The Save the Elena Gallegos Open Space Committee was out in force during the Annual Foothills 10 Mile Run organized by the Albuquerque Parks and Recreation Department Sunday morning.
The committee said the rally was a huge success and thanked everyone who trekked up to the trailhead and congratulated all the runners who won.
Photos provided by the organization included one with Parks and Rec. Director David Simon next to a protester holding a sign saying, “No! Dave Simon!”
“He’s a bureaucrat with terrible judgment who took $250k in taxpayer money that was intended for trail repair and maintenance in the Elena Gallegos and instead paid it to a corporate firm to design a prohibited building so that he could begin developing protected open space land,” a post from the organization read.
The organization has met its petition goal of 3,000 signatures and is now shooting for 7,500 with 5,758 so far, all in hopes to take the issue to city officials to stop the development of an educational center and now an added parking lot at the base of Tramway NE.
The Foothills 10 Mile run brought more than 250 participants from 12 states for the competitive race. It was the first time the race took place on the challenging course in the Sandia Foothills’ Elena Gallegos Open Space.
