Steven Lee Matz RATING Steve Lee Matz Part II
Category: Photo Gallery
Return of the Balloon Fiesta
Pictures and Story by
Salvador Zambrano
Staff Reporter/Graphic Designer
2020 was the year COVID-19 began. During the year lots of events were canceled to protect people from outbreaks of the virus. One event affected was The famous Balloon Fiesta. After taking the year off Balloon Fiesta made it’s return for the 2021 season.
Balloon fiesta park was filled with many spectators waiting to see the many balloons take off into the sky. This year 866,414 guests made their way to the park during the 9 day period.
The Balloon fiesta picked up right where it left off with a total of 588 balloons making an appearance this year. 671 pilots also made the trip from around the world for this years event. The Albuquerque community seemed full of life after the return of the Balloon Fiesta.
Construction on Catering/Brewery Enters the Black Phase
Story and Photos by
Mark Graven
Staff Reporter
The Black Phase. 
The End Game.
Construction on the Catering Brewery Facility at Robert P. Matteuchi Hall continues, and has entered the Black Phase, as pictured on September 28.
The project has already passed through yellow and light blue phases, but must undergo a metamorphosis into creamy white, before it is complete, according to architectural renderings prepared by FBT Architects of Albuquerque.
A rendering of the project, as finished, is displayed on a fence at the construction site on University Boulevard, just south of CNM’ s newly constructed Market Place.
General Contractor for the project is Brycon Construction of Albuquerque.
Vacant Homes Now Belong to CNM
Story and Photos by
Mark Graven
Staff Reporter
All Quiet at Former UNM Student Housing Parcel. 
Peeking into the Future.
Behind sturdy fences, the former UNM student housing units, located on Buena Vista Avenue, await their future.
The units are located on a 13-acre parcel, that was recently sold by UNM to CNM. CNM has approved the acquisition for a price of 1.5 million, and UNM has approved the sale, according to CNM.
When the CNM Governing Board approved the acquisition in July, CNM officials said that they had not determined how they would use the property. At recent CNM meetings the idea that has been presented is to demolish the housing units, and build a state-of-the-art space for the applied technologies and trades programs.
But, as pictured on September 28, from Buena Vista Avenue, these unoccupied housing units, will have to wait to find out their precise fate.
UNM Pond starts to Get Ducks in a Row
By Mark Graven
Staff Reporter
Turtles are hard to impress 
Paddling fun 
Ducks in a row
On a brilliant sunny afternoon of September 15th, at the UNM Duck Pond, the duck population is growing, and calling itself to order.
In midsummer, the duck population had fallen below 20 ducks. Now ducks are returning from their summer vacations in northern latitudes, and beginning to settle in for fall and winter.
Today there are more than forty ducks, paddling about, or watching from the pond’s edge, where they naturally line up in rows to observe the turtles, sunning on pond rocks, and humans who recline in the shade of trees, or sit on benches surrounding the water.
It’s a far cry from the hundreds of ducks the pond regularly hosts in the winter, and certainly not enough to impress the turtles, who are rock-solid residents of the pond year around. Yes, indeed, the turtles are hard to impress.
Blue Skies Canopy Fall Semester Opening
Story and Photos by
Mark Graven
Staff Writer
Message in blue: “Be Exceptional.” 
Full parking lot at Student Services Center. 
Catering/Brewery moves into light blue construction phase at RPM.
Skies are blue–albeit a bit hazy– as the Fall Semester at CNM kicks into gear.
The parking lot is full in front of the Student Services center. Meanwhile, students are able to get directions and information from a booth set up as part of “Suncat Days,” by the stairs near Max Salazar Hall.
Across University Boulevard, construction on the Catering Services/Brewery at Robert P. Matteuchi Hall continues, and is going through a light blue phase (as if to match the skies).
On the North side of Main Campus, a billboard on E Building beams out a strong message in blue: it looks like “E” stands for being “exceptional” at CNM.
CNM to Buy UNM Student Family Housing Property
Story and Photo by
Mark Graven
Staff Writer
The CNM Governing Board voted July 13th to purchase property from the University of New Mexico, along Buena Vista Avenue, on the southeast side of CNM’s Main Campus. The property has been used for student family housing for UNM students.
The vote at the Board’s regular meeting was unanimous to purchase the property for 1.5 million dollars, but the sale must still be approved by the UNM Board of Regents, CNM officials said.
The tenants have already vacated the units in anticipation of the sale, CNM officials said, and it is expected that the sale will go through without controversy. Â
CNM will tear down the housing units, but what exactly CNM will do with the property is yet to be determined, CNM officials said.
Daylight at Max Salazar
Photos by Mark Graven
Staff Writer
(slide show)
Daylight positively impacts the mental health and well-being of students according to CNM officials. This supposition is reflected in the myriad of windows incorporated in the newly renovated Max Salazar Hall, and incorporated in a hallway sign.
Welcome to our photographic tour of the wonderful world of windows from the third and fourth floors of MS, as the early July sunlight shines in.
Here comes the sun!
Cracking Down on Free Parking
Photos by
Mark Graven
Staff Writer
Front of Market Place Bookstore at Main Campus. 
Empty Parking Lot on Main Campus.
A sign in front of the entrance of the Market Place Bookstore at Main Campus indicates that folks will have to pay for on- campus parking. A survey of the parking lot by the Bookstore on Tuesday, June 22nd, shows not many folks taking advantage of the opportunity.
Montoya Goes Green and Greener
Photos by
Mark Graven
Staff Writer
The Memorial Day thunderstorm may have poured approximately two inches of rain on parts of Albuquerque, according to the weatherman. Along H Building at CNM’s Montoya Campus the influx of moisture is paying off big time in terms of extremely green grass for at least the first week of June. North of Montoya, across the arroyo, at Oso Grande State Park, it is green, almost as far as the eye can see.