A video doesn’t
define us
As board chair of Moving Arts Española — and as someone who deeply loves this community — I feel compelled to respond to the recent coverage and viral video portraying Española in a limited and damaging light.
Yes, our community faces real challenges. But there’s another story here — one of creativity, resilience and possibility.
What that video leaves out — and what many of us work every day to strengthen — is hope. Healing. Joy. For 17 years, Moving Arts Española has been that source of light for thousands of kids and their families. We are an award-winning nonprofit offering after-school programs rooted in movement, culture, and creativity. We serve healthy, locally sourced vegetarian meals — not just to students, but to their families, too. We provide a safe place where young people explore emotions, express themselves through art, and begin to imagine a new path forward. For many, we are not just a program — we are a lifeline.
We’ve seen young people change the trajectory of their lives through dance, music, visual arts, digital media, and creative technology. Some pursue higher education. Others build careers in teaching or the culinary arts. Most grow stronger in who they are. That’s impact.
A single YouTube video does not define Española. This community is defined by its resilience, its culture, its families, and the fierce determination of its youth. And we will continue to show up for them, every single day.
With respect and hope,
Linda Seebantz
Board Chair
Moving Arts Española
SB 37
As New Mexico enters another summer with below average snowpack and widespread drought conditions, it is heartening that state lawmakers recently enacted Senate Bill 37 to enhance the state’s Strategic Water Reserve.
The Strategic Water Reserve is an innovative water management tool that Think New Mexico crafted and successfully championed two decades ago. The law keeps a little more water in our rivers by allowing the state’s water managers to lease or purchase instream water rights to meet the needs of endangered species and fulfill our water delivery obligations to other states. Farmers and other water rights owners can lease their water rights to the Reserve when they aren’t using them, keeping those rights in their families while making rivers healthier.
During the 2025 legislative session, Think New Mexico partnered with a broad coalition of other groups to pass Senate Bill 37, which creates a non-reverting fund to hold future appropriations for the Reserve. This will ensure that dollars allocated to the Reserve are available for the multiple years that it generally takes to complete a water rights lease or purchase. Senate Bill 37 also allows the Reserve to acquire water rights for aquifer recharge, which increases streamflows over the long term. We commend the legislature and the governor for improving this important tool to keep New Mexico’s rivers alive and flowing.
Kristina Fisher
Associate Director
Think New Mexico
Merrifield’s legacy
I knew Sheriff Billy Merrifield for the better part of 15 years. I knew him as a leader in the community and more importantly as a friend. Because of this, I feel compelled to write this letter to defend his name and his legacy.
Those of us who had the privilege of knowing Billy knew him as a man of character, integrity, and professionalism. He was not only an administrator, he was a working sheriff. He worked tirelessly to assure that his department was well staffed and well trained. He cared deeply about his staff who he often referred to as his work family. He loved his job, especially serving his beloved Rio Arriba County. It is my desire that the investigation into this matter continues, as there still seems to be many unanswered questions surrounding his death.
It has been disappointing to hear that people have started jumping to conclusions without knowing what truly happened or allowing the investigation to be concluded. It appears they have become the judge, the jury, and the executioner.
There are many of us who love and will always respect Billy, for the genuine human being he was. We will continue to speak words of support to honor his legacy.
Respectfully,
Isaac P. Romero
Santa Cruz