Wherein, We Apologize
by John Weckerle
We have received a response from one Brady McElligott to an article (Would You Like Some Apples With Those Oranges) we posted in in the relatively distant past (September 26), which indicates that some apologies are in order:
- To our readers, for apparently confusing the issue at hand with a typo in the first paragraph, inadvertently adding an “e” to the end of Valeri McElligott’s first name one out of the three times we used it in the article.
- To the Moriarty Public Library, for our apparently incorrect thinking that Valeri McElligott was the head librarian. We’d like to point out to the City of Moriarty and the library that this page suggests that this is the case, and recommend that the City do something about updating and/or removing it.
- To the Mountain View Telegraph for not linking to their Letters to the Editor, which contained Valeri McElligott’s observations on the subject of the Muslim community center proposed for downtown Manhattan.
We have replied to Mr. McElligott’s specific comments in detail.
Full Text Of Senator Arlen Specter’s Farewell Speech
Editor’s note: While we will withhold comment on Senator Arlen Specter’s “closing argument” to the Senate (at least for now), we will say that we find within it enough food for thought that we feel it appropriate to provide the full text, even though this is not, strictly speaking, a local news issue. This text is taken directly from Mr. Specter’s senate.gov web page. In part, we provide this because the search engines are already returning primarily news stories and blog posts, and links to the full text are becoming a little difficult to find.
Mr. SPECTER. Madam President, this is not a farewell address but, rather, a closing argument to a jury of my colleagues and the American people outlining my views on how the Senate and, with it, the Federal Government arrived at its current condition of partisan gridlock, and my suggestions on where we go from here on that pressing problem and the key issues of national and international importance.
To make a final floor statement is a challenge. The Washington Post noted the poor attendance at my colleagues’ farewell speeches earlier this month. That is really not surprising since there is hardly anyone ever on the Senate floor. The days of lively debate with many Members on the floor are long gone. Abuse of the Senate rules has pretty much stripped Senators of the right to offer amendments. The modern filibuster requires only a threat and no talking. So the Senate’s activity for more than a decade has been the virtual continuous drone of a quorum call. But that is not the way it was when Senator Chris Dodd and I were privileged to enter the world’s greatest deliberative body 30 years ago. Senators on both sides of the aisle engaged in collegial debate and found ways to find common ground on the Nation’s pressing problems.
Good Morning, Central New Mexico
by John Weckerle
With the snow from our recent winter storm nearly gone, this morning brought us another in a series of beautiful sunrises. For those who missed it, and for those who saw it and want to see it again, we provide another look here.
Sunrise over the Estancia Valley.
Bernalillo County Employees Crochet Hats for the Homeless
by Larry Gallegos, Bernalillo County Public Information Office
Hats crocheted by Bernalillo County employees
A small group of Bernalillo County employees have been very busy for the past year crocheting Hats for the Homeless. The members of the Lunchtime Crochet Club have carefully and lovingly created over 300 hats and scarves this year. Last year the group made 64 hats that were donated to Healthcare for the Homeless but this year they decided to ramp up their efforts and it paid off.
Members of the group will be delivering the hats and scarves to Joy Junction on Monday, December 20 at 4:30pm.
Christmas Lights Parade in Mountainair
by John Weckerle
Checking in on our friends at Mountainair Announcements, we find that there will be a Christmas Lights Parade this Sunday, December 19, at 6:30 p.m. For more information, see the Mountainair Announcements article.
Well, It’s About Time!
by John Weckerle
I-40 at Sedillo at 1 p.m. courtesy of NM-Roads.com.
It would be stating the obvious to observe that it’s snowing here at New Mexico Central headquarters and in many of the surrounding areas. As of about 1:15 this afternoon, we’ve probably accumulated about three to four inches, and snow is continuing to fall steadily. Weather reports are varied with respect to the amount of snow we’re likely to see on the ground (the NOAA National Weather Service web site is still predicting rain), and based on what we’ve seen thus far, we believe they will all end up We are glad that our trip to Albuquerque has been taken care of, and we are now in a position to settle in and watch the snow fall, at least until its time for Senior Meteorological Correspondent Wilson and I to go out and sample the weather again.
Review of the highway cameras and other information at NM-Roads.com shows a varied set of conditions throughout the region. Highway cameras at Santa Rosa and Vaughn show little evidence of snow, and there’s even some patchy sunshine in Vaughn. There is definitely snow on the ground in Clines Corners, although I-40 looks clear in the image (but that could be black ice, so take it with a grain, or a truckload, of salt). Moving further west, conditions become snowier, with some evidence of snow on the interstate at Sedillo Hill, Zamora Road, and NM-14. The New Mexico Department of Transportation describes conditions from Carnuel to Sedillo as “mostly wet and slushy with snow still falling,” and from Moriarty to Route 3 as “snowpacked and icy, with possible black ice.” We noted on our trip back from Albuquerque that Route 66/NM 333 was substantially snowier than I-40. We recommend that people be very careful driving, leave plenty of time to get where they’re going, and get there before temperatures drop and more snow piles up. Remember: the snow is falling on wet roads, and that means roads that look snowy may also be icy.
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/Press Release: Prescribed Burning To Continue on the Mountainair Ranger District
Mountainair, NM – November 30, 2010: With the shot of precipitation received on the Manzano’s this week, the Mountainair Ranger District will be planning to continue the East Thunderbird Prescribed Burn.
The burn will be in a forest area locally known as the Thunderbird area. This area was thinned within the Thunderbird Ecosystem Management area. The remaining portion to be burned is located on the south side of Forest Road #275. District Fire personnel are watching weather patterns closely and hope to re-enter this area the week of December 6-11 to finish burning approximately 70 acres. The burn will be conducted only if and when weather patterns and available fire personnel are conducive to burning and all fire management objectives can be met.
If you have questions regarding the planned prescribed burn or any other Mountainair Ranger District questions, please call 505-847-2990 or email Adrian Padilla at adrianpadilla@fs.fed.us or Arlene Perea at atperea@fs.fed.us.
Public Service Announcement/Press Release: Sandia Ranger District Implementing Pile Burn Near Cedro Lookout
Due to the location and elevation the burn will be visible from all directions leading into the East Mountain area
TIJERAS, NM, November 30, 2010 – Weather permitting Sandia Ranger District will be implementing a pile burn around Cedro Lookout. If weather and resources line up we will be starting the project December 7th and continue thru December 9th. The Cedro Lookout is located two miles south of I-40 and the Village of Tijeras. Due to the elevation the burn will be very visible from all directions. This project is being implemented to protect the lookout tower and facilities that are located on the administrative site.
The Cedro pile burn is a continuation of a fuels reduction program here on the Sandia Ranger District. There are approximately 10 acres and 400 piles to be treated. We expect the project to take two to three days.
The parameters for implementing a pile burn are based upon specific assessments, agency guidelines and safety protocols. During this burn, managers continuously monitor weather conditions, including wind, temperature, and relative humidity. Fuel conditions including fuel moisture and the quantity of fuels are also measured. Smoke will be visible and expected to have variable affects to neighboring communities.
We are working in cooperation with Bernalillo County Fire Departments and New Mexico State Forestry as contingency resources. For questions or concerns please contact the Sandia Ranger District 281-3304.
Happy Thanksgiving
by John Weckerle
Today is one of those days on which we look at the past year and weigh it against past years, with an eye toward those things for which we hope to give thanks. For my part, I’m thankful for Lucy, and her mom, Cora; for Senior Correspondent Wilson and his articles; my father, who turned 80 this year; my sisters and their families, and my cousins and theirs; Lucy’s son and daughter and their families; Lucy’s brothers and their families, and her sisters-in-laws and theirs; and all the good friends I have made not just in the past year but over the past whole bunch of years. Together, all these people make up a grand and wonderful extended family, no matter how far away they may be.
I’m thankful for all the work I’ve had this year, even if it’s made things a little crazy from time to time, and the good folks for whom I’ve done the work and hope to do more. I’m thankful for the opportunity to work on the wolf captures and with Wildlife West Nature Park in general. I’m thankful for the time I’ve spent learning new things and collaborating with people who know different things than I do. I’m grateful for all the great things I’ve seen, especially those worth photographing. And, of course, I’m thankful for all of you, without whom New Mexico Central would be little more than a diary. Happy Thanksgiving to you all.
And now, it’s time to start cooking!
Congressional Press Release: Senator Udall Solicits Opinions On Travel Privacy
by Senator Tom Udall
You may have heard about or experienced new security procedures used by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in our nation’s airports.
The TSA is charged with the very serious duty of protecting U.S. travel and transportation and I greatly value the job they do. TSA officers are given a difficult task. They don’t set the rules, but they do follow them in service to our country.
Over the past few weeks, TSA officers began conducting “enhanced pat-downs” — a more intense screening procedure, criticized by some recent passengers as an invasion of their personal privacy. The pat-down is used when a passenger opts out of being screened by Advanced Imaging Technology, which some passengers object to because it allows screeners to view highly revealing images of passengers’ bodies. A pat-down may also be conducted if something is detected by the Advanced Imaging Technology or a metal detector.
While we need to continually develop ways to secure our air travel, we must also continually strive to strike the proper balance of preserving airline security and respecting the privacy and dignity of travelers.
These new TSA screening procedures affect all of us who utilize airline travel, and I want to hear your thoughts.
»» Congressional Press Release: Senator Udall Solicits Opinions On Travel Privacy
Blood Drive In Mountainair Today
by John Weckerle
Checking in on our friends at Mountainair Announcements, we find that there will be a blood drive today in Mountainair at the Dr. Saul Community Center from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. For more information, see the Mountainair Announcements article.
A Wolf Adventure: Bringing Lobos Home to Wildlife West Nature Park
by John Weckerle
Ted Turner's Ladder Ranch embodies the spirit of southern New Mexico, with breathtaking scenery around every bend in the road.
On November 17, three Mexican Gray Wolves made the move from the Ladder Ranch in southern New Mexico to Wildlife West Nature Park in Edgewood. Our journey began early, with the van leaving the Park at 5 a.m., carrying eight of us (Park founder Roger Alink; volunteers Christi Boyer and Pat Button; filmmaker Elke Duerr; East Mountain High School teacher Bradd Schulke [who also manages Wildlife West’s summer education program] and two of his students; and your editor) to the Ladder Ranch southwest of Truth or Consequences. The mood was a lot cheery and a little bleary, with some folks chatting and some napping, gathering their strength for the day’s activities. Your editor sat next to Ms. Duerr, who is in the process of creating a documentary on the Mexican Gray Wolf, or lobo. We discussed the lobos and they myths surrounding them, as well as the wolf’s place in the ecosystem and ecosystem management in general. Of course, policy, politics, and special interests had a prominent place in the discussion, but we’ll save those issues for a future article.
»» A Wolf Adventure: Bringing Lobos Home to Wildlife West Nature Park
Welcome to The Halls of Dishonesty
by John Weckerle
We breathed a sigh of certain relief November 3, having come through a taxing election season that assaulted us with a barrage of untruths, half-truths, twisted facts, deceptions, and outright lies. It was over.
Well, of course it wasn’t.
Your editor read something dishonest today. We will spare you the gory details for now. We will simply say that we have had enough of being nice about this sort of thing. Those who occasionally look at our left-hand column will see a new category. We will caution those who publish falsehoods or inaccurate information (including those who pass along such content without checking their facts first) that we are likely going to be a little less kind about it in future. We all have a responsibility to at least try and verify the accuracy of what we are publishing/posting, and we’re tired of certain operators uncritically providing a venue for the dissemination of misleading information. In short: if you’re putting out something inflammatory, accusatory, or controversial – whether it originates with you or elsewhere – you’d do well to make sure you can back it up: because if you can’t, we may be coming after you.