Tesuque Village Market passes inspections

A Tesuque restaurant cited last month for a slew of food-safety violations has been given a clean bill of health by the state Environment Department.

"Management and staff have worked diligently to meet compliance standards," inspector Michael Broussard said in a report issued Friday after one of several follow-up inspections of the Tesuque Village Market, 138 Tesuque Village Road.

In early October, Broussard cited the eatery for 36 health-code violations, including 14 considered a high risk to the health and safety of workers and diners.

"All deficiencies (have been) corrected," Broussard's report said. He added that the restaurant's staff will attend a food-safety training this Friday.

The restaurant had been accused of violations that ranged from high-risk — storing food at improper temperatures, placing bait for flies in an area used to prepare food and improperly thawing shrimp — to low-risk, such as missing tile in the kitchen floor and failure to date food items.

CSF can recruit new students

The 150-year-old College of Santa Fe — now run by Laureate Education, a network of 45 accredited schools in more than 20 countries — received final approval from the Higher Learning Commission this week for a change of control.

The roughly 200 students enrolled at the college this semester all had been students before the company took over the financially troubled private liberal arts school.

The commission's approval means Laureate can use its marketing expertise to begin recruiting new students who weren't previously enrolled at the college.

Enrollment for next semester, which begins in mid-January, began Tuesday. Classes are offered in art, creative writing, graphic design, film, performing arts and photography.

In July, the Santa Fe City Council voted to take on $30 million in debt to buy the campus and lease it to Laureate. The debt is to be paid off via a 26-year lease agreement.

S.F. County raises garbage fees

Santa Fe County residents and businesses will pay more to leave garbage at transfer stations beginning July 1.

County commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved a rate hike that had been recommended by a task force this summer.

The price for a 24-punch residential permit goes to $55 from $35. The price for a 10-punch residential permit goes to $35 from $20.

For the first time, the county will offer a single-trip permit to residents for $15.

The county also has dropped its $15 fee for recycling, meaning that any amount of sorted recyclables brought to a transfer station will be accepted for free.

Commercial rates also were changed. Currently, a 24-punch commercial permit costs $50. As of July 1, a 10-punch commercial permit will cost $100 and a 5-punch commercial ticket will cost $60.

Hunters swamp agency's Web site

Hunters with the fastest fingers and best Internet connections got first dibs on 350 late-season New Mexico cow elk licenses on Tuesday.

The licenses were scooped up within 10 seconds after they became available online. Thousands of applicants swamped the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Web site, the agency said. The licenses were available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The next hunting license application deadline is 5 p.m. Feb. 3, 2010. Applications for 2010-2011 oryx hunts, limited-permit turkey hunts, population-reduction hunts and bear permits for some wildlife management areas are due then.

The state Game Commission will establish the 2010-2011 big game regulations at its Dec. 3 meeting in Hobbs. A complete copy of the rules and information booklet will be posted on the department's Web site by mid-December at www.wildlife.state.nm.us.

Rule affects Northwest Quad votes

Most major decisions about the city's Northwest Quadrant housing development will require a supermajority of Santa Fe city councilors under a resolution approved unanimously Tuesday night.

A divided council in September approved a master plan for development of city-owned land northwest of downtown, with Mayor David Coss breaking a 4-4 tie among councilors.

The resolution to require more agreement on future votes was proposed by Councilors Chris Calvert and Rosemary Romero — who both voted against the master plan. Councilor Matthew Ortiz added his name as a sponsor at the meeting.

From now on, any votes about changes in the approved master plan, appeals, financial decisions and contracts with a potential developer and other "significant decisions" will require at least six votes for approval.

"This is to make sure we really have it squared away and it's got a fair amount of consensus — that it's not just political," Calvert said.

A similar resolution governed City Council decisions about construction of the new convention center.

Katz to leave city attorney post

City Attorney Frank Katz this week announced his retirement from the city attorney job he's held since he was appointed by Mayor David Coss in 2006.

A former general counsel for the Multistate Tax Commission, Katz also worked in private practice, including representing Santa Fe Botanical Garden in a tax protest case against Santa Fe County.

His last day at the city is Dec. 31, although he remains on the payroll through Feb. 26 while using up sick leave and vacation time.

"I don't have any plans," Katz said. "What they tell you to do when you retire is to not make any plans and just let the lack of work seep in."

City Manager Galen Buller and Mayor David Coss plan to discuss a strategy for replacing Katz soon, Buller said Tuesday.

Police: School worker solicited images

A 20-year-old former food-service worker at Santa Fe High School asked a 15-year-old female student to send him pictures of her on his cell phone, police said Tuesday.

Then, the man asked the girl to send him naked pictures, Santa Fe police Sgt. Jason Wagner said. The female student did send the man topless pictures of herself, he said. The man did not send any pictures of himself to her, Wagner said.

The man, who has been placed on leave from his job, has not been arrested or charged, and the incident has been forwarded to the District Attorney's Office, he said.

The incident came to light after the girl's mother found the pictures on the girl's phone, Wagner said.

State police plan DWI checkpoint

State police are warning that Friday the 13th might be an unlucky day for motorists who drink too much before they get behind the wheel.

A spokesman said officers will conduct a sobriety checkpoint on Friday evening in the Santa Fe area, although no details on the location were announced.

Such checkpoints, in which drivers are stopped in an effort to spot any who might be impaired, are "helping to change society's attitude about drunk driving," Lt. Eric Garcia said in a news release.

PBS 'History Detectives' plans visit

Investigators with the PBS television series History Detectives are looking into a Santa Fe man's suspicion that he owns one of the first electronic instruments known as theremins.

The show's host, Elyse Luray, and her crew plan to visit Santa Fe on Nov. 23 to share results of their probe into whether the man has one of fewer than six original theremins built by Leon Theremin, a news release said.

The only instrument played without touching, the theremin "makes eerie, ethereal music, the kind that creates uncertainty and suspense in movie sound tracks," the statement said.

The Santa Fe man bought his theremin through e-Bay, according to the release.

Robert Moog, creator of the electric synthesizer, was quoted as having called the theremin "a vital cornerstone of our contemporary music technology."