Book pays tribute to Hillerman landscapes

A photographic journey through the iconic Southwest landscapes of Tony Hillerman's mystery novels is the subject of a new book by the late author's daughter, Anne Hillerman, and photographer Don Strel.

They will be signing copies of the book, Tony Hillerman's Landscape: On the Road with Chee and Leaphorn, Nov. 8 at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center.

The event, which begins at 4 p.m., is a benefit for the Friends of the Santa Fe Library and includes a multimedia presentation. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door.

Hillerman, who died last year, wrote novels featuring Navajo tribal police officers Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn.

Restaurant chain honoring veterans

On Veterans Day, which falls on Nov. 11, all of the nearly 2,000 Applebee's Neighborhood Bar and Grill restaurants will honor U.S. veterans and active duty military personnel with a free meal.

In order to receive the free meal, which will be available for lunch and dinner, veterans and active duty personnel must show proof of current or former U.S. military service. The Applebee's in Santa Fe is at 4246 Cerrillos Road.

SFPS to hold study session on budget cuts

Santa Fe Public Schools plans a series of public seminars to address the 1 percent budget cut in education that the state Legislature passed into law during last month's special session. The first meeting, scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday, is called "Santa Fe Elected Delegation: Special Session Update and Next Steps."

This special study session, which takes place at SFPS' Educational Services Center, 610 Alta Vista St., is open to the public. Call 467-2003 for more information.

Benefit for Jensen Brown scholarship fund

Indie musician Chad Hollister and his Vermont band, who are on a short Western tour, will be playing Thursday evening at the Santa Fe Brewing Company. Net proceeds will go to a scholarship fund in the name of Jensen Brown at the Santa Fe Community Foundation. Hollister is a college buddy of Jensen's father, Merritt Brown.

Jensen, a St. Michael's High School soccer player, died in an automobile accident in 2008 at age 16. His friends have put together two soccer exhibitions in his honor. At the most recent one in June, they played a song about Jensen written by Hollister. "It was pretty powerful," Merritt Brown said.

The show is at 7 p.m. with Aaron Flinn opening. Tickets are $5 and $10.

Udall asks FCC to provide phone service to tribes

Sen. Tom Udall is asking the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission to share plans for providing telephone service to Native American communities.

In a letter Friday to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, Udall writes that more than 30 percent of households in Indian Country do not have access to basic telephone service.

Udall says on the Navajo Nation, two out of three people cannot receive telephone service in their homes.

Udall says he's concerned about the FCC's management of more than $7 billion in annual universal service funds, if the agency can't ensure that all people in the United States have basic telephone service.

Udall says not having a land line is not only an inconvenience, but also can mean the difference between life and death if an ambulance is needed.