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City of Santa Fe Mayor David Coss urged caution and responsibility over the Fourth of July weekend and announced plans for a meeting next week between the City Council and the Santa Fe County Board of Commissioners to address education, enforcement and treatment related to drunk driving.

The date, time and location of the meeting will be posted as soon as it is confirmed. The text of the mayor’s announcement is below:

Message from Mayor David Coss Regarding Recent Tragedies

As we prepare for the 4th of July, Santa Feans are coping with great tragedy.  I want to express my thoughts and discuss actions I believe we must take as a community.   First, I want to express my deep condolences to the parents, families and friends of Rose Simmons, Kate Kline, Julian Martinez and Alyssa Trouw.  I pray for the speedy recovery of Avree Koffman.  I also want to express my condolences to the parents, family and friends of Pedro Maldonado.

Only weeks ago, I was expressing condolences to the Lovato family after a horrific domestic violence incident that affected all of us.  There have been too many senseless and tragic losses.  Domestic violence, gang violence and drunk driving affect us all.  Santa Fe can not tolerate this, no community can.

In attending memorials and funerals this week, I have been moved by the depth of suffering and by the strength and character of our people.  I ask all Santa Feans to decide that they will be safe and to see to the safety of their fellow community members this 4th of July weekend.  I am humbled to be with our community in its bereavement.  There has been great wisdom in the sentiments and insights expressed by people young and old.   Yet, the healing will take a long time.  Please continue to reach out and support one another in these painful times.

Out of the tragedy, the Santa Fe community must continue to work for change.   Elected leaders shoulder a special responsibility to make solutions happen.   Local government leaders will hold a joint City Council/Board of County Commissioners meeting next week to respond to these incidents, especially to the role that abuse of alcohol plays in our community.

We have to do more and working together, we will.  We will support dialogue but we will also move for action. We know what programs work in education, enforcement and treatment. We have to improve our ability to implement these programs and practices.  Change must occur quickly.

I have tremendous faith in the people of Santa Fe.  It’s important that every individual makes personal decisions to look after the safety and well-being of their fellow community members.  This weekend please make that decision.  Be safe on the 4th of July.  Make sure your actions show respect for yourself and for the safety of your family, friends and neighbors.

In closing, I want to again express my deepest condolences to those in our community who are most directly affected by the tragedies of this past week.

George Robinson of Santa Fe has made it a mission to catch the best of Santa Fe’s street music on tape and post it on YouTube for the world to see. Check out our forthcoming July 8 issue for more on Santa Fe’s buskers.

The Shekhels are traveling through from Nashville to who-knows-where, busking for gas money (and that $35 they had to plunk down for a permit to play music in downtown Santa Fe).

The legendary Michael Combs rocks it the only way the accordian can: Awesomely.

Check out more Santa Fe busking videos at youtube.com/harpleblues.

This just in from Dan Koffman, SFR staffer and father of Avree,  the sole surviving teenager involved in the crash Saturday night that left four others dead:

I now feel confident in saying Avree will make an almost full physical recovery and is no longer in danger from her injuries. Her recovery rate is accelerating. We know why she’s not fully awake and we think it will resolve; the sheared nerves in her brain are only in a small area. She has been awake for more and longer periods and is answering questions and asking questions.

Avree was airlifted to University Hospital in Albuquerque. Initially in critical condition, her health has been gradually improving over the week.

If there’s any truth to this anonymous tip posted on Frank Young’s feisty LANL blog, northern New Mexico stands to lose hundreds more well-paying jobs.

I’ve got an email out to a media rep at the Lab and will update this post when I get a response.

Be sure to check out breaking news from Dave Maass regarding the measures the Santa Fe County jail is taking with Scott Owens, accused of driving drunk and killing four Santa Fe teens on June 28. Additionally, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office is patrolling Owens’ mother’s neighborhood. Here’s the link.

It seems strangely fitting that a flight carrying a man who got rowdy, and then naked, would decide to stop off in Albuquerque to discard him. We’re New Mexico: Bring us your rowdy, your naked, your crazy…
vid from the Journal below:

Scott Owens, the driver of the Jeep Cherokee involved in the accident that took the lives of four teenager over the weekend and put a forth in the hospital, made his first court appearance on Tuesday. We have a story about what happened on our main site, which you can access here. He’s charged with five third degree felonies.

His case is now available online on the New Mexico Courts site, through which you can track its progress. The site announces all new filings in the case and dates of hearings. Here’s how you do it:

1. Go to this link: NM Courts Case Lookup. Click that you accept the disclaimer.

2. Type in his name and click submit. Alternately, return to this page and click this link, M-49-FR-200900450, which is also the case number.

3. Scroll down to “Register of Actions Activity.”

The page will be updated relatively quickly after new documents are filed and new court dates are set. The hard copy of the case file is currently in Santa Fe Magistrate Court until prosecutors refile it in district court.