Albuquerque Journal from Albuquerque, New Mexico • Page 17

METRO NM Gun buy-back starts today A gun buy-back program announced by Bernalillo County and Crime Stoppers kicks off today from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Office North Valley Command Center, 6900 Fourth NW. Local residents can get pre-paid Visa cards valued at up to $200 for every gun they turn in. The goal is to get unwanted weapons out of homes, ensuring they stolen or the cause of an accident.

anonymous, and the guns must be unloaded and operational. Quote of the day dogs going to go hungry, but we really appreciate the outpouring of donations. It just shows what a great community we live Robin Moskowitz, vice president of operations for Watermelon Mountain Ranch, about the theft of 350 pounds of adult dog food, 500 pounds of puppy food and bags of treats. Donations poured in Friday afternoon. Saturday, February 9, 2013 DAILY BRIEFING C2 CLASSIFIED C4 CROSSWORD C4 ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL ABQjournal.com Autos Car review and an advice column for motorists C3 Watermelon Mountain Ranch manager Wade Goodyear sorts through donated supplies including dog food, as residents responded to the theft of dog food at the animal shelter in northern Rio Rancho.

DEAN OuRNAL Actor Brings History in District to School Board By Glen Rosales For the Journal Steven Michael Quezada have a degree in education or a diploma from a college or university. He claims no political or government experience, and, as his major professional accomplish- ment, he cited being an in a critically acclaimed TV and a multiple recipient of the New Mexico Hispano Entertainers Association Comedian of the Year Award. With that background, Quezada, 49, will take a seat on the Albuquerque Public Schools board after last election, in which he ran unopposed in District 5. What Quezada does have is the experience of growing up and liv- ing on the West Side, attending schools there and watching his own kids go to school there. He also possesses the level of name recognition that garners attention both locally and nationally.

because Quezada perhaps better known as Steven Gomez from the hit AMC series is an actor and comedian who hobnobs with Hollywood types. Quezada said in a recent tele- phone interview that he has a passion to help youngsters realize their potential against all odds. why he decided to throw his hat in the ring when APS created a new board seat west of the river. His well-known name, however, may have led other potential candidates to abandon plans to run for the position, which irritated some residents. was pretty disappointed no one else said April Arviso, a member of the APS board redis- tricting committee.

The fight for more representation for the growing West Side was difficult, she said. if there would have been two more candidates running, that would have made a nice Arviso said. Jerry Worrall, president of the West Side Coalition of Neighborhood Coalitions, said, was surprised we have more candidates. I think a big QUEZADA: Actor in Dog Food Donations Help Shelter By Aurelio Sanchez Journal Staff Writer Think of a Rottweiler and an image might pop to mind of the devil dogs from the 2006 movie remake of But watching Caine, a playful and affectionate Rottweiler pup, might convince you that the breed has a bad rap. Offering a well-chewed ball in his mouth to a visitor on Friday, Caine is one of the rescued animals that may never have survived without the help of Watermelon Mountain Ranch, the largest no-kill animal shelter in the state.

So named because it sits in view of the Sandias, which means watermelon in Spanish, the Rio Rancho-area shelter experienced a potentially devastating overnight burglary Thursday that resulted in the loss of two recent van- load shipments of dog food, including 350 pounds of adult dog food, 500 pounds of puppy food and bags of treats. By Astrid Galvan Journal Staff Writer University of New Mexico students at a public forum Friday said the two on-campus physical attacks on women are a community issue that needs to be addressed. what university officials were aiming for when they hosted the lunchtime forum at the Student Union Building. Speakers included representatives from the UNM Resource Center, campus housing, the Agora Crisis Center, the Graduate and Professional Student Association and the Dean of Office. is indeed a community issue.

This is not a issue. This is GPSA president Marisa Silva said. comments were met with applause by about 40 students who attended. The number of attendees fluctuated throughout the forum. safety is an absolute priority for us.

Everybody Thieves Swiped Big Shipments ROBERTO E. Education keeper Sarah Shrum visits with Bo, a green-winged macaw, near the site of the future home. The project is expected to be done this summer. This spot, near the reptile house, will be home to alligators and crocodiles someday. Crews have been working on a variety of projects at the Albuquerque Biological Park.

rews at the city Biological Park are busy working on a host of construction projects, including a new Bachelor and a aviary at the zoo. The exhibits are expected to open this summer. At the Aquarium and Botanic Garden, crews are transforming the walk-through tank into a Pacific Coral display. also installing a new perimeter fence and working on the Cottonwood Gallery, a garden that showcases the native plants and animals. Some of the work is publicly funded, and some is part of the New Mexico BioPark Your Love of capital campaign, which is supported by private donors.

Other projects are in the planning phase. See bioparksociety.org to learn more or donate. Cop Praised for Stopping Wrong-Way Driver Journal Staff Report When a 92-year-old driver started heading south in the northbound lanes of a major state highway, a State Police officer accelerated past him and placed his cruiser in front of the vehicle before the man hit another driver. The officer, Justin Davis, is being praised for his willingness to put himself in way. The elderly driver, David Montoya, had asked the officer for directions to Albuquerque but then mistakenly set off south in the northbound lanes of U.S.

550 near mile marker 47 around 11 p.m. Thursday, according to a State Police news release. Davis took according to the release, positioning his vehicle in front of the elderly and slowing him down. Montoya rear-ended cruiser, and the officer braked in order to bring him to a complete stop. When Montoya still tried to drive away, the officer got out of his car and reached into car and remove the keys from the ignition.

Montoya was taken to the hospital for undisclosed medical reasons. Later, Davis drove himself to a Sandoval County hospital to be treated for neck pain. is an excellent example of professionalism and State Police Capt. Robert Miller said in the release. Davis protected lives of innocent people while placing himself in the direct path of Man, 92, also tried to drive off after rear- ending cruiser An A UNM Forum Addresses Recent Sexual Assaults About 40 students attend; one hoped to see campus cops there See FORUM on PAGE C2 See DOG FOOD on PAGE C2 About the ranch For information about Watermelon Mountain Ranch, go to www.wmranch.org Ran Unopposed For West Side Seat See ACTOR on PAGE C2 Dust warning The city of Albuquerque is warning residents about the possibility of in the late morning and afternoon today because of strong winds.

The Environmental health Department recommends that people with asthma or similar conditions limit their outdoor activities. Flying the colors The flag should be flown at full staff today. Ruling against Edgewood It took some time for the decision to come down, but New Mexico Court of Appeals Chief udge Roderick Kennedy has ruled against the town of Edgewood. Page C2 slug: Flag Mast where: news artist: Cathryn size: 1 col 20p7 date of proof: April 29, 2009 color bw.