Photo by LeRoy N. Sanchez.
Calvin and Alma interview Santa Fe’s new mayor
By Calvin and Alma Lovato
Between meetings and a packed schedule, newly minted Santa Fe mayor Michael Garcia took time to catch up with a very important group of constituents: Santa Fe’s youngest residents.
Tumbleweeds kids correspondents Calvin and Alma Lovato caught up with the Garcia to ask big questions about superpowers, favorite foods, video games, parks, art, and how kids can have a voice in their city.
In his free time, Mayor Garcia enjoys spending quality time with his wife, their three children, and the family dog. His youngest son, Elijah (also known as E.J.), nearly stole the show during Mayor Garcia’s inauguration and swearing-in ceremony when he entertained the crowd with his four-year-old antics during his dad’s speech.
Here’s what Calvin and Alma wanted to know.
Alma: If you could have one superpower—like teleportation, flying, or invisibility—what would it be?
Mayor Garcia: Teleportation. That way I can get from one meeting to another really fast, and also take amazing vacations with my family across the world in no time.
Calvin: What would you say is your real-life superpower?
Mayor Garcia: Being able to listen. Not just hearing people, but truly listening and understanding where they’re coming from.
Alma: My favorite food is posole with red chile on the side. If you could eat only one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Mayor Garcia: Frito pie. It’s my favorite comfort food. I’ll never turn down a good Frito pie.
Alma: We love playing in parks. How can you, as mayor, help make parks better?
Mayor Garcia: I’m working to make sure we have enough city staff to keep parks clean and equipment well maintained. We’re also bringing new amenities to parks, like splash pads, playgrounds, and recreational fields, so kids can keep exploring and having fun.
Calvin: I learned that you are a DJ with the name DJ Spaghetti. I want to be a DJ and producer. Do you have any tips?
Mayor Garcia: Practice, practice, practice, but have fun while you’re doing it. Don’t get discouraged. Whether it’s music, painting, or any kind of art, do what feels right for you and enjoy the process.
Alma: How did you get the nickname “Spaghetti” anyway?
Mayor Garcia: My dad gave it to me. He used to tease me that if I didn’t eat enough, I’d stay skinny like a spaghetti noodle.
Alma: I love sunflowers. If you had to choose one plant as your favorite, what would it be?
Mayor Garcia: I agree with you. Sunflowers. I want to brighten up our city with plant life that’s indigenous and low-water, and sunflowers do a great job of bringing smiles to people’s faces.
Calvin: What video games did you like as a kid? Mine is Minecraft.
Mayor Garcia: The original Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros. To this day, I can still play those games for hours.
Alma: I saw Elijah running around the stage during your inauguration. Did you want to yell, “Stop it!”?
Mayor Garcia: No, not at all. Just like I was enjoying myself, he was enjoying himself. As a parent, my priority is making sure he’s safe. E.J. will always be E.J. Kids should be able to be themselves, explore, and have fun. I think having leaders who are also parents helps make our community more family friendly. For example, there will be days when I have to bring E.J. into the office or someone else might need support for their children. Working families are part of what makes our city so great.
Calvin: My favorite artists are Basquiat and Banksy.
Alma: Mine is Frida Kahlo. Who’s your favorite artist?
Mayor Garcia: That’s a tough one, there’s so much amazing art. In addition to the ones you named, Calvin, I’m a huge fan of Shepard Fairey and Kaws, and local artist J.P. Granillo. There are a lot of incredible artists from Santa Fe. I encourage people to get out and explore their work and get familiar with the local art scene.
Alma: My favorite show is Wednesday. After a couple episodes, my dad makes me turn it off. How do you get Elijah off screens?
Mayor Garcia: We encourage him to stay busy with hands-on activities like coloring, helping his mom bake cookies, or helping me with chores outside. I believe getting our kids involved in everyday activities makes it easier to step away from screens.
Photo by LeRoy N. Sanchez.
Calvin: We like to play basketball, soccer, and disc golf, and we bike at La Tierra. What sports do you enjoy playing?
Mayor Garcia: Basketball and soccer, and I’m now learning more about pickleball.
Alma: I want to be a pet trainer, mainly for dogs. What did you want to be when you were a kid?
Mayor Garcia: A TV game show host. I thought that would be the coolest job ever.
Calvin: My dad always says, “All politics is local.” What does that mean?
Mayor Garcia: To me, that means the biggest changes often happen at the local level. Local elected officials are closest to residents and hear from them on a daily basis. For example, over the next three days I have 26 meetings scheduled with Santa Fe residents. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pay attention to state, federal, or even international issues. It’s important to be informed about what’s happening at all levels of government.
Calvin: When I volunteered at the Food Depot, I learned that some kids don’t have enough food and some don’t have homes. What can a mayor do about that?
Mayor Garcia: My job is to make sure the city invests in programs that reduce hunger and improve access to affordable housing. No child should be hungry or unhoused.
Calvin: How are you going to make sure kids in Santa Fe are heard?
Mayor Garcia: I’m going to involve them in the process. I encourage youth to participate in their government and want to provide the right spaces and platforms for them to do so. Just because kids and youth can’t vote doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have a say in how their government operates and how they’re supported.
Calvin and Alma: Now that we’ve got the hard-hitting questions out of the way, let’s move on to our rapid-fire round.
Dogs or cats?
Dogs.
Red or green?
Christmas.
Sunrise or sunset?
Sunset.
Audiobooks or book books?
Book books.
Biggie Smalls or Tupac?
I plead the fifth. They’re both great, no wrong answer there.
Calvin and Alma Lovato are students of Santa Fe Public Schools and Queen Bee Music Association. Calvin is in fifth grade and Alma is in second grade. They both believe strongly in a free press, the power of the fourth estate, and the importance of supporting local publications like Tumbleweeds.