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Friday January 27,  2012

TheValles Caldera Trust's (the Trust)has released its  Report to Congress for Fiscal Year 2011 (October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011).  Increases in visitation, revenue, and education programs were tempered by the devastating impact of the Las Conchas Fire that scorched more than one-third of the landscape. The report discusses the challenges presented by the fire, reviews the accomplishments and progress made from 2007-2011 and presents the outlook for 2012. There was the 13% increase in visitation despite the cancellation of 252 events and the suspension of summer activities through the month of July. Most of the activities in the burned areas were prohibited for the remainder of the summer and the San Antonio Creek fishing program closed for the rest of 2011.  Also noteworthy was the 10.8% increase in overall revenue. Increased store sales and education programs hosted at the Science and Education Center bolstered revenue to more than $795,000 for the year. During 2011 the Trust deployed a technology based counting system on the Preserve to ascertain how many visitors came. The result was a reasonable estimate of 97,552 visitors for 2011, which is almost four times the number counted   by the former method in 2010. It also translates into an average cost of $6.34 to each 2011 visitor which is down from $45.00 per visitor reported in 2007.    The Report to Congress also discusses the status of the Preserve's natural and cultural resources, and the goals for 2012 which is described as a year of transition from interim management to comprehensive management. Key elements of the transition will be the development of a Strategic Management Plan which will describe the broad management goals and direction of the agency through 2018. An Annual Performance Plan) will also be developed to align budgets and work plans with the goals set in the Strategic Management Plan. The Trust expects the document  to be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget for approval by the end of February.  
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Thursday January 26, 2012

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Defense Programs  announced the recipients of the Defense Programs’ Employee of the Quarter Awards.  2  recipients were from the Los Alamos site Office.

Jesús T. Romero, Los Alamos Site Office, is recognized for leading the site technical efforts to upgrade the Los Alamos National Laboratory Plutonium Facility (PF-4) safety basis and address the post-seismic fire accident scenario in a technically defensible manner.

Drag Strut Team, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), is recognized for designing, validating and installing the PF-4 roof drag strut modification at LANL. Every individual on this team contributed to the completion of this complicated effort within six months from conception to completion.
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Wednesday January 25, 2012

LAFD Fire Chief Troy Hughes announced this morning on KRSN that he is proud to select LAFD’s Acting Assistant Chief Justin Grider for promotion to Deputy Chief.  Hughes cited Grider’s contributions as a leader and long-time, valued team member of LAFD as one of his primary reasons for the promotion. Grider has literally “grown up” in his career in Fire Service, Hughes noted. He started his fire career in La Cueva with Sandoval County where his father was the Fire Chief during his formative years. He volunteered for many years with the La Cueva and Sandoval County Fire Departments, working alongside his brother and mother.  He began his LAFD career in 1997 as a Firefighter II and was promoted to Driver Engineer within two years.  In 2003, Justin was promoted to Captain and served as Station Captain and Support Officer until he was promoted to Battalion Chief in 2008. He has been serving in the acting capacity of Assistant Fire Chief of EMS and Training since June 2011.Grider was working at LAFD during both the Cerro Grande Fire in May 2000 and the Las Conchas Fire last summer. During the Cerro Grande Fire, he was a Driver Engineer and was tasked with LANL and community firefighting. During the Las Conchas Fire, he represented LAFD in the Fire Operations area at the Emergency Operations Center, as well as patrolling affected areas.  Grider said this morning that he is honored to have been selected for the Deputy Chief position, and loves working for LAFD. The LAFD promotion ceremony for Grider will take place on Friday, February 10th. 
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Tuesday January 24, 2012

Los Alamos Dept. of Public Utilities (DPU) officials reported four power outages on Sunday due to high winds of 51 mph with gusts of 72mph. The outages began at 7:20 a.m. at the Royal Crest neighborhood.  Power was restored to two thirds of the customers by 12:50 p.m. and full power restored by 2:20 p.m.
Winds caused a Ponderosa pine to fall upon the cross arms of a utility pole on Fairway near 43rd Street, causing the second outage at 7:46 a.m.  With the exception of affected customers on Fairway, power was restored to the Ski Hill and Ice Rink by 12:50 p.m.  Remaining customers on south Fairway had power restored by 4:45 p.m.
A Bayo Canyon line failure at 8:48 a.m. caused power outages at the Totavi Gas Station and Mini Mart and at the DPU’s Wastewater Treatment Plant; power was restored by 12:30 pm
An additional, single site power outage on Barranca Road occurred at 2:20 p.m. Sunday, with power restored there at 4:45 p.m.
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 Monday January 23,  2012

A 117-acre prescribed burn is planned on the Santa Fe National Forest Espanola Ranger District from January 23 through the end of the winter season, conditions permitting.
The name of the project is the Borrego prescribed burn. The treatment is expected to take place approximately three miles East of Cordova and three miles Southeast of Truchas. Treatment will be by hand ignitions. The purpose of the prescribed burn will be to reduce the risk of future high intensity fire and restore forest health.
Smoke may be visible from Santa Fe, Espanola, Tesuque, Truchas, Cordova, Penasco and El Rito.
Smoke from prescribed fire can be a nuisance to some people and a health concern for others, such as children, pregnant women, senior citizens, and those suffering from allergies, asthma, chemical sensitivities, or other heart or lung diseases. To reduce exposure to smoke, stay indoors as much as possible with windows, doors and vents closed. Avoid or limit physical activities outdoors
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Friday  January 20, 2012
 

UNM-Los Alamos announces its first courses as a member of the Microsoft IT Academy Program. UNM-LA is the only organization in northern New Mexico that offers Microsoft Official Curriculum Courses.

The courses will be offered in a unique 10-week format beginning February 1.

Courses will meet one day a week (Wednesday) for eight hours. .

The Microsoft IT Academy is designed to keep IT professionals up to date on the latest Microsoft technologies and to prepare students for Microsoft Certification exams. The Microsoft IT Academy Program provides students with access to the latest Microsoft software and course materials in a lab environment using the latest hardware.

Certification benefits job seekers and employees in the IT field. Certification provides proven knowledge of job skills. Certification benefits those already employed by providing them with up to date, relevant skills.

UNM-LA offers instruction by trained college teachers with years of classroom experience who are also Microsoft Certified Trainers.

To learn more about upcoming classes and the program, and to receive specific information, visit http://mitaunmla.unm.edu/ .
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Thursday January 19, 2012

The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (PRC) recently passed an order to impose heavy cash penalties against a long-time Española-based towing company after it failed to follow state motor carrier laws.  Following a non-consensual tow late last year, Robert Seeds Towing Services was found to be in violation of four state and PRC rules. Commissioners closed the case this week, ordering fines totaling more than $15,000.
The most prominent charge stemmed from findings that the company had purchased the towed vehicle at auction far under market value after its owner was intentionally kept from recovering it at the Seeds business facility. Other charges were for exceeding approved tariff rates and withholding personal property.
According to the PRC, the company has 30 days to pay the fines or its operating authority will be  suspended. Commissioners also asked that the matter be referred to state or local law enforcement for further action.                                          

The New Mexico State Land Office earned more than $6.5 million for beneficiaries during its monthly oil and gas lease sale held Jan. 17 in Santa Fe.

Twenty-nine tracts were offered for lease and all 29 were sold for more than $6.4 million. All tracts were located in San Juan and Lea counties. The highest bid of $1,066,560 went to Ronald Miles of Roswell for 320 acres in Lea County. The Special Sale brought in $139,700 for 20 tracts covering 10,439 acres in Curry County.

The bonuses, or bids, earned from this month’s sale go directly to trust beneficiaries including public schools, hospitals and universities.

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Wednesday January 18, 2012

Gene Mortensen from KRSN was awarded his Spirit of the West Community Asset Award in front of the home crowd of about 200 at Griffith Gymnasium last night . Two special awards were presented by Judge Alan Kirk of the Juvenile Justice Advisory Board, which oversees the Assets program with the Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce. Morrie Pongratz read the entire award, Pongratz also happens to be the Vice Chair of the JJAB.
His award was presented as follows:

" Mr. Gene Mortensen has continued to broadcast Topper sports for KRSN for over 30 years. He tiresly follows the high school teams throughout  the state to bring Los Alamos the play by play of our high school sports.
He does football, girls and boys basketball, soccer and even volleyball.
His broadcasting skills are amazing and at each game, he knows all the players names (on the opposing team also!) and highlights their strengths. He interviews coaches and players in a positive manner to showcase our student athletes and their mentors. He donates thousands of hours to this cause. And in his spare time he volunteers for the United Way of Northern New Mexico Youth Team and other causes. He organizes the high school state tennis tournament each spring and does PA for the high school state basketball tournaments. "
Thank you and Congratulations Gene! Your award is well deserved.
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Tuesday January 17, 2012

Five scientists from Los Alamos National Laboratory have been honored by Laboratory Director Charles McMillan as Laboratory Fellows.

Laboratory Fellows are honored for their sustained,high-level achievements in programs of importance to the Laboratory. For  either a fundamental or important discovery that has led to widespread use or and having become a recognized authority in the field, including outside recognition and an outstanding record of publications.

The Fellows organization was established in 1981 and comprises technical staff members who have been appointed by the Laboratory director to the rank of Fellow in recognition of sustained outstanding contributions and exceptional promise for continued professional achievement. Fellows are limited to 2 percent of the Laboratory’s technical staff. They advise management on important issues, promote scientific achievement, and organize symposia and public lectures. The organization administers the annual Fellows Prize for Outstanding Research in Science or Engineering and the Fellows Prize for Outstanding Leadership in Science or Engineering.

The new Fellows are Bruce Carlsten, Mike Leitch, Michael MacInnes, Richard Martin, and Amit Misra. The 2011 Fellows were selected from a field of 17 nominees, and a committee of scientists and engineers from across the Laboratory reviewed the nominations and recommended finalists who were confirmed by the Laboratory Director.
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Friday January 13, 2012

Governor Susana Martinez announced that the state’s air fleet will be further downsized, eventually leading to a reduction in the number of airplanes owned by the state from eight to three.

The Governor’s announcement is a result of her administration examining aircraft usage during her first year in office – which declined greatly - and critically assessing usefulness and need.

When the Governor took office at the beginning of 2011, the General Services Department owned four airplanes, the Department of Public Safety owned three airplanes and a helicopter, and the Department of Game and Fish owned one airplane.

After the reduction in state airplanes, GSD will own a 2006 Beechcraft King Air for use under limited circumstances by public officials and to transport doctors to rural areas as part of the Children’s Medical Services program. DPS will own a Cessna 421 fixed-wing aircraft and an Agusta 109E helicopter. The Department of Game and Fish will continue to utilize its 2009 Vulcanair Observer.

In addition, a memorandum of understanding will be drafted between DPS and GSD that allows each agency to utilize the other’s aircraft when it is not in use and available to be flown.

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Thursday January 12, 2012

Dependent on the weather ,  there will be  prescribed burning for the next few days. 

The Santa Clara Pueblo Forestry Department is planning a burn through Friday,  1/13/12 .  Smoke will be visible from State Road 30 and throughout the La Mesilla, and San Ildefonso area. The  burn is in Bosque III area just across Santa Clara’s Serpent Ranch The size of burn is 420 acres. It will be pile burns from bosque materials.  For more information contact Santa Clara Pueblo Forestry 505 692-6274.

When conditions are favorable, fire managers will continue prescribed pile burning on the Santa Fe Watershed as early as Wednesday, January 11.
     The location is three miles east of the City of Santa Fe and is an estimated 20 acres to be treated.  A low volume of smoke is expected, but still may be visible to residents in the immediate area of Santa Fe, Tesuque, and I-25, and to the East from Glorieta to the Pecos Canyon area. Risidual smoke following the burn may last a few days.  District fire managers are closely monitoring weather forecasts and fuels conditions to ensure that burn operations and objectives will be met while minimizing the impacts of smoke on populated areas.

The Chapparal prescribed pile burn is planned on the Santa Fe National Forest Cuba Ranger District beginning Thursday or Friday if conditions allow, and may resume after the weekend.  Up to 20 acres per day until 160 total acres are treated.  Anticipated completion is sometime in January.  Smoke levels are expected to be low but could be visible to La Cueva, Jemez Springs, Jemez Pueblo, Gilman and San Ysidro, as well as from Highway 4 and Highway 126. 

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Wednesday January 11, 2012

A very expensive meteorite was stolen before the University of New Mexico's Winter break . 
The meteorite was once part of the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, it crashed onto Earth more than 60 years ago in Siberia. It is a 9490 gram (a little less than 21 pounds), iron-nickel meteorite but is so dense it feels like 50 pounds. The meteorite was a gift to the original Director of the museum from a Soviet scientist during the Cold War.
It's worth between $20, 000 to $40,000.
Director and Curator of the Meteorite Museum, Carl Agee unlocked the doors of the museum to show a visitor their well known collection on January.
The Sikhote Alin was missing.  The UNM police believe that someone stole the meteorite from the display case and walked out the front door. The alarms weren't working correctly at the time.
Agee had to move fast to find the meteorite and quickly contacted the International Meteorite Association which alerted it's community of collectors from all over the world.  By the next morning, Agee got a message that a man in Missouri had bought the rock for $1,700.  The museum paid to fly an employee to the Midwest to retrieve it.
UNM police say they have a suspect but he hasn't been arrested yet. They found him because he used his real name during the transaction, police say the man stole the meteorite for the money. The suspect was not a student at UNM and police say he had no records of ever attending the University.

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Tuesday January 10, 2012

Pile burn operations aimed at reducing the impacts of wildfire on the community will resume on County land this week. 

The Los Alamos County Parks Division and the Santa Fe National Forest plan to continue maintenance burning in Rendija, Bayo, and Walnut canyons beginning on January 13, 2012.  around 9 AM, depending on the ventilation conditions. Burning will continue through the day from Friday through Monday. Lingering smoke may be visible throughout and beyond this period as fire crews monitor the piles and consolidate the material to reduce the volume of smoke.

Over the past year, Forest Service crews covered about 100 acres of County open space consolidating dead and down wood into piles.  

in the event of a wind-driven wildfire, heavy fuels such as long-dead fallen trees that have accumulated in the canyons since the last natural fire in the 1880s could contribute to a shower of embers blown into adjacent neighborhoods. Burning the heavy material when the temperature is cold and humidity is high allows the fuel to be removed under safe conditions.

This year’s burn operations will focus on areas determined to be at high wildfire risk in the Los Alamos Community Wildfire Protection Plan. The locations have high volumes of fuel and are located directly southwest of housing areas. 

Burn units are located below San Ildefonso Road and Camino Redondo, below Walnut Street, south of Camino Encantado, west of El Gancho, and along the south edge of the golf course. 

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Monday January 9, 2012

The Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration and the New Mexico Environment Department announced January 5 that they have agreed "to address the highest risk, above ground transuranic waste currently located within Technical Area 54 at Los Alamos National Laboratory and to establish an action-oriented approach that makes optimum use of available resources."

This "Framework Agreement" is a non-binding agreement in principle voluntarily entered in to by both sides. They agree that they will meet at an appropriate time to consider changes to the Compliance Order on Consent.

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Friday January 6, 2012

The New Mexico Department of Health confirmed rabies in a female dog yesterday from the city of Carlsbad. The dog had been bitten by a wild skunk 3 weeks before developing symptoms of rabies and was euthanized and samples sent in for testing. The Department is interviewing individuals who had contact with the dog and/or her puppies to determine if they were exposed to rabies. Several family members, including two young children, will be given a series of rabies vaccinations to prevent them from developing rabies, which is a 100% fatal disease. 

In the last few weeks, there have been 8 skunks that tested positive for rabies in the Carlsbad area and over a dozen unvaccinated dogs have been euthanized due to their exposure to a rabid skunk.

The following guidelines can help protect you and your family from rabies:

·        Keep pets on a leash at all times.  Pets should be up-to-date on rabies vaccinations and wearing current license tags on their collar. If your cat or dog has been bitten or scratched, call your pet’s veterinarian, even if the wound is superficial.

·        Horses and other valuable livestock should be considered for rabies vaccination also to protect them from wild rabid animals that may attack them.

·        Stay away from wild or unfamiliar animals. Do not attempt to feed, approach, or

       touch wild animals (alive or dead).  Teach this important message to your

       children and keep a close eye on your kids at all times.

·        If you see a sick or dead wild animal, or a wild animal acting abnormally in this area, report it to your local animal control authorities. Rabid animals may show no fear of people and may even seem friendly or become aggressive.

·        Don’t leave pet food, water, or filled garbage cans out overnight as this could attract wild animals to your home.

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Thursday January 5, 2012

Millions of gallons of industrial wastewater will be recycled at LANL due to a long-term strategy to treat wastewater rather than discharging it into the environment.

The Environmental Protection Agency, which issues permits for industrial and sanitary wastewater discharges, recently approved the removal of four more outfalls from the Lab’s permit. (An outfall is where wastewater from Lab operations is discharged down canyons.) Only 11 outfalls remain, down from 141 in 1993.

The wastewater is generated from some of the facilities responsible for the Lab’s biggest missions, such as the cooling towers of the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center, , and the Strategic Computing Complex,.

The Environmental Protection Division’s Water Quality team worked closely with the facilities to create a master plan that will divert treated sanitary wastewater and water flushed from cooling towers, to the Sanitary Effluent Reclamation Facility .

This treated wastewater will then be reused in cooling towers around the Lab. “We’ve been working on this since 2006 and the Sanitary Effluent Reclamation Facility  should be recycling up to 300,000 gallons per day by the summer of 2012, .       

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Wednesday January 4th

The New Mexico state legislature will convene for its 30 day session on January 17.

The state is expected to have about $250 million dollars in new money for next fiscal year, the first increase in four recession-strangled years.

Lawmakers will haggle over restoring funding to state services and public schools, or cutting taxes, or a combination of both

 During the recession, the state budget has  shrunk from $6.3 billion to $5.2 billion.

Public schools statewide are looking for more money

The state is under intense pressure to increase spending on Medicaid, and to restore cuts in funding for pension plans for state employees and public school employees

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Tuesday January 3, 2012

In a recent move by the State Game Commission, regulations were changed to allow for unlimited take of northern pike from Eagle Nest Lake. This change was  to address the aggressive species’ threat to the lake’s trout and salmon fishery. The new rule, which will go into effect Jan. 17, removed the daily harvest and possession limits for pike, and made it unlawful to release a live pike back into the lake. It also  removed northern pike from the waste-of-game fish protection.

Northern pike were illegally stocked in Eagle Nest Lake. Recent surveys have indicated populations of the predatory fish have increased substantially and include four-year age classes with fish ranging in size from 12 to 30 inches. Northern pike have been known to destroy salmon fisheries throughout North America.
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Top 10 stories of 2011  December 27-30

Number 1 and 2   stories of the year were the Las Conchas fire and the associated evacuation of the Los Alamos town site. It had been a very dry spring stage 1 fire restrictions were imposed by Santa Fe National Forest on May 20th.

On Sunday  June 26, 2011 at 1 p.m. a fire began in the Jemez Mountains approximately 12 miles southwest of the boundary of Los Alamos National Laboratory. The Laboratory’s Emergency Operations Center has been activated. Our first report here on KRSN was reported at 1:30 pm.

. On the first day, the fire burned 43,000 acres, driven by strong and unpredictable winds. It burned across Cochiti Mesa destroying everything in its path including  the community located there. By the evening of the first day of the fire, the county was put under voluntary evacuation and the laboratory was closed. The fire burned over 61,000 acres by the end of the day on June 27 pushed north by winds  cutting across the Valles Caldera National  Preserve into the Pajarito Mountain Ski Area.

The northern direction of the fire prompted Los Alamos to be placed in a mandatory evacuation status.

The Santa Claran Resort Center was the first shelter set up . Evacuees are now being asked to go to Cities of Gold. The Cities of Gold hotel in Pojoaque offers shelter services for evacuating residents of the Los Alamos townsite . Cities of Gold also accepts pets. Many residents remain in White Rock following voluntary evacuations which began Sunday.  Los Alamos townsite evacuees are advised against sheltering in White Rock, although White Rock is not at risk.

There are 4 type one incident teams present a first for New Mexico.  The Governor has activated the national guard.  Our local fire and police departments are getting help from other departments from around New Mexico.

The Type 1 Incident Management Team team brings improved communication and control capabilities on this effort, as well as increased manpower. Later on Tuesday a second Type 1 Incident Management Team will be arriving, and an Area Command will be initiated. Type 1 teams are interagency fire fighting teams working together with local, state and federal agencies.

Back burns were executed to protect the Los Alamos National laboratory and  town site which were successful.

 The evacuation order was lifted on July 3, at which time Los Alamos residents were allowed to return to their homes.Los Alamos County Police Chief Wayne Torpy announces that all normal access points to the Los Alamos county townsite opened at 8 a.m. today with the following two exceptions: State Road 4 remains closed West of Monterey Drive South, and all access points to the Jemez Mountains to and from Los Alamos County remain closed.

Torpy said, “We urge residents, to be patient, to be aware that public safety and other workers are still engaged in recovery efforts, and that smoke in the community can still reduce visibility for motorists. If a returning motorist is involved in a minor motor vehicle accident or if their vehicle is disabled, we ask motorists to move the vehicle safely off of the roadway if possible and to call Police Dispatch at 662-8222.

Residents of Los Alamos County are reminded that Los Alamos National Laboratory remains closed for all but essential personnel.

The 125,000-acre Las Conchas fire continues to burn close to Los Alamos. Early morning weather patterns create extra heavy smoke which impedes visibility in the morning hours. Motorists are asked to take extra precautions if driving in the morning. Once arriving at home, Los Alamos residents are asked to stay home for several hours to keep as many vehicles off the road as possible while the safe and efficient repopulation of the townsite continues during the day. Those with compromised health are asked to consult with their doctors before returning to the townsite due to the smoke levels.

Backburn fire lines, which are a preventative measure that helps contain the fire, are still being lit to prevent wildfire encroachment on the townsite. The Las Conchas fire along with the preventative backburning create thick smoke visible from the Los Alamos townsite. Fire activity can also appear closer than it actually is. Residents are urged to call the 311 Customer Care Center at 662-8333 if concerned about fire activity within general visibility of your home. Residents are asked to only use the 911 emergency phone numbers if fire is a clear and immediate threat to their structure.

Residents can expect to see charred and smoldering landscapes in the hills and mountains surrounding Los Alamos. In addition, forest animals roving the townsite area have increased in number to escape the fire. Please contact Fish and Game Service (www.wildlife.state.nm.us; 505-476-8000) to inquire about or report any threatening animal activity.

The LAPD and the National Guard presence remains at an increase level. Residents are asked to conform with law enforcement directives as they return to their neighborhoods

 The Los Alamos National Laboratory re-opened on July 6

The fire was 100% contained on August 3 After 36 long days.,
 Numerous communities were threatened during the incident.  It is the largest fire in New Mexico History.
During the past month, four National Incident Management Teams coordinated thousands of firefighters and numerous helicopters, engines, tenders, and dozers to bring the wildfire under containment. no members of the public or any emergency responders were seriously injured during the fire suppression efforts
The focus now shifts to stabilizing the land and resource impacts within the burned area. BAER teams have already assessed the Las Conchas Fire area and identified treatments that will stabilize soils, and reestablish plant cover by seeding and mulching certain parts of the burned area. In addition, repairs to roads, culverts, and drainage channels will also be applied to protect life, property, and downstream values that may be at risk from flooding and debris flows.
With the increase in monsoon moisture, the Santa Fe National Forest lifted fire restrictions for portions of the Forest and Valles Caldera National Preserve The Las Conchas and Pacheco Fire areas will remain in Stage III Fire Closure, while the Jemez Ranger District, portions of the Cuba Ranger District, and the Valles Caldera will implement Stage I Fire Restrictions

Number 3 is Bandelier      

Bandelier experienced a wide range of experiences during 2011. In the spring, The Juniper campground was rehabilitated and reopened after being closed for several months.   Then came the Las Conchas fire, the flooding, and the marijuana fields.

The Las Conchas Fire burned over 156,000 acres during June and July 2011. Over 60% of Bandelier's landscape was within the fire's footprint. The park was closed from June 27 until August 4

On August 4  Jason Lott, Superintendent of Bandelier National Monument announced
today, “Bandelier National Monument is open for business and visitors are rediscovering mesa-top areas of the park. In addition to the Tsankawi District, visitors may hike along the Tyuonyi Overlook Trail to view the Frijoles Canyon cultural sites, and along Burnt Mesa Trail to see the rapid greening-up of an area
affected by the Las Conchas Fire.

Rangers and park volunteers are roving Bandelier’s open trails and staffing the visitor contact station at the Tsankawi District. Ranger-led programs for visitors have also begun at the Monument, including evening programs at the Juniper Campground Amphitheater and evening walks at Tsankawi. Frijoles canyon and the visitor center  are still closed.

 Deforestation of upper canyons lead to massive flash flood events.  The big one came on August 21.   The rain began in the upper Frijoles Canyon area in early afternoon and fell heavily for nearly two hours. About 5:40 PM, the creek began to rise in the Visitor Center area, and within about a minute was roaring through the picnic and parking areas, black with ash and carrying logs and rocks. A log diverted water, which rolled several large concrete barriers and broke the steel cable holding them. The flow made it as far as the restroom wall, carrying away several hundred sandbags. Flow measured 10,000 cubic feet per second.  Within ten minutes the flood had begun to subside.  Rainfall gauges showed the total for the storm was 1.26 inches in upper Frijoles and 2.74 inches at Ponderosa Campground.

In surveying the flood damage, officials came across another discovery.  Near the top of Frijoles Canyon was a large marijuana growing operation.  Investigators eradicated mature plant 6 to 10 feet tall and  estimated the street value of the plants to be about $9 million. 
 

Beginning in  September and running through October  Los Alamos County partnered with Bandelier to provide Shuttle bus service into Frijoles  Canyon allowing it to reopen. The flooding has reduced parking to very limited. 

It was challenging year for Bandelier but has struggled through it to remain a tourist destination here in Northern New Mexico.

Number 4 for the 2011 is the Roundabout proposal for Trinity Drive.

The discussion of roundabouts and the Trinity Drive began in fall of 2010.  A study was ordered using a consultant named MIG to redesign Trinity Drive between the county line and Diamond Drive.

Part of the work in this study is being driven by the fact that the County needs to provide input to the New Mexico Department of Transportation regarding an upcoming project for reconstruction of NM502 (Trinity Dr) between Tewa Loop and Knecht Street.

The directive stated that  The Transportation Corridor Study and Plan will consider all modes of transportation as equal and provide for the safety and comfort of the most vulnerable such as children and the elderly within the public right of way. Working closely with various stakeholders as well as the Transportation Board, the proposed improvements resulting from the Study and Plan will result in an efficient transportation corridor that also supports social and economic vitality in Los Alamos.  In Janaury

The council chose to act on the option A presented by MIG that included  installation of up to 8 single lane roundabouts along the 4.2 mile stretch of Trinity Drive between the  County line  and Diamond Drive.  After several hours of public comment  on May 24  which centered around the debate either for or against the idea of roundabouts on Trinity Drive, the Council directed the Staff to continue work on Option A. The primary questions at this point revolved around the capacity for vehicles on Trinity Drive and whether or not roundabouts would be able to handle that capacity, or, if they could handle the capacity better than signalized intersections.

After the MIG study was reviewed by the Ourston Peer review which cost over 330,000 dollars,  and a group of local citizens, it was determined that Trinity needs 2 lane roundabouts if roundabouts are used.  It is still being studied.

There is no money except the 4 million dollars to fix the east end of Trinity in 2013. There is no funding for any construction to occur to implement the results of the study beyond the County’s portion of the State funded Tewa/Knecht reconstruction. The estimate for the entire project is in excess of 40 million dollars

Number 5  of the year is  County administration rotation

During 2011, Los Alamos county was run by 8 acting leaders appointed to serve while replacements are found. To date only one has been found.
Randy Autio: Acting County Administrator

Steve Lynn:  Acting Assistant County Administrator and Chief Financial Officer

Ann Laurent:  Acting Public Works Director/ Acting Assistant County Administrator

Laura Gonzales:  Acting Administrative Service Director

Steve Bugger:  Acting Community Development Director

Charlie Kalogeros Chatlan  Acting Community Services Director

Denise Cassel:  Acting Human resource Manager

Kyle Zimmerman:  Acting Public Works Director

Brian James:  Acting County Attorney

  On Thursday October 6, 2011

The Los Alamos County Council voted Tuesday night to appoint Arthur “Harry” Burgess as the new County Administrator,. Councilors cited Burgess’ six years of municipal government experience in Carlsbad as a big factor in their decision to offer him the job. Burgess has successfully implemented several economic development projects that have moved Carlsbad forward. He has experience working with DOE officials because of the nearby WIPP project, which is an advantage since we have a DOE site office here.. His first official day on the job is November 6. His salary will be $161,500 a year, with 50 hours of leave and a contribution to his retirement fund at 9.8 percent above what is required by law.

Acting County Administrator Randy Audio  promptly negotiated for  the  position of Bernalillo County Attorney and has left town

Number 6 was the death of our long term representative Jeannette Wallace and the appointment of her replacement Jim Hall.

Jeanette Wallace, state representative from district 43 , passed away on Friday  April 8th at her home here in Los Alamos.  She had been our state representative for the last 20 years.

Terry Wallace Jr., Rep. Wallace’s son, said  that his mother had worked until the day she died.

Governor Susana Martinez says

"Jeannette dedicated two decades of her life to serving New Mexico in the state legislature. She was a tireless advocate for the people of Los Alamos, Sandoval, and Santa Fe Counties and will be deeply missed.   -

Jeannette laid in state at the NM capital in Santa Fe on Wednesday April 13 .  She was a parishoner at the White Rock Methodist Church but her funeral was held Thursday April 14  at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Los Alamos because it would hold more people.

On May 17 the County Council voted to recommend councilor Jim Hall to full district 43 vacancy created by Jeannette’s death.

On June 7th Gov. Susana Martinez has appointed Los Alamos Republican Jim Hall to the Legislature to succeed Rep. Jeannette Wallace,

He served as chief information officer under former GOP Gov. Gary Johnson.

Hall once worked at Las Alamos National Laboratory. Martinez announced the appointment Tuesday and selected from candidates recommended by county governments in Los Alamos, Sandoval and Santa Fe counties, which make up House District 43

Number 7 is the construction of the new municipal building .  This too is a project that started several years ago.  This year the design and contract were approved and construction has begun on the new municipal building.

On Dec. 21, 2010, the Council awarded the Design/Build contract to the Jaynes Corporation, who partnered with Studio Southwest Architects. Site plans were approved by the Planning & Zoning Commission on August 10, 2011, and the official groundbreaking occurred on September 23, 2011. The Municipal Complex will be completed in the Fall of 2013.

The total budget for this project is in excess of 26 million dollars.

The Site Plans for the new buildings are on display in the lobby of the 311 Customer Care Center for the public to view. Electronic files of the Site Plans are now available on the county website. Design work is nearly completed. Meetings with division managers who will be located in the new building, as well as separate meetings with the Historic Archives staff, were held in early October. Work on the infrastructure of the building's primary public areas, such as the lobby, 311 Customer Care Center, Council Chambers, and Main Conference Room on the ground floor of the building were all discussed with the architect and audio/visual consultants. Staff continues to work with the architect, Studio Southwest.

The project was specified based on the updated (2010) County Space Program, at approximately 45,430 gross s.f., which will include those employees in the former Municipal Building (demolished at Ashley Pond Park in 2008) along with the employees located in the former County Annex at 901 Trinity Drive. It will also bring those IT employees currently located in the basement of Mesa Public Library into the new building.

 Number 8 is the White Rock Master plan and rebuild.  Although the projects were initiated in 2010 or earlier, finally in 2011, 11  million dollars in spending was approved for 2 projects in White Rock.  The enhancements include redoing state road 4 to slow it down and create a town center and building a white rock visitor center.

The purpose of the proposed roadway project is to reconfigure NM4 to promote slower and safer travel through the community and to facilitate the adopted economic revitalization goals of the community and County. The Council approved budget for the roadway improvements is almost 7 million dollars.

New upgraded traffic signals will be installed at Rover Boulevard and Pajarito Road. There will be one travel lane in each direction and the roadway improvements will include landscaped medians, bus pullouts and landscaping along the sidewalks and walk paths. New streetlights are in accordance with the County's light ordinance (dark sky compliant). Landscaping from La Vista to Pajarito will include native plants. The posted speed limit will be 35 mph.

On July 12, the County  Council awarded the  bid in the amount of $4,500,000 to Mountain States Constructors for the construction of the NM4 Improvement Project.

The Notice to Proceed has been issued to Mountain States Constructors, who have decided to delay start of construction to early spring 2012. The contractor believes they can complete all work next construction season within the allotted contract time.                                                  

The County Council approved the construction contract for the White Rock Visitor Center Complex on October 25, 2011. The budget for the project is about 3.6 million dollars.

The Visitor Center, the RV Park and Transit Hub will provide a stopping point for tourists headed to Bandelier and the Valles Caldera.. It will provide a convenient location for visiting, short term RV parking and provide the long requested RV infrastructure such as a dump station and utility hook-ups. The transfer hub will provide a location for potential future shuttle service to the Los Alamos town site and/or Bandelier.                            

 Number 9 is how much environmental clean up occurred at the laboratory   

 The ARRA funding to clean up Laboratory legacy waste and the progress made.

The Laboratory received $212 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for three environmental cleanup projects: decontaminate and demolish 24 buildings at Technical Area 21 (TA-21); excavate Material Disposal Area B, the Lab's oldest waste disposal site, used from 1944-48; and install 16 groundwater monitoring wells.

By early 2011, two of the three projects—the decontamination and demolition of 24 buildings at TA-21 and the installation of 16 groundwater monitoring wells—were complete. The excavation of Material Disposal Area B was completed on September 14, 2011.

Material Disposal Area B (MDA-B) was used from 1944-48 and is the Lab’s oldest waste disposal site. MDA-B consists of a number of trenches that were dug to dispose of equipment, clothing and other waste.

Excavating a 67-year-old waste disposal site poses a number of challenges, especially when it contains items contaminated with plutonium. To address those challenges and to ensure safety, the excavation of MDA-B is occurring inside large metal structures that resemble airplane hangars.

These structures were built on the site and contain a number of safeguards, including dust and fire suppression systems and high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtering. In addition, the excavation is monitored by closed circuit television cameras.

By early August 2011, more than 95 percent of the excavation was complete. In addition to run-of-the-mill office trash such as paper and cardboard, items excavated from MDA-B include two 1940s-era pickup trucks, 29 inert artillery shells, a radiation protection suit, a 1946 calendar and glass soft drink bottles.

The soil and other trash excavated from MDA-B will be packaged and disposed of in licensed disposal facilities. Clean soil will replace the soil that was excavated and the six acres that comprise MDA-B will be restored to residential standards, meaning homes or businesses could be built on it.

The excavation of Material Disposal Area B was completed on September 14, 2011. The total amount of soil and debris excavated from the six-acre site was nearly 43,000 cubic yards. The excavated areas were backfilled with clean soil, and completed in November 2011. The site will then be placed in a safe shutdown condition until funding is identified to remove the fixed enclosures and complete the stabilization and grading of the site.  

Demolishing 24 buildings and excavating an old waste dump generates a lot of waste—about 50,000 cubic yards of it. Consider that a waste bin holds about 20 cubic yards, and that translates to a lot of bins and a lot of truck trips..

Waste is classified based on its radiological and chemical elements, then packaged and disposed of appropriately. Most of the waste generated by building demolition and the excavation of MDA-B is classified as low-level waste, meaning it includes items contaminated with radioactive material.

The bulk of the waste generated by the environmental cleanup projects at TA-21 and MDA-B  was  hauled to out-of-state disposal facilities between February and October 2011

 The LANL Corrective Actions Program received 83 certificates of completion from the New Mexico Environment Department for remediating environmental sites on current and former Lab property during fiscal year 2011.

A certificate of completion means that no further remedial action is needed.

The sites included former landfills, underground holding tanks, a septic system, and a 1940s-era facility that laundered radiologically-contaminated clothing.

The sites are located at Technical Area 21 and the Middle Mortandad Canyon and Bayo Canyon areas. Many of the Lab facilities that used to stand on the properties were built in the 1940s.

To earn the certificates of completion, CAP conducted extensive investigation and remediation activities. The work is part of the Consent Order, a 2005 agreement between the Department of Energy, LANL, and the state of New Mexico.

Of more than 2,100 LANL environmental sites in existence in 2005, about 1,100 remain, ranging in size from a small, suspected fuel spill to multi-acre landfills.

Number 10 is the success of KRSN’s quest to install a new antenna.

We completed putting up our new antenna on October 11 of this year.  It took us 5 years and 10 months to return KRSN to complete FCC compliance.

On October 25th we finished tuning our antenna and we able to turn up our signal to the full capacity of 1000 watts. It had been over 11 years since KRSN had broadcast at full strength.

Since purchasing the station 6 years ago, we have strived to bring quality programming to our community.  We have completely rebuilt the station.  We purchased and installed a new transmitter in December on 2006.  In July 2010 we entered into the lease with the Los Alamos Public Schools system for the land to build a new antenna on.   We moved the studio in December  2010 to the Hilltop Shopping Center.   This included a new control board and new computer system.  The construction of the new antenna this fall  enabled us to change our delivery system from the studio to the transmitter to another short wave radio system.  This eliminated the third party dependency such as an  internet line to deliver our signal to the transmitter.   Because of this we can now be energy independent and continue   broadcasting during power outages.  This has positioned us to truly be Los Alamos’s radio station. We hope  you enjoy listening to our community radio station and please feel free to comment to us.  Our webpage is www.krsnam1490.com and we stream 24-7 so you can hear us everywhere. 
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Thursday December 22, 2011

Los Alamos National Laboratory announced the signing of a new Umbrella Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with EMC Corporation. Together, LANL and EMC will enhance, design, build, test, and deploy new cutting-edge technologies in an effort to meet some of the nation’s most difficult information technology challenges. The  agreement  involves six general categories of technology development in which LANL and EMC will collaborate over the next five years, including high-performance computing , data storage, cyber security, data sharing and mobility, cloud computing, large-scale analytics, and materials science.
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Wednesday December 21,  2011

Several New Mexico communities will share more than $774,796 in federal transit grants.  The funds come through the U.S. Department of Transportation and will be used to support bus and other transit services throughout the state.
Communities here  in Northern New Mexico include :

1. $278,000 for Los Alamos County for software, benches and bus shelters

2. $64,000 to North Central Regional Transit District (serving Espanola/Rio Arriba/Los Alamos) to replace a bus

3. $36,000 to Ohkay Owingeh for a minivan
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Tuesday December 20,  2011

Los Alamos National Laboratory’s  transuranic Waste Program recently achieved a milestone when it shipped several boxes of mixed low-level legacy waste to a licensed disposal facility. The large, fiberglass-reinforced boxes contained old gloveboxes and other equipment dating back to the 1970s.Stored at Technical Area 54, Area G, the material was originally characterized as transuranic  waste, which requires shipment to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in Carlsbad. These boxes were among about 190 stored aboveground and 200 stored underground at Area G. Because the waste in the fiberglass- reinforced boxes  was packed decades ago, it does not comply with current WIPP standards and must be repackaged before it can be shipped to that facility. As part of a high-priority initiative to ship legacy transuranic  waste from Area G, the Laboratory opened a facility this summer to repackage the old boxes into WIPP-compliant containers. In the case of these boxes, however, workers at the new facility were able to ascertain that the materials packed inside could be reclassified as mixed low-level waste  This is significant because due to the nature of the contents and safety precautions for workers, the facility can process fiberglass- reinforced boxes  about two per week. By reclassifying the waste to up to 10 boxes  can be removed in one shipment.

"Recharacterizing the waste in these boxes allows us to ship it more quickly and eliminates the risk that repackaging poses for our workers," "It’s an effective and cost-efficient way to help us meet our goal of removing transuranic  waste from Area G as quickly and safely as possible
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Monday December 19, 2011

The Senate has given final approval to a major spending bill that funds the labs and various important New Mexico water projects.  The measure can now be sent to the president for signature.
 The bill increases the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) stockpile budget to $7.23 billion – a 5 percent increase over last year’s budget.  Overall, the NNSA’s budget grew by 5 percent to $11 billion.   Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory will share the funding increase in the following two key areas:

·         $1.9 billion for Directed Stockpile Work, about half of this is for Sandia and LANL. 

·         $2 billion for Readiness in Technical Base and Facilities, an increase of $200 million over FY 2011.

Los Alamos National Laboratory

$318 million for operations that support Readiness in Technical Base and Facilities

$9.88 million for the new TRU waste facility

$10 million for the TA-55 Reinvestment project to ensure the safety of existing facilities

$200 million for the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Replacement Facility

$188 million for environmental cleanup

The bill also funds the Bureau of Reclamation and the Army Corps of Engineers, which fund significant water projects throughout the state.  Funding is as follows:

Bureau of Reclamation projects in our area include

Ammit Water Settlement - $9.29 million to plan, design, and construct a regional water system in accordance with the settlement agreement.

Taos Pueblo Water Settlement - $3.952 million to provide grants for design and construction of to move future non-Indian ground water pumping away from the pueblo’s buffalo pasture. Also to implement the resolution of a dispute over the allocation of surface water flows between Pueblo and non-Indian irrigation water rights owners.

Upper Rio Grande Basin Investigations - $77,000 to support investigations involving the Rio Grande water supplies in coordination with the States of Colorado and New Mexico and other water usera.

Corps of Engineers projects

Abiquiu Dam - $3.7 million – for continued management activities at Abiquiu Dam and Reservoir.

Cochiti Lake - $3.2 million for continued management activities at Cochiti Lake.

Jemez Canyon Dam - $1.1 million to operate and maintain Jemez Canyon Dam.

Upper Rio Grande Water Operations Model Study - $1.3 million to continue work developing and utilizing the model to assist with Rio Grande operations. 

Tribal Partnerships -- $957,000 for planning activities for water resource projects to benefit Indian tribes. .    In September, Santa Clara Pueblo signed the first agreement with the Corps to prepare a plan to mitigate damage from the Las Conchas fire.
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Friday December 16, 2011

The American Association for the Advancement of Science  has awarded the distinction of Fellow to seven scientists from Los Alamos National Laboratory for
advancing science applications that are deemed scientifically or socially distinguished.

The Fellows from Los Alamos National Laboratory are:

Richard Sayre  of  the Bioscience Division  for contributions in the field of plant metabolic engineering .

John Gordon, of the  Chemistry Division, for contributions to chemistries relevant to energy applications.

Jeanne Robinson, Laboratory Directed Research and Development Office, for contributions to physical chemistry research in the national interest,

Jaqueline Kiplinger, from the  Materials Physics and Applications Division,

Byron Goldstein, Theoretical Division, for contributions to the field of computational biology,.

Alexander Balatsky, from the Theoretical Division and the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies,. 

Quanxi Jia,   of the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, for pioneering contributions to thin film electronic devices
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Thursday December 15,  2011

Construction of a new storm drain will close a portion of NM 501 (West Jemez Road) for about 10 days beginning December 22. The majority of the work is scheduled to be done while Los Alamos National Laboratory is closed for the holidays, which should minimize traffic disruptions. But motorists traveling west on NM 501 will have to take an alternate route of travel to get to the Jemez Mountains, including NM 4 through White Rock and past Bandelier National Monument. 

The work area is west of Camp May Road so traffic to Pajarito Ski Area shouldn't be affected, said Mark D. Gonzales of LANL's Manager of Functions Division, adding that this stretch of NM 501 also will be closed to bicyclists, runners and other pedestrians. 

The new storm drain off NM 501 in the Water Canyon area replaces a smaller culvert that was destroyed during a heavy rainstorm in August after the Las Conchas Fire. Workers will remove the existing culvert before installing the new structure that is designed to accommodate larger amounts of storm water flow, said Gonzales. 

During the construction period, signs and other traffic control devices will be in place to alert motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians  to the work. Weather permitting, work is scheduled to be completed by January 2, 2012. The Laboratory's annual winter closure begins at the end of the work day December 23 through January 2, reopening on Tuesday, January 3, 2012. 
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Total compensation in Los Alamos County is the highest in the Southwestern U.S., according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Los Alamos County  ranked first among 379 counties in the region with a total average annual compensation of $86,465.
Los Alamos ranks No. 38 out of 889 communities in a quality of life analysis of the Western U.S., according to a new study by On Numbers.
On Numbers set out to find the U.S. communities that offer the best quality of life. The study looked for well-rounded areas with healthy economies, light traffic, moderate costs of living, impressive housing stocks and strong educational systems.
On Numbers analyzed 3,764 cities, towns, villages, census designated places (CDPs) and other municipalities that had populations of 10,000 or more as of 2009. CDPs are unincorporated communities that otherwise have the characteristics of cities.
Separate rankings were issued for the entire nation and for four regions: East, South Midwest, and West
Raw statistics came from the five-year version of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2009 American Community Survey. All percentages, ratios and rates were calculated by On Numbers.
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Wednesday December 14, 2011 

The state Game Commission will vote Thursday on removing bag limits on northern pike in Eagle Nest Lake to prevent the aggressive predator fish from decimating popular rainbow trout.

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish fisheries managers are asking the commission to let anglers catch all the pike they want, as long as they don't dump any of the fish back in the lake.

Public comment has strongly supported letting anglers keep the pike population in check. At two public hearings and in written public comments 99 percent of people have been in favor of the proposed changes

Pike can grow to more than 2 1/2 feet long and weigh up to 40 pounds. The fish live up to 30 years. One large female pike can produce 200,000 eggs in one spring. Even if only 1 percent survive, she'll have 2,000 offspring reach adulthood,

Northern pike were illegally put in the lake within the last four years. The first pike reported by an angler at Eagle Nest Lake was October 2010. Last spring, a fisheries survey conducted with gill nets and electrofishing collected several 3-year-old pike from the lake. The survey in 2008 yielded no pike
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Tuesday December 13,  2011

The Los Alamos School Board hosted a strategic planning retreat onSaturday, December 10, 2011. Almost forty community, business, LANL,
parents, and school staff participated in the four hour retreat. School   Board President Melanie McKinley welcomed the gathering by inviting the assembly to help map a path to make our school system even better. Specifically, she asked if those in attendance thought the efforts of
the school were aligned with our identity. "Who are we?" she asked. "What do we want to become?" and "What do we want others to say about
our school system?" were follow up questions posed by Ms. McKinley.
 School District Superintendent Gene Schmidt provided a short recap of the work that had been completed over the past six months of the
strategic planning process. Five thrust teams, including Student Achievement, Effective Teachers, aligned Resources and Support Systems,
Community Partnerships, and Systems for Continuous Improvement highlighted some of their preliminary goals as well as what
conversations were still ongoing. All thrust teams are currently seeking input from staff and community and welcome additional members to their teams. The strategic planning retreat included a series of table top, break-out sessions. Strategic plan participants provided feedback on the work of the thrust teams as well as offered new directions to explore. A School Board panel concluded the morning agenda. Board members shared their thoughts on the direction of the strategic plan by asking the question,
"Are we on track?" We will hear more about the results of this retreat in the near future.
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Monday  December 12, 2011

Here is an update on the golf course community building Project:

The Council was scheduled to consider the award of construction contract for the Golf Course Community Building on December 6th. However, the bid (IFB2021-14) was cancelled on November 23, 2011. The project Manager, Bryan Aragon, anticipates that the County will issue a new invitation for bid (IFB) in approximately two months. The new IFB is being issued to reflect key elements that have changed since the time of the original solicitation or that were omitted form the original solicitation. Once the bid is published, it will include a new bid closure date. After that, the projected dates for the CIP Evaluation and Oversight Committee and the the Council to consider the construction contract will be reset and announced to the public.
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Friday December 9, 2011

When conditions are favorable, fire managers will continue prescribed pile burning on the Santa Fe Watershed as early as Monday, December 12.
There are 100 acres of slash piles with an objective of up to 40 acres per day. It is possible conditions may relegate crews to 10 to 20 acres per day periodically throughout the winter. A low volume of smoke is expected, but still may be visible to residents in the immediate area of Santa Fe. District fire managers are closely monitoring weather forecasts and fuels conditions to ensure that burn operations and objectives will be met while minimizing the impacts of smoke on populated areas.
Slash piles consist of the branches and debris from forest thinning projects. Slash piles are typically burned during winter when snow is on the ground to keep fire from spreading to surrounding vegetation. Prescribed fire is the managed application of fire to wildland fuels, also known as woody material, under specified conditions within predetermined boundaries in an effort to reduce hazardous fuels, provide community protection, and restore forest health.
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Thursday December 8, 2011

The New Mexico Department of Transportation spokesman says a right-of-way deal is being finalized with Pojoaque Pueblo that should clear the way for a new overpass on U.S. 84-285 near Arroyo Seco.

A $58 million project, paid for with state and federal funds, including federal stimulus money, added two-way frontage roads on either side of the improved main four lanes for about five miles.

But the south end of the project was left incomplete with the new frontage roads merging with the main lanes in what are known as slip lanes, causing some motorists to make U-turns from the main southbound lanes onto the frontage road on the west side of U.S. 84-285.

On Wednesday, DOT spokesman Phil Gallegos said the negotiations with Pojoaque Pueblo are nearing completion, although the amount to be paid to the tribe won't be made public until the deal is finalized.

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Wednesday December 7, 2011

The Director of the New Mexico Film Office announced today that Warner Horizon Television and Turner Network Television, will be filming a pilot

episode of a western drama series in New Mexico. The Tin Star, will be shooting in Galisteo, La Cienega and at Valle Caldera. It began production in late October and will run through the beginning of November. The production will employ at least 130 New Mexico crew members and more than 350 principal and background talent.

The Tin Star will feature many well known actors and a few of the producers of the series are residents of New Mexico .

The Tin Star is a western series set in the 1880’s and tells the story of three brothers who step in

to save the town of Gateway when the sheriff, who is also their father is murdered. There will be several road closures in santa fe county due to filming until November 14th. Residents may experience minor delays on County roadways, in particular around the Galisteo area. In addition to the filming around the County, the Rail Trail near the Lamy area will be temporarily closed to the public for short periods of time on Monday, November 14 as part of this production.
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Tuesday December 6, 2011

Twenty-five nurses and one friend of nursing received awards during the 2011 New Mexico Center for Nursing Excellence ceremony in October at the Hyatt Tamaya Resort in Albuquerque.

Nancy Ridenour, dean and professor of the University of New Mexico College of Nursing, received the top honor: New Mexico Distinguished Nurse of the Year. Ridenour has been in nursing for 37 years and has worked as dean and professor at the UNM College of Nursing for nearly three years.

Jesse White, a staff nurse, at the Los Alamos Medical Center, Los Alamos received the Nightingale award.

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Monday December 5,  2011

A former employee of Jemez Physical Therapy in Los Alamos who stole over $160,000 to support her gambling addiction pleaded guilty to two counts each of embezzlement and tax evasion.
Rebecca Serrano, also known as Becky Serrano, 46, of Espanola, was ordered to pay nearly $165,000 in restitution and back taxes by State District Judge Michael Vigil on Monday. Judge Vigil placed her on five years’ probation and ordered her to stay away from casinos or gambling establishments, and seek counseling for gambling addiction.
In March, a Santa Fe grand jury indicted Serrano on four counts of embezzlement and four counts of tax evasion for stealing over $160,000 from Jemez Physical Therapy while she worked there from 2005 through 2008.
Serrano embezzled funds utilizing fraudulent check schemes through the company bank accounts. She issued herself unauthorized employee advances and created checks to be issued to health insurance companies and other valid vendors which were all converted to Serrano’s benefit upon deposit into her bank account..
The Taxation and Revenue Department’s Tax Fraud Investigations Division assisted the Los Alamos Police Department in unraveling Serrano’s financial scheme.
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Friday December 2,  2011

Laboratory Director Charlie McMillan announced the selection of Bret Knapp as the new principal associate director for
Weapons Programs. Knapp has been acting in that position since June 2011 when McMillan left the post to become Laboratory
director.
As the head of LANL’s Weapons Programs, Knapp is responsible for the leadership, development, and execution of the
Laboratory’s primary mission: ensuring the safety, security, and effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear arsenal. The programs have a
$1.5 billion annual budget that is split between two directorates with a workforce of more than 1,400.

Prior to serving as acting leader of the Weapons principal associate directorate, Knapp was associate director for Weapons
at LANL. In that capacity he had responsibility for a variety of functions and programs, including weapon systems engineering,
weapons experiments, computational physics, theoretical design, and advanced scientific computing.
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Thursday December 1,  2011

Governor Susana Martinez announced that her administration has significantly reduced cell phone, BlackBerry, and air card use, resulting in over $320,000 in projected savings over calendar year 2011. The administration has reduced the number of wireless devices in agencies and departments throughout state government by a net total of 500 from December 2010 to September 2011. These administration-wide reductions, along with a more efficient approach to pooling wireless plans, are projected to total over $320,000 in savings by the end of 2011.

The announcement of reduced cell phone use comes one week after the Martinez administration announced over $800,000 in savings due to lease re-negotiation and consolidation of state government office facilities. The number of state government vehicles has also been significantly reduced, with the state cutting its fleet by 253 since January, including a 56% reduction in take-home vehicles at the Department of Transportation. The moratorium that Governor Martinez placed on new vehicle purchases, with the exception of law enforcement vehicles, remains in place.
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Wednesday November 30, 2011

Last night the County consultant Strategic Advisory Group representatives presented the results of the market feasibility study to determine whether there is demand for a new conference center and hotel proposed by developer Trident, LLC. There were less than 20 people in attendance to hear the powerpoint presentation of their conclusions. Hotel Owners Ron Selvage and Roger Waterman were there. The presentation included: A community overview which found we have a relatively small population base, lack of economic diversity with LANL being the primary employer and flat tourism visitation numbers. This means there are few reasons to need more hotels. The main concern was would it affect current hotels? It was determined that there would need to be 26,000 more room rentals after the addition of Hilton Garden Inn to keep the current rate of occupancy which is around 55%. After extensive questioning a variety of groups the SAG consultants could only find 13,900 potential new room rentals. They advised that proposed Hilton Garden Inn and conference center would place the existing local hotels at great risk. Given Los Alamos’ current and historical hotel market performance, finding financing would be difficult. The Strategic Advisory Group recommended that the county not pursue the development of a project that adds materially new hotel supply to the market. An option was suggested to renovate or rebuild one of the existing hotels and develop a new conference center in conjunction with this hotel and put it within the downtown core.

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Tuesday November 29, 2011

Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced today that Los Alamos National Laboratory scientists Mark Chadwick and David Chavez are winners of 2011 Ernest Orlando Lawrence Awards.

The award recognizes their outstanding contributions in research and development supporting the Department of Energy and its missions. . Winners in each category will receive a gold medal, a citation, and $20,000.

Mark Chadwick, X-CP Division leader, is honored in theNational Security and Nonproliferation category for innovative scientific contributions to advance understanding of fission and other key nuclear reactions resulting in the resolution of a longstanding problem in national security. His research work has established metrics for validating nuclear weapons simulations. He has 250 publications and 2,900 citations. In 2009 he was elected Fellow of the American Physical Society.

David Chavez, WX-7 division, is honored in the Atomic, Molecular, and Chemical Sciences category for his discovery of new chemical molecular materials important to national security missions.. He has published more than 40 papers in the areas of organic chemistry and energetic materials synthesis, and has more than 600 citations. He holds 8 patents in energetic materials and pyrotechnics.
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Monday,  November 28, 2011

The LANL Corrective Actions Program received 83 certificates of completion from the New Mexico Environment Department for remediating environmental sites on current and former Lab property during fiscal year 2011.  A certificate of completion means that no further remedial action is needed.
The sites included former landfills, underground holding tanks, a septic system, and a 1940s-era facility that laundered radiologically-contaminated clothing.The sites are located at Technical Area 21 and the Middle Mortandad Canyon and Bayo Canyon areas. Many of the Lab facilities that used to stand on the properties were built in the 1940s.
To earn the certificates of completion, CAP conducted extensive investigation and remediation activities. The work is part of the Consent Order, a 2005 agreement between the Department of Energy, LANL, and the state of New Mexico.
Of more than 2,100 LANL environmental sites in existence in 2005, about 1,100 remain, ranging in size from a small, suspected fuel spill to multi-acre landfills.

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Thursday, November 24, 2011 - Thanksgiving
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Wednesday, November 23, 2011

New Mexico-based banks reported $73 million in profits in the third quarter.

Of that total, $70 million was earned by banks with more than $100 million in assets, according to statistics released Tuesday by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

New Mexico’s 50 FDIC-insured banks reported assets of $15.1 billion and deposits of $12.2 billion. Sixty-two percent of the state’s banks reported earnings gains for the quarter, while 12 percent reported losses, the FDIC said.
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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

A  3.4 magnitude (USGS) earthquake occurred early this morning about 28 miles WNW of Raton, NM. This earthquake is the first since the 5.3 magnitude quake that hit the area on August 22, and is very likely a part of a swarm of earthquakes that started in August 2001 and produced numerous felt events in the region. New Mexico Tech reports that the probability of future events in this region is highly likely, given the duration and intensity of this decade-long earthquake swarm.
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Monday, November 21, 2011

Governor Susana Martinez announced today that the New Mexico Public Education Department (PED) will receive $460,000 from the Daniels Fund to help the state’s 40 lowest-performing schools. The funds will be used to pair leaders in these schools with those from the top 40 performing schools in a mentorship program. The idea is to share the practices from successful schools with those that are struggling. The innovative program will also provide a stipend of up to $3,000 for each participating school leader. The grant will also allow New Mexico to develop a website of best practices for students. Principals,teachers and administrators across the state will be able to share and use programs that are producing results in the classroom. The grant, which will be payable over two years, is funded by the Daniels Fund. Bill Daniels established the Daniels Fund to provide grants and scholarships in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.
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Saturday November 19, 2011

The National Nuclear Security Administration has arranged for the Remote Sensing Laboratory/National Aerial Measuring Systemof Las Vegas, Nv., to provide a high-fidelity aerial survey of the Los Alamos Town Site on Monday, November 21st.

The survey, conducted via helicopter, is to ensure that any and all legacy radiological contamination sites have been identified and effectively cleaned up.  Residents may see the helicopter make several passes at about 300 feet above ground over and near the Los Alamos town site to measure for background radiation.

Information from the survey will be made publically available as part of the developing 50-year Environmental Stewardship and Action Plan website, which will accessible later this year.

The Remote Sensing Laboratory performed the same survey over Los Alamos National Laboratory in August.  The silver and blue Bell 412 helicopter is equipped with sodium iodide detectors designed to sense gamma emitters including cesium and americium. 

Shortly following the survey, the RSL will provide NNSA’s Los Alamos Site Office with  preliminary results.   If any area has readings above background levels, LASO will immediately have the area evaluated and addressed as appropriate
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Friday  November 18, 2011

Admiral James A. Winnefield, the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff visited Los Alamos National Laboratory today. Winnefield is a four star Navy Admiral, and as Vice Chairman is the second highest-ranking U.S. military officer.

Winnefield was at Los Alamos to receive a wide variety of classified briefings that covered the broad spectrum of national security science at Los Alamos. The Vice Chairman was briefed by the Laboratory’s senior leadership including director Charlie McMillan, and Principal Associate Directors Bret Knapp and Terry Wallace. The briefings included details of the Laboratory’s Nuclear Weapons Program and Global Security portfolio.

In addition to the briefings, Winnefield was given a tour of the Laboratory’s plutonium facility at Technical Area 55.

As Commander of Carrier Strike Group Two/Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group, he led Task Forces support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and maritime interception operations in the Arabian Gulf. He also served as commander, United States 6th Fleet; commander NATO Allied Joint Command, Lisbon; and, commander, Striking and Support Forces NATO. He also served as the commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM).
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 Thursday November 17, 2011

Los Alamos is No. 1 in New Mexico in On Numbers' new rankings of the smartest places with populations between 10,000 and 49,999.

The home to Los Alamos National Laboratories came in at No. 48 among 3,012 communities nationally in the category. Almost 38 percent of its residents have earned a graduate and/or professional degree.

Nationally, Stanford, Calif., is No. 1. Stanford -- the community, not the university -- is a census designated place (CDP) with 13,700 residents. CDPs are unincorporated communities that have the characteristics of cities, as determined by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Fully 90.7 percent of Stanford's adults (25 or older) hold bachelor's degrees, compared to the national average of 27.5 percent. Nearly two-thirds of those same Stanford residents have also gone on to earn graduate or professional degrees.

White Rock, N.M., has the most brainpower among small communities, according to On Numbers  Nov. 14 report.
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Wednesday, November 16, 2011

 Dane R. Spearing, deputy group leader of the Laboratory's Nuclear Materials Science is among the American Ceramic Society’s (ACS) 2011 Class of Fellows. The Society’s Panel of Fellows selected the 20 new Fellows, which includes members from around the globe, based on outstanding contributions in scholarship, industry, or service to the Society.

Spearing’s research on long-term storage of plutonium compounds in ceramic and nonceramic packages resulted in a revised Department of Energy storage standard and a LANL Distinguished Performance Award. He developed a novel method for the bulk synthesis of plutonium-bearing zircon for the encapsulation of transuranic wastes..

Spearing joined LANL in 1997 after graduating from Stanford University with a doctorate in geology and a minor in materials science. He was a team leader in LANL's Nuclear Materials Technology and Plutonium Manufacturing and Technology divisions for eight years. In 2010, he became the deputy group leader for Nuclear Materials Science.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Four Western diamondback rattlesnakes from Albuquerque's zoo are helping with the first clinical trials of venom as a cancer treatment in humans.
Officials say the snakes have been sent to the Kentucky Reptile Zoo, one of four premier venom laboratories in the United States. The snakes' venom will be extracted and sent to France, where the clinical studies are under way.
Snake venom contains hundreds of proteins that affect the human body in various ways.
The proteins can be devastating when combined. In isolation, these proteins can be used to treat health issues from strokes and heart attacks to Alzheimer's disease and cancer.
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Friday November 11, 2011

According to the Los Alamos Monitor,  Los Alamos Police located the body of missing Los Alamos resident Pat Turner at 10 a.m. Thursday  along Mitchell Trail.
Turner, 55, had been the subject of an intensive search by local police and New Mexico and Los Alamos Search and Rescue personnel for several days.
Turner went missing about noon Friday, according to friends and family, who on Monday asked for police assistance in finding Turner.
On Wednesday, New Mexico State Police joined the search by helicopter, but were unable to locate the father of three who is a longtime Los Alamos resident and an employee at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Police Capt. Randy Foster was a member of the search party.  The cause of death is under investigation.
Officials concentrated their search along Mitchell Trail, Foster said, because that was an area Turner frequented, coupled with the fact that his vehicles as well as his wallet remained at his Alabama Street home. Turner is survived by his wife, Sandy Turner, one son and two daughters .

Thursday November 10, 2011

Research by Los Alamos scientists published  in the journal Nature documents significant progress in understanding the phenomenon of quantum-dot blinking. Their findings should enhance the ability of biologists to track single particles, enable technologists to create novel light-emitting diodes and single-photon sources, and boost efforts of energy researchers to develop new types of highly efficient solar cells.
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Wednesday November 9, 2011

Los Alamos resident Pat Turner has been missing since Friday. New Mexico and Los Alamos Search and Rescue are looking for him in the Mitchell Trail area. Anyone with information about Turner is urged to call the Los Alamos Police Department at 662-8222

New Mexico and Los Alamos Search and Rescue personnel and Los Alamos police launched a search Monday afternoon around Mitchell Trail for Los Alamos resident Pat Turner. Turner, 57, works at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Family and friends told police they have not seen or heard from Turner since noon Friday. Turner’s wallet and vehicles were left at his Alabama Street home. Capt. Randy Foster said this morning that up to 35 S&R personnel, police officers and some rescue dogs have been participating in the search.
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Tuesday  November 8, 2011

LANL researchers are developing a system to make ultra-low field MRI commercially viable for medical applications. The team  focused on using an atomic magne-tometer (a tiny but sensitive low-power magnetic sensor) in ultra-low field MRI.  Using this method, the researchers reduced the time needed to take an MRI image. They obtained quality images of a hand after it was in the machine for only five minutes. Conventional commercial MRIs require that the body part being scanned remain immobilized in the machine for substantial periods of time while data for an image is collected. In addition, the new system achieves high sensitivity and good-quality imaging without a shielded room or any large-size structure. This makes the system cost-effective, convenient, compact, and portable.
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Monday, November 7, 2011

 Here is our weekly update about the west road/ice rink parking lot  rehabilitation.  DOE has made good progress last week  installing the gabion baskets in the channel in front of the Rink. This structure will serve as a retaining wall between the roadway and the channel. It will prevent water from eroding the roadway slope. They should finish the bottom layer of baskets no later than Monday. It is their goal to have the top layer in place by the end of next week. Pavement crews have completed the placement of the culvert, and have built a concrete headwall on the pipe at the inlet. They will strip the forms and complete backfill of the headwall on Monday. Taking into consideration next week's weather forecast, Paving hopes to pave the entrance on Wednesday. The County will meet with DOE officials mid-week to discuss the balance of work to be completed and see if the original schedule to re-open by December 1 is still accurate

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Saturday,  November 5, 2011

 A former employee of Jemez Physical Therapy in Los Alamos who stole over $160,000 to support her gambling addiction pleaded guilty to two counts each of embezzlement and tax evasion.

Rebecca Serrano, also known as Becky Serrano, 46, of Espanola, was ordered to pay nearly $165,000 in restitution and back taxes by State District Judge Michael Vigil on Monday. Judge Vigil placed her on five years’ probation and ordered her to stay away from casinos or gambling establishments, and seek counseling for gambling addiction.

In March, a Santa Fe grand jury indicted Serrano on four counts of embezzlement and four counts of tax evasion for stealing over $160,000 from Jemez Physical Therapy while she worked there from 2005 through 2008.

Serrano embezzled funds utilizing fraudulent check schemes through the company bank accounts. She issued herself unauthorized employee advances and created checks to be issued to health insurance companies and other valid vendors which were all converted to Serrano’s benefit upon deposit into her bank account..

The Taxation and Revenue Department’s Tax Fraud Investigations Division assisted the Los Alamos Police Department in unraveling Serrano’s financial scheme.
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Friday, November 4, 2011

Los Alamos has been tapped number one among the places "Where Millionaires Live in America."

The November edition of Kiplinger ranked Los Alamos the top millionaire town based on a recent report by Phoenix Marketing International, a company that follows wealthy households in the U.S.

According to the report's findings, there are 885 millionaire households among the Atomic City's 18,000 or so residents. That gives Los Alamos, home to Los Alamos National Laboratory, an 11.7 percent concentration of millionaires.

Los Alamos beat out Naples, Fla., and Bridgeport, Conn., which were ranked two and three respectively.

The report says nearly 130 Los Alamos households had at least $5 million in investable assets.

Kiplinger's website said the research keyed in on households with liquid, investable assets of $1 million or more, excluding real estate, retirement plans and business partnerships.
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Thursday , November 3, 2011

The fire season this coming spring has fire officials from all levels of government so concerned, they are starting preparation now, nearly two months ahead of schedule.

The 2011 fire season was unlike any other in New Mexico's recorded history.

"Fire officials are concerned  that it looks like it's playing out to be the same scenario that we saw in 2011, and  now there's a possibility that we could see fire season arrive earlier.. These fire experts are sharing knowledge and strategies to minimize property damage in the coming spring.

For instance, what experts learned from the Los Conchas fire was that the threat to homes or businesses wasn't so much from the fire line but from hot embers that could travel in the air more than three miles.  Park rangers say many do not clear their homes from fire danger, which threatens their neighbors who do. If people need help assessing fire danger near their home- they can ask the bureau of land management to send a person that will give them tips on what needs to be done.
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Wednesday, November 2, 2011

A National Institutes of Health grant of more than 4 million dollars to Los Alamos National Laboratory Bioscience Division could help unravel the gnarly secrets of how many human genes function.

Originally discovered in the Human Genome Project, the approximately 20,000 genes of the human body have been slow to reveal their exact roles. one of the best tools for exposing a gene’s function is to take the protein it produces and generate specific antibodies

Researchers led by Andrew Bradbury aim to develop an automated pipeline to generate antibodies against human gene products.

This project will leverage much of the technology that has been developed over the years at LANL, including flow cytometry, antibody libraries and fluorescent protein technology, and has the potential to create a set of tools applicable to many different problems beyond National Institute of Health, including the U.S. Department of Energy and Department of Defense.
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Tuesday November 1, 2011

U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Senator Tom Udall have met with the Postmaster General regarding the possible closure of 54  Post Offices in New Mexico. Nationwide there has been review of 3,700 post offices, and possibilities of closures. The closures are part of a down sizing plan as the U.S. Postal Service works to salvage their declining business. U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall wrote a letter to the postmaster general, requesting a meeting to discuss plans for postal operations. The two senators expressed a fear that these closures would negatively affect the quality of mail service customers receive. The factors included: how much revenue they generate, how many transactions they deal with on a daily basis, and the proximity to the nearest postal facility.The senators wrote the vast majority of New Mexico post offices under consideration for closure serve rural areas without convenient alternatives.

                                

Monday October 31, 2011

Here is an update on the West road and ice rink project. 

Due to the threat of bad weather Last  week, DOE has not made as much progress in their channel work as they had hoped.  They have started placing some of the crushed material furnished by the County  along the shoulder of the road.  The DOE Supervisor has relayed to County staff that when the weather clears, they will resume work in the channel. 

The new culvert was scheduled to be delivered by Oct. 27, but the supplier notified the County that it would be November 2 before it will arrive.  As soon as it is delivered, Public Works and Paving crews will start the installation, which should take a couple of days. 

Recreation Staff for the Ice Rink were able to begin their clean up and preparations at the rink this week. Work will continue next week. While the estimated completion date is still Dec. 1, the goal remains to work through the rehabilitation issues in the canyon just as quickly as possible and be prepared to open the rink upon completion of these items.
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Friday October 28, 2011                                            

The Wildlife center took care of a record number of bears this summer due to wildfires and drought and  built  a new bear enclosure. Sandia Mountain BearWatch came up with $10,000 of the $13,000 needed for the enclosure. The bear watch team fed bears up to  200 pounds of dog food a day to fatten the bears up. Many people contributed to the “dog food” drive and they have enough to get through winter, over $20,000 worth of dog food. A herculean effort was made by Pet Pangaea in Los Alamos to supply dog food. Whole Foods and Sunflower Market have made sure the bear diet is balanced with fruit and vegetables.

The Wildlife Center in Espanola has  27 bears in residence today.  They will release r another 15 throughout the fall. The released bears are all approximately 20 months old, and have gained anywhere from 50 to 120 pounds while rehabilitating at the Center. The remaining 12 bears are cubs born this year, and will need to remain at the Center until the spring.
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Thursday, October 27, 2011

Starting yesterday, the contractor for the Los Alamos County Municipal Building Complex began cutting the pavement on 15th Street between Deacon Street and the south Metzger’s driveway in preparation for the installation of a utility vault; expect lane closures and possible flagging operations. Saw cutting should be completed in one day and the work zone will be removed by Friday, October 28th. No work will occur on 15th Street over the weekend in deference to the “Halloweekend” and “Trick or Treat on Main Street” events.
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Wednesday, October 26, 2011

The Gallina Rx Pile Burn, on Coyote Ranger District will be going on approximately 1 mile south of Gallina.     Today and through this week fire managers plan to treat 50-acres of slash piles per day, up to 300 acres, if conditions are favorable.     Smoke will likely be visible from Regina, Coyote, and Lindrith. 

Santa Barbara Prescribed Burn
Fire managers on the Camino Real Ranger District of the Carson National Forest have  begun ignition of the Santa Barbara Prescribed Burn. The 515-acre project is located 5 miles east of the community of Penasco, and east of Highway 73 on Forest Road 1877.  Ignition will continue throughout the week until completion of the project. Smoke will be visible from Penasco, El Valle, Chamisal, Las Mochas and Sipapu.  You could see this one yesterday from Los Alamos, looking north east off the end of the mesas.

Yesterday at 1:30 we finished tuning our antenna.  We are now broadcasting at our licensed strength of 1000 watts from our new antenna on North Mesa.  It has been over 11 years since KRSN AM 1490 has been broadcasted at full strength.  Thank you everyone  for your support.  You can now hear Los Alamos’s radio station everywhere!

 Tuesday  October 25, 2011
Fire managers on the Camino Real Ranger District of the Carson National Forest  began ignition of the Santa Barbara Prescribed Burn on Monday, October 24 contingent on weather conditions and available resources.  The 515-acre project is located 5 miles east of the community of Penasco, and east of Highway 73 on Forest Road 1877.  Ignition will continue throughout the week until completion of the project.

And here’s another prescribed burn. 

Fire managers have started slash and pile burning within the Gallinas WUI area located one mile south of the Gallina, New Mexico community off State Highway 96.

Slash piles consist of the branches and debris from forest thinning projects.
 Today and through this week fire managers plan to treat 50-acres of slash piles per day, up to 300 acres, if conditions are favorable. 
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Monday October 24, 2011

The New Mexico State Land Office earned almost $4 million for beneficiaries during its monthly oil and gas lease sale held Oct.18 in Santa Fe. Twenty-eight tracts were offered for lease and 27 were sold for a total of $3,960,000. All tracts were located in Chaves, Eddy and Lea counties. The highest bid of $1,667,000 went to Yates Petroleum Corporation for 320 acres in Eddy County. The bonuses, or bids, earned from this month’s sale go directly to trust beneficiaries including public schools, hospitals and universities. The bid winners have earned the right to explore and develop oil and gas on their respective tracts for the next five years. The tracts must be active at the end of the lease or they revert back to the state. Leases offered by the State Land Office include 5-year development leases and 5-year discovery leases, which have different royalty rates.
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The Los Alamos County Council authorized a Special Election to ask voters to decide whether or not to fund the building of a Leisure Pool addition on the eastern Canyon Rd side of the Larry R. Walkup Aquatic Center. Funds are needed to complete final design and construction. Even though the County is contributing cash ($3.1 million dollars of General Funds) to the project, an increase in property taxes through a general obligation (G.O.) bond (up to $3 million) would be needed to complete the project.  The County currently has no general obligation  bond debt. A general obligation  bond is financed through an increase in property taxes. Ballots were  mailed out to all registered voters last week. . Voters will have until 7 p.m. on November 9th to turn in their ballot to the Clerk's office.  From the time that ballots are mailed out, voters have nearly three weeks to study what is being proposed and then vote on the project.

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Friday October 21, 2011

The Santa Fe Watershed prescribed burn is underway today and will continue through the weekend if conditions allow.  The prescribed bur n is taking place approximately three miles east of the city of Santa Fe and three and one half miles southeast of Hyde Park Estates During the planned three day burning period, up to 500 acres will be treated by hand ignitions only.  A medium volume of smoke is expected, and may be visible to residents of Santa Fe, Espanola, Tesuque, Pecos, Los Alamos, Bernalillo, and Albuquerque. 
The Laguna Ortiz prescribed burn located on the Santa Fe National Forest Pecos and Las Vegas Ranger District is underway again today, and is planned to continue sporadically through November 4 as conditions allow.  The 1,200 acre area is being treated over the next several days, conditions permitting. It is located twelve miles south of the village of Pecos in the area of Glorietta Mesa, and Rowe Mesa near Forest Road 324. It will be treated by hand ignitions.  Smoke may be visible to residents of Pecos/Las Vegas and travelers
along I-25.

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Thursday October 20, 2011

The Bureau of Land Management is planning ahead for large-scale solar development on public lands – outlining 24 Solar Energy Zones in southwestern states. The idea is to find areas with the most solar potential and the least conflict with wildlife and recreation and The Wilderness Society says the agency is doing a good job. New Mexico public regulation commissioner Jason Marks agrees.  There is one in the Deming area close to the Arizona border  and another in the southern central part of the state.  Outlining zones ahead of time is good business for the solar industry, as well as the environment.  The areas are generally flat , sunny, and close to existing roads and power lines which will decrease construction costs. Support for the zones in New Mexico is strong when folks discover that popular hunting, fishing and hiking areas won't be impacted. The B-L-M is expected to complete the environmental review of the sites next year.

Wednesday October 19, 2011

For the first time since 2009, Social Security recipients will receive a cost of living adjustment, including those who receive Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income. Beginning in January, seniors who receive Social Security benefits will see a 3.6 percent increase in their checks.
While inflation on the whole had been low over the past few years, seniors have faced rising prices for the goods and services they typically rely on, especially Medicare premiums and health care costs. A 3.6 percent increase in monthly Social Security payments, which average $1,082, amounts to an additional $467 a year.

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County officials have announced that stormwater run-off in Los Alamos Canyon after the Las Conchas wildfire has resulted in severe erosion to the roadway  and has damaged some utility infrastructure near the Ice Rink. West Road as well as the Ice Rink parking lot will require major repairs before it can be safely re-opened to the public. This is likely to delay the opening of the Ice Rink for general public and hockey team use until a target date of December 1.

County staff met with DOE officials last Friday to assess the damage. Work could begin as soon as this week, pending the DOE’s receipt of a permit to approve construction that will  funnel stormwater safely past the Ice Rink on the south side of West Road. West Road is owned by the DOE and they will be responsible for the channel improvements as well as making repairs to the dirt roadway shoulder of the road. County crews will be responsible for removing the jersey barriers and dirt wall erected as a protective measure around the Ice Rink facility this summer. County recreation staff will be permitted to enter the Ice Rink in mid-November to begin clean up and to make ice. They hope to be able to open the rink once the roadway and channel repairs are completed. Typically, the Ice Rink is open a week before Thanksgiving if temperatures are cold enough to make the multiple sheets of ice that are required for the rink. The Zamboni was relocated to the equipment yard at Pajarito Cliffs Site after the fire and will be returned to the rink once the barriers are removed.  
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Tuesday October 18, 2011

In Santa,Fe, Governor Susana Martinez announced  that global electronics manufacturer TE Connectivity will merge two distribution and manufacturing centers in the southwest United States into a single facility in Santa Teresa. TE Connectivity designs and manufactures over 500,000 products and employs nearly 100,000 workers. Governor Martinez and Economic Development Secretary-designate Jon Barela both met with representatives from TE Connectivity to encourage them to expand their operations in New Mexico and contribute to the state’s growing economy along the southern border. TE Connectivity works with  consumer electronics, energy,  healthcare, automotive, aerospace, and communications networks. 
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Monday October 17, 2011

The U.S. Geological Survey  confirmed   that an earthquake happened at 10:38 a.m. today in Northern New Mexico.

The center of the 3.8 magnitude earthquake was 11miles north of Santa Fe, 19 miles east south east of Los Alamos ,  two miles west of Chupadero, four miles southeast of Cuyamungue and 62 miles northeast of Albuquerque. 

Geophysics professor from New Mexico Tech in Socorro who told us the quake was felt for about ten seconds, was very noticeable and was probably felt by thousands of people.

Aftershocks are possible over the next few days, he said.
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Friday October 14, 2011

 The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has issued an Amended Record of Decision (ROD) concerning the Nuclear Facility portion of the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Replacement project .
Following a supplemental environmental impact analysis and public input process, NNSA has selected the Modified CMRR-Nuclear Facility  Alternative described in the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement  to proceed forward with the construction of the nuclear facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
As described in the final Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, the facility will be constructed at Technical Area 55 and co-located with the other component of the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Replacement project - the recently completed Radiological Laboratory/Utilities/Office Building.
NNSA has incorporated updated seismic safety design information into development of the Modified CMRR design. Two construction options were considered under this alternative: the Deep Excavation Option and the Shallow Excavation Option. NNSA will select the appropriate Excavation Option for implementing the construction of this building.The new building will replace the  60-year-old Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Building and consolidate existing research capabilities at LANL to ensure continuous support of NNSA stockpile stewardship and strategic objectives.

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Thursday October 13, 201

 The Laguna Ortiz prescribed burn located on the Santa Fe National Forest Pecos/Las Vegas Ranger District is underway today, and is planned to continue sporadically through November 4 as conditions allow. The 1,200 acre area being treated is located twelve miles south of the village of Pecos in the area of Glorietta Mesa and Rowe Mesa near Forest Road 324, and will be treated by hand ignitions. The project is not planned to be continuous over the three week treatment period due to varying ground conditions, and changes in weather over time.

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Wednesday October 12, 2011

Richard Sayre, one of the nation’s top specialists in algae and energy-producing plant research, has joined the Bioscience Division of Los Alamos National Laboratory to help boost cutting-edge research in this area. Cited by Nature magazine as “one of five crop researchers who could change the world,”
Sayre, who started at the Laboratory the first week of October, is a leading scientist, innovator and entrepreneur who comes to Los Alamos from Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, where he was the director of the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute for Renewable Fuels and the director of the BioCassava Plus program.  
The scientist will be working under a joint appointment at LANL, sharing a quarter of his time with the New Mexico Consortium (NMC). NMC will be constructing a new building and greenhouse in town to accommodate some of the research activity, with help from Los Alamos County. The consortium is a nonprofit corporation formed by the three New Mexico universities .
Sayre, post doctoral assistants  and other Los Alamos scientists will explore such projects as the improved efficiency of plant photosynthesis, advances in algae production and harvesting, and understanding the biochemical and biophysical processes of algae and other energy plants.
Algae science, whether for biofuel production or other applications, has been a growing field for the Laboratory, with advances made recently in such areas as ultrasonic harvesting, persuading algae to grow in “produced water” from oil and gas wells, and even genetically modifying magnetic algae that could be more efficiently harvested.
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Saturday October 8, 2011

Bandelier will be operating as a “car-free park” through Sunday, October 30th, 2011. During this time vehicles will not be allowed to enter Frijoles Canyon with the exception of tour buses and those with handicapped parking permits.
Instead, visitors can use the temporary Bandelier Shuttle Service, which will be provided by Los Alamos County’s Atomic City Transit. The shuttle service will operate 7 days a week through October 30, 2011. All visitors  should park in the parking lot at the corner of Rover Blvd and NM 4 in White Rock in order to ride a shuttle to Bandelier. Shuttles will depart this location every half hour from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and return trips will depart Bandelier every half hour from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Sections open  to the public include the Main Loop Trail, a temporary Visitor’s Center, the Western National Parks Association Store, the Bandelier Trading Company, Frey Trail, Blue Ski Trail, Tyuonyi Pueblo, Ponderosa Group Campground,   the Trail at Tsankawi, Burnt Mesa Trail, Tyuonyi Overlook Trail, and Juniper Campground. 

 On Sunday, October 9, 2011, between 7:30 AM and 3:30 PM, the Pojoaque Tribal Police Department will be conducting intermittent closures of US Highway 84/285 in northern Santa Fe County. These closures will be in both the north and south bound lanes and will last approximately 10 minutes each time. The closures are needed to allow a communication company to string cable across the highway.
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Thursday October 6,2011

The Los Alamos County Council voted  Tuesday night to appoint  Arthur  “Harry” Burgess as the new County Administrator,. Burgess is currently the City Administrator in the City of Carlsbad, and was selected after an extensive process this summer, followed by interviews two weeks ago with the top four candidates for this  executive position at the County.    Councilors cited Burgess’ six years of municipal government experience in Carlsbad as a big factor in their decision to offer him the job. Burgess has successfully implemented several economic development projects that have moved Carlsbad forward. He has experience working with DOE officials because of the nearby WIPP project, which is an advantage since we have a DOE site office here..  His first official day on the job is November 6. His salary will be $161,500 a year, with 50 hours of leave and a contribution to his retirement fund at 9.8 percent above what is required by law.
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Wednesday October 5, 2011

The Santa Cruz Reservoir provides irrigation water to more than 1,600 farms in the region. However, sediment accumulation over the years reduced the reservoir’s volume by 36 percent.  During times of drought this has led to water rationing and shorter growing seasons. To help local farmers, scientists from LANL and Sandia National Laboratories came together to work on how to best mitigate these sediment problems.

Through the New Mexico Small Business Assistance Program, scientists from the two labs determined that the majority of the sediment did not come from the Santa Cruz River as had been previously thought. In fact, most of it came from several small, local arroyos. This finding has implications for where and how the Santa Cruz Irrigation District will build future sediment traps, potentially saving time, effort, and reservoir capaci


  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s  (EPA) announcement  that it has approved a plan to clean up the Northeast Church Rock Mine.
The mine is the largest uranium mine on the Navajo Nation, and its cleanup is of the highest priority. The cleanup, using the most stringent uranium mine cleanup standard in the country, will remove approximately 1.4 million tons of radium and uranium contaminated soil from a site that operated as uranium ore mine from 1967 to 1982.
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Tuesday October 4, 2011

The Laboratory’s TRU Waste Program completed 171 shipments in the past fiscal year, between October 2010 and September 2011.  The Lab has transported more than 450 shipments safely to WIPP since 2009. TRU waste consists of clothing, tools, rags, debris, soil, and other items contaminated with radioactive elements, mostly plutonium. Each of these man-made elements has an atomic number greater than that of uranium, thus they are labeled transuranic, for “beyond uranium” on the periodic table of the elements. Waste is packaged primarily in drums or fiberglass-reinforced boxes, which are then typically placed in a large, steel shipping container called a TRUPACT-II. LANL has about 9,500 TRU waste containers remaining above ground and about 5,000 retrievably buried underground at Technical Area 54, Area G. Much of the waste is legacy waste—material left over from Cold War-era operations.The New Mexico Environment Department has listed continued acceleration of TRU waste shipments from the Laboratory to WIPP as one of its top environmental priorities. Cleanup and disposal of Cold War-era waste is funded by DOE’s Office of Environmental Management.
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Monday October 3rd, 2011

LAHS teacher Margo Batha has been nominated for the University of Chicago's Outstanding Educator Award.
This distinguished award has existed for three decades. Each year, the university invites entering first-year students to nominate an educator who has changed them, challenged them, and helped them along the path toward intellectual growth. Each year, the university receives letters back from hundreds of students, inspired by teachers who have literally changed the course of their lives, who have taught them to re-imagine texts, to delve deeper into problem-solving, and to think beyond the borders of the classroom in the pursuit of their own education.

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Hilltalkers recognized by the National Forensic League

LAHS Speech and Debate program has earned significant recognition by the National Forensic League. Because the Hilltalkers achieved 100 degrees or more last year, they were placed in the top 10% of NFL chapters nationwide and earned membership in the NFL's prestigious 100 Club. Such a milestone is remarkable because it demonstrates outstanding commitment to teaching students essential life skills - including communication, research, listening, writing and organization. Go Hilltalkers!  Margo Batha is one of the teacher advisors for the Hilltalkers
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 Friday September 30, 2011

The New Mexico Human Services Department Income Support Division (HSD/ISD) has received a performance bonus of $1.05 million from the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Services (USDA/FNS) for making program improvements to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to ensure that New Mexicans most in need receive food benefits in a timely and efficient manner. This is the first time New Mexico has received this bonus. Early this summer the Income Support Division was also recognized for other areas of program excellence. That recognition includes Excellence in Program Integrity, Excellence in Financial Management, and Outstanding Performance in Claims Collection.

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Thursday September 29, 2011

Public Regulation  Commissioner Jerome Block, Jr. has agreed to resign and plead guilty to multiple felonies involving two separate cases. The PRC Commissioner agrees to plead guilty to two (2) separate embezzlement charges; fraudulent use of a credit card; theft of identity; violation of the state Election Code, Campaign Reporting Act, and Voter Action Act; and conspiracy to commit violation of the Election Code. Block, Jr. has also agreed never to seek public office again and to repay the state for all improper charges involving state gasoline charge cards. A sentencing agreement requires the defendant to successfully complete a drug court program and meet other requirements before final sentencing by the Court.       
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Wednesday September 28, 2011

The U.S. Corps of Engineers Albuquerque District and the Pueblo of Santa Clara, New Mexico signed a historic partnership agreement Sept. 21 to conduct a watershed assessment for the Pueblo's lands in the aftermath of June's devastating Las Conchas forest fire.  The assessment will produce a plan that identifies construction and restoration opportunities for recovering the damaged environment and provide flood protection for the Pueblo's village, as well as ultimately benefitting infrastructure down-river of the Pueblo in the cities of Espanola, Santa Fe and Albuquerque, N.M.  
The agreement, , is the first to be signed between the Corps and a Tribal government.  The program authorizes up to $1 million a year for water-related planning activities such as  studies to address flood damage reduction, environmental restoration and protection, and preservation of cultural and natural resources. 
The agreement stipulates a 25 percent cost share on the part of the tribe, but the cost share can be met through in-kind work or equipment contribution.
Santa Clara Pueblo lands have been impacted by significant forest fires in the past, including the Oso Fire of 1998 and Cerro Grande Fire of 2000, but the recent Las Conchas Fire burned more than half of the watershed. Watershed assessments typically take about three years, and, with the signing of the agreement, work started right away when the District awarded contracts for aerial photography of the burned area.  the imagery is an important first step, as the Pueblo's charred canyon has been inaccessible for several weeks because of post-fire flooding from rainfall events.
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Tuesday September 27, 2011

Resurfacing of U.S. 84/285 at the southern entrance to Española will have to be redone due to a problem with the oil used the first time.

That means a new round of work on 1.2 miles of the four-lane highway from the junction of N.M. 106 and N.M. 399 (the exits to Sombrillo and La Mesilla near the Dreamcatcher Cinema) to the junction of N.M. 68 (the Santa Clara Bridge Road at Dandy Burger).

Jared Rodriguez, a tech supervisor for the state Department of Transportation, said the oil used on the new material being laid down did not meet the state specification for "elastic recovery" — the expansion and contraction of the surface material at different temperatures.

So the contractor, Star Paving of Albuquerque, will need to redo the $8 million project at no extra cost to the state. But that work requires as much as two weeks of extra time, The change means the resurfacing will continue into next week
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Monday September 26, 2011

 UNM- Los Alamos has been awarded a $337,725 three-year grant from the National Science Foundation  for a proposal to "Reinvigorate Information Technology Education with Cyber Security."  Dean of Instruction Dr. Kate Massengale wrote the grant. Dr. Lynne Williams, who has a Ph.D. in cyber security, is the Principal Investigator.
Los Alamos National Security (LANS) is partnering with UNM-LA by providing expertise and the opportunity for UNM-LA students in information technology to become interns when positions are available. Los Alamos County is also partner and has internships available now.
Through this grant, UNM-LA will partner with the University of Tulsa's Cyber Security Education Consortium to bring cutting-edge, tested curriculum to UNM-LA’s IT programs, and provide faculty professional development. Specialists at LANS and Los Alamos County will review the curriculum as it is developed to make sure it is providing the right skills for IT workers entering or progressing in the workforce.
This  program is important to Los Alamos National Laboratory, to the banking industry, and to other businesses that need more highly-trained IT workers. Across the U.S., the need for more highly skilled IT workers is becoming crucial to our security, and to our playing in the global economy.
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Friday September 23, 2011

 Los Alamos National Laboratory has completed excavation of its oldest waste disposal site, Material Disposal Area B (MDA-B).

The excavation removed about 43,000 cubic yards of contaminated debris and soil from the six-acre site. MDA-B was used from 1944-48 as a waste disposal site for Manhattan Project and Cold War-era research and production.

The environmental cleanup worked was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

To protect workers and the public, the excavation of MDA-B was performed inside sturdy metal structures that resemble airplane hangars. The structures were equipped with fire and dust suppression systems and (HEPA) filters. Excavation was monitored via closed circuit television and infrared sensors.

MDA-B consisted of narrow trenches up to 35 feet deep. Though most of the waste excavated from MDA-B was soil and run-of-the-mill trash such as cardboard and protective clothing, items uncovered during excavation included the remains of two mid-1940s pickup trucks, nearly 30 inert artillery shells and a calendar from 1946.  The excavated waste is packaged appropriately and transported to disposal facilities.
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Thursday September 22, 2011

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) today announced that it has completed the Ion Beam Laboratory (IBL) in Albuquerque, N.M. The facility was built at Sandia National Laboratories and was six months early and $5.5 million under budget.

The 27,000-square-foot building was constructed and equipped at a cost of $39.6 million. Funds for the facility came from earlier savings from Sandia’s Microsystems and Engineering Sciences Applications  complex project. Costs included construction of the new building, purchase of upgraded accelerators, relocating existing accelerators and beam lines along with personnel, and decontamination and demolition of the old facility constructed in the 1950s.

Among the uses of the building’s high-energy ion beams is to rapidly analyze materials (an ion is an atom with too few or too many electrons). A low-energy ion implantation beam can alter material properties to, for example create the electronic “chips” .        

Other research areas include microscopic diagnostics of radiation sensitivity of integrated circuits and simulating the effects of the enormous fluxes of neutrons associated with nuclear detonations to provide data that will help protect U.S. electronics against such an occurrence. The beams are also used to calibrate and certify components for the nuclear stockpile.
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Wednesday September 21, 2011

Congressman Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico’s Third District announced today that Northern New Mexico College is receiving a $503,225 grant through the Department of Education’s Educational Opportunity Centers Program . The grant will help fund the New Mexico Educational Opportunity Center , which will provide counseling and information on college admissions to 2,000 first generation, low income adults who are 19 years of age or older across Northern New Mexico.

The focus of  the program will be to encourage, motivate and assist young adults who have never considered higher education, have dropped out of high school, or have stopped pursuing a college degree. New Mexico Educational Opportunity Center  also provides services to improve the financial and economic literacy of participants.
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Tuesday September 20, 2011

U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman announced that eight New Mexico colleges will receive a total of $5 million to increase enrollment and graduation rates in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The grant comes from the U.S. Department of Education – Hispanic Serving Institution’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics program.  The funding has been awarded to the following colleges.

Eastern New Mexico University

Mesa lands Community College

New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology

New Mexico Highlands University

University of New Mexico Valencia Campus

University of New Mexico

University of New Mexico-Taos
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Monday September 19, 2011
The New Mexico House of Representatives approved legislation to restore the state’s supplement to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Senate Bill 3 and House Bill 28, introduced with bipartisan support by Sen. Lynda Lovejoy (D-Crownpoint) and Rep. Dennis Roch (R-Texico), will appropriate $450,000 for supplemental food stamp funding for certain low-income, elderly, and disabled New Mexicans. Currently, the program is funded through the end of September by re-appropriated federal stimulus dollars. The bill also directs over $6 million in funds to the Human Services Department for Medicaid expenses. Without this appropriation, the money would have reverted to the federal government.
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Friday September 16, 2011

On September 14, 2011, Santa Fe Police was provided information that a 19 year old, identified as Robert Terrazas, was portraying himself as Robbie Romero. Robbie Romero is a missing child and his disappearance has been investigated by our agency since 2000.

We received information that Mr. Terrazas was going to meet with Evelyn Romero, whom he referred to as “his birth mother”. Ms. Romero is the mother of the missing child, Robbie Romero. Police spoke with Mr. Terrazas at the home of Ms. Romero where he consented in providing a DNA sample. A sample was taken from Mr. Terrazas. That sample was delivered to the DPS DNA Lab for processing.

The result of the exam is that Mr. Terrazas is NOT Ms. Romero’s missing child; Robbie Romero. We informed Ms. Romero of the DNA results  .

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The cleanup of a molybdenum mine in northern New Mexico is now among the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund priorities, the agency announced Thursday.

Agency officials said the mine is being added along with more than a dozen other sites around the country to the so-called National Priorities List. Another 11 sites from California to New York are also being proposed for inclusion on the list.

The mine site near Questa includes an operational mine and milling facility, a tailings facility and a pipeline from the mill to the tailings facility.

"We felt it was time because we had all the data that we had collected over the last 10 years to better help us rank it and just because of the size and cost of the remedy, it was appropriate to have it on the NPL," said Mark Purcell, a remedial project manager with the EPA.

The agency last year announced a cleanup plan that is expected to have a price tag of at least $500 million.

Agency officials said Thursday that placing the site on the priorities list gives them another tool to ensure that the property is cleaned up.

The EPA has said contaminated material from the site includes about 328 million tons of acid-generating waste rock, more than 100 million tons of tailings and acid-rock drainage at the mine and seepage at the tailings facility.

The EPA said Thursday it was sending Chevron Mining Inc., the current owner of the property, a special notice inviting the company to enter into negotiations on how the cleanup would proceed and whether the company would be willing to pay for it.
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Thursday September 15, 2011

Santa Fe Police say a man walked into the police department Wednesday and claimed to be Robbie Romero, who disappeared from his Santa Fe home in 2000 when he was just 7 years old.

The man appeared to be about the same age as Romero would be now.

Police say the man agreed to take a DNA test – which the police conducted.

The test has been sent to a lab, and police say they don’t know how long it will take to get the results back.

Romero’s disappearance has proven to be one of the most enduring and puzzling mysteries in New Mexico.

Originally police treated the little boy’s disappearance as a homicide.

However, no one was ever arrested in connection with his case and his body was never found.

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Wednesday September 14, 2011

New Mexico’s 24.7 percent uninsured rate is the second highest in the country . Last year, New Mexico’s uninsured rate was 23.7 percent – the third highest in the country. 
By 2014 all states will be required to set up a marketplace where uninsured residents and businesses can purchase insurance plans and determine whether they qualify for tax credits to afford the coverage.  The marketplace will be required to offer core benefits and specific levels of coverage – even for those with pre-existing medical conditions.  Also in 2014, the state will begin receiving billions of dollars to expand Medicaid, covering more New Mexicans who currently do not qualify for the program but who still do not have a high enough income to afford insurance coverage. U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman  says New Mexico stands to gain more from the health insurance reform  law than almost any other state  because our uninsured rate is so high.
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Tuesday September 13, 2011
A Listeria outbreak has New Mexico health officials on alert.Three people in the state have already died, two men from Bernalillo County and a woman from Curry County. Six others have been hospitalized.
There are eleven similar cases in Colorado and officials there believe the culprit is contaminated cantaloupe.
The New Mexico Department of Health says they're working to determine the source of the bacteria, but right now they can't say with one hundred percent certainty what caused the outbreak.
Experts in Colorado, however, are blaming cantaloupe likely from the Rocky Ford growing region 60 miles east of Pueblo, Colorado.
Health officials in New Mexico are expediting samples from across the state to the Center for Disease Control.

Health experts said Listeria is relatively uncommon but dangerous. Symptoms include fever and muscle aches and can also include diarrhea, headache, stiff neck and convulsions.There are four high-risk groups that need to stay away from cantaloupe right now: adults over the age of 60, pregnant women, infants and those with weakened immune systems. He explained after exposure, it can take a couple days, up to a month to show symptoms.
As of right now there are no recalls. Health officials in Colorado are advising consumers to wash and dry the outside of melons before cutting.
General Melon Safety Advice:

·         Consumers and food preparers should wash their hands before and after handling any whole melon, such as cantaloupe, watermelon, or honeydew.

·         Wash the melons and dry them with a clean cloth or paper towel before cutting.

·         Cut melon should be promptly consumed or refrigerated at or less than 40 degrees F (32-34 degrees F is optimal for storage of cut melon).

·         Cut melons left at room temperature for more than 4 hours should be discarded.

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Monday September 12,2011

Below is a fire update regarding the lightning-caused Guacamalla Fire that began August 17.  The fire is located on the Jemez Ranger District. Today residents from north of Albuquerque to Jemez Springs are expected to see minimal smoke from the Guacamalla Fire approximately 5 miles east of Ponderosa, NM.  The fire received much in direct rainfall over the weekend and as a result, is not creating as much smoke as in previous days. Because of the increased moisture level, the fire continues to burn slowly with low spread potential. The east side of the Guacamalla fire abuts the west side of the Las Conchas Fire burn area, and is not likely to spread into the burn area.  Presently, the fire has burned 623 acres and is holding north of Forest Road 266 and south of Forest Road 271.  Wildland firefighters are continuing to monitor the fire.

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Valles Caldera National Preserve officials announce they are lifting Stage III Fire Restrictions for all of the Valles Caldera National Preserve effective immediately.

The Las Conchas Fire and the Pacheco Fire areas on the Santa Fe National Forest will remain in Stage III Fire Closures and are off limits. The Preserve remains open to all scheduled activities including a curtailed fishing program which is limited to the East Fork of the Jemez River. The  San Antonio Creek will remain closed until fishing conditions improve.
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Friday September 9, 2011

The 73rd New Mexico State Fair officially opened at 11 this morning at EXPO New Mexico – and today, admission is just $2 per person. Carnival workers have been setting up since Tuesday, and ride and food inspectors spent
Thursday making sure all booths and rides passed safety inspections. Fair organizers expect about 600,000 people to visit over the next 17 days.

Old favorites like Ferris wheels, turkey legs, funnel cakes and livestock shows will be available to fair-goers, but new items like chocolate-covered bacon, Chinese acrobats and a lion tamer are also making an appearance this year.

Regular admission costs $7 for adults, and Wednesdays are half-price. Admission for children ages 6-12 and seniors cost $5. Parking is $7. Park and Ride is available this year. An unlimited ride wrist band is $15 during the week and $20 on weekends.

The State Fair will remain closed Mondays and Tuesdays.



Thursday September 8, 2011

The Governor has declared Literacy Day throughout the State of New Mexico on September 8 in conjunction with the 45th annual celebration of International Literacy Day nation and worldwide.

In New Mexico, it is estimated that seven hundred thousand adults could benefit from literacy services - sixteen percent are estimated to be illiterate and thirty percent are estimated as functionally illiterate. With one of the highest poverty rates in the nation, New Mexico also has one of the highest percentages of adults who are illiterate and functionally illiterate.

 

Wednesday September 7, 2011

Some of Los Alamos National Laboratory’s most innovative scientists will explain and present their cutting-edge work to the public on Tuesday, September 13, 2011, during LANL’s third annual LDRD Day. LDRD stands for Laboratory-directed research and development

The event is scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Buffalo Thunder Resort near Pojoaque, NM. The event is free and open to the public, and provides an opportunity for people to see some of the most exciting research currently under way at the Laboratory.

This year’s LDRD Day  will feature nearly 50 poster presentations on subjects ranging from “Nuclear Physics as a Video Game” to “Painting with Matter Waves.” Four research focus areas will be represented: Energy Security, Global Security, Nuclear Security, and Scientific Discovery. The LDRD Program invests some 6 percent of the Laboratory’s annual budget to fund potentially high-payoff research related to the Laboratory’s central mission. LDRD allows LANL to invest in research that could help realize long-term scientific goals beneficial to the nation

 

Tuesday September 6th, 2011
Lawmakers return to Santa Fe Today for the start of a special session. It’s primary purpose is to solve the redistricting problems. The Governor has added other items to the agenda.    Gov. Susana Martinez is pushing for a repeal of the law that allows illegal immigrants to obtain New Mexico driver's licenses.

The governor also wants a bill that could retain up to 12,000 third-graders who do not read proficiently. Most of those kids now are advanced to the next grade because their parents can overrule a school staff that suggests holding them back.

Martinez is asking the Legislature to approve a bill banning fireworks under extreme drought conditions

We will be getting updates from our representative Jim Hall.

 

Friday September 2nd, 2011
The large Cowles Pond in upper Pecos Canyon will be closed to the public beginning Wednesday, September 7 in efforts to improve fish habitat and increase angling success.

During the improvement process, the fish will be removed from the large pond then the pond will be drained and dredged.

The small pond will remain open until October 1, at which point the entire Cowles Ponds fishing area will be closed due to dredging operations on the large pond.

“The purpose for the closures is for safety reasons while the improvement project takes place,” said Bruce Hill, spokesperson for the Santa Fe National Forest. “The large pond will eventually be restocked and reopened, but on a date yet to be determined.”

The small pond is available for fishing only to children 11 years or younger and individuals with disabilities. The improvement project on the large pond will provide enhanced fishing opportunities and a better winter survival rate for fish.

To learn more about the Cowles Ponds Improvement Project, call the Pecos/Las Vegas Ranger District at (505)757-6121.

 

Thursday September 1st, 2011
Today is  the opening day of seasons for deer, elk and a variety of small-game species. Hunters will be taking to the woods and fields across New Mexico

September seasons for deer and elk are for hunters using bows and arrows who were successful in the public-land license drawings or have authorization to hunt on private land. Most deer and elk seasons for hunters using muzzle loaders and high-powered rifles are scheduled in October and November.

Hunting seasons for doves, blue grouse, band-tailed pigeons and squirrels also opened Thursday in many areas of the state. Licenses for those species are available at Department of Game and Fish offices and vendors statewide.

The Department of Game and Fish urges all hunters to stress safety while in the field, especially during archery seasons when hunters commonly are dressed in camouflage. Hikers, bikers and others using the back country during hunting seasons are encouraged to wear bright clothing so they are easily visible to hunters.

For more information about New Mexico’s hunting opportunities and rules, please visit

www.wildlife.state.nm.us

The Española Ranger District, Santa Fe National Forest reminds hunters in Unit 6c that the Forest south of Abiquiu Grant to the Santa Clara Pueblo Reservation will remain closed during hunting season. The Polvadera Peak area, a popular spot for hunting, is included in this closure. Other portions of Unit 6c are open for hunting

 

Wednesday August 31st, 2011

New Mexico State Parks Division invites schools and teachers to apply for transportation grants to take school children to state parks during the 2011/2012 school year. This is the sixth year of the Kids ‘n Parks Transportation Grants, a component of the highly successful New Mexico Outdoor Classroom Program. Applications are due by Sept. 23.

“This program is key to connecting New Mexico students to the great resources we have in our State Parks,” said State Parks Director Tommy Mutz.

Through the Outdoor Classroom Program, State Parks has formed lasting partnerships with schools and teachers to provide teachers with consistent program planning support and to evaluate the long-term benefits of the Outdoor Classroom Program. Previous grant recipients are encouraged to apply again, as well as teachers at other grade levels from those same schools. State Parks is also seeking first-time applicants who are willing to make a commitment to participate in the Outdoor Classroom Program. The application is available online at www.nmparks.com.

Outdoor Classroom Program trips must be to a New Mexico state park; a list of parks is available at www.nmparks.com. The applicant must be a teacher or representative of a public or public-charter school within a New Mexico school district. The field trip must correlate to classroom study, meet one or more performance standards and be completed by the end of the 2011/12 school year.

The transportation grant program is part of the Kids ‘n Parks program, which is funded in part by a check-off option on the annual New Mexico Personal Income Tax form (PIT-D) that permits taxpayers to make a voluntary contribution from their tax refund to the Outdoor Classroom Program. The voluntary check-off program increases outdoor educational programs without raising taxes or visitor fees.

 

Tuesday August 30th, 2011

At their Council meeting on August 23, 2011, the County Council passed a resolution calling for a general obligation (G.O.) bond election to be held on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011 for the public to vote on issuance of up to $3.0 million in bonds for a New Leisure Pool building addition to the Larry Walkup Aquatic Center in Los Alamos.

Ballots will be mailed out the week of October 17, 2011.

Anyone interested in voting in the election must be registered to vote by Oct. 12, 2011.

The total project cost to complete the design and construct the pool is $6.1 million, with the balance of the project coming from other  County funds.

The County currently has no General .Obligation bond debt.   A General .Obligation bond is financed through an increase in property taxes.   The new leisure pool will increase your property taxes.

If the G.O. debt is structured with a 10 year term, then the property tax impact would be around 1 mil, or approximately $100 per year for a home with a full market value of $300,000.  If the G.O. debt is structured with a 20 year term, then the property tax impact would approximately 0.5 mil or $50 per year

 

Monday August 29th, 2011

Application of Open Graded Friction Course (OGFC) continues on Diamond Monday and Tuesday followed by the first coat of roadway markings. Expect lane closures, delays, and detours at side street intersections. Work will begin after 8:30 a.m. and will occur on the opposite side of the road from the peak flow. When OGFC is applied past an intersection there will be a 20 to 25 minute delay for that side street intersection. Again, flaggers and Police Officers will be on-hand to redirect traffic. After the OGFC has cured, roadway striping and markings will be placed with lane closures.

OGFC is the final layer of asphalt applied to the road. It is a 5/8” thick application that provides a smooth and quieter riding surface that also allows water to drain, reducing potential for hydroplaning. Application of OGFC is a relatively quick process. It is imperative that motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians stay out of the work zones as the OGFC material is hot, very sticky, and will adhere to and stain most surfaces. Please pay attention to advance traffic control signs and obey flaggers and police officers directions. The work zones will be opened as soon as the material cools enough for traffic. Progress is relatively quick; however, any rain will likely delay the progress.

Your cooperation, patience, and planning for additional travel time is greatly appreciated.



Friday August 26th, 2011

On Saturday & Sunday, August 27 & 28, County Public Works Pavement’s micro-surfacing contractor will be taking advantage of the Diamond Drive Open Graded Friction Course work zones when possible and will be micro-surfacing Canyon Road from Diamond Drive to Oppenheimer. Additional micro-surfacing will occur on NM502 between the east boundary of the airport and East Gate Drive, and on Knecht Street between Trinity and Central. Expect lane closures and possible delays. When work is occurring on Canyon, please use Trinity as an alternate route. The Canyon Road micro-surfacing schedule will work around weekend church services and planned activities. Recommended access to Trinity on the Hill Episcopal Church during Canyon Road micro-surfacing is from Trinity to 39th Street.

These roads are scheduled for two applications of micro-surfacing, which is a relatively quick pavement preservation process that includes the application of a thin layer of emulsified asphalt and 3/8” aggregate. Once applied, each application takes approximately 1-2 hours to dry, depending on ambient temperatures. Work will occur between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. and should be completed within two days. This work is weather dependant and may be delayed in case of rain.  

Please avoid the work zones until traffic control is removed as the product will stick to or stain most surfaces.

 

Thursday August 25th, 2011

The Los Alamos County Council, Los Alamos National Laboratory and NNSA will hold a special community event in downtown Los Alamos to say “thank you” to all who helped during the June and July Las Conchas Wildfire. The governor is expected to attend and will be on stage with the County Council, LANL Director Charles McMillan, NNSA Los Alamos Site Manager Kevin Smith, and other special guests. They will take part in a Thank You program that begins at 4:30. Los Alamos Fire Chief Doug Tucker, Police Chief Wayne Torpy and Type 1 Team Commander Corbin Newsome will honored with special plaques during the program. Live music will begin at 4:00 and information booths about fire recovery activities and post fire and flood updates from Bandelier and the Valles Caldera will be set up at the park, along with a fire photo poster display hosted by LANL and the County in the lobby of the nearby Justice Center. Local food vendors and restaurants will supply free refreshments, and the County will hand out free commemorative give-aways (bandanas, pins, magnets) while they last. The Historical Museum will be hosting an audio booth to capture interviews and stories with those who want to stop by and share their memories of the fire.

Los Alamos National Laboratory Director and Los Alamos National Security, LLC President CharlieMcMillan will present checks totaling $57,934 to businesses from Los Alamos, Española, and Santa Fe that provided goods and services during the Las Conchas Fire at the “Los Alamos Says Thanks” community event

PARKING: Since parking will likely be congested downtown during the event due to the large number of attendees from the townsite and across Northern NM, Atomic City Transit will be running free shuttle service from the vacant Trinity Site parking lot (east edge of town just past the Y where Main Hill Road turns into Trinity Drive, across from Mari Mac Plaza) to Ashley Pond Park. Bus service begins at 3:30 and ends at 6:30.

STREET/LOT CLOSURES: Central Avenue will be closed from approximately 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. – the closure will occur from 20th Street to near the entrance to the Justice Center (near Oppenheimer). The 20th street parking lot at the corner of Trinity Drive will be open for parking but is expected to fill quickly. The library lot just north of the park will be closed to allow for vendor and special guest parking. Media attending the event are urged to be in place early if they wish to use the 20th street lot. Traffic is expected to be congested on Trinity, Central and Canyon on Thursday afternoon.

 

Wednesday August 24th, 2011

The suspect in a homicide that occurred in a mobile home park off airport road yesterday was located and the five year old child, who was taken by the suspect, is safe.

At about 12:00am this morning, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office patrol officers made

contact with the suspect vehicle, a 1997 Green Ford Expedition, in the Buckman area of Santa Fe County. Lt Adan Mendoza stated “Sheriff’s investigators and patrol officers were working on investigative leads that the suspect may be in the Buckman area”.

After making contact with the suspect vehicle, patrol Deputies engaged in a short pursuit of the vehicle that ended in a small parking lot off of Santa Fe County Road 56, where the suspect barricaded himself and the small child in the vehicle. The suspect began to wave a firearm out the window of the vehicle. Patrol Officers from the Sheriff’s Office, Santa Fe City Police and New Mexico State Police set up a perimeter around the vehicle, and negotiations began. Sheriff’s Office and Santa Fe City Police Department SWAT teams were summoned to the scene. After approximately four hours of negotiations, the suspect agreed to release his son, Cesar. Immediately after the release of the child the suspect turned a firearm on himself. The suspect succumbed on scene to a self inflicted gunshot wound. No shots were fired by police during the incident. The child was not harmed during the incident.

 

Tuesday August 23rd, 2011

There was a police  helicopter circulating  Los Alamos today starting at about 11am. 

It is an operation out of the Santa Fe Sherriff  Department looking for the homicide suspect Jose Soto who killed his ex girlfriend in Santa Fe last night and took their 5-year-old son Cesar Soto who is considered a missing, endangered person. 

Soto is believed to be driving a mostly green 1997 Ford Expedition, bearing NM license plate, KAX-140. The vehicle has a red hood, red fender and red door. The multi-colored, easily recognizable nature of Soto’s vehicle has prompted the Santa Fe Sherriff Department to employ the use of helicopter to further their search.

 Soto should be considered armed and dangerous.

The Santa Fe sheriff’s department is following leads from him making phone calls and tips from other persons that he may be headed north toward Colorado. 

If you have any information about where the two are, you are asked to call 911 or the Sheriff’s Department at 505-428-3720.

 

Monday August 22nd, 2011

Yesterday we had quite a rainstorm in the afternoon. Over 2 inches of rain fell on parts of the Las Conchas burn scar.   It  caused flooding along state highway 501 from just south of  the Emergency Operations Center to water canyon.

Water canyon flooded across the road removing the  section of guard rail/concrete blocks on the East side of the road.  The roadbed did not have any apparent structural damage although there was a large amount of erosion on the east side of the road where the water had cascaded over road  into the streambed below.   There were several  small canyons  along 501  which had flooded across the road leaving mud, rocks, sticks,  and pine needles in the road.  Los Alamos Canyon did not appear to flood.  

It closed highway 30 to Espanola  for a period of time.

It flooded the Dixon apple orchard, and  did major damage .

The rain began in the upper Frijoles Canyon area in early afternoon and fell heavily for nearly two hours.  About 5:40 PM, the creek began to rise in the Visitor Center area, and within about a minute was roaring through the picnic and parking areas, black with ash and carrying logs and rocks.  A log diverted water, which rolled several large concrete barriers and broke the steel cable holding them.  The flow made it as far as the restroom wall, carrying away several hundred sandbags.  Within ten minutes the flood had begun to subside.  Rainfall gauges showed the total for the storm was 1.26 inches in upper Frijoles and 2.74 inches at Ponderosa Campground.

 

Friday August 19th 2011

Former CNN anchorman and science correspondent Miles O’Brien  hosted an invitation-only movie premier event at 6 p.m. on Thursday, August 18 at the Bradbury Science Museum.    O’Brien introduced a new 15-minute video that chronicles the work at Los Alamos to assure the safety, security, and effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear deterrent, a program widely known as “stockpile stewardship.” He discussed the importance of explaining the lab’s technical mission.   He  introduced the stockpile stewardship movie, “Heritage of Science,” for which he is narrator.  The  movie includes historical documentation of past events surrounding the creation of the atom bomb and continues through a historical timeline of policies and events  that shaped  the  Laboratory’s  current  nuclear stewardship mission. The laboratory director Charles McMillian is interviewed and Division managers explain current stewardship of the nuclear stockpile.  The experiments and computer verifications now used to certify nuclear weapons are explained in high definition animation flowcharts of visual excellence.

 

Thursday August 18th, 2011

As a result of the increasing number of students in our schools with serious food allergies, the Los Alamos School Board this summer adopted a policy on Anaphylaxis Prevention. It can be found on their website (laschools.net) for your review.

Some students suffer severe allergic reactions to the presence of nuts or other food

products even without eating them, but simply from exposure to the smell of a particular

allergen. This allergy can be fatal. We ask that you assist us in providing a safe school

environment for all our students by reminding your son or daughter that in general eating in classrooms and on the bus will not be allowed this year. Exceptions can be made by teachers with administrator approval for special classroom events when necessary precautions are taken to prevent exposure to students affected by food allergies. In all situations, particularly with young children, sharing or trading of food is prohibited for safety reasons. At the high school students will continue to be allowed to eat between classes in hallways, outside, or in areas specifically designated for food preparation or consumption.

Please notify the school principal or school nurse if your son or daughter has a food

allergy. Even with our best efforts, staff and parents/guardians need to be aware that it is not possible to achieve a completely allergen-free environment. However, we hope to create a safe environment for all our students as we take reasonable precautions to reduce the risk of a student having an anaphylactic reaction as we minimize the presence of allergens in our schools. If you have questions about this new policy, please contact your school principal or school nurse.

 

Wednesday August 17th, 2011

Public Regulation Commissioner Jerome Block Jr. says he fighting an addiction to prescription drugs but plans to remain in the regulatory job despite calls for his resignation over allegations of misuse of taxpayer money.

Block disclosed the addiction after a Tuesday meeting of the Public Regulation Commission.

Block said he is getting treatment but "it's a daily battle." According to the New Mexican Block acknowledged an addiction to oxycodone, the active ingredient in OxyContin  ,He declined to provide other details of his addiction. Block is under investigation for possible abuse of a state-issued gasoline card and the state Court of Appeals has reinstated charges against him for misuse of campaign money from his 2008 race.

State Democratic Party chairman Javier Gonzales, Republican Gov. Susana Martinez and PRC members have called for his resignation.

 As for removing Block before his term is up, the only options appear to be legislative or judicial. A felony conviction could trigger his removal. The New Mexico Supreme Court removed former commissioner Carol Sloan last year after her conviction of a felony battery charge. Block faces felony criminal charges in connection with spending of public campaign funds.

Lawmakers have been researching how to impeach Block since early last week..  No elected official has ever been successfully impeached in the history of New Mexico.

 

Tuesday August 16th, 2011

Kimberly Thomas, director of Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Science and Technology Base Programs Office, has become the first Los Alamos researcher to be named a Fellow of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

At LANL, Thomas has received the Outstanding Mentoring Award for her tireless efforts in fostering career development of women at the Laboratory. She is a sponsor of and advocate for the annual Expanding Your Horizons conference—a science, technology, math, and engineering exploration event designed for middle-school-age girls. In her role as Science and Technology Base Program Director, Thomas oversees LANL’s student and postdoctoral programs, and teacher enhancement programs, where she is committed to ensuring a positive experience for students at the Laboratory.

With 33 years of service at the Laboratory, Thomas has excelled in myriad research and management positions, including weapons radiochemical diagnostics, isotope separation, waste transmutation and nuclear waste management, environmental chemistry, study of nuclear reactions, and many other disciplines. She served as LANL’s program manager on Hanford Waste Tanks characterization, leader of LANL’s role in the Yucca Mountain Project, and numerous leadership roles in the Laboratory’s Chemistry Division.

 

Monday August 15th, 2011

The first day of school for Los Alamos Public Schools is today Monday August 15.

Remember the slow speed school zones will be operating and patrolled to ensure the safety of the
returning children.

Elementary schools’ start time will be 8:20 and end at 3:20 pm. Elementary Schools will
continue to release students early on Wednesdays. To help students transition back into
school, elementary students will be released early on August 15th and 16th. And the 17 is a ½
day . By August 18th students will be back in school full time. Middle and elementary school
bus schedules will stay the same.

high school Students can look forward to an earlier start and end time to their school day.
The students’ instructional day will begin at 7:50 AM, which is twenty minutes earlier than
last year. Regularly scheduled classes for students will end at 2:35 with an optional academic
or enrichment period to follow from 2:40 till 3:10. During that time, students will have the
opportunity to participate in club meetings, enrichment activities and Tier II interventions that
high school staff is calling “academic assistance” time.
The earlier dismissal time will work well for students that work after school. In addition, the
earlier dismissal should reduce the amount of time student/athletes miss when traveling to
away games.
The change in the start and end schedule at the high school does not change bus schedules. Nor
does the change in bell schedule impact the A and B schedules which meet on alternate days. The
changes to the bell schedule allow new flexibility to the school day while continuing to comply
with the number of hours needed to constitute a school day and year.

Friday August 12th, 2011

Here’s a construction update on Sullivan field. It has been grated and the drainage rock
is currently being placed. The artificial turf is suppose to be installed beginning today,
though at 10:30 the turf had yet to be applied. The goal is to have it ready to play on for
the Soccer Tournament that starts September 2. Mesa Field will be converted back into a
field for practice and track events.

The Griffith Gym remodel is

Adding storage to outside of building, remodeling the locker room, enlarging the concession
stand, rebuilding the ticket booth, adding a spirit store, replacing lobby glass, and adding heat
to the lobby. Target date for
Temporary occupancy for locker room and storage space, Aug. 15th. Final occupancy by Aug.
22

Los Alamos Middle School Classroom Replacement is in design at 50% Design Development.
The next design meeting will be at Los Alamos Middle School Aug. 17, 3:30pm in the teacher’s
lounge. There will be a community meeting in conjunction with Back to School night on August
30, 5:30pm. Construction is slated to begin June 2012 and be complete August 2013.

They are replacing the steps in front of Mountain School. They are on schedule to be
completed before Monday.

Thursday August 11th, 2011

Parks for the People is a culminating project of Designing the Parks—a public-
private partnership to promote well-designed public parks in America.

A nationwide competition focused on “breathing new life into America’s most
spectacular public places” selected the Valles Caldera National Preserve (VCNP)
to represent the Inter-Mountain Region. There are seven regions total.

The competition pairs student and faculty teams with park administrators to design
model solutions which can be developed as paradigms that can strengthen sites.
The first stage of the competition begins this fall when faculty organize research
teams and begin an investigation into one of seven sites around the nation as the
focus of their studio proposal.

After stage one, teams will submit proposals for a studio class based on each of the
respective sites they studied. One proposal will be selected from each of the seven
regions and will participate in a spring semester design studio for the final stage of the
competition.

The competition and selection come at an ideal time for the Valles Caldera National
Perserve because the Valles Caldera Trust is currently considering several alternatives
for visitor facility development and public access to the Preserve.

The progress of the competition can be followed by visiting the Designing the Parks
website at www.designingtheparks.org.

Wednesday August 10th, 2011

The talented young singers and technicians of The Santa Fe Opera’s Apprentice
Programs are busily preparing for two evenings of Apprentice Scenes on August 14 and
21. The singers will star in scenes from a variety of popular operas and musicals. The
technicians will design and execute the fully staged and costumed scenes from wig-
making to scenery construction.
The program on August 14 includes scenes from The Cunning Little Vixen, The Ghosts
of Versailles, Summer and Smoke, Semele, Carmen, Idomeneo, Porgy and Bess, and The
Italian Girl in Algiers. The performance takes place on the main stage of The Santa Fe
Opera at 8:00 PM.
39 singers were selected from a record 1,560 applications and 73 technicians were
chosen from more than 700 applications to participate in the 2011 Apprentice Programs..
The apprentice singers make up the chorus for the five operas, appear in supporting roles,
and serve as understudies for principal roles. Technicians get hands-on experience in set,
costume and prop construction, and serving as the running crew for the operas.
The Apprentice Programs cost approximately $1.5 million annually.
Reserved seating prices for the Apprentice Scenes are $21 for adults and $7 for children
ages 6 to 17. They may be purchased at The Santa Fe Opera Box Office or by calling 505
986 5900 or 800 280 4654.

Tuesday August 9th, 2011

The 13th Annual Outstanding Innovation Technology Transfer Awards reception
honored Laboratory inventors of patented, licensed, and copyrighted technologies for
their important role in transferring science and technology from Los Alamos National
Laboratory to industry. The awards reception took place on August 4, 2010 at Fuller
Lodge in downtown Los Alamos.
The commercialization of technolo-gies developed at the Lab helps to strengthen U.S.
economic security by creating jobs and enhancing U.S. industrial competitiveness.
The distinguished patent award honors inventors whose patented invention exhibits
significant technical advance, adaptability to public use, and noteworthy value to the
mission of the Lab. This year’s winners are James Werner, Peter Goodwin, and Andrew
Shreve of the LANL Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies for their patent on an
apparatus and method that achieves three-dimensional imaging at nanometer resolution.
The distinguished licensing award honors innovators who proactively engage in
commercialization activities at the Lab . Dipen Sinha of the Materials Physics and
Applications Division wins the award this year. His several decades of work in acoustic
technologies has been applied in numerous application areas, ranging from biomedicine
to oil and gas exploration. Sinha’s dedication to this field of research has resulted in
six commercial license agreements, 11 collaborative projects, three sponsored research
agreements, three user facility agreements, and, 18 U.S. patents thus far.


Monday August 8th, 2011

This morning was the Back to school breakfast at the Middle School. There were many
presentations including the recognition of the teacher of the year Sharon Allen and years
of service awards. Joy Handsberry, Rob Hipwood, Rose Martin, John Reeves, Karen
Trifall, Audrey Washburn and Loraine Walin were recognized for 20 years of service.
Anthony Archulaste, Laura Gallimore, Gary Hofelt, Judy McKempkin, and Tamy Sidell
were honored for 25 years of service. Jose Martinez has been employed for 35 years at
the Los Alamos Public Schools. That is years of dedication.

The keynote speaker was Consuello Castillo Kickbush, a motivational speaker
Superintendent Schmidt has worked with for many years. Her discussion was on the
human spirit and many great things can happen when given the opportunity. Public
education gives that opportunity to children regardless of economic or social status. This
is what makes the American dream and as educators this dream cannot BE ALLOWED
TO SLIP AWAY.

Saturday August 6th, 2011

The Bandelier National Monument has reopened although the visitor center remains closed.
Most fire restrictions have been lifted, and campfires are allowed at Juniper Campground.
Areas presently open include the Tsankawi section, near White Rock; Juniper Campground
near the park entrance; the Tyuonyi Overlook Trail, which begins in Juniper Campground; and
the Burnt Mesa Trail, about 4 miles west of the park entrance on Hwy 4. No fees are being
charged for visiting the park, except for camping. There are programs at the juniper campground
AMPHITHEATER and evening walks through Tsankawi. For more information check the website
nps.gov/band.

The Valles Caldera National Preserve has reopened with the exception of the burned areas
and the fishing. There is hiking and sightseeing tours available. Check their website
vallescaldera.gov for the details.

Friday August 5th, 2011

.The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Defense Programs today announced
the recipients of the Defense Programs’ Employee of the Quarter Awards. Recipients of the awards are
recognized for going beyond the call of duty in supporting the mission of NNSA’s Defense Programs.

The selection of the recipients is determined at each site following its own specific criteria. The
recipients of NNSA Defense Programs’ Employee of the Quarter Awards for Los Alamos are as follows:

Char les H. Keiler s, Los Alamos Site Office, is recognized for his performance during the Los
Conchas Fire as the Emergency Manager for Los Alamos National Laboratory Emergency Operations
Center (EOC). He provided exceptional coordination with Headquarters, maintained a strong linkage with
the state EOC, delivered detailed hazard briefs to political leaders, and oversaw operational awareness
efforts.

J ames S. Nar um, Los Alamos National Laboratory, is recognized for his work in support of Los
Alamos National Laboratory’s Technical Area 55 (TA-55) Plutonium Facility 4 (PF-4) seismic upgrades
have been exemplary. He is assigned the responsibility of lead project engineer for the design work on
several of the sub-projects to address seismic concerns identified in the TA-55, PF-4 SAFER analysis.

Thursday August 4th, 2011

Jason Lott, Superintendent of Bandelier National Monument announced
today, “Bandelier National Monument is open for business and visitors are
rediscovering mesa-top areas of the park. The Monument has relaxed most
fire restrictions and visitors may also enjoy campfires at Juniper
Campground.” In addition to the Tsankawi District, visitors may hike
along the Tyuonyi Overlook Trail to view the Frijoles Canyon cultural
sites, and along Burnt Mesa Trail to see the rapid greening-up of an area
affected by the Las Conchas Fire.

Rangers and park volunteers are roving Bandelier’s open trails and staffing
the visitor contact station at the Tsankawi District. Ranger-led programs for
visitors have also begun at the Monument, including evening programs at the
Juniper Campground Amphitheater on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.
On Wednesday and Thursday evenings next week, ranger-led Evening Walks

will take place at Tsankawi at 6:30 p.m., by reservation. For Evening Walk
reservations, visitors should leave a message and telephone contact information
at 505-672-3861, ext. 517.

Wednesday August 3rd, 2011

Held at the Laboratory’s Technical Area 49, the event challenges participants to respond to
simulated hazardous materials emergencies involving a rail car, a clandestine laboratory,
transportation and industrial piping scenarios, simulated chemical releases, and a confined
space incident,. The finale of the Hazmat Challenge is an obstacle course; teams are graded
and earn points based on their response skills.

The Laboratory began the Hazmat Challenge in 1996 as a way to hone the skills of its own
hazmat team members. The competition offers an invaluable training opportunity for other
New Mexico and regional hazardous materials response teams. The winning team takes
possession a travelling trophy, and the top three teams receive permanent trophies.

Tuesday August 2nd, 2011

After 36 long days, firefighters have fully contained the Las Conchas Fire, the largest wildland fire
in New Mexico's recorded history.
Ignited on June 26, the Las Conchas Fire burned over 156,593 acres, primarily on the Santa Fe
National Forest and parts of the Valles Caldera National Preserve, Bandelier National Monument,
Pueblos of Jemez, Santa Clara, Cochiti and Santo Domingo, and private lands. Numerous
communities were threatened during the incident.
During the past month, four National Incident Management Teams coordinated thousands of
firefighters and numerous helicopters, engines, tenders, and dozers to bring the wildfire under
containment. no members of the public or any emergency responders were seriously injured
during the fire suppression efforts
The focus now shifts to stabilizing the land and resource impacts within the burned area. BAER
teams have already assessed the Las Conchas Fire area and identified treatments that will
stabilize soils, and reestablish plant cover by seeding and mulching certain parts of the burned
area. In addition, repairs to roads, culverts, and drainage channels will also be applied to protect
life, property, and downstream values that may be at risk from flooding and debris flows.
With the increase in monsoon moisture, the Santa Fe National Forest lifted fire restrictions for
portions of the Forest and Valles Caldera National Preserve The Las Conchas and Pacheco Fire
areas will remain in Stage III Fire Closure, while the Jemez Ranger District, portions of the Cuba
Ranger District, and the Valles Caldera will implement Stage I Fire Restrictions

Monday August 1st, 2011

The Las Conchas fire is 99% contained. Suppression and fire rehabilitation activities
on the Santa Fe National Forest, Valles Caldera National Preserve, Bandelier National
Monument and Cochiti and Jemez Pueblos are near completion. Suppression of active
fire in the Chicoma Mountain area is essentially complete. Patrol, mop up, chipping of
brush and trees, and restoration of hand lines and dozer lines is still in progress within
the burned area. Firefighting resources excess to our needs continue to be released. The
BAER Implementation Team continues applying burned area emergency treatments in
the Las Conchas fire area.

Road work continues today on FR 268 and 289. Yesterday, construction of two trash
racks, designed to capture large, woody flood debris, was completed along FR 289.
Along with blading and drainage construction, crews are felling trees along drainage
channels and placing them strategically in an attempt to facilitate water flow for the
future. Cultural assessments still continue throughout the burned area. The Peralta Bridge
on Trail 140 was removed and stored in a safe location for future reinstallation. Also,
hazard tree removal and seeding took place on Pajarito Mountain yesterday.

Friday July 29th, 2011

The Las Conchas fire is now 98% contained, but some suppression work remains. Suppression
of active fire in the Chicoma Mountain area continues. Chipping of brush and trees, and
restoration of hand lines and dozer lines is still in progress. The Las Conchas Burned Area
Emergency Response (BAER) Implementation Team continues treatments in the Las Conchas
fire area within the Santa Fe National Forest, Valles Caldera National Preserve, and Bandelier
National Monument.

Yesterday, minor flooding from a thunderstorm along Valles Caldera Road (VCR) 13 destroyed
some road repairs completed by the Gila NF road crew, and washed out a culvert. The Santa Fe
NF road crew completed 2.5 miles of repair on Forest Road (FR) 289, while the Cibola NF road
crew bladed and cleaned culverts on 1.5 miles of FR 268. Road repairs will continue today.
Yesterday the Channel Group began construction of a Barksdale trash collector. This effort
will continue today. Directional felling of trees was employed again to protect cultural sites
yesterday, and is likely to continue today, weather permitting.

The Santa Fe National Forest issued a partial lifting of fire restrictions yesterday, which will
take effect Saturday, July 30. The Las Conchas Fire and Pacheco Fire areas will remain in Stage
III closure. The Jemez Ranger District and part of the Cuba Ranger District, as well as the Valles
Caldera National Preserve will be under Stage I fire restrictions. For additional information
about closures, call the Santa Fe NF (505-438-5300) or (866) 382-5537 for the Valles Caldera.
Santa Fe National Forest officials also are evaluating the hazards and risks on those forest
roads accessing private property within the burned area to determine which roads may be
reopened and when. That risk and safety assessment is currently underway and may be
completed within the next several days.

Thursday July 28th, 2011

Computational tools developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory to help ensure the reliability of
the nation’s nuclear weapons deterrent in the absence of testing are helping industry giants ensure the
reliability of their manufacturing processes.

These specialized computer codes are now available to U.S. industry as part of President Barack
Obama’s recently announced advanced manufacturing initiative, designed to help make American
companies more competitive and create new jobs.

Under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement, LANL and Procter & Gamble have
been collaborating for about two decades to incorporate computational technologies developed
for national security into cutting-edge tools for advanced manufacturing. Among results of the
collaboration, Los Alamos researchers and P&G engineers enlisted computer codes developed to
model the flow, transport, and interaction of fluids and particles to help design a more efficient
diaper manufacturing process. Further collaboration using Los Alamos statistical modeling tools
led to creation of a comprehensive system, called Reliability Technology, that helped P&G reduce
interruptions to production lines—saving the company billions of dollars in the process.

Wednesday July 27th, 2011
The Council has selected Prothman Company to be the executive search firm to assist them in their search for a new County Administrator, a position that has been temporarily filled by Randy Autio, the County's Attorney, since December 2010. The schedule for the recruitment process is:

The KRSN Newsblog

August 7 - Job applications close

August 12 - County receives applications from Prothman for distribution to the Council for review

August 23 - First Closed Session with Council to review applications and choose semi-finalists for Prothman interviews

Sept 6 - Second Closed Session with Council to review results of Prothman interviews and choose finalists for Final Interviews

Sept 22 - Reception for the Public to meet the top finalists (5:00 p.m., Pajarito Rm of Fuller Lodge)

Sept 23 - All day interviews for the finalists with Council (closed to public)

A placeholder for selection has been set for the Council meeting agenda on Tuesday, September 27, when the Council could formally announce the successful candidate. Approval of a contract for the new County Administrator, which is an appointed position that serves at the pleasure of the Council, must be conducted at a regular Council session. The date for the final contract approval is TBD. Watch this webpage for updates as new information becomes available!

Tuesday July 26th, 2011
The Southwestern Region of the Forest Service is working with federal, state, and local agency partners to host two Fire and Flood Recovery workshops, which will provide communities affected by fires and floods with a forum to learn about available funding and technical assistance opportunities. The workshop will be held Tuesday, July 26 at Buffalo Thunder and is  open to individual homeowners, business owners, community leaders, and affected tribes. There will be an identical afternoon (2:00 - 4:30 p.m.) and evening session (6:00 - 8:30 p.m).

The workshops will begin with a brief overview of the fire season, immediate efforts underway to stabilize burned areas and protect communities from floods, and the long-term needs for restoration. The remainder will be an open house format where attendees can meet with agency representatives who have information on assistance programs 

Monday July 25th, 2011
Los Alamos National Laboratory employees pledged a record $272,000 during the 2011 Los Alamos Employees’ Scholarship Fund drive. The drive encourages LANL employees, retirees, and subcontract personnel to donate to a fund that awards college scholarships to Northern New Mexico students. Further, more employees donated to the fund this year than in past years.

Los Alamos National Security, LLC, which manages and operates the Laboratory, will match employee contributions to the scholarship fund up to $250,000.

Scholarships are awarded on the basis of grade-point average, test scores, diversity, financial need, academic rigor, leadership, and community involvement. Funds pledged during this year’s drive will be used to award scholarships in 2012.

The Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation manages the scholarship program. Since the LAESF program began in 1998, Laboratory employees have donated more than $2 million to the fund. All told, more than 600 scholarships have been awarded, including 67 this year.

 

All trails on the Los Alamos County Trail Network on County land are open as of 6 AM on July 20, 2011. At Bandelier National Monument, the Tsankawi area, the Overlook Trail at Juniper Campground, and the Burnt Mesa Trail are open. All other trails are closed.

Note: all trails in the Santa Fe National Forest and on Department of Energy land remain closed. This includes:

Mitchell Trail north of the intersection with the Perimeter Trail near 45th and Arizona. Perimeter Trail from the switchbacks below Pipeline Road near the north side of Quemazon Communities to the gasline cut above Ridgeway. The Perimeter Trail behind Arizona Avenue from the Mitchell Trail to Upper Guaje Road behind the cemetery. Rendija Canyon including the Rendija and Upper Rendija Trails. Pajarito Trail and Cabra Loop near the Sportsman's Club. Quemazon Trail above the Nature Trail Loop. Trails near Camp May and the Pajarito Ski Area. All trails on the west side of West Jemez Road (Pajarito Canyon, Nail, Cañon de Valle, Perimeter, and Water Canyon trails). Devaney-Longmire, Hidden Canyon, and Deadmans trails

 

Friday July 22nd, 2011
All trails on the Los Alamos County Trail Network on County land are open as of 6 AM. At Bandelier National Monument, the Tsankawi area, the Overlook Trail at Juniper Campground, and the Burnt Mesa Trail are open. All other trails are closed.

All trails in the Santa Fe National Forest and on Department of Energy land remain closed. This includes:

Mitchell Trail, Perimeter Trail, Rendija Canyon including the Rendija and Upper Rendija Trails, Pajarito Trail and Cabra Loop, Quemazon Trail, Trails near Camp May and the Pajarito Ski Area, All trails on the west side of West Jemez Road, Devaney-Longmire, Hidden Canyon, and Deadmans trails

The closure of these trails are due to the numerous risks in a post-burn forest. Weakened or partially burned trees could fall at any time without advance warning. Some trees’ roots may have been burned, resulting in yet another increase in the risk of falling trees.

 After the burning of these roots, rocks that may have been held in place by said roots could become loose, causing footing to become unsteady. These factors, among others, will all pose risks in the coming future, and may cause these closures to continue for an uncertain duration of time.

 

Thursday July 21st, 2011
Los Alamos National Laboratory began working with Imagine Education in 2010 through its economic development initiative, Northern New Mexico Connect. The company received expert coaching and market research assistance from Northern New Mexico Connect, as well as support from LANL master of business administration interns. Imagine Education has earned a half-million-dollar Next Generation Learning Challenges grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. The $500,000 grant resulted in part from financial and other assistance previously provided by Los Alamos National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Security.

Imagine Education has endeavored to remake the way middle-school math is taught through its first-of-its-kind, story-based, online math game, called Ko’s Journey. Scott Laidlaw and partner Jennifer Harris founded Imagine Education to address the fact that students have trouble with math because it is typically taught in abstract terms with no relevance to daily life. The game was initially piloted at the Roots & Wings Community School in Questa, New Mexico, where—sponsored by Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Community Programs Office—it increased math proficiency from 28 percent to 80 percent.

 

Wednesday July 20th, 2011
The Las Conchas fire is now

Size: 156,590 acres Percent Contained: 75%

During the coming days, firefighters will continue to closely monitor the fire and mop up

hot spots as they are detected. Fireline restoration operations are in progress to help

prevent excessive erosion on dozer lines and handlines, and cold line is being mopped

up 300 fee into the burned area. Three wildland fire modules have accepted

responsibility for management on the north end of the fire. They will remain in place to

assist with fireline mop up and to monitor isolated interior fire activity in the vicinities of

Pajarito Ski Area, Chicoma Mountain, and in the headwaters of Santa Clara Creek. Each

module consists of seven to ten highly skilled firefighters with enough gear to work as an

independent unit.

LOS ALAMOS, NM – Los Alamos Department of Public Utilities’ electric line crew spent the evening and early morning trouble shooting two underground power outages– One that began late Tuesday evening and the other early Wednesday morning.

Tuesday evening’s power outage began around 10 and affected 40 to 50 customers at the Loma Vista Apartments and a small section of Oppenheimer.  Crews restored power at 8:30 Wednesday morning by running a temporary line above ground to the area.  Linemen are still investigating the root cause so that permanent repairs may be conducted and the temporary line removed.

Early Wednesday morning, around 3, Canyon Road residences between Manhattan Loop and Rim Road lost power due to an underground fault.  Crews were able to restore power to the majority of customers by 6 a.m. and anticipate the remaining six customers will be restored by 10 a.m. 

 

Tuesday July 19th, 2011
San Ildefonso met with a Team Tribal Liaison and Forest Service personnel to discuss the BAER process. Of concern for the Pueblo was the seed mix the Santa Fe National Forest planned to use on the watershed above the Pueblo. They request to be part of the consultation process to help select an appropriate seed mix, which will help them plan on managing seeds that may be washed downstream onto the Pueblo. Long term ecological rehabilitation and high flow rates on cultural sites were also of concern.

Watershed specialists visited Cochiti Pueblo to assess the upper portion of the golf course yesterday and found small tributaries that will need additional treatment specifications written for.

Wildlife specialists visited Nambe to evaluate Rio Grand Cutthroat habitat yesterday and found some ash was sloughing into the creek, but was not of significant concern. The specialists will meet with Santa Clara Pueblo today to discuss additional wildlife items. The Fish and Wildlife Service will provide the Jemez Salamander habitat data layer.

The Las Conchas North BAER group expects to have written assessments finished by July 21. Agency closeout meetings are tentatively scheduled to take place with the Bureau of Indian Affairs Northern and Southern Pueblo Agencies Monday, July 25.

 

Burned Area Emergency Response Team-South Zone completed their initial assessments of the Las Conchas Fire and have scheduled three public meetings to discuss their findings and recommendations:

Wednesday, July 20th 6 p.m. in Los Alamos at Mountain Elementary School,

Thursday, July 21st-6 p.m. in Cochiti Lake at the Cochiti Lake Community Center,

Friday, July 22nd-6 p.m. in Jemez Springs, at the Madonna Center.

 

Monday July 18th, 2011
Albuquerque, NM — The Southwestern Region of the Forest Service is working with federal, state, and local agency partners to host two Fire and Flood Recovery workshops, which will provide communities affected by fires and floods with a forum to learn about available funding and technical assistance opportunities. The workshops will be held Tuesday, July 26 in Santa Fe and Thursday, July 28 in Ruidoso and are open to individual homeowners, business owners, community leaders, and affected tribes.

“I know fires and floods have or will affect many in our state, and it can be very difficult to navigate the various assistance programs,” stated Regional Forester Corbin Newman. “I’m very pleased USDA agencies as well as representatives from other federal, state, and local agencies can offer this opportunity for our communities to learn what programs are available to them,” he added.

New Mexico received 2 percent or less of normal precipitation for the first 6 months of the year. The record dry conditions were accompanied by higher than normal temperatures, sustained high winds through May and June, and extremely low relative humidity readings – all contributing to extremely volatile fire potential. Large fires began with the White and Last Chance Fires on the Lincoln National Forest and the Miller Fire on the Gila National Forest—all in April. In May, we saw the Mayhill Fire on the Lincoln, followed in June by a portion of the Wallow Fire and the Pacheco and Las Conchas Fires on the Santa Fe National Forest. Now, many areas of the state are receiving monsoonal moisture, which can and will bring floods and other impacts to burned areas and surrounding communities.

The workshops will begin with a brief overview of the fire season, immediate efforts underway to stabilize burned areas and protect communities from floods, and the long-term needs for restoration. The remainder will be an open house format where attendees can meet with agency representatives who have information on assistance programs. Information will be available on topics such as rehabilitation efforts; grazing; livestock and agriculture; watershed and forest restoration; community infrastructure; small business assistance; and housing and insurance. There will be an identical afternoon (2:00 – 4:30 p.m.) and evening session (6:00 – 8:30 p.m.) at each location.

Among the representatives at the workshops will be the Forest Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Rural Development, Farm Service Agency, FEMA, Army Corps of Engineers, New Mexico State Forestry, New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and other agency partners.

 

Friday July 15th, 2011
Las  Conchas update.

Size: 150,041 acres

Percent Contained: 61% There is a large amount of smoke being generated on the southwest edge of the Las Conchas Fire today. This is from a burnout operation which is going as planned.

Yesterday evening starting about 6 p.m., fire personnel lit a 400-foot-wide strip of vegetation on the east side of Forest Road (FR) 266, west of Ruiz Peak. Approximately two miles of roadside were ignited.

Last night's burnout is slowly climbing up the hill while the edge of the wildfire is continuing to back its way downslope from Peralta Ridge. In most areas, the fire is an underburn, consuming ground vegetation but sparing trees and larger vegetation. The expectation is that the two fires will merge.

The area expected to be burned by these two fire fronts is about 2,000 acres. The burnout operation will help firefighters secure this section of the fire perimeter, making the fire much less likely to escape its "box".

The backing fire is generating a large plume of smoke, especially when the fire reaches areas with heavier amounts of fuel. Atmospheric conditions are restricting smoke dispersal. Smoke is highly visible from Jemez, La Cueva, and Cochiti.

Fire personnel, including aerial resources, are closely monitoring the burnout operation. The fire is staying within the containment line along FR 266. The field Operations Chief stated, "The burning operation is going well, with a good understory burn, good black line established, and all within the lines as planned."

Additional burnout operations are expected later this evening and over the next few days, as weather and fuel conditions allow. The goal is to secure this section of the fireline, greatly reducing the risk of the Las Conchas Fire making another run.

 

Thursday July 14th, 2011
Two Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Teams arrived on the Los Conchas Fire soon after the fire broke out to evaluate the after effects of the fire. Their primary mission is to assess potential threats to life, property and critical cultural and natural resources. The two teams have divided the fire, into North and South Zones

On Tuesday, watershed specialists and a Dam Safety Specialist visited Santa Clara Canyon to assess the stability of Santa Clara's most western dam. Initial assessments indicate there could be a dam failure due to the hardening coat being removed and not replaced after damage from previous wildfires. Five fence lines were cut and removed at creek crossings to allow debris to flow freely without causing additional damages to streambeds. All concrete barriers at the Santa Clara Pueblo have been placed, and by Friday, all sandbagging efforts should be completed.

At Jemez, the vegetation specialist examined mixed stands of Pinion Juniper, Ponderosas Pine and Doug Fir and found low burn mortality, which indicate higher soil stabilization. Due to active fire, the specialists had limited access to do further assessments.

 Soil specialists continued documenting water-repellant soil in critical watersheds above Cochiti Pueblo and Los Alamos. Other soil scientists calculated expected erosion rates to predict the amount of sediment likely to be transported from major watersheds. BAER hydrologists evaluated forest roads in the southern Jemez Mountains for post-fire stability.. Members of the team also met with the County of Los Alamos, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the State Engineer's Office to assist in developing a path forward for handling post-fire floods at the Los Alamos Reservoir.

The Las Conchas South BAER group expects to have their initial assessments and recommendations for treatments completed by Monday, July 18

 

Wednesday July 13th, 2011
All parts of the North Zone are now primarily in mop-up and patrol status. Minor fire activity, mainly creeping and smoldering, was observed yesterday on the east side of the fire, south of Los Alamos. Light rain on the fire area helped with mop-up.

Although some fire resources are being released as their assignments are completed, many will stay on this incident. A significant amount of fireline rehabilitation work still needs to be completed. Weather for tomorrow and the rest of this week is expected to be warmer and drier.

Residual fuels burning within the fire perimeter may continue to produce smoke that is visible from nearby communities.

The Los Alamos County Information Technology Division is working on a design and business model to install a broadband/fiber optic network which would provide enhanced internet, television and telephone services for residential and business access. The County commissioned this study in order to measure the percept