In a tough economy, it's nice to see the Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) pitching in to help. Tomorrow, more than 100 PNM employees will help 50 low-income seniors make their homes a little more energy efficient.
Each year for more than two decades, the PNM Community Crew has visited the homes of low-income seniors to help prepare them for winter heating months by weather stripping, installing plastic over windows, caulking and much more. This year, however, the Community Crew is helping weatherize before the hot summer months arrive. PRC Commissioner Jason Marks will jump in and help between 1pm and 2pm. Join him at 2724 Solano Dr. NE (near Menaul and Carlisle).
“Now that we are an electric-only company, it makes sense that we help community members save on their summer cooling bills, when electric usage is highest,” said Pat Vincent-Collawn, PNM President and CEO. PNM employees will add weather stripping, door sweeps, and other weatherization measures, as well as replace incandescent bulbs with energy- and money-wise CFL bulbs. PNM works with the City of Albuquerque’s Department of Senior Affairs to identify elderly community members who need assistance.
“This is by far the most popular volunteer activity among our employees,” said Vincent-Collawn. “It’s so rewarding for us to help reduce bills and improve efficiency for community members who need it the most.”
PNM remember it's name has the word Service in it. Now they're helping out the community's less fortunate.
On a warm spring afternoon in Albuquerque the 2010 NM Gubernatorial campaign heated up.
Former GOP Party Chairman Allen Weh told reporters he's seriously thinking about running and has formed an exploratory committee.
On Tuesday, at his CSI Aviation company offices in the North Valley, Weh was joined by his wife and daughters, local business leaders and former elected officials including former Secretary of the Interior and 10-term Congressman Manual Lujan.
This will be Weh's first run for public office. Weh was elected to lead New Mexico Republicans in 2004 but chose not to seek another four-year term last fall.
Republican Greg Zanetti, a Brigadier General in the New Mexico National Guard, also has an exploratory committee, a campaign website and a You-Tube video channel, but has not declared officially that he's running. Former U.S. Representative Heather Wilson, who lost to Steve Pearce in the U.S. Senator Primary to former Rep. Steve Pearce, has also been considering a run for governor in 2010.
In 2006, former Republican Party Chairman John Dendahl ran against incumbent Governor Bill Richardson and lost handily.
Weh says he has the business experience necessary to become the state's next governor. He promised to run a non-partisan race and told us he'll even reach out to democrats, that he said are "fed up" with fiscal irresponsibility by politicians on both sides of the aisle.
A freshly printed campaign sign, mounted on Weh's podium, promoted the theme of his campaign "Think Different." Weh says he understands the republicans will have a lot of ground to make up after losing statewide in 2008.
The only republican to hold a state office is Land Commissioner Pat Lyons and he is term-limited out of office in 2010.
Weh says he won't adopt political campaign contribution limits passed by lawmakers in Santa Fe this winter and signed by the governor. They do not take effect until 2011. Lt. Governor Diane Denish (who is running for governor) already has already collected more than $2-million dollars, but democrat Senator Michael Sanchez told me in April that if he jumps into the democratic primary he's considering adopting them for the 2010 race.
Weh says he's planning to tour the state and determine the level of support he'll have if he jumps into the race. Weh told the crowd he hopes to know in about two months.
Blogger NMFBIHop LP got Democratic Party Chairman Brian Colon's reaction to Weh's entry. Read it here.
UPDATED 12:21AM
After our original blog post we received this news release from Weh's campaign which includes quotes from the news conference and some biographical background.
Actor Dennis Hopper received the key to the Town of Taos from Taos Mayor Darren Cordova. (Photo: Geraint Smith)
On Monday, Taos, New Mexico Mayor Darren Cordova proclaimed America’s favorite boomer Actor/Artist Dennis Hopper the Honorary Mayor of Taos. Hopper returned to Taos for the 2009 Taos Summer of Love(May 4 through September 30.) forty years after the release of his film Easy Rider to curate two art shows at the Harwood Museum of Art.
“Dennis Hopper has been a Taos fixture since the 1960s. He paved the way for independent filmmaking with the release of Easy Rider in 1969 – and has been an acclaimed visual artist pre-dating his film career. It’s an honor to recognize him for his contributions not only to our community, but the entire country, by having him as our honorary Taos ambassador this summer,” said Mayor Cordova.
Easy Rider marked a new direction for film -- and then, as now, mirrors not only the beauty of Taos, but its spirit. Taos has been a draw for travelers for over 1,000 years, and today sees nearly 2 million visitors annually ride away from their daily lives to explore the authentic in Taos.
Hopper at the Harwood:
To mark his years in Taos, his long-time friendships, and the 40th anniversary of the release of Easy Rider, The Harwood Museum of Art, in conjunction with Taos’ “Summer of Love” celebrations, presents “Hopper at the Harwood,” opening May 9th, featuring two exhibitions: one focusing on his work, “Selected Photographs and Paintings” and the other, “Forty Years of Friendship: LA to Taos,” a curatorial expression with the work of Larry Bell, Ron Cooper, Ronald Davis, Ken Price and Robert Dean Stockwell.
The SF Chronical ran this AP on Hopper's art shows on Monday..
Department of Health Reports First Confirmed H1N1 Influenza Case. Case is 18-year-old Valencia County Male Who Has Recovered
(Santa Fe) – The New Mexico Department of Health Department announced today that New Mexico has its first confirmed H1N1 influenza case. The Department of Health received confirmation from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this afternoon on New Mexico's first probable case in an 18-year-old male from Valencia County. CDC also reported that the 1-year-old male from Santa Fe County did not have H1N1 flu.
The Department is investigating seven new probable cases for a total of 14 probable cases and one confirmed case in New Mexico. The new cases are in Eddy, Hidalgo and Luna counties. The Department does not have any information yet on the condition of the new probable cases. The previously reported cases are all recovering or recovered. All cases range in age from 5 to 39 and are located in six counties.
Total probable cases in New Mexico: * New probable cases
Bernalillo 27-year-old male Recovering
Eddy County 17-year-old female 22-year-old female *24-year-old female *7-year-old male *39-year-old (gender unknown) Recovering Recovering Unknown Unknown Unknown
Hidalgo County 17-year-old male *15-year-old female *9-year-old male *5-year-old female Recovering Unknown Unknown Unknown
Luna County *11-year-old female Unknown
Socorro County 14-year-old female 15-year-old male Recovering Recovered
Valencia County 15-year-old female Recovered.
The Department is investigating all cases to determine how patients may have gotten sick and find others who may have been exposed to H1N1. The Department does not have information yet about how the probable cases may have gotten sick. The investigation into all cases is ongoing. The Scientific Lab has tested 113 patient samples so far. The Department expects to receive information from the CDC on the probable cases in Socorro County next week.
"Our Scientific Laboratory is working through the weekend to test samples and be ready to confirm H1N1 influenza cases next week without sending samples to CDC," said Health Secretary Alfredo Vigil, MD. "Our Epidemiology and Response Division is also working every day to learn information about the probable cases to try to prevent anyone else from getting sick."
The Department has 140,000 treatment courses of anti-virals in New Mexico so far. The Department expects 210,000 additional anti-virals from the CDC. The Department will give anti-virals first to sick patients who need treatment. Many people who get sick will not need anti-virals.
H1N1 flu symptoms include fever (above 100) and sore throat or cough. If sick, people should stay home and call their health care provider. "The best precautions you can take are washing your hands frequently, staying home if you are sick and covering your cough with a tissue or your arm," Dr. Vigil said.
For general questions about H1N1 flu, call the state's H1N1 Influenza Hotline at 1-866-850-5893. People who have symptoms may call the Nurse Advice New Mexico at 1-877-725-2552. The Department also set up a specific hotline for callers who speak Spanish: 1-800-784-0394.
Last week we got into the Reelz Channel Grand Opening on the ABQ Studio lot at Mesa Del Sol.
Lots of VIPs attended the event including film critic and "Secret's Out" host Leonard Maltin. He was joined by Hubbard Media CEO and Studio Chief Stanley E. Hubbard, Lt. Governor Diane Denish, Mayor Martin Chavez, Lisa Stout from the NM Film Office and Ann Lerner from the the City of Albuquerque's film office, plus all the local employees hired to work on the lot.
Listen to our audio interview with Leonard Maltin, recorded the morning after he taped the first episode of his show "Secret's Out" on the new set in ABQ. Maltin says the studios are operating "lean and mean", but everything is going well.
By the way, if you haven't tuned in the ReelzChannel yet it's now available in Albuquerque on Comcast (Channel 161). Hubbard told us Reelz' You-Tube channel got more than 95 million unique hits last year.
Maltin told the crowd he was initially "skeptical" about Albuquerque becoming a film hub and home for Reelz. He says Reelz is building it's audience with enthusiastic people who live and work in Albuquerque.
Lt. Governor Diane Denish welcomed ReelzChannel as the state's first television network and recognized the importance of the network's move to Albuquerque as another milestone in the state's pursuit to make New Mexico a destination for the movie and television industry and a real economic development opportunity.
ReelzChannel held a successful job fair in January and has filled most of their positions with local talent just three months after our administration announced that we had lured the network to New Mexico. I am excited by the variety and quality of jobs ReelzChannel has created and expect numerous local businesses will benefit from the network's presence
Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez added:
We are thrilled to welcome ReelzChannel to New Mexico and to celebrate this historic event. We set out to make our city a world-class entertainment hub, and of all the networks to bring to New Mexico, it is particularly fitting that the first one is a TV network about movies.
Hubbard explained the reasoning behind the bold move from Los Angeles and the Twin Cities to Albuquerque, adding:
Hubbard Broadcasting was already familiar with the business-friendly climate of New Mexico as we have been operating KOB-TV for over 50 years. But when we saw what was going on here in the entertainment industry, we knew that it would be a great fit for ReelzChannel, as well. With the level of support and the warm welcome we have received here, we are now even more convinced that this is the right move for us.
Leonard Matlin talked about the network's appeal to movie fans and his passion for the "hidden gems" he highlights each week, including some of his favorite movies shot in New Mexico. ReelzChannel's other on-air talent hosted tours of the network's state-of-the-art, all-digital studios and facilities for media and film industry guests.
The Reelz Channel headquarters marks the first time that the programming, production, web development, affiliate relations, creative services, marketing and communications divisions will operate from a single location, facilitating ultimate production and operations flexibility. The streamlined operations also allow the network to operate all aspects of production and delivery in-house, including live broadcasts and post production.
While Maltin was in New Mexico he visited the Governor in Santa Fe.
On the lot we spoke with up and coming production employees Dan and Brian Gutierrez who got jobs after attending the ReelzChannel job fair in January.
They tell us they're having the time of their life.
In a tough economy, it's nice to see the Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) pitching in to help. Tomorrow, more than 100 PNM employees will help 50 low-income seniors make their homes a little more energy efficient.
