ABQJOURNAL NORTH: Around Northern New Mexico

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Around Northern New Mexico

From Journal Staff Reports
          Trudell To Speak At United World College
        John Trudell — poet, recording artist, actor and activist — will speak at the United World College on Friday, as well as sign his books and CDs.
        The event will begin 7 p.m in the Kluge Auditorium on the Montezuma campus, six miles from Las Vegas.
        Trudell (Santee Sioux) was a spokesman for the Indian of All Tribes occupation of Alcatraz Island from 1969-71 and chaired the American Indian Movement from 1973-79.
        In February 1979, a fire of unknown origin killed Trudell's wife, three children and mother-in-law. Through this tragedy, Trudell began to find his voice as an artist and poet, writing, in his words, "to stay connected to this reality."
        In 1982, Trudell began recording his poetry to traditional American Indian music, and in 1983 he released his debut album "Tribal Voice" on his own Peace Co. label. A subsequent album, "AKA Graffiti Man," was released in 1986.
        Trudell has also acted in a number of feature films, playing a lead role in the movie "Thunderheart" and a major part in Sherman Alexie's "Smoke Signals."
        The 2005 documentary "Trudell" chronicles his life.
        State Seeks Marina Operator at Heron Lake
        The New Mexico State Parks Division wants proposals from potential vendors to set up and run a full-service marina at Heron Lake State Park, ready to go by March 1.
        "A good marina is essential to Heron Lake State Park, and we hope that the next concession contract will result in further improvements in facilities and services," said State Parks Director Dave Simon in a news release.
        Bidders must be able to handle a marina with 50 or more boat slips and mooring lines, gas service, boat rentals and repairs, boat storage, and a store with boating and camping accessories.
        Some of the boat slips and mooring lines must be available to the general public for rent or temporary use; two-cycle motors are prohibited on all rental equipment.
        The facility should operate as a "green" environmentally friendly marina. The park currently has a marina, but its operator contract will expire in March 2010.
        Copies of the RFP may be obtained from Charles Ulm, business enterprise coordinator, EMNRD/State Parks, P.O. Box 1147, Santa Fe, NM 87504, or call 476-3393. Applicants may also download copies of the RFP from the State Parks Web site at www.nmparks.com.
        Applicants must provide one original and five copies of their proposal at the State Parks office by 5 p.m. Dec. 15.
        Mayoral Candidate Sets Town Hall Meetings
        Santa Fe mayoral candidate Asenath Kepler has two town hall meetings next week to meet with residents and answer their questions.
        She will also outline her plans for making Santa Fe a city that will "attract new business, increase tourism and provide a peaceful environment for every resident."
        Town halls are scheduled from 5:30-7 p.m. Wednesday at the Genoveva Chavez Community Center, 3221 Rodeo Road, and the same time Thursday at the Elks Lodge, 1615 Old Pecos Trail.
        Another session will be Nov. 12 at the Santa Fe Country Club, 4360 Country Club Road.
        Varela Says He'll Seek Re-Election to 13th Term
        State Rep. Luciano "Lucky" Varela, D-Santa Fe, announced he will seek re-election to a 13th term in District 48, which comprises the central and eastern areas of Santa Fe.
        Having served 23 years in the Legislature, Varela is chairman of the Legislative Finance Committee and deputy chairman of the House Appropriations and Finance Committee. Recently, Varela sponsored a bill to save the financially troubled College of Santa Fe.
        In a news release, Varela said, "I continue to feel as much enthusiasm, energy and commitment to serve the constituents in my district and around the state as I did in my first term 23 years ago."
        He contends his seniority and stewardship will be needed in the next legislative term as New Mexico encounters declining revenues and reduced budgets.
        "I know that with common sense, a prudent approach and cooperation, New Mexico can weather this economic storm, and we can position ourselves for even greater economic opportunities in the future," he said.
        Calle Calmo Water To Be Shut Off on Monday
        A water shut-off on Calle Calmo, originally announced for Tuesday, will actually occur Monday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
        The city advises affected residents to draw water for personal use before the shut-off and do not attempt to use water during the outage to avoid potential plumbing problems.
        Nearly 500 Show For LANL-Sponsored Job Fair
        Nearly 500 job-seekers turned out for a Los Alamos National Laboratory-sponsored job fair near Española on Thursday, aimed at filling positions with subcontractors working on environmental cleanup under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, as well as other work.
        Ten subcontractors and the New Mexico Workforce Connection accepted résumés and applications during the event at the Ohkay Conference Center.
        "There was a line of 95 people waiting when the doors opened," said Gordon Dover, LANL's deputy director for Recovery Act environmental cleanup, in a news release. "We've had great turnout."
        Employers at the fair said they'll need everything from laborers and heavy equipment operators to safety professionals and project managers.
        LANL received $212 million in Recovery Act funding for environmental cleanup and monitoring in late July. Since then, it has preselected four small businesses for up to $100 million in demolition and decontamination work and created or saved more than 160 jobs.
        Recovery Act projects include demolition of 20 unused, Cold War-era buildings and structures. The lab's first landfill will be excavated, cleaned to residential standards and made available for transfer to Los Alamos County.

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