Washington, Detroit, Minnesota, Tampa Bay, Cleveland cut coaches Sports, B-1
Locally owned and independent
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
www.santafenewmexican.com 75¢
A year of slow, steady progress In 2013, Santa Fe saw an increase in home sales, new renovation and change downtown, as well as a healthy tourism industry that filled more hotel rooms and restaurants. But job and income growth are still lacking because the state economy is tied to federal government hiring and spending. LOCAL BUSINeSS, A-9
New Mexico sees little growth in population
Fight against crime continues
Words everyone loves to hate
Local law enforcement agencies report progress against burglaries; other issues remain. PAge A-6
Twerking and selfie top a Michigan university’s list of the year’s most annoying words. PAge A-2
Wire theft cuts off power, businesses
New estimates from Census Bureau place state in bottom five
2014 MAYOR’S RACE
Sierra Club pick ignites verbal war
By Uriel J. Garcia
The New Mexican
New Mexico trails not only its Rocky Mountain neighbors, but the rest of the United States, in population growth, according to estimates released Monday by the U.S. Census Bureau. For a 12-month period ending in July, New Mexico gained just 1,747 people, an increase of .08 percent from the previous year. That puts the state in the bottom five for growth, along with Vermont, Pennsylvania, Maine and West Virginia. The top five were North Dakota, the District of Columbia, Utah, Colorado and Texas, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. New Mexico’s population stands at 2,085,287. The estimates are based on migration patterns, births and deaths. “When we have a growing economy, we attract people,” said Jim Peach, an economics professor at New Mexico State University. “And when our economy is stagnant, as
Group stands behind last week’s endorsement of Gonzales, says decision based on many factors By Daniel J. Chacón
The New Mexican
The Sierra Club landed in the middle of a toxic feud between political rivals Patti Bushee and Javier Gonzales last week after the environmental organization announced it was endorsing Gonzales over Bushee in the Santa Fe mayor’s race. “I personally have been doing endorsements for 15 years, and I’ve never experienced such strong emotions or have seen such reactions,” Susan Martin, political chairwoman of the Sierra Club Northern New Mexico Group, said Monday. “This is a heated race already, and we’re not even in January,” she said. The endorsement, among the most coveted in a municipal race, sparked a war of words between Bushee and Gonzales. The third mayoral candidate, City Councilor Bill Dimas, did not seek the Sierra Club’s endorsement and stayed out of the fray. Bushee fired the first shot, calling the Sierra Club’s endorsement of Gonzales an “undeserved
Please see gROWTH, Page A-4
Today A full day of sunshine. High 46, low 26. PAge A-12
Obituaries
Lorencita Martinez, 88, Santa Fe, Dec. 29 Dolores Duke Ortiz, 88, Santa Fe, Dec. 27 Allen Stone, Santa Fe, Dec. 26
Frank Moulton Bond, 70, Santa Fe, Dec. 25 Jerry Dalton, 51, Glorieta, Dec. 29 Katherine L. Lawrence Lopez, 80, Dec. 26 PAge A-8
Pasapick www.pasatiempomagazine.com
Santa Fe Concert Association New Year’s Orchestra Family Concert/dress rehearsal Music of Poulenc and Brahms, plus selections from Camelot and Guys and Dolls, 2 p.m., Lensic Performing Arts Center, $10, 984-8759 or 988-1234, ticketssantafe.org.
Molly’s Kitchen & Lounge Psychic Jungle, music collective Meow Wolf’s New Year’s Eve DJ showcase, 8 p.m.-2 a.m., $15 online at thevibehut.blogspot. com, $20 at the door. More events in Calendar, A-2 and Fridays in Pasatiempo
Index
Calendar A-2
Classifieds B-6
City Councilor and mayoral candidate Patti Bushee, left, said the Sierra Club’s endorsement of Javier Gonzales, right, was an ‘undeserved Christmas gift.’ Gonzales responded that Bushee has gone from ‘green to brown as she slings mud.’ NEW MEXICAN FILE PHOTOS
Please see PICK, Page A-4
ON THe WeB u To read news releases from Javier Gonzales and Patti Bushee regarding the Sierra Club’s endorsement, visit Daniel J. Chacón’s blog at santafenewmexican.com/news/blogs/local_news. Jeremy McClellan with JMAC Electric of Rio Rancho cleans copper wire Monday as he repairs damage caused earlier at Water Boyz, 1700 St. Michael’s Drive. Early Monday morning, one or more thieves stole 320 feet of copper wiring, forcing the temporary closure of Water Boyz and the nearby New Mexico Gas Co. office. PHOTOS BY JANE PHILLIPS/THE NEW MEXICAN
Pair of incidents result in outages at shopping center on St. Michael’s Drive and museums on Old Pecos Trail By David J. Salazar For The New Mexican
One or more thieves stole 320 feet of copper wire valued at about $3,800 from Water Boyz on St. Michael’s Drive early Monday morning. Meanwhile, about 3 miles away, someone tried to steel copper wiring from the Santa Fe Children’s Museum on Old Pecos Trail, also early Monday. The museum is located next to St. John’s United Methodist Church, where more than 200 feet of copper wire was stolen Dec. 17. Water Boyz, which sells purified bottle water, was forced to close Monday, according to owner Anthony Roybal. “We were just turning customers away,” he said. “We make anywhere from $700 to $1,200 a day … and it’s just a bad situation for a small business to go through.” He said the wiring would be repaired and the business would be open New Year’s Eve.
Comics B-12
Lotteries A-2
Opinions A-10
By Jonathan Fahey
The Associated Press
Water Boyz and the nearby New Mexico Gas Co. office were closed Monday after one or more thieves stole 320 feet of copper wiring, causing the businesses to lose power.
The theft happened about 12:40 a.m. Monday, according to David Nydes, owner of Nydes Properties, which manages the shopping center where Water Boyz is located at 1700 St. Michael’s Drive, near Llano Street. Nydes said that when Water Boyz’s alarm company contacted the shopping center manager about the power outage, no one suspected anything unusual and no one immediately called police.
Police notes A-8
Editor: Ray Rivera, 986-3033, rrivera@sfnewmexican.com Design and headlines: Kristina Dunham, kdunham@sfnewmexican.com
U.S. electricity use plummets in spite of rise in gadgets NEW YORK — The average amount of electricity consumed in U.S. homes has fallen to levels last seen more than a decade ago, back when the smartest device in people’s pockets was a Palm pilot and anyone talking about a tablet was probably an archaeologist or a preacher. Because of more energy-efficient housing, appliances and gadgets, power usage is on track to decline in 2013 for the third year in a row, to 10,819 kilowatt-hours per household, according to the Energy Information Administration. That’s the lowest level since 2001, when households averaged 10,535 kwh. And the drop has occurred even though our lives are more electrified.
Please see THeFT, Page A-4
Sports B-1
Time Out B-11
Local Business A-9
Main office: 983-3303 Late paper: 986-3010
Please see eLeCTRICITY, Page A-4
Two sections, 24 pages 164th year, No. 365 Publication No. 596-440