Journal series sparks town hall on guardianships

“Who Guards the Guardians?” — an Albuquerque Journal series by reporter Diane Dimond — has triggered an exceptional response, so much so that the Journal, KANW-FM and the Albuquerque Department of Senior Affairs are sponsoring a town hall-style discussion on the issue of the state’s court-monitored guardianship program for senior citizens.

The event will be held in the Journal auditorium from 7 to 9 p.m. March 22 and will be broadcast live on KANW, 89.1-FM.

A panel of family members, advocates, judges, lawmakers, industry representa-

tives and others will join Dimond in making presentations. Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino, former Rep. Conrad James and Mayor Richard Berry will be among members of the panel. There also will be an opportunity for audience participation.

Journal senior editor Kent Walz and Tom Trowbridge of KANW will serve as moderators. Reprints of the series will be available to those in attendance.

“This series touched a nerve in the community,” Walz said. “We hope that this forum can lead to better understanding and positive changes in a system that critics say is in dire need of repair.”

“If honoring a family elder is the purpose of this guardianship system, something is terribly wrong,” said Jorja ArmijoBrasher, director of Albuquerque Senior Affairs. “We definitely need to hold ourselves to a higher standard.”

The venue can accommodate about 50 members of the public, so advance sign-ups are required. If you are interested in attending, please let us know by sending an email to newsroom@abqjournal. com.

If you have questions you would like to ask the panel, please send them to the same email address. Because it will not be possible to ask all questions submitted, they will be selected in an effort to cover various points of interest.