Conversations Different with Inez Russell Gomez

As wildfires rage throughout Southern California and the Los Angeles area, fire prevention is the prevalent topic to consider these days. That sentiment especially goes for drier climates like Santa Fe and much of Northern New Mexico, where we’ve seen widespread fire destruction in recent years. Santa Fe Fire Department Chief Brian Moya, who is a native Santa Fean, joins "Conversations Diffe...

Focus remains on the Roundhouse for this week’s “Conversations Different” as state Rep. Rebecca Dow, R-Truth or Consequences, and freshman state Sen. Nate Paul, R-Alamogordo, join the show to share Republican and rural perspectives for the 60-day legislative session. Dow and Paul say Republicans share the Democrats’ desire to pass crime legislation, but that the GOP has bee...

This week's episode of "Conversations Different" focuses on the start of New Mexico's legislative session and features separate interviews with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth. Both discussions revolve largely around public safety and behavioral health priorities.  Lujan Grisham talks about the state's issues with re-offenders and stresses the need for crimi...

Randall Balmer is an Episcopal priest, historian, author and the John Phillips Chair in Religion at Dartmouth College. His book Redeemer: The Life of Jimmy Carter  examines the 39th president’s political fortunes and how they mirrored the transformation of American religious politics. Balmer joined “Conversations Different” in the days after Carter’s death to talk abou...

The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish has the responsibility of overseeing the management of the state’s wildlife species and their habitats. A diverse coalition of groups across the state are pushing for proposed legislation that would increase funding for the department, rename the department and clarify its mission, and fix the state Game Commission that some feel has been politicize...

This week on “Conversations Different” we share a recent episode from “Voices of Taos,” a podcast produced by our sister paper The Taos News . Podcast producer Laura Martin Baseman sits down for a chat with longtime Santa Fe New Mexican reporter Robert Nott, who became communications director for the New Mexico Department of Health in June. Before leaving journalism, one of...

Every year around Christmas time, cultural traditions rise to the forefront as a force in Northern New Mexico’s holiday celebrations. It’s a time where families and communities come together. It's also a time to make and share traditional foods, including tamales, empanaditas and biscochitos. For former Santa Fe Mayor Larry Delgado and his family, this feeling is no different. Delgado,...

Ed Archie NoiseCat, a well-known Indigenous artist and former Santa Fe resident, was born and nearly died at the Indian residential school at St. Joseph’s Mission near Williams Lake, British Columbia. His son, Julian Brave NoiseCat, is co-director of “ Sugarcane, ” an award-winning documentary that investigates the abuses, deaths and missing children of the Canadian residential s...

The 2024 general election had many voters on edge, especially for those worried about the direction of immigration in this country. What may be next for the controversial issue under a second Trump presidency has drawn vocal opposition from local advocates like Marcela Díaz, who is the executive director of Somos Un Pueblo Unido, a statewide immigrant rights group.   Díaz joins “Conversations Diff...

The rhetoric involving the LGBTQ+ community leading up to the 2024 election and the results of the election raised concerns for those in the community and their allies. Kevin Bowen, executive director of the Santa Fe Human Rights Alliance, joins "Conversations Different" for a discussion on the possible impacts the results of the election could have for trans rights and for others in the LGBTQ+ co...

Picuris Pueblo is among the most rural and smallest tribes in Northern New Mexico. Nestled in the high mountains between Taos and Española, the pueblo of about 300 residents has struggled to find long-term economic development and opportunities to sustain its community. Picuris Pueblo Governor Craig Quanchello and author Daniel Gibson join "Conversations Different" to discuss the large-scale ventu...

Chef Lois Ellen Frank, Ph. D, is a Native food historian, cookbook author and educator based in Santa Fe who runs Red Mesa Cuisine with Chef Walter Whitewater. Her cookbook Foods of the Southwest Indian Nations won a James Beard Award in 2003. Frank and Whitewater’s latest cookbook, Seed to Plate, Soil to Sky , was released earlier this year and features plant-based recipes using Native American i...

Ashley M. Biggers is the magazines editor at The Santa Fe New Mexican who leads the creation of multiple magazines year-round such as Legacy , Spanish Market and Bienvenidos . The New Mexican’s magazines provide a deeper dive into the culture, stories and traditions of Northern New Mexico otherwise not found on the daily news pages or in Pasatiempo . Special editions are also part of the magazine...

A year after considering closing its doors, the small and aging congregation of Christ Lutheran Church in Santa Fe was energized by applying for and becoming the city of Santa Fe’s first-ever safe outdoor space for homeless people. The city bought Pallet shelters and paid for their construction, the church is the host site for the shelters, and day-to-day services and staffing is provided by The L...

J. Walter Sterling is the new president of St. John’s College's Santa Fe campus. He assumed the role in July of 2024 after previously serving at the institution as dean and on the faculty. Sterling joins "Conversations Different" to discuss St. John’s unique curriculum focused on reading and discussing the Great Books. He also talks about the school's efforts to recruit in state and how St. John's...

It seems scams are ever-present in today's world, whether they show up in our email inbox, on our phone or in the mail. Julie Sakura, Division Director of Consumer Protection with the New Mexico Department of Justice, is working to make sure New Mexicans are informed about what scams are out there and how to keep your information safe. Sakura joins "Conversations Different" to talk about the main...

On this week’s episode of "Conversations Different," host Inez Russell Gomez is joined by Bill Church,  The New Mexican’s  new executive editor, to discuss his connection with Santa Fe and what drew him to the position. Church talks about how he views his responsibility as an executive editor, the important relationship between the newspaper and the community, and touches on his vision for the fut...

Jeanne Fair, Ph. D., is an infectious disease and climate scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory with an array of accomplishments in the science realm. In 2009, she was the lead analyst at the Department of Homeland Security’s modeling of the H1N1 influenza pandemic and also modeling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her research and her interest in the field, spanning 30 plus years, is aimed at how...

Denise Fort, professor emeritus at the University of New Mexico, is a Western water policy expert with an extensive background in environmental and natural resources law. Fort joins “Conversations Different” to discuss environmental and policy issues facing New Mexico’s water resources. She talks about the state’s 50-year water plan, the lack of legal protections for New Mexico’s water sources and...

Diana Tarasiewicz is in her first year as director of nutrition services for Santa Fe Public Schools. A chef by training, Tarasiewicz previously served as culinary specialist and project coordinator at the New Mexico Public Education Department’s Student Success and Wellness Bureau. She joins "Conversations Different" to talk about the numbers behind school meals at Santa Fe Public Schools, the st...

For the third straight year, the Institute of American Indian Arts and Santa Fe Community College will both host open houses on the same day. On Thursday, Sept. 19, the schools will welcome community members and prospective students on their campuses to showcase their facilities and highlight the programs they offer. Both schools will open their studios for art demonstrations and provide tours of...

The Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Site is by far the largest such site in New Mexico with estimates of more than 100,000 petroglyphs at the location. The site near the Rio Grande north of Española covers a patchwork of private land, as well as some Bureau of Land Management Land. Artist Katherine Wells purchased property on Mesa Prieta in the 1990s and soon discovered there were thousands of petroglyphs...

Court Appointed Special Advocates First Judicial District, known as CASA First, is an organization that supports and promotes volunteer advocacy so that children and youth who are trauma-impacted or system-involved can be safe, develop permanent connections and have the opportunity to thrive. CASA First volunteers offer a voice in and out of court for infants, children and youth who are currently...

Labor Day weekend 2024 kicks off Friday night with a major milestone for one of Santa Fe's biggest and most beloved annual events. The buildup for the 100th burning of Zozobra has been years in the making. Ray Sandoval, the event chair for the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe, joins "Conversations Different" along with 9-year-old volunteer David Kesler to preview the big event. Sandoval talks about his ea...

Meghan Montelibano Gorman, a mother of two young children, said she struggled to find community in Santa Fe when she moved to the city freshly postpartum. While working to compile resources, she has shared her knowledge with others online and, in turn, has found support from other parents and caregivers. Montelibano Gorman's website, santafam.com, includes a calendar with free and low-cost events...