EDITORIALS B2 ● AROUND NEW MEXICO B4
Dimension
Small bird could
knock wind out
of turbines B6
ABqjournal.com
Agency
Faring
Well In
Turmoil
Land Commissioner
Claims Flat Budget
By Dan Boyd
Journal Capitol Bureau
SANTA FE — While most
of New Mexico’s state govern-
ment agencies could be facing
furloughs, salary reductions
or fewer workdays in light of
revenue shortfalls, at least one
state office seems to be sitting
pretty despite the economic
turmoil.
Public Lands Commissioner
Pat Lyons said his office has
downsized its staff during the
last six years and operated
under a flat budget.
During the same time, over-
all New Mexico state govern-
ment spending
has grown by
about 40 per-
cent, driven
in large part
by increases
in employee
compensation
and the size of
the total work
force. LYONS: Cut-
“I just think backs in Land
it’s a different Office seem
philosophy in unlikely
government,”
Lyons, a Cuer-
vo rancher and Republican who
was first elected in 2002 and
was re-elected in 2006, said in
a recent interview. “You can’t
just increase the size of govern-
ment in good times or you end
up in a bad situation.”
Unlike most state agencies,
the independently elected com-
missioner of public lands and
his State Land Office don’t rely
on the Legislature for operat-
ing expenses and the commis-
sioner has more freedom to set
his own budget.
The Land Office takes its
annual budget of nearly $14
million from revenue gener-
ated for public schools and
other beneficiaries. The reve-
nue comes chiefly from leasing
state trust land and subsurface
mineral rights.
During the recently com-
pleted budget year, the Land
Office earned $537 million
through royalties, leases and
other land deals.
More than 90 percent of that
revenue — which is the second-
highest figure in the agency’s
history — came from the oil
and gas industry.
Under Lyons’ administration,
the Land Office has increased
the number of oil and gas wells
operating on state land, which
has helped revenue numbers
stay at a high level despite a
drop in the prices of oil and
gas.
Lyons recently informed
employees in the Land Office
that they likely won’t be forced
to cut back on hours or take
unpaid days off, regardless of
how lawmakers decide to plug
a budget gap that some fear
could exceed $300 million.
Currently, 155 people are
employed by the Land Office
statewide, a figure that’s two
positions fewer than when
Lyons took office.
Meanwhile, the state’s execu-
tive branch grew by more than
See LAND on PAGE B4
Actors Take Their Place in the Scenery
N
athan Gleason is
one of the hardest
working actors in
the business.
Though he’s been in more
than 100 films, you probably
don’t know his face. But films
like “Wild Hogs” and “3:10 to
Yuma” wouldn’t have been
the same without him or a
handful of others who have
carved out a niche as profes-
sional background actors.
“Back when they did ‘Elvis
Has Left The Building’ some
people said, ‘Yeah, I worked
on that,’ ” Gleason said.
It was all new to him. He’d
never thought of working as
● HOW THEY VOTED B5
NEW MEXICO THE SUNDAY JOURNAL ●●
B
August 9, 2009
from an outlaw
Research
Centers
Continue
To Thrive
■Lawmakers’ $3 million
gamble in 1983 pays off
By Martin Salazar
Journal Staff Writer
Their cutting-edge research is set-
ting the stage for smaller computers
and faster Internet.
It’s being used to determine how
to safely transport potentially haz-
ardous materials and to make air
bags safer. Then there’s the diamond
manufacturing.
It’s all in a day’s work for scientists
at centers for excellence at the Univer-
sity of New Mexico and New Mexico
Tech.
Much of the nationally recognized
research at UNM’s Center for High
Technology Materials and New
Mexico Tech’s Energetic Materials
Research and Testing Center likely
wouldn’t have been
possible without seed
money provided by
S
ARY/ THE ASS OCIATED pRES
the state Legislature
26 years ago.
“It was absolutely
critical,” said Steve
Brueck, director of
UNM’s center. “The
center would not
exist without that BRUECK:
seed money. There’s Startup mon-
absolutely no ques- ey was criti-
O CHAVEz HISTORY LIbR
tion about that.” cal to center
Brueck added that
the $1.65 million allocated by the Leg-
islature in 1983 to establish his center
allowed UNM to attract internation-
ally known faculty.
In Socorro, where the Energetic
Materials Research and Testing Cen-
ter has grown into the university’s
COURTESY FRAY ANg ELIC
largest research division, Research
Vice President Van Romero tells a
similar story.
“We would not be where we are
today without that money, and I would
say that has resulted in at least 150
full time jobs in the Socorro area as
a result of that investment that was
made back in the ’80s — permanent
written by
jobs,” Romero said.
The center created at New Mexico
Tech in the ’80s eventually merged
with an existing center at the Socorro
school to form what is now the Ener-
BILLY THE kID
getic Materials Research and Testing
Center. But Romero said the $1.3 mil-
lion in seed money from the Legisla-
ture allowed Tech to move beyond its
work in support of military opera-
tions and to branch out and conduct
research on such things as commer-
Library Has Legendary Gunslinger’s Notes to the Governor cial explosives.
“It added the research aspect to the
testing facility that already existed,”
he said. Romero said Tech took the
By Deborah Baker But in a boon to history lovers
seed money and recruited interna-
and Billy the Kid buffs, that March
S
The Associated Press tional experts.
1881 letter and an earlier letter to
ANTA FE — The As UNM prepares to celebrate the
the governor from New Mexico’s
handwritten letter to 25th anniversary of its center, which
most famous outlaw are now in a
the governor is polite, it refers to as the CHTM, it is crediting
state history library in Santa Fe
articulate and to the state lawmakers for taking a gamble
and available for public viewing.
point. and providing the startup money.
Bob McCubbin of Santa Fe,
“Dear Sir,” begins the missive. According to UNM, the Legislature
president of the Wild West History
“I wish you would come down to allocated $7 million for five centers
Association, said the letters are an
the jail and see me.” for technical excellence based at the
absolute treasure.
The sender of the letter to ter- state’s three research universities.
“Anybody that has any interest
ritorial governor Lew Wallace was Another center set up at UNM even-
in Billy the Kid would be thrilled
none other than Billy the Kid, the tually became the heart of the Mind
to see a letter that he actually
legendary gunslinger who was Research Network, which is dedicated
wrote,” McCubbin said.
being held in the Santa Fe jail to brain imaging, neurodiagnostic
The letters have been out of the
at the time. Just four months and mental illness research.
later, the Kid was gunned Two centers set up at New Mexico
down by Sheriff Pat Garrett. State, meanwhile, are no longer
See LIBRARY on PAGE B4
operating.
UNM’s center has attracted more
ABOVE: This photo provided by the Fray Angelico Chavez History than $100 million in contracts and
Library shows a letter dated March 1881 written by Billy the Kid to grants since it was established. Its
New Mexico Gov. Lew Wallace. This and another letter are now in researchers have been awarded 65
a state history library and available for public viewing. LEFT: This patents, and eight companies have
undated ferrotype picture is believed to depict William Bonney, started from research that began at
also known as Billy the Kid, circa 1880.
See RESEARCH on PAGE B4
and I did pretty good. Right “It doesn’t mean they work
Reel N.M. away, boom, the same cast- every day, but they make a
ing director called me up living,” Savage said.
and then for a while I worked The pay isn’t great, and can
on 20 movies, boom, boom, start as low as $7 an hour,
boom.” though Savage and others
He’s a guy in the crowd, or say they don’t like to work
walking down a dusty street, on films that pay less than
or running from a building, $8.50-an-hour for background
or sitting in a car. work. Savage said she and
Casting director Gwyn others in the casting world
DAN MAYFIELD Savage of www.filmsavage. have worked to increase pay
Of the Journal

an extra before.
“I saw a casting call for one
com, said she’s found about
30 reliable full-time extras.
In her files though, she has
hundreds of head shots and
for background talent, espe-
cially the reliable workers.
The hours are long. The
food on the set can stink. The jIM THOMpSON/jOURNAL
called ‘The Longest Yard’ résumés of people who do an directors don’t always have
and I went and got 20 days of occasional stint as a back- Nathan Gleason, left, and Nathan Simmons are full-time back-
work, 12-Reel N.M. days,
and 14-hour ground extra. See ACTORS on PAGE B5 ground extras for the movie industry in New Mexico.