New gallery coming to Museum Hill

The Museum of Spanish Colonial Art is opening a permanent Spanish Market Gallery with an exhibit featuring the work of award-winning artists from the 2010 Spanish Market.

First-place awards are given in 20 categories, including furniture, weaving, precious metals, tinsmithing, straw appliqué, woodcarving, sculpture and painting.

The 2010 winners include Spanish Market veterans and newcomers. Among the artists in the inaugural exhibit are Félix López, Irvin Trujillo and Ramón José López, as well as Craig Moya, a veteran of the Youth Market.

The exhibit, featuring the works of 22 artists, is an overview of some of the best work created today in a variety of traditional media, techniques and forms.

The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily until Labor Day. The exhibit, which opens to the public Saturday, is on display until Nov. 27.

Washington Federal buys Charter Bank

Washington Federal Inc. of Seattle has announced it is acquiring Charter Bank, which has branches in Santa Fe at 208 Washington Ave. and 809 St. Michael's Drive.

The acquisition, which is subject to regulatory approvals, will include a total of six branch locations and the related $253 million in deposits, according to a news release issued late Wednesday. Besides the two locations in Santa Fe, there are three in Albuquerque and one in Rio Rancho.

Washington Federal has $8.8 billion in deposits, making it one of the top 100 financial institutions in the United States. Its 160 offices are located in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Texas and New Mexico. Its New Mexico branches are in Albuquerque, Alamogordo, Artesia, Capitan, Farmington, Gallup, Las Cruces, Roswell and Ruidoso.

This is the second bank takeover in Santa Fe this year. On Jan. 28, U.S. Bank of Minneapolis announced it would take over First Community Bank and its four branches in Santa Fe. First Community Bank, which faced closure from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., was heavily invested in commercial real estate, which had taken a beating in recent years.

But Charter Bank President Ralph Dowling said loan problems did not drive the Charter sale. "It was just a strategic direction choice on the part of the board of directors," he said.

Smoke delays PNM meter readings

In Santa Fe and Albuquerque, the smoke meant some Public Service Co. of New Mexico meter readers on Tuesday didn't get to check in on their usual number of meters. In Santa Fe, the bills of about 300 customers will be estimated this month, spokeswoman Susan Sponar said.

The bills are based on past usage patterns. Meter readers will gauge the true usage amounts and reconcile any discrepancies for the next billing cycle, she said.

Meter readers were back at work Wednesday.

Suit: Surgery made man incontinent

A Los Alamos man says in a lawsuit that he has been left incontinent by the negligence of Los Alamos Medical Center and urologist Pavel Mourachov.

Mourachov examined Thomas Canfield in May 2010 and recommended he undergo a transurethral resection of the prostate using a holmium laser rather than a cutting device, according to the complaint.

The complaint filed in state District Court last week on behalf of Canfield, 61, and his wife, Suzanne, by lawyer Paul Mannick of Santa Fe says Mourachov did not mention the laser surgery might cause permanent incontinence, but that has occurred, requiring Thomas Canfield to undergo additional surgeries.

The Canfields, who seek unspecified damages, charge Mourachov failed to inform them of the risks, breached his fiduciary duty and defrauded them, was medically negligent or reckless and engaged in unfair trade practices.

Neither Mourachov nor administrators at the hospital, owned by Lifepoint Hospitals of Tennessee, responded to messages seeking comment.

S.F. nonprofit raises $32K for Japan relief

Japan Aid of Santa Fe has raised more than $32,000 to help people in Japan affected by the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster. According to a news release, the money will be deposited into the account of the Japanese Red Cross.

Japan Aid is a part of the nonprofit Santa Fe Japanese Intercultural Network.

The funds were raised primarily at the seventh annual Japanese Cultural Festival held April 2 at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center through admission fees and sales of the work of Chosho Yabe, a master calligrapher from Japan.

The group is starting a new campaign to fund tents for volunteers and boats to restart local economies.

'New Mexican' writer wins Heritage award

Journalist Paul Weideman is one winner of the 2011 Heritage Preservation Awards sponsored by the city, the Old Santa Fe Association and the Historic Santa Fe Foundation.

Weideman won the Archaeology Award for his articles on archaeology published in The Santa Fe New Mexican, where he is a staff writer.

The awards were presented Tuesday.

Other winners include The Old Hydroelectric Plant, Architectural Preservation — Non Residential Award; the Gustave Baumann House, Architectural Preservation — Residential Award; San Miguel Mission, Sara Melton Award; Ron Winters, Archaeology Award; Deborah Shapiro, Dan Featheringill and Janet McVickar, Service Award; The Olive Rush House, Historic Santa Fe Foundation Stewardship Award; Karen Walker, Lensic Performing Arts Center and the Historic Santa Fe Foundation, The Old Santa Fe Association Awards; and The Historic Santa Fe Foundation, The Mayor's Award of Excellence in Preservation.

City redistricting meetings planned

The Santa Fe City Council plans to hold a special meeting Wednesday to hear a presentation from consultants Research and Polling Inc. on proposed redistricting of the four council districts.

Redistricting occurs after the decennial U.S. census.

Four community meetings are planned along with at least two additional public hearings.

Residents can learn about the proposals and give their opinions at several 5:30 p.m. meetings: June 22 at the Genoveva Chavez Community Center, 3221 Rodeo Road; June 23 at the Santa Fe Public Schools Administration Building, 610 Alta Vista St.; June 28 at the Southside Branch Library, 6599 Jaguar Drive; and June 30 at the Main Library, 145 Washington Ave.

The council's Public Works Committee is scheduled to discuss redistricting June 27, and the Finance Committee plans to take up the issue July 5. The City Council will vote on the proposed boundaries.

Councilor wants rules on catalytic converters

Businesses that purchase used catalytic converters would be required to keep better records under a proposal by City Councilor Chris Calvert.

Calvert introduced the measure Wednesday night, noting that similar rules have worked in other communities.

The proposal would require each business that functions as a "core recycler" to maintain a written record of the place, date and sale of each catalytic converter, and the seller's valid driver's license number and contact information. The proposal also would require the seller to file a statement saying he is the owner of the catalytic converter or provide the name of the person from whom the converter was obtained. The rules would require core recyclers to pay by check rather than cash.

More than 100 catalytic converters were stolen from area residents this winter, presumably because they fetch good money on the recycling market.