Clearly New Mexico

I've been to plenty of public meetings over the past 20 years, but I always attended as part of my job as a newspaper reporter. I was there to observe and report, and I certainly wasn't supposed to get emotionally involved with any of the participants. But last night I went to a city council meeting and found myself clapping and beaming like a proud auntie.

That's because I work for Clearly New Mexico now, and one of the projects we help coordinate is the Green Jobs Initiative developed by New Mexico Youth Organized as part of 1Sky New Mexico. The local effort is part of a successful national campaign that already exists in other states.

What are green jobs? Simply put, they are jobs that optimize the use of natural resources such as plants, biodiesel fuels and solar energy as well as reused, recycled and non-toxic materials. Green jobs can mean anything from bicycle repair to tree-trimming to solar panel installation, energy retrofitting and making furniture from recycled wood. Green jobs are clean and sustainable work, and they are part of the legacy we should try to leave behind for our children.

That's why I was so proud Monday night when I went to my first Albuquerque city council meeting as a "civilian." Youth organizers extraordinaires Keegan King, Juan Reynosa and Cyrus Gould of 1Sky New Mexico mobilized a multicultural crew of young people who have volunteered for weeks on various 1Sky causes. But instead of working the phones to mobilize others or cleaning up parks on Saturdays, these young people were wearing green hard hats and posing for the cameras in a press conference in the city council chambers.

They were there to support the Green Job Corps Initiative proposal, which, after weeks of hard work by King and his colleagues, was to be introduced that night by city councilors Michael Cadigan, Debbie O'Malley, Rey Garduno and Isaac Benton.

As I looked at their proud and happy faces, I gathered that for many of the volunteers, it was their first real council meeting, too.

"What's the big fuss," some of them seemed to be saying. But as much as they tried to play it off, I could see they were making the connection. The applause, the cameras, the warm reception from the city councilors...it was all because of their hard work, for doing what's right. I saw it dawning on their faces that they can affect legislators, they can affect policy, they can make a difference.

Like I said, I've been to lots of public meetings. I'm glad I'm seeing them from this side now.

It was early morning on a beautiful spring Saturday. Despite it being clear and sunny, "Spring Storm" was about to hit the city. Every year during spring UNM students gather at the football stadium and contribute a part of their Saturday to go out and do community service. New Mexico Youth Organized was lucky enough to be one of the groups that students joined in a community action.

The Sigma Chi fraternity was assigned to help us, and, I can't lie, having just graduated from college, I had my preconceptions about "frat boys". Yet, I was already impressed that this group of young men were not only volunteering, but they were also sacrificing a beautiful Saturday morning and afternoon.



They had already put a dent into my long-held stereotype.

So they joined us on our bio-diesel powered school bus, and we all drove out to Alamosa Park in the South Valley. From the street the park doesn't look that dirty, but upon closer inspection we could see shards of glass dispersed amongst the sand in the playground and lots of trash throughout the grassy areas.   Read More »