Local news in brief Sept. 17

| The New Mexican

9/16/2008 - 9/17/08

Musician also backs out of revival

A local musician contracted to play all seven nights at a Christian group's revival this week has dropped out after learning about the group's condemnation of gays.

Ramon Bermudez, 53, who has played professionally in Santa Fe since 1986, said Tuesday that he was misled about the Dallas-based group's agenda. His cancellation came a day after Mayor David Coss backed out of a planned welcoming address at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center.

"I was under the impression, when they approached me, that this was going to be in support of people who are moving in a spiritual direction, whether they be Buddhists or Catholics or Presbyterians," Bermudez said.

Bermudez said after he and his five-man band performed Monday evening, Mark Sardella showed him excerpts from Revive Santa Fe's Web site blaming the "homosexual explosion" for America's downfall. He said he canceled because he does not want his gay and lesbian friends thinking he is criticizing them.

Sardella, who runs a nonprofit called Local Energy, also alerted Coss to the group's beliefs. The chief revivalist, Kyle Martin, associate pastor of the Dallas Bible Church, said he is sorry Coss dropped out, but he believes the Bible condemns homosexuality.

Movie scene to be shot at opera

The producers of Crazy Heart, a movie starring Jeff Bridges, Robert Duvall and Maggie Gyllenhaal, are inviting the public to attend a shooting at the Santa Fe Opera from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday.

A news release billed it as a special event that will include music and "surprise special guests." The stars will be in attendance while the public watches the movie-production process.

Crazy Heart is about a down-on-his-luck alcoholic country singer, played by Bridges, who through his relationship with a reporter, Gyllenhaal, gets his career back on track.

Water-rate hike on tonight's agenda

City residents have a chance tonight to weigh in on proposed increases to water rates that would drive up water bills by about 7 percent for each of the next seven years.

Elected officials on the city Public Utilities Committee are holding a public hearing about the proposed rate hike as part of their 5:15 p.m. meeting at City Hall. Also on the agenda are proposed changes to the trash rate structure that will charge residents if they exceed limits on weekly trash volume and will cut commercial recycling rates to increase participation.

Money from the water-rate increases would help the city pay its portion of the Buckman Direct Diversion water-supply project, on which construction began this month.

Lightning-sparked fire keeps growing

The Alta Fire burning near Coyote in the Santa Fe National Forest has grown to 948 acres. The lightning-sparked fire started Aug. 8 and is not threatening private property or structures.

Fire managers are monitoring the slow-moving fire but allowing it to burn out naturally as long as it stays in a certain area. Fire plays a natural role, acting as a broom that cleans the forest floor of hazardous fuels, and recycles nutrients into the soil.

Brownfields grant proposals invited

The revitalized 50-acre Santa Fe Railyard that opened over the weekend once housed businesses that contaminated the property with petroleum, lead and other metals.

A $285,000 grant from the state Environment Department's Brownfields Program helped the city clean up the land and turn it into green space.

Other groups and communities can benefit from similar upcoming grants.

Grant proposals for Brownfields assessments, revolving-loan funds and cleanups are due Nov. 14. A grant-writing workshop will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today in Albuquerque at the state Environment Department's District 1 Office, 5500 San Antonio Drive NE. For more information about the meeting, call 505-222-9550.

Water-system flushing continues

Santa Fe's Water Division continues to flush the municipal water distribution system to prevent sediment buildup. Crews will work on about 35 miles of pipe in areas south of the Santa Fe River starting Monday and wrapping up around Nov. 6, a city news release says.

The process will take place daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and will include Lower Canyon Road, Acequia Madre, East Buena Vista, Coronado Road, Old Pecos Trail, East Cordova Road, Camino Corrales, East Zia Road, East San Mateo Road, Camino Lejo, Santa Barbara Drive, Calle de Sebastian, Calle Cacique and surrounding areas.

Water service should not be affected during the actual flushing process, although discolored water might come out of some taps. If that happens, run the faucets until the water clears and avoid using hot water, the city advises. For assistance, contact the water customer service representatives at 955-4333.

Bandelier sewer work ongoing

Park visitors traveling to and from Frijoles Canyon in the Bandelier National Monument may encounter delays through November because of sewage line work.

"We are trying to minimize the impacts to all park visitors, but there will definitely be short delays during the week," said Superintendent Brad Traver. "Roadwork will rarely occur on weekends or holidays and will not occur during the week of Balloon Fiesta in October. If visitors want to avoid the construction zones, we encourage them to visit other areas of the park such as Tsankawi or the Alamo Boundary Trail. For safety reasons, bicycles will be prohibited during all phases of construction."

This week, workers will begin removing asphalt on the inbound lane and trenching for the new lines.

The second phase, beginning in late September, involves placing the new sewage lines. The final stage of the project, in November, involves repaving the road.

KHL lands leases in Mora County

Oil and gas leases were auctioned off Tuesday morning for more than 10,000 acres in Mora County at the State Land Office.

Most of the leases went to high bidder Knute H. Lee Jr. of Albuquerque-based KHL Inc. The company has been working with private landowners in Mora County for more than a year on private lease agreements. Tuesday's lease auction was for leases on state land or minerals belonging to the State Land Office.

A group opposed to oil and gas drilling in Mora County has started an e-mail campaign to get protesters to the auction, but all the handful of people at the event seemed to be from the energy industry. A state police officer stationed near the front door left halfway through the auction.

KHL also acquired most of the leases available in Colfax County. In Mora County, high bids ranged from a couple of bucks per acre to around $30 an acre. In Lea County, winning bids ranged from $300 to $700 an acre.

SFHS choir to stage benefit concert

The Santa Fe High School Choir will host a benefit concert at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Unitarian Church, 107 W. Barcelona.

Choir director and soprano Marilyn Barnes and baritone Doyle Preheim will be among the soloists, and the high school choir will accompany as well as sing independently. Among the selections are works by Bach, Purcell, Verdi and Puccini.

Donations are requested, with the money going to pay for choir music, uniforms, accompanist fees and travel throughout the year.