By Jesse Jones
The Corrales Village Council honored journalist Ollie Reed Jr., who died Nov. 19 at 76, during its Feb. 11 meeting.
The council proclaimed Feb. 22, 2025, Ollie Reed Jr. Day, heard from the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission and approved a resolution to destroy select records.
“Ollie called Corrales ‘Mayberry on the Rio Grande’ in a 2019 (Albuquerque) Journal article, praising the village’s neighborliness and safety,†the proclamation read. “I think just living here makes you a better person. Helps you cultivate a good heart,†it quoted Reed.
According to his obituary, Reed’s 48-year career began in Natchez, Mississippi, before he joined the Albuquerque Tribune, where he worked for 32 years until its closure. After a decade away from newspapers, Reed joined the Albuquerque Journal.
Reed received numerous journalism awards, including the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism, which honors outstanding reporting on disadvantaged children and families.
A strong advocate for Western culture, he was a Western Writers of America Homestead Honoree for his support of WWA and Western literature. He also received the New Mexico Department of Agriculture’s Rounders Award, recognizing those who live, promote and celebrate the Western way of life.
Phill Casaus, a former Albuquerque Tribune editor who worked with Reed for 11 years, is now the executive director of communications and engagement at Albuquerque Public Schools. He wrote a tribute to Reed, which was reprinted in the Corrales Comment with permission from the Albuquerque Journal.
In other news
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission co-chair Dayton Voorhees and youth commissioner Joss Scrivne, a Cibola High School senior, presented the commission’s accomplishments and upcoming projects to the village council. Scrivne, who led most of the presentation, will compete in the JROTC Precision Marksmanship National Championship in Anniston, Ala.
According to Scrivne, the commission’s recent work includes helmet giveaways, crosswalk flag installations and plans for an “Adopt a Pathway†program.
During the Rides, Strides and Giddiup event, the group used “noodle ponies†to teach kids how to act whenever they encounter horses, pedestrians and other dogs. They also brought a professional dog trainer to help teach others what to do whenever cyclists and equestrians encounter one another.
She also discussed bike rack projects, saying Commissioner Stevie Kuenzler works with local artists, businesses and welders to create custom outdoor bike racks.
The council approved a resolution to destroy certain village records, with hard copies shredded based on retention policies, according to Village Clerk Melanie Romero. She said council minutes and agendas are permanent, while other records have retention periods of one to five years. A spreadsheet detailing the records was included in the agenda packet.
During the Corraleños Forum, Curt Flora urged the council to reject the resolution for records related to his property and zoning case. He criticized the village for corruption, raised fire hazard concerns, and called for action on neglected properties.