Questa Mayor John Ortega
By MIKAYLA ORTEGA and LORA ARCINEGA
The year 2024 was a busy one for Questa, according to Mayor John Ortega, who has been working with his staff to push many municipal projects forward to improve the overall well-being of the community.
When asked about the accomplishments that have improved the village over the past year, he notes the Cabresto Road drainage project as a major highlight. “The project is currently in phase one and will have three phases. We are still working to secure the funding to complete the project and that will be a big priority for us in 2025.”
Infrastructure improvements were one of the projects Mayor Ortega campaigned on in his run for mayor; he had also promised to reinstate a police department to serve Questa. “I am so proud that we have done exactly what we said we were going to do, and that we have a police force working locally to respond to calls for service.” While the numbers weren’t readily available, Mayor Ortega says there has been a decrease in property crime across the board. “People are able to get a quicker response when they need us and that makes our community safer, which was my goal in bringing back the police force.” Questa currently has five certified police officers serving our community.
As far as increasing the community’s resilience and preparedness, Mayor Ortega acknowledges that the fire and EMS department needs increased resources to be able to respond to fires during the day or middle of the night. “I have come to realize that things have changed and people cannot volunteer and leave their jobs like they did 20 years ago, and so I was supportive in seeing Questa EMS Director and Fire Chief Raynelle Cordova garner a grant to create paid positions in the department.”
Mayor Ortega says the recent death of Josiah Mandonado rocked the entire village to its core. “He was such a good guy, always positive and happy. It was really a big loss for the entire community, and we are working to see how we can support our staff, so they know there are resources.”
“Among our accomplishments, I’d say the biggest was the partnership with Kit Carson Electric Cooperative in preparation for the Green Hydrogen Project.” The project is set to kick off in 2025 and Mayor Ortega says he is hopeful the new administration will be supportive of this project. “Renewable energy is the way of the future, and we are working with Kit Carson to create this groundbreaking innovation which will make northern New Mexico a green hydrogen hub. It will create jobs, clean energy, and resilience in northern New Mexico. It’s a big win no matter how you look at it.”
Looking ahead, Mayor Ortega says he is very proud of the major projects for which the village has laid groundwork and their continuance into 2025. “We are very excited to say we have some big projects on the helm including getting Embargo and Cabresto Roads repaved and also, we’re planning to complete the drainage project on Shirley Drive.” The village is also prioritizing obtaining funding for new equipment for the playground near the Questa Library and making improvements to the Questa Business Park. The village is also working to upgrade the sewer systems across neighborhoods in Questa.
Mayor Ortega is also looking forward to updating planning and zoning codes, which have not been updated since his grandfather, the former Mayor Max Ortega Sr., was in office. “I want to update and also get a board in place who will be able to work to advise the village on the decisions we make about land use, development, and zoning regulations.”
While the past year has been very busy, Mayor Ortega says he feels like he’s barely scratching the surface. “We have so much more work to do, and I am really looking forward to achieving a lot as we enter into 2025.”
Early in his term as Mayor, Ortega says he held several “Coffee with the Mayor” sessions but it didn’t continue. “I am still very accessible to our residents. They can send me an email if they have anything to discuss and I am happy to see what we can do to help.” Mayor Ortega’s email is jortega@villageofquesta.org.
Red River Mayor Linda Calhoun
By MIKAYLA ORTEGA
Rounding out the first year of her fifth term as Red River’s mayor, Linda Calhoun says it’s been one of the best years yet. “We had change and growth this year, with one of the biggest changes being transitioning the annual Memorial Day Motorcycle Rally to the new family-friendly Mayfest in the Mountains, following last year’s biker gang shootout. We were nervous because we didn’t know how it was going to turn out, but it was a very successful first year,” Mayor Calhoun says.
While the transition drew criticism from some, Mayor Calhoun says she used this first year as a learning and growing opportunity. “We are going to continue to improve and make it better. We have heard the community, and we are working to ensure we continue to improve our event. Bikers are always welcome in our community, but we cannot have biker gangs doing what they did in 2023.”
In addition to this major transition, Mayor Calhoun says the town has been focused on upgrading and improving infrastructure throughout the town. A major sidewalk project to improve the walkability of the area is underway. The project starts in the middle of town, in front of Lifts West and will expand throughout central Red River. Contractors are creating “bump-outs” which extend curbs into the street, to make pedestrian crossings safer. “Our sidewalk project has been a big project to improve the access and safety of town for tourists who are walking to get around. We are very excited to see it come to completion in 2025.”
The town has also been focused on increasing the resiliency of the town and has improved the overall public safety equipment and resources, to include adding CAD systems to the Marshal vehicles, license plate readers, and cages to better protect police officers. “Red River is a very safe town, and our crime rate is very low. We do have a lot of people in and out because we are a tourist town, so ensuring our Marshals have what they need to do their jobs has been a priority for us this year.”
Red River has gained regional and national recognition following the 2023 Ski Town in North America designation in USA Today. “We were also nominated for this recognition in 2024 and while we didn’t receive it, having won last year and being nominated again this year, that is a huge honor. It really goes to show how much people love having the ski area right in town. You can go up the mountain and enjoy the slopes while your family can stay in town and walk around, shopping or eating out. It really is a wonderful experience and people love it.”
While this recognition is a big honor for Mayor Calhoun, she says her big focus is helping the locals, so Red River businesses can be successful. “We’ve had some businesses close shop, but then another one comes in their place. We’ve had several new restaurants open in town this year alone, including Yu Garden, Vine, Lost Hiker, and the Bistro, to name a few. We’ve also had new retail shops open up and this helps Red River maintain its appeal to people who visit.”
This year, the town invested $35,000 to create a “winter wonderland” in Brandenburg Park. “We worked with a contractor who really transformed the space into something special, with tons of Christmas lights and displays. People have loved it and we are so happy with how it turned out.”
Looking forward into 2025, Mayor Calhoun says she is very excited to see the sidewalk project reach completion, as well several other infrastructure projects. A special endeavor the town has taken on is a Workforce Housing initiative to create affordable housing for seasonal workers, teachers, police officers, and other employees who work in Red River. “We want people to have options when they work in Red River and we understand that housing availability and affordability are major barriers to allowing people to plant their roots and make Red River their home.” Assuming all goes well, the town is hoping to break ground on this project in the spring of 2026.
Looking at the 2025 legislature, Mayor Calhoun is ready to make her appeals on behalf of the town of Red River. “We have a lot of goals for our town, but without the funding, we’re not able to do a lot, so I am hopeful and positive as we head into the legislative session.”
Mayor Calhoun says she is excited for the upcoming year and is grateful for the staff who make the town run smoothly. “I genuinely believe the municipal staff at the town are the best staff in the country. I am so grateful for their dedication and their work to make Red River great. 2025 is going to be a great year for us and I believe it will be a good time for real estate and for tourism, so these are all good things for the Town of Red River.”
