UFO

Zallie Beimer Birthday

Today, August 27,2015 is my mother's birthday.   Zallie Marie Johnson was born in 1918, and she's still around.  This photo was taken in Taos - I have no idea when - 1940ish.  Cowboys amongst you will recognize it's my Dad's saddle - Mom's feet don't reach the stirrups...

Jimmy Carter Reflection

President Jimmy Carter stories come to mind as I learned of his cancer battle.

#1 – The New Mexico Amigos – The Official Goodwill Ambassadors of New Mexico – were on the 1973 trip that included a stop in Atlanta.   Governor Jimmy Carter was a guest at the luncheon held at a downtown hotel.  It was not uncommon for the media to cover a visit of The Amigos  - 120 guys in grey slacks, white shirts, gold ties, and blue blazers walking down a sidewalk turned heads.  

At this luncheon in Atlanta, the media was there to cover us and New Mexico Governor Bruce King and Governor Jimmy Carter.  That night, the only mention on TV was not of The Amigos, but rather the parking ticket the limousine for the Governor of Georgia had received while he was visiting the Amigos. 

#2 – Again in the mid-70s as part of my news responsibilities I was briefed by a couple political operatives who were working on getting Jimmy Carter elected President of the United States.  That meeting was held at the airport hotel, and there were maps, schedules, plans, strategies, etc.   It wasn’t until years later that I realized (perhaps in my own mind) those political operatives were really testing me, perhaps not as a reporter – but perhaps as a staff person to help during the campaign.  Opportunity missed.

#3 – As News Director at KOB-TV in Albuquerque I was invited to a briefing in The White House cabinet room with President Jimmy Carter.  It was special.  Apart from realizing that I was really in The White House, I remember two things a) sitting next to me was the Publisher of The Denver Post, and I don’t think he’d ever been to a news briefing in his life, and b) I headed out from The White House without saying hello to Tim Kraft, a New Mexico guy who was the top ranking scheduler for POTUS.  As I’m leaving the grounds, security stops me and escorts me to a meeting with Tim in The Roosevelt Room across the hall from The Oval Office.

Point of Highway Clarification

In the local newspaper there is an explanation from the New Mexico Department of Transportation that purports to answer a question involving an uneven portion of a recently completed overpass.

Here’s the quote as it appeared in the paper…

”the concrete pavement has a grade break at the ramp gore – where the loop ramp lanes separate from the westbound PDN lanes – which redirects storm water runoff and reduces the amount of drainage that would otherwise cross the loop ramp lanes at that location. The grade break is minimal and is within acceptable tolerance even though it is visible as a driver approaches the ramp. The variation in the concrete pavement addresses a drainage issue that needed to be mitigated while staying within the physical constraints of the bridge, the mainline PDN lanes, and the diverging loop ramp lanes.”

Thanks for the clarification!

70th Birthday Celebration

Throwback Thursday to an evening a few weeks back.

Dining and dancing with some pals.