Obama taps S.F. native for personnel post

Santa Fe native Elizabeth Montoya has been tapped by President Barack Obama to be chief of staff for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

In 2005, Montoya opened storefront offices in Los Alamos and Española for Lockheed Martin and the team known as The Los Alamos Alliance that was bidding to manage the Los Alamos National Laboratory. More recently, she was on the president's transition team for the U.S. Department of Energy as a member of the natural resources and energy work group.

Prior to accepting the OPM post, Montoya was with Sealaska Corporation, an Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act corporation which is owned by more than 17,500 tribal shareholders.

She has held many jobs in Washington. Among them: deputy chief of staff at the Department of Energy, associate deputy administrator for the Small Business Administration and associate director of presidential personnel and special assistant to the president. She earned a master's degree in public administration from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government in 2005.

N.M. remains clear of swine flu cases

So far, there have been no cases in New Mexico of an influenza-like illness that has swept through Mexico, according to the state Department of Health.

Mexican health authorities started noticing a trend in the influenza-like illness on March 18.

Since the outbreak, eight cases of Swine Influenza A/H1N1 have been confirmed in the United States, in California and in Texas. Only one person was hospitalized and no deaths were reported.

The CDC and New Mexico state laboratory have increased testing and monitoring for the disease as a precaution, but so far, there have been no positive test results, said Chris Minnick, a Department of Health spokesman.

"We don't have any cases, and I don't know that we'll see any more in the U.S. or not," Minnick said.

Española man jailed on cocaine charges

State police on Friday arrested a 24-year-old man in Española and charged him with felony cocaine trafficking and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

Officers responding to a disturbance call were told by witnesses that the man, later identified as Martin Martinez, was selling cocaine from his vehicle in a parking lot next to a gas station, police said.

Martinez gave consent for a search of his 2002 green Chevy Avalanche, and officers found a scale and 33 grams of cocaine, a state police statement said.

Martinez was booked into the Tierra Amarilla Adult Detention Facility.

Panel aims to help N.M. get stimulus cash

An executive order signed by Gov. Bill Richardson creates an advisory team that will help communities throughout the state compete for grant funding available through the federal stimulus package.

The governor says the competitive grant process is the best way for many communities — especially those in rural areas — to access funding for qualified projects that will create jobs and boost the economy.

The advisory team help the communities navigate the process.

The team is chaired by state Taxation and Revenue Secretary Rick Homans. The rest of the members are from across New Mexico and have a variety of professional experience.

Richardson's executive order also officially establishes the New Mexico Office of Recovery and Reinvestment, which was announced in March.

Storrie Lake Park hosts kite festival

Storrie Lake State Park near Las Vegas, N.M., is hosting a popular kite festival today for the second year in a row.

This year's festival, "A Celebration of Hawks, Kites and Wind," runs from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and features free kite-making booths, kite competitions and live hawks. Ribbons in the kite-flying contest will be awarded for youngest flier, oldest flier, best wreck and best hawk design.

"We would like to invite everyone to this event," said Park Manager Steve Coca. "Last year's festival was a great success and it is an excellent opportunity for young and old to learn about the native raptors of New Mexico, see live hawks and learn history from a Native American storyteller."

The event is a collaborative effort by New Mexico State Parks and West Las Vegas Middle School. Dozens of sixth-graders will be at the event, flying their handmade kites and helping others at kite-building stations.

Learn to conserve and win a prize

The Climate Change Leadership Institute, a Santa Fe-based nonprofit, is launching its latest effort to encourage water and energy conservation through a Conservation Quest.

The winner can earn a $1,000 leadership prize and a chance to share his or her conservation success story with others.

To join the challenge, families, schools, businesses, and farms may sign up through www.takeresponsibility.us, or e-mail CCLI founder Robb Hirsch at robb@takersponsibility.us.

Participants will create their own custom water and energy conservation plan, and by Oct. 1 submit a one-page report about their plan, how they carried it out, how well the conservation ideas worked, and how the plan met Hirsch's 10 "C's" of conservation.

A kickoff event with a conservation exhibit and activities is set for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. todayat the Railyard, in celebration of Earth Day. A similar event will take place from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Eldorado School.

IAIA announces spring powwow

A variety of dances will be performed when the Institute of American Indian Arts hosts its 2009 Spring Homecoming Powwow on May 9 at the campus, 83 Avan Nu Po Road.

The event is free and open to the public, but the school encourages guests to bring their own chairs.

The powwow will include Head Man Kit Julianto and Head Lady M.J. Schenandoah, both IAIA students; Otis Halfmoon; Arena Director Bryan Tsosie, an IAIA staff member; Head Gourd Dancer Mark Swazo Hinds, an IAIA alumnus; Northern Drum, Black Eagle from Jemez Pueblo; and Southern Drum, the Zotigh Singers from Albuquerque.

Gourd dancing is scheduled at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., while the Grand Entry takes place at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. A community potluck dinner featuring multicultural foods is set for 5 p.m.

Among other activities, an academic open house is planned from noon to 5 p.m., so visitors can learn more about the four-year college. For more information, call 424-2300 or visit www.iaia.edu/map.php

What to get mom for Mother's Day

Which household appliance would your mother willingly live without for three months: vacuum cleaner, microwave, TV, coffeemaker, dishwasher?

Answer this "Which Heroine is She?" question and five others about your wife/mom/granny/aunt/sister/best friend, and make a donation to the Santa Fe School for the Arts & Sciences, and she will receive a personalized Mother's Day card telling her what an inspiration she is to you. The card will include the results of the quiz revealing what kind of heroine you think she's like.

Quizzes are due by May 5, in time for Mother's Day on May 10. Donations can be made through Network for Good (Click on DonateNow) or by sending a check to the school at 5912 Jaguar Drive. For more information, call 660-8820 or e-mail perli@comcast.net.

Bingaman proposes wilderness bill

Nearly 236,000 acres in Northern New Mexico would be designated as a national conservation area under a proposal introduced by Sen. Jeff Bingaman.

The New Mexico Democrat says the legislation would protect cultural and ecological resources. The majority of the land — 214,573 acres — would be managed as a conservation area.

Two other areas — the 13,420-acre Cerro del Yuta on the east side and the 8,000-acre Rio San Antonio in the west — would be managed as wilderness.

Bingaman says visitors and residents enjoy these public lands for hiking, camping, mountain biking, river rafting, hunting, fishing and bird watching.