ABQJOURNAL NORTH: Around Northern New Mexico

Thursday, November 05, 2009

Around Northern New Mexico

Journal Staff and Wire Reports
      Court Overturns Some Convictions
The state Court of Appeals has overturned the convictions of a Wagon Mound man for the deaths of five people in a 2004 rollover traffic accident.
       The court reversed Mario Trujillo's convictions of four vehicular homicide counts and one count of child abuse resulting in death. A new trial was ordered.
       The court said a state District Court judge didn't give a proper instruction to the jury. Trujillo received a 36-year prison sentence. The court Wednesday upheld his drunken driving conviction.
       The victims were passengers in Trujillo's truck and included his brother. The accident happened near Watrous.
       Trujillo contended a pavement drop-off contributed to the accident. Prosecutors blamed the accident on Trujillo's intoxication.

       City Halts Tree Curbside Service
The Santa Fe Public Utilities Committee unanimously agreed Wednesday to put an end to the city's curbside Christmas tree program. Residents wanting to dispose of a tree will instead need to take it to one of several drop-off centers throughout the city.
       Tree pickups will continue for elderly and disabled residents who already receive special trash collection services from the city.
       Solid waste division director Bill DeGrande, who made the proposal, said problems have arisen because trucks driven by parks division workers, who collect the trees, don't know the routes and end up skipping areas. Also, many residents don't put their trees out on the right day, then call the city to try to arrange a special pickup.
       Of 5,000 Christmas trees collected each year, about 2,000 of those are picked up in response to such calls, DeGrande said.
       “I've had a number of calls on the issue myself over the years. I think it's confusing. I think for a lot of reasons, this is a better policy,” Councilor Chris Calvert said.
       Drop-off locations are tentatively slated for Frank Ortiz Park, Franklin Miles Park, Payne's Nursery on Camino Alire, Payne's Nursery on St. Michael's Drive, and Newman's Nursery on Cerrillos Road in south Santa Fe. A sixth location will be added, DeGrande said.

       Conservancy Group Opposes Pipeline
The Pecos Valley Artesian Conservancy District appeared before the city's Public Utilities Committee on Wednesday to express its displeasure with a proposal to build a water pipeline between Fort Sumner and Santa Fe.
       Representatives with the PVACD said they were concerned that surface and groundwater in the Pecos River Basin area might be negatively affected by the project, and that it would adversely impact users in Fort Sumner and downstream of the area.
       Berrendo LLC wants to build a 150-mile pipeline to transfer 6,600 acre-feet of water rights each year.
       The PVACD argued that it's difficult to gauge the impact of the plan because the wells offered for use have never been metered, and additional wells are likely to be needed. Other concerns include losing influence over water conservation and reducing water availability for endangered animals.
       Councilors had little comment on the presentation. City water staff members are compiling a report and recommendations on the project.
       Several supporters of the proposal attended the meeting, but none were offered the chance to speak.
       Berrendo says it application to transfer well water is only a small portion of overall irrigation water in the Pecos River Basin, and would come from marginal farming.
       The PVACD is one of more than three dozen groups that have filed protests against he project with the state Engineer's Office, including the U.S. Department of the Interior and the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau.

       Trujillo Running For Re-Election
State Rep. Jim R. Trujillo, D-Santa Fe, announced Wednesday he is running for re-election to a fifth term in District 45.
       He is vice chairman of the House Taxation and Revenue Committee and chairman of the Capital Outlay Committee.
       In a news release, Trujillo said he expects many tax bills will be considered by the committee in the coming session, and he expects plenty of activity in capital outlay, as well, despite limited funding.
       The district covers southwest Santa Fe.

       Fire Department Gets Youth Grant
The Santa Fe Fire Department has been awarded $149,437.61 from the New Mexico Youth Conservation Corps Commission.
       The funds will be used to hire 10 people for a wildland firefighting hand crew, which will help suppress wildland fires within the city, state and throughout the West. The crew will also remove hazardous and invasive trees along the Santa Fe River as part of the River Parkway Project.
       The grant goes to applicants that employ youths to conserve New Mexico's natural resources.
       Senator's Wife On Arts Committee
Jill Cooper Udall, an arts advocate and wife of U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., has been named to the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities.
       One of 25 people appointed to the panel by President Barack Obama, she was sworn in Tuesday.
       A lawyer and former head of New Mexico's Office of Cultural Affairs, Udall is working with the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian.
       The committee works with federal cultural agencies on programs that recognize excellence in the arts and humanities and encourage public-private partnerships.

You also can send comments via our comment form