Tag Archives: Rio Rancho

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Standing In Line In Rio Rancho

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Rio Rancho Police by Rescuenav, on Flickr

Rio Rancho Police by Rescuenav, on Flickr

On the City of Rio Rancho’s page about “Kamp Out for Kamp Rio” there is about 10 paragraphs on how to stand in line. This is so people can sign up for Rio Rancho’s apparently popular “Kamp Rio 2013” summer day camp for kids.

“Standing In Line” Rules and Etiquette

The Parks & Recreation Department staff makes every attempt to ensure that the registration for summer camp is a fair process for everyone. The summer camp line is nothing unique. Throughout life, we are all subject to “standing in lines”: Black Friday shopping, theme parks, concerts, at the grocery store, etc. As with every aspect of life, there is a protocol that should be followed.

Stay In Line At All Times. Anyone who has claimed a spot in the registration line is required to stay in line with the exception of short restroom breaks. If an individual, who has claimed a spot in the registration line, needs to leave for any reason that person needs to be replaced temporarily by a family member or friend until the person returns.

A Tent Or Chair Does Not Hold Your Place In Line. An individual will not be allowed to place a chair or tent to claim their spot in the registration line. Do not leave for work/school/home/shopping/restaurants or anything else until your registration has been accepted by Parks & Recreation staff or your tent and chairs will be removed by city staff.

Do Not Reserve Or Hold Spots For Others. Think how annoyed you would be after hours of waiting, suddenly and out of nowhere, five friends join the person in front of you making your wait even longer?

Be Patient – Everyone in line is in the same situation. Don’t be come irritated with others in line or with the Parks & Recreation staff.

Restroom Break – If you leave the line for any amount of time longer than short restroom breaks, you cannot expect to come back and take up your old place.

Respect Personal Space Of Others – While there is no need to stand body-to-body in the line, there is also no need to extend your tent/bbq grill/chairs/picnic-tables, etc. amongst a large space. Doing so will only irritate people and heighten tensions.

No Smoking In Line! If you are a smoker, now is not the time to light up – save that until you get home.

No Line Jumping – Quite simply – don’t!

“Standing in line” has universally understood rules and etiquette, but there are still those who break the rules mentioned above. With that said, the above rules apply and everyone’s cooperation and attention to this matter is sincerely appreciated.

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Who Is Adam?

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Free Adam

Free Adam

The weather is warm and I can resume my walks/running near my neighborhood in Rio Rancho. I came across this grafiti “Free Adam” and “Fuck the pigs”. Who is Adam why does he need to be freed?

Intel Sends Scary Letter About Hydrogen Fluoride Emissions

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From KOB.com “Rio Rancho residents concerned over Intel emissions“

Rio Rancho residents said they are worried about breathing toxic fumes after receiving a letter from Intel on Wednesday.

Thousands of residents found a monthly update from Intel in their mailbox, mentioning hydrogen fluoride emissions.

David and Aimee Thurlo said Intel has been a good neighbor, but the letter has them questioning their safety.

“The letter has absolutely no information on there. It is, to me, ambiguous,” Aimee Thurlo stated.

Good Job Intel. Send out a ambiguous letter about a chemical you have been emitting for years and freak every one out. No mention if it was also sent to residents of Corrales, who really hate Intel.

Extracting Gas From Air

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A article on azcentral.com titled “Air Products grows to keep up with Intel” explains how Air Products makes air products and ships them to the Intel site in Arizona. This is probably similar to how it’s done for Intel in Rio Rancho, NM.

The company removes all components of air except nitrogen, oxygen and argon. Then in those white, angular towers, it separates out those three gases with very low temperatures. Oxygen turns to liquid at minus 297.3 degrees Fahrenheit, and nitrogen turns to liquid at minus 320 degrees.

Then the liquid is boiled, producing pure gas.

“We use compression and expansion, like the air-conditioning unit on the outside of a house,” Jordan explained.

Nitrogen gas made in Chandler goes directly into the pipeline, a structure intended to last 100 years.

Intel Misses New Mexico Hiring Goals

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From the Albuquerque Journal “Intel Misses N.M. Goal For Hiring“:

For the third time in five years, computer chipmaker Intel fell short of a goal set by Sandoval County to ensure 60 percent of the new hires for its Rio Rancho plant are New Mexico residents.

A report presented to Sandoval County commissioners by Intel government affairs manager Liz Shipley this week showed only 35 percent of the 349 employees the company hired in 2011 were state residents.

Under the 2004 agreement, Intel must pay the county $100,000 to be spent on educational initiatives if it fails to meet the hiring requirement.

Intel Looses A Friend In The Sandoval County Tax Department

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The Albuquerque Journal reports that the Sandoval County Manager has been fired over an Intel Tax Dispute.

Sandoval County Manager Juan Vigil was fired Friday following a property tax dispute with computer giant Intel.
As a result of resolving that dispute, the household-name international company that opened its Rio Rancho plant more than 30 years ago will have to pay property taxes for the first time this year.
County Commission Chairman Darryl Madalena hand-delivered a one-page letter to Vigil on Friday that told him to vacate his office and return all county property by 4 p.m. Monday.
Vigil did not respond to a phone message asking for comment.
Earlier this week, Vigil provided documents, which he said were unofficial, that showed the county assessed Intel’s Rio Rancho plant property at $38.2 million, with a taxable value of $12.7 million.
Jami Grindatto, Intel’s director of corporate affairs for the Southwestern U.S. said this week the company was happy to go on the county tax rolls and the county assessor is determining how much tax the company will owe.
In an interview on Friday, Madalena said the reason for firing Vigil was that the county needed to “move in a different, more positive direction.”

Update 04/19/2011: I was confused by this article on the first read. I thought they fired the County Manager becasue he didn’t want to tax Intel. It appears that the now fired county manager had completed the paperwork to proceed with taxing Intel, thus he was fired. So the new direction the commission wants to move in is the old direction, where Intel doesn’t get taxed. This firing has apparently caused a Fab in Arizona and no doubt the tax situation has something to do with that (note: as an Intel employee, I only know the same rumors that are reported in the news papers). It’s also important to remember that states compete with each other and another state will be happy to make Intel a better deal.

The article goes on about how Intel has spent millions to build things like Rio Rancho High School. The article doesn’t mention that the city of Rio Rancho was an overgrown truck stop before Intel decided to employ thousands of the most highly paid positions (not including government) in the state of New Mexico. Meanwhile the Village of Corrales is trying to stop any attempt at Intel expanding because they think Intel is killing them with pollution.

Someone will email me in a panic that Intel will shut down the Rio Rancho site because of this news. I think Intel is far from making this happen. But this is not something that will encourage Intel to expand the site or make further upgrades making the long term future of the site questionable. Refer to why Tesla didn’t build a factory in Albuquerque, because California made them a better deal.

Why First Solar Built In Arizona Instead Of New Mexico Or Austin

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First Solar was looking to built a factory in either Arizona, New Mexico or Austin. An azcentral.com article looks at what Arizona paid to get the factory built there.

The factory will employ 600 people in Mesa, but it signifies more than that. The facility, operated by an Arizona-based company that is a major international player in solar-panel production, will make Broome’s job of attracting more alternative-energy companies easier.

Had Arizona lost the factory to Austin or Albuquerque, it might have been impossible to attract other solar companies to Arizona, he said.

First Solar wrangled at least $51.5 million in potential incentives out of the state, county and city, bought its land at a steep discount, and – perhaps the clinching factor – scored a discount on its power bills.

“The incentive from New Mexico was staggering. It was, like, hundreds of millions of dollars,” Broome said. “New Mexico was even offering to finance the construction of the building. Texas was a good $20 million less expensive than us.”

The article mentions that they offered a discount on electricity to First Solar, a similar discount was offered to Intel to build their new factory in Chandler. It’s interesting to note that First Solar President Bruce Sohn is a former manger from the Intel Rio Rancho factory.

Corrales Doesn’t Want Intel To Expand

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Another approaching storm photo from the Intel parking lot

The Alibi summarizes the conflict between some who live in Corrales, NM and Intel in Rio Rancho, where Intel is asking for changes to it’s air permit.

It was standing room only at an Intel-facilitated meeting Monday, March 28. More than 75 people crowded into the Corrales Senior Center.

For years, residents have been saying emissions from the 4-million square-foot facility cause respiratory problems. The computer chip manufacturer’s neighbors have reported acrid-smelling air, burning eyes and noses, and what Lynne Kinis called the “Intel cough.” She and other Corrales residents are circulating a petition asking the state’s Environmental Department to deny the permit.

Intel has no immediate plans to expand, but Environmental Engineer Sarah Chavez said it’s not out of the question.

Cows And Guns In Rio Rancho

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Back in October, the local news station KRQE recently two stories about Rio Rancho. I like living in Rio Rancho, I like being on the edge of civilization and I will deal with the occasional scorpion, dust storm. Or cows.

When I moved here 15 years ago I used to drive around in the desert that is now Northern Meadows. There were cows then just like there are cows now.

Residents in Rio Rancho’s North Meadows say they don’t know what to do with a growing problem. A cattle herd has been traveling from the west ends of the city limits into neighborhoods causing car crashes and eating gardens at some homes.

Another thing I did when I moved here was to go out and shot guns at the end of Southern Blvd. Then there wasn’t a house in site but now that the area has developed, people, not me, are still out there shooting.

That’s because Sara–who asked News 13 not to use her real name because she fears retaliation–lives in an area that is a popular but illegal shooting range. She said she often hears nonstop gunfire, especially on weekends, from people shooting weapons in the desert near her home at the far west end of Southern Boulevard near 38th Street.

Having people guns near and at your house makes having a cow problem not so bad.

The Left And The Right On Albuquerque’s Bicycle Bridge

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Albuquerque built a $7 million bicycle bridge across the Rio Grande an named it after bicycling enthusiast Gail Ryba. It’s interesting to read how the left and right respond to the new bridge. On the left, former Mayor of Albuquerque Jim Baca likes it.

It is so great to see this structure named for her. She deserved it. It doesn’t happen many times that a good person’s memory is honored in an appropriate way

While on the right, Paul Gessing thinks it’s a waste of money.

I have to say that I think that folks like those living in this trailer could have used the $7 million dollars more than the wealthy yuppies who will benefit in some small way from this expensive new bridge (you can get to the Bosque Trail from the Montaño Bridge Bike Trail already). Oh well, such are the economics of our federal government’s failed “stimulus” policies.

Although I am not likely to ever use it, I think it’s a good use of money to build the bridge. Stimulus money or not. More bicycle paths in Rio Rancho would be better.

Update: Richard C at RFGWatch says Paul Gessing is dishonest.

Gessing could have easily checked on the bike path map (link) from the city of Albuquerque’s Web site to see that bike and multi-use paths go in all four directions from the area that he asserts is the end of the line.