To our valued readers, wherever you may be, the winds of change have drifted into my cubicle here in the Tribune newsroom.

Put simply, I'm no longer covering City Hall. I'm now the Tribune's business editor, which means I won't be blogging much on city issues for the forseeable future.

However, I'll soon be back with something new and different for you Web readers to feast upon. I'll let you know more when there is more to be known.

Until then, funnel each and every bit of biz gossip you can round-up to esiemers@abqtrib.com or just call me at 823-3674.

The mayor's most recent plan to reform Albuquerque Public Schools -- what critics might say is the next step in his APS coup d'etat -- has also brought out the vitriol between his mayorness and City Councilor Brad Winter.

Anybody who's been paying attention for the past year knows Winter ran against Chavez in last fall's mayoral election. Chavez won handily.

The mayor said his push for APS reform -- which includes an idea to have the mayor appoint school board members -- comes from an inherent will to better the city. But some critics believe it's another chance to take shots at Winter, who is APS' director of facilities.

Even if that's not the sole purpose, Chavez certainly has created a scenario in which barbs are being traded. Here's an example:

Remember the Blue Spruce Lounge? There's a lot of people who would like to forget it.

The bar at 7200 Central Ave. S.E. was often called a crime magnet. The nearby intersection of Central and Louisiana was one of the worst spots in the country for pedestrian fatalities, according to City Council President Martin Heinrich.

The bar is no more, thanks to the work of city bulldozers two years ago. Here's what the land could soon look like:

I'm regretting my recent week off. After all, I missed this:

Albuquerque is the 10th smartest city in the nation, according to a survey conducted by bizjournals.com. Mayor Martin Chavez announced the ranking Wednesday, with the message that "Albuquerque's future is so bright, we have to wear shades." Chavez, his staff and even his dog, Dukes, wore sunglasses for the announcement.

The mayor quotes Timbuk 3 and parades his dog and his staff out in shades.

I'm never leaving town again.

11:50 p.m.
Almost everybody involved in Bernalillo County politics knows Geraldine Amato.

She's on TV, both on GOV-TV and reading the newspaper behind the podium at City Council meetings. She rails against our "absentee overlords," drives a station wagon with anti-government slogans and seeks the return of "lawful government."

None of this, though, seemed to make her attractive as a candidate for county sheriff.

The easily recognizable Amato lost handily tonight to Jose E. Chavez, a 27-year-old security officer with a criminal justice degree who the public knows little about. Even his mother says Chavez doesn't talk much.

"He's very quiet. He doesn't talk much," Rose Chavez told me tonight. "I ask him questions and he says, 'I have my own opinions.'"

Her son wasn't available for comment. He was probably sleeping, she said. He's worked 25 hours over the past two days a security officer. Rose Chavez said her son had hoped to join his fellow Democrats, including Gov. Bill Richardson, for their party at the Hilton.

"He told me, `I'm very tired,'" Rose Chavez said.

She said her son, who hopes to be a federal law officer, campaigned discreetly. He didn't answer the questionnaires sent to every candidate, including the Tribune's. She said he didn't have time.

So how did somebody who didn't campaign, who much of the public doesn't know, earn 59 percent of the vote to beat a well-known challenger?

One theory is that the public wasn't voting for Chavez. They were voting against Amato.

Jose E. Chavez now has an even tougher task ahead of him. He'll have to be a little less quiet if he hopes to beat incumbent Sheriff Darren White on Nov. 7.

11:34 p.m.
The county vote is complete with all 422 precincts reporting. .

County Commission Chairman Alan Armijo won, but it was closer than anyone expected. Armijo maintained a five point lead on Loretta Naranjo Lopez for most of the night, ultimately winning 52 percent to 47. Armijo now retains his seat, since no Republicans filed for candidacy.

Here's some other races:
-- Karen Montoya wins the Democrat's nomination for county assessor, earning 41 percent to Moises Gonzales' 37 percent. Dolores Maestas came in third at 21 percent. Montoya now faces Republican Harold Davis in November.

-- Well-known regional character Geraldine Amato's bid to be the Democrat's county sheriff nominee is over. Jose E. Chavez has easily outgained Amato 59 percent to 41 percent.