The Economic Development Department released today their county reports project, which is an initiative by the EDD to offer more comprehensive data about spending, unemployment, and wages to local communities. This is a first-of-a-kind project to analyze numbers in this way. The result shows that “year-over-year” changes in matched taxable Gross Receipts by County that for the months of April, May, and June 2020. Here are the results of the analysis, according to the EDD, compared to last year, Grant County has had a -5% change, Hidalgo County +15% change, Luna County a +237% change, and Catron County -11% change in gross receipts. Deputy Cabinet Secretary, Jon Clark, has reported that though accommodations and food services, as well as arts and entertainment, have suffered, but construction has remained robust and not just in counties with energy production. As noted with the federal stimulus money for the unemployed, which recently concluded, that for the unemployed in New Mexico, that was generating over $40 million a week in available spending for state residents.
In other news, WNMU Cultural Affairs will be having a live zoom presentation at 10am on September 10th that will feature Oaxaca Rug Weaving presented by Fiesta Latina Transcending Borders film and presentation series. To learn more about this virtual event, go to wnmu.edu/culture.
As many of you are aware the Census is going on right now through the end of September. Grant County has passed another milestone in the number of people who have responded. Grant County is now at 51.3% counted, which the federal government had set a goal of just under 50%. Even though Grant County is now one of 13 of the highest counted counties out of 33 in the state, the number still needs to increase. For every family of four who is not counted, that is more that $150,000 in federal dollars over 10 years that will not be available to our county for senior services, roads, school lunches, and so much more. Encourage everyone you know to take the census. Time is running out. Luna County is at 53.7%, Catron County is at only 18.9% counted, and Hidalgo County is at 41.6% counted. Census workers are making phone calls and house visits to help you with filling out your census. It takes less than 10 minutes. You can go to Grant County Census dot com to take your census today.
The Quemado Ranger District, of the Gila National Forest will be closing the Juniper and Pinon campgrounds, located in Quemado Lake Recreation Area, from September 8th to the spring 2021. The district will open El Caso Campgrounds 1, 2, 3, Valle Tio Vinces Campground, and the Armijo Springs Campground on the morning of September 11. These campgrounds will remain open through November 20, weather permitting. All of these campgrounds are on a first-come first serve basis and are pack-it-in/pack-it-out campgrounds. There is no water available at these campgrounds.
