S.F. attracts wealthy travelers

For the eighth year in a row and despite a downturn in travel, Santa Fe has proven to be a hit with affluent travelers.

The city has made Travel + Leisure's "World Best Awards" list of top 10 favorite Continental United States and Canadian travel destinations.

Santa Fe was fifth on the list, the same as 2008. The city was fourth in 2007.

The list starts with New York in first place, followed by San Francisco, Quebec City, Charleston, S.C., and then Santa Fe. Other cities on the list were Chicago, Savannah, Victoria, British Columbia, Montreal and Seattle.

"For Santa Fe to be consistently rated as a travel destination on par with cities like New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Quebec City is a tribute to Santa Fe's enduring appeal and customer satisfaction," said Keith Toler, executive director of he Santa Fe Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Cities were rated on six criteria: sights, culture/arts, restaurants/food, people, shopping and value.

Hardware business sues ex-worker

Big Jo True Value Hardware Inc. is suing a former employee who previously pleaded guilty for misappropriating $67,404 from the business.

Krista Quintana of Glorieta last year pleaded guilty to one count of fraud and had 10 counts of forgery dismissed, according to online court records.

In a civil complaint filed Thursday in state District Court by lawyer Little V. West of Santa Fe, Big Joe seeks compensatory, punitive and exemplary damages, plus interest and other relief.

According to a Jan. 17, 2008, plea agreement in the court file, Quintana agreed to a minimum of five years probation, to pay Big Jo up to $67,404 in restitution and to sign a promissory note for any unpaid balance of the restitution.

Quintana was not available for comment.

Woman files complaint against Allsup's store

A Santa Fe woman says she and her car were soaked with gasoline when a pump hose broke at an Allsup's store at 305 N. Guadalupe St.

Amrita Reitz says in a complaint for damages filed in state District Court on Wednesday that while filling up her car with fuel on Jan. 24, 2008, the hose cracked, spraying her with gasoline as well as the front seat of her car while her 2-year-old daughter was in the back seat.

"Ms. Reitz told the employees at Allsup's to immediately shut off the emergency valve, but the Allsup's attendants did not know how to shut off the system, nor did they even know where the emergency shut-off valve was located," says the complaint by lawyers Merit Bennett and Talia Kosh of Santa Fe.

The complaint says she initially declined treatment because she and her daughter had no physical symptoms, but five minutes after leaving Allsup's, her arms and legs went numb and she began to vomit in the parking lot of Trader Joe's on Cordova Road. It says the car remains so contaminated with gasoline fumes that Reitz no longer can use it and that she continues to experience symptoms from the exposure.

Efforts to reach an Allsup's spokesman were not successful.

Session to explain annex rules

Santa Fe city and county government staff will host an open house Monday to answer questions about zoning and subdivision rule changes that will affect county areas being annexed by the city between now and 2013.

The open house will be open 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Southside Branch Library, 6599 Jaguar Drive. At 5:30 p.m., staff members will present an overview of proposed changes and remain available for discussion or questions until 7 p.m.