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 for young children as well as guides for dining out and visiting parks in Santa Fe with babies and/or toddlers. She also organizes regular "Coffee & Crying" meetups for mothers and caregivers to talk about experiences and feelings that have come with raising young children. Learn more by visiting santafam.com or following on Instagram @_santafam_.

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Each year an estimated 100,000 people attend the Santa Fe Indian Market, the largest juried Native American art show in the world. This year's market takes place Aug. 17 and 18, with related events occurring in the days leading up to the market. Kenneth Johnson, a Muscogee/Seminole jeweler and sculptor with a studio in Santa Fe, has been involved in the market since the 1990s. Johnson joins "Conversations Different" to discuss the impact the Santa Fe Indian Market has had on him and his career, talks about relationships among the artists, and shares how his contributions to the design of an Indian Market-themed 2025 Indian Scout Bobber that is up for auction. 

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Water is a precious resource in New Mexico, the state with the lowest percentage of its area covered by water. That makes how water is managed in the state incredibly important. In this episode of "Conversations Different," Deputy State Engineer Tanya Trujillo and Interstate Stream Commission Director Hannah Riseley-White share their insight on New Mexico's water management and resource planning. They discuss New Mexico's compacts with neighboring states and water issues facing New Mexico. They also talk about the Water Security Planning Act passed unanimously by the during the 2023 state legislative session, and upcoming opportunities the public has to share input on how the statute will be implemented.

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The month of July is recognized as Disability Pride Month in the United States. On July 13, the first Disability Pride Parade held in New Mexico was organized in Santa Fe by Disability Pride New Mexico. The new nonprofit was recently created to advance the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities through policy advocacy and community awareness initiatives. Disability Pride New Mexico's three board members — Eli Fresquez, Kathlyne Gish and Angelique Montoya-Chavez — join "Conversations Different" to talk about the mission of the organization and share their backgrounds. They discuss what it's like for people with disabilities to live in Santa Fe and the attitude they've encountered that since Santa Fe is a historic city, it doesn't need to comply with ADA standards, which is untrue. 

Learn more about Disability Pride New Mexico at https://www.disabilitypridenm.org/.  

Read the transcript at https://share.descript.com/view/swFzGygxkFK

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The Atrisco Heritage Foundation took over Santa Fe's troubled Traditional Spanish Market in 2023 and has sought to bring stability to one of the city's premier summer market events. In the second year of stewardship of the country's oldest and largest juried art show of its kind, the organization looks to promote and strengthen the unique cultural event. Atrisco Companies CEO Peter Sanchez and COO/CFO Brian O'Connell join "Conversations Different" to share information on what the Atrisco Heritage Foundation is and why the organization felt it was the perfect fit to take over operations of the Traditional Spanish Market. They also talk about future plans for the market, the importance of developing trust with the artists, the need to encourage the youth to stay involved in the art forms, and how "traditional Spanish art" is defined. 

To learn more about the Traditional Spanish Market, which takes place July 27-28, 2024, on the Santa Fe Plaza, visit traditionalspanishmarket.org.

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Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in April called for the state's legislators to convene for a special session to address New Mexico's public safety needs. Democratic leaders in the Legislature, a coalition of advocacy organizations and others have since expressed concerns about the five proposals the governor is pushing. Ben Baker, senior public safety advisor to the Office of the Governor, joins "Conversations Different" to review the governor's public safety-related priorities for the special session. He also discusses the input he and other officials have received related to public safety concerns from citizens across the state, shares a personal experience of gun violence involving children, and talks about how crime stats don't always reflect the feelings of members of a community.

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Stacey Edgar was named executive director of the International Folk Art Market in January. Edgar joins “Conversations Different” to talk about preparations for the 20th annual International Folk Art Market, her history with the event, and IFAM's mission of creating economic opportunities with folk artists across the world. The 2023 iteration of the market saw artists bring in a record $3.4 million in its first year at Santa Fe’s Railyard Park after spending previous years on Museum Hill. Edgar discusses the successes of the move and the changes that will take place for this year’s event, which takes place July 11-14. She also talks about the free Community Day, the first free day in the market’s history, on July 14. To learn more about the International Folk Art Market and purchase tickets, visit https://folkartmarket.org/.

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Actor and producer Alec Baldwin will stand trial this month facing a charge of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the 2021 on-set shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during production of the film "Rust" near Santa Fe. Santa Fe New Mexican courts reporter Phaedra Haywood joins "Conversations Different" to offer a breakdown of developments that have unfolded over the past three years and provides a preview of what to look for during the trial. Haywood talks about the trial earlier this year in which "Rust" armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, and what her role may be in the Baldwin trial. Haywood also discusses the motions the defense has made to try to get the case dismissed, as well as the massive media interest that the case has generated.

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Sheila Lewis is an extreme risk protection order trainer and consultant who works with the nonprofit New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence. She has trained about 500 people on extreme risk protection orders, also known as red flag laws, that prohibits possession or purchase of a firearm by a person who is experiencing a mental health crisis and poses an imminent, serious danger to themselves or others. New Mexico’s extreme risk protection order act was passed in 2020 but has so far been rarely used because it is not well understood. Lewis works with with police departments and community groups around New Mexico to educate them on extreme risk protection orders. Lewis joins "Conversations Different" to discuss extreme risk protection orders and what's needed to reduce gun violence in the state. 

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Johanna Gilligan, chief external affairs officer at Homewise, talks about issues facing Santa Fe involving land use and previews the local and national experts who will give their presentations in Santa Fe for the Livability Speaker Series, presented by Homewise. Topics include why homelessness is a housing problem, why affordable housing is in such short supply, considering more density in Santa Fe's future, and how to make car-centric cities more pedestrian friendly and connected. The monthly events continue Thursday, June 20, and run through October.

To see the lineup and schedule for the Livability Speaker Series, visit www.livabilityspeakerseries.com.

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