to hire Agile Technologies Group LLC based on a recommendation from Kirk's longtime mentor and confidant.
The charges include obtaining a signature by deception, paying or receiving Navajo Nation funds for services not rendered, and falsification, the tribe's Department of Justice said in a news release.
The company wasn't qualified but received more than $3 million for pandemic-related services, including testing for about 110 employees in the controller's office, the department alleged. The funding came from the Navajo Nation's share of federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act money.
The Navajo Nation Council voted in May to remove Kirk from the office she held since early 2017. The action came a week after tribal prosecutors filed similar complaints against Kirk but dismissed them in late November ahead of a scheduled jury trial.
Kirk's attorney, David Jordan, did not respond to a message from The Associated Press on Monday seeking comment on the latest allegations. The tribe's Department of Justice did not immediately respond to an email request for a copy of the complaints.
Jordan has maintained that Kirk did nothing wrong and was protecting her employees who were deemed essential workers, the Farmington Daily Times reported.
Although testing was available through the federal Indian Health Service, results were delayed, he said. Kirk suggested that employees look into Agile Technologies, but she didn't sign the request for emergency procurement or the contract herself, Jordan said.
Navajo Nation: 61 more COVID-19 cases, no additional deaths - Associated Press
The Navajo Nation has reported 61 more COVID-19 cases, but no additional deaths.
The latest daily virus figures released Sunday brought the tribe's totals to 40,085 cases since the pandemic began.
The known death toll remains at 1,551.
Based on cases from Nov. 12-25, the Navajo Department of Health on Monday issued an advisory for 65 communities due to uncontrolled spread of COVID-19.
"The recent holiday led to an increase in cases and we have another holiday approaching," tribal President Jonathan Nez said in a statement. "We have to do more and we have to remain diligent. We cannot afford to have another large surge. Our health care system is near crisis status right now, due to the increases in new infections."
Nez has again called for everyone on the vast reservation to get a booster shot and wear masks.
The reservation covers 27,000 square miles and extends into parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
Drone crashes on runway at Holloman Air Force Base - Associated Press
The U.S. Air Force says an unmanned aircraft has crashed on a runway during takeoff from Holloman Air Force Base in southern New Mexico.
Officials with the 49th Wing say no injuries were reported in the Monday morning crash of an MQ-9 Reaper. Base access was not restricted.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Holloman Air Force Base is located west of Alamogordo next to the White Sands Missile Range. The MQ-9 Reaper drone is a remotely piloted aircraft used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance as well as targeted missile strikes.
Bus crashes into pole after passenger grabs steering wheel - Associated Press
Police say a Greyhound bus crashed into a light pole as it was trying to exit Interstate 40 late Sunday night after a passenger grabbed the steering wheel during a dispute with another passenger.
The driver was critically injured and at least four other people on the bus were brought to hospitals for injuries that weren't life-threatening. Police say the person who grabbed the steering wheel also was brought to a hospital to be evaluated for injuries.
No other vehicles were involved in the crash.
New Mexican weaver joins university wool heritage project - By Jessica Pollard Santa Fe New Mexican
A New Mexico State University initiative aims to help secure the future of a pair of centuries-old practices in the state: herding sheep and weaving their wool into designs, both spectacular and utilitarian.
The Wool Heritage Project's inaugural effort involves producing a 13-pound wool rug, designed by New Mexico State fashion student Savannah Willingham and brought to life by one of northern New Mexico's generational weavers: Richard Trujillo, of Trujillo's Weaving Shop in Chimayó.
The goal of the initiative is to bring attention to two industries, weaving and sheep farming, which advocates say have dwindled in recent years.
The shop where Trujillo completed the rug is packed with handmade wooden two-harness looms, including one built by Trujillo's grandfather more than 100 years ago. Others were bought from families who no longer take part in the weaving tradition.
"A lot of visitors we get have never seen anything like this," he said of the setup. "They're just amazed at the process."
Trujillo is a seventh-generation Spanish weaver in the village along the High Road to Taos, where in previous centuries families like his would raise sheep and spin their wool into yarn, trading woven textiles for other goods to make a living.
His late father, John Trujillo, opened the shop in the 1950s.
Trujillo himself started learning to weave around the same time most children head to preschool, and while some younger family members are showing interest in the art, "it's getting harder and harder to find people who are willing to take it up," he said during an interview with The Santa Fe New Mexican, taking a break from weaving a colorful table runner on commission.
There are a few weaving shops in Chimayó, where the tradition is still prominent compared with neighboring villages, including Ortega's Weaving Shop and Centinela Traditional Arts.
"We're all pretty much cousins," Trujillo said of the people running neighboring shops.
The wool used to make the colorful vests and cloths available at Trujillo's Weaving Shop is harvested and produced from all over, he said. The final products are shipped worldwide, Trujillo said, adding there's notably high demand for woven vests from a shop in Tokyo.
Trujillo is an alumnus of New Mexico State's geography program, and the rug he brought to life features the crimson and white shades of the university's logo.
The wool comes from a flock of roughly 100 New Mexico-bred debouillet and rambouillet sheep of the West Sheep Unit on New Mexico State University's campus, where students raise them as part of the animal sciences program.
Trujillo said the wool was especially soft and fine.
"Fine wool sheep have a long history here in New Mexico because they're able to withstand the harsh desert environment," said university animal sciences professor Jennifer Hernandez Gifford, who has helped lead the Wool Heritage Project.
"We really on campus haven't, until this project, really done much with linking back into the fiber arts," she added.
Usually, Hernandez Gifford noted, the sheep are shorn annually as part of their upkeep.
But this year, she saved the wool and sent it to a mill in Buffalo, Wyoming, where it was processed into yarn in order to launch this project in cooperation with the university's fashion merchandising and design program.
Using the remaining yarn, the university has made available 80 blanket replicas of the original rug, which is on display at New Mexico State.
The blankets, at 4 pounds each, cost $500. Hernandez Gifford was worried the price might be a deterrent, but 30 have already sold.
Hernandez Gifford predicts that when the sheep are shorn again, another product will be made available for purchase, with proceeds going toward the cost of processing more items.
Hernandez Gifford said that while New Mexico ranks 16th among states for sheep production, the wool mills and the sheep farms that were once more widely prominent have faded in part since the end of a federal wool subsidy during the 20th century.
"The number of sheep in the state has really dwindled," she said. "So that's really is why we have to (mill) out of state. There's no availability anywhere closer … and they do such a great job."
Sheep didn't start calling New Mexico home until Spanish colonizers brought the particularly resilient Iberian Churra breed with them to the Southwest in the 1500s. Those are likely the sheep Trujillo's family first used for wool for their textiles.
Before that, different groups of Pueblo people practiced weaving baskets and other goods from animal hair, plant fibers and eventually cotton.
The Navajo people living in what is now Arizona and New Mexico acquired sheep from the Spanish, and the resulting livestock called Navajo Churro have since become an integral part of life for their meat and wool.
In the Navajo weaving tradition, fabrics are developed on a frame loom, rather than the standing looms Trujillo's family uses. But Trujillo said both traditions render geometric designs.
Through the 1930 century, the U.S. government called for stock reductions of the sheep on Navajo land, citing concerns about erosion caused by grazing, which has contributed to the Navajo Churro landing on the endangered species list, according to weaving company Tierra Wools co-founder Molly Manzanares.
She favors the sheep for their low-grease wool and natural color variations, which save resources on cleaning and dyeing.
"They're not as domesticated as, say, rambouillet or another kind of sheep," she said. "They're very self-sufficient."
Manzanares' company holds a flock of hundreds of Navajo Churro near Chama.
Part of the decline in sheep farming, Manzanares said, comes because raising sheep was traditionally a communal effort. Neighboring sheep farmers would work together to protect flocks from predators, mainly coyotes.
"They're hard," she said. "We've been raising Navajo Churro for all these years and trying to bring them back, and finally we're getting in the groove. The drought … has made a big impact."
Still, the art of weaving in New Mexico plays a larger part in national fashion conversations, said fashion merchandising assistant professor Kelly Coffeen.
"A lot of weavers in the northern part of the state, you don't hear a lot about what they do," Coffeen said. "Some of them work for some of the big designers in New York."
She added: "That whole industry is looking for authenticity and looking for ways to be unique. … We have to be aware of that and embrace that for what it is in our state."
Authorities: 2 children killed in a house fire near Española -Santa Fe New Mexican, Associated Press
Authorities investigating a pre-dawn house fire near Española that left two children dead said Sunday that the cause of the blaze was still unclear.
New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management officials said the two victims were taken to a Santa Fe hospital Saturday where they both were pronounced dead.
The names of the children weren't immediately released Sunday.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that authorities believe the kids were ages 10 and 12.
According to the newspaper, the New Mexico State Fire Marshal's Office is leading the investigation.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office received a report of a fire at 4:30 a.m. Saturday.
When firefighters arrived at the scene, they reported finding two victims in the one-story home near the Chimayó Museum.
Chimayó straddles northern Santa Fe County and southeastern Rio Arriba County and lies mostly along N.M. 76 east of Española.
Taos police arrest 38-year-old suspect in homicide case -Associated Press
A suspect has been arrested in connection with a homicide case in Taos, according to authorities.
Taos police said 38-year-old Ray Rivera was taken into custody on suspicion of first-degree murder and charges could be modified as investigators continue to gather evidence.
Officers arrived at the shooting scene around 9:30 p.m. Thursday and found 25-year-old Antonio Martinez of Taos dead from a gunshot wound.
Police said Rivera fled the scene, but was found a short time later and arrested.
It was unclear Sunday if Rivera had a lawyer yet who could speak on his behalf.
Navajo Nation reports 100 new COVID-19 cases, 4 more deaths -Associated Press
The Navajo Nation has reported 100 more COVID-19 cases and four additional deaths.
The latest daily virus figures released Saturday brought the tribe's totals to 40,019 cases and 1,551 known deaths since the pandemic began.
The tribe had announced 142 new cases and one coronavirus-related death on Thursday and 88 more cases and no deaths on Friday.
Based on cases from Nov. 12-25, the Navajo Department of Health on Monday issued an advisory for 65 communities due to uncontrolled spread of COVID-19.
Tribal President Jonathan Nez said "11 states have confirmed cases of the Omicron variant, including several states near and around the Navajo Nation.
"We experienced an increase in new infections due to the recent holiday, but we have to remain diligent and continue to get more of our people fully vaccinated," Nez added. "We are in this together and the safest place to be is at home here on the Navajo Nation."
Nez has again called for everyone on the vast reservation to get a booster shot and wear masks.
The reservation covers 27,000 square miles and extends into parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
Cultural property title gives New Mexico family peace - By Miranda Cyr Las Cruces Sun-News
Few community members know the role of Clara Belle Williams in Las Cruces education, but one family made it their mission to get Williams and her legacy recognized by the state.
Alice Chavez Villa grew up at 722 N. Mesquite St., the home Williams, her husband Jasper Williams, and their three sons inhabited and owned for 41 years — from 1933 to 1974.
Chavez Villa, 50, said she grew up knowing vaguely that Williams had owned the home, but didn't know much about her legacy.
"Every now and then I'd see something on Clara Belle that would come out," Chavez Villa told the Las Cruces Sun-News.
She said that a couple of years ago she began to piece together that Williams had a significant impact on education as a woman of color, but hadn't done much with the information.
Chavez Villa has now spent months collecting data on Williams and her history.
Williams was born in 1885 and is known to be the first African American woman to graduate from New Mexico College of Agriculture of Mechanic Arts (now New Mexico State University) in 1937 with a bachelor's degree in English. At the time, segregation was still rampant and Williams had to sit out in the hallway to listen to lectures. She wasn't even able to attend her own graduation ceremony. In 2005, Feb. 13 was recognized as Clara Belle Williams Day by NMSU and the English building was renamed Clara Belle Williams Hall.
Williams was an educator in Texas and Vado, New Mexico before coming to Las Cruces.
She was a staple in the community — creating Booker T. Washington School with Jasper in 1934, where she taught for 16 years before retiring from her 40-year career in education.
"I started out at the NMSU archives and pulled up everything that I could on Mrs. Williams," Chavez Villa said. "It was very personal and fascinating to just uncover the hardships that she endured."
The more Chavez Villa learned about Williams, the more parallels she discovered between the late educator and herself.
Chavez Villa graduated from NMSU and was the first member of her family to earn a degree, much like Williams. Chavez Villa attended Booker T. Washington as a child, from kindergarten to sixth grade, later returning as a teacher in 2000.
After leaving Booker T. Washington, Chavez Villa opened a tutoring program in 2002 called "One Room Schoolhouse." She discovered that Williams had been educated in a one-room schoolhouse as a young girl more than 100 years earlier. Chavez Villa now works for the National Education Association of New Mexico.
When Williams had her first daughter on Jan. 21, 1995, she brought her home to 722 N. Mesquite. Her daughter is African American, like Williams.
Chavez Villa's parents, Arturo and Marceline, had three children — Alice, Arturo Jr and Lisa Hernandez, much like the Williams family who had three sons.
"I couldn't help but tie in all the overlapping things of our families being intertwined in different aspects," Chavez Villa said. "There's so many little other details like that, that piece together.
"It just feels like home in every aspect: professionally, personally, historically."
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Creating a name
In August, Chavez Villa presented her findings about Williams and also her own family to the New Mexico Cultural Properties Board. With the help of NMSU and a letter of support from the City of Las Cruces, she made her case.
The board unanimously voted on Aug. 13 to enter 722 N. Mesquite as part of the registry for New Mexico historical properties, registering the home in the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties.
The home now stands with a shiny new plaque, declaring the home a historical site and recognizing it as the home of Clara Belle Williams.
Chavez Villa said she hopes this recognition brings awareness to Las Cruces Public Schools and the rest of the community about Williams and the work she did.
"You just have that sense of wow, you had an amazing pioneer, trailblazing woman that lived here," Chavez Villa said. "Then (the deed) got passed down to, like I said, our family. It became much more than just a piece of paper. That warranty deed means a lot, and it's something that I plan on keeping in the family."
Now that Chavez Villa has gone through the recognition process, she plans to find Williams' descendants to reach out to them. She found that Williams moved to Illinois in 1951 to follow her sons who became doctors in Chicago.
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Honoring her own family
Chavez Villa did this project as much for her own family as she did for Williams herself.
She said it's been especially significant to show her daughter, Tory, everything she's learned about Williams — a strong African American woman, just like her daughter.
"It gives her a piece of her that I can't give her, as I'm Hispanic. And while she grew up (culturally) Hispanic, she looks African American," Chavez Villa said. "It's just a piece of her history that I think really has brought it home to her in a special way of feeling even more connected."
Chavez Villa said another factor in motivating her on this journey was her father, Arturo Chavez, and his deteriorating health.
In March, he was first admitted into the hospital. Arturo would be in and out of the hospital for the rest of his life. Chavez Villa said this may have subconsciously been when she really buckled down to get the property recognized, for his sake.
The property was recognized in August and her father passed away almost exactly two months later on Nov. 12 at the age of 76.
"My father loved that home," Chavez Villa said. "I just thought it's too important. We need to get that home recognized, there's too much history for it to go unnoticed.
"My dad really felt a sense of pride, because I just know that he loved being at home."