Big awards and pandemic help

Taos wins Addy awards

Gizmo Productions, a local marketing firm working with the Town of Taos Tourism Department, won Gold and Silver “Addys” at the annual American Advertising Awards New Mexico for videos produced during 2020. Gizmo Productions’ wins place Taos in the ABQ TOP 30, with a chance to win even more recognition for our community during the multi-state American Advertising district ceremony.

Gizmo Productions is made up of Max Moulton and Kevyn Gilbert, who grew up in Dixon; Moulton is a proud graduate of Taos High. They returned to Taos in 2006 and formed Gizmo Productions, which offers web design, video, audio and marketing services to our community. Although Gizmo has gone on to work with clients around the country, they are committed to supporting Taos and have been working with the Town of Taos since 2018.

The partnership between the Town of Taos and Gizmo Productions is a testament to what a small community can do when we invest in local talent. Town of Taos Marketing and Tourism Director Karina Armijo said, “We’re so proud of the work we’ve been able to accomplish with our small local team, and it’s a privilege to get to share Taos with the world. Gizmo Productions is a fantastic example of the skill and creativity that flourishes right here in our own town.”

Taos Ski Valley wins award

Taos Ski Valley has earned Platinum-level distinction for its workplace policies by Family Friendly New Mexico, a statewide initiative developed to recognize employers that have adopted policies that give New Mexico businesses an advantage in recruiting and retaining the best employees.

“Our company values of Enjoy, Protect and Give guide us in making decisions that contribute to the well-being of our staff, their families and the greater health and welfare of our local community,” said Suzie Benton, HR manager, Taos Ski Valley. “This award is important recognition of the work being done by businesses to keep New Mexico families front and center; we are incredibly proud of being recognized by Family Friendly New Mexico for our efforts for our third year in a row.”

Taos Ski Valley’s hiring and human resources policies were designed with equity and families in mind. They include paid parental leave, paid health days that staff can use for themselves or to care for family members and paid volunteer time for staff to use serving the local community, schools, nonprofits and religious organizations.

Pandemic Resiliency Resource Roundup

Paycheck Protection Program: Centinel Bank’s online application for Schedule C applicants is now updated and available to calculate your maximum forgivable loan amount based on your gross income. US Bank said their application would be updated this week to do the same, but as of this writing, they have not, and they have announced that they will stop accepting applications by midnight March 17. Nusenda says they will stop accepting applications Friday, March 26. Most fintechs including Womply and Paypal had their applications updated last week.

Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL): The U.S. Small Business Administration announced extended deferment periods for all disaster loans, including the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, until 2022. All SBA disaster loans made in calendar year 2020, including COVID-19 EIDL, will have a first payment due date extended from 12-months to 24-months from the date of the note. All SBA disaster loans made in calendar year 2021, including COVID-19 EIDL, will have a first payment due date extended from 12-months to 18-months from the date of the note.

Taos County Chamber of Commerce Survey: Please fill out Taos County Chamber of Commerce’s business survey to tell the Chamber what’s important to you as a business. With your help, our team can determine what initiatives to invest in. Click the button below to start the survey. Thank you in advance for your participation in creating, supporting and maintaining a dynamic and responsive Chamber.

In some ways, it was a historic legislative moment.

The Senate Finance Committee — renowned as being the morgue for repeated efforts to draw permanent fund money for early childhood education — held a hearing Thursday (March 11) to discuss that proposal, known as House Joint Resolution 1.

But the committee did not vote on the legislation. Instead, as committee Chairman George Muñoz explained, the hearing was intended to educate members on the initiative before taking further action.

What that action will be remains unclear, although compromise and change seem likely, based on Thursday’s testimony.

The resolution has become one of the most vetted and publicized in recent years. HJR-1 would ask voters to approve a constitutional amendment allowing for a 1 percent annual distribution from the $22 billion Land Grant Permanent Fund — almost $200 million a year — to pay for services for New Mexico’s youngest children.

Critics, including those who served on the Senate Finance Committee in the past, have said any drawdown from that fund could hurt its future stability. And because it helps fund K-12 schools, they argue it also could hurt the public education system.

The bill’s main sponsors, Reps. Moe Maestas and Javier Martínez, both Albuquerque Democrats, spoke of the potential the extra money has to improve the wellbeing of young children in a state that often ranks at the bottom for education and economic measures.

And, they told the committee, the 1 percent draw would be based on a rolling five-year average, meaning it could be less than the $170 million estimated price tag.

This is at least the fifth year that such a proposal has been pitched. In past years, those efforts have stalled in the Senate, usually at the doorstep of the Senate Finance Committee, which has either tabled the proposal or not given it a hearing.

The effort met some resistance again Thursday. Muñoz, D-Gallup, and Sen. Jacob Candelaria, D-Albuquerque, said they could not support the resolution as written because it does not include funding for the state’s K-12 program.

“We will have to make some changes to this,” Muñoz told the sponsors.

Others were more supportive. Sen. Siah Correa Hemphill,

D-Silver City, told the bill’s sponsors that as a school counselor she understands the need to invest in children at a young age. She seemed enthused about the proposal.

Sen. Bill Sharer, R-Farmington, took a more contrarian view, questioning whether there is any proof that additional funding for schools leads to higher success rates.

Elizabeth Groginsky, secretary of the state Early Childhood Education and Care Department, said her agency’s budget is over $410 million a year. But it could cost up to $500 million more per year to serve the many children who could benefit from pre-K programming.

“We have a real opportunity here,” she said of the resolution.

Maestas told the committee the state has an opportunity to change the future for children who would benefit from such programming. Many studies say pre-K efforts lead to higher academic achievement and graduation rates and less remedial class work for students who take part in them.

Charles Sallee, deputy director of the Legislative Finance Committee, told the committee that state studies show students benefit from such programs.

“It’s not enough to close the achievement gap alone, but we are seeing positive results from our pre-K investments,” he said.

Muñoz concluded Thursday’s hearing with a vow to give the bill another hearing — but only after committee members and the sponsors “sit down and talk.”