News in brief

| The New Mexican

2/21/2008 - 2/22/08

Propane leak mulled in deadly blast

BRAZOS — An explosion that killed the former chief of the Brazos Canyon Volunteer Fire Department appears to have been caused by a propane leak.

Rio Arriba County Emergency Manager Dwayne Merritt says it's possible a breaker panel inside the fire station ignited gas from a propane line running to the building.

Merritt says investigators were wrapping up work at the scene Thursday.

Michael Hays was alone at the fire station Tuesday when the powerful explosion laid waste to the structure. He was rushed to a nearby clinic, where he was pronounced dead.

Hays had retired as chief just days before the explosion. He had told friends and colleagues he wanted to spend more time with his grandchildren.


Christus handles some hospital work

If you see the name Christus Health on a bill from St. Vincent's Regional Medical Center, don't panic.

Documents sealing the partnership between the two nonprofit health organizations haven't yet been signed, and everything is still in due diligence, said Arturo Delgado, a St. Vincent spokesman.

People might see the name because St. Vincent has contracted out certain billing functions for patient accounts that have been open for a long time to several contractors. Christus Health owns one of those contractors, and so the company's name may appear on bills associated with the hospital, he said.

The hospital has been contracting out those services for many years, he said.

"Christus has not taken over our billing or anything like that," Delgado said. "They just own one of the companies we use."


PRC: Area code complaints down

The state Public Regulation Commission says it's receiving fewer complaints about the implementation of New Mexico's new 575 area code.

Rollout of the new area code got off to a rocky start with a number of callers not being able to dial into or out of the new area code.

The commission responded in October by ordering phone companies to submit reports on all complaints and show why they shouldn't be fined for violating previous PRC orders concerning the area code change.

Since many of the problems have been fixed, the PRC vacated its October order Thursday.

In the last three months, the PRC says its consumer relations division has received less than four complaints.

State regulators say phone companies still need to be prepared for the mandatory dialing period, which begins in October.


Frenchy's closed starting Monday

Frenchy's Field Park will be closed to the public beginning Monday due to renovations, the city announced.

Work on the popular park off Agua Fría Street and Osage Avenue will include upgrading the irrigation system, replanting native wildflower seed mix, building a soft-surface running path adjacent to the existing concrete walking path and creating an orchard with a pond for birds to drink from.

The barn will be open to previously scheduled events, but no new events will be scheduled until after the renovation, anticipated to be completed by the end of May, weather permitting.

The city hired Sequoia Landscaping as the project contractor to do the $160,000 work.


Peters disputes mold case lawsuit

A spokesman for downtown real-estate owner Gerald Peters says mold problems at his Plaza Mercado were fixed after a stint of wet weather in 2006.

Denise Greenlaw Ramonas was not available for comment Wednesday about a lawsuit filed on behalf of former tenants who say their health was damaged by toxic mold that grew in inaccessible air spaces in the building fronting on West San Francisco, Galisteo and Water streets.

But on Thursday ,she sent a news release quoting Phil Garcia, president of Southwest Asset Management, which is responsible for maintenance of Plaza Mercado and has an office on its top floor. "We found out about the problem and we called in experts to fix it," he said. "We kept lines of communication open with our tenants about it. We believe that remediation was proactive and the right thing to do."

Ramonas' release also says an Institute of Medicine report for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says "excessively damp indoor spaces can trigger coughing, wheezing and asthma in susceptible individuals, (but) there is no evidence mold causes other health risks."


Wi-Fi installation put on hold

It will be March or later before Wi-Fi systems are installed in any city building other than City Hall, where a wireless-computer system has been in place since June.

A recommendation to install Wi-Fi in the Main Library and other buildings was on Monday's agenda of the Public Works Committee, with the possibility of going to the full City Council on Wednesday.

But Councilor Patti Bushee, who chairs the committee, agreed to drop it from Monday's agenda at the request of the Santa Fe Alliance for Health and Safety that wanted the hearing delayed until after the March 4 municipal election.

Members of the alliance, who met Thursday at Body Inc. to discuss strategy, maintain Wi-Fi violates the Americans with Disabilities Act because it sickens those sensitive to microwave transmissions.

Bushee said she is sympathetic to members of the alliance. "But I don't know that they necessarily have that much support on the council," she said. "It didn't seem like it was a top priority of many of the councilors to stop the progress."


Some water rates may be adjusted

Small businesses might be eligible for water-rate adjustments this spring. The city has announced it will consider applications for adjustments for Sangre de Cristo Water Division commercial customers with a 1-inch meter or smaller.

Commercial customers with small meters may have experienced high-water-use charges based on their water use and meter size after Jan. 1, 2007, when a revised rate structure for all customers went into effect, a city news release stated.

Commercial customers who meet a specific set of criteria must submit an application by April 29 to receive a rate adjustment.

Qualified applicants must have made a "reasonable attempt" to minimize water use. For more information, call 955-4225 or visit www.santafenm.gov/water.


No Oscar party at College of Santa Fe

The College of Santa Fe won't be holding an Oscars party Sunday.

Jennifer Levin, a college spokeswoman, said the school decided to take a break from the party this year to reassess how to best hold the event. The college has held an Oscars party for 16 years straight, she said. "That decision just happened to coincide with the writers' strike and the very slim chance that the Oscars would happen at all," she said.

ABC broadcasts the Oscars ceremony at 6:30 p.m. Sunday.

The Santa Fe Film Festival hosted an Oscars party in 2001, 2002, and 2003, and festival executive director Jon Bowman said the organization may try to mount one next year.

The Taos Center for the Arts in Taos is hosting an Oscar party at Shadows Lounge and Grill at 330-A Paseo de Pueblo Sur from 6-9 p.m. Sunday. The no-frills event has a cash bar and case menu, but table reservations are required. Call 505-751-9600.