County

JJAB Coordinator Urges Support for Teen Center

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JJAB Coordinator Ellen Ben-Naim is urging residents to support the Los Alamos Teen Center Facility project currently under review by the County Council. Bonnie J. Gordon/ladailypost.com

By Bonnie J. Gordon

The Los Alamos County Council will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19 to discuss eight projects approved in May 2012.

The Council’s adopted budget guidance is to defer some projects up to four years to assist with projected budget shortfalls. One of the projects is the Los Alamos Teen Center Facility.  

For years, community groups and surveys have identified a need for social and recreational Read More

Los Alamos Police Arrest Couple with Bundles of ID Cards, Drugs and Cell Phones

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By Carol A. Clark

In responding to a report, Los Alamos Police located two people in a room at Motel 6, 2201 Trinity Dr., about 6 p.m. Thursday, surrounded by bundles of ID cards, bags of methamphetamines, marijuana, pipes, pills and several cell phones.

Police arrested Leona Bjarke, 23, of Los Alamos and Connor Fox, 25, of Colorado Springs, Colo., at the scene and charged them with trafficking a controlled substance, distributing/selling, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and concealing identity.

Bjarke also had an active warrant for a probation violation.

LEONA Read More

Letter to the Editor: County ‘Fiscal Crisis’ is Opportunity

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By Robert Gibson
Former Los Alamos County Councilor

“Never waste a good crisis” goes the saying. Sadly, it often takes a crisis to force overdue actions. The county budget shortfall is such an opportunity. 

The county government’s fiscal challenge is real. The revenue bubble it has enjoyed the six years since LANL started paying gross receipts taxes is deflating. 

Neither the Lab’s mission nor its political support in Washington are as strong as they were for decades. The Lab is not going away, but its size and strength are declining.

Our failure to focus on diversifying our economic Read More

Council to Decide Fate of Capital Projects Feb. 19

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COUNTY News:

Feb. 19 beginning at 7 p.m. in Council Chambers, the Los Alamos County Council will have a discussion to decide “which” capital projects approved for design and construction in May 2012 will be moving forward or deferred.

The Council moved this meeting from being a Work Session in White Rock to a Regular Session in Los Alamos so that the meeting can be televised.

Due to budget shortfalls, Council gave the staff budget guidance on Jan. 29 to defer up to $12.5 million in capital project costs and delay projects up to four years for these eight approved projects:

  • Ashley Pond
Read More

DPU Employees Earn ‘Operator of the Year’ Awards

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From left, David Gomez, GWS Shop Supervisor and newly-elected NMWWA President; Jennifer Baca, Senior Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator; Jeff Romero, GWS Pipefitter and Chris Lopez, Senior Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator. Courtesy/DPU

DPU News:

Three Los Alamos Department of Public Utilities (DPU) employees garnered “Outstanding Operator of the Year” awards from the New Mexico Water and Wastewater Association (NMWWA): 

  • Pipefitter Jeff Romero of the Gas, Water, Sewer (GWS) Division earned “Water Distribution System Operator of the Year”
  • Senior Wastewater Treatment
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Fiber Cutover Set For Holiday Weekend Feb. 15-18

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COUNTY News:

Beginning Friday, Feb. 15, the County’s Information Management staff will be working with crews on the REDI Net fiber network to jointly conduct a fiber cutover.

The cutover will be from existing County fiber located at Ashley Pond Park east along Central Avenue to the new Municipal Building at 1000 Central Ave.

The fiber move is the first step in the process as County Staff begin to prepare for the move of servers and then County computers into the new Municipal Building at the beginning of May.

The cutover will not impact those County facilities frequently used by the public, such Read More

Pet of the Week: Maxwell the Heeler/Lab

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SHELTER News:

Maxwell is a 1-year-old neutered male heeler/lab in search of a family that will exercise him and continue his basic training.

Maxwell is energetic, confident, social, housebroken and leash trained with no guarding required. Overall, he is a good family dog who likes long walks.

Visit Maxwell and other adoptable pets at the Los Alamos County Animal Shelter, 226 East Road, (505) 662-8179.

Visit the Friends of the Shelter website at www.lafos.org, for information about volunteering, adopting and donating.
 
Also check out the Petfinder page for photos and to learn more about
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New Library Manager Speaks at Feb. 14 ‘Lunch with a Leader’

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LWV News:

The Los Alamos League of Women Voters invites the community to Lunch with a Leader from 11:40 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14.

This month, the guest will be Steven Thomas, the new Mesa Public Library manager. He will not have to go far to deliver his talk, since the event is upstairs in Mesa Library. 

Thomas grew up in Arkansas. He graduated with a BA in History from the University of Arkansas. While attending the University of Tennessee, he earned his MLS in Library and Information Science at the University of Tennessee, where he also met his wife Lisa.

Thomas’ career has taken him Read More

Regional Coalition of LANL Communities Meets Feb. 15

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COALITION News:

The next meeting of the Regional Coalition of LANL Communities is schedule for 9-11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 15 at the Santa Fe Community Foundation, 501 Halona St., in Santa Fe.

The Coalition is comprised of Los Alamos County, City of Espanola, City of Santa Fe, County of Santa Fe, Town of Taos, County of Taos and the Pueblo of Ohkay Owingeh.

The Coalition proactively addresses issues of the neighboring cities, counties and pueblos directly affected by Los Alamos National Laboratory site activities.

By working together, the governments are better poised to define the public interest Read More

Municipal Building Construction Update

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Recent interior shot of  the new Los Alamos County Municipal Building. Courtesy/LAC

COUNTY News:

Construction on the Los Alamos County Municipal Building project on Central Avenue is rolling right along as employees prepare for the big move into the new facility over the weeks ahead.

Offsite Work:

At the corner of Iris Stree and 9th Street, construction of angled parking has been completed. At the corner of 9th Street and Central Avenue, construction of handicapped walk ramps and revisions to the drainage elevations have been completed.

Onsite Work:

  • Concrete work near the west building
Read More