Features

Learn how to identify birds that come to feeders in winter, at 7 p.m. Feb. 12, as David Yeamans gives his talk on backyard bird identification in the Los Alamos area.
What is that bird? Can anyone help me figure out what bird I’m seeing? Yeamans will try to help. During the program, he will share photos, videos and sounds to aid in everyday bird watching. There will be a concentration on about 20 common birds, ranging from easily recognizable to complicated.
After the talk, the floor will be open for sharing problematic bird identifications, bird feeding ideas and techniques and general birding information.
Yeamans has watched birds most of his life, starting in Los Alamos many years ago.
For the past five years, he has been a self-described “semi-pro” birder.
Visit PajaritoEEC.org, call 662-0460, or email Programs@PajaritoEEC.org for more information. 

Caitlin (“Katie”) Haynes, a senior at Los Alamos High School, was honored as Rotary Student of the Month for January. Haynes is the daughter of Karen and Don Haynes and older sister of Trip Haynes.
The Rotary Club of Los Alamos selects one student each month of the school year to honor as a Student of the Month.
In addition to high school seniors, high school juniors are now eligible for the recognition. Students are nominated by their teachers and chosen on the basis of their academic achievement, extra-curricular activities, and in particular, their service to the community.
Haynes is an active member of the LAHS Hilltalker Speech and Debate Team, an award-winning club and has served as a team captain for three years. Active on the national debate circuit, she has won awards at what are considered some of the most competitive tournaments in the country.
She has also received the National Forensic League’s highest honor — the title of Academic All-American, an award based on service. She is a National Merit semi-finalist and a member of the National Honor Society, where she currently serves as treasurer.

The following restaurant inspection reports were provided by the New Mexico Environment Department.

Española

Valley Superette, 231 S. Riverside Dr.
Date inspected: Jan. 31
Violations: Three high-risk violations, two for improper holding — warmer, pork at 120 degrees. Corrected. Food particles/product on display doors and inside needs to be cleaned. One for contaminated equipment — meat product on band saw; meat product in grinder; meat product on slicer. Three moderate-risk violations, one for improper holding — need thermometers inside all refrigerators. One for animals/vermin/openings — restroom needs self-closing device. One for administration — invalid permit posted, expired on June 30, 2012.
Status of establishment: Approved, follow-up Feb. 10.

Los Alamos

Aramark Coffee Kiosk
Date inspected: Jan. 30
Violations: One moderate-risk violation for administration — expired permit.
Status of establishment: Approved, no follow-up required.

Los Alamos National Laboratory continues its 70th anniversary lecture series at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 13 at the Bradbury Science Museum, with a talk by Oak Ridge National Laboratory historian Ray Smith, about that laboratory’s role during World War II and the shared national security mission with Los Alamos that continues today.
Smith has worked at the Tennessee facility since 1970, becoming its official historian in 2005.
Soon after assuming this role, he led the first-ever public tours of selected Y-12 National Security Complex historic buildings and began facilitating the creation of a formal Y-12 history center that opened in 2007.
Initially at Y-12, Smith was an electronics technician. Subsequently, he supervised craft workers that maintained nuclear weapons production facilities.
From 1994 through 1999, Smith served as associate director of the site’s facilities management organization.
A U.S. Air Force veteran, Smith completed Air Force Technical School training in electronics and attended the University of Tennessee. He holds a certificate from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and is a member of five historical societies.

This month the League of Women Voters invites the community to their Lunch with a Leader with Steven Thomas, the new Mesa Library manager. He will not have to go far, since the event is from 11:40 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Feb. 14, upstairs in the Mesa Public Library. 
Thomas grew up in Arkansas, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Arkansas. While he was at the University of Tennessee, he earned his master’s degree in library and information science and met his wife Lisa.
His career has taken him all over the United States. He started in Brooklyn, N.Y., then went to Fayetteville, Ark. as director of operations, then went to Charleston, W.V., as assistant director of a system of 11 libraries. Just before coming to Los Alamos, he was the assistant director of the Washington County Library System.
Although he was not really looking for a job change, when he and Lisa saw an advertisement for Mesa Public Library, they knew they wanted to move here. He said he immediately fell in love with Los Alamos, the library and its staff.
He will talk about e-books and current trends in publishing, and how this is impacting libraries. He will also talk about relevant updates regarding the P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act and libraries.

Let’s get ready to GRAPPLLLLLEE!
You really didn’t think I would make it through a wrestling season without a column about it, did you?
This weekend, the Hilltopper Wrestling team will host the Fourth Annual Bryan Sanchez Tournament.
Sanchez, a former ’Topper, was a Hispanic Merit award scholar, a crimson scholar, and went on to attend New Mexico State University. The only sport he participated in was wrestling.
Sanchez was considered wise beyond his years and he took incredibly good care of his mom Rita, a Los Alamos Middle School teacher, and sister Elena, former ’Topper wrestling manager.
Rita is without a doubt, team mom and the only parent that can get away with yelling, “Come on honey,” to her boys, as she watches them with pride.
“I was floored and so proud and so excited when they changed the name of the tournament. I knew that it came from the heart. The tournament brings him back to me every year and brings me closer to those boys,” Rita said.
Her philosophy is simple; the kids give back to you what you give to them. If you give them love and respect, they will return it. It also helps that she is a kid at heart, which builds her relationship with the team.

 Students and parents are invited to attend the second annual AP Night at Los Alamos High School, from 6:30-8 p.m. Tuesday.
The evening will begin with a brief presentation in the ’Topper Theater.
Attendees will then be able to meet with teachers and students to learn more about AP and honors course offerings at LAHS.
Representatives from the University of New Mexico-Los Alamos will also be on hand to discuss the dual credit/concurrent enrollment program.
All LAHS students must take an AP class, an honors class, an online class, or a dual credit class to graduate.
“AP Night provides students and parents a great opportunity to learn more about the AP program at the high school and what we have to offer in preparing students to be successful in college,” said Principal Sandra Warnock. “With registration for the 2013-2014 school year fast approaching, this is the perfect time to talk with our knowledgeable staff before selecting courses for next year.”
AP courses are college-level courses offered in high school. At the end of the course, students are required to take the AP exam. Currently, LAHS offers more than 20 AP courses, five honors classes and four dual credit courses on campus in addition to UNM-LA offerings.

The search is on for New Mexico’s outstanding senior volunteer.
The Salute to Senior Service program, sponsored by Home Instead, Inc., the franchisor of the Home Instead Senior Care network, honors the contributions of adults 65 and older, who give at least 15 hours a month of volunteer service to their favorite causes.
Nominations for outstanding senior volunteers will be accepted between Feb. 1 and March 31. State winners then will be selected by popular vote at SalutetoSeniorService.com.
Online voting will take place from April 15-30. From those state winners, a panel of senior care experts will pick the national Salute to Senior Service honoree.
Home Instead, Inc. will donate $500 to each of the state winners’ favorite nonprofit organizations and their stories will be posted on the Salute to Senior Service Wall of Fame. In addition, $5,000 will be donated to the national winner’s nonprofit charity of choice.
Senior care professionals and those who work at hospitals, senior care facilities and other places where seniors volunteer are encouraged to nominate older adults. So, too, are family caregivers and the adult children of aging parents. Older adults also may self-nominate.

The following restaurant inspection reports were provided by the New Mexico Environment Department.

Española

Giant #862, 1616 N. Riverside Dr.
Date inspected: Jan. 28, other
Notes: Recall recon, Annie’s rising crust frozen pizza. No product sold at this location, Manager advised, copy of recall left.
Status of establishment: Approved

Joann’s Restaurant, 938 N. Riverside Dr.
Date inspected: Jan. 22
Violations: Three high-risk violations, two for contaminated equipment — can opener dirty, corrected on site; auto dishwasher not dispensing sanitizer. Owner fixed, corrected on site. One for poor personal hygiene — hand sink had hot water turned off. Corrected, still needs repair. One moderate-risk violation for contaminated equipment — cutting boards needs replacement or to be resurfaced. Two low-risk violations for floors/walls/ceilings — floors/walls/ceilings need repair, cleaning and painting; walls/ceilings need painting, cleaning.
Notes: Salads stored in Coke/beverage unit, holding at 35-43 degrees. Soda merchandising refrigerators are not designed for non-packaged foods. Need proper refrigeration units for non-packaged foods.
Status of establishment: Approved