street sick

SFR's summer block party was a great success—hundreds of people turned out and it solidified for me the sense of how much Santa Fe misses the boat by not making downtown like that ALL THE TIME. It's shameful to have a Plaza where the grass is roped off to keep it healthy (probably, as one friend speculated to me, until Indian Market, Spanish Market etc., so that it looks nice for the tourists), to keep the number of food vendors limited. The City could do so much by making downtown in the summer vibrant and exciting FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE. Have live music, as they do, but also food, other vendors, beer, all of it. People are dying to sit outside in our beautiful, warm summer nights and socialize. Have face painters on the Plaza for the kids. Invite local nonprofits and businesses to set up camp. Don't lottery out limited number of permits, mostly to jewelry vendors. It's ridiculous.
If I sound cranky (if?), it's because I've caught the ever-awful summer cold and am on a mission to finish up here as best I can and take my poor chapped face to bed until I feel better. I leave for San Diego next week for the AAN annual conference and I want to feel 100 percent better by then.
I will say, on a final note, that I am not surprised by the police's findings in the Tommy Hook case. Sitting in the room with his wife, last Tuesday, I think all of the media felt compelled to try to be sensitive (or some semblance of it), but nothing about that story made sense. Anyone who knows anything about Cheeks knows there's no way anyone would plan a discrete beating in its parking lot, closing time on a Saturday night. The fact that his wife was out of town at the time, all of it. And in the course of a few days you go from having a man who supposedly wouldn't have even known he was going to a strip club, a pure avenger, to a man getting lap dances and drinking light beer. Nonetheless, he and his lawyer are sticking by their original story. I'm not saying it couldn't be true, just that it didn't sound overly likely. Anyway, here's the press release from the Santa Fe Police Department about it's findings. If I don't write again, it's because I'm blowing my nose.

PRESS RELEASE


Santa Fe Police Department
2515 Camino Entrada
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507

Investigation Leads to the Individuals Involved In Santa Fe Nightclub Altercation

Facts, evidence and information obtained during the course of this investigation has led investigators to believe that the altercation involving Mr. Hook is an isolated incident and is in no way related to Mr. Hook's whistle blower status at the Los Alamos National Laboratories.  Evidence in the case leads investigators to believe that this incident was the result of an altercation in the parking lot of Cheeks Nightclub after Mr. Hook struck a pedestrian with his vehicle while leaving the establishment.  A verbal exchange of words occurred after Mr. Hook exited his vehicle at which time the confrontation escalated into a physical attack.  All information, facts, and evidence obtained during the course of this investigation will be forwarded to the First Judicial District Attorney's Office for review and determination as to what charges apply or may be filed against any of the individuals who were involved in this altercation.

STATEMENT BY THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AND THE LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY REGARDING THE SANTA FE POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCEMENT

We are glad that law enforcement has been able to bring this matter to resolution.  We wish Mr. Hook a speedy recovery.