Around Northern New Mexico

Green’s Lass Files For Spot on Ballot

Green Party candidate Rick Lass on Tuesday filed more than 3,000 petition signatures — more than twice the required number — to get on the ballot for the northern New Mexico seat on the Public Regulation Commission.

“For too long, these big corporations have been given a free ride by the commission,” Lass said in a news release. “I will be an unwavering advocate for ratepayers, small businesses and our local economies.”

Lass will face off against Democrat Jerome Block Jr. for the 3rd District seat. There is no Republican on the ballot.

“Voters deserve more than one choice in November,” Lass said.

Block’s father, Jerome Block, sat on the PRC and its predecessor utility regulatory panel, the State Corporation Commission.

Lass is the director of Voting Matters, founded in 2006 to promote election reform. He worked on Green Party candidate David Bacon’s unsuccessful District 4 PRC race, as well as for independent Carol Miller’s current bid for the 3rd Congressional District.

The PRC’s 3rd District covers north-central and northeastern New Mexico. The five-member commission oversees electric, gas and water utilities, telecommunications, insurance, pipeline and fire safety.

The seat is being vacated by Democrat Ben Ray Luján Jr., who is running for the U.S. House.

District To Discuss School Construction

The Santa Fe Public Schools has scheduled neighborhood notification meetings on start of construction at Santa Fe High School, and at Kearney and Piñon Elementary Schools.

The meetings will address the scope of work and anticipated construction timelines at each school site.

The meetings, all scheduled from 6 to 7 p.m., will be held at Santa Fe High on Monday, at Kearney on July 7 and at and Piñon on July 10.

Workshop Features Studio Musician

Warehouse 21 and the New Mexico Jazz Workshop are sponsoring a “mastershop” featuring Los Angeles studio musician Rob Mullins.

The event is scheduled from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday at 614 Paseo de Peralta.

The event is free and open to emerging musicians from teens to adults.

Mullins is a pianist, keyboardist, producer, songwriter, teacher and clinician with more than 30 years of experience.

His topics for the workshop will include producing a commercially viable CD, contemporary songwriting in any style, practicing to be one’s best, how to promote a band and how to have success in the music business.

Participants should call W21 at 989-4423, ext. 1, for more information.