Voices of Taos

Kevin Hines on raising the rails of the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge

This episode is brought to you by the NCRTD Blue Bus [https://www.ncrtd.org/]. 988 offers 24/7 judgment-free support for mental health, substance use, and more. Text, call, or chat 988. This week on Voices of Taos, reporter Olivia Lewis talks with suicide prevention advocate and speaker Kevin Hines. Hines became a public speaker and mental health advocate after surviving a suicide attempt on the Golden Gate Bridge. He subsequently campaigned to have safety nets installed on the bridge, which was completed in 2023. Kevin discusses what led him to attempt suicide, and how that experience has motivated his work since then. Hines and Lewis also discuss the campaign to add railings to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge after seven people took their lives there last year, as well as the launch of a new suicide prevention app co-designed by teens in Taos. Learn about the Navi app [https://www.taosnews.com/public-safety/taos-teens-co-design-suicide-prevention-app/article_273d39df-c917-55e1-9b64-760aa738934a.html] Read more about the ongoing work at the Gorge Bridge [https://www.taosnews.com/public-safety/temporary-fence-raised-at-gorge-bridge/article_f9fa68fb-4311-57ae-87ba-8b0f19099141.html] Learn more about Kevin's work [https://kevinhinesstory.com/] Subscribe to the Taos News [https://www.taosnews.com/subscribe/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Charles Whitson on Taos MainStreet and revitalizing downtown

This episode is brought to you by the NCRTD Blue Bus [https://www.ncrtd.org/]. In this special bonus episode of "Voices of Taos," editor Geoffrey Plant sits down with Charles Whitson, executive director of Taos MainStreet. Charles and Geoffrey first talk about the history of MainStreet, which started in the late 70s out of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Plant and Whitson also discuss the ongoing improvements to Taos Plaza that are almost complete, and how Taos MainStreet is working with the Town of Taos and Taos County to preserve and revitalize the downtown area. Learn more about Taos MainStreet [https://www.taosnews.com/opinion/columns/taos-mainstreet-aims-to-promote-downtown-taos-as-a-place-for-all/article_ab24d5d1-ca7b-5baa-ba9d-648fda954df6.html] Read the new column, "MainStreet Beat" [https://www.taosnews.com/opinion/columns/taos-mainstreet-aims-to-promote-downtown-taos-as-a-place-for-all/article_ab24d5d1-ca7b-5baa-ba9d-648fda954df6.html] Subscribe to the Taos News [https://www.taosnews.com/subscribe/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Dana Blair on tea.o.graphy's new cafe

This episode is brought to you by the NCRTD Blue Bus [https://www.ncrtd.org/]. This month on Voices of Taos, reporter Olivia Lewis sits down with Dana Blair, founder and owner of Taos' gourmet tea business, tea.o.graphy. Blair started tea.o.graphy at the Taos County Economic Development Kitchen in 2015 while working three other jobs to raise the capital necessary to open the business. Nearly 12 years later, tea.o.graphy has continued to expand with a new cafe at the center of the Taos Historic District. Blair and lewis discuss the new cafe, the art of blending and serving tea, brand new offerings like "elevated boba," and hopes and plans for the future of the tea.o.graphy. Learn more about tea.o.graphy [https://tea-o-graphy.com/] Subscribe to the Taos News [https://www.taosnews.com/subscribe/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Rachel Leon on Communities of Questa Mariachi

This episode is brought to you by the NCRTD Blue Bus [https://www.ncrtd.org/]. This month on “Voices of Taos,” assistant editor Ellen Miller-Goins sits down with Rachel Leon, founder of Communities of Questa Mariachi, a non profit that offers accessible music education and cultural enrichment for youth in Northern New Mexico. Rachel started Communities of Questa Mariachi in 2025 after retiring from teaching. Thanks in part to a grant from the LOR Foundation, the group welcomes students ages 10 and up free of charge. She started the group to help preserve the tradition of mariachi music in Northern New Mexico and to provide music lessons to students who may not be able to afford private classes. Miller-Goins and Leon talk about Rachel’s experience growing up around mariachi music, the challenges involved in running a non-profit organization, and what inspires her to keep teaching music. They also talk about how the program helps foster confidence and pride for the students involved, and how the group has been welcomed by Questa locals. To get involved, call 575-779-0565 or find the group on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/groups/24530382523270337/]. Subscribe to the Taos News [https://www.taosnews.com/subscribe/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Ted Wiard on retirement and Golden Willow Retreat

This episode is brought to you by the NCRTD Blue Bus [https://www.ncrtd.org/]. This episode marks the beginning of our new, monthly release schedule. The next episode of Voices of Taos will be released on May 5, 2026. This week on “Voices of Taos,” reporter Olivia Lewis sits down for a conversation with Ted Wiard, licensed therapist, certified grief counselor, and  founder and director of Golden Willow Retreat in Arroyo Hondo. He was also the Taos News Citizen of the Year in 2020. Ted retired on April 1,  25 years after opening Golden Willow retreat with his wife, Marcella, and says that it’s time to open things up for change — both for him and for the nonprofit. He plans on travelling, and is working with Genevieve Oswald on a second book about “emotional sobriety” and how balancing the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual parts of life can help us make better decisions and be better people. Lewis and Wiard discuss the importance of recognizing loss as a natural part of life that teaches us about transition and growth. Golden Willow Retreat aims to provide a space for healthy grieving and healing for anyone experiencing a loss.  Learn more about Red Willow Retreat [https://www.goldenwillowretreat.org/] Subscribe to the Taos News [https://www.taosnews.com/subscribe/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.