New Mexico Fire Information Roundup
by John Weckerle
With no promise of significant moisture in the near future, more than a quarter of a million acres of New Mexico have burned in just the currently active fires scattered throughout the state, not counting the portion of New Mexico burned in the Wallow Fire, Arizona’s largest fire to date.
Ranging from the relatively small (at 720 acres) Osha fire near Penasco to the almost 89,000-acre Miller fire north of Silver City, firefighters are battling nine major fires in the Land of Enchantment. Containment ranges from 98% for the Osha Fire to an alarming 3% for the Las Conchas fire near Las Cruces. Two fires (Donaldson and Crooked Creek Complex) were caused by lightning, two (Miller and Track) are known to be human-caused, and the causes of five others are under investigation. Some of the fires have been burning for more than two months.
For more information, see our summary of information collected from the Inciweb site.
County Commissioner: Major Problem with Ethics Board Process
by Wayne Johnson, Bernalillo County Commissioner
No one is perfect. The devil is in the details. No good deed goes unpunished… Every saying a cliché and every saying accurately describes Bernalillo County’s Ethics Ordinance. The ordinance was – I believe – an honest attempt to protect the public from both the perception and reality of misbehavior by county employees and elected officials. It created a set of standards and a process for enforcing those standards.
Allegations against any county employee or elected official can be made through a sworn complaint or anonymously. A web portal was set up to collect anonymous complaints and not surprisingly the county’s web portal quickly became the favorite way to file a complaint.
No one is perfect… In order to protect employees and officials from frivolous complaints, anonymous complaints are reviewed by an independent investigator to determine the validity of the allegation and the applicability of the ordinance. Should facts supporting a violation be found, the ordinance requires that the Internal Audit Contractor “prepare the sworn complaint and present its investigation to the Ethics Board.”
The ordinance clearly intends that a full board of five members be present to hear complaints – even providing for a replacement appointee where a member has a conflict of interest.
»» County Commissioner: Major Problem with Ethics Board Process
Bernalillo County News Release: Refrain Use of Fireworks
by Catherine Lopez, Bernalillo County Public Information Department
“Any Spark Can Start a Fire”
Bernalillo County Fire Department wants to get the word out
Bernalillo County – Bernalillo County can only ban and restrict certain fireworks, it can’t ban the sale of fireworks. But for public safety reasons, we are seeking voluntary compliance from residents to refrain from using fireworks this year.
“With the extreme dry conditions around Bernalillo County and the fires that are already burning in our state, we need to pull together as a community to ensure the safety of our community,” says County Fire Chief, John Garcia.
For information on the fireworks ban and restrictions in the unincorporated areas of Bernalillo County, visit www.bernco.gov.
Let’s Learn From Other People’s Stupid Mistakes
by John Weckerle
We would like to draw our readers’ attention to the most recent KOB TV story on the Track Fire near Raton, New Mexico. We find the following quotes especially relevant:
Investigators have figured out what caused the 27,000 acre track fire near Raton that destroyed multiple homes and caused 500 people to evacuate.
New Mexico State Forestry says exhaust particles from an ATV in the area is what most likely caused the dry brush to catch fire.
According to findings from investigators, the ATV driver or drivers trespassed onto private property then headed onto land owned by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway…
Investigators say whoever is responsible could face multiple charges including criminal trespassing and improper handling of fire.
“The person or persons who started this fire—whether it was intentional or not could be held liable for the cost of suppression which is now in the millions of dollars,” said New Mexico State Forestry Service spokesman Dan Ware.
One important thing to note is this: Whoever started this fire may not even have known they started it. They could have been long gone before the first wisp of smoke was even visible.
We bring this up because we’ve noted that there’s been some off-road ATV activity in the vicinity of NM-Central headquarters. We’d like to ask that everyone reading this who owns an ATV please keep your vehicles on the road or in other approved places until New Mexico gets enough moisture to bring the fire danger back down to a level where use of ATVs is safe, and pass the word to your friends who own ATVs. Everyone thinks they’ll never be the one to start a fire like this, but anyone can be. Understand that the fact that it’s an accident doesn’t mean that it isn’t your fault, or that you’re not liable for suppression costs and damages.
We understand that it’s no fun to have to keep the ATV in the garage during a New Mexico summer, but please remember: droughts affect everybody, and we all have to watch out for each other. These are dangerous times, and it’s critical that we all do what we can to help avoid disaster. The rains will come eventually, and it’ll be safe to ride again (in places where it’s legal, of course, and please don’t trespass). Let’s all do our part to make sure that those great places to ride remain great places to ride and don’t become a burnt-out mess.
Grow Your Own – Number Five Is Alive
by John Weckerle
Bed 4, at just a little over 3 weeks after planting.
A few weeks ago, we posted an article on the completion of Bed 4, a dual-layer partially raised bed surrounding an old juniper skeleton that had been planted with a trumpet vine. We are pleased to report that the concept appears to be functioning very well. With the exception of much of the chard (alas, rabbits) and a couple of snow peas that were in questionable shape when they went into the ground, the plants have all adjusted to their new surroundings and appear to be flourishing; there’s even a green bell pepper or two on the way. This afternoon, we noted the presence of what appears to be a “volunteer” tomato plant (from the household compost, no doubt). The trumpet vine survived the winter – rather unexpectedly – and with the enriched soil and additional moisture, there’s a good bet we’ll be making some hummingbirds very, very happy.
In that article, we alluded to the construction of Bed 5, the latest of our horticultural/agricultural experiments. Like Beds 1 through 3, which are lying fallow this year and will likely be relocated and repurposed, Bed 5 is a raised bed. But it’s much more than just a raised bed. Drum roll…
USDA Summer Food Service Program
by John Weckerle
Checking in on our friends at Mountainair Announcements, we find news on the US Department of Agriculture Summer Food Service Program, which provides meals to children without charge. According to Mountainair Announcements, the program is currently offering lunch at Mountainair Elementary School, Ernestine Garcia Park in Willard, Quarai National Monument, Manzano Convent in Manzano, The Torreon Community Building in Torreon, and the Tajique Community Building in Tajique. For additional information and meal times, see the Mountainair Announcements articles here and here.
Press Release: Bernalillo County Commission Approves Fireworks Restrictions
by Larry Gallegos, Bernalillo County Public Information Department
Tuesday, June 14, Bernalillo County – At tonight’s commission meeting, the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners approved a ban on some fireworks in the unincorporated areas of the county.
“The severe drought conditions and the potential risk to life, property and the environment prompted the ban,” says Bernalillo County Fire Chief John Garcia. “The ban is effective immediately and will remain in force through July 14, 2011.”
The ban includes the sale and use of missile-type rockets, helicopters, aerial spinners, stick-type rockets and ground audible devices within the unincorporated areas of Bernalillo County.
The restrictions ban the use of all fireworks in wildland areas which include unincorporated areas east of Louisiana Boulevard to the west face of the Sandia Mountains and from San Antonio north to the Sandia Indian Reservation; all the East Mountain area, north, south and east to the county line and portions of the unincorporated areas to include the Rio Grande bosque and wildland areas extending 1000 feet from the outer edge of the bosque.
Also banned are the sale or use of display fireworks. The ban applies to the use of fireworks that shoot higher than 10 feet in the air, have a 6 foot or larger coverage area and fireworks that are louder than a cap gun.
The use of ground and hand-held sparkling and smoke device type fireworks are limited to areas that are paved or barren. There should also be a readily accessible source of water (a bucket of water or a hose) for use to extinguish the fireworks.
If an individual is caught with prohibited fireworks, a citation could be issued and the individual may have to appear in court. Violators could be fined up to $1000 and sentenced to less than one year in jail. If it is determined that the use of fireworks was the cause of a fire that damaged property, the responsible individual may be held liable for those damages.
Press Release: Lightning Sparks Fires on the Southern Half of the Manzano Mountains
by Arlene Perea, USDA Forest Service Mountainair Ranger District
Mountainair, NM, June 6, 2011: Mountainair Fire Crews along with a 20 person hand crew from Northern California are currently working to suppress the Red Spring Fire which was reported by Capilla Peak Lookout at approximately 1pm this afternoon. Air resources have made one drop of fire retardant on the fire at this time. The fire is approximately 3 acres at this time and exhibiting some active fire behavior; however, crews were able to reach the scene promptly and are making good progress with the support of a Single Engine Air Tanker.
Crews also responded last night to another fire south of the Thunderbird private property. The fire was approximately 1/4 acre and crews were able to contain this fire by 9am this morning.
On The Road Again
A pause for thought - Mandrill at the Phoenix Zoo
by John Weckerle
Last weekend the entire population of New Mexico Central headquarters took a road trip to see relatives in Apache Junction, Arizona, which is part of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Surprisingly, only one day of our stay was very hot, with the other two days topping out at 90 degrees or below. Senior Travel Correspondent Wilson was very excited about the sights, sounds, and smells of the suburban setting we visited, and made plenty of new friends during his numerous walks. Highlights of the trip included a stop at The Great Indoors, seeing the movie “Thor” (good fare for fans of the comic book movie genre), and dinner at Chevy’s Mexican restaurant. Chevy’s makes a very good shrimp and crab enchilada, and most of their other food is above average as well. The margaritas were very good, and the fresh guacamole (made at the table) disappeared very rapidly into our cast of appreciative diners.
The trip also included a bit of time for photography, including a stop at the Phoenix Zoo. We were not able to tour the entire zoo, but did manage to see between a third and a half of it. What we saw indicated that a return visit to see the rest is in order. Most enclosures are large, and a number of them provided good opportunity for pictures – something that is not necessarily the standard at all zoos. There is ample shade, and water fountains were available as needed. Several options are available for food. The Zoo’s summer hours are 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., an obvious concession to the high temperatures typical of Phoenix at this time of year, and we wish we’d known they were open so early when we got up that day – in a classic vacation oversight, we forgot to check the night before. Since it was part of the party’s reaction to heat that drove us off, we’d have been better off getting there earlier than our 9-ish arrival. Still, we got the chance to see a number of animals and snap a few photos.
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- A pause for thought – Mandrill at the Phoenix Zoo
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- Siesta!
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- That’s right, the sign says “nocturnal.”
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- Oryx at the Phoenix Zoo
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- Go ahead, put your head right in here…
Oh Good, Another One
by John Weckerle
It was with some amusement that we read about the formation of a new local Tea Party chapter, the Sandia Tea Party, at Gadabout-Blogalot.com. We’re wondering whether there will be turf wars; there’s already an East Mountain Tea Party, and the Sandias are, after all, part of the East Mountains.
We decided to look the new group up, and found their web site. Some parts of the site are still apparently being worked out, but we were interested to see that the Contact Us page listed the president of the chapter: John Doe.
Really?
This is just what we needed – another shadowy organization run by anonymous “patriots” championing their version of “conservative” ideology. At what point did we arrive at the conclusion that there’s something wrong with having our names associated with that in which we believe? Whether we agree with the positions of an organization or not, we assign essentially zero credibility to the opinions and positions of those who speak in combative terms but lack the fortitude to put their names where their mouths are. We’ll be watching, and turning over rocks where we can find them.
Grow Your Own – The Things Around The Middle
by John Weckerle
In our previous article, Grow Your Own – The Thing In The Middle, we showed the initial construction of the two-level, circular bed for vegetables and flowers, now designated as Bed 4. Since then, we’ve completed the setup and planted the bed.
Round bed showing soaker hose
Our first photo this morning serves the purpose of illustrating the soaker hose placement. The upper layer has a single circle of hose, while the lower – which is wider and supporting more plants – has two. A couple of tips for working with soaker hose: 1) leave it out in the sun for a bit to soften it up before placement, which makes it easier to work with; and 2) use some inexpensive landscape staples to hold it in place as you work your way around/through your project. In this photo (taken May 7), a few of the colder-weather varieties are already in the ground and awaiting mulch. Now that things have warmed up, we’ve added some of the other veggies, as shown in the second photo, taken this morning.
And I Feel Fine…
by John Weckerle
Well, the entire population of New Mexico Central headquarters, including Senior Theological Correspondent Wilson, were greatly surprised to wake up yesterday morning and find that, based on the lack of earthquakes and pitchfork-wielding revenuers, we had apparently been taken up in the Rapture. Apparently, both computers and Internet connections are operative in Paradise, and so we are able to report to you live from the hereafter (to the extent that the phrase makes even the least bit of sense) that things up here are not too much different from what those of you down there are likely experiencing – except, of course, for the aforementioned geologic disturbances and demonic government officials.
Now, for those of our readers who are s avoiding (for the time being) the unpleasent experience of dismemberment by goat-headed mutants, we’d like to let you know that Heaven is in many ways similar to what we were all used to in the pre-Apocalyptic age. For one thing, there’s still wind up here – a good bit of it in fact. Today, it was enough to eventually drive us out of the chairs on the Divine Deck. We’re figuring there’s a reason for this, but since the welcoming committee has not yet made it by, we don’t know what it is. ? A Prairie Home Companion plays on Saturday afternoon on KANW just like at “ex-home.” Senior Ecclesiastic Personage Wilson (elevated to a loftier title due to his elevation in – well – metaphysical status) did find himself with extra stamina for chasing The Ball, which also apparently made the salvationary cut. So also, did the various purchased and home-sprouted vegetables, and Thine Editor didst verily plant them in the hallowed soil of Eden, which is unexplainedly pretty darned similar to that back on the home planet.
We are also happy to report that the roads we’re used to using are still in order. There’s at least one Costco operating in Heaven, complete with a full complement of shoppers, and we will note that the lines here are relatively short. We’re pretty sure that there’s at least one driver who got in on a technicality, though.
For Our Out-Of-State Readers
by John Weckerle
Unfortunately, they don’t have a New Mexico operation, but for our readers in other states who may not have thought of everything in preparing for tomorrow:
http://eternal-earthbound-pets.com/
Press Release: Full Closure On Mountainair Ranger District
Mountainair, NM – May 16, 2011, The Mountainair Ranger District hits Extreme Fire Danger Levels. Fire officials have been monitoring and evaluating the current fuel moistures in anticipation for full forest closure starting this week. The criteria used for evaluating the closure includes safety and concerns for our communities, forest users, employees, firefighters and protection of our natural resources. Extremely low fuel moistures, winds, temperatures, low humidities and drying winds are factors evaluated to support full forest closure. These factors can result in high fire danger and rapid fire growth. Additional fire resources (engines, firefighters etc.) have arrived at the Mountainair RD to support and enforce closures. Due to the increase of Fire Danger, the District will go into full closure beginning, Wednesday May 18th at 8:00am.
Signs will be placed along highways and flyers will be posted throughout the communities to remind the public that the Manzano & Gallinas Mountains are closed. The use of all campgrounds, day use picnic areas, and trails on the District will be prohibited. All National Forest System Roads on the District will be closed; State and county roads through the District will remain open. If traveling State and county roads within the boundaries of the Mountainair District, do not stop along the roads.
The Manzano and Gallinas Mountains will remain closed to the public until sufficient precipitation is received to adequately reduce the extremely dry conditions and reduce the risk of wildfire. To report a fire, call the 24-hour toll free number at 1-505-346-2660 or Dial 911.
For further information on the closure and the extreme fire danger, contact Adrian Padilla or Arlene Perea at 505-847-2990 or email adrianpadilla@fs.fed.us or atperea@fs.fed.us.
We’ve Got Some ‘Round The Back
by John Weckerle
Last Friday, we decided to give the Backside Alehouse in Sandia Park a try. Located in the A-frame structure at the intersection of NM 14, Frost Road, and the road to Sandia Peak, the restaurant and pub represents the latest enterprise to occupy a space that has held a variety of restaurants and other businesses.
We entered the establishment and were promptly seated. The decor was eclectic, with relatively warm colors, and seats were comfortable. One of our party thought the music was just a bit loud, but two of us did not; with the predominance of hard surfaces, it seems likely that the sounds of conversation would fill the space if the music were not there, and the music was enjoyable enough not to get in the way of discourse at the table. Your editor ordered the carrot-ginger soup (attempting to order a cup but, alas, it comes only in bowls) and shared it with the rest of the party because, quite frankly, that is one darned big bowl of soup. It is also one darned good bowl of soup, and that may be understating the case substantially; the Backside’s carrot ginger soup is one of the best we’ve had. Your editor ordered the cedar plank salmon, and the other diners ordered fish and chips, chicken tenders, and fries.
Let’s start with the cedar plank salmon. It is not clear why the dish is so named – if somebody said “I’m making cedar plank salmon,” I wouldn’t expect what I got at the Backside. While it may have been cedar-plank grilled, there was much more to it than that. The salmon is prepared with a delightful glaze and served atop a bed of creamy polenta with a side of vegetables, in this case green beans that were perfectly done and nicely seasoned. The name “cedar plank salmon,” and to some extent the description in the menu, just don’t do justice to the dish.
Those of us who have been eating fish and chips for a very long time have a certain understanding of what fish and chips are supposed to be. In this day and age, many establishments wrap their fish in a superfluity of batter, obscuring the taste (and perhaps the size) of the fillets. Not the Backside Alehouse. The batter was traditional and very tasty – thick enough to be an integral part of the dish but thin enough not to overwhelm the fish. Neither was the batter greasy.
Your editor is not usually given to commenting on French fries, but these were worth mentioning: just the right blend of crispy outside, soft-but-not-mushy inside, and again, not greasy. I did not partake of the chicken tenders, but they were very well received by those who did.
About the only suggestion we have to offer the Backside is this: offer the soup in a cup. You might have actually sold us a dessert if the soup had been smaller.