About the proposed Zozobra monument: Timing bad. Optics worse.
The 100th Burning of Zozobra is unique to Santa Fe and certainly something to celebrate. My family has already purchased tickets early. While I look forward to this centennial celebration, some things have already made me feel a bit gloomy.
The ask this year from the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe — event sponsors for the Burning of Zozobra — is to name a ball field at Fort Marcy park and build a monument to Zozobra. On a vote of 9-0, the Santa Fe City Council and mayor gave the Kiwanis Club what it wanted.
The rationale the members are giving is because they want to “leave a legacy.” Isn’t the Kiwanis legacy already established as the caretaker and group responsible for carrying on Zozobra tradition?
I offer a different view of how the Kiwanis could have honored this centennial celebration:
This would have been a grander gesture, more in line with the club’s organizational mission — something to help bridge social inequity in Santa Fe.
The cost of the proposed monument is $125,000. Instead of a permanent monument at a park Zozobra is certain to outgrow, the club could have directed those dollars to providing free tickets to those in Santa Fe who have never attended the live Zozobra event because it is simply out of their budget or transportation reach.
The $125,000 would allow first-time ever attendance for 4,166 local adults (at $30 each), or 2,083 local couples with kids under the age of 10, or 1,000 local families of four.
By introducing a legacy policy for this to recur every 25 years, this gesture would be more of than reflection of generosity. In addition, rather than having the city spend $2,000 per year to maintain a monument, Kiwanis could spend that amount annually to create additional transportation options to bring Santa Fe south-siders to the annual event.
Regarding the ball park: Since the scoreboard funding was donated by Kiwanis, it is appropriate for Kiwanis to own the scoreboard and embellish it with a Zozobra theme surrounded by flames, which also would be representative of our home team, the Fuego.
This year’s centennial celebration could have included temporarily referring to the ballpark field as “Zozobra Field,” but only for this centennial year. Kiwanis could have accomplished the change by hanging a large banner along the outfield fence line. Nothing permanent for any field in the Fort Marcy complex.
To honor history, I would suggest an “X marks the spot”-type plaque or footprint, one mirroring the bronze plaque honoring Zozobra creator Will Shuster in front of the New Mexico Museum of Art on Palace Avenue. A plaque with Zozobra’s image would be in line with existing Sante Fe plaques.
My gloomy view stems from two factors:
Santa Fe has existing monuments that remain either in shambles or hidden from the public. Local families purchased bricks back in the day to pay for the placement of one of the now-hidden statues. There has been no decision of how Santa Fe will support or maintain any of its existing monuments and memorials. It simply does not feel right to allow a new monument when the administration has not dealt with the recent destruction and removals.
Attending Zozobra has become expensive, the cost out of reach for many families with children above the age of 10. Plus, $8 processing fees per ticket certainly do not help.
It is not the fault of Kiwanis Club members, but the timing is bad. The optics of a charitable organization spending money on name changes and monuments appears more like a vanity project. Come on Kiwanis, remove my gloom. Take back the ask.
Mark this centennial event with a legacy-worthy, magnanimous gesture of generosity to the citizens of Santa Fe. One that, I bet, would receive glowing reviews.
Katherine Rivera is a Santa Fe native who resides in District 1.
The Santa Fe New Mexican observes its 175th anniversary with a series highlighting some of the major stories and figures that have appeared in the paper's pages through its history.
