Nmda20130531

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Graphite fantasies — drawings by artist Fay Ku Inside

Locally owned and independent

Friday, May 31, 2013

www.santafenewmexican.com $1.25

High winds, hot weather could fuel growth of Tres Lagunas Fire

pecos Canyon blaze forces evacuations By Chris Quintana The New Mexican

A wildfire that erupted Thursday afternoon in Pecos Canyon quickly consumed about 500 acres of public and private land by 9 p.m. The Tres Lagunas fire started around 3:30 p.m. on private land about 10 miles north of Pecos. At 5:10 p.m., crews reported that it had jumped N.M. 63. According to the State Forestry Division, the fire was considered “active and moving.” Two hand crews of 10 to 12 people, two helicopters and an air tanker were fighting the fire Thursday evening, and more than 150 people were being mobilized. Numerous engines from New Mexico State Forestry, the U.S. Forest Service and local volunteer departments were on the scene. Dan Ware, spokesperson for New Mexico State Forestry, said the fire was apparently caused by a downed power line, but that is not yet confirmed. An evacuation order has been issued for an unknown number of homes north of the fire. The National Weather Service forecast a high near 79 degrees for Friday, along with a west wind that could hit 20 to 30 mph and could gust up to 40 mph. “The conditions are there for this fire to continue,” Ware said. However, the blaze is near a fire scar from the 2000 Viveash Fire, which could slow its progress. Some homeowners in the Pecos Canyon area couldn’t reach their houses on Thursday afternoon because emergency crews had closed off N.M. 63 at J-Bar Road. Many cars turned around, while others parked alongside on the shoulder with the hope that the road would reopen. Kelly Shannon said he was first blocked at the Monastery Lake Hotel, but crews later moved the blockade farther north. He said he had been through wildfire scares before, and that they didn’t cause as much damage as he thought they might. “It wasn’t as the bad as the picture in my mind,” he said. Tracy Bennett, the manager of Hidden Valley Ranch, said he evacuated the people on the ranch as soon he saw smoke. He said the power went out there around 3:30 p.m. “I got my people out of here,” he said. “They were quite alarmed.” Bennett said he may also leave the ranch if the wind blows the fire south. Deborah Meier and her daughter, Johnelle Gonzales, were camping at

Please see BLAZe, Page A-4

Governor’s ex-campaign staffer faces charges in email case By Steve Terrell The New Mexican

A federal grand jury on Thursday indicted a former campaign manager for Gov. Susana Martinez on 14 felony counts of email theft and lying to the FBI. Jamie Estrada, 40, of Los Lunas is accused of intercepting emails sent to Martinez’s campaign account between July 2011 and June 2012, after he had left the campaign. Hundreds of emails found their way to Martinez political foes. Estrada, a longtime Republican activist and former candidate for the state Public Regulation Commission, was a New Mexico delegate to the Republican National Convention last year. In a statement released through his lawyer, Estrada denied that he has broken any laws or done anything improper. “Everyone knows that ‘the best defense is a good offense,’ ” he said. “Individuals in whom the public has placed its trust have come after me in an attempt to divert attention from their own improper actions. … I have every faith that not only will I be found innocent, but also that this attack on me will result in exposure of the true wrongdoers, once and for all.” Estrada referred to allegations by Martinez critics of possible influence peddling in awarding a lucrative lease for a horse racing track and casino in Albuquerque to political contributors.

Please see eMAIL, Page A-4

InSIDe u Martinez administration, Estrada have long, contentious history. pAge A-4

State police block N.M. 63 on Thursday to keep people out of the wildfire area about 10 miles north of Pecos. The fire, believe started from a downed power line, quickly grew to 500 acres by evening. LUIS SÁNCHEZ SATURNO/THE NEW MEXICAN

I got my people out of here. They were quite alarmed.” Tracy Bennett Hidden Valley Ranch manager

By Tom Sharpe

The New Mexican

Joe Hoback said Thursday he will sell The Pink Adobe, one of Santa Fe’s oldest restaurants, to Leonard and Isabelle Koomoa of the Guadalupe Cafe. Hoback said when he closes on the sale of the building, the business and the liquor license on June 28, he should be able to pay off his debts. “The nice thing is the sale is going to settle all the lawsuits and pay all the debt and people won’t think I’m the nicest guy in Santa Fe who doesn’t pay the bills,” he said. The Koomoas were not available for comment on Thursday, but Hoback said he expects them to

Calendar A-2

“Everyone knows that the ‘best defense is a good offense.’ “

Liberal political group made contents of some of the emails public

Planned sale puts Pink Adobe restaurant back in familiar hands

Index

Jamie Estrada

Classifieds D-2

Editor: Rob Dean, 986-3033, rdean@sfnewmexican.com

Comics B-8

Joe Hoback

call their new restaurant The Pink Adobe, although the proposed name for their company is “Guad by Day, Pink by Night.” For the next four weeks, the Guadalupe Cafe will serve breakfast and lunch (8 a.m. to 2 p.m.) in The Pink Adobe’s centuries-old adobe building at 406 Old Santa Fe Trail, and The Pink Adobe’s staff will serve dinner there (5:30 p.m.

to 9 p.m.). A sandwich-board sign at the entrance explains the split use, but the wait staff say they have been

Please see pInK, Page A-4

Lotteries A-2

Opinion A-5

Police notes C-2

Lobos make golf finals After slow start, UNM is one of eight remaining teams in battle for the NCAA Championship title in Atlanta. SportS, B-1

obituaries

Breezy, sunshine. High 83, low 44.

Marian G., 65, Española, May 24 Miriam E. Griego, 79, Santa Fe, May 24 Lawrence T. Valdez, 53, Santa Fe, May 24

pAge C-6

pAge C-2

today

Sports B-1

Time Out B-7

Generation Next D-1

Main office: 983-3303 Late paper: 986-3010

Court orders back pay for state workers The Associated Press

The New Mexico Supreme Court ruled Thursday that thousands of state workers covered by union contracts are owed back pay and raises totaling millions of dollars. The state’s highest court affirmed a Court of Appeals’ decision that says about 11,000 state workers are entitled to retroactive pay increases because former Gov. Bill Richardson’s administration didn’t follow union contracts in distributing money provided by the Legislature about five years ago. Gov. Susana Martinez’s administration has estimated the ruling will cost the state more than $20 million. The court’s ruling means a pay raise for about half of the state’s classified workers, who are those hired through a meritbased civil service system rather than a political appointment. The amount of the pay will vary from worker to worker, depending on an individual’s job and their experience with government. At issue were raises for workers covered by collective bargaining agreements. Their contracts called for them to receive raises ranging from 3 percent to 5.5 per-

Please see pAY, Page A-4

Four sections, 28 pages Pasatiempo, 64 pages 164th year, No. 151 Publication No. 596-440


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