— NEWS FROM THE HEART OF THE PUEBLO COUNTRY | SERVING NORTHERN NEW MEXICO SINCE 1956 —

Subscribe
Arts Section

About Us

The Rio Grande Sun was started in October 1956 by Robert and Ruth Trapp with their partners Bill and Hollie Birkett. The Trapps bought out the Birketts in the early 1960s and have been sole owners since.

It grew from a small weekly with a few hundred circulation to the largest paid weekly newspaper in New Mexico. But it has always served the Española Valley, in north central New Mexico, with a strong emphasis on local politics, crime, school news, county coverage, editorial content and sports.

Robert E. Trapp has been the editor and publisher from the paper's inception and while having won many state, national and international awards, his biggest victories have been in the courtroom fighting public entities for open records and meetings.

He successfully sued Jemez Mountains Electric Cooperative, Los Alamos National Laboratories, and the City of Española (among others) in efforts to publish public records which custodians thought should be hidden from the public.

The newspaper has always held a strong editorial stance against political corruption at the city, county and school level while striving to inform the electorate. It has been the subject of many national articles, including the Smithsonian and Editor & Publisher.

The SUN now has a paid circulation of 12,000, climbing higher in the summer when longer days provide for stronger street sales. The paper is sold primarily by street vendors, with the balance sold in stores, racks and mail subscriptions. A drive through Española on any Wednesday evening will show families parked at intersections with children dispersed at strategic selling points.

Its coverage area is unique in that Santa Fe County comes into the city of Española, encroaching on the east side of the city's main thoroughfare, Riverside Drive. Strong readership reaches north to the Colorado border and the village of Chama and the county seat Tierra Amarilla, 15 miles south of Chama.

The SUN also has a strong presence 10 miles south, into Pojoaque in northern Santa Fe County.

Our offices are located at 123 Railroad Avenue on the west side of Española, close to city hall, the county complex, municipal court/city jail and magistrate court.

Business hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (MST) Monday through Friday.

Telephone 505-753-2126

Mailing Address: PO Box 790,
Espanola, NM 87532

Story ideas, comments and suggestions may be sent to rgsun@cybermesa.com to the attention of any of the following staff:

Robert E. Trapp, Editor/Publisher
Robert B. Trapp, Managing Editor
Kevin Bersett, News Editor
Sarah Welsh, Asst. News Editor
Dan Mauzy, Northern Santa Fe County

Jose deWit, Education
Matt van Buren, Rio Arriba County
Kevin Huelsmann, City
Wren Abbott, Crime & Courts
George Morse, Sports Editor
Bob Eckert, Arts Editor,

email address:
riograndesunartsguy@yahoo.com

E-mail for the following people should be sent to rgsunads@cybermesa.com

Maria Lopez Garcia, Advertising Director
LyAnn Villalobos Vigil, Account Representative
Kristine Rocha, Account Representative
Xavier Mendez, Graphic Artist
Guy Rossi, Graphic Artist

Email for the following people should be sent to rgsunclass@cybermesa.com

Chris Herrick, Classified/Legal Advertising Manager
Maria Chavez, Office Manager/Accounts Receiveable
Amber Padilla, Classified Sales
Erika Velazco, Classifieds/Legals/Front Desk
Gloria Delvo, Classifieds/Legals/Front Desk

© Copyright Rio Grande Sun 2001-2008