Region in brief Jan. 12

| The New Mexican

1/11/2009 - 1/12/09

Pecos, Santa Fe calls are now free

Long-distance telephone service between Santa Fe and Pecos will be a thing of the past. Beginning Tuesday, residents in the 757 telephone exchange will be able to make calls to Santa Fe and Los Alamos without incurring long-distance charges.

The change comes after six years of lobbying and organization on the part of the Pecos Business Association, particularly member Shelley Oram, to have calls between the two areas made local.

"I just can't believe it," said Oram. "I'm trying to figure out who to make a symbolic phone call to!"

Under the terms of the new designation, phone customers in the 757 exchange will pay an additional $3.09 month. Customers in the Santa Fe/Los Alamos exchanges will pay 3 cents more per month.

Arthur Varela, Pecos treasurer, estimated the change would save the village about $1,500 per month in long-distance charges.

The Pecos Business Association will host a celebration of its victory at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Frankie's Casanova. A Business Association meeting will be held after the celebration at 6 p.m.

Aamodt settlement topic of meeting

Santa Fe County Commissioner Harry Montoya is hosting a public meeting to discuss the Aamodt water settlement from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Pablo Roybal Elementary School Multi-Purpose Room in Jacona. For more information, contact Lisa Roybal at 995-2761.

City wants input on riverside trail

The city of Santa Fe will host a meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday about its latest plans for a trail along the Santa Fe River that will stretch from downtown to N.M. 599. The meeting is at the Genoveva Chavez Community Center, 3221 Rodeo Road.

The latest piece of the trail now under construction is from Camino Alire to Frenchy's Field Park, which adds to the existing trail from St. Francis Drive to Camino Alire.

Dental clinic moves to temporary site

The Santa Fe Community College's Dental Clinic has resumed operations at a new location, 6 Calle Medico, Suite 1, Santa Fe.

"We want our patients and our community to be assured that, although the clinic is moving, it will continue serving Santa Feans the same way it did before the move," said Aamna Nayyar, director of the SFCC dental program.

The clinic provides hands-on training to the college's dental students and serves hundreds of low-income residents with free and low-cost dental care through partnerships with Project ANN and Medicaid, said Nayyar.

The clinic's previous home, a portable building on the SFCC campus, is being removed to make room for the college's new Health and Sciences Building. The Health and Sciences Building is slated for completion in spring 2010 and will house La Familia Medical Center, a local nonprofit community health care provider that will partner with SFCC's dental program.

Peking Acrobats to visit Highlands

The Peking Acrobats will tumble into New Mexico Highlands University's Ilfeld Auditorium, 900 University Ave., Las Vegas, at 6 p.m. Jan. 28.

General admission early tickets are $15 or $20 at the door. Tickets for children and students with a valid I.D. are $12.