Española Valley boys basketball coach on leave, under investigation Sports, B-1
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Tuesday, February 4, 2014
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Santo Domingo teenager appears in controversial Coca-Cola commercial
To beta and beyond Santa Fe trio transform computer app for outdoors enthusiasts from a “toy” to a startup. LOCAL BUSINESS, C-1
By Uriel J. Garcia The New Mexican
Councilor seeks better nightlife Under a proposed resolution, the city would divvy up as much as $5,000 for projects to breathe new life into Santa Fe’s after-hours economy. LOCAL NEWS, A-5
A Coca-Cola commercial featuring a rendition of “America the Beautiful” sung in nine different languages and aired during the Super Bowl is sparking strong reactions on the Internet. Among the singers in the ad was a 16-year-old from Santo Domingo Pueblo who sang in Keres, an American Indian dialect spoken by members of seven of the state’s 19 pueblos.
Immediately after the commercial aired during the second quarter of Sunday’s game, a torrent of chatter appeared on social media. Some viewers said the song should only be sung in English — and that everyone in the U.S. should speak English. Others defended the commercial as a tribute to multiculturalism in America. Christy Bird, a high school student who now lives in Albuquerque, appears
Please see COMMERCIAL, Page A-4
A screen shot shows Christy Bird, 16, of New Mexico in a Coca-Cola television ad that aired during the Super Bowl. A torrent of chatter appeared on social media immediately after the spot aired.
Excess sugar tied to heart woes A new study says diets high in sugar significantly increase the risk of fatal heart disease. PAGE A-12
3 CITY HALL 2014
Bushee says she’d bring experience to mayor’s seat
2014 LEGISLATURE
Panel strips funds for education reforms
City councilor with 20 years of service in local government says her record speaks for itself By Daniel J. Chacón
A
By Milan Simonich The New Mexican
Democratic legislators on a budget committee closed ranks Monday, denying most of the $55 million increase that Republican Gov. Susana Martinez wanted for the Public Education Department. In a 10-8 vote that went straight down party lines, the House Appropriations and Finance Committee also decided not to fund the system of merit pay for teachers that Martinez advocated. Committee members stripped both the language authorizing merit pay and about $10.5 million to fund it at the state level. Under Martinez’s plan, the Public Education Department would have administered the program and decided which teachers and principals received more money for exemplary performance. Overall, the committee voted to add about $9.8 million
Please see FUNDS, Page A-8
INSIDE u Additional Legislature coverage. PAGES A-8, A-9
PHOTO BY LUIS SÁNCHEZ SATURNO THE NEW MEXICAN
By Steve Terrell The New Mexican
Pasapick www.pasatiempomagazine.com
International folk dances Weekly on Tuesdays, dance 8 p.m., lessons 7 p.m., Odd Fellows Hall, 1125 Cerrillos Road, $5 donation at the door, 501-5081 or 466-2920.
Please see TEXTING, Page A-4
Index
Calendar A-2
Classifieds B-7
Comics B-12
Opinions A-10
Police notes A-7
Editor: Ray Rivera, 986-3033, rrivera@sfnewmexican.com Design and headlines: Kristina Dunham, kdunham@sfnewmexican.com
u Wednesday: Bill Dimas u Thursday: Javier Gonzales
ON OUR WEBSITE u Previously published stories on contested races in City Council Districts 1, 2 and 3 and proposed city charter amendments, as well as other city election coverage, can be viewed online at www.santafenewmexican.com/ elections/city_hall_2014.
But after a long tenure in office, and occasional clashes with others on the governing body, she has gained detractors, including some of her former and current council colleagues. Former City Councilor Matthew Ortiz is among those who say Bushee can be difficult to work with and that in some instances she tries to take credit for others’ work.
Please see BUSHEE, Page A-4
Spain. Speaks Spanish.
Age: 54
Experience: Santa Fe city councilor for the past 20 years; has chaired Bicycle and Trails Advisory Committee, served on Finance Committee, Public Utilities Committee and Regional Planning Authority. Owner of Ladybug Landscaping. Previously worked in the state engineer’s office as an outreach administra-
tor of the Water Use and Conservation Bureau and as deputy director for the New Mexico Film Office. Personal: Partner Marisa Again. Two rescue dogs, Skippy and Winnie. Lives in Barrio de Torreon neighborhood. Campaign information: pattibushee.com and Patti Bushee For Mayor on Facebook.
Obituaries
Addiction plagues many
Shirl Curtis Abbey, 90, Jan. 30 Isabel Espinoza Marshall, Jan. 31 Presciliano Martinez, 79, Jan. 30
Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman’s death, which came after a long period of sobriety that ended last year, “epitomizes the tragedy of drug addiction in our society,” medical experts say. PAGE B-6
PAGE A-8
Lotteries A-2
u Today: Patti Bushee
PATTI BUSHEE Education: Bachelor’s degree from the University of Maine in International Affairs/Political Science/ Spanish, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa; studied economics at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.; studied a year at La Universidad de Sevilla in Seville,
Measure would punish those who type or read messages behind the wheel Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez told a Senate committee Monday that he expects the full Senate to vote this year on a bill banning texting while driving and predicted it would pass the Legislature. Last year, Sanchez, D-Belen, blocked the Senate from voting on a similar bill. And on Monday, he cast the sole vote against Senate Bill 19, which cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee by 7-1 vote. He told a reporter after the vote that he still has several problems with the bill, Michael but said, “I suspect it’ll probably be Sanchez heard on the Senate floor.” Sanchez, as majority leader, makes that decision. If it does get heard, that would be a big change from last year’s 60-day session. Then a similar bill, also sponsored
This is one of a series of stories profiling candidates for mayor in Santa Fe’s March 4 muncipal election:
fter two decades as a city councilor, Santa Fe’s longest-serving council member says she still thrives on public service. “I truly, truly love to help people,” Patti Bushee said in an interview. “I’ve invested 20 years in this community, and this community has invested 20 years in me.” Bushee is billing her experience as a central selling point to voters. “I get calls from all over the city — it’s not limited to District 1 — and I have for the entire time I’ve been in office,” she said. “And they always come back with, ‘I’ve been told if I want to get something done at City Hall, call Patti Bushee.’ ” Bushee wants to apply what she’s learned from a different seat in the council chamber: the mayor’s. The 54-year-old is competing for the citywide post with Bill Dimas, a fellow councilor and former county magistrate, and with Javier Gonzales, a former county commissioner and state Democratic Party heavyweight. Recent polling shows Bushee in the lead, Gonzales close behind and Dimas in third place.
Committee agrees on $9.8 million addition — less than a fifth of what Martinez sought for public schools
Senate leader expects texting ban will get vote
COMING UP
The New Mexican
Sports B-1
Today Cold and snowy. High 39, low 16. PAGE B-6
Time Out B-11
Local Business C-1
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Three sections, 28 pages 165th year, No. 35 Publication No. 596-440