1)  News Event: 11 a.m., this Thursday, 9/13/07, at the Town of Taos Youth & Family Center’s parking lot, Highway 585. This 30-minute event will include the young women ‘artist-angels’ of Casa de Corazon (Home with a Heart) and the ‘unveiling’ of the first phase of their mosaic mural contribution to the Center’s pool patio wall.

Casa de Corazon is a Taos/Espanola nonprofit providing counseling and residential services for youth and families in need, http://casadecorazon.org/index.html. Several of the young women participating in this project will be present to talk about their art, along with what the ‘Casa’ has meant for them – and be thanked by the Town of Taos Mayor and Council for their artistic, volunteer efforts. Names of the angel-artists include: Winter Magoosh, Tori Richardson, Bethany Bintz, Audrey Rivas, Hope Ortiz, Brittany Martinez, Suki Molinar, Colette Puerto, Amanda Brady, Dilia Archuleta (photo attached of Audrey Rivas working on part of the mural). It is planned that through the coming years the initial design proposed by the young artists for their ‘living mural’ will be added to (see attached sketch). Art therapist and Casa de Corazon’s Sara Jordan has led this effort, and can be reached at 505-751-0333.

The mural project is part of a larger Y&F Pool Patio Landscaping project that was unveiled in July before the Town of Taos Mayor/Council. When implemented, this overall plan will allow for all sorts of pool/patio oriented activities to be scheduled at the Center such as birthday parties, barbecues, and other fun gatherings. Built and operated by the Town of Taos, the Taos Youth & Family Center, including its pool facility, serves all area residents – in and out of the Town – and has 20,000-plus users a month during the summer. More information about the overall Center can be obtained at http://www.taosyouth.org.

2)  Town of Taos Land Use Development Code Public Outreach/Update: September 17th through the 21st, next Monday through Friday, at the Taos Civic Center, PlaceMakers’ crews will be on call to meet with stakeholder groups, constituents, business representatives, and anyone else who wants to provide input into this important set of Town codes. PlaceMakers is the consultant assisting with outreach and with taking input and actually turning it into code – ‘Smart Code’ to be precise.

The LUDC codes are the ‘rules’ that dictate the implementation future of things like mixed use, affordable housing density/location, landscaping/setback requirements, agricultural preservation, architectural/sign requirements or restrictions, trails/transportation, parking design, etc. The first three days of workshop meetings were in August. A more thorough description of this process is on the web site, http://www.TaosSmartCode.com, including the ability to comment ‘online’ if constituents would rather do this/have to do this instead of meeting at the Civic Center.

The public is welcome anytime the entire week -- but the best times are when the discussion, and designer availability, meet up to best address an individual’s particular interest(s). Again, there is a detailed schedule online at the above site to find ‘your issue/time’. However, general, public meetings where the design team presents the broadest range of ideas are booked for Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights at 6:30 p.m.

Monday night: opening public meeting to set the stage for the week.

Wedensday night: A ‘Pin Up’ session to show work in progress from conceptual designers trying to ‘show’ constituents what they’re asking for.

Friday night: Full report/presentation with illustrations/examples of what’s been gathered and is being articulated back to the public.

Questions? Contact .

3)  Taos Farmer’s Market: Some misinformation has surfaced concerning the Town of Taos hosting the Taos Farmer’s Market in its current Town Hall/Library parking lot location. The Town continues to support the Farmer’s Market and very much wants it to continue to be held exactly where it currently is held – a location the Town provides as a public service. There has been no ‘eviction’.

However, an issue of exclusivity has arisen that needs to be worked out, and the Council has asked to have a joint meeting with the Taos Farmer’s Market Board to try and do so. It revolves around inclusiveness. Although the Taos Farmer’s Market allows all sorts of non-farm vendors to be included and sell/market their items, they have recently excluded some vendors who are ‘reselling’ local produce from southern Colorado – indicating they are not ‘direct growers’. Some of these resellers have been around longer than the market itself, and would like some compromise to be reached where they are allowed to continue to sell their items – even designating them as ‘resellers’ at the market itself if that is the solution. The Town has indicated that ultimately, as a municipal government body, they can only continue to provide the parking lot location to the Taos Farmer’s Market organization if their policies are inclusive. Again, a meeting to work this out is being scheduled between the two entities as quickly as possible.

4)  Taos Plaza Pilot Parking Program: The 2-hour free parking program has been underway since Thursday evening, 9/6/07, and so far so good according to Town of Taos Police Department representatives. The pilot has seen the ‘hooding’ if parking meters to provide for free parking in an attempt to find additional ways to support Taos tourism and further our communication of hospitality to visitors. Officers are also handing out Town of Taos parking maps as they make their rounds so visitors may find extended all-day free parking lots more easily. Although we have distributed the map previously, anyone can get a copy by emailing Cathy Connelly, .

5)  Clean Up Taos: The Town of Taos Mayor/Council has initiated an effort to ‘clean up Taos’ – from the Town’s own property through areas controlled by other public agencies and the Town’s constituents/businesses. More details will be provided and promoted throughout the months of September/October, with major pushes for compliance starting in late October. Part of this effort will include free Town-wide curbside pick up of yard material (i.e. leaves, branches, etc.), free ‘drop off days’ for non-organic items that need to be cleaned up from property such as old refrigerators, rusting equipment, etc., and a fall trash pick-up drive. Potential plastic bag prohibitions for local businesses are also being considered as part of this effort as the program moves forward. The Town of Taos does have ordinances in place that ultimately will assist with enforcement of this ongoing clean up effort, but the first major wave of ‘compliance’ will be aimed at assistance.

Cathy Connelly, Public Relations Coordinator

Town of Taos

400 Camino de la Placita

Taos, NM 87571

http://www.taosgov.com

505-751-2001 office