Memorial Day will be Observed Statewide with Numerous Ceremonies.

No matter where you live in New Mexico, there will be an event this weekend where you can go to observe Memorial Day--ranging from quaint small-town events to big parades.

Memorial Day is the day to honor and remember the men and women who’ve lost their lives while serving in the military. It falls on the last Monday in May and was first observed in 1865 to honor fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War, when it was known as “Decoration Day.”

It became commonly known as Memorial Day in 1882. But it took until 1967 before the U.S. Congress officially declared the day be known as Memorial Day.

To many Americans, it also signals the unofficial beginning of Summer, something which irritates many others like New Mexico Department of Veterans’ Services Cabinet Secretary John M. Garcia--who fear the true meaning of the day has now been lost.

“Memorial Day should be more than just the arrival of warm weather,” said Garcia. “I wish more people would also take time to remember to honor our fallen heroes who’ve paid the ultimate sacrifice. Freedom isn’t free. If it weren’t for them we wouldn’t be enjoying this three-day weekend and the freedoms we enjoy as Americans.”

Garcia will be serving as Grand Marshall at the “Fly Freedoms Flag” ceremony and parade this Saturday at Elephant Butte Lake State Park.

The presentation of flags begins at 10am, followed by a POW/MIA service. Secretary Garcia will then board the lead boat at noon for the parade, which will also feature the tossing of Memorial Wreaths into the water. Hundreds of boaters are expected to participate.

Listing of Memorial Day Activities Statewide:

Alamogordo (Monday)
10am ceremony at the Monte Vista cemetery.
1130am ceremony at the Catholic cemetery

Albuquerque (Monday)
10am Ceremony at Veterans’ Memorial Park. Theme is
“Honoring WWII Vets”
7pm Candlelight Vigil at Veterans’
Memorial Park

Angel Fire (Monday)
9am Ceremony
& Flag March to the Vietnam Memorial State Park

Carlsbad (Monday)
9am Parade & Ceremony at the Eddy County
Courthouse

Clovis (Monday)
10am Ceremony at Lawn
Haven Garden of Honor. “Fly-by” by Cannon AFB squad

Ft. Bayard (Monday)
10am Ceremony & Fly-over at the Ft. Bayard National
Cemetery

Ft. Stanton (Saturday)
11am Ceremony at
the Ft. Stanton National Cemetery

Gallup (Monday)
7am Sunrise Service at the Hillcrest
Cemetery
9am Ceremony & parade at the Hillcrest Cemetery. Parade
ends at Veterans’ Memorial Park

Hobbs (Monday)
9am Ceremony at the Prairie Haven
Cemetery

Las Cruces (Monday)
8am/4pm
Garrison Flag Raising/Lowering at Veterans’ Memorial
Park

Questa (Sunday)
1pm “Healing Field of Honor”
ceremony. Lt. Governor Denish and Treasurer James Lewis will attend

Weh Picks Journalist for Press Secretary

New Mexico businessman and Republican Allen Weh announced today that he has hired Christopher Sanchez as press secretary for his gubernatorial exploratory committee.

As a student, Sanchez served as the editor in chief of the New Mexico Daily Lobo, the independent newspaper at the University of New Mexico. Sanchez has written for several publications, including The Albuquerque Tribune, The Albuquerque Journal and The Denver Post. He is a recent graduate of the University of New Mexico where he served two years as president of the school’s Society of Professional Journalists and won a number of prizes for his journalistic work, including two Associated Press Managing Editors Awards.

“I am honored to work with Allen Weh as he explores a possible run for Governor in 2010,” Sanchez said. “New Mexicans will be voting for the candidate they feel will bring change to the Governor’s office. They will be looking for a leader who will put New Mexicans back to work without raising taxes, who will end corruption in state government, and who will stand up for our small businesses and our families. I believe that leader is Allen Weh.”

Sanchez said he looks forward to working with the committee and sharing Weh’s commitment to serving New Mexico.

“Christopher Sanchez will be a great asset to our team. He’s smart, he has great communication skills, and, as importantly, he shares my vision for making New Mexico a better place for the benefit of all the people,” Weh said.

Photo Credits: MG Bralley

Obama Visits Rio Rancho for Credit Card Town Hall.

President Barack Obama, who flew into Kirtland Air Force Base late last night, after a commencement speech at Arizona State University, is working his way to Rio Rancho High School's basketball gym where he'll host an hour-long Town Hall meeting around 10:15 this morning. About 2000 people have already packed the gym

We learned that Albuquerque's Chris Lardner will introduce the President. She and her husband, Scott, sent an email message to Obama complaining that as soon as they put their daughter's tuition on their credit card the company increased their interest rates to nearly 30% from 9.24%.

Lardner just told the crowd she expects to be treated fairly, and raising her interest rate to 30% was "ludicrous and wrong." She's hoping Obama and congress makes unethical tactics illegal.

Obama is expected to address the increase in consumer complaints against credit card companies. He's already asked congress to send him a Consumer Credit Card Bill of Rights measure that he can sign by Memorial Day.

Last week, the U.S. House of representatives passed a version. This week the Senate is debating the proposal.

Congress has been swamped by consumer complaints about excess fees, suddent interest rape increases, and hard to read contracts .

Lawmakers, like New Mexico Congressman Harry Teague say the time has come to provide tighter guidelines, and consumer protection in the form of a Credit Card Holder's Bill of Rights. Some groups are demanding a freeze on interest rates hikes.

One in five Americas are paying more than 20% interest on an average balance of $7,000 dollars.

The Senate's version does not have a interest rate cap, but would prohibit credit cards from increasing rates unless a customer falls 60 days behind in their payments. It also requires credit card companies to provide a billing statement at least 21 days before a payment is due.
Congress also wants to make it more difficult for the banks to provide cards to those under age 21.

The crowd here is chanting, "Obama, Obama," but he's running already twenty minutes late.

On a trip to Espanola last year, Obama stopped at the Range Cafe in Bernalillo and was more than 90 minutes late.

We just learned that CBS News is reporting the motorcade made a wrong turn and actually had to make a U-turn.

We've spent a day trying to determine how Rio Rancho was selected as the site for the town hall. Some political insiders have speculated that it was just part of a two-day western swing, others say it was a political calculation to boost Governor Bill Richardson's lagging approval ratings and to build a bigger democratic base in Rio Rancho.

One person told us it's because New Mexico has been so proactive in tightening guidelines on predatory lending.

Multiple Democratic officials have been spotted in the crowd including Lt. Governor Diane Denish, Secretary of State Mary Herrera, State Auditor Hector Balderas, and State Treasurer James Lewis. County democrats are also sitting in a special VIP section.

It's 10:30 and Obama has just begun speaking. He say's "it's always nice to get out of Washington for awhile."

Obama is introducing Bill Richardson, whom he calls one of the finest governors in the nation.

New Mexico's congressional delegation stayed in Washington. They are not attending the meeting.

Photo Credit: MG Bralley

HISPANICS URGING PRESIDENT TO CONSIDER CHAVEZ FOR HIGH COURT.

About three dozen prominent Hispanic New Mexicans want President Barack Obama to consider Santa Fe Native and NM Supreme Court Justice Edward Chavez for the U.S. Supreme Court.

Earlier this month, Justice David Souter announced he plans to retire at the end of the current court's term.

A UNM Law School graduate, Chavez has said court's "Cannot ration justice."

Chavez has been an advocate for government transparency and accountability.

In January, Chavez delivered this biennial State of the Judiciary to lawmakers.

He told lawmakers:

The budgetary challenges we face will foster a coalescence of the three branches of government around our shared mission to establish justice.

Michael Coleman with the Albuquerque Journal reports the letter to Obama was signed by Former New Mexico Governor Jerry Apodaca, State Senator Linda Lopez, Representatives Antonio Maestas and Eliseo Lee Alcon and UNM Law Professor Antonette Sedillo Lopez.

Hipanics, who make up 15% of the country's population, have urged Obama to pick a Hispanic for the court. Only about 4% of federal judges are Hispanic.

Other Hispanics mentioned as leading candidates for the court appointment include 54-year-old Sonia Sotomayor, a Bronx native of Puerto Rican descent, who has served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit since 1998.

In addition to Sotomayor, several other Hispanic jurists have been mentioned including Maria Rivera, who serves on the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit; Vanessa Ruiz, from the D.C. Court of Appeals; Martha Vasquez, from the US District Court in New Mexico; and Kim McLane Wardlaw, who serves on the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Chavez earned his undergraduate degree at Eastern New Mexico in 1978 and his law degree at UNM in 1981. Chavez later worked at the law school as an adjunct professor.

In his January 29th State of the Judicary Report, “Scarcity Clarifies our Mission to Establish Justice” Chavez spoke about access to the courts and speedy trials:

The human consequences of court delays should excite caution against rationing justice....It remains our solemn responsbility to accelerate the progress of a justic system that must be accessible, fair, impartial efficient and most importantly accountable to the people of New Mexico.

Chavez also outlined his view on the role of government.

Our Founding Fathers built afoundation for government by separating the legislative, executive, and judicial functions,and detailing their respective powers in the body of the Constitution. But after they penned those words, the Founding Fathers realized that they had left no written guarantees for the rights of private citizens. They had assumed that everyone who exercised the awesome powers of government would also recognize their responsibility.

Chavez' court bio says he was in private practice for 22 years and served on several community boards, including President of the Legal Aid Society in New Mexico and Chairman of UNM's Mental Health Center.

NM Supreme Court Considers Constitutionality of State's Death Penalty!

Today in Santa Fe, the New Mexico Supreme Court will hear arguments for and against the state's death penalty, despite the fact that Governor Bill Richardson signed a death penalty repeal measure in March.

Currently two men, Timothy Allen and Robert Fry are on death row in New Mexico. Several others could face trials and death penalty hearings because their crimes were committed before the repeal becomes law in July.

The governor has said he would not commute the sentences of the state's two death row inmates and at least two district attorneys have delayed trails against defendants whom they plan to seek the death penalty, including accused sheriff's deputy killer Michael Paul Astorga and 44-year-old William Watson, who's accused in a murder for hire case.

Both sides will have only 30 minutes to argue their complex interlocutory arguments in front of the Supreme Court justices.

Astorga's defense attorney Gary Mitchell, who we interviewed here, last November, is using the Capital Jury Project report, as the center piece of his argument against the death penalty.

He tells us the report unequivocally shows certain jurors make up their minds to sentence a suspect to death even before the suspect's guilt is determined.

Before today's hearing, Mitchell told us:

In death penalty cases it is extremely difficult if not impossible to obtain the type of jury that the U.S. Supreme Court ordered in Furman vs Georiga (1972).

Mitchell added:

It's virtually impossible to get beyond the arbriarty and capricious nature that we find in death cases. It isn't anything bad to say about people. It's such an emotional issue. We have yet to devise a system in this country, so we can have a death penalty, and at the same time avoid people's emotions and feelings and the arbitrary and capricious nature of it.

Mitchell believes state legislators, pursuant to the 8th Amendment to the Constitution, are the primary arbiter of whether or not the death penalty is cruel and unusual punishment, and when the repealed capital punishment it should apply to everyone even if there crime occurred before the law takes affect.

District Attorney Kari Brandenburg told us she disagrees. Brandenburg says legislators replaced the death penalty with life sentences without the possibility of parole, but that Astoraga would not face that because his crime occurred three years ago. She's concerned the Astorga could get the old life sentence which is only 30 years.

In a telephone interview Brandenburg said:

We were the first jurisdiction to cross examine the sociologists who completed the Capital Jury Projected. We poked a lot of holes in the findings because they don't relate to New Mexico's different cultural values and orientation.

Brandenburg told 770KKOB:

If you're attacking jurors in a death penalty case you're really attacking the jury system as a whole.

It's unclear how long it will take for the Supreme Court to rule on the constitutional questions. Brandenburg says if they make a quick decision Astorga could face trial this year.

Governor Opens Schott Solar - A Green Economy Initiative.

Updated 6:11pm (5/11/2009)

On Monday, a little more than a year after breaking ground at Mesa Del Sol, Schott Solar Manufacturing celebrated the company's grand opening. The state-of-the-art facility represents an initial investment of over $100 million in the Albuquerque area and the creation of 300 new jobs, growing to 350 by year’s end and to eventually as many as 1,500.

Governor Bill Richardson was there with a shovel to break ground and returned this morning for the opening of the company's flagship manufacturing site in the United States.

When I became Governor, I pledged that my administration would focus on developing new economic opportunities and aggressively recruiting high-tech, high-wage jobs to New Mexico.

Green collar jobs was just a buzz-word last year during the ground breaking ceremony, but has become a priority for the governor and the state's all blue congressional delegation.

Freshman congressman Martin Heinrich (D-NM1) also attended Schott's opening.

Today is symbolic of New Mexico’s growing appetite for innovative economic development. I welcome SCHOTT Solar to the First Congressional District. Its presence illustrates the potential we have to create clean energy jobs right here in Albuquerque and to lead the way nationally in alternative energy.

Watch Heinrich in his YouTube Channel video here.




The Schott opening follows a weekend environmental town hall meeting at UNM where about 100 conservationists, government officials and concerned citizens gathered at Central New Mexico Community College’s Smith-Brasher to discuss clean energy and the economy. Matt Reichbach at NMI has the details on the clean energy town hall meeting here.

At the opening this morning Governor Richardson added:

This SCHOTT Solar facility is one of our biggest successes. It is one of the most significant economic development projects in recent state history and is a tremendous boost to our fast-growing clean energy industry.

The governor has been talking about investing in companies that create green collar jobs for a couple of years. In March, Marjorie Childress with NMI reported that solar energy and green collar jobs were the big winners in the 2009 legislature. Read her report here.

More from a Schott company news release:

The new 200,000 square foot manufacturing plant will be one of SCHOTT Solar’s largest operations in the United States and will be the world’s first facility to produce both utility-scale solar photovoltaic modules and receiver tubes for concentrated solar plants.

SCHOTT is one of the largest solar equipment manufacturers in the world and operates in 41 countries with 16,800 employees worldwide. The company has been in operation for more than 120 years.

“Today is an extremely proud day for SCHOTT,” Dr. Udo Ungeheuer, Chairman of SCHOTT’s Board of Management, said. “With the inauguration of this facility, SCHOTT Solar is further demonstrating the company’s position as a global player in solar technology and our ongoing commitment to developing the North American market through strategic investment.”

Anticipating the need to increase production of its solar power technologies as the market for renewable energy in the United States grows; SCHOTT’s new site is designed to support expansion of both its photovoltaic module and solar receiver lines. Long term plans call for the building to expand to 800,000 square feet with employment reaching 1,500 at full production, representing a total investment of $500 million.

"This inauguration represents the cornerstone of the Governor's green economy initiative,” said Fred Mondragon, Cabinet Secretary of the New Mexico Economic Development Department. “The fact that Schott Solar, a world leader in solar photovoltaics, has chosen to locate in New Mexico speaks volumes about our commitment to renewable energy and the future."

PNM Employees Helping to Weatherize Homes for Summer.

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.

Photo Courtesy: DFNM

Audio Post: Weh Announces Exploratory Committee

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.

Listen to Weh's news conference remarks here.



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.

Photos: MG Bralley

Dennis Hopper Named Honorary Mayor of Taos

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 40^th 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 9^th, 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..

Personal Note: I handle tourism PR for Taos.

Go to www.taossummeroflove.com for more information.

Follow Taos year round on Twitter at http://twitter.com/taostourism.

Confirmed: NM Teen Recovers from Swine Flu

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 current information please consult, the CDC website at: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/ and http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/ or the NM Department of Health website at: http://nmhealth.org/FLU/seasonal/swine_flu.html.

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.

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