SantaFe.com

Carl Turner “was a renaissance man if ever there was such a person in New Mexico,” said Rodger Beimer, who worked with Turner in the 1980s. “He appreciated this state and really loved the people.”

Turner, 87, died Saturday after a yearlong fight with prostate cancer.

Turner served as the first executive manager of the New Mexico Rural Electric Cooperative Association in Santa Fe for exactly 29 years, from one April Fools’ Day in 1960 until another in 1989.

He was pivotal in the creation of the Cumbres and Toltec Sce-nic Railroad. The train runs between Colorado and New Mexico and captures...

Wednesday, August 27, 2008
by Phil Parker • Journal Santa Fe

Santa Fe Water Division Director Gary Martinez went before the City Council Public Works Committee on Monday night to further explain the need for a nearly 7 percent water rate increase each year over the next seven years.

He was met with some suppor t and even more skepticism.

“I’ve been very critical of this,” Councilor Ronald Trujillo said. “It’s affecting the community. There are some people who are here on fixed incomes, and we’re seeing almost a 50 percent increase in just a matter of seven years.”

The money will mostly be used to help cover the cost of the planned Buckman Direct...

Tuesday, August 26, 2008
by Phil Parker • Journal Santa Fe

About 30 volunteers turned out Wednesday to help renovate the Dennis Carrillo Field in Pecos. Thanks to their help, and a $5,000 award from Ace Hardware, Pecos youth baseball players won’t have to navigate through weeds in the outfield next season or slide into home plate on gravel.

“I didn’t like it ’cause of all the weeds,” said Orlando Vigil, a third baseman and outfielder. “You’d fall and land in an ant pile.”

Issac Valencia, an infielder and pitcher, was helping Vigil and other teammates shovel soil conditioner onto the dirt. He’s had his own rough encounters with the field.

Thursday, August 14, 2008
by Phil Parker • Journal Santa Fe

About 95 people packed into the library at Capshaw Middle School on Wednesday to hear about the proposed development of 20 acres around the Zia Road station for the Rail Runner Express commuter train.

There was some uproar about how prairie dogs would be affected, but residents of the area were armed mostly with questions pertaining to two aspects of the plan: parking and traffic.

“I have major concerns about the density of traffic,” local resident Jeff Campbell said. “There’s a very limited amount of space around Zia, and traffic is already backed up. ... This (the development) is insane....

Thursday, August 14, 2008
by Phil Parker • Journal Santa Fe

The Santa Fe Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to rejoin the North Central Regional Transit District. Now it’s up to the voters to approve a 0.125 percent gross receipts tax in November, with the money funding Rail Runner operations.

“Let’s educate the public and get this tax passed,” commissioner Mike Anaya said after the procession of “Yays” (and one abstention by commissioner Jack Sullivan).

Santa Fe County rejoins Los Alamos, and Rio Arriba County, area pueblos and other local jurisdictions in the NCRTD, which runs public transit service throughout northern New Mexico.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008
by Phil Parker • Journal Santa Fe

Members of the Santa Fe City Council’s Finance Committee had tough questions Monday night for a representative from Redflex Traffic Systems, the largest red light-camera company in the world. But the committee voted unanimously to send the proposal to the full council, meaning Santa Fe is one step closer to cameras going up at busy intersections.

Redf lex’s Darren Kolack f lew through a presentation packed with stats and demonstrations. The crux of his argument: For no upfront capital investment, Redflex’s systems can change the city’s driving habits, making the streets safer and...

Tuesday, August 5, 2008
by Phil Parker • Journal Santa Fe

After the Summer Olympics in Athens in 2004, Josh West told the Journal, “I was totally shattered and totally disappointed and a complete wreck.”

West, who was born and raised in Santa Fe and attended Santa Fe Prep, was a member of Great Britain’s eight-man rowing team, which finished a disappointing ninth in the Olympics.

He laughed this week when reminded of the quote. After that summer, West said, he took more than six months off from the sport.

He found that he missed it.

“I got back into it and really enjoyed it,” he said. “I took the attitude that as long I’m really enjoying myself,...

Saturday, July 26, 2008 at 12:00 PM
by Phil Parker • Journal Santa Fe

Florence Jaramillo arrived at her historic restaurant, Rancho de Chimayó, in time to see flames more than 20 feet tall pluming off the building’s south side.

But the 19th-century hacienda of the restaurant — a landmark with a national reputation for its northern New Mexican cuisine and original Chimayó Cocktail — was saved. Damage was contained to the kitchen.

Rancho de Chimayó has been a restaurant for 43 years, and Jaramillo has worked there for all of them. The building itself has been in her family since it was built, which she said was in 1865, although some sources cite other dates...

Saturday, July 12, 2008
by Phil Parker • Journal Santa Fe

Pajarito Mountain ski area plans to be making snow by winter 2009-10. “We’re fullspeed ahead,” said Tom Long, general manager of Pajarito Mountain, the last ski area in New Mexico without snowmaking equipment.

The mountain is coming off its second-straight season of consistent snow conditions. Over the previous eight winters, however, spotty snowfall brought financial strain. For four of those eight seasons, Pajarito was open for less than a week or not at all.

“That’s probably our biggest motivator (for snowmaking),” Long said. “You have this facility that’s sitting here, and this...

Saturday, July 12, 2008
by Phil Parker • Journal Santa Fe

At Heron Lake this week, a baby piñon jay stood perched at the tallest point of a juniper plant, about 10 feet high. It bobbled awkwardly, spreading its wings before retracting them in a flash.

It was trying to learn how to fly.

“His dad’s around here somewhere watching him,” said Siscily Lederman, who has worked for Heron Lake State Park for three years.

The task looked arduous, though not when compared to the ospreys who also spend their summers by the lake. Lederman watched the jay through binoculars, then turned around, craned her neck and fixed on an osprey nest. At the same time as...

Saturday, July 12, 2008
by Phil Parker • Journal Santa Fe