The Albuquerque Tribune (Albuquerque, NM) articles from July 1999

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

Mayor seeks to enhance vehicle forfeiture.
July 31, 1999... Byline: Gilbert Gallegos GGALLEGOS@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3670 The proposed ordinance would allow the city to confiscate the vehicles of gun-toting criminals who use their cars while committing their crimes. Mayor Jim Baca is considering...

A world from Kosovo.
July 31, 1999... Byline: Story by Lisa Bornstein * Photography by Toby Jorrin of The Albuquerque Tribune When 29 Murtezi family members arrived in Albuquerque on July 7, they had been in refugee camps for three months, driven from their homes in Pristina...

Police officers and good citizens honored for courage and quick thinking.
July 31, 1999... Byline: Joline Gutierrez Krueger jglenn@abqtrib.com / 823-3603 Albuquerque police gathered to honor their own, including one detective who went above and beyond while off-duty. The Albuquerque Police Department honored such acts of...

Out-of-court settlement reached in rape lawsuit.(Local News)
July 31, 1999... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF A district judge has dismissed the personal-injury lawsuit filed by a former state wildlife biologist who said she was drugged and raped by a colleague during a black bear study near Reserve....

State Fair concert sales prove country is still king.(Local News)
July 31, 1999... Byline: Ollie Reed Jr. oreed@abqtrib.com / 823-3619 Country music still has plenty of kick at the New Mexico State Fair if early ticket sales for the 1999 fall classic are anything to go by. State Fair Commission Chairman Tom Tinnin,...

Field for City Council election nearly set.
July 31, 1999... Byline: Gilbert Gallegos GGALLEGOS@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3670 The race for City Council is just about complete with 14 candidates meeting the city's requirement to become candidates. The 14 candidates turned in the required 500 valid...

Report finds more violence in schools.(Insight and Opinion)
July 31, 1999... Byline: Rebecca Lopez The Associated Press SANTA FE Violent crime in New Mexico schools went up 18.38 percent in the 1997-98 school year from the previous year, but state figures show weapons possession dropped 47.14 percent during that...

Spy trial might reveal too much, DOE says.(Local News)
July 31, 1999... Byline: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Some energy department officials are worried that nuclear weapons secrets might be revealed if a former Los Alamos National Laboratory scientist is tried on charges that he was spying for the Chinese. ...

Man who killed cop now accused in new cases.
July 31, 1999... Byline: Leslie Hoffman LHOFFMAN@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3610 An Albuquerque man convicted of killing a Moriarty police officer more than 30 years ago is facing murder charges again. Carl Bell, 51, was indicted by a grand jury Friday on 12...

Trial to begin Monday in woman's 1997 death.
July 31, 1999... Byline: Leslie Hoffman LHOFFMAN@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3610 The murder trial of an Albuquerque man accused of killing his girlfriend in her West Side apartment is to begin Monday in state District Court. Chris Anzures Sanchez, 41, of Los...

Second suspect sought in gas-station killing.
July 31, 1999... Byline: Joline Gutierrez Krueger jglenn@abqtrib.com / 823-3603 One 17-year-old suspect in a July 22 shooting death of a man at an Albuquerque gas station remains at large today while the other 17-year-old suspect sits behind bars. ...

Man guilty of assaulting two officers.
July 31, 1999... Byline: Leslie Hoffman LHOFFMAN@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3610 A 39-year-old Albuquerque man was convicted of assaulting two police officers during a weeklong trial that he disrupted several times. Jerry Brown disrupted his trial by...

Sit, wait and hit!(Sports)
July 31, 1999... Byline: Rick A. Maese rmaese@abqtrib.com / 823-3687 Future Lobo safety anchors North defense, but can't beat South LAS CRUCES Just because he has played his last down of offense, don't expect Shannon Kincaid to get the ball any less....

Albuquerque players vs. rural players now there's an all-star draw.(Sports)
July 31, 1999... Byline: John O'Rourke LAS CRUCES From the silence in the bleachers to the annual five-figure losses to the 11 North football players who didn't show up, one could draw a reasonable conclusion about New Mexico's annual all-star games: ...

Dukes lose Herges to Dodgers.(Sports)
July 31, 1999... Byline: Wire reports UPDATE The Albuquerque Dukes open a four-game road series against Colorado Springs tonight without one of their top pitchers, who was promoted to the parent Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers placed Robinson...

Human-rights activist Corrine Locker was fairy godmother to Taos Pueblo.(Obituary)
July 31, 1999... Byline: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CORRALES Corrine Locker became interested in New Mexico's pueblos after reading novels about American Indians and moving to Santa Fe about half a century ago. The human-rights activist was so involved...

We're really not alone on grief's lonely path.(Insight and Opinion)
July 31, 1999... Byline: Kate Nelson In those brief moments before the universe tilted and delivered to gravity a new and ponderous weight, we lined the edges of my father's bed. The ventilator's huff and clack had ceased. The bags of drugs no longer...

EDITORIALS.(Insight and Opinion)
July 31, 1999... Program stands out in welfare-to-work annals It sounded so easy back in 1992, when presidential candidate Bill Clinton promised to "end welfare as we know it." But it took four more years before he and Congress could agree on a new...

N.M. monk survives car crash to descend into the wreck of depression.(Religion)
July 31, 1999... Byline: Terry Mattingly The last thing Father Andrew remembers from the afternoon of July 31, 1998, was asking his brother monk if he was too tired to continue driving back to New Mexico. It had already been a tough day. They had...

Colombia crash victims' identities revealed.(Local News)
July 31, 1999... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF EL PASO The Army has identified the five soldiers presumed killed when their reconnaissance plane crashed into a Colombian mountainside while on a counter-narcotics mission. The five,...

CRIME STOPPERS.(Local News)
July 31, 1999... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF Fugitive of the week: Manuel Baca, 25, is wanted on a charge of aggravated burglary. He is described as a dark-complexioned male, about 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds. PHOTO: b/w Baca

CRIME STOPPERS.(Local News)
July 31, 1999... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF Crime of the week: The body of Manuel Baca, no apparent relation to the fugitive of the week, was found about 6:10 a.m. June 22 face down in an alley off Sixth Street and Rosemont Northwest....

CORRECTIONS.(Local News)
July 31, 1999... An editorial Friday should have said that Roy Soto is working as Mayor Jim Baca's chief of staff for free while he determines whether he wants the job permanently. See Editorial 07/30/99 Pg. D1 "MAYOR-COUNCIL FIGHTS SOUR CIVIC-MINDED...

Sharp in position to be IRL's first two-time champ.(Sports)
July 31, 1999... Byline: Charles Googe INDY CAR NOTEBOOK Scott Sharp could be a two-timer. No, this has nothing to do with his love life. Sharp, who currently trails leader Scott Goodyear by 21 in the Indy Racing League points battle, is...

Bound by tragedy.
July 30, 1999... Byline: Joline Gutierrez Krueger jglenn@abqtrib.com / 823-3603 The mothers of the three teens shot to death in the East Mountains have formed an unbreakable bond, just as their sons did When three teen-age friends were gunned down in...

Governor gets list for Metro judgeship.
July 30, 1999... Byline: Leslie Hoffman LHOFFMAN@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3610 Gov. Gary Johnson, not Bernalillo County voters, will get to decide first who will fill a new Metro Court judgeship. The Bernalillo County Nominating Commission today sent...

Accused teen incapable of harm, mother says.(Local News)
July 30, 1999... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF The mother of an Albuquerque teen-ager accused of deliberately scalding his girlfriend's 13-month-old son says her son is incapable of harming anybody, let alone a child. Joseph Lopez, 19,...

Teen arrested in gas-station shooting death.(Local News)
July 30, 1999... Byline: Joline Gutierrez Krueger jglenn@abqtrib.com / 823-3603 One 17-year-old is in custody and another is being sought in connection with the July 22 shooting death of a man at an Albuquerque gas station, authorities said. Craig...

Judge grants summary judgment for Zunis.(Local News)
July 30, 1999... Byline: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS GALLUP In a court ruling with state-wide implications, the Zuni school district has won a major victory in its lawsuit challenging the state funding formula for school construction projects. State...

Kirtland crew's heroics save pilot who crashed at dark Colorado airport.(Local News)
July 30, 1999... Byline: Jodi Garber JGARBER@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3692 Air Force Capt. Bernie Ulmer didn't expect to see anything unusual when he glanced out the window of his aircraft during a routine training mission. What he saw changed his life,...

North Valley residents balk at museum.(Local News)
July 30, 1999... Byline: J.M. Barol JBAROL@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3612 The crowd that showed up at the Alameda North Valley Association meeting was quiet until the topic turned to the possible relocation of the National Atomic Museum from Kirtland Air Force...

150 gather to protest state's rule on executions.
July 30, 1999... Byline: Laurie Wackler lwackler@abqtrib.com / 823-3671 About 150 people some of them holding signs with the words "Thou shalt not kill" bowed their heads as the Rev. Ricardo Ramirez opened an anti-death penalty rally with a prayer. ...

Probation ordered in lottery case.
July 30, 1999... Byline: Leslie Hoffman lhoffman@abqtrib.com / 823-3610 An Albuquerque man who pleaded guilty to his role in a lottery larceny scheme will serve five years probation and have to pay a share of $9,036 in restitution to the New Mexico...

Commission is far short of required funds to build Pope statue.
July 30, 1999... Byline: The Associated Press A statue of Pope, a leader of the 1680 Pueblo Revolt against Spanish colonists in New Mexico, won't be added to the U.S. Capitol's National Statuary Hall anytime soon because there isn't enough money to...

Actor Sheen expected to protest at N.M. lab.
July 30, 1999... Byline: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS LOS ALAMOS Two celebrities known for their anti-war activism will join a protest at Los Alamos National Laboratory planned for Aug. 9, a protest organizer said. Bruce Hall, of the Washington-based group...

Lunar Prospector's planned crash passes through New Mexico labs.
July 30, 1999... Byline: Dan Stimson dstimson@abqtrib.com / 823-3610 When NASA's Lunar Prospector spacecraft takes a kamikaze dive into the moon Saturday morning, big telescopes managed by the Air Force Research Laboratory headquartered at Kirtland Air...

Wen Ho Lee says he is innocent.
July 30, 1999... Byline: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The former weapons lab scientist accused of leaking nuclear secrets to the Chinese government said he was innocent when pressed by a KOAT-Channel 7 reporter at the Albuquerque International Sunport. "I...

Lab could lose project to Nevada.
July 30, 1999... Byline: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS LOS ALAMOS The Energy Department is proposing to transfer a $50 million nuclear weapons research complex from Los Alamos National Laboratory to a site in Nevada, according to a Senate report. The DOE last...

That towering feeling.(Sports)
July 30, 1999... Byline: Rick A. Maese rmaese@abqtrib.com / 823-3687 Valley's R.T. Guinn hovers over the all-stars one final time before moving up to UNM and the college circuit this fall LAS CRUCES As R.T. Guinn becomes a normal-size fish in the...

Oh, yeah, Savage would love to wrestle the presidency away from pencil necks.(Sports)
July 30, 1999... Byline: Richard Stevens My vision of a future debate between presidential candidates goes like this: Debate monitor: "Macho Man, er, I mean Congressman Savage, we have just heard the distinguished senator from New Hampshire's view...

Aggies picked 4th in Big West polls.(Sports)
July 30, 1999... Byline: Wire reports UPDATE Defending Big West champion Idaho was the choice of the coaches to win the conference title this fall. Nevada, the 1998 runners-up, was the choice of the media in voting at the football media day on...

Trade show in Spain invites N.M. companies.(Business)
July 30, 1999... Byline: Staff and wire reports LOCAL & REGIONAL New Mexico companies have an opportunity to display samples of their wares at a major trade show in Spain this fall. INTERGIFT, a gift fair, IBERJOYA, a jewelry, silverware and watch...

3 decades of pueblo photographs.(The Arts & Entertainment)
July 30, 1999... Byline: Ollie Reed Jr. OREED@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3619 On a winter night at Zuni Pueblo nearly 40 years ago, Marcia Keegan, a college student and Tribune cub reporter at the time, watched in reverent awe as 10-feet-tall Shalako kachinas...

Budding artists.(The Arts & Entertainment)
July 30, 1999... Byline: Jodi Garber JGARBER@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3692 Teen artists, dancers and musicians won 100 coveted spots to cultivatetheir talents as apprenticesat the mayor's Arts Summer Institute Legs swing and kick in rapid synchronized...

Hurt so bad: Las Cruces loses big on Ronstadt.
July 30, 1999... Byline: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS LAS CRUCES Las Cruces lost $49,543 on a concert by singer Linda Ronstadt that was part of the city's three-day Independence Day celebration and 150th anniversary. Attendance fell short of what was needed...

EDITORIALS.(Insight and Opinion)
July 30, 1999... Mayor-council fights sour civic-minded action The politics of personal vendettas and power plays have, too often of late, soured the actions of Albuquerque's City Council. Its wearying battles with Mayor Jim Baca entered a new phase this...

Marriage-tax showdown looms.
July 30, 1999... Byline: Jessica Wehrman wehrmanj@snhs.com / (202) 408-2705 A long-disliked quirk in the tax code affecting married couples appears doomed to extinction, with the House having already voted it down and a Senate vote impending. But...

Mother, grandmother arrested in infant death.(Local News)
July 30, 1999... IN BRIEF SANTA FE The mother of a newborn girl whose body was found floating in a toilet has been accused of killing the infant. Michelle Blevin, 23, of Santa Fe was arrested Tuesday on charges of murder, conspiracy and tampering...

North Valley residents balk at museum.(Local News)
July 30, 1999... Byline: J.M. Barol JBAROL@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3612 The crowd that showed up at the Alameda North Valley Association meeting was quiet until the topic turned to the possible relocation of the National Atomic Museum from Kirtland Air Force...

Moratorium on outdoor watering could end.(Local News)
July 30, 1999... Byline: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS A proposed plan would allow parts of the state, including northern sections of Santa Feand neighboring pueblos, to use water outside of their homes. SANTA FE A proposed agreement in a 33-year-old federal...

Wen Ho Lee says he is innocent.
July 30, 1999... Byline: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The man accused of leaking nuclear secrets to the Chinese government said he was innocent when pressed by a local television reporter at the Albuquerque International Sunport. "I never give any classified...

Mother, grandmother arrested in infant death.(Local News)
July 30, 1999... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF SANTA FE The mother of a newborn girl whose body was found floating in a toilet has been accused of killing the infant. Michelle Blevin, 23, of Santa Fe was arrested Tuesday on charges of...

Grant County wells attract bolts from the sky.(Local News)
July 30, 1999... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF HANOVER Lightning usually doesn't strike in the same place twice. But it did here four times. The water wells in this Grant County community were hit by lightning earlier this week. The...

Prison guards charged in female inmate assault.(Local News)
July 30, 1999... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF LAS CRUCES Criminal charges have been filed against three former Dona Ana County Detention Center guards accused of sexual misconduct with female prisoners. Rudy Florez, 40, and Israel...

CORRECTIONS.(Local News)
July 30, 1999... * New Mexico Republican Reps. Heather Wilson of Albuquerque and Joe Skeen of Picacho voted for a proposal by President Clinton to extend normal trade relations with China for another year. Rep. Tom Udall, Santa Fe Democrat, voted against the...

CORRECTIONS.(Local News)
July 30, 1999... *A story in Tuesday's sports section should have said that the returning seniors on the Rio Grande High School basketball team are Alex Hernandez, Josh Salazar, Juan Rey Abeyta, Dominic Chavez, Vicente Ramirez, Adrian Roybal, Jimmy Romero and...

Astronomer's ashes going to the moon.
July 30, 1999... Byline: Dan Stimson dstimson@abqtrib.com / 823-3610 As the Lunar Prospector reaches its final resting place on the moon, so will famed astronomer Eugene Shoemaker. Months after his death in 1997, Shoemaker's ashes were placed within...

AT A GLANCE.(Sports)
July 30, 1999... Byline: Wire reports UPDATE Opponent changes for Romero: Southpaw Martin Felix of Juarez, Mexico, will replace Jesse Miranda as the foe for Albuquerque boxer Danny Romero in a show set for Aug. 14 at the Albuquerque Convention...

Vikings' linebacker Roybal rattles the opposition.(Sports)
July 30, 1999... Byline: Rick A. Maese rmaese@abqtrib.com / 823-3687 LAS CRUCES For as long as Andre Luna can remember, his childhood friend Henry Roybal has knocked people around like a pinball. "Henry has always been that way," said Luna, who was...

Investors warned of promissory note scam.(Business)
July 30, 1999... Byline: Staff and wire reports LOCAL & REGIONAL State officials are warning investors about promissory notes that promise high interest rates but are risky and often fraudulent. William J. Verant, acting director of the New Mexico...

AT A GLANCE.(Business)
July 30, 1999... Byline: Staff and wire reports LOCAL & REGIONAL Busy airport: Passenger traffic rose 1 percent in June at the Albuquerque International Sunport for a total of 570,106 passenger arrivals and departures. Traffic for the year is 1.2...

AT A GLANCE.(Business)
July 30, 1999... Byline: Staff and wire reports LOCAL & REGIONAL Computer contract: Holman's Inc., New Mexico's largest supplier of Apple Computers was recently awarded a five-year multimillion dollar contract with Los Alamos National Laboratory. The...

AT A GLANCE.(Business)
July 30, 1999... Byline: Staff and wire reports LOCAL & REGIONAL Allstate invests in N.M. bonds: Allstate Insurance Co. has invested $68.4 million in municipal bonds in New Mexico this year. The investment included $28.2 million of bonds issued by...

Poet illuminates works of Latinas who influenced her.(The Arts & Entertainment)
July 30, 1999... Byline: Trilby Davis tdavis@abqtrib.com / 823-2684 Valerie Martinez knows about poetry. She teaches it, studies it and is a poet herself. Working with words comes natural to Martinez. It has always been a part of her life since she...

Five out of six nets lottery player $100,000.(Local News)
July 30, 1999... IN BRIEF RUIDOSO A Texas woman has become the 51st person to claim a $100,000 Powerball prize in New Mexico. The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, purchased the winning ticket at an Allsup's store in Ruidoso for the July 17...

Thyroid scam costs drug maker $41 million.(Local News)
July 30, 1999... IN BRIEF The maker of Synthroid will change its marketing practices and pay 37 states, including New Mexico, $41.8 million to settle charges that it made deceptive statements about the synthetic thyroid hormone drug, consumer authorities...

Councilors ax advocate of 'smart growth'.
July 29, 1999... Byline: Gilbert Gallegos ggallegos@abqtrib.com / 823-3670 City councilors said they were worried about conflict with a mayoral appointee who has different views on controlling city growth than they do. For that and other reasons, a...

Fortuitous arrow.
July 29, 1999... Byline: Ollie Reed Jr. oreed@abqtrib.com / 823-3619 Indian Plaza Shopping Center, which has survivedalmost 40 years of retail ups and downs, turns a page Even now, after all these years, Troy Vicenti can't help but grin when he sees...

Schools, union reach an impasse.
July 29, 1999... Byline: Jodi Garber JGARBER@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3692 Mediation could be next as the district and teachers union failed to find common ground on a new contract. Albuquerque Public Schools teachers report to work Aug. 13, but the way...

N.M. instrument helps probe zoom up close to asteroid.
July 29, 1999... Byline: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Seen through Earthbound telescopes, asteroid Braille is a dim spot, but a Los Alamos research instrument took a closer look as NASA's Deep Space 1 satellite flew within 15 miles of the object. Deep Space...

N.M. insurer to pay $5.1 million settlement.
July 29, 1999... Byline: Leslie Hoffman LHOFFMAN@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3610 SANTA FE - New Mexicans insured by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico will not see their premiums increase or benefits cut despite the company's settlement of a multimillion...

Child's death ruled accidental.
July 29, 1999... Byline: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SHIPROCK A 5-year-old girl found dead in the back seat of an unlocked sheriff's patrol car apparently became trapped due to the car's child locks and died of heat exposure, officials said. The death has been...

UNM gets science research grant.
July 29, 1999... Byline: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The University of New Mexico is receiving a five-year, $405,000 research grant from the National Science Foundation for the UNM Center for Micro-Engineered Materials. The foundation also approved the...

Teen-age boy questioned about series of fires.(Local News)
July 29, 1999... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF Authorities are questioning a 16-year-old boy in a series of small brush fires near Menaul and University boulevards Northeast, including one that occurred this week. He has not been charged....

Slain boy's parents crusade for organ donations.(Local News)
July 29, 1999... Byline: Dan Stimson dstimson@abqtrib.com / 823-3610 Reg and Maggie Green could have given in to their despair when their 7-year-old son Nicholas was killed during a 1994 family vacation in Italy. Instead, they turned their son's...

Teen boyfriend arrested in the scalding of Baby Damian.(Local News)
July 29, 1999... Byline: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS A teen-ager is being held in the Bernalillo City-County Jail on charges of child abuse in connection with the severe scalding of a 13-month-old New Mexico boy identified only as Baby Damian. Joseph Lopez,...

Council holds off on TV helipad ban -- for now.
July 29, 1999... Byline: Gilbert Gallegos City councilors continue to shy away from deciding whether to allow television news helicopters to take off and land near residential neighborhoods. Councilors told representatives from the TV stations and...

Leader of cocaine gang pleads guilty to trafficking.
July 29, 1999... Byline: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS LAS CRUCES The ringleader of a cocaine-trafficking gang called the East Side Locos, or Crazies, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess the drug for the purpose of distribution and to using a gun in the...

Drug council opposes decriminalization.
July 29, 1999... Byline: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SANTA FE Another group has come out against decriminalizing some drug use since Gov. Gary Johnson called for a debate on the idea. The state Drug Enforcement Advisory Council, whose members represent...

Mayor tackles clogged spring feeding Santa Rosa's Blue Hole.
July 29, 1999... Byline: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SANTA ROSA Mayor Joe Campos was so worried about the water supply in the famous Blue Hole lake that he took scuba-diving lessons and went down to see for himself. He found a dramatic drop in the...

Pearl's Dive Downtown has summer down cold.(Business)
July 29, 1999... Byline: RETAIL CORNER By Leanne Potts Good news for those who frequent Downtown: A new eatery has opened in the space formerly occupied by the popular but short-lived Metropolitan Grill. The place is called Pearl's Dive, and it's owned...

New owners plan no big changes for Nob Hill.(Business)
July 29, 1999... Byline: Dan Mayfield DMAYFIELD@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3620 Albuquerque's trend-setting epicenter, the Nob Hill Shopping Center, won't be going through any major changes despite being sold. Albuquerque real estate broker John Sedberry,...

City pharmaceuticals manufacturer plans to expand.(Business)
July 29, 1999... Byline: Alexis Kerschner AKERSCHNER@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3675 SP Pharmaceuticals LLC has injected some vitality into the Albuquerque economic community. The 2-year-old drug manufacturer has made strides since its beginning as a...

Self-employment training program teaches welfare recipients the ropes.(Business)
July 29, 1999... Byline: Alexis Kerschner akerschner@abqtrib.com / 823-3675 Low-income women and minorities have an advocate in Ileen Kelley, the special projects coordinator and trainer for WESST corp, the Women's Economic Self Sufficiency Team. ...