2012

What a start.

First, for the good news. Newt has been newtered and the elephants are eating their own.

Now, the sad news. An adopted New Mexican who made a tremendous impact on the lives of thousands in the Land of Enchantment has gone to Heaven. Mike Cerletti, our longest serving Tourism Secretary and ambitious Santa Fe and New Mexico promotions chief (with whom I worked for more than a year at the New Mexico State Fair) was overtaken by brain cancer on January 3rd.

I hope Mike had one last chance to see the Rose Parade on TV and recall some glorious moments in Hollywood – when New Mexico actually tried to promote itself outside the state lines. The state found sponsors to help pay for a float in the Rose Parade for 3 years. And, there was the New Year’s Eve party somewhere in the hills above Beverly Hills that included a “star” that no-one recognized but was outfitted for the evening in the appropriate garb.

It was quite a ride Mr. Cerletti… including the day we rode out of Tingley Coliseum on the Budweiser Clydesdale hitch – and the hitch broke.

Good travels my friend!