From the Desk of Red River Mayor Calhoun
By LINDA CALHOUN, Mayor of Red River
The monsoons are in full swing, and we are receiving rain almost daily. With the forest being open and record heat in our market areas, we are seeing significant increases in our tourist traffic. We had a successful July 4th parade with around 20,000 guests. It was good to see the streets lined with people for the parade. The Enchanted Forest Trail Races will take place on July 30. Participants will be on the trails in the Carson National Forest and at the Enchanted Forest cross country ski area. They will have a chance to enjoy some local music and brews at an after-party in the park. August 18-20th is our 8750’ BBQ and Music Festival and then we will end the month with the Enchanted Circle Bicycle Tour on August 27th.
We continue to look for grants and will be applying for a quality-of-life grant through the state for planning, design, and construction of a recreational and sports facility for the residents and guests of Red River.
July 28th was the one-year anniversary of the passing of Russell Church. We will be honoring his memory at our August council meeting. Russell worked for the town for 31 years and was very active with the New Mexico Municipal League and the New Mexico Environmental Quality Association, serving as their President. During his time with the town, he served as the Advanced Wastewater Treatment director, town administrator and environmental compliance director. He was the chair of the Taos Regional Landfill Board for several years. Russell was a certified Water II and Wastewater III operator and assisted other municipalities, the forest service, and Taos County by sharing his expertise in water, wastewater, and recycling issues. Russell worked closely with our engineers in overseeing the many projects we have completed over the past several years.
Russell was a wonderful husband, father, and grandfather, as well as a great friend and colleague to many. He was a true public servant and was taken from us too soon. The town council will be considering a resolution for renaming the treatment plant the Russell A. Church Red River Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant and will also be presenting the family a resolution on behalf of the New Mexico Environmental Quality Association supporting renaming the facility and establishing the Russell Church Memorial Scholarship.