Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Magdalena airport receives planning money

T.S. Last El Defensor Chieftain General Manager

TSLAST Plans for nearly $100,000 in improvements at the airport in Magdalena started down the runway when the village's Board of Trustees formally accepted a New Mexico Department of Transportation Aviation Division grant.

"This is the first step to move on," explained Mayor Jim Wolfe during the board's regular meeting on Monday. "We needed a proclamation to approve to start on airport improvements."

Wolfe said the grant for an airport action plan and layout plan for Magdalena-Guinn Field was for $94,412. The village would provide an additional $4,900 in matching funds.

"There is money available," he told the board.

Trustee Barbra Baca asked whether there would be a helicopter pad and emergency lighting at the airport.

Wolfe said some helicopter prefer gravel landing pads and those types of considerations would be addressed during the process.

"What this will amount to is a plan for all future improvements," he said, "and then we'll do estimates on paving the taxi way, lighting and road improvements."

Trustee Eleanor "Dolly" Dawson made the motion to accept the grant, and it was seconded by Baca. The motion passed unanimously.

The board also heard a report about domestic violence from Bobbi Jo McIntire of Socorro County Options, Preventions and Education.

McIntire said she recently completed a survey that showed that 77.7 percent of the 251 respondents indicated they knew someone who had been a victim of domestic violence. The vast majority considered drugs or alcohol a contributing factor and two-thirds considered domestic violence a major problem.

"This should become a health council priority," she said.

McIntire also presented data from Magdalena, prefacing it by saying that most respondents were affiliated with the schools and that could compromise the validity of the numbers.

Of the 32 people surveyed in the village, 93.8 percent said they knew a domestic violence victim and 78.1 percent considered it a major problem.

Though no one questioned that domestic violence was a serious problem, the mayor and trustee Baca both said they thought the data for Magdalena was skewed.

Mayor Pro Tem Jack Fairweather said the schools have always been receptive to inform students about domestic violence.

"We all know there's a problem," Fairweather said. "The school has been open, but it will take another group outside the school (to address the issue)."

In other action, the board:

Approved Ordinance 2008-02 to adopt the New Mexico Uniform Traffic Code. Mayor Wolfe said the code tightens standards and included stronger language for DUI cases.

Approved the purchase of an ambulance gurney from Alamo and a computer to be used by the fire department for EMS training.

Approved a proclamation in support of the Livestrong Across America, a bicycle ride that will pass through Magdalena on July 9.

Approved a land split on property owned by Mayor Pro Tem Fairweather, who abstained from voting.

tslast@dchieftain.com

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