Rise of the two towers

These have been getting some attention lately:

To find out why, read here.

October 19, 2005

Keeping Route 66 from getting kicked

A local squabble over preserving old Route 66's El Vado Motel could draw interest from outside our borders.

Just ask the woman heading here from Tulsa.

Emily Priddy, eastern vice president of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association, is coming to Albuquerque for Thursday's Environmental Planning Commission meeting. The commission will hear a request by El Vado owner Richard Gonzales to change the motel's zoning from commercial to residential.

He wants to turn the motel into high-end townhomes in the $400,000 to $600,000 range.

Mayor Martin Chavez and Priddy -- a reporter and copy editor for the Tulsa World newspaper -- share the same argument in this fight.

The motel, they say, is a part of this country's cultural heritage.

"It was one of the things I hit Route 66 with the intent of seeing," Priddy said, recalling her first trip on the historic highway four years ago. "My husband and I were struck by the way Albuquerque had bent over backward to preserve its vintage neon, to preserve its vintage buildings, to hang onto its history.

"We've seen a lot of towns do short-sighted things and they wish they had it back."

Gonzales describes the motel, across the street from the entrance to the Albuquerque Biological Park, as being in disrepair. While it may have historical elements, its run-down state has become a dissapointment for visitors, he said earlier this week.

The El Vado is a draw for tourists, thanks largely to the number of times its been featured in books, magazines, documentaries, Priddy said. Along with Tucumcari's Blue Swallow Motel, she calls the El Vado "one of the most two famous motels anywhere on Route 66."

Route 66 enthusiasts are touchy when one of their landmarks is threatened.

In 1995, the Coral Court Motel in a St. Louis suburb fell victim to a wrecking ball. In its place: "A rather nondescript subdivision," said Priddy, who's also president and co-founder of Missouri-based Friends of the Mother Road Inc., a nonprofit group dedicated to
preserving and promoting Route 66.

"It's kind of become the sort of the Alamo that we remember as far as a rallying cry for this type of preservation."

The EPC meeting is at 8:30 a.m. Thursday in the lower level of the Plaza del Sol Hearing Room, 600 2nd Street N.W. Here's the agenda.

Listen for the cries: "Save the El Vado."

October 07, 2005

Mayor Chavez reduces his emissions

One of Mayor Martin Chavez's first public acts after Tuesday's sweeping reelection victory was to singlehandedly save the environment and end U.S. reliance on foreign oil.

OK, maybe not singlehandedly.

The mayor held a news conference Thursday to announce he's switching vehicles. His gas-guzzling SUV -- a Chevrolet Blazer -- will make way for a gas-sipping SUV, a 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche E85.

The E85 part means it uses 85 percent ethanol.

"It basically wipes out any of the greenhouse emissions that otherwise are so bad for the environment," Chavez said. "Then it has the added benefit of decreasing U.S. dependence on foreign oil."

See, saving the world. Give the man a cape.

Your first reaction, like mine, might be this: "Great idea, glad the governor thought of it first."

Gov. Bill Richardson announced this week he is switching from a Lincoln Navigator to a Ford Escape hybrid. He had let slip that he was thinking of it a week ago.

But it turns out the mayor's new truck, minus the gas, is a freebie from General Motors. Chavez says the boys in Detroit are running a program where they give the vehicles to high profile officials. The car has green stickers on the side announcing its "E85" designation, Chavez said.

"I thought it would be a good thing," Chavez said. "The Legislature is in session right now looking at fuel issues. This is a great time to lead by example."

The more pressing issue, though, was cleanliness.

"As a matter of fact I'm walking into Pep Boys to buy a seat cover for the back so the dog doesn't mess it up," Chavez said today.

Just tell Dukes you're saving the world. He'll understand.

Runoff and recount?

Yes, kids, runoff and recount are the words of the day.

And they both might happen in District 9.

Check out Saturday's Trib for more details. But here's a little something if you can't wait.

Nov. 15 brings us the one-on-one duel between incumbent Councilor Tina Cummins and attorney Don Harris, the top vote-getter in Tuesday's four-way race for the far Northeast Heights council seat.

But coming in a close third was progressive candidate Chris Catechis. With the vote totals certified today, Catechis wound up just 130 votes behind Cummins.

He told me today he's considering a recount. He'll make a decision next week.

Curiously, though, there's word out of D9 that the fourth place finisher -- Vivian Cordova -- may have done the most to hurt Catechis' showing Tuesday.

Voters might have seen the Hispanic name and assumed Democrat. Or they might have just seen the name and assumed it was a woman and, by extension, a Democrat.

Both assumptions were wrong. Cordova is both male and a die-hard Republican.

"It happens daily for me," Cordova said of the name mistakes.

He told a story of trying to get upgraded on an airline.

"They ask, `Is she with you?'," Cordova said. "I'd say `You're looking at her.'"

Cordova admits he got a lot of Democratic votes. But not because of any name mistakes.

"I got Democratic Votes because I know most of the Democrats from the district," he said. "They're from St. Bernadette's Catholic Church."