County Line

Workers acheived much for county in '07

By Don Leonard
Sandoval County Commission Chairman

Success of any business or public agency depends on its employees. 

From the top to the bottom of the county’s organizational chart, dedicated employees work hard on behalf of residents. During the past year, county employees have improved our infrastructure, senior centers, health and DWI programs, and fire and emergency response. They have refined measures to fairly and accurately assess property values and to closely tie land use and planning to water resources. County employees are innovative and efficient.

For the future, the county is moving forward on developing broadband technology to enhance services and provide opportunities for all county residents. Broadband communications will eliminate the technology gap between rural and urban communities and improve educational opportunities and access to health care. We’ve already achieved long-lasting successes in several areas, especially in developing applications for education and healthcare.

The county also is committed to desalination as a proven way of providing critically needed water supplies and easing demand on the Rio Grande Basin. The county’s first two deep-aquifer wells in the Rio Puerco Valley have identified a substantial supply of brackish water that, once purified, will provide the resources necessary to sustain our current population and future growth.     

Much like price tags at the corner gas station, property tax rates are one bottom-line measurement. In that regard, the county portion of tax bills has been very stable. While the county must collect taxes imposed by the state, cities and other entities – and, then, transfer those funds directly to the other taxing authorities – the county commission has not increased the county’s property tax mil rate since 1995.  

Instead of relying on tax increases to pay for increased and improved services, much of our success stems from partnerships we’ve formed with private enterprise and other governmental bodies. For the future, we will continue to seek new partners and alternative methods of funding county government. 

Another key priority is developing transportation alternatives and relieving the nightmarish traffic congestion we all confront, especially in southern Sandoval County.

The Railrunner light rail system that the county helped fund in 2005 has become an attractive alternative for many commuters. To help residents travel economically and efficiently within the county, the Sandoval Easy Express, or SEE, was launched in May 2007 with fixed-route bus service along the Jemez and I-25 corridors. SEE already has attracted more than 10,000 riders and service will be extended to the Cuba area in a matter of weeks.

The county is continuing work on the Northwest Loop west of Rio Rancho and Albuquerque as a key to easing traffic congestion in the metropolitan area.  The road will become a major transportation and economic development corridor connecting I-40 and I-25 via US550.  

And, to stimulate job growth, the county’s El Zócalo business development complex just recently opened in Bernalillo and will help spark business opportunities and job creation, especially in rural areas.

The county’s tourism and economic development functions moved into El Zócalo’s historic convent this fall. El Zócalo’s special event center just recently opened and already has become a popular meeting location for business groups and individuals.  Extensive restoration of the site’s largest structure, the two-story Salazar Building,  was completed just weeks ago and it, too, is now available to begin housing businesses that will spur job growth in 2008 and beyond. 

Questions or comments for Commissioner Leonard can be mailed to him in care of Sandoval County Administrative Offices, P.O. Box 40, Bernalillo, N.M., 87004.

Guest Editorial

Tragedy brings St. Pius together
 
By John Yarbrough

As a teenager, death is a topic for the elderly or the sick. We don’t concern our thoughts with these things for we live our lives as if time is endless. The word tragedy is only used when something doesn’t work out in our favor.  Living is for the young and dying is for the old.

When you live your short life with this mentality, fate is bound to have a great impact on you, and sometimes it hits the hardest when you least expect it. 

On December 7, 2007, I was in Old Town with three of my friends, just trying to keep occupied on a Friday night, when suddenly one of my friends got a call from one of her friends.

I remember how her face changed to almost a pale, frightened look when the person on the other end of the line told her the tragic news. We all stopped talking immediately and tried to listen to what was being said.

She told us that two of our classmates, Cameron Ringer and J.J. Hensley, had been involved in a terrible accident, they had been sent to UNM Hospital and were in intensive care. Later we got a call from the other girl’s father, who worked with the administration at St. Pius, telling us that Cameron had died.

We all stood there in shock because we had just seen him earlier at school. We didn’t know what to do and it seemed as if none of us had any emotion.

After some time we agreed that we should go to the hospital, since it was about a five minute drive from where we were. During the car ride, we tried to keep our spirits up by joking and listening to music. But it was an attempt to hide reality, for pain and suffering is never something that anyone wants to think about or even accept.

When we got to the hospital we started meeting others from our school who were there to show their support for Cameron.  There were about 15 students, some who were his good friends and others who had just went to show their support, in the cafeteria.

One of the girls I was with said there were other people were upstairs, so I went with her to the upper level were Cameron was in surgery. Apparently he had not died -- he flat-lined and was revived.

When we stepped out of the elevator, I saw nearly 100 people along every wall of the waiting room. They were saying prayers and formed a human chain by holding hands.

I sat next to a classmate of mine that I really didn’t get along with. But at that moment we put our differences aside, embraced and prayed for Cameron.

What I felt in that room is truly indescribable. All I could think about is how loved Cameron was to have all these people drop what they were previously doing to come to the hospital, pray and wait in a hospital on a Friday night.

It was truly moving.

Later everyone went downstairs and back into the cafeteria, where a very brave girl led everyone in a chaplet of the Divine Mercy, a typical prayer for the dying. Our faith was witnessed by everyone passing by and even some nurses stopped to pray with us.

As the clock turned to nearly 1 a.m., our school deacon asked us to go home because Cameron was as stable as possible for the moment. So I did and prayed that he might last through the night. 
 
The next morning, the news reported about the accident and that Cameron had passed away during the night. But this appeared to be untrue because Edline, a website that lets parents monitor school activities and their child’s grades, told us differently. It also said a Mass was planned at the school for Cameron and J.J. at noon.

When I arrived, it seemed as if the whole school was there. People were standing and every seat was filled.

The media seemed to take interest, for they had cameras set up and were interviewing people. During Mass, the priest compared Cameron’s mother to Mary, the mother of Jesus, because both had to witness the agony of their children. He told us to continue to offer prayers for Cameron and urged the girl’s basketball team to make every shot for Cameron that night.

After Mass I was standing around with some of my friends talking when the issue of crying came up. All of us of course tried to be as manly as possible during this situation but one by one we all said that we had done it at some point throughout the day or night.

You could see the pain in everyone’s eyes as we left. Like the night before, I was moved by the unity and compassion of the school and the care and support of the students and parents that came together in Cameron’s darkest hour.
 
Later that night, the skies cried with rain and it became very difficult to drive. The incident that happened the day before shook me and I began to fear the driving situation.  Nevertheless, I went to the girl’s basketball game to show not only my support for the school but also for Cameron, who was in fact on his way to a game when he got in the accident the night before.

When my friends and I entered the Eldorado High gym, we could immediately pick out which side was ours. The stands, like the Mass and the hospital, were packed with students cheering their team on.

In the middle of the second half, the deacon stood up and we said an “Our Father” for Cameron. Like other times, this gave witness to our faith in front of the other public schools that were there.

St. Pius beat Rio Rancho that night to win the tournament, and everyone was ecstatic – but it didn’t last. At the end of the game the deacon told students at the game that Cameron had died.

An immediate silence came over the crowd, followed by a terrifying gasp and cry all at once. I was standing at the time and the news immediately sat me down.

I hung my head and looked around at the obvious pain that surrounded me. I couldn’t help but share the pain as best I could but tried to stay supportive and strong for those that had broken down. I saw several people that had a reputation at school for being happy all the time in tears and I saw teachers fall to their knees.

It was quite a horrific sight.

The basketball coach told the students to “bring it in” like a basketball team would. The championship trophy was dedicated to Cameron. 
 
I left by myself later, for all my friends had gone outside before they heard the news.  When I walked to the parking lot I saw the same reaction that the people inside had. I could do nothing but walk to my car in silence.

Later that night, students met at the St. Pius gym to grieve and be with their own support groups of friends, family and people from school. I talked to my friends and offered my condolences to Cameron’s best friends.

I went home with one of my best friends that night. We discussed life and how Cameron’s death impacted our lives and how it made us consider our own mortality.
 
Monday, the first day of school after the accident, was the hardest for everyone. The halls that are generally noisy were silent and people walked as if they were under a spell.  It was quite possibly the eeriest thing that I had experienced the entire weekend.

The students had gotten the word out for everyone to wear t-shirts for Cameron and it was followed more than the dress code. The teachers and the administration allowed grieving to take place in the library and for the students to be excused from class if they did not feel ready for a regular school day.

There was a school-wide Mass. Cameron’s parents came, as did J.J., who was recovering and in a wheel chair.

The thing that really touched me was all the parents and former students who attended.  It seemed that Cameron mattered, but so did the school community that they had left behind. You could tell they still felt like a part of the St. Pius family. 
 
I felt compelled to write this not so much in memory of Cameron but as a tribute to my school and all those that came together. Teenagers live life on the edge and tend to be reckless because we think nothing of death, but this experience really reshaped my perspective and I hope it reshapes yours.

A school which was never really that close came together when we lost a member of our family. The support and love shown by everyone demonstrates not only our love for our classmate but also for our school, our Catholic faith and each other.

Cameron was a great guy and will always be missed, but I think that he would agree with me that the most important thing that can be learned from this situation is how to love each other and put our differences aside to accomplish a common goal. I am proud that my school came together in just that way.

I hope I have shown St. Pius for what it truly is rather than how others might stereotype us. It is amazing what kind of impact one life can have, but even more amazing is that when tragedy hit us we responded as strong and united as ever. 
 
Editor’s note: John Yarbrough, a senior at St. Pius, lives in Corrales.

Letters to
the Editor

(Letters to the Editor policy is at the end of this column.)

12,13,07.

Editor's note: The following two letters were submitted several days ago  but were not printed previously due to technical difficulties. In the case of the first letter, it has been edited slightly to reflect the current status of the issue. The SCORE apologies to the authors and all parties involved for the delay.

Editor:

On Wednesday, Dec. 12, the Rio Rancho city council addressed an ordinance to prevent tractor trailers parking on residential streets in the city.

In a recent edition of the local bi-weekly newspaper, a regular contributor waxed poetic on the very topic of "tractor trailers on residential streets.” He stated, "Truckers are not the backbone of the food industry or military haulings, nor are they any longer the Knights of the Highway."

Hmm. I wonder how many miles he has driven in a big rig?

Much of my professional career experience has been working in and around the food industry for more than 40 years. My forte was distribution logistics, handling multi-billion dollar companies with million-square foot buildings, fleets of more than 200 power units, 350 trailers, 200 drivers and 30 mechanics in full-service garages. I have logged over 500,000 miles myself on U.S. highways in a big rig. I helped to design the national Commercial Driver License (CDL) rules and tests.

Now some facts, not conjecture:

1. Today the food industry hauls 91% of its goods by truck (SuperMarket News, 2006).

2. More than 82% of all goods we see, sit or stand on, plus what we wear and eat, is delivered by trucks (National Trucking Association, 2006).

3. The interstate highway was started by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in the '50s to be able to move military goods and personnel quickly across the USA. It was completed for the very same purposes and continues to do so to this day.

4. The "Knights of the Highway" are, in fact, the truckers of America. It's the toughest job going, next to coal mining. Over the road drivers are out five to six weeks, then home for a few days to reacquaint themselves with their families, then gone again.

To say "these trucks will decrease the value of someone’s house" is really quite funny. The average cost of a tractor today is more than the cost of most homes in this city, to the tune of $150,000 to $500,000. Each of the 16 tractors in the Karl Malone fleet out of Salt Lake City is valued at over $1 million each.

To the council: Why do we wish to restrict less than 1 percent of our residents on a discriminatory parking ordinance when we do not even control ordinances now on the books for other vehicles? Currently in the three sections of Rivers Edge, there are more than 30 motor homes, junk cars/trucks, junk boats and trailers of all sizes sitting on the streets or in plain view of the streets, with no code enforcers correcting these violations. Let's enforce the standing ordinances before we fill the books with discriminatory ones.

Stand up citizens. The council will have a second reading on the ordinance in January. Go to the meeting and voice your comments.
  
 
Alonzo F. “Lonnie” Clayton
Rio Rancho

Editor’s note: Mr. Clayton is a  former city councilor in District 6.

Reader: Criticism
of councilor unfair

Editor:

I was very irate at the comments made by Todd Hathorne (regarding the Sports Complex bond vote).

How dare Mr. Hathorne assume that the vote in any way conveyed a lack of voter confidence in Marilyn Salzman. Marilyn supported this effort in all of her actions and spoke to voters every chance she had about the many benefits that would be provided by the Sports Complex.

District 6 is the largest one in Rio Rancho and Marilyn  is the right person for the job. She has done many notable things for the citizens and I resent the implication made by Mr. Hathorne that Ms. Salzman is not a high quality individual in a position of authority, or that the rejection of the sports complex (regarding the Sports Complex North bond issue defeat.) sends a clear message from the voters.

Marilyn did NOT fail to perform. She performed admirably. However, the voters of Rio Rancho, fearing tax increases (even though not true) elected not to have a complex. This is why we have a democracy and people are allowed the freedom of choice.

Candace E. Sanchez
Rio Rancho

12.07.07
Cell phone drivers
part of bigger issue

Editor:

I love your site. Keep up the good work.

I read Jerry Huchel's letter regarding cell phone use while driving. Mr. Huchel wants governments to ticket drivers for being on the phone.

I understand Mr. Huchel's concerns. It's possible he has been affected by inattentive drivers who were on the phone when an accident occurred.

However, I think the government should keep its nose out of this issue. After all, if you ban phone use, then you should probably limit eating, drinking and any other activity you can do while driving.

This is a common sense issue and should not be regulated. Fact is, there is a broader issue: People should be courteous and attentive while driving. If not, they can be ticketed by the local police.

Bruce Smith
Sandy, Utah

11.01.07
Cell phone drivers
should be stopped

Editor:

Congratulations on your new publication. Given the paucity of information about Rio Rancho and Sandoval County happenings, it will be come required daily reading for me.
 
I'm sure you won't lack for issues to cover, and one I would like to see someone take up is driving while talking on cell phones. Anyone who drives in Rio Rancho sees daily examples of distracted drivers chatting on cell phones to the risk of others  on the road.
 
About five years ago I sent my District 4 city councilor an e-mail suggesting that he take the initiative with legislation to curtail this practice. He responded -reasonably, I thought - that it was impractical for Rio Rancho to ban the use of cell phones by drivers while Albuquerque, on our borders, permitted the practice.
 
Of course, a few months ago Albuquerque adopted legislation to ban cell phone use by drivers. So I sent Mr. (Howard) Balmer not one but two e-mails over a three week period pointing out that Rio Rancho could now move to catch up with Albuquerque and Santa Fe and improve the safety of local drivers in the process. I didn't receive the courtesy of a response to either e-mail, and so far as I know the city council has yet to take up this issue.
 
I hope you will put this issue on your agenda.