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Hospitality Net
7 days ago
- Business
- Hospitality Net
Casetta Launches Hotel Willa in Taos, New Mexico
In the high desert of northern New Mexico, where the light has long lured painters and poets, a new kind of refuge quietly emerges. Meet Hotel Willa—the latest addition to Casetta's growing constellation of design-forward boutique stays, and the brand's first foray into the American Southwest. Tucked at the edge of the Downtown Taos Historic District and framed by views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the 50-room retreat reimagines a 1960s adobe-style motor lodge with a reverence for place and a contemporary sensibility. Earth-toned minimalism meets layered cultural storytelling here: from an Artist in Residency program and gallery activated in partnership with The Paseo Project, to Juliette, the hotel's marquee dining concept helmed by celebrated chef Johnny Ortiz-Concha and Maida Branch of SIEMPRE Design, where each dish is a love letter to the local landscape. Part sanctuary, part salon, Willa is poised to become both a community hub and a destination unto itself—rooted in heritage, designed for now. A Distinct Design-Forward Boutique Getaway in the Heart of Taos' Vibrant Art Scene Hotel Willa reimagines a 1960s adobe-style motor lodge through the lens of contemporary design, marking a striking new addition to Casetta's portfolio of adaptive reuse properties. Conceived in collaboration with Los Angeles-based architecture and interiors studio Electric Bowery, the property pays quiet homage to the vernacular architecture of the Southwest—think hand-troweled terracotta walls, original wood vigas, arched thresholds, and sculptural adobe details—while layering in a modern sensibility. A muted palette of sun-bleached neutrals, earth tones, and gemstone-inspired accents nods to the surrounding New Mexico landscape, creating a mood that is both grounded and luminous. Public spaces include a gallery-style lobby dotted with foraged, flowering branches, a serene pool deck landscaped by local studio, Etvernal, and The Store at Willa, a retail destination curated in partnership with Santa Fe-based, SOTE. Each space is designed as invitations to linger, converse, and exchange ideas. Throughout, artisanal craftsmanship anchors the aesthetic: handwoven textiles, bespoke furnishings, and curated local artworks breathe texture and authenticity into every corner. Guest rooms continue the narrative, with layouts that prioritize both character and comfort—some featuring kiva-style fireplaces, others opening onto private patios with views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. An original adobe residence has been thoughtfully preserved and reimagined into a set of interconnected suites, marrying historic charm with understated luxury. The result is a hospitality experience that feels intimate, inherently place-driven, and utterly of the moment. In line with Casetta's deep commitment to sustainability, Hotel Willa partnered with Taos Initiative for Life Together (TiLT)—a local nonprofit focused on community development and environmental stewardship—and architect Doug Eichelberger on an inventive project to build its parking lot walls from 2,000 pounds of repurposed plastic waste. As part of TiLT's Repurposing Plastic Project, which has diverted over 70,000 pounds of material from landfills since 2020, the walls are reinforced, finished with stucco, and demonstrate how discarded resources can become high-performance building materials: lightweight, waterproof, insulating, and long-lasting. This collaboration offers a compelling model for transforming local waste into meaningful infrastructure. Rooted in Ritual, Raised in Taos:JulietteMakes It's Dining Debut at Hotel Willa Tucked within the newly opened Hotel Willa, Juliette isn't just one of the most anticipated new dining destinations in Northern New Mexico—it's a soulful expression of land, lineage, and deeply personal cooking. Helmed by chef and artist Johnny Ortiz-Concha in collaboration with his partner, Maida Branch of SIEMPRE Design, Juliette celebrates the extraordinary beauty and nurturing energy of the matriarch, and is named in homage to Ortiz-Concha's mother, who lived just beyond the hotel for much of her life. Bread for the table is home-baked by Ortiz-Concha's younger sister, Allysa Ortiz. Food is served and plated on ceramics made by Taos-based, Logan Wannamaker. The space—earth-toned, inviting, quietly reverent—feels more like an ancestral kitchen than a conventional dining room. And that's exactly the point. A rising force in the new American culinary landscape, James Beard Award-nominated Chef Ortiz-Concha shapes a profoundly expressive culinary vision that is as much about memory as it is about terroir. Born and raised in Taos Pueblo—a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the U.S.—Ortiz-Concha brings a reverent intimacy to the plate, one informed by generational tradition, seasonal intuition, and a lifelong connection to the destination, channeling a culinary philosophy steeped in ceremony, sustainability, and Indigenous traditions with fine-dining finesse. The menu unfolds like a conversation between inheritance and modernity—wild-foraged herbs steep into broths with the cadence of ritual. Coal-roasted vegetables, pulled from the hotel's edible garden, share space with nose-to-tail preparations that reflect a deep respect for the entirety of the animal. Heirloom staples—many sourced from nearby farms and ranches—anchor the kitchen's ethos of place and season. Communal by design, meals are meant to be shared: delicate small plates of calabacitasand chile-honey glazed proteins give way to heartier fare—perhaps a cast-iron skillet of braised rabbit or blue corn atole spooned warm. Desserts lean rustic and ingredient-driven, while the beverage program offers low-intervention wines, small-batch spirits, local brews, and an elegant array of non-alcoholic options, from herbal remedio teas to house-fermented sodas infused with medicinal plants. Juliette's cuisine is less about spectacle and more about spirit—rooted in place, wrapped in story, and crafted with extraordinary care and intention. Juliette doesn't try to reinvent Northern New Mexico cuisine—it honors it, refines it, and makes it unforgettable. Engaging Experiences, Thoughtful Amenities & Immersive Programming At Hotel Willa, leisure is reimagined as a form of communion—with nature, with self, with the layered cultural rhythms of Taos. The property invites guests to slow down and sink in, offering a curated array of experiences that feel less like amenities and more like rituals: a serene pool and hot tub edged by desert flora; a contrast therapy circuit of sauna and cold plunge; fire pits that flicker to life at dusk, setting the stage for storytelling steeped in local lore. Evenings unfold beneath the town's storied dark skies on a stargazing deck designed for quiet contemplation. True to its setting, Hotel Willa leans into Taos' creative heritage with an Artist-in-Residence program in collaboration with The Paseo Project, a celebrated platform for site-specific, immersive art. The hotel's on-site, 2,000-square-foot gallery rotates with exhibitions from both rising and established talents, creating a living dialogue between guest and place—where inspiration is both the backdrop and the invitation. Activated and managed by The Paseo Project, the gallery serves as a platform for local creatives, beginning with its inaugural exhibition: ON SITE: The Artisans of Hotel Willa—a dynamic group show that brings together a diverse roster of artists whose work is deeply rooted in material, place, and craft. The exhibition celebrates the many hands behind the hotel's transformation, from visual artists to the artisans who contributed to Hotel Willa's plumbing, security, and construction. Featured artists include Paulina Ho, Mark Kemper, Afton Love, Debbie Long, Randy Martinez & Todd Wynward of TILT, Johnny Ortiz-Concha, Dean Pulver, Sean Ratliff, Abby Salsbury, Boramie Sao, Dawning Pollen Shorty, Ky Sturges, Aron John Dubous, Johnny DeFeo, and Izumi Yokoyama. A comprehensive overview of the artists and their work may be found here. A Place to Gather, With Intention At Hotel Willa, community is more than a concept—it's a carefully composed atmosphere. Designed with the modern aesthete and mindful traveler in mind, the property's gathering spaces invite connection, creativity, and a certain Taos-bred ease for all who visit. Under the vast New Mexico sky, events unfold on a sweeping outdoor terrace framed by views of the Couse pasture and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains—ideal for star-lit soirées, artist salons, or group retreats with a cinematic backdrop. For more intimate occasions, The Gallery and the Adobe House offer bespoke environments layered with texture, art, and soul. The latter—a preserved 1960s adobe residence—features a private patio and grilling station for personalized culinary experiences curated by the hotel's in-house team. Whether hosting a 200-guest celebration or a quietly luxe dinner among friends, Hotel Willa's spaces are less about convention and more about creating moments that feel grounded, beautiful, and entirely of place. An Exciting Year Abounds for the Casetta Hotels Brand As part of the Casetta Hotels portfolio—a collection of boutique properties celebrated for breathing new life into historic spaces through modern design, elevated hospitality and a deep commitment to sustainability—Hotel Willa exemplifies the brand's purposeful approach to placemaking. Its opening marks Casetta's continued dedication to preserving the character of architecturally significant buildings while reimagining them for today's discerning traveler. Known for transforming storied structures into intimate, design-forward destinations, Casetta blends preservation with innovation—infusing each project with sustainable practices that honor both place and planet. With acclaimed properties throughout California including The Pearl Hotel in San Diego, Casa Cody in Palm Springs and The Surfrider Malibu, the brand has established a strong presence across Southern California and is expanding beyond. Two new openings are slated for Q2 2025—Hotel Marina Riviera in Big Bear Lake and Hotel Lucile in Silver Lake—with a new hotel in Hudson, New York on the horizon in 2026. Casetta will further foster a sense of community and guest loyalty through the introduction of an exclusive members' club, offering privileged access and bespoke perks across its entire portfolio, including Hotel Willa. For more information, please visit and or follow along on Instagram at @hotelwilla, @ and @casettahotels. Hotel website
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
DocuFilms Celebrates Four Wins at the 2025 Telly Awards for Two Powerful Documentaries About New Mexico
SANTA FE, N.M., May 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Santa Fe-based nonprofit production company DocuFilms has been honored with four prestigious Telly Awards, recognizing two of its recent documentary films for their excellence in storytelling, music, and social impact. "Eating History: A Taste of New Mexico," which recently premiered on NMPBS, co-produced with the New Mexico Museum Foundation, earned a Silver Telly Award for Documentary. The film explores the deep and complicated cultural roots and rich culinary traditions that define New Mexico, offering viewers a savory journey through the state's vibrant food heritage. "Moving Arts: Setting Hearts Ablaze," an emotionally resonant film centered on the transformative work of Moving Arts Española, swept three major categories: Silver Telly Award – Documentary Silver Telly Award – Original Score Silver Telly Award – Social Impact Directed by New Mexico native, Zac Cornfield, both films spotlight the power of storytelling to educate, inspire, and uplift communities. "When we began the journey of documenting Moving Arts, I thought we'd be telling the story of a children's arts program," said Cornfield. "Instead, we uncovered a deeper narrative — one about healing, resilience, and the power of creativity to reshape lives. 'Art is Medicine' became our North Star, and this film is both a tribute to that idea and a love letter to filmmaking itself." Michael Campbell, co-founder and Executive Producer of DocuFilms, added:"Our mission has always been to tell powerful stories with lasting impact. These awards reflect the spirit, soul, and creativity of New Mexico — and the extraordinary people who make it what it is." "Moving Arts: Setting Hearts Ablaze" will celebrate its Santa Fe premiere this summer. The Telly Awards honor excellence in video and television across all screens and platforms, celebrating outstanding storytelling in documentaries, branded content, digital series, and more. To learn more about DocuFilms and its upcoming projects, visit Media Contact: Michael Campbell 646-509-5262 395579@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE DocuFilms Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'He believed in local news': Former KSFR news director brought dedication, passion to job
William "Bill" Dupuy's love of local news started early. Growing up in Baton Rouge, La., Dupuy was just 11 or 12 when, according to family lore, he convinced his father to put an antenna on the roof of their house so he could pipe in straight to the neighbors' radios. Bill Dupuy Bill Dupuy "He'd find something to say," said Dupuy's wife, Ellen Dupuy, laughing in a recent interview. "He'd do the news or something." Dupuy landed a job in radio a few years later, and while his career took him from broadcast to the worlds of the military, scientific research and big business, he eventually made a return to the airwaves, taking a job as news director of Santa Fe-based public radio station KSFR. "It was kind of a ... dream role for him," son Max Dupuy said. "He got a lot out of the people working at KSFR, and also I think contributed a lot." Dupuy, who stepped down from that position in 2013, died April 12 following a stroke at his Santa Fe home. He was 84. Communication was a through-line for Texas-born and Louisiana-raised Dupuy, who worked at a Houston radio station out of college before joining the U.S. Air Force and serving as a public information officer, according to his obituary. He was a captain by the time he left the military in the 1960s. That was about the time he first met his future wife, during a night out on the town in San Francisco, Ellen Dupuy said. bill dupuy 3 Bill Dupuy, former news director at KSFR public radio station in Santa Fe. Ellen Dupuy's roommate at the time was about to return home to England. Inspired by an article about the "swingingest spots" in various cities, the two decided to go for a farewell drink — only to find the place packed and themselves "immediately surrounded by some nice gentlemen." But it was another gentleman who caught Ellen Dupuy's eye: the one walking back and forth through the bar. "Brazen me, I put my hand across the bar and I ... said, 'If you go by one more time, you're going to have pay a toll,' " said Ellen Dupuy, who at the time had just stepped away from her job as a flight stewardess. "... He looked at me, I looked at him, and here we were 57 years later." It was a spark, but it lasted through decades, multiple moves and career changes, two children — son Max and daughter Nikki — and, eventually, three grandchildren. "The way he was with his wife, you would have thought they were newlyweds for 50 years or however long," said Zélie Pollon, a former colleague from KSFR. Bill Dupuy's post-Air Force job for Kaiser Industries took him to New York City — a lively chapter for the young couple as they "wined and dined" people on behalf of the company. "We were in our 20s with a nice large expense account," Ellen Dupuy said. "So we'd go out to all the great restaurants and theater." Eventually Dupuy moved on to a job doing public relations for Plymouth State College — now Plymouth State University — in New Hampshire. From there he took another communications job even further up the coast of New England, at The Jackson Laboratory, a cancer research institute on Mount Desert Island in Maine. The time in Maine was fulfilling, Ellen Dupuy said, but eventually came to an end. "After years up on Mount Desert Island, we decided it was probably time for Bill to get back into corporate life again, because ... we had kids going to college, things like that," she said. Bill Dupuy took a job in Cleveland, Ohio, at Edward Howard, a large public relations firm, and later another job as a senior executive at a regional bank, his obituary said. It was a friend from Cleveland living in New Mexico, according to Ellen Dupuy, who eventually paved the Dupuys' way to Santa Fe in about 1999. The friend wanted to come back to Ohio to see her children, and proffered a house swap vacation. Bill Dupuy was unenthused. "I dragged Bill out here kicking and screaming," Ellen Dupuy said. "But the minute he got out here, we both fell in love with it." So much so, she said, that by the end of the vacation, they'd fulfilled the ultimate vacation fantasy. "We purchased a little house on Delgado at the end of the two weeks," Ellen Dupuy said. "... It's one of the best choices we ever made." Bill Dupuy opted to take an early retirement at the time of the move to New Mexico, but it didn't suit. At his wife's urging to "do something," he took a science writing job at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Then, Ellen Dupuy said, he spotted a notice in The New Mexican for a volunteer role at KSFR and decided to go see about it. "That was it," Ellen Dupuy said. "No more laboratory. Total dedication to KSFR." During Bill Dupuy's years as news director, Ellen Dupuy said, he built KSFR's news team into a force, albeit a volunteer one. bill dupuy 4 Bill Dupuy, former news director at KSFR public radio station in Santa Fe. "People were going out interviewing," she said. "We had people at the city meetings. We had people at the Legislature. I mean, he believed in local news." Steve Terrell, a KSFR host and former longtime newspaper writer for both The New Mexican and the Albuquerque Journal, said in 2004 when he was sent to the Republican and Democratic national conventions as a political reporter, Bill Dupuy recruited him to record short features to bring the events to life for local listeners. "He took his job very seriously," Terrell said. "He was very serious about the news." Dupuy's second retirement went about as well as his first one. When he departed KSFR, Ellen Dupuy said, he converted a closet in the garage into a studio and began auditioning to narrate audiobooks, which he intoned in his classic radio broadcaster voice. He helped facilitate Journey Santa Fe events, bringing panels of speakers on a wide array of topics to the Collected Works Bookstore & Coffeehouse. Together the couple took to delivering food during COVID-19 for local nonprofit Kitchen Angels. Son Max Dupuy, who lives in Washington, D.C., said for the last two decades, his father was driven above all by a passion for his final adopted hometown. "He loved Santa Fe, he really did," Max Dupuy said. "I know it's easy to say that, and a lot of people say that, but he loved it and contributed to it."
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'He believed in local news': Former KSFR news director brought dedication, passion to job
William "Bill" Dupuy's love of local news started early. Growing up in Baton Rouge, La., Dupuy was just 11 or 12 when, according to family lore, he convinced his father to put an antenna on the roof of their house so he could pipe in straight to the neighbors' radios. Bill Dupuy Bill Dupuy "He'd find something to say," said Dupuy's wife, Ellen Dupuy, laughing in a recent interview. "He'd do the news or something." Dupuy landed a job in radio a few years later, and while his career took him from broadcast to the worlds of the military, scientific research and big business, he eventually made a return to the airwaves, taking a job as news director of Santa Fe-based public radio station KSFR. "It was kind of a ... dream role for him," son Max Dupuy said. "He got a lot out of the people working at KSFR, and also I think contributed a lot." Dupuy, who stepped down from that position in 2013, died April 12 following a stroke at his Santa Fe home. He was 84. Communication was a through-line for Texas-born and Louisiana-raised Dupuy, who worked at a Houston radio station out of college before joining the U.S. Air Force and serving as a public information officer, according to his obituary. He was a captain by the time he left the military in the 1960s. That was about the time he first met his future wife, during a night out on the town in San Francisco, Ellen Dupuy said. bill dupuy 3 Bill Dupuy, former news director at KSFR public radio station in Santa Fe. Ellen Dupuy's roommate at the time was about to return home to England. Inspired by an article about the "swingingest spots" in various cities, the two decided to go for a farewell drink — only to find the place packed and themselves "immediately surrounded by some nice gentlemen." But it was another gentleman who caught Ellen Dupuy's eye: the one walking back and forth through the bar. "Brazen me, I put my hand across the bar and I ... said, 'If you go by one more time, you're going to have pay a toll,' " said Ellen Dupuy, who at the time had just stepped away from her job as a flight stewardess. "... He looked at me, I looked at him, and here we were 57 years later." It was a spark, but it lasted through decades, multiple moves and career changes, two children — son Max and daughter Nikki — and, eventually, three grandchildren. "The way he was with his wife, you would have thought they were newlyweds for 50 years or however long," said Zélie Pollon, a former colleague from KSFR. Bill Dupuy's post-Air Force job for Kaiser Industries took him to New York City — a lively chapter for the young couple as they "wined and dined" people on behalf of the company. "We were in our 20s with a nice large expense account," Ellen Dupuy said. "So we'd go out to all the great restaurants and theater." Eventually Dupuy moved on to a job doing public relations for Plymouth State College — now Plymouth State University — in New Hampshire. From there he took another communications job even further up the coast of New England, at The Jackson Laboratory, a cancer research institute on Mount Desert Island in Maine. The time in Maine was fulfilling, Ellen Dupuy said, but eventually came to an end. "After years up on Mount Desert Island, we decided it was probably time for Bill to get back into corporate life again, because ... we had kids going to college, things like that," she said. Bill Dupuy took a job in Cleveland, Ohio, at Edward Howard, a large public relations firm, and later another job as a senior executive at a regional bank, his obituary said. It was a friend from Cleveland living in New Mexico, according to Ellen Dupuy, who eventually paved the Dupuys' way to Santa Fe in about 1999. The friend wanted to come back to Ohio to see her children, and proffered a house swap vacation. Bill Dupuy was unenthused. "I dragged Bill out here kicking and screaming," Ellen Dupuy said. "But the minute he got out here, we both fell in love with it." So much so, she said, that by the end of the vacation, they'd fulfilled the ultimate vacation fantasy. "We purchased a little house on Delgado at the end of the two weeks," Ellen Dupuy said. "... It's one of the best choices we ever made." Bill Dupuy opted to take an early retirement at the time of the move to New Mexico, but it didn't suit. At his wife's urging to "do something," he took a science writing job at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Then, Ellen Dupuy said, he spotted a notice in The New Mexican for a volunteer role at KSFR and decided to go see about it. "That was it," Ellen Dupuy said. "No more laboratory. Total dedication to KSFR." During Bill Dupuy's years as news director, Ellen Dupuy said, he built KSFR's news team into a force, albeit a volunteer one. bill dupuy 4 Bill Dupuy, former news director at KSFR public radio station in Santa Fe. "People were going out interviewing," she said. "We had people at the city meetings. We had people at the Legislature. I mean, he believed in local news." Steve Terrell, a KSFR host and former longtime newspaper writer for both The New Mexican and the Albuquerque Journal, said in 2004 when he was sent to the Republican and Democratic national conventions as a political reporter, Bill Dupuy recruited him to record short features to bring the events to life for local listeners. "He took his job very seriously," Terrell said. "He was very serious about the news." Dupuy's second retirement went about as well as his first one. When he departed KSFR, Ellen Dupuy said, he converted a closet in the garage into a studio and began auditioning to narrate audiobooks, which he intoned in his classic radio broadcaster voice. He helped facilitate Journey Santa Fe events, bringing panels of speakers on a wide array of topics to the Collected Works Bookstore & Coffeehouse. Together the couple took to delivering food during COVID-19 for local nonprofit Kitchen Angels. Son Max Dupuy, who lives in Washington, D.C., said for the last two decades, his father was driven above all by a passion for his final adopted hometown. "He loved Santa Fe, he really did," Max Dupuy said. "I know it's easy to say that, and a lot of people say that, but he loved it and contributed to it."
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tesuque residents all stirred up over resort's new proposed wastewater permit
May 19—SANTA FE — The fight over a Santa Fe luxury resort's new proposed wastewater discharge permit drew more than 100 local residents to the Roundhouse on Monday for the first day of a public hearing that was part town hall meeting, part legal drama. One after one, most area residents expressed concern, if not outright anger, about possible groundwater contamination in the Tesuque area caused by the release of up to 30,000 gallons per day of treated wastewater by Bishop's Lodge. "This puts our community in danger," said Bernadette Romero Jaramillo, who said the treated wastewater would be released into a disposal field located within a local flood zone near Little Tesuque Creek. But wastewater experts and attorneys representing Bishop's Lodge insisted a recently-installed wastewater system used by the resort and a nearby subdivision is state of the art and designed to filter out contaminants down to 0.04 microns — or just a fraction of the size of a human hair. "The law and the science must govern this permit hearing," said Christina Mulcahy, a Santa Fe-based attorney representing Bishops Lodge. She accused local opponents of "fear-mongering," and held up a jar of treated effluent for attendees' inspection at one point during Monday's hearing. That prompted some residents to call out "Drink it!", a challenge that went unheeded by Mulcahy and drew warnings from the hearing officer presiding over the case. The public hearing that began Monday came about after local opposition to the new permit erupted last year. A nonprofit group called Protect Tesuque has helped organize the opposition, in part by holding weekly protests at the entrance to the Bishop's Lodge Resort. The group has already tried unsuccessfully to get the permit denied, and has also asked the state Supreme Court to intervene in the case. The dispute has highlighted simmering tensions between local residents and tourists in the pricey, quasi-rural area north of Santa Fe. It's also prompted signs to be posted along Bishops Lodge Road, which runs through the village of Tesuque. Several Tesuque Pueblo representatives also testified Monday, with former tribal governor Mark Mitchell requesting more data monitoring and for the disposal field, or leech field, to be relocated. He said Tesuque Pueblo, which is located downstream from the wastewater treatment facility, uses creek water for ceremonial purposes. "We found in the past that when people got sick, that's where they got sick from," Mitchell said. But not all area residents spoke in opposition to the new wastewater treatment permit, as some residents of Bishop's Lodge Hills and Villas, the adjacent subdivision that features about 80 homes and home sites, showed up to testify in favor. Bishop's Lodge's attorneys also pointed out the high-end resort has held a state wastewater discharge permit since 1979. The new permit would represent the eighth renewal of the permit, but the first since the new treatment facility was built. It would specifically allow water from toilets, sinks, bathtubs and washing machines that is submitted to a multi-step filtering and treatment process to be discharged into the ground via a piping system. The treatment process includes exposure to ultraviolet light to destroy disease-causing organisms. While not all state permit applications trigger public hearings, the high-profile nature of the Bishop's Lodge case and a request from opponents led to this week's hearings, said Environment Department spokeswoman Muna Habib. Felicia Orth, the hearing officer appointed to the case, will issue a report and recommendation on the permit application within 60 days after the public hearing concludes, Habib added. Environment Secretary James Kenney, who did not attend Monday's hearing in person, will then make the final decision on whether to approve or deny the new permit.
