The Albuquerque Tribune (Albuquerque, NM) articles from December 1999, page 4

The Albuquerque Tribune (Albuquerque, NM) archives from December 1999

Indians win Interior trust case.
December 21, 1999... Byline: Jessica Wehrman and Rachel Smolkin SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE The judge, though, stopped short of appointing a court overseer for the department's management of the system. WASHINGTON Both sides of a landmark lawsuit on...

NO GRIDLOCK.
December 21, 1999... Byline: Ollie Reed Jr. oreed@abqtrib.com / 823-3619 11 days to 2000 PNM to have all hands on deck, Y2K-ready to power up any problem Mingling with 30 or so computers and exchanging observations with data printouts is not the way...

Feds report settlement with Sparton on cleanup.
December 21, 1999... Byline: Frank Zoretich fzoretich@abqtrib.com / 823-3623 Local officials say the announcement might be premature. The pact has not been signed by all the parties involved, they say. Sparton Technology Corp. has agreed to clean up soil...

Little bags o' light are glowing all over town.
December 21, 1999... Byline: Jason Gibbs jgibbs@abqtrib.com / 823-3625 Albuquerque is in for an especially bright holiday season. An after-dusk drive through any residential area from the East Mountains to the West Side and from Placitas to the far South...

Victim's kin plans to take Taos County to court.
December 21, 1999... Byline: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS TAOS The estate of a Taos man allegedly killed by a murder suspect who had escaped from the Taos County jail plans to sue the county for wrongful death. Santa Fe attorney Bob Rothstein said his office is...

10-year sentence handed down in stabbing of teen.(Local News)
December 21, 1999... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF The second of two brothers charged in the 1998 stabbing death of a teen at a North Valley party will spend 10 years in prison for the crime. State District Court Judge James Blackmer on...

Richardson expects no layoffs at Sandia.(Local News)
December 21, 1999... Byline: Lawrence Spohn lspohn@abqtrib.com / 823-3611 There won't be layoffs at Sandia National Laboratories if Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson has anything to say about it. The former New Mexico congressman told reporters Monday...

First phaseof LodeStar Astronomy Center opens.(Local News)
December 21, 1999... Byline: Jason Gibbs jgibbs@abqtrib.com / 823-3625 Albuquerque's first space station is officially open for business. With its first phase of development finished, officials at the LodeStar Astronomy Center say the completed facility...

Alleged rape victim remains 'Jane Doe' in court.(Local News)
December 21, 1999... Byline: Leslie Hoffman LHOFFMAN@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3610 A judge has ruled that a University of New Mexico student can remain anonymous in her negligence lawsuit against a campus fraternity and two of its members over an alleged gang rape....

Horse-track operators object to proposed compacts.
December 21, 1999... Byline: Deborah Baker The Associated Press SANTA FE The horse racing industry has been revitalized by slot machines and should not be hobbled by proposed new agreements with Indian tribes, track operators and regulators say. They...

Report: Morale low in Corrections Department.
December 21, 1999... Byline: Kate Nash KNASH@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3602 A $15,000 report done by a former New Mexico Corrections Department secretary says employee morale is "probably the single most critical issue" in the department. A copy of the report,...

Wallens Ridge abuse not evident, Perry says.
December 21, 1999... Byline: Kate Nash KNASH@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3602 SANTA FE The controversy over private prisons in New Mexico may be changing from a regular-season rivalry to the Super Bowl of debates. "In my mind every session's debate is going to...

Allison contract a template, board chief says.
December 21, 1999... Byline: Andy Lenderman alenderman@abqtrib.com / 823-3659 Almost a year after it began, the creation of a cutting-edge contract for the superintendent of Albuquerque Public Schools is nearly done. Superintendent Brad Allison has yet...

Lobos' hands full with vengeful, snarling Wildcats.(Sports)
December 21, 1999... Byline: Edgar Thompson ethompson@abqtrib.com / 823-3614 TUCSON It's bad enough Arizona has the nation's No. 3 ranking, five likely future NBA players in its lineup and a 36-game home winning streak. The Wildcats also are angry. ...

The 50 finest.(Sports)
December 21, 1999... No. 7 Bobby Foster Sport Professional boxing, 1961-78 What he did Bobby Foster was arguably the finest light heavyweight and one of the best boxers pound-for-pound. He held the world light heavyweight championship for...

Master P to be no-show vs. Slam.(Sports)
December 21, 1999... Byline: Staff and wire reports UPDATE Percy Miller, a k a rapper Master P, won't join the San Diego Stingrays for their game against the New Mexico Slam on Wednesday at Tingley Coliseum, a team spokesperson said today. Miller,...

EMCORE achieves quality standards, export license.(Business)
December 21, 1999... Byline: Staff and wire reports LOCAL & REGIONAL EMCORE Corp.'s Albuquerque photovoltaics unit has achieved ISO-9001 certification less than a year after opening. "ISO certification represents a significant milestone for our...

Bank merger to cause layoffs.(Business)
December 21, 1999... Byline: TODAY'S TOP STORY By Dan Mayfield DMAYFIELD@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3620 Some First Security Bank employees in New Mexico will start the year with a layoff notices as a result of the $5.9 billion merger between First Security and Zions...

EDITORIALS.(Insight and Opinion)
December 21, 1999... Lobbyists' legislator goodies look like bribes You would think legislators would know better. You would hope lobbyists would behave better. You would imagine the state ethics law wouldn't have to spell out restrictions on ridiculously...

Lee family lawsuit claims feds violated privacy laws.(Local News)
December 21, 1999... Byline: Jessica Wehrman wehrmanj@shns.com / (202) 408-2705 WASHINGTON Wen Ho Lee's children always spoke to their father in Mandarin. But now that the Taiwan-born scientist is in jail, accused of violating security at an American...

Anonymous call tips sheriff to homicide.(Local News)
December 21, 1999... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department deputies are investigating the shooting death of a South Valley man as a homicide, authorities said. The victim's name was not immediately released....

VFW officer indicted in missing-money case.(Local News)
December 21, 1999... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF ALAMOGORDO The vice commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Alamogordo has been indicted on charges that he stole an undisclosed amount of money from the organization's bingo...

Arrested police chiefof Mesilla steps down.(Local News)
December 21, 1999... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF MESILLA The head of the Mesilla Police Department has resigned amid allegations that he was part of a loosely knit criminal syndicate. Marshal Miguel O. Gonzales stepped down last week just...

Romero to fight Rodolfo Blanco.(Sports)
December 21, 1999... Byline: Staff and wire reports UPDATE In a battle of former world champions, Albuquerque boxer Danny Romero is scheduled to face Colombia's Rodolfo Blanco on Jan. 8. The Romero-Blanco non-title, 10-round super bantamweight (122...

College starts training for Mesa Airline pilots.(Business)
December 21, 1999... Byline: Staff and wire reports LOCAL & REGIONAL San Juan College is beginning a program to train experienced pilots for first-officer positions at Farmington-based Mesa Airlines. As few as a dozen students will be chosen for the...

Microsoft to sell Internet service in malls.(Business)
December 21, 1999... Byline: Staff and wire reports WORLD & NATION Microsoft Corp. is teaming up with the nation's biggest mall owner and operator to advertise and sell its Internet service in shopping centers around the country. The deal follows a...

Scientists attack lab's lax security.
December 20, 1999... Byline: Lawrence Spohn lspohn@abqtrib.com / 823-3611 Some say Los Alamos labs are to blame for security problems rather than Wen Ho Lee. The federal government may have a staggering 59-count indictment against former Los Alamos...

Wen Ho Lee sues federal government, FBI.
December 20, 1999... Byline: Jessica Wehrman wehnmanj@shns.com / (202) 408-2705 WASHINGTON Former Los Alamos nuclear weapons scientist Wen Ho Lee sued the Energy and Justice Departments and the FBI today, accusing them of illegally disclosing Lee's private...

Having WHAT IT TAKES.
December 20, 1999... Byline: Joline Gutierrez Krueger jglenn@abqtrib.com / 823-3603 The Albuquerque Police Academy's newly graduated class talks of life as a cadet, one which alumni say is gentler and less demeaning than years past. Now that the 80th...

Settlement helps boost Toys for Tots.
December 20, 1999... Byline: Jason Gibbs jgibbs@abqtrib.com / 823-3625 A legal settlement with a national toy-store chain means many New Mexico children will have a merrier Christmas. State Attorney General Patricia Madrid announced today that the state...

N.M. keeps eye out for millennial lone wolf.
December 20, 1999... Byline: Frank Zoretich fzoretich@abqtrib.com / 823-3623 12 days to 2000 The Y2K computer bug has received much publicity as a potential New Year's troublemaker. But another possible threat still lurks in secrecy: the Y2K lone...

Report: Inmates not being abused at Virginia lockup.(Local News)
December 20, 1999... Byline: Wire reports IN BRIEF SANTA FE There is no evidence to support allegations of brutality against New Mexico inmates held at a Virginia super-maximum security prison, according to a report issued today by the Department of...

Two men arrested in long-open case of Datil death.(Local News)
December 20, 1999... Byline: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Two men arrested in the death of a 71-year-old Datil man three years ago will make their first court appearance today, authorities said. Philip Lopez, 44, of Los Lunas and Edward Sedler, 37, of Ruidoso...

Moving, copying classified files not difficult, lab workers say.
December 20, 1999... Byline: Lawrence Spohn lspohn@abqtrib.com / 823-3611 You didn't have to be rocket scientist to know how to get nuclear-weapons secrets out of Los Alamos National Laboratory, say scientists familiar with the lab's classified computer...

St. Joseph starts from scratch with new computer system.(Business)
December 20, 1999... Byline: Nancy Salem nsalem@abqtrib.com / 823-3675 Healthcare St. Joseph Healthcare has replaced a 10-year-old computer system geared mostly to billing with an $8 million network that manages medical information and care delivery as...

Workers' comp group protests budget cuts.(Business)
December 20, 1999... Byline: Sherry Robinson srobinson@abqtrib.com / 823-3632 Work comp watchdogs to lawmakers: Hands off our funding. In its annual report, the Advisory Council on Workers' Compensation has taken a protective stance toward the agency it...

Business almanac.(Business)
December 20, 1999... ACCOUNTING Burt & Nagel CPAs hired James L. Caughren. Caughren will specialize in tax preparation, auditing and consulting for corporations and individuals. Before joining the company, Caughren operated his own private practice. He is a...

Cutting the fat sometimes trims away muscle, too.(Business)
December 20, 1999... Byline: PLANET BUSINESS By Sherry Robinson Lean and mean. That's a business cliche I hope will disappear in the new millennium. It's been used too often in the last 10 years to justify dubious business decisions that produced...

Owner pulls plug on Internet Cafe; Italian eatery opens in Journal Center.(Business)
December 20, 1999... Byline: RETAIL CORNER By Leanne Potts The Internet Cafe has closed after just eight months in business. Local businessman Mike Holley opened the cafe last April at 3122 Central Ave. S.E., near UNM. His idea was to combine a coffee shop...

Ouch! Slow reimbursement stings doctors.(Business)
December 20, 1999... Byline: Nancy Salem nsalem@abqtrib.com / 823-3675 Medical association, managed-care providers work on speeding up claims The image of a physician struggling to pay bills may seem strange. But some Albuquerque doctors say that's...

'Clean claims' proposal tops list of fixes.(Business)
December 20, 1999... Byline: Nancy Salem Physicians and managed-care organizations have lots of ideas about how to solve the problem of slow payment of insurance claims. At the top of the list is the "clean claims" bill, which sets a 30-day limit on...

Los Alamos program helps entrepreneurs build, finance businesses.(Business)
December 20, 1999... Byline: Dan Mayfield DMAYFIELD@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3620 Small business What could $5 million do to help entrepreneurs in northern New Mexico? Dave Foster and Sue Fenimore at the Technology Commercialization Office at Los Alamos...

Shoptalk.(Business)
December 20, 1999... Byline: Dan Mayfield Micky Cruz Title: Owner Company: Cruzin Records, a record company based in Albuquerque that specializes in Spanish-language pop music. Number of employees: Two Salary range: I joke with people and...

Software training center teaches new wave of digital imaging.(Business)
December 20, 1999... Byline: Dan Mayfield START-UPS The digital age has hit photography and graphics in a big way. Everybody from professional photographers to hobbyists use programs like Photoshop to make their pictures look better. And programs like...

Web site caters to women and minorities.(Business)
December 20, 1999... Byline: Tribune staff SMALL-BUSINESS BRIEFS Businesses owned by women and minorities can get information and assistance at a new Web site www.mwbevendors.com. The site was developed by Dana Mitchell, owner of Phoenix-based...

Attention to e-tail.(Business)
December 20, 1999... Byline: Leanne Potts lpotts@abqtrib.com / 823-3676 e-commerce A handful of local businesses is trailblazing the electronic frontier of retail merchandising, discovering what it takes to succeed for the many companies that are sure to...

New Mexico travel guide to be published in Japan.(Business)
December 20, 1999... Byline: Leanne Potts lpotts@abqtrib.com / 823-3676 Tourism Try explaining the crucifixion of Christ the blood, the nails, the crown of thorns, the message of hope beneath to a Japanese tourist. That's one of the dilemmas a local...

Road rage: Ticketed travelers take tourism agency to task.(Business)
December 20, 1999... Byline: Leanne Potts lpotts@abqtrib.com / 823-3676 You'd think a government agency whose job is to be a tireless booster for New Mexico's ski slopes, Indian pueblos and other Southwestern charms wouldn't be the target of rage like, say,...

The family branch.(Business)
December 20, 1999... Byline: Dan Mayfield DMAYFIELD@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3620 Big lot or small, the Christmas tree business embraces generations of sellers Christmas tree selling gets in your blood like pinesap gets in your hair. Just ask the people...

Sloppy Slam rolls San Diego.(Sports)
December 20, 1999... Byline: Sean McAfee smcafee@abqtrib.com / 823-3662 No Master P brought boos as pooped-out Stingrays lose Master P never even showed up. Neither, for all intents and purposes, did his team. As a result, the New Mexico Slam...

It's time for Lobos to mix it up, for fans to suck it up and lay off the panic button.(Sports)
December 20, 1999... Byline: Richard Stevens It's a difficult thing to determine exactly what time it is for the University of New Mexico men's basketball team. Time to panic? Time to change the strategy? Or simply time for Lobo fans to suck it...

Toughness, heart top Lobos' wish list.(Sports)
December 20, 1999... Byline: Edgar Thompson ethompson@abqtrib.com / 823-3614 After second loss to UTEP, players, coach agree team needs a new attitude heading to No. 2 Arizona on Tuesday. Mount Damion didn't exactly erupt, but it was simmering. The...

Scorps bombarded in Lubbock.(Sports)
December 20, 1999... Byline: Wire reports UPDATE LUBBOCK, Texas For all the pucks batted away by goaltender Luciano Caravaggio, the New Mexico Scorpions were fortunate to be in contention Sunday until nearly the end. But Kyle Reeves' goal his third...

Scientists attack lab's lax security.
December 20, 1999... Byline: Lawrence Spohn lspohn@abqtrib.com / 823-3611 Wen Ho Lee is expected to sue the FBI and the Justice and Energy departments for wrongly portraying him as a spy for China. The federal government may have a staggering 59-count...

Downs at Santa Fe fails to get summer race dates.(Local News)
December 20, 1999... Byline: Wire reports IN BRIEF SANTA FE A Nevada company that announced it was buying a closed race track near Santa Fe failed to ask for summer racing dates before a weekend meeting in which the state Racing Commission set next...

High school students accused of making cash.(Local News)
December 20, 1999... Byline: Wire reports IN BRIEF The Secret Service is investigating seven high school students accused of making counterfeit money on personal computers. The Secret Service became aware of the fake currency after Albuquerque...

Anonymous caller tips cops to shooting death.(Local News)
December 20, 1999... Byline: Wire reports IN BRIEF Bernalillo County sheriff's deputies today are investigating the shooting death of a South Valley man as a homicide, authorities said. The victim's name was not immediately released. An anonymous...

Downs at Santa Fe fails to get summer race dates.(Local News)
December 20, 1999... Byline: Wire reports IN BRIEF SANTA FE A Nevada company that announced it was buying a closed race track near Santa Fe failed to ask for summer racing dates before a weekend meeting in which the state Racing Commission set next...

Gifts in, parties out says small-biz survey.(Business)
December 20, 1999... Byline: Tribune staff SMALL-BUSINESS BRIEFS Small-business owners plan to spend $5 billion this year on holiday gifts for clients, vendors and employees, estimates American Express. But entrepreneurs aren't buying many of those...

Service aids disabled entrepreneurs.(Business)
December 20, 1999... Byline: Tribune staff SMALL-BUSINESS BRIEFS There's a new service that provides information, counseling and referrals to disabled entrepreneurs. It's called the Small Business Self-Employment Service, and it's part of the Job...

Highlands suffers first defeat.(Sports)
December 20, 1999... Byline: Wire reports UPDATE ALAMOSA, Colo. Tom Meeks led four players in double figures with 22 points Saturday as Adams State posted a 100-84 victory over New Mexico Highlands. Daniel Trujillo scored 21 points and Shaun Hill...

Ready . . . set . . . test.
December 18, 1999... Byline: Gilbert Gallegos ggallegos@abqtrib.com / 823-3670 LESSONS ON LEARNING Grading Albuquerque schools The stakes are so high that some schools now teach test-taking, a move critics consider wasteful This three-day...

Lawyers ask federal judge to free Lee.
December 18, 1999... Byline: Leslie Hoffman LHOFFMAN@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3610 Attorneys argue that a local magistrate judge overlooked key evidence and violatedWen Ho Lee's constitutional rights. Attorneys for Wen Ho Lee are going over the head of an...

Group to get first-hand lookat Milwaukee voucher system.
December 18, 1999... Byline: Andy Lenderman alenderman@abqtrib.com / 823-3659 Lawmakers and business leaders have planned another trip to investigate school reforms this time focusing on the effect of private school vouchers in Milwaukee, Wis. "The...

Judge OKs death-penalty prosecution.
December 18, 1999... Byline: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS GRANTS A judge has allowed two of three prosecution grounds for seeking the death penalty against a man accused of murdering a deputy sheriff who was driving him to prison. District Attorney Mike Runnels...

Keeping death opponents off juries not unconstitutional, state says.
December 18, 1999... Byline: Deborah Baker The Associated Press SANTA FE The constitutional rights of Catholics and other death penalty opponents are not being violated by keeping them off juries in those cases, according to the attorney general. The...

Chaplains encourage police officers to help out one another's families.
December 18, 1999... Byline: Susie Gran sgran@abqtrib.com / 823-3682 14 days to 2000 While the city's Police Department is keeping the peace for Y2K and the New year, its chaplains have arranged for some peace of mind, too. The Chaplain Service is...

Use of scores to target improvements is spotty at best.
December 18, 1999... Byline: Andy Lenderman alenderman@abqtrib.com / 823-3659 Some real-estate agents make more use of Albuquerque Public Schools standardized test scores than do teachers and principals. Real-estate agents often use those numbers to sell...

School's sudden drop goes largely unquestioned.
December 18, 1999... Byline: Susie Gran sgran@abqtrib.com / 823-3671 LESSONS ON LEARNING Grading Albuquerque schools The news was alarming, perhaps even depressing, but no one got angry. No one called a meeting. No one demanded an...

Pressure can provide incentive to cheat.
December 18, 1999... Byline: Gilbert Gallegos ggallegos@abqtrib.com / 823-3670 The higher the stakes to produce better test scores, the more pressure principals and teachers will be under to manipulate exams to make their schools look good. Incidents of...

Valencia County gets state help for new jail.(Local News)
December 18, 1999... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF LOS LUNAS The state has approved a $1 million loan to Valencia County that will allow it to begin construction on a new county jail in the next few weeks, county officials said. The total cost...

Submissions finished in triple homicide.(Local News)
December 18, 1999... Byline: Leslie Hoffman LHOFFMAN@ABQTRB.COM / 823-3610 Neither prosecutors nor Valentin Reyes' attorney argue that the lives of three men were brutally and savagely taken in February 1997. But now a six-man, six-woman jury will have...

Sandia Park woman apparently fell to her death.(Local News)
December 18, 1999... Byline: Joline Gutierrez Krueger jglenn@abqtrib.com / 823-3603 A body found in a rugged area of the Sandia Mountains has been identified as a Sandia Park woman who authorities say apparently fell to her death. Searchers found the...

Tobacco-cash panel finalizes proposal.(Local News)
December 18, 1999... Byline: Deborah Baker The Associated Press SANTA FE Programs to keep children physically and emotionally healthy are at the core of a legislative panel's recommendations for how to spend the state's share of tobacco-settlement money. ...

Recent grads tied to police academy through blood.(Local News)
December 18, 1999... Byline: Joline Gutierrez Krueger jglenn@abqtrib.com / 823-3603 Many of the Albuquerque Police Academy's latest graduates are no strangers to law enforcement they've got family ties. Graduation ceremonies for the 24 cadets three women...

Fourth-graders learn value of sharing their nickels.(Local News)
December 18, 1999... Byline: Jason Gibbs jgibbs@abqtrib.com / 823-3625 Mrs. Cala's fourth graders think lending a helping hand is better than having a daily snack. "The kids come in on popcorn day and say 'Mrs. Cala, I don't want to get popcorn today,...

Win over UTEP would be confidence builder for Lobos.(Sports)
December 18, 1999... Byline: Edgar Thompson ethompson@abqtrib.com / 823-3660 The University of New Mexico men are in need of a shot in the arm, not another blow to their ego. So, Texas-El Paso's visit to The Pit at 7:05 tonight comes at a perfect time....

Guard says he's coming to UNM from Arizona.(Sports)
December 18, 1999... Byline: Edgar Thompson When the Lobos play at Arizona on Tuesday, they will have a ex-Wildcat on their side. Recruit Ruben Douglas said he plans to transfer from Arizona to the University of New Mexico for the second semester. ...

Power plays on parade.(Sports)
December 18, 1999... Byline: Sean McAfee smcafee@abqtrib.com / 823-3662 El Paso set the pace with two early goals, forcing the Scorpions into a desperate game of catchup in the game and for first place in the WPHL West Division The New Mexico Scorpions...

Monarch leaves cocoon, takes flight.(Sports)
December 18, 1999... Byline: Rick A. Maese rmaese@abqtrib.com / 823-3687 One season ago, Chris White didn't seem to be comfortable with the basketball. The 6-foot-9-inch White had the height of a basketball player, but didn't quite have the skills to...

Fear moves intomy neighborhood unwelcome.(Insight and Opinion)
December 18, 1999... Byline: Kate Nelson The sun escapes the narrow depths of Las Huertas Canyon long before it leaves the community of Placitas nestled at its mouth. Even on a warm day, the temperature cools. In winter, it plunges. Patches of snow dodge...

Health industry thanks Domenici and Wilson.(Local News)
December 18, 1999... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF Sen. Pete Domenici and Rep. Heather Wilson are part of a group of congressional members being thanked in a television and newspaper advertising campaign for supporting more Medicare money for...

Big-I rebuild gets added $17 million federal grant.(Local News)
December 18, 1999... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF The federal government has added $17 million to the Big-I reconstruction project budget in response to a grant application from the state. The U.S. Department of Highways grant joins $200...

CRIME STOPPERS.(Local News)
December 18, 1999... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF Fugitive of the week: Dominick Andrade, 23, is wanted for probation violation in connection with charges of attempting to commit a felony and child abuse. Andrade is described as a...