ABQJOURNAL NORTH: Around Northern New Mexico

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Around Northern New Mexico

Journal Staff and Wire Reports
      Police Cadet Says He Was Robbed
A Las Vegas, N.M., police cadet claims he was struck on the head by his own baton after a group of people approached and robbed him outside a Santa Fe hotel.
       Andrew Perez, 21, was off duty when he pulled his personal vehicle into the parking lot of the Comfort Inn, 4312 Cerrillos Rd., to check something inside the trunk, according to Santa Fe police Sgt. Jason Wagner.
       As he stood outside his car with his trunk open, Perez told police that he was “blindsided” by a man who attacked him and then reached into the cadet's trunk and grabbed Perez's baton and pepper spray. The man then struck Perez on the head with the baton, Wagner said.
       Perez received stitches at Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center but was not seriously injured in the alleged altercation, Wagner said.
       A woman was inside Perez's vehicle at the time but was unharmed, Wagner said. She described the man who struck Perez as either Hispanic or white, about 6-foot-4 and between 200 and 230 lbs.

       NNMC Rethinking $1M in Construction
EL RITO, N.M. — Northern New Mexico College is rethinking plans for more than $1 million in construction at its El Rito campus in Rio Arriba County after complaints about a decision to cut down 16 mature trees.
       There have been two heated discussions about the controversy — one before the board of regents Oct. 15 and another at a community meeting last week.
       The trees, including at least 11 Fremont cottonwoods, some more than 50 feet tall, were toppled earlier this month. The college is improving its water system and building a pedestrian plaza on the 100-year-old campus about 60 miles north of Santa Fe.
       About $512,000 would be spent on connecting the college water system to the El Rito community and another $500,000 would go toward the plaza project.

       Doctors Slammed By Swine Flu Cases
Health providers in Santa Fe say they're slammed as the swine flu outbreak has infected patients at a steeper and earlier rate than anticipated.
       At Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center in Santa Fe, the flu pandemic has resulted in a busy staff, longer waits and higher admission rates. And health officials say the hospital isn't alone.
       Dr. Richard Lieberman manages Santa Fe Urgent Care and clinics in Los Alamos and Española. He says he's seeing an incredible surge in patient loads.
       Still, health providers say years of planning have helped them prepare.
       Medical staff and bed space can be expanded quickly, and there are stockpiles of essential supplies such as gowns and respirator kits. State officials also say they have enough antiviral for the more vulnerable patients.

       Skateboard Park To Close for 2 Weeks
The Martha Ramirez Skateboard Park, located at the northwest end of Franklin Miles Park off Camino Carlos Rey, will be closed for two weeks beginning today.
       Crews will pour concrete and redo the skateboarding surface and expand the grinding areas.

       Coss To Help Mark Work on River Trail
The City of Santa Fe is celebrating the next phase of the Santa Fe River Trail today at 1:30 p.m. at the north end of Avenida Cristobal Colon.
       Mayor David Coss will be on hand to help mark this work that will provide an eight-foot-wide concrete-paved trail from Ricardo Road to Camino Alire. The city is trying to develop an urban, multi-use trail along the Santa Fe River, which will serve as one of the major “arterials” within the city's emerging urban trail network.
       Workers also will stabilize the river's banks and channel from the Camino Alire bridge to Camino Carlos Rael.

       Santa Fe To Join In Japan's Robotcon
Santa Fe students will kick off Robotcon in Tsuyama, Japan, next weekend — but they're not leaving town.
       In a real-time computer and video hookup between Santa Fe and its Japanese sister city, starting at 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, Santa Fe students will manipulate a robot in Tsuyama for the opening 15 minutes of the Robotcon event.
       Once Santa Fe relinquishes control, the competition will continue for 90 minutes with the video connection continued so Santa Feans can follow the action. Warehouse 21, where the hookup will be based, will have at least one computer with an open Skype connection, so people from Japan can talk with people in Santa Fe.
       The public is invited to Warehouse 21, 1614 Paseo de Peralta, starting at 5 p.m., when Smokin' Bachi Taiko Drum Group performs and Santa Fe Mayor David Coss will talk with the mayor of Tsuyama.
       Japanese food, drink, crafts and products will be included in the event, as well as a movie/slide show made by Monte del Sol students featuring Japanese pop and hip-hop music. That charter school will send a group of students to Tsuyama next spring.
       This event is dedicated to Julian Martinez, who was part of the Monte del Sol Japan Language Group and an admirer of Japanese culture. He was one of four students who lost their lives in a car accident this summer.

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