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Officer Cited For Causing Wreck
A Santa Fe police officer was cited for causing a two-vehicle collision near police headquarters Thursday morning.
Maj. Ken Johnson of the Santa Fe County Sheriffs’ Office, which investigated the crash, said that Officer Maria Peña was responding to a “man down” call about 8:30 a.m. and was trying to make a left turn onto Cerrillos Road’s southbound lanes at Wagon Road.
Johnson said that as Peña, who was “running emergency traffic” with flashing lights and siren, entered the southbound lanes, her patrol car was hit by another vehicle heading south that had a green light.
The officer was cited for not making sure the intersection was clear before entering with an emergency vehicle.
Both Peña and the driver of the other vehicle, who Johnson believed was a juvenile, were taken to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries.
Damage to the two vehicles was moderate to heavy, Johnson said.
Speed, Not Booze, A Factor in Crash
Speed may have been a factor in a crash at the South Frontage Road and Mutt Nelson Road, according to Santa Fe police.
A gray Pontiac driven by Keisha Salinas, 20, at a high rate of speed allegedly ran a stop sign and was T-boned by a Ford truck driven by Donald Anaya, 59, according to Lt. Louis Carlos.
The Pontiac crashed into a wall at No. 4 Mutt Nelson Road, while the truck rolled once, he said. Both were taken to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center, where Anaya was treated and released, while Salinas was held for observation, Carlos said.
Salinas was cited for careless driving and driving with a suspended license, he said, adding that alcohol does not appear to be a factor in the crash.
Bicentennial Pool Opens This Week
One of the unofficial signs of the start of summer will come right after Memorial Day when Bicentennial Pool opens on Tuesday.
The city’s outdoor facility includes a 25-yard lap pool and a tot pool. The lap pool will be open from 6:30 a.m.-7 p.m. on weekdays, and from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
The tot pool will offer sessions 10 a.m.-7 p.m. during the week and 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. on the weekends.
Admission is: $1 for children (10 & under); $2 for youth (11-17), $3 for adults (over 18) and $2 for seniors (60+). Bicentennial Pool is located at 1121 Alto St., next to the Mary Esther Gonzales Senior Center in Santa Fe.
Pecos Canyon Boasts Updates
Visitors to Pecos Canyon will find cleaner campgrounds, more toilets and more places to camp this spring and summer thanks to $250,000 of improvements, according to the Department of Game and Fish.
Beginning this year, limited camping will be allowed for groups that reserve the Jamie Koch Recreation Area at the confluence of the Pecos River and Willow Creek. A reservation fee of $25 per day will allow tent camping for about 40 people and parking for as many as six small RVs. Walk-in tent camping will remain open in a section on the west side of the Pecos River.
The department also plans to finish improvements at its Terrero property that will provide 16 to 18 designated RV camping sites and a walk-in tent camping area by Memorial Day weekend. Improvements to the Terrero area began last year with completion of a new road and installation of a bear-proof dumpster and modern vault toilets.
Visitors also will find nine RV campsites and a vault toilet at the Bert Clancy area. The popular Mora campground is scheduled to get a similar makeover soon.
Department officials hope that the new additions will inspire visitors to keep the lands clean and deposit their trash appropriately.
Cemetery Seeks Flag Volunteers
The Santa Fe National Cemetery is looking for volunteers to place flags on gravesites there to commemorate Memorial Day weekend.
Any length of time someone can help out would be appreciated, according to cemetery staff. Volunteers should meet at the cemetery rostrum at 9 a.m. today. For more information, call 988-6400.
West Alameda To Open for Weekend
West Alameda between Saint Francis and Camino Alire will be open to through traffic in both directions over the Memorial Day weekend.
The opening will begin after 6:30 p.m. today and continue through Monday, but sections of West Alameda between Camino Alire and Pine Street will have gravel instead of asphalt.
Starting 6 a.m. Tuesday, asphalt repair work will begin and should be completed by the end of Wednesday. Access to West Alameda from St. Francis for schools and local businesses located up to the Feed Bin will be available during this time.
