,
Story and Photos by Meredith Hughes
Hey ho, locals! Your Corrales calendar is chock-a-block again this month, and perhaps right now you are hiding among your zucchini plants trying to elude a Harvest Festival recruiter desperate for your volunteer skills, or lack thereof. Just one of the joys of small village life…the Festival runs September 24 and 25. ( Your immense yet shy English Mastiff is right by your side, utterly opposed to being a candidate for Pet Mayor, am I right?)
A major commercial procrastinator, Texas-based Valero, which purchased the Corrales Gas Station in December, finally installed its somewhat jarring blue and white pumps the end of July, said an employee with an eye roll. The company has been otherwise occupied, however. According to the San Antonio Report, “Before the ( Ukraine invasion) cutoff, Valero was the United States’ largest importer of Russian oil and petroleum, representing about 41% of U.S. imports from Russia, say analysts from Houston-based energy firm Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co.†Valero apparently then reached out to oil suppliers in Latin America, the Middle East and Canada.
In other expansionist news, those involved in building a brand new gym for the Rec Center have asked Planning & Zoning for a variance allowing the roof on the new gym to rise from the 26 feet limit to 35.3 feet. Newsy’s head suddenly filled with images of high flying b.ballers dunking away, their heads skimming the rafters.
And in hungry coyote reports—-An anonymous villager reports that recently a driver along Loma Larga between Tierra Encantada and Camino Sin Pasada yelled that two coyotes were tailing her and her dog on the east side of the Corrales Main Canal.
“I showed him I already had my mace out just in case the coyotes got too close. He stayed on the west side of the Main Canal and his intervention/presence seemed to stop the coyote chase. My dog and I left the area going north.†Note: Corrales police have advised calling 911 whenever a coyote chases people in the village, and to wait in the location, if safe.
COVID-19? Not again…But yes. There is something new on the way called a Bivalent booster, a mix of two versions of the vaccine, intended to target both the original coronavirus strain and the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron subvariants. Commander Tanya Lattin of the Corrales Fire Department confirms “We are sending in our preorder vaccine requests to the State. State will then work with what the CDC allocates once approved. The FDA and the CDC will have to do the data review and make their decision before any vaccine will be released. Dates depend on when the manufacturer submit all required data and any additional data requested while FDA and CDC review. It also depends on when the FDA and CDC can formally meet to go over data and approve or deny. My fingers are crossed for 9/15 or sooner in September.†Check Village website for further info on this.
After recent rain, and less heat, our zinnias are exultant. Are yours?
If not, you may want to check out JenniFleurs’ seafoam green 1968 Volkswagen Double Cab Transporter flower truck known as Eunice, which will be hanging out at Village Pizza in Corrales September 9, late afternoon, and on other Fridays. It’s a mobile business owned by Jennifer Esquivel who sells direct from the truck all over Albuquerque and vicinity, by delivery and by subscription, by gum.
Take a look at another floral treat up on display at Alameda Greenhouse. It’s a large 12×36 inch framed pastel painting called Seasonal Blooms by Corrales artist Bonnie Mitisek. Her latest series of greeting cards is on sale at Alameda.
After recently dropping in at Wagner’s Farm Stand to buy corn—-none there—chiles and zucchini in bulk, yes—slight hint as to some corn arriving in three days, call ahead, the friendly dude at the checkout area, Jay Hudson, began to draw a picture of his “perfect kitchen.†We had arrived there after a brief back and forth about the ( grotesque) and immense faux chateaux popping up in the Vill. But—-his plan was a square food prep/cooking area, not too large, with room all around it for perched friends. I suggested I preferred more of a galley kitchen, sink on one side, stove on the other, with some surrounding perches, but okay. We both gave thumbs down to giant kitchens with immense center counters, just so you know. Crazy random Corrales chat, the best.
And finally, Sandy Gold, fabled biker, hiker, greenhouser and financial supporter of Music in Corrales, whose season begins September 10, by the way, wonders what happened to the descanso, or roadside memorial, once at the south end of Corrales Road. It went up after a Native woman was killed driving there. Anyone know?
Please do get in touch with Newsy—gossip, questions, your fave Britbox series, concerns, upcoming events? Email meredith@corralescomment.com