Socorro County Declared Disaster Area

By John Larson

SOCORRO – Several washed out county roads will be repaired or cleaned up thanks to Socorro County being designated as a disaster area by Governor Bill Richardson.
Richardson signed the Executive Order Tuesday, Aug. 17 that also included Mora and McKinley counties, as well as portions of the Navajo Nation in Western New Mexico, the City of Farmington and the Pueblo of Acoma. A total of $1.9 million has been allocated for all locations.
Socorro County will be receiving $750,000.
County Manager Delilah Walsh said the county had requested $1.2 million after heavy rains in late July and early August wreaked havoc on outlying gravel roads.
“Most of our damages are where roads washed out,” Walsh said. “We’re going to have to re-do sections, starting with laying base course. We’ll be reimbursed after we get the work done.”
Jerry Wheeler from the county’s Emergency Management office said work has already been started on the worst cases.
“We’re starting on the ones we get the most calls on, and work from there,” Wheeler said. “In total there are about 40 miles that are in need of repair.”
Some of the worst damages include the road going into Hop Canyon, along with a cattle guard; Paterson Canyon road; the first seven miles of the road from Magdalena to Riley, including a culvert; and La Jencia Road.
East of the Rio Grande work will be done on roads 127 and 131, north of highway 380; Highways 179 and 135, and 129/147; County Road 63; Bosquecito road; and the Quebradas Byway (Escondida to Highway 380).
The Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management will coordinate all requests for assistance.
Cabinet Secretary John W. Wheeler said, “Our Response and Recovery Bureau has been working with the local agencies since the Monsoon rains started. Even though the rain came late this year, it has been intense and according to the National Weather Service there is more to come.”
The Governor has also authorized to New Mexico National Guard to provide military support to civil authorities as needed for this emergency.
Wheeler said officials from the federal government will be visiting Socorro County Monday, Aug. 23 to assess the damages.
“We may be getting additional help, as well, if we qualify for federal disaster funds,” he said.

Picture: Recent heavy rains severely damaged many roads in Socorro County, prompting the governor to declare the county as a disaster area. The county road department’s maintenance supervisor, Art Gonzales, stands in a washed -out section of Highway 131, north of Stallion Road.

Photo by Jerry Wheeler

Socorro County Declared Disaster Area

Police, Sheriff’s Dept. Bust Another Plantation

By John Larson

SOCORRO – Officers from the Socorro Police Department and county Sheriff’s office eliminated another large marijuana plantation Wednesday morning in the San Marcial area, south of Socorro.
According to Sheriff Philip Montoya, two men connected to the marijuana operation were arrested. Shannon Martin, 33, of Los Lunas was charged with one count each of trafficking marijuana, cultivation and paraphernalia, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Vincent Biancardi, 38, of Belen was charged with trafficking, and cultivation and paraphernalia.
“The site was very similar to the previous locations we eradicated,” Montoya said. “There were tents, pumps, piping, and other items that indicated the same kind of operation.”
Chief Deputy Shorty Vaiza, along with Montoya, took part in eradicating the plants Wednesday morning. “There were about 200 plants, up to four feet tall at the site,” he said.
He said the plantation was on a small island on a lake off the main channel of the Rio Grande. The officers approached the site from the east side of the river. “We had to wade through three foot deep water across a channel and then use a rowboat to get to it,” Vaiza said. “The two suspects were there in the process of watering the plants.”
According to the criminal complaint, city police Detective Rocky Fernandez received information about the site Tuesday afternoon.
“During surveillance, we noted to men coming out onto the lake in front of the [marijuana site]” and unloaded a small boat, the complaint said. The officers kept the area under surveillance and noticed activity that indicated the men were watering the plants.
“We decide to leave the area and proceeded to the other side of the grow site on the channel road” where a pickup was parked, the report said. Officers then gathered at a staging area and waited for the men to leave in the pickup, which happened at about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Due to the thick dust thrown up on the dirt road, the suspects were able to elude officers temporarily. Fernandez radioed the Sheriff’s office with the license plate number and description of the vehicle.
Montoya, assisted by city police Sgt. Gilbert Padilla pulled the truck over in Socorro. A search revealed a bundle of about 20 plants in the bed of the pickup and a firearm.
Shannon and Biancardi were interviewed and then incarcerated at the Socorro County Detention Center.
The plantation was the fifth to be discovered and eradicated in Socorro County by city, county, state and federal law enforcement officers in the last few months.

Sheriff Philip Montoya (left) and Chief Deputy Shorty Vaiza display two of the bundles of marijuana plants confiscated from the plantation near San Marcial Wednesday. Each bundle is estimated to weigh about 100 pounds.

Photo by John Larson

Police, Sheriff’s Dept. Bust Another Plantation

Tech Receives Grant For Carbon Project

By John Larson

SOCORRO – Scientists at New Mexico Tech will be receiving $400,000 to develop a technology for storing carbon dioxide underground.
The funding, a portion of $21.3 million for 15 separate carbon sequestration projects, was announced by Energy Secretary Steven Chu last week. Carbon sequestration refers to techniques used to capture and store greenhouse gases in geologic formations to reduce global warming.
According to Chu, the project “will support the goal of helping reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, developing and deploying near-zero-emission coal technologies and making the country a leader in mitigating climate change.”
Peter Mozley, geology professor in the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department at New Mexico Tech is part of a three person team looking into the feasibility of injecting and storing CO2 deep underground. Mozley, along with Thomas Dewers of Sandia Labs and James Evans, geology at Utah State University in Logan.
“The idea is that you capture CO2 before it makes into the atmosphere. Then compress it and put in a pipeline and pump it into an underground reservoir,” Mozley said.
Mozley said their research is focused on two types of formations.
“We’re looking at two types of repositories,” Mozley said. “One is a depleted oil reservoir, where they got as much oil out as they can. The pre-existing wells can be used as injection sites.” But on the other hand, he said, the wells could be a source of leakage of stored CO2.
“The other type is deep saline aquifers. Aquifers that can are not be used as drinking water or anything else,” Mozley said.
The researchers returned from field work in Utah this week where they were gathering data on specific geologic formations that could be considered as CO2 repositories.
“We look for caprock, like a shale, which would be like a seal to keep the gas from escaping back into the atmosphere,” he said. “Shale has very tiny pore spaces that would prevent CO2 from leaking through.
“Our project is to look at detailed features on how fractures behave at the interface, and look at ways to make the seals work better,” he said. “Our research is focused on field sites that have good examples of caprock.
Research into carbon dioxide reduction has been going on for several years. New Mexico Tech is also involved in a study on how to capture the carbon dioxide at the point of occurrence, such as a smokestack.
“The capturing is the trick, collecting it right a the point, and leaving nitrogen, oxygen, and a small amount of carbon dioxide,” Reid Grigg, Tech’s senior petroleum engineer said in a 2007 interview.
Mozley said the ultimate goal of the overall DOE project is to combat global climate change.
“CO2 one of the biggest greenhouse gasses to contribute to global warming,” he said.
New Mexico Tech will provide matching funds of $100,000 for the three month project. Tech is part of the South West Partnership for CO2 Sequestration which includes nine member states including New Mexico and Colorado, the Navajo Nation, universities, and electric utilities, and coal, oil and gas corporations.

Picture: James Evans, Thomas Dewers, and New Mexico Tech and Utah State University students examine fractures and mineralization in an outcrop at Goblin Valley State Park, Utah.

Photo by Peter Mozley

Tech Receives Grant For Carbon Project

Two SEC Employees Placed On Unpaid Leave

By John Severance

Two Socorro Electric Cooperative employees have been placed on unpaid leave for an indefinite time as the SEC appointed a committee to investigate certain financial irregularities.
That’s what came out of a special meeting of the Board of Trustees on Friday night. The meeting was restricted to personnel matters and it was discussed under executive session.
Co-op attorney Dennis Francish called the Mountain Mail Monday morning to read the following statement.
“A committee was appointed by the President of Socorro Electric Cooperative to investigate certain financial irregularities reported under the whistle blower policy of the cooperative.
“Two SEC employees have been placed on unpaid leave for an indefinite period while the investigation proceeds. Until the committee completes its investigation, there will be no further statements from the Board of Trustees or the cooperative regarding this matter.”
When asked if he had any more details, Francish said, “I am just the messenger.”
Trustee Donald Wolberg, the head of the investigation committee, said Tuesday the two employees are general manager Polo Pineda and accountant Kathy Torres. Pineda has been general manager since 2003 and Torres has worked for the SEC for 22 years.
Pineda and Torres could not be reached for comment.
The committee met for the third time in two and one-half weeks Tuesday. Wolberg said the meeting lasted five and one-half hours and he hoped to have another committee meeting before all the trustees meet next week.
When asked what was discussed at Tuesday’s meeting, Wolberg said, “I can’t tell you. We need to find out more.”
On the committee were Wolberg, and fellow trustees Luis Aguilar, Leo Cordova, Leroy Anaya and Prescilla Mauldin.
Wolberg said Richard Lopez will be the interim manager and Eileen Latassa will be the office manager. Other department heads will be David Montoya, Francis Herron and Sophie Chavez.
“We are not attorneys or judges and everybody is innocent until proven guilty,” Wolberg said. “But what’s most important is that we make a seemless transition as soon as possible. We have a very experienced staff and there will be no diminishment of services for our members.”
Wolberg said the committee was formed after anonymous letters were circulated around the community. One was addressed to the Mountain Mail and the other was posted on the Informedcynic.com website.
Both letters, apparently written by an SEC employee, complained of no management at the SEC and that the employees needed help. The letters also referred to embezzlement.
“We realized we had to do something when the letters came out and we realized the employees needed help and they referred to themselves as we,” Wolberg said. “We had to give confidence to the people who are coming forward under the whistleblower act. We want to make sure our members and our employees can get through this difficult interim period. As a committee, we are going to get to the bottom of this.”
Wolberg said the committee will ask for statements from trustees and former trustees.
“In fact, I would volunteer to be the first in line,” Wolberg said. “Of course, nobody is obligated to give a statement. But as a committee, we are going to move ahead.”
Wolberg also wanted to assure the members that records at the co-op premises have been secured as security guards were posted at the SEC facility over the weekend
“We are following legal advice and we are in a bit of uncharted territory in that we are investigating ourselves,” Wolberg said. “We can only report what we find and think it means. We have to do what’s best for the members.”
Wolberg said his committee will present its findings to the board at its next meeting.
When the committee concludes its investigation, Wolberg said he was uncertain of what the next step would be in terms of legal ramifications.
“That is up to attorneys,” said Wolberg, who also said he would welcome a forensic audit of the SEC books.
“The driving force is what is best for the members. As far as I am concerned, trustees are on the bottom of the list.”
At the special meeting called Friday, which was held under executive session, many thought the trustees would be discussing Torres’ claim to the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions. The Mountain Mail received Torres’ complaint to the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions in an unmarked envelope last month.
Torres wrote that she had been verbally and sexually harassed by trustee Charlie Wagner.
She wrote, “He has done such things as accuse me of fraud, which I believe was racially motivated as he has made racial comments about Hispanics. He has made comments in Board Meeting to other members that they are ‘hiding behind my skirt.’ I believe when the board of directors is reduced from 10 to 5, Mr. Wagner will have me fired.
“I did file a formal complaint against Mr. Wagner for sexual harassment and for sex discrimination. Nothing was resolved and I believe that a lot of the harassment is retaliation for filing this complaint.”
The next regularly scheduled meeting is Aug. 25 and a meeting to discuss the audit is the following day.

Two SEC Employees Placed On Unpaid Leave

Various Publications Give New Mexico Tech High Marks

By John Larson

SOCORRO - As the fall semester for New Mexico Tech gets underway Forbes, U.S. News and World Report and The Princeton Review are ranking the Socorro university as among the best in the nation.
In its latest issue, U.S. News and World Report ranks New Mexico Tech number two in its list of best colleges in the West, just behind California Polytech, and 17th best college nationwide.
From the students’ point of view Tech comes out at number 334 in Forbes Magazine, which was the result of a study on student satisfaction.
According to the Forbes article, “whether they're in the top 10 or near the end of the list, all 610 schools in this ranking count among the best in the country. We review just 10 percent of the 6,600 accredited postsecondary institutions in the U.S., so appearing on our list at all is an indication that a school meets a high standard.
“While other college rankings are based in large part on school reputation as evaluated by college administrators, we focus on factors that directly concern incoming students,” the report by the Center for College Affordability and Productivity said.
Tech was also included in Princeton Review’s list of the 2011 best 373 colleges.
“That publication has always looked favorably on us,” New Mexico Tech President Dan Lopez said.
Lopez told the Mountain Mail that “enrollment numbers look positive, with 100 new students coming in.”
According to Cathi Van Fleet in the Academic Affairs office the number of undergraduates actually registered was 1,163. The number of graduate students registered was 293. “Of course, Friday is our big registration day. We expect those numbers to go up quite a bit,” Van Fleet said.
Lopez is expecting the upcoming academic year to present a few challenges, mostly related to fiscal realities.
Construction of a new building for the geology department may be delayed.
“We’ll have $12.4 million from a general bond issue, but that will be up to the voters to approve that GO bond,” he said.
A high student population this semester has presented a different kind of problem.
“With the increased enrollment there was an issue of having enough housing,” Lopez said. “We had to take inventory of what we had in terms of dorm space. We will have to double up students in some cases, such as dorm monitors. We have a whole series of things to accommodate them.
“One of our back up plans is that we contacted some hotels for temporary housing,” he said.
One issue that would affect faculty and staff is a possible rise in what gets taken out of paychecks for insurance.
“Insurance rates have gone up. We have a pretty substantial reserve but that cannot be relied on in the long run,” Lopez said. “We’ve changed the plan to a PPO, which is not as generous but not as expensive either.”
He said a decision on an employee’s contribution will not be made until the first of next year.
Convocation, the official opening of the fall semester, is Monday, Aug. 23 at 2 p.m. at Macey Center.
First day of classes is Tuesday, Aug. 24.

Various Publications Give New Mexico Tech High Marks

OBITUARY: John M. Jewett

John M. Jewett
Feb. 26, 1928-Aug. 15, 2010

John M. Jewett, 82, passed away August 15, 2010 at his home in Socorro after fighting a losing battle with Esophagus Cancer.
He was born in Laconia, New Hamp. on February 26, 1928, the son of Maurice and Hattie (Morrison) Jewett. He spent most of his life in New Hampshire’s Lakes Region and resided in Belmont, New Hamp. for 25 years before moving to Socorro in 1997. He attended Laconia Schools and was a graduate of Laconia High School, Class of 1946. He also attended Tilton School and the University of Maine.
John was a World War II Navy Veteran and served as a Damage Control man aboard the Battleship Wisconsin. He was a member of the U.S.S. Wisconsin Assoc., The American Battleship Assoc., The Bainbridge NTC Historical Assoc., and The American Legion Post 64 of Socorro.
He had been employed by the New Hampshire Dept. of Transportation for 24 years, retiring in 1988. He was a Highway Surveyor and Design Engineer and worked as a Survey Supervisor for 16 years. John had also been employed by the U.S. Forest Service in Colorado, The New Mexico Highway Dept., and Consulting Engineers in York, Penn. He was a registered Professional Engineer and Professional Surveyor.
John was also known as a musician and played drums for numerous musical organizations over the years. After he retired, he played in “Uncle El’s Golden Oldies”, Laconia, New Hamp. and Rev. Ed Adams’ “Good Sam’s Band”, in Socorro. He also enjoyed writing in his retirement years and his first book of Navy Memoirs “Once Upon A Wagon” was published in 2003.
As a youth, he was active in the Boy Scouts and attained the rank of Eagle Scout.
John is survived by his wife of 52 years, Pauline Livernois Jewett; one sister, Ann Saad of Greenland, New Hamp.; and several nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Socorro General Hospital- Hospice or to the Good Samaritan Nursing Home in Socorro. A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, August 20, 2010 at 11 a.m. at the Daniels Family Funeral Services, Socorro Chapel with Rev. Edward Adams officiating. Interment will take place at a later date in the Sanbornton Union Cemetery in New Hampshire.
Those who wish to send condolences may do so at www.danielsfuneral.com. Services have been entrusted to: Daniels Family Funeral Services, 309 Garfield, Socorro, NM 87801, (575) 835-1530.

OBITUARY: John M. Jewett

OBITUARY: Marie F. Hanson

Marie F. Hanson
July 11, 1915- August 13, 2010.

Marie (Frederickson) Hanson passed away August 13, 2010 at Good Samaritan Village in Socorro. She was born July 11, 1915 to Axel and Ingeborg Frederickson in Frankfort, Mich.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her first husband, Chester; her second husband, Nels; her son, Carl; and daughter, Christine. Marie is survived by her daughter, Ann Hansen and husband, Ray Abbott of Socorro, six grandchildren, several great grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews, and step-son Eric Hanson and wife, Hilda and children of Albuquerque.
She lived in Frankfort, Mich. until Marie, Chester, and family moved to Las Cruces in 1946. She was one of the founders and a charter member of Peace Lutheran Church in Las Cruces. She was also a member of Order of Eastern Star and Beta Sigma Phi. Marie moved to Socorro in 1999 to live with Ann and Ray. As a result of an injury she moved to Good Samaritan Village in 2004.
A Memorial Service will be held at the Peace Lutheran Church in Las Cruces, NM, on Saturday, August 28, 2010 at 1 p.m. with Pastor Jeanne Lutz officiating. Interment will be held in the Masonic Cemetery also in Las Cruces at a later time. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Socorro Good Samaritan Village. Those who wish to send condolences may do so at www.danielsfuneral.com. Services have been entrusted to: Daniels Family Funeral Services, 309 Garfield, Socorro, NM 87801, (575) 835-1530.

OBITUARY: Marie F. Hanson

515th Battalion To Be Honored Sept. 12 In Socorro

By John Larson

SOCORRO - The 515th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion will be honored Sunday, Sept. 12 with a “Celebration of Thanks” for serving our country.
The National Guard unit, which includes nine soldiers from Socorro, deployed to Iraq on June 22, 2009, and returned May 5 after an 11 month tour of duty.
Formerly headquartered at the National Guard Amory in Socorro, the 80 members of the battalion have been based in Belen since March 2009. The battalion’s beginnings date back to before the start of World War II as the 200th/515th Coast Artillery Regiment, formed to defend the Philippines against Japanese aggression. The anti-aircraft gun in Isidro Baca Memorial park was used by the regiment in the battle of Bataan.
Commanding Officer Lt. Col. Ken Nava refers to the battalion as “guardians of the flame.”
The welcome home celebration will commence at noon at the gazebo on the Plaza, Sept. 12.
“We are in need of contributions to purchase food for the event,” said Valerie Moore, one of the organizers. “Checks can be made out to Disabled American Veterans (DAV), 200 5th St.
“We are also in need of volunteers to help with this event,” Moore stated in an e-mail.
The free event is sponsored by the City of Socorro and Socorro County, in conjunction with the local DAV chapter.

515th Battalion To Be Honored Sept. 12 In Socorro

OPINION: What’s Going On Around Here At The Co-op?

Just Thinking Out Loud
By Gary Jaramillo

Have elected officials across the country gone absolutely nuts? What the hell is going on with the people that we all knew and really thought would take care of our well being? Where did those people go that we were so positive would do such a super job for us? Well, I hate to say it – but – they’ve all gone plumb crazy – and greedy. Democrats and Republicans alike.
What the hell is going on at the SEC? While the field services men and women of the Coop are out there doing a super job keeping all of us in sparks, the big wigs in the building on Manzaneras are running what I call “a clusterpluck” – if ya know what I mean? What in the wide world of sports is a going on in our neck of the woods? Has the water made these people go completely crazy? Now that the board has found a couple of scapegoats, I bet they’re feeling pretty great about themselves and they’re thinking that this is going to help them dodge the cork that’s about to leave the pop gun. Well - hey Pendehos – it’s not!
This SEC thing is not going to end pretty. It’s all about smart asses leading jackasses to slaughter. You just can’t do what these people have done and get away with it – in the end. You just can’t! It may take awhile, but those kind of people always get caught. And the sad thing is, I’m afraid some really harmless office opportunists decided to go along with all of the shenanigans because they were told by someone who’s been puttin’ it to us for a long time, “who’s gonna know?” “Trust me”. Hmmmm.
This sort of thing has been going on here in our area for decades. Good people get stomped because they bring bad things to light and are called trouble makers. Believe me, I know oh so well. But we don’t have to wish bad things to happen upon the elected officials, just give them a minute and they take care of stupidity all by themselves.
Take a look at Bernalillo County and Albuquerque going through nepotism craziness in just about every department around. These donkeys know that it’s illegal to hire or work for family members in government entities, but they do it anyway.
Now there are rumblings going around Socorro that there is a nepotism problem in progress at the Socorro Fire Department. I really hope it isn’t true because the department has gone through enough as far as raises (or the lack thereof), ridiculously irregular shifts and crucial equipment in desperate need of repair.
The last thing our firefighter/EMTs need is an unfair family advantage coming from the Mayor and Chiefs office. What the hell ever happened to right and wrong.
If there is a written nepotism policy that says it’s illegal and unfair to have family members working for and under another family member, steps should be immediately taken to remedy the situation. But, the more things change the more they sadly stay the same, that is – until a town stands up like we did against the Coop - and says ENOUGH! We’ll be doing a more in depth investigation into this possible nepotism thing at the Fire House real soon.
I’m not saying that all elected officials are bad people who don’t care because I know some fine, honest and caring people in office in our county and around the state, but there are some lost souls who have forgotten why they ran for office in the first place.
Not only in Socorro, but sadly all across the state – and what’s really terrible is, the bigger they get, the more people they hurt. The best and only way to deter someone who is obviously in it for themselves from the start, is for all of us to demand term limits.
Anyone in power for too long is dangerous and a huge risk to all of us and our futures. How many more hometown kids that want to raise their families here are we going to lose because their parents and neighbors didn’t have the guts to stand up to the ruthless actions of a few cruel people in power who believe that they have inherited everything. We must not ever forget that “we, the taxpayers” run this show, and we own it too!

Correction

The Socorro General Hospital’s CASA Alegre Program held the graduation ceremony at Sedillo Park for youngsters transitioning into the school program. The Mountain Mail reported the wrong name of the program in a story two weeks ago. For more information on the CASA Alegre program, contact 835-8367.

OPINION: What’s Going On Around Here At The Co-op?

OPINION: Lifting Our Heads Out Of The Sand

Magdalena Potluck
By Don Wiltshire

I don’t know how to put this delicately but we’re about to be raped! The master plan is for 37 water wells with 20 inch casings to be driven 3000 feet down into our aquifer (oh, my!). When the pumping action begins, 17.5 billion gallons of our water a year will be sent down Rt. 60 in some sort of pipeline to be dumped into the Rio Grande. This will be rape of the first order and the time to start screaming is now!
This is no small amount of water. I’m having trouble just getting the 554 ½ red, white and blue gallon water jugs together that will represent one second’s worth of pumping. These will be used creatively to protest the current water “plan.”
At our last Water Meeting at the Magdalena Library, Jack Loeffler offered up a deluxe version of his program Thinking Like a Watershed. He tailored it for our needs in fighting this insane project. Origins of water law and attitudes toward water in the arid west were explained. Consequences of these attitudes were then laid out: none of the major rivers in the west now flow to the sea; we use it all, and soon we will be wanting more.
Jack then reminded us that in order to make our case to the broader public, we need to reintroduce passion into our fight. This land of ours is sacred; our water is sacred; and the communities which we have built here are sacred. This runs contrary to the promptings that we’ve received from lawyers, hydrologists and politicians for the “proper” way to conduct ourselves at the upcoming hearing.
We seem to be surrounded by many, many apathetic ostriches with their heads stuck firmly into the sand. Don’t our neighbors realize that without water, we’ve lost it all? All of Catron County and the western half of Socorro County could turn into barren wastelands at first. The Gila River, Alamosa Creek and the entire southwest corner of the state would soon follow. Jack finally asked us where all of our twenty year-olds were. We looked at each other and shrugged our shoulders.
There seems to be a misconception here and in the rest of the state, that we’re sitting on a huge pile of gold (water) like some sort of selfish, diabolical Leprechauns. The rest of the state wants it; they need it. The horrible truth is, we need it as well. Without the underlying base of groundwater which has been there for hundreds of thousands of years, the recharge of rainwater to this area that we use for domestic and agricultural activities would become unreachable. This area would turn into the Great San Augustin Desert.
I, for one, am not about to let this happen. The final decision, of course, rests with the State Engineer, a Governor’s appointee. If you have the opportunity, please ask each of the candidates for Governor, where they stand on this issue then get back to me. Like Jack said, the only way to stop this thing is to stand together and let the rest of the state know how we feel about this insane “water grab.”
The next meeting of the Summer Reading Program on Water will be on Wednesday, August 25 at 7 p.m. at the Magdalena Public Library. We had hoped to have Representative Harry Teague there to give us his take on our situation. Unfortunately, he was unable to commit at this time. I have definitely decided not to vote for any candidate who does not pledge to support us in saving our water. Remember, a “no-vote” option sends just as strong a message as checking one of those little boxes.
It’s time we all started looking a little more closely at our political representatives. Are they representing US or do they only care about catering to the needs of large corporations, growth at any cost and “business as usual” including our never ending wars. Why must we keep cutting back on funds for education, infrastructure and human needs just to keep feeding the military-industrial-corporate complex?
Our backup plan for the Water Meeting is to show Robert Redford’s movie: The Milagro Beanfield War, based on John Nichol's book. This is billed as a quirky “feel good” movie. Set in a tiny New Mexican town, it has close parallels to the situation we are soon to face and shows just how effective a little organized action can be. It stars John Heard, Christopher Walken and Melanie Griffith. Because the movie runs 2 hours, it will start promptly at 7:00 as the Library closes at 9:00.
Let’s get more vocal; let’s show our neighbors, our representatives and the rest of the state how we care about our community.

If you have any comments, problems, solutions, upcoming events or Empty Milk Jugs, contact me at mtn_don@yahoo.com.

OPINION: Lifting Our Heads Out Of The Sand