Town of Red River,
This morning the Red River Town Council voted to approve Resolution 2020-06, Delegating Authority/Declaring an Emergency. The declaration, due to the coronavirus outbreak, allows the town to request additional resources from the state and the federal government. We (the Town of Red River) are following the lead of the State of New Mexico and Taos County in adopting this resolution.
I know these are tough times for everyone. We have to realize that everything we can do now, to be diligent, will hopefully make the recovery time shorter. Continuing to take actions to slow the spread of this virus will ‘flatten the curve’ and protect the vulnerable who remain at the highest risk. We are encouraging our guests to go home because that is the safest place for them to be. My priority is the health and safety of our local residents. We will do our best to communicate any and all updates, but, as always, feel free to reach out to me by phone or email.
As of tomorrow, Thursday, March 19, 2020, all restaurants will be providing take-out and/or delivery service only. The Visitor Center will be keeping the restaurant open hours list updated and post it on the website, www.redriver.org, social channels and through our email list.
The Red River Charter School has meals for the week available for pickup on Monday at 11:00 and they are also delivering to the Parrish Center in Questa at 11:30. These are available for children up to high school age. If you have a need for meals, please call the school at 575-754-6117 and leave a message. Additionally, according to all the experts, the risk of serious illness remains low for children, but it is important that we keep the younger generations healthy in order to protect the high-risk population.
In the next few days, we can expect to see a dramatic increase in the numbers of positive cases. This is reflective of the backlog in testing. The rise in numbers may cause misinformation, so please get accurate information from
www.coronavirus.gov , https://cv.nmhealth.org/, https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019.
FEMA and many government agencies are available with assistance. New Mexico has been approved for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Process. To apply go to https://www.sba.gov/disaster. Click on the “apply for assistance” link where you will be required to give business and tax information. The application will take two to three weeks for approval with disbursement quickly following. For non-disaster business resources visit https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs.
For information on education and schools, visit https://www.ed.gov/coronavirus.
The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions is also loosening the requirements for unemployment insurance, you can file online at https://www.dws.state.nm.us/COVID-19-Info or by phone at +1-877-664-6984.
The Visitor Center will maintain hours from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, but the offices will be closed on the weekends. If you need immediate assistance, call April Ralph at +1-719-221-2391.
From the federal level to the local level, the main priorities are the food and medical supply chains. Get what you need, but please do not hoard.
We are also in the process of adding a covid19 page to our website. We will let everyone know when this is live.
Please take care of yourself, your family and our community. We will get through this together and be stronger when it is over.
Linda Calhoun, Mayor
lcalhoun@redriver.org, 575-770-0420
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Here is a list of sources for the Red River residents and business owners on COVID-19:
CDC updates on COVID-19 can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.
New Mexico Department of Health updates the information on COVID-19 in New Mexico can be found at https://cv.nmhealth.org/.
New Mexico Economic Development Department launched the COVID-19 Business Loan Guarantee Program. This program allows impacted businesses to access a line of credit/loans at reduced rates. For more information visit: https://gonm.biz/about-us/covid-19-response.
Due to the Governor’s declaration of a state of emergency in New Mexico as a result of COVID-19, New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions is working closely with certain workers who may be eligible for unemployment benefits. For layoff and reduced hours of employees, they may be eligible to receive unemployment benefits. For more information contact the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions at https://www.dws.state.nm.us/en-us/.
U.S. Small Business Administration aids the impacted businesses with applying for the Economic Injury Disaster Loans. For more information on loans and recommendations of small businesses, visit their website at https://www.sba.gov/page/coronavirus-covid-19-small-business-guidance-loan-resources.
The Town of Red River cares about the health and safety of our community. We want to thank downtown shops, restaurants and lodges for taking care of the remaining tourists in town and taking precautions as imposed by the State of New Mexico. The Town of Red River encourages everyone to follow the guidelines of public health officials at the local, state and national level. High-risk populations especially should exercise extra precautions.
If you choose to limit your exposure temporarily, here are a few meaningful ways you can still shop local and support your favorite businesses during this challenging time:
Do not forget to follow CDC guidelines that can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/prevention.html.
For more information on the COVID-19 situation in New Mexico, please visit the New Mexico Department of Health at https://cv.nmhealth.org/.
Dear Red River Community Members,
This has no doubt been an incredibly challenging week. Every one of us is managing through difficult situations. In these unprecedented times, there are not only personal stressors and concerns for our health but also many unanswered questions about what is next for our community. We have been in constant contact with local and state health officials for guidance. Our top priority is the health and wellbeing of our community. With the closure of the ski area, the winter season has now come to a close. We need to take this situation seriously. This is not easy for any of us. We need to do our part and let visitors know that now is not the time to visit our community. We may feel that we are far away from the reaches of this disease but let us be proactive in our approach to keep everyone safe. Let's do our share to flatten the curve by hand washing, social distancing and avoiding gatherings. Please stay home if you have any symptoms, have recently traveled out of the state or have met anyone that may be infected.
I am working closely with the New Mexico Health Department, the New Mexico Tourism office and local officials to stay on top of the situation. The links below have been approved by the State and are currently in effect.
The New Mexico Economic Development Department launched the COVID-19 Business Loan Guarantee Program. This program allows impacted businesses to access a line of credit/loans at reduced rates. For more information visit: https://gonm.bjz/about-us/coyjd-19-response.
Due to the Governor's declaration of a state of emergency in New Mexico as a result of COVID-19, New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions is working closely with certain workers who may be eligible for unemployment benefits. For layoff and reduced hours of employees, they may be eligible to receive unemployment benefits. For more information contact the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions at https://www.dws.state.nm.us/en-us/.
U.S. Small Business Administration provides assistance to the impacted businesses with applying for the Economic Injury Disaster Loans. For more information call 1-800-659-2955 or email djsastercustomerseryjce@sba.gov,
Be sure and follow CDC guidelines for personal health and hygiene: https://www,cdc,goy/coronavirus/2019-ncov/oreoare/prevention.html.
The New Mexico Department of Health is posting regular updates on the Covid-19 situation in our state: https://cy.nmhealth.org/.
The summer season is right around the comer, so let's all commit to working together to stay healthy, get outside, keep a positive attitude and be kind to one another.
Thank you all for your cooperation,
Linda Calhoun
Mayor, Town of Red River
The Governor has requested voluntary closure of all New Mexico ski areas. Red River Ski and Summer Area today took the proactive step to close for the remainder of the 2019-2020 ski season effective 4:00 pm today, to help prevent COVID-19 spread. We know this will affect our local businesses and our guests that had planned to spend their spring break with us. We are working with all our businesses to keep updated hours of operations and any closures. Our number one priority is the health and safety of our community and our guests. We are requesting our travelers to consider postponing any current travel plans to Red River at this time. We understand the hardship this is putting on businesses and guests, but for everyone’s safety, we need to be respectful of current restrictions in place. Please be considerate of this fluid situation and we will do our best to keep everyone updated. Red River is a strong community and we will weather this storm together. Be kind, be safe and wash your hands.
Linda Calhoun, Mayor
To view the Town of Red River Message from the Mayor, click here.
