More Cities To Recognize Native Americans On Columbus Day – Mary Hudetz, The Associated Press
More cities are recognizing Native Americans on Columbus Day this year as they revive a movement to change the name of the holiday to celebrate the history and contributions of indigenous cultures around the country.
As the U.S. observes Columbus Day on Monday, it will also be Indigenous Peoples Day in at least nine U.S. cities, including Albuquerque; Portland, Oregon; St. Paul, Minnesota; and Olympia, Washington.
Encouraged by city council votes in Minneapolis and Seattle last year, Native American activists have made a push in dozens of cities to get local leaders to officially recognize the second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples Day. Their success was mixed.
They say the indigenous holiday takes into account the history and contributions of Native Americans for a more accurate historical record.
Indigenous Day Proclamation Leads To City Council Infighting – The Associated Press
An Albuquerque councilman says he wants the City Council president censured over how a proclamation recognizing indigenous people on Columbus Day was handled.
The City Council issued a proclamation Wednesday declaring Monday as Indigenous Peoples Day. Six councilors signed the proclamation and three did not.
Councilor Dan Lewis filed the censure motion Friday criticizing Rey Garduno for putting through a proclamation that said Albuquerque occupied Native people's land, which Lewis suggested denigrated the founding fathers and the first Europeans to arrive in the Americas.
Lewis' motion lauded the contributions of Native communities, but said he didn't sign the proclamation because of language he called "inflammatory."
Garduno says councilors don't typically weigh in at length before deciding whether to sign proclamations. He also says Indigenous Peoples Day represents a unifying movement.
New Mexico County Will Appeal Ruling On Forest Jurisdiction – The Associated Press & The Alamogordo Daily News
A New Mexico county will appeal a court ruling that requires local officials to have federal permission before removing trees in national forests.
The Alamogordo Daily News reports that Otero County commissioners decided Thursday to appeal the U.S. District Court decision.
Judge Christina Armijo struck down a state law that gave New Mexico counties the authority to remove trees and clear overgrown areas on national forest land without having to get approval from the U.S. Forest Service. She said it violated the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution.
County Commission Chairman Ronny Rardin says the county has every right to manage national forest lands. He says the fight over forest jurisdiction has been an ongoing issue since he was elected to office since 1992.
Ranch To Let More Film Shoots Despite 'Maze Runner' Flap – The Associated Press
The manager of a private New Mexico ranch says he will continue to let movie productions film at the site despite a recent flap over American Indian artifacts.
Diamond Tail Ranch manager Roch Hart told The Associated Press he's happy a 20th Century Fox investigation found that the cast from "Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials" didn't take any ancient items from the ranch.
The film's star, Dylan O'Brien, had suggested during an interview that artifacts were taken.
Hart says actors did not leave designated areas and the ranch isn't missing any artifacts.
But he says the case has convinced the ranch to impose stricter guidelines for future productions.
Albuquerque Voter Turnout Hits A Low Point – The Associated Press & The ABQ Journal
A recent Albuquerque election saw the lowest voter turnout for a city election since 1974.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that only 8.2 percent of registered voters participated in last week's election. City records say that's the lowest percentage since the city's modern form of government started.
Officials say they are now looking for a way to boost participation in New Mexico's local elections.
Mayor Richard Berry says he wants to see a broader movement dedicated to the issue, but thinks it could also help to reduce the frequency of elections so voters can make fewer trips to the polls.
State Rep. Javier Martinez agrees with the idea of consolidating elections, but says the state needs to do more to bolster turnout. He suggests allowing same-day or automatic registration.
UNM To Cut Up To 100 Jobs – The Associated Press
University of New Mexico officials are planning to eliminate up to 100 jobs in response to a decline in enrollment and revenue.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that the university informed regents of the decision Friday to cut down the campus workforce.
UNM President Bob Frank says positions will be dropped as they become vacant.
According to Frank, no layoffs or reductions in staffing for the UNM Health Sciences Center or branch campuses will be necessary.
Roughly 27 thousand students are enrolled at UNM this semester.
That is down nearly 2 percent, or roughly 500 people, from fall of last year.
The school says that drop has led to a decline in almost 2 million dollars in tuition revenue and $450 thousand dollars in student fees.
Visitor Spending In Farmington Rose Last Year – The Associated Press
A new report has found that San Juan County received a bump in tourism spending last year.
The Daily Times in Farmington reported Sunday that an analysis from by Tourism Economics indicates visitor spending rose by 4.8 percent in 2014 for the county.
The report from the Pennsylvania-based group also shows that 11 percent of all new jobs in the state between 2011 and 2014 were spawned by tourism.
In San Juan County, more than 2,800 direct tourism jobs were created.
Farmington Convention and Visitors Bureau spokeswoman Tonya Stinson says the data shows the effectiveness of the city's new branding and slogan, "Jolt Your Journey."
Gov. Susana Martinez said last week that the report showed the state broke tourism records for a third consecutive year.
Farmington Sets New School Vaccination Policy – The Associated Press
Farmington education officials have updated policies regarding vaccination and immunization in compliance with new state requirements.
The Daily Times in Farmington says Farmington Municipal School District policy was changed late last week to ensure that reports on immunization coverage for students from kindergarten to seventh grade are submitted by November.
The New Mexico Department of Health issued a call in July for school districts to follow state statutes following a nationwide measles outbreak.
Farmington school board policy also will allow for the district to dis-enroll students who are not immunized on Dec. 1.
Those students can return if they are properly immunized or have a valid exemption.
Farmington schools nursing coordinator Cathy McDonald says the district has an immunization compliance rate of around 99 percent.
