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Santa Fe’s roller coaster relationship with professional baseball is on the upswing for at least one full season.
Andrew Dunn, the president and commissioner of the independent Pecos League, said Thursday that his league has committed to six teams in 2012 that includes an expansion club in Santa Fe.
The team will go by the name Fuego and the primary colors will be black and teal.
Pending final city approval, all home games will be played at Fort Marcy Park.
The league also hired veteran skipper Bill Moore, 66, to manage the team Thursday.
Moore had entertained previous offers from other teams in the Pecos League before accepting the post in Santa Fe.
“It’s brand new, a fresh start,” said Moore in a telephone interview from his Arizona home. “I’m used to playing baseball in 110 degrees. It will be nice to be on the field when it’s 86 in June.”
“He makes Santa Fe an immediate contender,” Dunn said. “He brings credibility and a ton of experience with him. We’re lucky to have him, but he probably wouldn’t have come to us if Santa Fe didn’t have a team.”
Dunn and Moore will be in Santa Fe for the Nov. 9 City Council meeting in which the league will seek permission to sell beer at home games.
Regardless of the vote, Dunn said, the Pecos League is coming to The City Different.
“We’re ready and we’re going to play baseball,” Dunn said. “We’re making a commitment to that city and we’re going to be there.”
Moore’s first priorities are promoting the team and finding players willing to give Santa Fe’s
7,000-foot climate a try.
The latter won’t be too hard given a laundry list of contacts Moore made during his years coaching and managing in the Phoenix area. He also served as a scout for the Montreal Expos.
“I’m a pitching and defense guy, so finding a pitcher who will keep the ball down is a requirement, I think,” Moore said. “No matter what kind of players we find, I guarantee you they’ll be respectful to the fans, they’ll sign autographs every night and they’ll represent Santa Fe the best they can.”
The other five teams in the league will be the Alpine (Texas) Cowboys, Las Cruces Vaqueros, Roswell Invaders, White Sands (Alamogordo) Pupfish and the Trinidad (Colo.) Triggers.
Baseball is the national pastime. Hundreds of cities have local baseball teams and now Santa Fe has the opportunity to host a professional baseball team to play at Ft. Marcy stadium. The Chamber of Commerce believes that local baseball would be a valuable addition to our local community adding both commercial and leisure opportunities that will benefit our community.
Please attend the Public Hearing Nov. 9that to express your support for local baseball.
Ft. Marcy was the home of Santa Fe baseball many years ago. It is a historic stadium that perfectly fits our historic community.
Watching and playing baseball is a great way for our youth to learn about competition, strong role models, local heroes and the benefits of recreation.
A local baseball team would create jobs and benefit the local business community. Visiting teams would stay at local hotels. Fans could watch the games and then walk downtown to dine and enjoy other community activities. Local businesses could sponsor the team and special team events. Pride in the local team would create a market for shirts, hats and other associated merchandise.
Anyone who has visited the Boston area understands the civic pride that supports the Red Sox. Bankers, politicians, students, nurses and plumbers all wear Red Sox hats and shirts. The pride (and sometimes disappointment) in the local team is palpable. Santa Fe is lacking a symbol behind which we can all unite.
The serving of alcohol is a very important issue that deserves serious consideration. But the economics of local baseball are such that the team cannot exist without revenue from beer sales.
We propose that:
- Beer be only sold in designated areas by certified servers
- Tailgating is not permitted under any circumstances and outside alcohol is strictly prohibited
- A customer can only purchase a limited number of beers – a wristband system can easily monitor purchases
- Beer is already sold at the city-operated golf course with no detrimental effects
- Our neighbors to the south, the Isotopes, host thousands of fans, serve beer and have suffered had no serious consequences.
If traffic and/or parking become a strain on the neighborhood, we propose a system of shuttles or other public transportation solutions to alleviate any negative consequences.
Please support City Councilor Ron Trujillo in his efforts to bring baseball to Santa Fe. Plan on attending the City Finance Committee on Monday, Oct. 3rd at 5pm to express your support.
Also call your Councilor and let them know that you support the Chamber’s position on local baseball.
David Coss, Mayor 955-6590
City Councilors:
Patti Bushee, Dist. 1 955-2345
Chris Calvert, Dist. 1 955-6812
Rosemary Romero, Dist. 2 955-6818
Rebecca Wurzburger, Dist. 2 955-6815
Miguel Chavez, Dist. 3 955-6816
Carmichael Dominguez, Dist. 3 955-6814
Matthew Ortiz, Dist. 4 955-6817
Ronald Trujillo, Dist. 4 955-6811
“It is baseball in its simplest form– just ball, bats, gloves, and lifelong dreams. The parks are generally small, the players, hardworking young men whom local fans are likely to run into the next day at the mall or maybe the corner bar. A family of four can see a game, eat dinner–maybe even pick up a souvenir or two–without having to consider a second mortgage. No lockouts, no holdouts, no five-dollar beers, and the umpire is the only one who can call a strike. “Just the national pastime, played the game it is,”
The Minor League Baseball Book.
A couple of facts -
The City would not sell beer, they would simply grant a waiver to allow a snack bar to do so. As already takes place at Mart Sanchez Links.
The beer concession would be a tiny snack bar with hot dogs and crackerjacks. Not a rowdy sports bar.
The US consumes 50 billion pints of beer a year. Beer drinking is not a fringe activity but part of the culture.
http://www.santafenm.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DID=8879
As part of the Buy Into It! effort to support the local economy, Santa Fe, New
Mexico, the state’s art commission and economic development divisions have
launched a pilot programme to help owners showcase their vacant property by
installing art displays to direct foot traffic to the potential space for lease.
Building on similar programmes already developed in Seattle and San
Francisco, the pilot programme is a creative way to address vacancies, add to the
tourism experience, while at the same time, provide opportunities for local artists.
“This is truly a great programme for everyone involved,” said Simon Brackley
from the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce. “While it enhances properties in the
downtown area, it will redirect foot traffic for merchants, and potentially bring
retail clients to property owners.”
Beginning in Seattle in 2010, the programme is now part of a national wave of
community driven collaborations between business and artists to activate empty
spaces and renew economic activity in neighbourhoods.
Seattle is now running its second edition which will continue until January
2012. “This innovative programme is a great collaboration between our business
and art communities,” said Mayor Mike McGinn. “Storefronts Seattle shines a
spotlight on Seattle’s creative sector, brings new life to empty storefronts and
enlivens our neighbourhood business districts.”
In the Santa Fe pilot, property owners will be asked to donate their space for
the 90 day temporary installation – from June until September and in return, have their property showcased, linked and marketed through the City of Santa Fe Arts Commission’s website, facebook and media contacts. Artists will be paid a US$500 stipend for the cost of the installation and will also be showcased in the same manner.
We are busy here at the Chamber. A brief roundup of some of our activities:
Rail Runner – Working with the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, we lobbied successfully to maintain weekend service for the Rail Runner train.
Precious Metals – We have lobbied on behalf of business to reduce the effect of additional regulation on the local precious metals industry.
Leadership Santa Fe – Now is the time to enroll for the Leadership Santa Fe Class of 2012. More information HERE.
WACE Update – I have been awarded a scholarship to attend the Western Association of Chamber Executives Economic Development conference in Sacramento in August. The conference is designed to educate chambers about their role in ED in the new economy.
Shop Cerrillos Road! – We are working hard to support the merchants on Cerrillos Road who are affected by the construction project. Read the Santa Fe New Mexican for updates and specials. Please take an extra five minutes to shop on Cerrillos Rd.
CRMA -The Chamber is supporting the Canyon Road Merchants Association with their marketing efforts. Look for the new billboard on I-25 .
Youthworks – Supporting the new Youthworks Green Jobs Initiative that brings together local employers with motivated job-seekers.
Broadband – The Chamber strongly supports Santa Fe’s participation in a regional effort to bring improved broadband service to the community.
Education – The Chamber participated in the Mobilizing for Educational Excellence program held at the Santa Fe Community College and facilitated by New Mexico First.
Trade Missions – We are pleased to be taking 65 travelers to Spain and 12 to China in the fall on our latest trade missions to foreign lands. And we have some exciting plans for destinations in 2012!
Banking on Birdies – Thanks to First National Bank of Santa Fe, Century Bank, New Mexico Bank & Trust and Los Alamos National Bank we will be hosting our Annual Golf Tournament at Marty Sanchez Links on Monday, August 15. Call 988-3279 to participate.
Airport Road Merchants Survey – The City of Santa Fe is conducting a survey of Airport Road area businesses in order to find ways to help them succeed. During the month of August City representatives will be visiting businesses to invite them to participate. To learn more CLICK HERE or call 955-6912.
St. Michael’s Drive – The City of Santa Fe’s Long Range Planning Division is hosting a series of three open houses to introduce proposed design standards and guidelines for future development along St. Michael’s Drive. The open houses will take place at Cinema Café in St. Michael’s Village West Shopping Center, on Thursday and Friday, August 11 and 12, from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, August 13 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. City staff will be on hand to discuss the proposals and gather public input.
Visitor Enquiries – As always Chamber staff is doing an outstanding job answering visitor’s questions and referring enquiries to Chamber members. And the fabulous Bienvenidos volunteers are helping thousands of visitors from the booth in First National Bank on the Plaza.
Committee Agendas – The Chairs of our Chamber Committees are meeting to set agendas for meetings set to start in September. If you are interested in Public Policy, Education, Tourism, Economic Development or the Ambassadors outreach – please Email or call Marilyn at 988-3279 to be kept informed.
LANL – I attended the recent LANL Regional Leaders meeting, and we welcomed a group from Albuquerque who were en route to the Suppliers Alliance Conference. LANL’s mission is critical to our local economy .
Member Videos – CLICK HERE to view video testimonials from members about how the Chamber has helped them start and grow their businesses.
Local Hero – The Chamber is very pleased to recognize Medal of Honor Winner – Sgt. First Class Leroy Petry – a graduate of the Chamber’s Bootstrap program and truly an outstanding young man who is an example for us all.
Discounts – we have negotiated additional discounts for members on Office Depot products. Call us at 988-3279 for information about discounts on payroll services, credit card processing and advertising for members.
Business Watch – The Santa Fe Police Department Crime Prevention Unit will host the first of a series of Business Watch meetings at 7:00 p.m. on August 17 at the Santa Fe Public Schools Educational Service Center at 610 Alta Vista. All businesses in the city, Santa Fe County and surrounding communities are invited.
Fiesta Prime Time – On Wednesday, September 7 at 5:30 pm at the Lodge we will be hosting an event that introduces our newest members and celebrates Fiesta de Santa Fe. No charge for admission – $25 for a table top. Call 988-3279 to sign up.
Workshop Series – We are creating a series of workshops starting in September to help your business succeed. Watch his space for details and dates. And space is limited so book early!
Every job we help you create and every business we assist helps to create prosperity in Santa Fe
As always – if your business is not a member of the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce, we invite you to join our organization, participate and help grow our local economy. Call me at 988-3279 for information.
Thank you
Simon Brackley, President and CEO
The prospect of a nurses strike at Christus St Vincent Hospital has emotions running high among some in the community. We are hearing a lot of simple-minded commentary about how we “deserve” good nurses, how the organization runs like a business and how things “used to be”.
It’s time to take a more objective and businesslike view of the hospital and its role in Santa Fe.
The world of healthcare is changing. New technologies, management systems, government mandates, insurance and privacy requirements, required staffing levels, patient care procedures, competition from private and regional hospitals, a rising uninsured population, rising costs and “healthcare reform”. These are enormously complex issues
Christus St Vincent Hospital plays a critically important role in our community. As the major provider of healthcare, as a reliable community partner and as the largest private provider of jobs in the area, Christus St Vincent Hospital is responsible for the heath and economic well-being of thousands of Santa Feans.
In order to expand to fill the needs of a growing population of course the hospital has to make money. This is a good thing. How else can we expect expanded and improved services if the hospital is not able to make money in order to reinvest in first-class facilities and staff.
From an economic point of view heath care is a bright spot. It is forecast to grow in Santa Fe and create many jobs for the future. But in order to grow we have to leave the past behind and focu
s on a new way of providing heath care using the latest methods and systems.
Negotiators on both sides of the labor dispute should focus on what Santa Fe needs. Reliable, convenient, affordable health care and well-paying jobs for working Santa Feans.
Recently a newspaper article about the threatened nurses’ strike contained the quote “Santa Fe is a Union Town”. This gave me food for thought. The reality is somewhat different. The argument can be made that we are a “government town” with fully 40% of the local workforce being employed by local, state or federal government agencies. And it is true that some staff of some government departments are unionized.
However when we look at the private sector only two of the top fifty major employers in Santa Fe are union shops. Furthermore with over 3000 businesses in Santa Fe County only a handful have any union workers at all.
The reality is that Santa Fe is a small business town. We have our share of national retailers but the vast majority of Santa Fe businesses are independent and many are family–owned.
The tourism industry is our largest non-government business sector with no union employees at all. Small business wants the freedom to operate with as little interference as possible whether from government or organized labor. We must support our independent entrepreneurs in their efforts to be successful and create jobs. Government depends upon taxes generated by the private sector.
Let’s make Santa Fe a Business Town with opportunities for all to work, raise a family and be successful. 150 marchers on a Sunday do not a union town make.
As local residents are no doubt aware, Phase 3 of the Cerrillos Road reconstruction project is currently under way and having a major effect on the businesses in the area.
It is easy to drive straight through or take alternative routes but in fact all the businesses in the area are open and are anxious for your business. Take a few extra minutes to Shop Cerrillos Road and support these local businesses that are facing this challenge at the busiest time of year. In fact many of the businesses are having Orange Barrel sales and this is a great time to find bargains and parking spaces!
Local businesses create jobs for local people and taxes that support our civic amenities – shop on Cerrillos Road and help support your community.
We have reason to celebrate this month as the Chamber’s successful advocacy effort has restored weekend service of the Railrunner between Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
By collaborating with elected officials, business organizations and other chambers the Santa Fe Chamber has persuaded the Metro Board to reverse their decision to cancel weekend service. We are pleased to have worked closely with our regional partners and we believe our successful effort will have a direct effect on the bottom line of many Santa Fe businesses.
If you are not currently an investor in the Chamber we encourage you to give the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce a chance to show how valuable we can be to you as a partner. Through this kind of advocacy, networking and business support we are here to help create a stronger local economy and to help our members create jobs for Santa Feans.
Please help if you can. We invite all businesses who operate in Santa Fe to join our efforts and become members. We are here to serve and assist. Go to www.santafechamber.com, email me at simon@santafechamber.com or call 988-3279 to learn how chamber membership already benefits over 900 local businesses.
Santa Fe – Leadership Santa Fe’s ‘Class of 2012’ is open to applicants. The 2011-12 program begins in the fall. Interested applicants should go to www.leadershipsantafe.org to apply today. David Markwardt, Leadership Development Facilitator, will team up with Lucy River, Program Director, to host the nine month curriculum, which falls under the banner of the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce. Together with a class of twenty-five community leaders, they will examine issues of economic development, health, government, non-profits, and youth & education, and meet with over fifty prominent local policy and decision makers.
“I can honestly say it has been one of the richest experiences of my life. Finding time for the Leadership Santa Fe program allowed me to discover that one can always make time for self-reflection, self-improvement and commitment to something larger,” said Jackie Hall, Director of Philanthropy, The Nature Conservancy.
