ABQJOURNAL NORTH: Around Northern New Mexico

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Around Northern New Mexico

Journal Staff and Wire Reports
      Taos Man Ejected, Killed in Accident
A Taos man was killed early Sunday after the SUV he was driving crashed in the south part of town.
       Shawn Romero, 38, was traveling west on N.M. 585 at about 1:30 a.m. when he lost control of his 1994 Ford Explorer, according to Taos County Undersheriff Edwardo Romero.
       The vehicle rolled several times on the highway, known as the Cañon bypass, ejecting Romero.
       The victim was transported by ambulance to Holy Cross Hospital, where was pronounced dead, the undersheriff said.
       There were no signs at the accident scene that the victim had been drinking, but a toxicology is expected to be included in the autopsy.
       There was also no evidence that Romero was wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, according to the undersheriff.
       Santa Fe's Bond Ratings Increased
The city of Santa Fe's bond ratings were boosted for an upcoming $61 million dollar bond sale to pay for the remaining share of the Buckman Direct Diversion Project and the 10-year Water Division Capital Improvement Plan.
       The city got a top AAA rating from Fitch Rating Services, and an AA+ from Standard and Poor's (an increase from a previous AA-). Fitch focuses on utility ratings and has issued only about a dozen AAA ratings nationwide, according to a news release from the city of Santa Fe.
       Pluses cited by the analysts included the city's planning for the system and its financial needs, including a recently approved rate increase; the strength and balance of the local economy; the diversity of the community's water sources and the community's commitment to conservation.

       Jurisdiction Topic Of Policy Discussion
A panel consisting of Santa Fe City Councilor Miguel M. Chavez, Santa Fe County attorney Stephen C. Ross and private attorney Nancy Long, former chair of the city-state Extraterritorial Zoning Authority, will discuss overlapping governmental jurisdictions at the second annual Neighborhood Law & Policy conference on Thursday at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center.
       The session, “State, County and City Land Use Controls: Split Regulatory Accommodations,” is scheduled for 1:45 p.m. City Councilor Patti Bushee had been slated to take part, but has canceled due to a family illness, organizers said. The Neighborhood Law & Policy conference will take place all day Thursday and Friday and is free to the public.

       Pojoaque Gov. Has Art at D.C. Museum
POJOAQUE PUEBLO, N.M. — The governor of Pojoaque Pueblo has helped install one of his monumental bronze sculptures at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.
       Gov. George Rivera installed the 12-foot sculpture, “Buffalo Dancer II,” last week. It will be on display beginning with the celebration of National Native American Heritage Month at the museum.
       It took Rivera about eight months to sculpt the piece. It's similar to one that stands in front of the pueblo's resort and casino north of Santa Fe.
       For Pojoaque and other northern New Mexico pueblos, the Buffalo Dance is a celebration of thanksgiving.
       A traditional Buffalo Dance group from Pojoaque will travel to the museum in late November to perform.

       NAACP Hopes To Spark Race Talks
Members of the Santa Fe Branch of the NAACP is hoping to spark a serious dialogue on race, beginning with our shared past.
       The group will show a documentary, “Traces of the Trade,” followed by a moderated discussion 6-8 p.m. Nov. 10 at St. Bede's Episcopal Church, 1601 S. St. Francis Drive at San Mateo. The film follows a pilgrimage by descendants of one of America's largest slave traders.
       The event is free and open to the public.

       Excavations in City Topic of Symposium
Excavations in recent decades in downtown Santa Fe and other parts of the region have taught archaeologists a lot about northern New Mexico's history.
       The findings will be the subject of a symposium titled “Beneath the City Different: The Archaeology of Santa Fe” on Saturday afternoon at the New Mexico History Museum. The event has been sold out since early October.
       The historic sites archaeologist and historian for the state Historic Preservation Office, Cordelia Thomas Snow, will be among the speakers. She will talk about what recent excavations downtown have revealed about the earliest Spanish settlements.
       Snow says archaeologists now know that some of the early colonial buildings were two stories.

       Meeting To Address Storm Water Permit
Anyone interested in learning about storm water permit requirements and storm water pollution prevention should show up 6 p.m. Thursday at the Planning Commission meeting in the City Hall Council Chambers, 200 Lincoln.
       City staff will give a presentation on the national storm-water quality program, including the city's storm sewer system permit and the construction permit. Attendees will learn about how new construction must have a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan outlining measures to reduce and control pollutants in storm-water discharges relating to construction. Also discussed will be how new land developments will be required to design and build runoff pollution reduction measures.
       These requirements are being enforced by the city in the development review process.

You also can send comments via our comment form