The Albuquerque Tribune (Albuquerque, NM) articles from March 2000

The Albuquerque Tribune (Albuquerque, NM) archives from March 2000

Phone call seals final agreement on budget.
March 31, 2000... Byline: Gilbert Gallegos and Tim Archuleta ggallegos@abqtrib.com / 823-3670 tarchuleta@abqtrib.com / 823-3674 LEGISLATURE 2000 SANTA FE A final deal on a $3.5 billion spending plan to operate state government was reached during a...

Senate debates new compacts on Indian gaming.
March 31, 2000... Byline: Gilbert Gallegos ggallegos@abqtrib.com / 823-3670 SANTA FE Debate started today in the Senate on new Indian gaming compacts as boosters of the plan did their best to fight off gloom-and-doom predictions. A vote on the...

From politics to the press.
March 31, 2000... Byline: Leanne Potts lpotts@abqtrib.com / 823-3676 Darren White says he's enjoying his role as a TV reporter, but the former public-safety secretary also faces scrutiny of his objectivity, and speculation about his future political...

Retirement means crusader may just be warming up.
March 31, 2000... Byline: Ollie Reed Jr. oreed@abqtrib.com / 823-3619 Wallace Ford remembers the exact moment he realized there was such a thing as racism, the exact moment that set the course for his life as an activist for social justice. Ford, who...

Martineztown grocer, 98, embraced N.M. politics.(Obituary)
March 31, 2000... Byline: Frank Zoretich fzoretich@abqtrib.com / 823-3623 Manuel T. Sanchez, a Martineztown food-store owner and community pillar who loved the excitement of horse races and political races, has died. He was 98. Sanchez died Wednesday...

Status murky on APS chief's current contract.
March 31, 2000... Byline: Andy Lenderman alenderman@abqtrib.com / 823-3659 Brad Allison has departed on a long-planned family vacation, leaving behind more questions than answers about his situation with Albuquerque Public Schools. At the top of the...

First step taken toward building new crime lab.(Local News)
March 31, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF Groundbreaking ceremonies were planned today for the new $12.4 million crime lab and records facility, which will jointly serve Albuquerque and Bernalillo County law enforcement agencies. ...

CORRECTIONS.(Local News)
March 31, 2000... In Thursday's midday edition of The Tribune, a story previewing Wednesday night's New Mexico Slam game against San Diego was inadvertently repeated. The Slam won the game 112-96. See story 03/30/00 Pg.18 Sports Extra Midday Edition,...

Dreams of fields come to fruitionfor Little League.
March 31, 2000... Byline: Beth Jergenson BJERGENSON@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3671 Vivien and Kevin Burch have found that if you build fields, players will come. And keep coming. After five years of fund raising, Paradise Hills Little League finally has...

Injuries to juvenile inmates must stop, official says.(Local News)
March 31, 2000... Byline: Susie Gran sgran@abqtrib.com / 823-3682 The state official in charge of incarcerated teens said he intends to do something about a pattern of injuries to inmates by guards. Four broken arms suffered by residents in the state's...

House concurs on limiting any extra session to school fix.
March 31, 2000... Byline: Tim Archuleta tarchuleta@abqtrib.com / 823-3674 LEGISLATURE 2000 SANTA FE House leaders have agreed to focus only on the so-called "Zuni fix" if the Legislature calls itself into extraordinary session. The Zuni fix...

Challengers attack district attorney's DWI conviction rate.
March 31, 2000... Byline: Frank Zoretich fzoretich@abqtrib.com / 823-3623 Kari Brandenburg is a Democrat and lawyer in private practice. L. Skip Vernon, a Republican, is the state Senate's minority leader. Both are candidates in the June 6...

Judge denies Lee's motion to prevent disclosure.
March 31, 2000... Byline: Chaka Ferguson The Associated Press A federal judge has denied a motion by fired nuclear-weapons scientist Wen Ho Lee to overturn a law that requires him to reveal many of the details of his defense to prosecutors before trial....

Scorpions bring a thirst for the Cup to playoffs.(Sports)
March 31, 2000... Byline: Sean McAfee smcafee@abqtrib.com / 823-3662 Third time a charm? Two veterans of all four WPHL campaigns say that will be so for the New Mexico Scorpions. Derek Crawford and Tony Martino, both Scorpions in their inaugural...

Al Unser Jr. clowns around in Phoenix.(Sports)
March 31, 2000... Byline: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Johnny Rutherford, the three-time Indy 500 winner who serves as an IRL consultant and pace-car driver, couldn't miss Al Unser Jr. during a caution period in the recent Phoenix race. "He was playing games...

Four-paw star.(The Arts & Entertainment)
March 31, 2000... Byline: Leanne Potts lpotts@abqtrib.com / 823-3676 For 11 minutes in each performance of "Annie," Buster plies his talent as a dog actor. Behind the scenes is the man who trained him and other four-legged performers. Imagine having...

In the name of their father.
March 31, 2000... COMING SATURDAY CAPTION(S): PHOTO CAPTION PHOTO: Color Chung Lee (left) and Alberta Lee long for the idyllic days of their childhood. But now they are grown up and committed to fighting on behalf of their father, former Los...

Infill allies take imaginary tour of Downtown.(Local News)
March 31, 2000... Byline: Kate Nash KNASH@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3602 About 40 residents took their first trip along Central Avenue to see the brand-new Dukes stadium Downtown. An imaginary trip, that is. At a screening of a city Planning Department...

Departures have Lobos eyeing 'best' post player.(Sports)
March 31, 2000... Byline: Edgar Thompson ethompson@abqtrib.com / 823-3614 The departure of freshmen big men R.T. Guinn and Rafael Berumen has brought "the best available post player in the country" back into the University of New Mexico's recruiting...

Beauty and the beast.(Sports)
March 31, 2000... Byline: Sean McAfee smcafee@abqtrib.com / 823-3662 COMMENTARY The new Ken Dye-designed Paa-Ko golf course in the East Mountains is as challenging as it is visually stunning Had I had brought my lunch to Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club,...

Lobos longtime secretary to retire.(Sports)
March 31, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports UPDATE After 12 seasons as the secretary in the Lobo men's basketball office, Lois Hagemeyer has chosen to take an early retirement, beginning Friday. A University of New Mexico employee for 19...

Seasoned UNM softball team to begin MWC play.(Sports)
March 31, 2000... Byline: Brad Moore bmoore@abqtrib.com / 823-3679 LOBO SCENE The University of New Mexico softball team will begin its bid to win the inaugural Mountain West Conference championship on Saturday, when they play host to Colorado State...

House-passed bill offers tax credits for R&D.(Business)
March 31, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports LOCAL & REGIONAL Companies would receive tax incentives for research and development spending under a proposal unanimously approved by the House. House Republican Leader Ted Hobbs of Albuquerque...

Music from the heart.(The Arts & Entertainment)
March 31, 2000... Byline: Beth Jergenson bjergenson@abqtrib.com / 823-3671 Local guitarist Micky Cruz has turned his self-taught talent into a life-affirming profession, using it as a vehicle to remind him of what he has and where he came from Micky...

OK, the dog knows how to act, but can he stay off the couch?(The Arts & Entertainment)
March 31, 2000... Byline: Leanne Potts It's an obvious question: If Bill Berloni can train a dog to do live theater, he must have tips for keeping them off the sofa, right? He laughs. "The reason I haven't written a book on dog training is that...

State joins Web network that finds missing money.(Business)
March 31, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports LOCAL & REGIONAL The state of New Mexico has joined MissingMoney.com, a free national search engine that locates consumers' lost assets and unclaimed property. "We are excited to join...

Police seek information on men killed on I-40.(Local News)
March 31, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports Judge rules to suppress evidence in torture case SOCORRO A judge on Thursday ruled to suppress evidence in the trial of David Parker Ray, who is accused of kidnapping and sexually torturing three women...

Rain, snow inconvenient but not unwelcome.
March 31, 2000... Byline: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Travelers in northern New Mexico received a taste of another late winter storm as authorities shut down part of Interstate 25. The National Weather Service issued a snow advisory and a winter storm...

Aragon has backup if gaming fails.
March 31, 2000... Byline: Gilbert Gallegos ggallegos@abqtrib.com / 823-3670 LEGISLATURE 2000 SANTA FE Senators today are expected to decide the fate of a proposed compact agreement governing Indian gaming in New Mexico. If the agreement fails and...

Repaving Tramway may take up to a month.
March 31, 2000... Byline: TRIBUNE STAFF Work begins today on a project to repair deteriorating pavement on Tramway Boulevard in both directions between I-40 and Lomas Boulevard. Cutler Repaving and Albuquerque Asphalt will work on Tramway every day...

Lobos longtime secretary to retire.(Sports)
March 31, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports UPDATE After 12 seasons as the secretary in the Lobo men's basketball office, Lois Hagemeyer has chosen to take an early retirement, beginning Friday. A University of New Mexico employee for 19...

South Valley to honor community and its own.(Local News)
March 31, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports Residents are invited to South Valley Pride Day this weekend. The first event will be a "graffiti paint-out" from 9 a.m. until noon on Saturday. Later in the day, starting at 5 p.m., the New Mexico...

Judge laughs off obscene outburst by defendant.(Local News)
March 31, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF A man accused of setting fire to an abortion clinic made an obscene gesture at the judge in an Albuquerque courtroom Thursday and launched into an obscenity-laced tirade as he withdrew his...

AT A GLANCE.(Local News)
March 31, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF Road work delayed: Remediation work scheduled to start today on Tramway Boulevard Northeast was postponed due to high winds, a Highways and Transportation Department official said. The work is...

AT A GLANCE.(Sports)
March 31, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports UPDATE NMHU player named All-America: Becky Gonzales, who averaged 23 points this season for New Mexico Highlands, was named to the second team of the NCAA Division II All-America squad. Gonzales, a...

The bill goes to the Senate.(Business)
March 31, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports The proposal provides for a tax credit equal to 4 percent of certain investments in research and development, including equipment and computer software. The credit could be taken against sales and payroll...

Alamosa PCS honored as Sprint's top affiliate.(Business)
March 31, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports LOCAL & REGIONAL Alamosa PCS, a Sprint PCS Network Partner, was named Sprint PCS Affiliate of the Year. Alamosa PCS, in its first year of operation, manages local Sprint PCS service and operations...

Albuquerque company to manage Chicago hotel.(Business)
March 31, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports LOCAL & REGIONAL Albuquerque-based American Property Management Corp. has taken over operation of the Radisson Hotel O'Hare in Chicago. The 467-room hotel is about two miles from O'Hare...

Texas power company seeks air-quality permit.(Business)
March 31, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports LOCAL & REGIONAL A Texas company that wants to build a $100 million natural gas-fired power plant west of Belen has submitted an application for an air-quality permit from the state. Houston-based...

St. Joseph Healthcare's CEO is stepping down.(Business)
March 31, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports LOCAL & REGIONAL The chief executive of St. Joseph Healthcare the past four years will resign effective May 1. Steve Smith made the decision this week after talks with St. Joseph's board and its...

Police seek information on men killed on I-40.(Local News)
March 31, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF THOREAU Two pedestrians walking down the center of Interstate 40 were killed Thursday when they were hit by a tractor-trailer, State Police said. The two unidentified men died at the scene...

Fancy-masked quartet wrestles guitars into melodic submission.(The Arts & Entertainment)
March 31, 2000... Byline: Paul Maldonado Jr. PMALDONADO@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3630 The masked marauders from Nashville are about to lead an instrumental invasion of the Land of Enchantment for the second time in two weeks. Los Straitjackets, the most...

EDITORIALS.(Insight and Opinion)
March 30, 2000... Governor should practice accountability he preaches Gov. Gary Johnson likes to demand accountability from recipients of public money schoolteachers and welfare moms in particular but seems happy to shower a private-prison company with...

$10 million proposed for full-day kindergarten.
March 30, 2000... Byline: Gilbert Gallegos ggallegos@abqtrib.com / 823-3670 LEGISLATURE 2000 SANTA FE As legislators revisit the state budget, they're also taking another stab at pumping more money into full-day kindergarten. The budget plan on...

Railroad seeks to end merger moratorium.(Business)
March 30, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports LOCAL & REGIONAL Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. has gone to court seeking to overturn a federal agency's moratorium on railroad mergers. The Fort Worth-based railroad wants to block a March 17...

Denver-Santa Fe flights added by airline.(Business)
March 30, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports LOCAL & REGIONAL An airline that serves the region stretching from the Great Lakes to the Rockies will add more flights from Denver starting in April. Great Lakes Aviation Ltd., which runs a United...

Realtors to direct traffic for annual zoo run.(Business)
March 30, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports LOCAL & REGIONAL For the 15th consecutive year, members of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Board of Realtors will volunteer to direct traffic and provide road safety for the New Mexico Zoological Society's...

Construction begins on Forest Service building.(Business)
March 30, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports LOCAL & REGIONAL Aardex Corp., a Lakewood-Colo.-based developer, has broken ground on a building project in Downtown Albuquerque. Construction began Feb. 16 on the regional headquarters for the...

Tech-support company looks at Silver City.(Business)
March 30, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports LOCAL & REGIONAL Stream International, which provides support services for brand-name technology companies, is considering a new location in Silver City. The company held an open house this week to...

Work begins on 120-mile project for U.S. 550.(Local News)
March 30, 2000... Byline: Wire reports IN BRIEF Motorists take heed: U.S. 550 between Bloomfield and San Ysidro will be an orange-barrel nightmare for the next couple of years. Surveying, dirt work and milling already have started to widen the...

Trio indicted for artifact poaching in Gila.(Local News)
March 30, 2000... Byline: Wire reports IN BRIEF LAS CRUCES Three Deming men have been indicted on charges of illegal pot-hunting in the Gila Wilderness. James L. Quarrell, 61; Michael Quarrell, 65; and Aaron Sera, 31, were charged with conspiracy...

AT A GLANCE.(Sports)
March 30, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF Two Ravens headed to JC: Rio Grande High School second baseman Daniel Baca and shortstop Vicente Ramirez have accepted scholarships from Lamar (Colo.) Junior College, said Ravens coach Orlando...

State's unemploymentup slightly in February.(Business)
March 30, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports LOCAL& REGIONAL New Mexico's unemployment rate in February was 5.4 percent, up from 5.3 percent in January but down from 5.7 percent in February 1999. In Albuquerque, unemployment edged to 3.8...

New Mexico Blue Cross approves merger.(Business)
March 30, 2000... Byline: OTHER BUSINESS NEWS By The Associated Press Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico, a nonprofit health insurance company with about 213,000 members in the state, plans to be acquired by a national health-care company. Blue...

Gambling pacts face resistance.
March 29, 2000... Byline: Gilbert Gallegos ggallegos@abqtrib.com / 823-3670 As lobbying begins, lawmakers admit new Indian gaming compacts are a hard sell. SANTA FE Sen. Carlos Cisneros, with four gaming tribes in his district, is in a tough position...

Legislators wondering why Wackenhut is getting a raise.
March 29, 2000... Byline: Gilbert Gallegos ggallegos@abqtrib.com / 823-3670 LEGISLATURE 2000 SANTA FE Legislators tried again today to get to the bottom of the state Corrections Department budget and the reason a higher price is being promised to...

APS board to ponder specifics of superintendent's contract.
March 29, 2000... Byline: Andy Lenderman alenderman@abqtrib.com / 823-3659 The job future of Albuquerque Public Schools Superintendent Brad Allison could be decided tonight in a closed meeting. The Albuquerque Board of Education is scheduled to...

Nuclear-weapon experts debate condition of arsenal.
March 29, 2000... Byline: Lawrence Spohn lspohn@abqtrib.com / 823-3611 Some of the nation's top nuclear-weapons officials cracked opened their usually secret closets at a forum in Albuquerque. The debate disclosed some festering problems in the...

Guinn's dad accuses coach of extortion, blackmail.
March 29, 2000... Byline: Edgar Thompson ethompson@abqtrib.com / 823-3614 The father of freshman R.T. Guinn said today that "out-and-out extortion and blackmail" practiced by basketball coach Fran Fraschilla led to his son's decision to transfer from the...

Domenici says he'll seek more money for nuclear-weapons programs.
March 29, 2000... Byline: Lawrence Spohn lspohn@abqtrib.com / 823-3611 Sen. Pete Domenici told a nuclear-weapons forum meeting in Albuquerque in a note this week that he will seek to substantially increase funding for U.S. nuclear-weapons programs, while...

Lab works to verify nuke dismantling.
March 29, 2000... Byline: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS LOS ALAMOS Los Alamos National Laboratory will track nuclear warheads from dismantlement to storage in an attempt to make it easier to verify that weapons that are supposed to be destroyed under treaties are...

Report assails environmental woes of electric deregulation.(Local News)
March 29, 2000... Byline: Beth Jergenson BJERGENSON@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3671 Deregulation of electric utilities would make New Mexico even more reliant on "dirty" fossil fuels, according to a report released by the New Mexico Public Interest Research Group...

Last man involved in beating pleads guilty.(Local News)
March 29, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF After a long life in the courts system, the 1996 case involving the brutal beating of an Albuquerque man in a Downtown alley on Halloween night is almost over. The last of six men charged...

Santa Fe County OKs immigrant jail plan.(Local News)
March 29, 2000... Byline: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SANTA FE The Santa Fe County Commission has approved a controversial lease with a private prison operator that paves the way for an immigrant jail. Despite some community opposition, commissioners voted...

Judge denies teen probation, orders better treatment.(Local News)
March 29, 2000... Byline: Susie Gran sgran@abqtrib.com / 823-3682 The state Children, Youth and Families Department has been ordered to pay closer attention to Michael E. Murry, an Albuquerque teen described to the court as a "model prisoner." Murry...

15-year-old given probation for kidnapping mother.(Local News)
March 29, 2000... Byline: TRIBUNE STAFF A 15-year-old Albuquerque boy accused of kidnapping his mother and holding her in handcuffs and shackles in a North Valley motel room last year will remain on probation until the end of the school year. Gabriel...

State parks funded through midsummer.
March 29, 2000... Byline: Tim Archuleta tarchuleta@abqtrib.com / 823-3674 LEGISLATURE 2000 SANTA FE New Mexico's state park visitors won't see "closed" signs on their outdoor trips the next three months. "I'm delighted," said Jennifer Salisbury,...

Governor to redouble drug efforts.
March 29, 2000... Byline: Deborah Baker The Associated Press SANTA FE Gov. Gary Johnson has vowed to redouble his drug-legalization education efforts despite the misgivings of fellow Republicans running for office this year. "It shouldn't be a...

UNM delays tuition vote until after budget clears.
March 29, 2000... Byline: Frank Zoretich fzoretich@abqtrib.com / 823-3623 The finance and facilities committee of the University of New Mexico's Board of Regents had originally scheduled Monday for its meeting to determine tuition and fees for the next...

Legislators OK aviation tax break.
March 29, 2000... Byline: Tim Archuleta tarchuleta@abqtrib.com / 823-3674 SANTA FE House taxation committee members today moved quickly to approve a gross receipts tax break in hopes of landing 2,000 high-paying aviation jobs in Albuquerque. ...

Largest judicial district hopes to get its hands on extra money.
March 29, 2000... Byline: Leslie Hoffman LHOFFMAN@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3610 Among the agencies clamoring for recently found millions of dollars at the disposal of the Legislature is the 2nd Judicial District court system. It's an unusually busy special...

One-time top junior-college guard commits as Lobo face lift begins.(Sports)
March 29, 2000... Byline: Edgar Thompson ethompson@abqtrib.com / 823-3614 A top basketball player who didn't compete for his junior college last season has committed to attend the University of New Mexico, his coach said. Shooting guard Eric...

Former Lobo kept his game to aid Slam in home stretch.(Sports)
March 29, 2000... Byline: Brad Moore bmoore@abqtrib.com / 823-3679 Even though the lights and cameras have been turned off of Greg Brown for six years, the former Lobo basketball star says he has remained determined to keep his game glistening for...

Johnny Tapia to put his title on the line against Argentinian.(Sports)
March 29, 2000... Byline: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS LAS CRUCES Johnny Tapia's next opponent is a boxer who was beaten easily by two champions Tapia would like to fight someday. Tapia (47-1-2, 25 KOs) will defend his WBO bantamweight (118 pounds) title...

Lubbock, IceRays win in playoffs.(Sports)
March 29, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports UPDATE The third-seeded Lubbock Cotton Kings and No. 5 seed Corpus Christi IceRays won first-round games in the west bracket to open the WPHL playoffs on Tuesday. The Cotton Kings defeated No. 6...

Lobos squat, lift and crunch the numbers on way to a steelier gridiron.(Sports)
March 29, 2000... Byline: Richard Stevens For Rocky Long, the grunts and the groans created by Lobos under heavy weights had little to do with jock ego gratification and much to do with building a program. "The numbers say we are getting stronger,"...

Awards spotlight N.M.'s high-tech growth.(Business)
March 29, 2000... Byline: TODAY'S TOP STORY By Sue Vorenberg svorenberg@abqtrib.com / 823-3678 New Mexico's technology companies are continuing to grow rapidly, building an exciting economic future for the state. So says Sherman McCorkle, president...

BEE casts a spell on emotional intellects.(Seeing)
March 29, 2000... The Tribune's 53rd annual Regional Spelling Bee brought a hive of activity to Sandia Preparatory School when 33 spellers from across central New Mexico competed for a trip to Washington, D.C., to participate with 248 spellers from around the...

EDITORIALS.(Insight and Opinion)
March 29, 2000... Gaming compacts agreement continues to come up short Since 1995, when Gov. Gary Johnson illegally signed a tribal-gaming compact, legislators have struggled to tame the genie that billowed out of the casino bottle. For many of them, the...

Davalos rips Guinn for history of transfers.
March 29, 2000... Byline: Edgar Thompson ethompson@abqtrib.com / 823-3614 Freshman R.T. Guinn's decision to quit the University of New Mexico basketball team can be chalked up to his own unstable career and a meddling father, Athletics Director Rudy...

Legislators wondering why Wackenhut is getting a raise.
March 29, 2000... Byline: Gilbert Gallegos ggallegos@abqtrib.com / 823-3670 SANTA FE Legislators say they will try again today to get to the bottom of the state Corrections Department budget and the reason a higher price is being promised to...

Suspect named in death of 62-year-old man.(Local News)
March 29, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF A 49-year-old Albuquerque man missing part of his right thumb is wanted in the shooting death of another Albuquerque man whose body was found on the West Mesa last weekend, authorities said....

More small power plants could help avoid blackouts, PNM says.(Sports)
March 29, 2000... Byline: Chris Roberts THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SANTA FE Public Service Company of New Mexico says more small power plants that serve local areas or more high-capacity power lines are needed to prevent another massive blackout in the state....

Torture suspect out of hospital,back in jail.
March 29, 2000... Byline: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES An inmate accused of sexually torturing three women was released from a hospital and returned to jail, a week before his first trial was expected to begin. And the judge in the case...