The Albuquerque Tribune (Albuquerque, NM) articles from February 2001

The Albuquerque Tribune (Albuquerque, NM) archives from February 2001

'It's over': N.M. Slam basketball team folds.
February 28, 2001... Byline: Sean McAfee smcafee@abqtrib.com / 823-3662 The debt-ridden New Mexico Slam professional basketball team is no more as of this afternoon, the team's general manager and head coach said. "It's over," said Rob Robbins, who...

Committee shortens term of gaming deal.
February 28, 2001... Byline: Gilbert Gallegos GGALLEGOS@ABQTRIB.COM / 259-8553 LEGISLATURE 2001 SANTA FE Tribal leaders have a tough decision to make as they head back to the Governor's Office to consider possible changes to a new gaming agreement. ...

Downtown diamond dreams.
February 28, 2001... Byline: Kate Nash KNASH@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3602 Mayor unveils plans for new $30 million baseball stadium Albuquerque Mayor Jim Baca finally has his new Downtown baseball stadium if only on paper. "If we do this first-class, we'd...

Business leaders rally behind new park.
February 28, 2001... Byline: Sherry Robinson srobinson@abqtrib.com / 823-3632 Albuquerque business leaders are mobilizing quickly behind Mayor Jim Baca's plan to build a new baseball stadium Downtown. "When I think of the hand-wringing we've done over...

Car rental center soars near airport.
February 28, 2001... Byline: Nancy Salem NSALEM@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3675 City officials have dedicated a sprawling, 76-acre facility just west of the Albuquerque International Sunport designed to give car rental agencies and the airport a few degrees of...

House wants Coors and I-40 revamped soon.(Legislature 2001)
February 28, 2001... Byline: Lowry McAllen LMCALLEN@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3625 SANTA FE House members say state planners need to speed up building a new interchange at I-40 and Coors Boulevard, but highway officials argue the project can't be hurried. ...

Committee votes to delay deregulation.(Legislature 2001)
February 28, 2001... Byline: Lowry McAllen LMCALLEN@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3625 SANTA FE California is on their minds. And that made it easy for House committee members to vote to delay deregulating New Mexico's electricity market by five years. The recent...

Proposed ballpark site already earmarked for new housing.
February 28, 2001... Byline: Kate Nash KNASH@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3602 It's the subject of a pending court decision, in the middle of being sold to the city and slated for new housing. But Mayor Jim Baca wants a four-block area on the east side of Downtown...

Delegation splits along party lines over speech.
February 28, 2001... Byline: Stacey Zolt ZOLTS@SNHS.COM / (202) 408-2726 WASHINGTON The New Mexico congressional delegation's partisan split defined the group's reaction to President Bush's address to Congress, with members holding to their party lines on...

At least I have the guts to eat what I dish out.(Sports)
February 28, 2001... Byline: Richard Stevens The dish of crow sits before me. I pull it closer. I eat. Yes, despite being somewhat vindicated by Wyoming's 20-point ESPN smashing of the Lobos on Monday and seeing the Lobos slip further away from an...

Dirty work.(Sports)
February 28, 2001... Byline: Rick A. Maese rmaese@abqtrib.com / 823-3687 Players who'll do the thankless jobs can be vital to the success of their teams There's a basketball statistic missing from the sports pages. It's easy to let your eyes pop a...

Not too hot, not too cold: New Lobo mix is just right?(Sports)
February 28, 2001... Byline: Brad Moore bmoore@abqtrib.com / 823-3679 University of New Mexico women's basketball coach Don Flanagan has been searching for just the right mixture all season. After shaking up the starting lineup last week, which resulted...

Fraschilla hopes March will be as lucky as February.(Sports)
February 28, 2001... Byline: Edgar Thompson ethompson@abqtrib.com / 823-3614 WOLF TRACKS The time is set for the University of New Mexico's first game in the Mountain West Conference men's basketball tournament. The Lobos will meet Colorado State at...

Premier JC rebounder says he can help Lobos.(Sports)
February 28, 2001... Byline: Daniel Libit dlibit@abqtrib.com / 823-3614 Lobo recruit Jamal Brown's response after watching the University of New Mexico's 20-point loss at Wyoming on ESPN: "I think I can help their play up front." Brown, a sophomore post...

EDITORIAL.(Insight and Opinion)
February 28, 2001... Chelwood shoos bullies; other schools should too Learning to defuse aggression and violence effectively without resorting to insults, fists, chokeholds, shivs and worse is one of the most valuable lessons a child can learn in an...

Snow way!
February 28, 2001... Byline: TRIBUNE STAFF Yes, spring weather suffers a setback as sky glowers and roads turn slick Light to heavy snow hit the Albuquerque metro area this morning, causing at least one major traffic crash and snarling traffic during the...

Slam are history today if no buyer emerges.(Sports)
February 28, 2001... Byline: Sean McAfee smcafee@abqtrib.com / 823-3662 Owner Gil Burciaga planned to cease operations unless a new ownerwas found today, General Manager Rob Robbins said. Unless a deal is struck securing new ownership, the New Mexico Slam...

House kills succession measure.(Legislature 2001)
February 28, 2001... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF SANTA FE If New Mexico's lieutenant governor dies in office, resigns or succeeds to the governorship, there's no provision to fill the vacancy. The House decided Tuesday to leave it that way....

GSA licenses patent for chile-powder repellent.(Business)
February 28, 2001... Byline: Staff and wire reports LOCAL & REGIONAL Global Source Advantage Inc. has licensed a patent owned by the New Mexico Tech Research Foundation that creates environmentally sensitive animal and insect repellents using chile...

Jailhouse jangle.
February 27, 2001... Byline: Kate Nash KNASH@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3602 Higher projected costs to run the new lockup have city officials upset. But county officials say the tab is more realistic than underfunded budgets of the past. It was hailed as a...

Panel passes bill for a new road to Mesa del Sol.
February 27, 2001... Byline: Lowry McAllen LMCALLEN@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3625 Legislature 2001 Proponents tout the $15 million roadway as the key to economic development in the planned community south of Albuquerque. SANTA FE A new $15 million road to...

Bill would pump $561 million into school buildings.
February 27, 2001... Byline: Andy Lenderman alenderman@abqtrib.com / 823-3659 Legislature 2001 SANTA FE If you think reforming schools is expensive, try repairing them under the cloud of a lawsuit that won't go away. That's what legislators grappled...

New tech to alert agencies about missing children.(Local News)
February 27, 2001... Byline: Joline Gutierrez Krueger jglenn@abqtrib.com / 823-3603 Getting the word out on a missing or abducted child could be as simple as clicking a computer button. It could also be more effective, say the proponents of the...

Trib wins design, photo awards.(Local News)
February 27, 2001... Byline: TRIBUNE STAFF The Albuquerque Tribune won three awards in the international Best of Newspaper Design competition conducted every year by the Society for News Design. The contest recognizes excellence in newspaper design,...

Piecemeal education bills draw criticism from GOP.
February 27, 2001... Byline: Andy Lenderman alenderman@abqtrib.com / 823-3659 SANTA FE House Democrats were ripped by their political opponents for their approach to school reform strategies during an open floor session. The criticism from Republicans...

Amphitheater operator also wants better venue access.
February 27, 2001... Byline: Dan Mayfield DMAYFIELD@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3620 Better road, more music fans. That's the pitch for an improved road to the amphitheater at Mesa del Sol from Laura Clemmer of SFX New Mexico LLC, which operates the concert...

Domenici says he will now weigh backup plans.(Sports)
February 27, 2001... Byline: Stacey Zolt ZOLTS@SHNS.COM / (202) 408-2726 WASHINGTON After weeks of holding out hope that he could secure enough votes to pass President Bush's $1.6 trillion tax cut without change, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Pete...

Cowboys twirl their 3-shooters and plug the Lobos.(Sports)
February 27, 2001... Byline: Edgar Thompson ethompson@abqtrib.com / 823-3614 Rapid-fire Wyoming surprised UNM from the perimeter and sent the Lobos into a first-round MWC matchup with Colorado State. LARAMIE, Wyo. The University of New Mexico didn't even...

Lobos' liabilities rule out any chance of this team getting ticket to the dance.(Sports)
February 27, 2001... Byline: Sean McAfee Please, Lobo fans, don't go there. (The NCAA Tournament, that is.) I don't want to turn on my radio this week and hear you insist that the Lobos can still scare up an at-large bid if they sweep Brigham Young...

EDITORIAL.(Insight and Opinion)
February 27, 2001... Minor lodgers' tax boost could yield major results If the Calgary Cannons baseball team moves to Albuquerque, will the Duke City witness new flocks of tourists winging in to catch a few innings? That's unlikely, and it's one reason...

State ISPs help Wilson craft anti-spam bill.(Business)
February 27, 2001... Byline: Today's top story By Sue Vorenberg svorenberg@abqtrib.com / 823-3678 New Mexico's Internet community is excited about a bill sponsored by U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson designed to stop unwanted junk e-mail. New Mexico businesses...

Sweethearts' killer sentenced.
February 27, 2001... Raymond Martinez (right), father of murder victim Richard Martinez, weeps after testifying at the sentencing hearing for Carlos Herrera, who was given consecutive life terms on guilty pleas of first-degree murder for killing Martinez and his...

CORRECTION.(Local News)
February 27, 2001... A Monday story should have said state Board of Education President Flora Sanchez, an elected official, attended a closed meeting on school reform during the weekend. See story 02/26/01 Pg. A1 "SCHOOL REFORM ACTIVISTS FAIL TO MESH PLANS"

School reform activists fail to mesh plans.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Andy Lenderman alenderman@abqtrib.com / 823-3659 Legislature 2001 A closed-door meeting failed to combine three bills, leaving lawmakers to do the compromising and casting doubts on sweeping reforms. SANTA FE Civic and...

Amnesty bills try to save unwanted infants' lives.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Susie Gran sgran@abqtrib.com / 823-3682 A 24-year-old Farmington woman is serving a three-year prison sentence for wrapping her newborn in a plastic bag and dumping the infant in a trash can. A 16-year-old Albuquerque girl...

Hey, kids, watch Shaq pump that algebra.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Frank Zoretich fzoretich@abqtrib.com / 823-3623 Teachers can help students tackle mathematics by turning their attention to the sports pages, two Albuquerque educators say. "Over the years, I've used the sports pages in a...

Tribes would rather roll dice in Roundhouse than courtroom.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Gilbert Gallegos GGALLEGOS@ABQTRIB.COM / 259-8553 SANTA FE Perhaps now more than ever, the debate over new tribal gaming compacts is being shaped by money. To be sure, philosophical issues of tribal sovereignty and the...

Losing that empty feeling.(Business)
February 26, 2001... Byline: Story by Nancy Salem Photographs by Dan Mayfield nsalem@abqtrib.com / 823-3675 DMAYFIELD@abqtrib.com / 823-3620 Office vacancy rates fall for the second quarter in a row after five years of increases, and the North I-25 Corridor...

City given gold star for luring Gap.(Business)
February 26, 2001... Byline: Sherry Robinson Albuquerque has gotten enough positive attention in economic development circles to cheer the folks at Albuquerque Economic Development Inc. And they say the announcement that Gap Inc. will set up an operation...

Udall upholds monument designation.(Business)
February 26, 2001... Byline: Tribune staff Rep. Tom Udall, a New Mexico Democrat, has received a letter asking him to respond to former President Clinton's decision to promote the designation of the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks as a national monument. The...

Revitalization backers hail Gap's move Downtown.(Business)
February 26, 2001... Byline: Nancy Salem nsalem@abqtrib.com / 823-3675 REALESTATE ROUNDUP Gap Inc.'s decision to move into First Plaza is "a quantum leap for Downtown revitalization," said a vice president of the company that owns the building. "A...

Under Construction.(Business)
February 26, 2001... Underconstruction A look at development in New Mexico What: The Century Theatres complex, which will include a 14-screen movie theater plus retail and office space. Where: Downtown, between First and Second Streets and Central...

MUSE Technologies faces delisting.(Business)
February 26, 2001... Byline: Sue Vorenberg svorenberg@abqtrib.com / 823-3678 MUSE Technologies Inc. is encountering fallout in the wake of its November merger with Massachusetts-based Advanced Visual Systems. The company said it's out of compliance with...

PUBLIC COMPANY BRIEFS.(Business)
February 26, 2001... Byline: Tribune staff Solar Energy Ltd. has three new projects it will focus on in the immediate future. The three are the closest to commercialization of all the projects the Los Alamos company is working on. The company has built...

Santa Fe boasts 29 book publishers.(Business)
February 26, 2001... Byline: Tribune staff Santa Fe has 29 book publishers, many operating more than 30 years, according to a study by Santa Fe Economic Development Inc. The study found a diverse book-publishing sector specializing in topics such as...

Business almanac.(Business)
February 26, 2001... ACCOUNTING REDW LLC has hired Marcel Kerkmans as a senior consultant. Kerkmans has 18 years of experience with American Indian tribes and enterprises, previously as the executive director for Alamo Navajo School. He also has...

Furrs needs schooling in handling the press.(Business)
February 26, 2001... Byline: Sherry Robinson Sometimes good companies do bad PR. And CEOs who are otherwise smart operators can be surprisingly dense about their company's public image. Furrs Supermarkets Inc. is a textbook example of how not to handle...

Firms cooperate to predict drug reactions.(Business)
February 26, 2001... Byline: Tribune staff Phase-1 Molecular Toxicology Inc. and Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. have entered a collaborative research agreement to develop diagnostic technologies to identify patients before treatment who will...

Foreign Accents fills the modern niche in contemporary rugs-to-riches story.(Business)
February 26, 2001... Byline: Dan Mayfield DMAYFIELD@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3620 In 1988, Trish and Wolfgang Rempen loaded their baby and a pile of rugs into a Volkswagen van and drove from Santa Fe to North Carolina for a big trade show. "The entire...

SMALL BUSINESS BRIEFS.(Business)
February 26, 2001... Byline: Tribune staff Roller Printing Co., a commercial printing company, has installed a new Shinohara Model 52-IVP full-color printing press. The installation is part of a year of technology investment by Roller Printing. The Santa...

Job survivors offer cures for what ails.(Business)
February 26, 2001... Byline: START-UPS By Dan Mayfield Meta Hirschl says corporate life was hard on her body. Asthma and back pain plagued the former writer of software books the result of long, sedentary hours at a desk. Bike riding and running...

Task force chairman delivered business drive to school debate.(Business)
February 26, 2001... Byline: Sherry Robinson srobinson@abqtrib.com / 823-3632 Business meets education. I.B. Hoover, co-chairman of a massive education reform study, told the 64 members of a legislative task force: "We're going to do just like business...

Domenici suggests 3 technology efforts to help rural areas.(Business)
February 26, 2001... Byline: Sue Vorenberg svorenberg@abqtrib.com / 823-3678 U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici has introduced three new technology and economic development programs that will work in conjunction with his Rural Payday initiative. They're designed...

Trio of telecommunications bills aims to foster new ideas, increase capacity.(Business)
February 26, 2001... Byline: Sue Vorenberg svorenberg@abqtrib.com / 823-3678 Legislature 2001 Three bills now before the Legislature have piqued the interest of the telecommunications community. The bills would fund new telecom technology pilot...

Ned's Restaurant moving out, O'Niell's moving in.(Business)
February 26, 2001... Byline: Dan Mayfield Ned's Restaurant is becoming O'Niell's Pub. "It happened really fast," says Jade Richardson Bock, O'Niell's general manager. On Feb. 1 the company signed a 10-year lease for the space that seats 250. The...

Telecom advocates push to dial New Mexico in.(Business)
February 26, 2001... Byline: Sue Vorenberg svorenberg@abqtrib.com / 823-3678 Over the past year Connect New Mexico and the Northern New Mexico Telecommunications Advocacy Group, or TAG, have continued to expand their efforts to encourage telecom development...

Cerro Grande Fire hurts Los Alamos housing sales.(Business)
February 26, 2001... Byline: Nancy Salem nsalem@abqtrib.com / 823-3675 The Cerro Grande Fire charred 47,000 acres in and around Los Alamos last May and destroyed more than 200 structures. The real estate market was damaged as well. Home sales in Los...

Lobos begin endgame with no mistakes to spare.(Sports)
February 26, 2001... Byline: Edgar Thompson ethompson@abqtrib.com / 823-3614 LARAMIE, Wyo. The end is near, but so too is the beginning for the Lobo men's team. The stakes do not get any higher as the University of New Mexico begins the final week of...

A Lobo win at Provo would be a sweet ending.(Sports)
February 26, 2001... Byline: Richard Stevens "We just couldn't guard her. We tried to, but she shoots from 24 feet in. She also has added a drive. She didn't used to be able to drive like that. Now, she has all kinds of weapons." Lobo coach Don Flanagan...

Sandia, La Cueva, Rio Rancho, Hope girls advance to state tournaments.(Sports)
February 26, 2001... Byline: Rick A. Maese rmaese@abqtrib.com / 823-3687 Albuquerque-area teams have three of the four spots in the girls state Class 5A basketball tournament this weekend in Las Cruces. Sandia, La Cueva and Rio Rancho posted regional...

THE NAME IS THE GAME.(Business)
February 26, 2001... Byline: Dan Mayfield DMAYFIELD@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3620 As Albuquerque considers a new baseball stadium or renovating the old one, it looks to jointhe national trend of financing part of the cost by selling the naming rights to a corporate...

SFX tries to sell name for a new venue quickly.(Business)
February 26, 2001... Byline: Dan Mayfield The first major naming rights deal in Albuquerque was last year's nine-year, $3 million deal at the amphitheater at Mesa del Sol. The 12,000-seat facility, now called Journal Pavilion, cost more than $6 million to...

Bully-proof.
February 24, 2001... Byline: Lowry McAllen LMCALLEN@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3625 Albuquerque schools score positive results with a program that empowers students to thwart bullying a program some believe will have a long-term effect in reducing violenceSometimes,...

Tax to support stadium clears first hurdle.
February 24, 2001... Byline: Lowry McAllen LMCALLEN@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3625 Legislature 2001 Senate committee endorses raising lodgers' tax on hotels to help Albuquerque renovate its baseball stadium or builda new one. SANTA FE Branch Rickey III,...

Scientists devise plan making shift to HDTV easier.
February 24, 2001... Byline: Lawrence Spohn lspohn@abqtrib.com / 823-3611 Costly High Definition Television, HDTV, is coming like it or not but scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory say they have developed something that could make the commercial and...

Romero seeks path of least resistance in budget battles.(Local News)
February 24, 2001... Byline: Gilbert Gallegos POLITICAL NOTEBOOK SANTA FE The question quietly being pondered about the state budget is who is in the driver's seat as the Senate dives into the $3.8 billion spending plan? The House completed its...

Officer goes on wild ride with fleeing suspects.(Local News)
February 24, 2001... Byline: Joline Gutierrez Krueger jglenn@abqtrib.com / 823-3603 Albuquerque traffic cop Mike King knows a thing or two about chasing speeding trucks. But he's usually not chasing one from the truck bed. Or trying to stop it by...

Committee gets first crack at compacts.(Legislature 2001)
February 24, 2001... Byline: Gilbert Gallegos GGALLEGOS@ABQTRIB.COM / 259-8553 Legislators hoping for smooth gaming negotiations today might get, instead, a messy process more indicative of the way other hot-button issues are handled in the Roundhouse. ...

Citizens, lobbyists meet in weekend gathering for education reform.(Legislature 2001)
February 24, 2001... Byline: Andy Lenderman alenderman@abqtrib.com / 823-3659 SANTA FE A dozen business people, lobbyists and other citizens are planning to create a new framework for public schools this weekend in private. Leaders from the Greater...

Closed-door conferences could remain because of 'just cause' stipulation.(Legislature 2001)
February 24, 2001... Byline: Andy Lenderman alenderman@abqtrib.com / 823-3659 SANTA FE Important decisions on controversial issues at the Legislature could still be made behind closed doors despite progress on a measure to open up conference committees, the...

Revived Stojanov gives Scorps a boost.(Sports)
February 24, 2001... Byline: Sean McAfee smcafee@abqtrib.com / 823-3662 It took Alek Stojanov longer than he would have liked to get into the swing of things. Better late than never, though. As the Scorpions head into the tail end of the WPHL regular...

Pius stands downas Sundevils step up.(Sports)
February 24, 2001... Byline: John O'Rourke jorourke@abqtrib.com / 823-3665 ESPANOLA As the end of the road drew near, it really didn't matter how many potholes the St. Pius X Sartans had hit to that point. Their best player had the basketball in his...

Attitude as their engine.(Sports)
February 24, 2001... Byline: Rick A. Maese rmaese@abqtrib.com / 823-3687 The Sandia Matadors went into last night's game against Highland hungry for a win over Rio Grande. Their will nourished them to bully the Hornets, whisking them into a district...

Lobos' most successful crop of seniors ready for home farewell.(Sports)
February 24, 2001... Byline: Brad Moore bmoore@abqtrib.com / 823-3679 They began their careers as the supporting cast for the greatest story in the history of Lobo women's basketball. Their final act is still being recorded. But tonight, the...

Men seek to end road skid.(Sports)
February 24, 2001... Byline: TRIBUNE STAFF FORT COLLINS, Colo. The University of New Mexico men's basketball team was trying to end a five-game road losing streak when it visited Colorado State at 1 p.m. today. The Lobos (16-8 overall, 5-5 in Mountain...

Cibola holds Bulldogs at bay, climbs to title shot.(Sports)
February 24, 2001... Byline: Daniel Libit dlibit@abqtrib.com / 823-3614 Cibola peaked at just the right time. Now the Cougars hope to escape the Valley. Cibola, in peak form at the end, edged Albuquerque High 47-46 on Friday night to earn a shot at a...

Robinson sits and waits for Romero to stumble.(Insight and Opinion)
February 24, 2001... Byline: Kate Nelson SANTA FE Sitting through a hearing of the Senate Public Affairs Committee has never been a pleasant proposition. Its traditional squatty room has little ventilation. Metal chairs offer just a skim of seat padding. You...

EDITORIAL.(Insight and Opinion)
February 24, 2001... Education reform needs more than a bit of polish Could those glittering campaign-trail promises of whiz-bang improvements to public schools become nothing more than litter on the public-policy highway? Maybe. With just three...

Big plans to overhaul education bog down.
February 23, 2001... Byline: Andy Lenderman alenderman@abqtrib.com / 823-3659 Legislature 2001 With three weeks to go, lawmakers still must mesh competing ideas, and the governor sounds lukewarm on all of them. SANTA FE The overhauling of the state's...

Chasing Chubbuck cost the city $76,189.
February 23, 2001... Byline: Joline Gutierrez Krueger jglenn@abqtrib.com / 823-3603 The search for elusive escapee Byron Shane Chubbuck and his eventual capture didn't come cheap. A city cost analysis released earlier this week estimates that the...

Sandia Labs want $60 million face-lift for Z.
February 23, 2001... Byline: Lawrence Spohn lspohn@abqtrib.com / 823-3611 The fastest gun in the world, an accelerator at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, is aiming at a $60 million federal bull's-eye. It has already hit one worth $30...

City, bus drivers sign contract ending long wrangle.(Local News)
February 23, 2001... Byline: Kate Nash KNASH@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3602 City officials and representatives of the bus drivers' union this morning signed a two-year labor contract. The agreement ends a protracted period of on-again, off-again negotiations...

Buzzards back as Cow Pattys skate into stunt history.(Sports)
February 23, 2001... Byline: Sean McAfee smcafee@abqtrib.com / 823-3662 Contrary to what you might have heard, the New Mexico Scorpions won't be playing the El Paso Cow Pattys tonight. Nope, the publicity stunt is over and it's back to the Buzzards...

Something to shout about.(Sports)
February 23, 2001... Byline: Brad Moore bmoore@abqtrib.com / 823-3679 Close win over tough CSU gives Lobos a timely confidence boost Nikki Heckroth and Miranda Sanchez knew there was much more at stake than one win or one loss when the University of New...