Tag: City Of Albuquerque

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Rio Rancho City Government Gives Up On Green2V While The Rest Of Us Did Months Ago

Green2V logo

Here we are in December of 2010, where is Green2V which hasn’t broke ground this summer as promised? I was skeptical of Green2V from the very beginning. A company no one had heard of with no website (and still doesn’t have a website) decided to build a new factory in my hometown of Rio Rancho, New Mexico with a very aggressive schedule.

An article from Rio Rancho Observer says that the city is giving up.

On Dec. 15, the Rio Rancho City Council will consider two measures repealing the city’s incentives in trying to lure the green energy start-up company. “We think that based on where we are right now, it’s been eight months since we first received those assurances (of funding), the documents are a bit stale,” said City Manager James Jimenez. City Councilors are being asked to repeal the Green2V industrial revenue bond inducement resolution the city passed in April, and the city’s economic development act it had with Green2V.

The article goes on to say that the city was promised 3 times that the money was coming and that the city of Rio Rancho trusted former Intel executive Bill Sheppard. There’s a quote from City Manager James Jimenez that I think is true as well.

“We pride ourselves as being competitive when it comes to economic development and aggressively pursuing (projects). Frankly, I’m well aware that we would have been criticized heavily if Green2V had been able to get its financing together and locate in Arizona if we knew we had a chance to bring them here and didn’t – for whatever reason – aggressively pursue them.”

The Albuquerque Journal had an article in May titled “Betting on Solar … Again” about the poor track record of OCS capital who was supposed to originally finance Green2V.

OCS lists numerous clients and industrial revenue bond financed projects on its website that have never materialized, among them the $16.5 million Big Event Amusement facility and Beach Waterpark in Albuquerque; the $210 million Nuchick poultry processing plant in Artesia; and a $22 million project to build an aircraft manufacturing plant in Odgen, Utah. The website does not mention that none of these projects came to fruition. Although the OCS name appears on a letter included in the bond application Green2V submitted to the city, Housley said Green2V never paid OCS money and terminated its relationship because it found another company to work with.

Then Green2V switched from OCS capitol to GP3, Ltd. The New Mexico Watchdog couldn’t find that either OCS Capital or GP3, Ltd seem to exist.

New Mexico Watchdog has learned that no limited partnership called GP3 exists in California according to the records of the California Secretary of State. The only limited partnerships with the term “GP3″ in their titles have had their partnership status canceled. One was GP3 Asset Acquisition, LLC, which was formed in 2007. It traces back to an Ann Arbor, Michigan, address, but is no longer a recognized limited partnership in California. The other was entitled Walton 425 GP3 IV, and traces back to a Chicago address. But its status as a limited partnership in California has also been canceled.

I can’t blame the City of Rio Rancho going forward with this based on the recommendation of the governor but clearly all of those involved should have done more research on the company. It doesn’t appear that the city is out of a significant amount of money. Hopefully the City will do a better job in the future of bringing in high tech companies.

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Craigslist: Warhead Expert Wanted

Craigslist Warhead Expert

This is an odd job to A) be posting on Craigslist and B) to be posting by Kellyservices.

Warhead Expert

This position is a mid-level Scientist/Engineer/Analyst, in a participatory role for (but not limited to) the Effectiveness Analysis, Employment Concept, and Technologies & Alternatives Working Groups (EAWG, ECWG, and TAWG) on the LRSO AOA.
Candidate shall provide subject matter expertise in nuclear warhead knowledge and design, radiation hydrodynamics, related materials properties, interactions, and manufacturing practices (including special nuclear materials), specific knowledge of components and subsystems, such as gas transfer systems, arming, fuzing, and firing (AF&F), detonator sets, high explosives, use control, and a complete and comprehensive system-of-systems understanding of warhead design.
Candidate shall be knowledgeable in MS Office applications and be able to decompose, describe, and articulate complex concepts, via written and audio-visual means using (e.g., PowerPoint briefings) to customers, leadership, and Working Group stakeholders. Subcontractor shall communicate effectively with scientific/technical personnel, fellow DoD contractors, and leadership/supervisory personnel.
Travel: Travel, if required will be funded separately.
Work location is Albuquerque NM, to be split between on-site support in the Intelligence & Requirements Directorate (XR) of the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center (AFNWC) on Kirtland Air Force Base, subcontractor’s own facilities in Albuquerque, NM, and occasional meeting and other activities at other sites (including, but not limited to *********** Albuquerque, NM offices).
Special Requirements:
Candidate must have as a minimum an active DoD TOP SECRET with Special Compartmented Information, and access to CNWDI and RD/FRD. The subcontractor will comply with all DoD requirements for the handling, storage and transportation of an classified documents needed for the LRSO AOA.
Candidate must possess the appropriate level of training and formal education consistent with a Warhead Expert.

send resume> graylad@kellyservices.com

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A Rio Rancho Wireless Provider's Tower Comes Down

http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/tDrp0F_UB5g&hl=en_US&fs=1

A video on YouTube show the Roadrunner Wireless WiFi tower on Tulip Road in Rio Rancho, NM, being taken down by the City of Rio Rancho in late 2008. The poster of the video suggests a conspiracy by the city to prevent private business from operating freely.

A communications tower belonging to Roadrunner Wireless Services in Albuquerque, NM supplied wireless Internet to the citizens of Rio Rancho and Albuquerque, NM. This tower was taken down involuntarily on November 24, 2008. The Rio Rancho government illegally interfered with an Albuquerque business, stopping them from supplying wireless Internet to the citizens of Rio Rancho, NM. Now the citizens of Rio Rancho and Albuquerque have no wireless Internet for their jobs, education, etc. They were denied this access because the Rio Rancho government wants an outrageous and unfair amount of money in exchange for the right to deploy wireless Internet. Rio Rancho, NM is now a nationwide joke and embarrassment.

The poster of the video exaggerates the reasons for the towers disassembly. The Rio Rancho Observer says the tower was forceable removed because it did not have a permit and violated ordinances.

The city says the tower must come down because of an order issued by the 13th Judicial District Court in Sandoval County on May 23. The city sought this order from the court because when the tower was erected, it was done so without a building permit and subsequent inspection to ensure safety. The tower is also in violation of city ordinances for height and setback requirements for structures placed within a residential area. The height restriction is 32 feet, plus an additional 10 feet for roof-mounted structures such as chimneys and antennas.

While I support the ability of private business to do business in Rio Rancho, I certainly cannot support them doing it in a way that circumvents safety or city ordinances. This was near my house and as far as I can tell they haven’t tried to installed one legally two and a half years later.

Having looked at the possibly of subscribing to a city wide wireless provider, I found Roadrunner Wireless substandard. Their website used to look like it was mad in 1995 with a flashing star background, tables layout and broken images. Their website today is only slightly better but their coverage map of Rio Rancho can’t seem to load images.

The other city wide wireless provider, Azulstar, barley has coverage.

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My Five Photo Entries Into The Day Of Enchantment Contest

The New Mexico Department of Tourism is having a photo contest call Day Of Enchantment. The winning photo wins $10,000 and there is other prizes. The tourism department will use the photo for promotions. Note: The last day to enter this contest is 27 June 2010 11:59pm Mountain time.

I have submitted 5 photos (the max allowed). Please go and vote for them.

Entry 1: Pecos, NM

Pecos, NM

Entry 2: Rio Rancho, NM

riorancho1entry.jpg

Entry 3: Abiquiu, NM

Abiquiu, NM

Entry 4: Rio Rancho, NM

Rio Rancho, NM

Entry 5: Albuquerque, NM

Albuquerque, NM

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A Summer Time Trip Up The Sandia Peak Tram

Albuquerque, like many cites, has a number of attractions that locals consider tourist traps and therefore never go to. I don’t consider the Sandia Peak Tram to be a tourist trap and yet I’ve only rode the tram one other time in my 15 years living here.

The Tram was built in the 1960’s by the Swiss company Bell Engineering. At 14,657 feet long, it is known as the longest tram in the world. During the winter the Tram can be used to for skiing the Sandia Peak Ski area. It’s a convenience when Sandia Peak has good snow, it often does not. The 2009-2010 Ski season had some of the best snow in a decade and I threatened many times to take to Tram for skiing but never did.

During this trip I dined at High Finance Restaurant at the top of the peak. High Finance is not the cheapest restaurant in town, but certainly not the most expensive I’ve ever dined at. Understanding that getting supplies to the top of the mountain is probably more expensive than getting them in town, I have to wonder if the name of the restaurant has anything to do with the cost of the meals. In any case the food was excellent.

The most impressive part of this trip was the storms that appeared to the west of the city (and later that night made it into town). With the sunset behind the storms there was a spectacular show of orange rain that looked like fire falling from the sky. the storms highlighted the multiple mountain ranges, Mount Taylor, Cabezon, etc, where you could see them in layers. I had a tough time coaxing my Sony DSC-HX5V to focusing that far out and yet managed to get quite a few good pictures. Had I known I would be treated to such a show I would have brought my SLR.

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Green2V: Non Existence Solar Company To Build Big Ass Factory In Rio Rancho

http://www.krqe.com/video/videoplayer.swf?dppversion=7267

Governor Richardson was with Mayor Tom Swisstack of Rio Rancho today to announce that Green2V will build a million square-foot factory and headquarters in Rio Rancho. With Advent Solar and Schott AG building solar factories in Albuquerque, I wondered when one would build in Rio Rancho.

I have a number of concerns about this company, primarily that the company doesn’t seem to exist. As far as I can tell the privately owned Green2V doesn’t have any buildings or even a website and Wikipedia doesn’t have a page for them. The companies CEO, Bill Sheppard, is a former Intel New Mexico manager. Convenient since I suspect a large number of Green2V employees will come from the Intel New Mexico site. I don’t know where they are getting their money to build this company, what experience they have or what their business plan is.

The only thing I know is that their ambitious plan involves building in downtown Rio Rancho and that they want to start shipping in 2011. I hope this works out.

Update: Just to be clear, I’m not suggesting this is some sort of scam. I really want this to work out and I may even want to work for Green2V. I’m suggesting it’s a little early to get excited. It could turn out like Tesla, Lions Gate or Signet Solar, all established companies that planned to build in the Albuquerque area and didn’t for one reason or another.

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Electromagnetic Sensitivity In Santa Fe, New Mexico

Santa Fe is the capital city of New Mexico but it’s not nearly as populated as Albuquerque and is known for being artsy and for electromagentic sensitive people.

A Santa Fe man who says he suffers from electromagnetic sensitivity is suing his next-door neighbor for refusing to turn off her cell phone and other electronic devices.

Arthur Firstenberg, who has actively opposed the proliferation of wireless systems in public buildings, claims he has been made homeless by Raphaela Monribot’s rejection of his requests.

New Mexico is the right place to live to get away from all electromagntic signals. The Very Large Array in Socorro, New Mexico is in a signal free zone. One does not have to go far into the desert to get away signals but living anywhere near or in a city is a bad idea.

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HGTV's New Mexico Dream Home Sweepstakes

I considered not writing about HGTV’s 2010 Dream Home giveaway because I don’t want it to get any attention. The home is located in San Pedro Overlook, New Mexico near Sandia Park. It’s on the other side of the Sandia Mountains from Albuquerque. I really want to win this house so I don’t want anyone knowing about it. I came to the realization that I’m unlikely to have any impact on it’s promotion.

D9C53E59-43F4-410A-8EC9-A00A251A9031.jpg

The custom-designed 3,900-square-foot HGTV Dream Home 2010 will mix southwestern architecture with modern design. Created with the bold, innovative ideas, architecture, art and design that make HGTV Dream Homes so exciting and unique, it includes three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a home office, gourmet kitchen, home theater and a guest casita. The amazing home site is nestled in the gaze of the majestic San Pedro Mountains with breathtaking scenery and a plethora of outdoor activities. Nearby, the historic towns of Santa Fe and Albuquerque offer an international art scene, amazing cuisine and a rich, multicultural heritage.

I could totally dump nearly everything I own and move into the house as it is. I would be happy to commute to Albuquerque. The only thing I would need to do wire it for my home automation system. And figure out how to pay for the taxes.

Please do not enter the contest.

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More On The iPhone Balloon Tracking Application

The local TV news station KOB has more on the iPhone balloon tracking application. The app is written by Anthony Cardinale and is a real time tracking application. It’s being tested by 5 ballon pilots and chase crews at this years Albuquerque Ballon Fiasco, I mean Balloon Fiesta.

“At some point, every pilot could be using this, and we are going to have a free version that allows people to come to the Balloon Fiesta and load it up to see where all the balloons are in real time,” Cardinale said.

Might make going to the Balloon Fiesta worthwhile.

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The Cocoa Conspiracy: Albuquerque's iPhone Developers

KOB recently did an interesting article on a group of independent iPhone developers in Albuquerque who work at a coffee shop and call themselves the Cocoa Conspiracy. The group includes Andrew Stone of Stone Design who has a number of both Mac and iPhone applications.

Apparently Stone Design’s Twittelator Proicon is doing well. The article also talks about a very cool sounding hot air balloon and chase crew app.

“It can actually overlay the chase group’s position and the balloon’s location and speed over a map live. That way people can plan their routes to get to the balloon and where it’s going to land,”

That’s an awesome idea, I wish I would have thought of it. Albuquerque has “Largest balloon convention in the world” according to Wikipedia so it’s fitting that a app like this should be developed in Albuquerque.

I want to hook up with these guys perhaps they can give me some help in developing my own apps. The article fails to mention what coffee shop the “The Cocoa Conspiracy” hang out at.

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Update: The group has a website at cocoaconspiracy.com and apparently meet at the RB Winnings Coffee Thursdays at 9:30 am.