Settlement Reached with Sierra Club Regarding San Juan Generating Station
County News:
Courtesy Photo
PNM, BHP Billiton’s San Juan Coal Company and the Sierra Club have filed a settlement that would result in an additional, larger groundwater recovery system adjacent to the San Juan Generating Station and the San Juan Coal Mine near Waterflow, N.M.
Filed today with the United States District Court for New Mexico, the settlement needs court approval for the system to be constructed.
Los Alamos owns 2 percent of the San Juan Generating Station (or 7.2 percent of Unit 4) and thus will bear 2 percent of the cost, estimated to be about $200,000.
Under the agreement, a new groundwater Read More
Community Water Tank to be Repainted
Courtesy/DPU
County News:
Drainage, lead abatement, repairs and repainting of the community water tank above 47th Street and Trinity Drive begins Thursday, according to officials at the Los Alamos Department of Public Utilities.
Following drainage of the community water tank, which serves the southern portion of the downtown area, the “Twin” tank located a few hundred feet northward will be put into service for the downtown area between and around Oppenheimer, 9th Street and Central Avenue southward past Trinity Drive.
Businesses and residents of these areas may notice a slight decrease Read More
‘CodeRED’ Emergency Notification System to Ring Local Phones Thursday
County News:
Los Alamos County will conduct a test of its CodeRED emergency notification system at approximately 2 p.m. Thursday March 29.
The County contracted with Emergency Communications Network to license its CodeRED high-speed notification solution in November of last year.
The CodeRED system provides County officials the ability to quickly deliver messages to targeted areas or the entire County.
Philmont Taylor
“We ‘sort of’ tested the system last week for the HAZMAT incident on DP Road,” said Phil Taylor, Los Alamos County’s Emergency Management Specialist, “but that Read More
Council Supports State Implementation Plan for San Juan Plant
Courtesy Photo
By Carol A. Clark
Los Alamos County Council voted 5-2 to approve a resolution supporting New Mexico’s proposed State Implementation Plan in lieu of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Federal Implementation Plan for reducing regional haze from the San Juan Generating Station near Farmington.
The federal plan requires Selective Catalytic Reduction Technology to be installed at all four of the plant’s coal-fired electric generating units at what PNM’s consulting engineer estimates a cost of $750,000,000.
Los Alamos County owns a 7.2 percent share of unit 4, which meets Read More
Homestead Tour Dedication
The dedication of the Los Alamos Homestead Tour, May 18th, 2012, 2 PM at the Romero Cabin, Fuller Lodge North Lawn. Reception and Tour to Follow.
DPU’s Abiquiu Hydroelectric Facility Earns Engineering Excellence Award
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES News
The Los Alamos County Department of Public Utilities Abiquiu Hydroelectric Facility received another award for the low flow turbine project.
The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) New Mexico awarded the Engineering Excellence Award in the “Energy” category to AECOM for its engineering design work on the low flow project.
An award banquet is set to take place at the Sandia Hotel and Casino April 6.
Workers install a 3 mw turbine in a blue spiral case in the power house at the Abiquiu Hydroelectric Facility owned and operated by the Los Alamos Read More
Community Broadband Network – Wireless Option is Under Discussion at Council Meeting
Acting Administrative Service Director Laura Gonzales and County IT Project Manager Estevan Gonzales are presenting to County Council a Community Broadband Network wireless option, which could add up to $190,000 to the project, and are asking direction from council. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com Read More
Council Recognizes Los Alamos Police Department
Police Chief Wayne Torpy, center, and Deputy Police Chief Kevin Purtymun accept on behalf of the Los Alamos Police Department the Department of Defense recognition as a “Patriotic Employer” award presented by County Councilor Michael Wismer at tonight’s County Council meeting. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com Read More
Council Unanimously Approves Annual County Assessor Property Valuation and Maintenance Plan
Los Alamos County Assessor JoAnn Johnson and Chief Deputy Assessor Joaquin Valdez presented the department’s annual Property Valuation and Maintenance Plan to councilors at tonight’s county council meeting currently underway in Council Chambers. Council unanimously approved the plan. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com Read More
County Council Passes Substitute Motion Supporting State’s Plan Regarding San Juan Power Generation Plant
Department of Public Utilities Manager John Arrowsmith presented information to the Los Alamos County Council a few moments ago. Council heard public comment before passing a substitute motion supporting the state’s implementation plan asking EPA for a stay of inforcement regarding the San Juan Power Generation Plant. Check back for more details on tonight’s county council meeting taking place now in Council Chambers. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com Read More
County Animal Shelter Offers 2 for 1 Cat Deal
Allie the cat is up for adoption at the local animal shelter. Courtesy Photo
County Animal Shelter News:
All cats are on sale – “two for the price of one” – at the Los Alamos County Animal Shelter, so if you can’t make up your mind, don’t worry, take them both home.
Most cats love having a playmate.
This week’s featured pet is a short-haired feline named Allie whose primary color is calico.
Allie, 10, is house-trained, declawed, spayed and up-to date with all her routine shots.
She was given up for adoption when her owner left for college.
Allie seems especially partial to women and older, gentle children, Read More
Celebrate National Library Week April 8-14!
MESA PUBLIC LIBRARY News
Bound Under the Influence: Book Arts by Suzanne Vilmain
Including: BOOKS, EDITIONS, LETTERPRESS, WORKS on PAPER & SOUVENIRS
40 years of making & collecting books
Mesa Public Library Art Gallery
April 2 through 30
Public Reception
Saturday, April 7 2:00-4:00 PM
Al Mutanabbi Street Starts Here. Courtesy Photo
Suzanne Vilmain has devoted much of her life to words, first as an English teacher and always as an artist who uses words and text both as the symbols they are and as design elements. In Vilmain’s words:
“I’ve been under the influence Read More
Progress Rolls Forward at White Rock Visitor Center
A compactor is working on the roadway between the Canada del Buey culvert bridge and N.M. 4. Photo by TK Thompson/ladailypost.com
There has been much progress in the White Rock Victor Center site work and most of the underground utilities are almost complete.
Other site work that is on-going includes: placement of drainage drop inlets, corrugated metal piping in Canada for new driveway and on the RV parking areas.
Placement of masonry block for a dumpster enclosure and cistern tank is scheduled to be completed by the end of this week.
A site retaining wall on the North West corner
DOD Selects Los Alamos Police Department for Recognition as a ‘Patriotic Employer’
DOD’s Freedom Award
County News:
The Los Alamos Police Department has been selected by the Department of Defense as a “Patriotic Employer.”
The chair of the local Employer Support for the Guard & Reserve will present the award to the local police during Tuesday’s County Council meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. in Council Chambers.
ESGR is a Department of Defense sponsored program to help guard and reserve members and to honor employers who do the same.
ESGR received 3,236 nominations for the 2012 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award.
The Freedom Award is the Department Read More
Steel Starts Going up Monday on Muni Complex
Courtesy Photo
County News:
Residents and commuters can now see a large crane being constructed on the Municipal Complex building site.
The crane is being used to set the steel beams into place when framing of the building begins Monday.
Work is proceeding to pour the concrete slab foundation; the foundation clearly visible from Central Avenue is the location of the new Council Chambers.
Crews from the Jaynes Corporation and their subcontractors will continue to pour the foundation concurrently with erecting the steel, and will be placing steel for all three stories of the building in as many Read More
Budget Hearings Won’t Include Individual CIP Projects
37th St. Play Lot Renovations Coming Soon
- remove the sand safety zone material in the designated play areas and replace with engineered wood fiber, bringing the safety/fall zone into compliance
- add a merry-go-around with fall/safety zone material and borders (similar to the one at Community Park or North Mesa Park)
Regional Coalition Decries Funding Cuts, Calls on Congress to Restore Full Funding to Protect Jobs and the Environment
County News:
Today, the Regional Coalition of LANL Communities held a press conference in which they called on Congress to provide full funding for the Los Alamos National Laboratory to protect jobs and to remediate legacy waste at LANL.
The organization released the following statement:
“Adequate funding is needed to ensure environmental liabilities are addressed. Funding cuts are undermining DOE’s commitment to a safe and timely cleanup. The hazardous materials incident that occurred last week at TA-21 raises serious questions about the challenges that the site faces in remediating Read More
Friends of the Shelter: Animal of the Week
Who could resist this face?
Rocky – Pug/Boston Terrier Mix: An adoptable dog in Los Alamos, NM
Rocky has personality plus! He is a very high energy dog that loves to run and play. Petfinder says no kids but he would do okay with older kids rather than younger children.Rocky is a small 3-year-old neutered male dog who came to the shelter when his owner moved. He is friendly, enthusiastic, energetic and is probablytoo bouncy for small children. He is good with dogs. His behavior with cats is not known. Rocky loves to go to the dog park, where he runs and runs, even if there are no other dogs to play with. Read More
Your Voting Location Has Changed
COUNTY CLERK News
Registerd voters assigned to any precinct (1 through 17) may vote at any of the following Voter Convenience Centers (VCC) on Election Day:
- White Rock Fire Station #3, 129 NM State Road 4
- Los Alamos County Community Building, 475 20th Street
- Trinity on the Hill Episcopal Church, 3900 Trinity Drive
For the 2012 Primary, absentee voting by mail or in person will be available at the County Clerk’s Office located at 2451 Central Avenue, Suite D between May 8th and June 1st from 8 am to 5 pm on Monday through Friday.
Early Voting will be available from 10 am to 6 pm on Saturday Read More