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Image Courtesy of Mario Manzo
See More of Mario's Work online
Image Courtesy of Mario Manzo
See More of Mario's Work online
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October 3, 2025
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In GratitudeJennifer J
Diana J News and Features
“The Abiquiú What?”, you may ask, if you’ve moved here after 2007. Some other readers may fondly remember classes they took with Dick Lumaghi at his pottery studio.
One comment was all it took:
It all began when a Sufi Sheikh in Santa Barbara, California, mentioned something unusual to Hakim and Hafsa Archuletta: a group of American Muslims were planning to build an Islamic mosque and madressah (school) in a small New Mexico town called Abiquiu.
When David Gutierrez of Laguna had surgery to remove his gallbladder earlier this year, he and his wife of 45 years Rebecca Gutierrez thought his recovery would be simple and straightforward.
New Mexico officials outlined plans Wednesday to expand child care access and improve program quality as the state prepares to implement universal child care beginning Nov. 1.
Los Alamos National Laboratory and federal officials completed the depressurization of four containers that were potentially building up pressure, and released only a small amount of the radioactive gas tritium into the air, state environment officials said on Friday
Espanola Pathways shelter is officially on the City Council agenda for 10/14 at 6pm. The Council will be asked to review our Appeal of the Planning Commission "Motion to Deny Special Use Permit," which occurred on 08/14.
During the special legislation session starting Wednesday and focused on federal health insurance and food assistance programs, New Mexico lawmakers also plan to address state laws on vaccine policy.
On June 11, 2025, the Rio Arriba County Board of Commissioners formally recorded a ban on certain fireworks at the County Clerk’s office.
At last, I understand the deep spiritual impact of going on a pilgrimage.
I may not yet have walked to Chimayó or flown to Spain to backpack for a month. But I have, finally, in a moment of personal crisis, paid my first visit to IKEA and there found fulfillment and meaning.
We have lived in the Abiquiu area (Santa California city, off of NM-554) for nearly two decades, and, up until about one year ago, the air in Abiquiu, based on national air quality maps, has been among the cleanest in the country. However, last fall a sudden shift in air quality occurred in our subdivision.
I visited a garden-in-progress this week to check on the results of a seeding project that began last year, and what I found was a great surprise: a thick crop of Cowpen Daisy!
Last Week's News and FeaturesObituaries
James “Jim” Dennis Williams passed away July 24, 2025 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He was 88.
Cipriano F. Vigil, age 83, of El Rito, NM, passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by his loving family, on September 25, 2025, after a lengthy illness.
At Presbyterian Española Hospital, we’re determined to help you stay healthy this flu season. On Saturday, October 4, we will be hosting a free community drive-thru flu shot clinic in the hospital parking lot at 1010 Spruce St. The clinic will be from 9 a.m. to noon for adults 18 years and older.
To help make your visit as smooth and comfortable as possible, please read and follow these guidelines:
To find out more information about which vaccines are right for you and your family, visit our vaccination resources page at phs.org/vaccines. To find out more about free flu shots in your area, visit us on the web at phs.org/events.
Firewood Permits Now Available for Online PurchaseRelease Date: September 24, 2025
Contact Information: Zach Behrens 575-758- 6303 zachary.behrens@usda.gov Firewood permits for the Carson National Forest are now available for purchase through a new online E-Permit system. Permits may be purchased by computer or mobile device any time, eliminating travel to your local Forest Service office. “This is an important step in increasing the accessibility of permits through technology while maintaining old-fashioned in-person sales at our offices,” said Carson National Forest Supervisor James Duran. “Firewood not only provides a critical energy source for local community members, the removal of down and dead fuels contributes to overall forest health.” To purchase a firewood permit or to learn more about permits and gathering firewood, go to https://www.fs.usda.gov/r03/carson/permits/fuelwood-permits. Firewood permits, including free-use permits, will still be available at local Forest Service offices. The Forest Service will continue to refine and improve the quality of the online permit system and add additional special forest product permits in the future. For more information about the firewood program on the Carson National Forest, please contact the Supervisor’s Office at 575-758-6200. We Get Letters
Neighbors Helping NeighborsTo everyone that has helped out in any way for my family and myself:
I thank each one of you. I feel so blessed by the grace of God for all your generosity. Through your funds, donations, furnishings and prayers my family is so blessed and thankful. We have received a mobile home that is on our land now, donated by Annabelle Morfin. We have received many new furnishings, and now we have a beautiful home to live in. Special thanks to Arnold & Lynn Jacquez For providing us a home during this difficult time. I thank the Lord every day for each one of you. May blessings continue to rain upon you, Our hearts are full, The Faustine Martinez family Note: Faustines home in Abiquiu was lost in a fire this past summer Do you have a story to tell, a history to share?Whether you have been here ten years or your family hundreds of years, you have a story to tell about your connection to Abiquiu. Email us
If you have a story to tell, send it in. If you want, interview your friend, relative, teacher, co-worker. If you think it would be interesting, I bet other people would too. Give it a try and send something in to us. Carol Bondy Scene Around Abiquiú
After the Storm - Courtesy of Greg Lewandowski
Send us your Fall Images
Send us your local images! Send to AbiquiuNewsImages@gmail.com. Please send images under 1mb. My inbox will thank you. ~Carol Art, Music, Film, and BooksVisit our Arts sponsor page
Visit abiquiustudiotour.org for more information.
The Locals’ Picks Book List
Zach Hively Casa Urraca Press has created a place for locals in our area to recommend books to each other, and a place to find book suggestions with a personal touch.
Have a book to recommend? Send it to Zach at casaurracaltd@gmail.com – title, author, and the reason you suggest it.
The full Locals’ Picks list is available to view here on Bookshop. A purchase from Casa Urraca's link helps support independent bookstores. Abiquiu’s Casa Urraca Press earns a commission from every shopping trip that starts with the above Bookshop link—you can shop the entire Bookshop site in addition to the locals' picks. Plus, a percentage of every book (at least 10%) goes straight to independent bookstores. This is an opportunity to support small businesses with the same convenience as large online retailers. Local Library NewsEl Pueblo de Abiquiú Library & Cultural Center
The group meets the last Tuesday of each month at the Abiquiu Library. Books are recommended by the members. All are welcome to join. Please call Analinda 927-6220 if you have questions.
El Rito Library
Looking for lodging near Abiquiú?
EventsPlease remember, events will go in for a maximum of three Fridays before the event. Send text, word or publisher file and a separate image, please keep images below 1 mb and send to info@abiquiunews.com. Vertical PDFs or JPGs will be edited for space. Send by Wednesday Noon for inclusion in that Friday's News.
Come join us on Saturday, October 4th for our annual FREE Open House! From 10am until 3pm, we will be here at NMWC with Ambassador Animals for you to meet, pumpkins for you to paint, and games and activities for all ages.
This year, we're also offering a special ticketed program during the Open House: an animal tracking workshop with Ann Hunkins, an Internationally Certified Specialist Tracker. Registered attendees will be able to explore the NMWC campus with Ann, discovering all sorts of tracks and signs of wildlife! Tickets for this workshop are $30 per person, and space is limited. Registration for the workshop starts tomorrow, September 18th, so keep an eye on our social media tomorrow morning for the link to register! The Open House will be free to the public from 10am-3pm on October 4th, right here at NMWC: 19 Wheat Street, Española, NM 87532. The ticketed workshop begins at 10:30 at the same location. We hope to see you there, and be ready to register for the workshop tomorrow morning! 
Community Café
Join us if you have heart, commitment and willingness to support our local community.
Next Meeting Thursday, October 9 DATE: Second Thursday of every month TIME: 6:00 pm LOCATION: Rural Events Center Contact: abiquiucommunitycafe@gmail.com VOLUNTEERS NEEDED to help at the Farmers Market, both early and late shifts. Every Tuesday: Set up and take down 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm and Parking and closing: 5:00 - 6:00 pm Please email Jen Harrington to confirm: JanetMHarrington@gmail.com 
Announcements and Classes
Ellen Zachos Presents Backyard Foraging Oct 7thPlease join us Tuesday, October 7th at 10am and learn all about backyard foraging from our own NM expert, Ellen Zachos. She will provide an engaging presentation on all those plants out in the wild you've always been curious about and the ones you already are familiar with and describe how they can be used. $5.00 per person at the door, located at the Rio Arriba County Extension Office, Hwy 544, House 144a, Abiquiu. Please RSVP at the phone number below or email Joy at jczmyrid@nmsu.edu. Presented with great thanks by the Rio Arriba Extension Club. Questions or RSVP at: Call 505-685-4523. View the PDF flyer here.
Yoga Basics - 4 week series $30
Tuesdays, October 7-28 • 9:30-10:30am NNMC El Rito campus, Alumni Hall Yoga teacher Joy Nagle will be conducting at the El Rito Campus (Alumni Hall Building) this four-week series which offers a supportive introduction to yoga, designed for beginners, those returning to their practice, or anyone wanting to deepen their foundation. Classes include essential postures, gentle stretching, balance work, breathing exercises, meditation and relaxation techniques. Relevant yoga concepts and principles will also be discussed. Students need to bring their own mat, block, strap and blanket. More info on Joy is @ soulfireyogawithjoy.com Register / Questions: Lina Alegre, carolina.alegre@nnmc.edu • (505)-500-9201 
HEMP HARVEST WORKSHOP: OWL PEAK FARM, LA MADERA, NEW MEXICO OCTOBER 11, 2025No cost, free
Location of hemp site: 24b cr519, la madera. Enter driveway and proceed east towards office and hemp field agenda for October 11, 2025 10:00 am introductions and overview of hemp cultivation and harvest 10:15 quick tour of hemp field from the perimeter 10:30 owl peak staff begins to cut hemp stalks with sickle bar mower. 11: 00 am hemp stalks are sorted in the field and loaded onto a trailer for transport to processing center. 12:oo lunch at office near hemp field. Presentations on hemp cultivation and processing by Arnie Valdez & Robin Elkin. 1:00 pm work crew finishes gathering hemp stalks for transport to processing center 2:00-3:00 pm work crew meets at processing center for removing seeds and bundling stalks 4:00 pm work shop conclusion and summary 
Pottery Open Studio for Any Level with Basic Instruction
Thursdays, October 16-December 11 • 5-7:30pm El Rito campus, El Pueblito Building/Ceramics Studio • $360 Pottery open studio practice time with basic instruction provided. Course includes firing of work for Cone 5-6 pottery. Wedging, coiling, hand-building and wheel instruction provided. The wheel is available with some basic instruction but the class will be mainly focused on hand-building. Instructor: Janeen Singer. Supplies included. Register / Info: https://bit.ly/45bLMV5 • carolina.alegre@nnmc.edu • (505) 500-9201 
Friday & Saturday, October 18-19 • 10am-2pm
El Rito campus, El Pueblito Building • $50 Design and print your own posters! Rooted in “Art as Activism”, students will learn letterpress and stencil making techniques that will help amplify their creative voice. It is a call to action. The poster has long been a critical tool for social movements; broadening voices, building solidarity, and creating visual symbols that capture the imagination. Sign up for a 2-day workshop and spend a lively weekend designing and printing letterpress posters. Join us and be a part of this tradition. Join us and make your voices heard! Instructor: Andrew Long Furse. Supplies included. 
Dia De Los Muertos Dinner at Ojo Conejo Farm on October 25th from 3-8pm
This event will include a farm-to-table dinner prepared with food right from our farm as well as food from other local farms. We will be creating an altar for our ancestors on the land as well as offering stories throughout the evening centered on the theme of honoring those who have passed.
This event is for women only and space is limited to 12 women total. You can purchase tickets at https://ojoconejo.com/tongue-and-table/october-dinner |
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ChicaIt’s a bird, it’s a plane…nope, it’s CHICA! This one-year-old, 62lb firecracker is a whirlwind of sunshine wrapped in fur. Her grand entrance? Let’s just say her humans didn’t stick around—they dumped her in our yard while we were open and scaled the fence like reverse burglars. Their loss! Chica is pure joy in motion: every walk a whirlwind adventure, every moment a treasure map, every game a festival of fun. Bold, fearless, endlessly curious—she needs a home where her playground is secure, her heart is free, and her escapades are safely supervised.
Under the floofy fun is a loyal, loving sweetheart. With guidance, structure, and a sprinkle of love, she’ll give back devotion, companionship, and magical moments that make your heart flip. She’s not just a dog—she’s a spark of life with eyes that could light up a harvest moon. 
Romeo Romeo is a lover, not a fighter. At nearly 17 pounds of majestic fluff, 6-year-old Romeo has the confidence of a heavyweight champ and the soul of a hopeless romantic. His beefcake tomcat face says it all—think Rocky Balboa giving life advice: tough, wise, and ready to roll with whatever comes your way.
Romeo lives for affection. Lap naps, chin scratches, couch cuddles—he’s your furry corner man, reminding you you’re never alone, kid. This handsome hunk is ready for a quiet, loving home where he can be your loyal companion, personal cuddle machine, and heart-stealer. Romeo goes home neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped. www.espanolahumane.org 
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