Today's News

Los Alamos County Council unanimously approved an amendment to Kroger’s/Smith’s ground lease agreement on the Trinity Site Tuesday night.

The amendment allows Smith’s two additional 30-day extensions of the feasibility period and adds provisions for Kroger’s to perform additional site work and utilities construction.

Deputy County Administrator Steven Lynne explained the reasons for the amendments during the council’s meeting.

“What’s been occurring since we assigned that lease is that Kroger’s/Smith’s have been doing their due diligence. They’ve actually been very busy, very active. They’ve submitted their site plan. It’s been through Planning and Zoning and been approved. They have done all of their construction drawings; and they’ve submitted a full building permit application. That’s currently in the review process. They have done full design and put this out to bid.

“So unlike previous developers, they have actually been working this and they are expecting this to move ahead.

“One thing that has slowed them down a little — although I’m very confident that we’re moving toward a good resolution here — has been working with the state on access off of N.M. 502/Trinity Drive.”

The organizers of Native Treasures: Indian Arts Festival are pleased to announce the 2013 recipient of the Native Treasures Living Treasure award: noted potter and sculptor Tammy Garcia, from Santa Clara Pueblo.
There will be a benefit ceremony honoring Garcia, 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Santa Fe Convention Center.
The Native Treasures Living Treasure Award acknowledges both the body of work by an artist and the participation of that artist in the community at large.
Garcia is renowned for her innovation, design and execution across a variety of media. She is an artistic mentor to younger artists and in 2012 funded the Tammy Garcia Award for Excellence at SWAIA’s Indian Market.
“We are thrilled to have Tammy as our 2013 Museum of Indian Arts and Culture Living Treasure,” Jane Buchsbaum said. “She is truly a gifted artist whose work incorporates traditional designs and modern iconography. Her forays into other media, such as bronze and glass, have been groundbreaking, while her pottery is always exceptional.” Buchsbaum is artist chairman for Native Treasures
Garcia is represented locally by Blue Rain Gallery, which carries her work in all media.

Igor and the Red Elvises, brings the party to Los Alamos Friday.
The Red Elvises started out as a Siberian wedding band, an ambitious Russian folk band named Limpopo, coming to the United States in the mid-1980’s. They lived in Santa Monica, Calif., and became popular there. They were introduced to President Ronald Reagan as a “hellipcrazy” Russian Folk ‘n’ Roll group, and in 1993 won on Ed McMahon’s International Star Search TV show. The Red Elvises formed in 1995 after lead singer, Igor Yuzov had a dream where Elvis Presley told him to become a rocker.
“Fans from Los Alamos to Los Angeles, Seattle to Miami and all around the world (yes, the world) say, ‘Oh, you have to see them live. They’re so much fun!’ I’d bet there’s at least a thousand people in this town alone who agree,” Organizer Russell Gordon said. “They’re tremendous showmen. They’re always touring, always evolving. They’re talented and entertaining. I was checking them out on Facebook and there are a whole lot of new songs. There are some new members yet they’re still a tight band and very talented. Even if they aren’t your favorite band, they could be yours as they are mine, favorite “party” band.”

“Ya think, DiNozzo?” Gibbs responds on NCIS when Agent Dinozzo offers something totally obvious. Today’s question might better be, “Just what were they thinking?”
Two recent headlines create the suspicion that all may well not be right. For me, the stories generate wonder about the culture, the mindset of the Obama administration. Both touch New Mexico.
The old news is the Internal Revenue Service using tax rules to intimidate conservative advocacy organizations. IRS games with the Albuquerque Tea Party reportedly started in late 2011. The IRS sought all sorts of documents from the group, including emails between board members.
I have seen bureaucratic intimidation. A classic was the member of Albuquerque’s zoning board, the Environmental Planning Commission, instructing a developer to plant a tree in the front yard of every home in his subdivision. Other developers have muttered between their teeth about petty changes perpetually required that eventually destroy a project.