Archive for Estancia Valley
Local Phone Service Interrupted
by John Weckerle
KOBTV reports that internet and phone service have been restored to our area after having been interrupted due to the accidental cutting of a Qwest fiber optic cable in Tijeras. Another crew cut a line south of Soccorro that interrupted service to much of the southern part of the State. KOBTV and other sources suggested that cell phones be used to make emergency contact.
That would have been fine, we suppose, except for those of us whose cell phone service was also affected. As it turns out, we had a medical emergency here at New Mexico Central headquarters shortly after the outage began, and found that our Sprint cell service was also inoperative. Unable to make ANY connections to contact doctors or emergency response people for advice, we made our own run to the ER in Albuquerque and took care of the problem ourselves (everything will be fine).
We would like to know more about this situation: the identity of the contractors, what led to the accidental cutting of the cables, whether any negligence was involved, what corrective actions and/or sanctions are being implemented, and what Qwest may be able to do provide some level of backup service in the event that cables are accidentally cut in the future.
Public Service Announcement: American Cancer Society Relay For Life Meeting
by Margarita Mercure Hibbs
Please come to the meeting scheduled on Sunday, this weekend at 3pm is in the Town Council Conference Room. We will have an update on current teams, fundraisers and general information and logistics to share. Please come with your questions and ideas.
A light meal will be provided and the meeting is usually less than 2 hours.
I wanted to remind you that this year’s American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life – Estancia Valley is going to be August 6th and 7th of this summer and will be held in Arthur Park, Estancia, New Mexico. As you know, Margarita’s Gallery has been a proud sponsor for 3 years and this will be our 4th year. I hope that you all will please consider this incredible cause in your schedule of activities and definitely donate to this worthy cause. Contact me at 505-384-3131 or 505-705-9526 or Brenda Smythe at 505-705-5445. Brenda is my Co-Chair and will be next year’s Event Chair, God willing.
Remember that we can now register online as participants, team or sponsors at:
I Have Had Enough, This Is War!
by Margarita Mercure Hibbs
This week crossed a line inside of me that I will no longer accept. Too many friends and family of mine have been touched by Cancer and I have had enough. To say that I am a conundrum of emotion is too mild. I am angry, frustrated, grief stricken and sick of Cancer marking the lives of people I love, and frankly, even people I don’t know. I am not a star or celebrity. I am only a woman, mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend and artist, but I have a voice and a heart for this cause and I am hoping that friends and strangers will help in any way that they can.
This week there was a straw that got thrown on this back of mine. This pile of straw has been pressing upon me since my mother’s diagnosis of breast cancer. In reality, the first straw hit me when I was very little and we were visiting my Aunt Marie and Uncle Archie and my only slightly older cousin was dying from Cancer. He was only five. He left behind his twin, my cousin Charles or Chuckie as we called him, a sister Yvette and a younger brother Arthur. The grief was always palpable and solid, raw and painful. Even at that age, I sensed the insanity and frustration of a disease that knows no boundaries, knows no decency. This disease does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, religious affiliation, financial status or sex. »» I Have Had Enough, This Is War!
Wind Technology Training Coming To Moriarty
by John Weckerle
Residents of the Estancia Valley and the surrounding area will soon have the opportunity to receive specialized training in the area of wind energy technology, according to a recent press release issued by Mesalands Community College in Tucumcari.
The program comes as a cooperative effort between Mesalands, the Estancia Valley Economic Development Association, the City of Moriarty, and the New Mexico Workforce Connection of Central New Mexico. According to North American Wind Research and Training Center Director Jim Morgan “This pilot project provides the essential technical courses needed to assist students in obtaining a wind industry job and in turn supply area wind farms with wind energy technicians that will already have basic knowledge of the industry.” Courses will cover safety issues, and will include subjects such as basic electricity, mechanics, hydraulics, and turbine safety. Classes for the 8-week training program will be held in Moriarty, and some training will take place at the NAWRTC, including climbing the college’s 1.5 megawatt wind turbine. Students who successfully complete the program will receive an Occupational Certificate in Basic Wind Energy Technology.
Those interested in applying should contact the New Mexico Workforce Connection of Central New Mexico at 832-6774.
According to the Mesalands wind energy technology program web site, the college also offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in Wind Energy Technology, as well as customized training programs. Completion of the NAWRTC facility is scheduled for September 2010, and Mesalands has already installed a 1.5 MW General Electric wind turbine.
Public Service Announcement: American Cancer Society Relay For Life – Estancia Valley Kickoff Meeting
The kickoff meeting for the Estancia Valley’s ACS Relay for Life will be held this coming Sunday, April 25 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the East Torrance Water Conservation District Educational Building. A light dinner will be served. For more information, see the event flier.
Senator Visits Estancia Valley, Discusses Jobs, Health Care Reform
by John Weckerle
New Mexico Senator Jeff Bingaman and Local Elected Officials
Last Wednesday, New Mexico’s senior Senator, Jeff Bingaman, addressed the Estancia Valley Economic Development Association (EVEDA) and local officials from the Valley’s communities. Mr. Bingaman discussed two high-priority issues, job creation and health care reform.
On job creation, Senator Bingaman discussed two bills already passed: the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and the recently passed jobs bill, commonly known as the HIRE Act. According to Mr. Bingaman, the State of New Mexico recently estimated that it has been awarded $4.3 billion in ARRA funds. According to the map application at the Recovery.gov site, some of that, perhaps $3 million or more, has made it into the NM-Central.com coverage area. Mr. Bingaman highlighted the HIRE act as well, noting its provision for a payroll tax exemption for employers hiring new employees who have been out of work more than 60 days. The HIRE Act also purportedly increases the amount of equipment small businesses can write off in a single year (as opposed to depreciating it over multiple years) from $125,000 to $250,000. Mr. Bingaman expressed a hope of passing a new bill for clean energy projects. He also made mention of the new solar equipment manufacturing plant to be built in Rio Rancho, which may employ as many as 1,500 people by 2014. »» Senator Visits Estancia Valley, Discusses Jobs, Health Care Reform
Public Service Announcement: Regional Small Business Forum
The City of Moriarty, in cooperation with its chamber of commerce and the towns of Edgewood and Estancia, will hold a regional small business forum on Tuesday, January 25 beginning at 1 p.m. at the Moriarty Civic Center. For more information, see the City of Moriarty announcement.
Public Service Announcement: EBWPC Monthly Meeting Date Changed
from the Estancia Basin Water Planning Committee
The Regularly monthly meeting for Estancia Basin Water Planning Committee for February has been changed to Wednesday February 24, 2010, at 9:00 a.m. The meeting will be held at the East Torrance Soil & Water Conservation Educational Complex located 700 South and 10th Street, Estancia, NM.
March meeting will be held on its regular scheduled date 03/18/2010 at its regular time the 3rd Thursday of each month at 9:00 A.M. in Moriarty at the Magnum Steel Building Conference Room located 2515, Hwy 333, Moriarty, NM -(Old Route 66 Hwy) As always the public is welcome.
For further assistance or questions please call 505-384-2272 ext. 103
DA Opinion – David King Cleared In Ethics Review
by John Weckerle
This morning’s Albuquerque Journal reports that, according to a review by the Santa Fe District Attorney’s office, PRC member David King’s “actions are within statutory requirements” with respect to his former minority ownership interest in Estancia Basin Water. The issue was reviewed by the DA’s office because of Mr. King’s family and business relationships with Attorney General Gary King. For more information, see the Journal article.
Out Of The Frying Pan…
by John Weckerle
We return after a brief hiatus, during which your editor was working on a project with an aggressive deadline. That project was unique in that the associated travel last week – to Pasadena, California – provided the opportunity to experience last week’s storm twice: once there, and once here.
Now that most of the snow has melted here at New Mexico Central headquarters, we find ourselves again awaiting another, and apparently this one is going to be a doozy. With that, let us provide you with the National Weather Forecast Winter Storm Warning. »» Out Of The Frying Pan…
Public Service Announcement: Family and Home Safety Fair
by John Weckerle
We’ve received word from Ellen Burgess at the Torrance County Project Office that a Family and Home Safety Fair will be held in McIntosh on Saturday, January 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Fair, which will address such issues as child safety, disaster preparedness, quality of life, and associated subjects will also include free food and door prizes. Presenters will include the NM Attorney General’s office, the Central New Mexico Electrical Cooperative, Torrance County Sheriff’s Department, Moriarty Police Department, the Cariño Toy and Resource Library, and many others. For more information, see the event flier.
Public Service Announcement – EBRA Annual Meeting This Saturday
by John Weckerle
The Estancia Basin Resource Association (EBRA) will be held this Saturday, January 16, at 2 p.m. at the East Torrance Soil and Water Conservation District Educational Complex, located at 700 South 10th Street in Estancia. Scheduled events include election of directors; speakers including State Senator Sue Wilson Beffort, Ryan Schwebach of the Estancia Basin Water Planning Committee, and a representative of the State Engineer’s office; and distribution of door prizes. Mr. Schwebach will be discussing the update to the regional water plan and the path forward.
Surprise! Snowstorm Slams Southwest, Slowdowns Suspected
by John Weckerle
The Great Hunter bags a rubber chicken in the snow.
Snow continued to descend throughout the night, with a few flakes still falling this morning at New Mexico Central headquarters. Temperatures were in the low 20s, and accumulation – though difficult to ascertain due to the drifting – appeared to be between 8 inches and a foot. Your editor spent about an hour last night shoveling two tire tracks down the driveway and coaxing the car up the driveway and into the garage. It is unclear exactly when the car will be going back out.
Cameras on I-40 at Zamora Road in Tijeras and in Carnuel show relatively clear, but possibly slippery, conditions on the highway; however, local roads (not to mention driveways) are likely to be another matter. Alerts are in effect along I-40 from at least Sedillo Hill through Carnuel.
Wild, Wicked Winter Weather Whiteness Worsens
by John Weckerle
A winter storm of somewhat unexpected intensity has descended upon the Estancia Valley and the West Mountains, forcing your editor to abandon his vehicle about 100 yards from New Mexico Central headquarters (thankfully, in the driveway). Road conditions are bad and getting worse. According to NMRoads.com:
Interstate 40 through the Canyon and especially Sedillo Hill are slushy to snow packed. NM 333, NM 14, NM 337 and NM217 are snow packed. Use caution and reduce your speed. Crews are working the area.
The cameras along 1-40 do not appear to be working any longer, and NMRoads.com is ending sessions faster than Congress during an election season. If you’re home, we suggest you stay there – and if you’re about to head for home, be extra careful. Let’s hope this all clears up in time for us to see tomorrow’s New Year’s Eve blue moon – if not, we’ll have to wait another 19 years for a repeat.
Fire In The Sky…Briefly
Sunrise Over The Estancia Valley
by John Weckerle
At about 5:24 this morning, there appeared in the eastern sky a meteor so large and bright that your editor was able to see it without corrective lenses – which is saying that it was really big, and really bright. We’d be interested in knowing if anyone else witnessed the event. About an hour later, we were treated to a lovely sunrise with a sliver of moon – and figured we’d share it with those who might have missed it.
Things will be quiet on the International Space Station sightings front for the rest of this month, with only one pass scheduled (December 23, 2009). For more information, see the Moriarty schedule.