Palemon Retires, Scandalous Photos, No Locals Need Apply

Retirement Party

In a moment wet with historical importance, parciantes voted to replace the legendary acequia commissioner and Taos Valley Acequia Association president, Palemon Martinez as ditch commissioner on the upper Acequia Madre del Rio Lucero. Martinez garnered only 16 votes to to Leo Valencia’s 42 votes in a resounding decision by parciantes, who had prepared a plaque honoring Palemon’s fifty years of service. The decision was firm but polite and seen as necessary in order to prepare for the implementation of the Abeyta agreement on March 31, 2017.

According to attendees, many of Martinez’s previous supporters and family members voted with their feet and did not attend the annual meeting. Juan Garcia is commissioner on the lower part of the ditch and Fermin Torres, who sits as commissioner for the middle ditch, remains as treasurer of the commission despite the encroaching years. Torres who lost a battle last year for mayordomo to a younger man, Arnold Quintana, has stubbornly refused to allow an open examination of the acequia’s books, according to parciantes. Apparently his children and grandchildren continue to act as the legs and eyes of this other legendary Seco ditch boss.

Mayordomo Arnold Quintana respectfully but firmly referred to a variety of reforms needed to maintain compuertas (headgates) and impassable areas of the Acequia Madre del Rio Ulcer. Arnold described his frustration in getting reimbursed for the minor expenses associated with buying boards or supplies despite a reported balance of some $221,000 in cash. The Mayordomo described the need for a gang of chain-saw wielding volunteers and hired labor that could cost as much as “$1200” to fix impassable areas prior to spring cleaning on ditch day.

The gym at the Arroyo Seco Community Center was packed with parciantes, both natives and newcomers. One recent property owner said he repeatedly tried to pay ditch dues but was stonewalled by commissioners. The younger generation, folks in their late forties, fifties and sixties, expressed a more open attitude toward change on Saturday night as Palemon retired from his duties with all due honors.

Cease and Desist: Take Down that Photo!

A large photo at the Centinel Bank shocked the widow of the Chicano Barber, Juma Archuleta, last week when she walked into the financial emporium. Further, Tempo, The Taos News’s arts and culture insert, printed several photos, apparently produced for commercial purposes by a Donald Graham. The images, referred to as “heroes” in a press release, flog a reception at the local bank, implying that a fund-raiser will be held for an organization known as Nonviolence Works (formerly Men Engaged in Non-Violence).

Another local man, John Nichols, an author of some repute, expressed outrage at the exploitation of his image by the alleged cabal. The Taos News is using Nichols’ mug to flog their weekly publication at vending machines and on sandwich boards at the feet of live vendors. And, according to Nichols, the bank, owned by one Eliu Romero, is exploiting his photo for what purposes he can only imagine.

A press release, responding to the outrage, issued by the Chicano Chamber of Commerce in El Prado, has called for a “cease and desist” of the “illegal and commercial exploitation of its president and “Our beloved leader.” First Vice President Arsenio Cordova and Second Vice President Gene Sanchez told Taos Friction that a meeting is scheduled with aggrieved parties and attorneys for Monday at 2 pm. “This will not stand,” said the press release. (Juma banked with Angel at the Centinel but he never offered to promote new checking accounts.)

According to John Nichols neither he nor other participants ever signed “releases” for the alleged Photog, Mr. Donald Graham nor the organization, Nonviolence Works, nor The Taos News, nor the Centinel Bank. Earlier, under the auspices of Vishu Magee, “Men Engaged in Nonviolence” organized a series of portraits for newspaper stories, in which prominent local men allowed the reproduction of their images in newspapers to encourage other men to resist violent impulses.

Now, a new board at Nonviolence Works, composed of virtually unknown individuals and Mr. Graham, who, reportedly lives up near the old Stakeout in a walled-in security environment, seem incapable of resisting commercialization and the exploitation of Taos’s most beloved local citizens.

Caveat: Historically, a hero is not somebody willing to sit for a picture but someone willing to risk his or her life for another human being or a cause.

No Locals Need Apply

In a startling development, the Barrone-Bellis (plus Hahn) administration of the Town has confirmed in practice that “no locals need apply.” Earlier, Manager Bellis pointed out during the Friday night massacre of Councilor Judi Cantu, an event orchestrated by Hahn and Barrone to save Bellis’s job,  that he, Bellis, was having difficulty filling marketing, planning, and finance positions (like the potholes) because the salaries offered to professionals were too little to convince them to move to Taos given the high cost of living.

Further, Bellis interpreted the County’s practice of promoting experienced local employees as department heads, as indicative of the problem, suggesting the County hires locals out of desperation. In fact the County hires locals due to policy and because management takes pride in the practical progress of its employees.

Now, a generation of experienced young people in the community who have unusual marketing pedigrees has been ignored. (I’m talking about folks with experience and access Bellis could only dream about.) Similarly, the Town continues to ignore experienced local and former planners with knowledge of the community. One former Town Planner did not even garner a response when she applied for a job as department head. While Bellis has no prior experience himself as a Town Manager, we thought his and Barrone’s experience at the County would be helpful at Town Hall. But we were wrong.

We are deeply disappointed in Mayor Barrone and Councilor Hahn, as well as Councilor Cantu, Councilor Peralta, and Councilor Gonzales for allowing this arbitrary and capricious practice to continue. We are also chagrinned at the highhanded way brick and mortar  Plaza merchants are being treated by the council in comparison to the once-a-week out-of-town Farmers. We like the Farmers who sell their goods in town but believe with a little imagination, the farmers and merchants could be accommodated.

There’s plenty of room in the central park of the Plaza and in the alleys and in the Dunn House parking lot to set up an expanded Farmer’s Market. Then the powers that be could keep the Plaza open to vehicle traffic, which Plaza Merchants claim they need. (Don’t give me that malarkey about “safety.” I have seen real crowds on the Plaza.)  Today everyone’s a little desperate about business, given the limited prospects for retail and the lack of traffic though there are plenty of potholes.

The new administration has ignored its supporters and the voters who brought them to the dance. The manager is no better at filling vacancies than he is at filling potholes. After a year of inertia it’s time for a change at Town Hall.