New Mexico State Senator Dede Feldman's Blog

Election Day is Tuesday June 3rd-Don't Forget to Vote… for Me, among others

Ever since I lost my first election for the City Council in 1995 by nine votes, I'm a rabid believer that every vote counts, and it's almost a sacrilege to miss your chance to have your say, and maybe tip the balance.  Bernalillo County Clerk Maggie Toulouse has done a good job this year in making voting easier than ever, with lots of early voting stations and an updated web site where you can locate your polling place and even print a sample ballot.  Go to www.bernco.gov, then the go to the county clerk's section, click Where Do I Vote, and plug in your name and address.  It will give you the location, then ask you if you want a sample ballot.  You do-with all the various judges on the ballot.  Or call the Clerk's office at 468-1291 for voting information.

Attention Senate District 13 Voters:

Call my campaign headquarters at 242-1997 for a ride to the polls on Election Day.  Here are the polling places for the various precincts.  Don't know your precinct? Call me at 242-1997 or the Clerk's office at 468-1291.

Precinct(s)         Vote Between 7 A.M. and 7 P.M.  at…..

5…………    Taylor Middle School, (Library), 8200 Guadalupe Tr. NW
11 &191…    MacArthur Elementary (Gym) , 1100 Douglas MacArthur Rd. NW
12………..    Alvarado Elementary School (Gym), 1100 Solar Rd. NW
14 &15….     Mission Ave. Elementary (Gym), 725 Mission Ave.  NE
30………..    Chaparral Elementary School (Library),6325 Milne Rd. NW
83 &110….   Lyndon B Johnson Middle School(Old Gym), 6811 Taylor Ranch Rd. NW
108………    Taft Middle School (Mini Gym and Gym), 620 Schulte Rd. NW
150 & 151…  Duranes Elementary School (Gym), 2436 Zickert NW
152 & 153…  Duranes Elementary School (Library), 2436 Zickert NW
154 & 162…  Reginald Chavez Elementary School, 2700 Mountain Rd. NW
161………     4 H Center, 1500 Menaul Blvd. NW
163 & 164..   Wells Park Community Center (Gym), 500 Rosemont Ave. NW
180, 181, 182 Griegos Elementary School (Gym), 4040 San Isidro NW
183 & 184      Valley High School (Library) 1505 Candelaria NW
185 & 195…  Garfield Middle School (Gym), 3501 6th St. NW
187….           Garfield Middle School ( Mini Gym) 3501 6th St. NW
186…            Cochiti Elementary School ( Gym), 3100 San Isidro NW
192, & 194     La Luz Elementary (Gym), 225 Griegos Rd. NW
193…….        La Luz Elementary (Cafeteria), 225 Griegos Rd. NW
400…..          Cleveland Middle School (Auxiliary Gym), 6910 Natalie St. NE
406….           Governor Bent Elementary (Gym), 5700 Hendrix Rd. NE
408&440        Del Norte High School (Room 212), 4323 Montgomery Blvd. NE
439…….        Del Norte High School (Gym Lobby), 4323 Montgomery Blvd. NE
438….           New Beginnings Church of God (Fellowship Hall,) 3601 Montgomery Bd

Volunteer Appreciation Party

Calling all Volunteers, Yard Sign Displayers, Contributors Phone Callers and other Supporters of all stripes.  We'll be celebrating at a Post Election Party at 1821 Meadowview Drive, starting after the polls close on June 3rd till after the results are in.  We'll be tallying results on a Big Board, as we get 'em from the various polling places.  Join us for some fun, food and what we hope will be a big victory.  Meadowview is one street east of Rio Grande off of Indian School.  Call 899-5715 or 459-5921 to RSVP or participate in other election day activities.

From the Campaign Trail ...

I've had a great group of unbelievable volunteers walking District 13 with me for over a month now, through sudden wind gusts, weather that is freezing one minute, hailing another, hot, then beautiful another.  We've seen pheasants, purple stucco jobs, cluster of "day sleepers," community gardens, black cats, wild flower patios, cool porches, fragrant honeysuckle, and much more.  One of the pleasures of this kind of grassroots campaigning is getting to see first hand what's happening in various neighborhoods like the Sawmill, Los Griegos, West Old Town, the hidden farms off Guadalupe Trail, and the homes that border the bosque-for better and worse (remember the fire that sent the residents of Thomas Village and Dietz Farms running from their homes with photos, documents, paintings and whatever they could gather in 15 minutes?)

There is nothing like walking door-to-door to get a picture of peoples' lives up close and personal.Here's a picture of some of the volunteers that walked with me this past weekend.  Healthcare was the theme, with one of my constituents, Emma, wearing a T-shirt that said,  " I'd be even cuter if we had universal health care."  Here's another of a group of medical students from the American Medical Students Association who walked with me on Saturday and Sunday. 

I don't know about you, but if someone came to my door with a white coat, I'd think they were coming to take me away.  So I'm sure the reaction was mixed until they told them why they were supporting me.

We're still looking for volunteers, especially on Election Day and a few days before.  Call Helen at 610-9009 to join us.

Leave No Child Inside: APS's Valley Cluster Funded to Move Kids Outdoors Thanks to Outdoor Classroom Program

Last week, the State Parks Division held an event down at the Rio Grande Nature Center (a state park) to herald the second year of the statewide Outdoor Classroom Program.  And the proof of the program's appeal was in the pudding - or actually, in the Bosque - as scores of elementary and high school students descended on the Nature Center from as far away as Ramah Navajo and as close as Georgia O'Keefe Elementary, in the Heights.
   
The idea behind the program is to get children outside, in nature, where they can learn science, geography first hand, and fall in love with nature.  In today's world lots of kids stay inside, playing video games, looking up their friends on Myspace-with occasional trips to the mall.  That's a far cry from my own childhood, where there was ample time to play outdoors, at the woods at the end of the street.  Now, in much of the country, there are no woods at the end of the street. But, thank goodness, there's the Rio Grande Bosque, and, further afield, the mountains, the desert and everything that makes New Mexico, well, New Mexico.

I thought the Outdoor Classroom program was a perfect fit for kids here in the North Valley where ten years ago I attended an alarming focus group for middle schoolers at Garfield Middle School. And it wasn't just the pizza and soda, with which the facilitators got the kids to participate, that was alarming. Many of these kids never went to the bosque and seldom played out side.  Meanwhile, the rate of obesity and diabetes continues to go up among this group.
 
That's why I was delighted in March when my appropriation for at least one outdoor learning experience for every 5th grader in the APS's Valley Cluster went through, and the overall program received $500,000 for school districts around the state. 
Yippee! Leave No Child Inside!

And the Campaigning Goes On

I'm walking the neighborhoods here in Senate District 13 and the wind keeps blowing.  I'm finding that most people opening the doors are still surprised to see a local office holder walking the neighborhood, and very responsive.  I'm handing them a survey, which many have filled out and returned.  Better schools and affordable health care are at the top of the wish list, so far, followed by concern about DWI.  No surprises so far, except for the amazing number and variety of dogs I've encountered. Little ones, big ones, barking ones, whimpering ones, yapping ones. Now I know what mail delivery people go through.  I should carry dog biscuits, no?

A hearty group of volunteers is walking with me on most weeknights and Saturday and Sundays at 2 p.m.  Won't you join the fun? You have nothing to loose but a few pounds. Call Janie at 345-7612 or Helen at 610-9009.

And the partying goes on….  Sunday May 18 from 3-5 p.m.. some friends from the West Side are sponsoring a coffee in Taylor Ranch  (yes, I do represent a small sliver of this huge neighborhood!). It will be at the home of Jean and Jim Genasci, located at 6147 Tallsman Dr. NW.  You can get there by going West on Montano past Coors, right on Montano Plaza, left on Stockbridge to Tallsman.   Call Jean at 898-8644. Or just drop by.
 
If you can't come, I still need your help. Here's what you can do:
Volunteer (call Helen at 610-9009)?
Help Dede Walk  (call Janie at 345-7612)
Make a Donation at www.dedefeldman.com?

Put up a Yard Sign if you live in Senate District 13  (www.dedefeldman.com has a map of the district on the constituent page)