$1 million lottery ticket sold in S.F.

An Albuquerque resident on Thursday claimed a $1 million prize for a Powerball lottery ticket he purchased at a Santa Fe supermarket.

The New Mexico Lottery announced that Eduardo Vazquez bought the winning ticket at Smith's, 2110 Pacheco St.

A news release said the ticket matched the five white balls drawn for the multistate lottery game's Jan. 30 drawing. Ordinarily, such a matching of numbers pays $200,000, but the prize was increased fivefold because Vazquez made an extra $1 Power Play wager when he bought the ticket.

Vazquez, who along with his wife, Angeles, and friend Mario Martinez took the winning ticket to lottery headquarters in Albuquerque, told officials he planned to share the money with family and close friends.

The Smith's story is eligible for a $2,500 bonus for selling the $1 million winning ticket.

SFCC board extends Ortego's contract

The Santa Fe Community College Governing Board has extended President Sheila Ortego's contract for another three years, the school announced Thursday.

Ortega, who has held the post since 2006, said her annual salary of about $180,000 was unchanged by the board's decision to extend her contract through 2013. Her contact had been set to expire in two years, she said.

A news release said Ortego rose to the president's position after serving in a number of staff capacities at the college, which has about 6,500 students enrolled in credit courses.

Board Chairman Bruce Besser said in the announcement that "Under her leadership, the college has made great progress in several key areas: developing programs to meet workforce needs, initiating building projects to accommodate program growth, and steering the institution through extreme financial challenges."

Volunteers sought for winter bird count

Bird watchers are being enlisted for the winter Great Back Yard Bird Count on Feb. 13.

The Santa Fe Botanical Garden is seeking volunteers to count birds from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Leonora Curtin Wetland Preserve off the Interstate 25 West Frontage Road, southwest of Santa Fe. Organizers will provide hot cocoa and cookies.

The Randall Davey Audubon Center also will hold a bird count. An adult count will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and one for youth and family volunteers is scheduled 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

You can also count birds right around your own home. On Feb. 13, people all over the country will count and report species to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which has been building a database that helps scientists track patterns of migration, decline and recovery among bird species.

For information and directions to Leonora Curtin Wetland Preserve, call 471-9103 or visit www.santafebotanicalgarden.org. For information about the count at Randall Davey Audubon Center, visit www.nm.audubon.org/center/. For more information about the Great Backyard Bird Count, see www.birdsource.org/gbbc/.

Museum to house state trust land fossils

The New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science is now the permanent home for fossils found on state trust land.

State Land Commissioner Patrick Lyons, museum executive director Hollis J. Gillespie and museum curator of geology and paleontology Spencer G. Lucas signed an agreement this week.

Lyons said it was the final step in a decade-old effort to create a permanent repository.

Trust lands in the Bisti Badland near Chaco Canyon, near Ghost Ranch and near Tucumcari have "significant" mammal fossils and dinosaur bones dating from 220 to 65 million years ago, according to officials.

"It is my hope that this agreement will advance the effort to get a law passed that will solidify the museum's role in acquiring and preserving all antiquities found in New Mexico," Lyons said.

Energy efficiency loans available

Santa Fe homeowners have another shot at a pool of low-interest loan funds to make their houses more energy efficient. The city of Santa Fe is making $600,000 available for the loans through Homewise Inc.

The city is using $100,000 in funds from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to buy down the interest rate on $600,000 worth of loans. Homewise has been offering loans at a 6 percent interest rate, but the city support will reduce rates to 4 percent.

Financing is available for new windows, heating and cooling improvements, stucco exteriors with insulation, new water heaters, solar photovoltaic systems, among energy efficiency upgrades. Loans are available to homeowners with an annual household income of less than $79,200.

Through Homewise, the city loaned out all of the $250,000 it originally made available for these projects in November. The average loan size was $20,800 and terms ranged from 10-30 years. The city's funds were matched by another $314,000 from Homewise.

Apply for the loans online at www.homewise.org/.

AFSCME hands out campaign money

Mayor David Coss got his biggest contribution to his re-election campaign so far on Thursday with a $10,000 check from the state chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

AFSCME, which represents about half of the 1,600 Santa Fe municipal employees, also gave $2,500 checks to each of the four incumbent councilors — Chris Calvert, Rebecca Wurzburger, Ronald Trujillo and Carmichael Dominguez.

Carter Bundy, political action representative for the statewide chapter, said the money is not from union dues, but from voluntary contributions by union members. Coss was a union officer and organizer when he worked for state government.

The city AFSCME chapter endorsed Coss earlier this year, but since then, the chapter has elected a new president, Lawrence "Lencho" Vigil, who reportedly plans to join the police and firefighters' union in endorsing Asenath Kepler for mayor. Bundy said that would not change the state AFSCME chapter's endorsements or its contributions.

Wildlife Center selects new veterinarian

The Wildlife Center, a nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation and educational center, has selected Andy Cameron as the new contract veterinarian.

The center, near Española, rehabilitates rescued and injured wildlife of all types.

Cameron owns Cameron Veterinary Services, a mobile large-animal medicine and surgical service providing care in Northern New Mexico. He has 10 years experience as a large- and small-animal veterinarian. He also provides emergency veterinary triage, medical and surgical services for the Santa Fe Animal Emergency Clinic.

In addition to Cameron, Peter Schwarz, veterinary surgeon and owner of Santa Fe Animal Emergency Clinic, is providing surgeries on raptors as needed. Schwarz has offered to provide this service free of charge.

The two veterinarians will replace Kathleen Ramsay, the founder and volunteer veterinarian of The Wildlife Center, who resigned in December.