SUN Staff Report
Piñon pickers found an adult human skull Nov. 4 on Santa Fe National Forest property in Coyote, according to State Police.
Evidence of dental fillings in the skull’s teeth discount the possibility it is from an ancient Indian burial, State Police Sgt. Chris Valdez said.
The date of death and sex of the John or Jane Doe is not yet known, Valdez said, and State Police are awaiting information from the state Office of the Medical Investigator to continue the investigation, which could take months.
SUN Staff Report
Proponents of a homeless shelter in the Valley have moved their proposed location further east after public opposition from Española residents forced them to seek other properties.
Española City Councilor Eddie Maestas has helped spearhead the project. He said if too many community members complain about the Chimayó location, he will seek another.
Residents will have a chance to give their input on the proposed homeless shelter in Chimayó Thursday (11/13). Interfaith Leap will be hosting the meeting, scheduled for 6 p.m. at the John Hyson Center on County Road 94 in Chimayó.
Josh Martinez lives at 569 State Road 76, near the road’s intersection with Rio Arriba County Road 87, next door to the proposed shelter location. He collected about 60 signatures on a petition in opposition to the shelter. Martinez said he is concerned about his property value, and he has talked to neighbors who are worried about their safety if the homeless shelter does open near them.
“I feel like a schmuck for fighting some kind of charity,” Martinez said. “I don’t know if we can stop it or not.”
He said his neighbor, Richard Martinez, who plans to lease the three-acre property for the shelter, and Interfaith Leap had failed to communicate with the community. He said the lack of notification is his main concern.