Safety Tips for Halloween

Know the Rules...Safety Tips for Halloween

1. Be sure older children TAKE FRIENDS and younger children are accompanied by a TRUSTED ADULT when "Trick or Treating."
2. Accompany younger children to the door of every home they approach and make sure parents and guardians are familiar with every home and all people from which the children receive treats.
3. Teach children to NEVER enter a home without prior permission from their parents or guardians.
4. Teach children to never approach a vehicle, occupied or not, unless they know the owner and is accompanied by a parent or guardian.
5. Make sure all children wear reflective clothing and carry a glow stick when out at dusk and at night.
6. Make sure children are able to see and breathe properly and easily when using facial masks. All costumes and masks should be clearly marked as flame resistant.
7. Teach children to NEVER approach a home that is not well lit both inside and outside.
8. Teach children to stay alert and remember any suspicious incidents and report them to their parents, guardians, and/or the proper authority.
9. Teach children if anyone tries to grab them to make a scene; loudly yell this person is not my father/mother/guardian; and make every effort to get away by kicking, screaming, and resisting.
10. Families my want to organize or attend parties at home, in schools, or in community centers as a good alternative to “Trick or Treating.”

HAVE A SAFE AND FUN HALLOWEEN!

Call the dispatch at 505-428-3720 to report any suspicious activities or unsafe activities in the area of “Trick or Treaters”. Check www.nmsexoffender.com for sex offenders living in your area; do not go to these homes when trick or treating.

Extra Sheriff’s Deputies will be on patrol as well as fire personnel throughout the night to help ensure your safety.

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La Llorona, A Short Story

For Halloween I give you a short story. I grew up with the legend of La Llorona and if anything it kept us from playing in ditches and until I was older it kept us from wandering around after dark. I hope you enjoy.

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La Llorona (the crying woman)

By Greg Solano

Shiela was a beautiful young girl. She was only a few months past her eleventh birthday. As she walked along the arroyo (ditch) she picked dandelions going along the bank and tossed them into the water that filled the ditch from the last rain. The arroyo ran through the back yard of the 20 acres her grandfather passed down to her mother after her wedding in 1963. The sun was settling behind hills surrounding her home and the reflections of the last rays of light created shadows along the still water.

Shiela reached down to pick up another dandelion and as she did a translucent figure burst from the water. Terror filled Sheila’s face and before she could even scream a woman’s hand with blackened and cracked fingernails grabbed her arm and pulled her into the water. Just as quickly as the water opened up, it grew calm again. A dandelion floated on its surface, like a flower left at a grave site.

Officer Wolf drove up the small adobe house in his ford bronco. The old brown 1985 Bronco had seen better days but its ability to handle the rugged terrain that was his beat made this the perfect cop car for Officer Wolf. As he got down from the Bronco the teary eyed lady ran up to him. “Something’s wrong, she’s never done this, she never leaves the yard!” the lady exclaimed. “Whoa, whoa, slow down, what’s going on?” The lady fought back the tears and told the story of how her eleven year old daughter was playing in the yard. When it was time for dinner she went out to call her inside and she would not answer. She searched the whole yard and could not find her.

The area is pretty desolate and there are no neighbors within a mile so the chance she is at a neighbor’s house is nil. After getting the basic information the Officer began walking around the large 20 acre property. Officer Wolf learned tracking as a necessity for his favorite passion, hunting. He located fresh small foot prints and followed them along the property and up to the arroyo. The ground was still moist from the recent rains and the footprints were easy to find. He followed them right up to the arroyo where they seemed to just end. The most telling was that there were no prints headed back towards the house either. The water was not deep and an eleven year old child should be visible if somehow she fell in and drown.

It was getting dark so Officer Wolf instinctively walked downstream although the water was hardly moving at all. Removing his flashlight from his belt he continued walking. The wind was whistling through the trees and it made a sound that sounded like a young woman crying. It reminded Officer Wolf of the childhood story of La Llorona. The son of a Native American who married his Hispanic father he grew up fearing the lady who cried for her children along the rivers and arroyos in Northern New Mexico. The legend told by his father said that the lady had two children a boy and a girl. The lady loved her husband and children and devoted her whole life to them. One day she learned that her husband was having an affair with a single lady in town. She felt that she had lost much of her beauty after having her two children and blamed them for her husband’s affair. She took the two children and threw them in the river killing them both. When she realized what she had done she took her own life. Legend has it that she arrived in heaven and god asked her where her children were. God then sent her back to earth to spend an eternity looking for her children. She now roamed the earth looking for her two children and crying eternally. Legend also had it that she would take children who were alone near rivers or ditches in order to try and pass them off as her own and try and get access to heaven.

Officer Wolf remembered his father telling him that if he was not good or if he took off alone he could be snatched by the crying ghost. It was eerie how much the wind sounded like crying. The hairs on the back of the officer’s neck and arms stood on end. “I’m just freaking myself out” the officer thought to himself. He continued down the arroyo when a whitish transparent figure seemed to move across the water just up ahead. He moved his flashlight towards the area and it went dead. As quietly as he could he shook it trying to get it back on. He turned the switch on and then off again but nothing. He had taken his eyes off the water to look at his flashlight. He slowly looked back up towards the water sure that his mind was playing tricks and there would be nothing there.

She was still there, he could now make out that it was a lady, middle aged, with long white flowing dress or nightgown. While she appeared to be all white and floating above the water, her eyes looked red. Tears of blood seemed to drip from her eyes and now what earlier sounded like crying from the trees was definitely coming from her. He placed his hand on his gun while at the same time realizing it would not help him here. In his mind he prayed while his mouth spoke the words “where is the girl?” Where is Shiela?” The figure did not respond it just floated there for what seemed like forever but in reality was only about ten seconds. Then it slowly faded away, the crying also slowly faded away.

Officer Wolf still could not move, He was more afraid then he had ever been in his life. The earth was quiet, the only sound was the officer’s heart pounding and chest heaving and struggling for breath. Then the water splashed as though the earth opened up and spit something out. A young child’s body shot up from the water and then floated on the surface. Officer Wolf walked over and pulled the young girl up to him. The child’s skin was bluish white and cold to the touch. He knew she was dead. He picked her up and began walking back to the house. His mind raced as he thought about what to say. He would only say he found her in the water. No one would ever believe otherwise.

Happy New Year!

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Stir the eggnog, lift the toddy, Happy New Year, everybody!

Here's wishing you all a Happy and Prosperous New Year. Please be safe, Don't Drink and Drive and God Bless You all!

Greg, Antoinette and Family!
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Check Raising the Devil

For your Halloween pleasure I have written
a short story. I hope you enjoy.

Check Raising the Devil

By Greg Solano

Ivan carefully peeked down at the two playing cards, carefully lifting one corner at a time. You had to protect your cards, make sure no one could see them. The first was an eight of clubs, the second an eight of spades. Pocket snowman as the poker players called them. Ivan was down to his last two hundred dollars, he had been running bad for weeks. His normal bankroll of ten thousand dollars was all but gone. He was getting desperate and had dropped down from the big game of ten and twenty dollar blind no limit game to the much smaller one and two dollar no limit game. Everyone so far had folded to him and with only three players yet to act he raised to ten dollars. The man to the left of him folded and the next two called the ten dollars.

The flop was four of clubs, six of hearts, and seven of spades. Not a bad flop for his eights. He had a chance of a straight if a five came and he still had top pair. There was no chance of a flush and anyone who stayed with high cards could not have liked the cards that were dealt. With thirty dollars in the pot he decided to bet the pot, throwing thirty dollars worth of chips into the middle of the table, he kept his face stoic showing no emotion as the chips made that familiar sound as the clay chips hit the felt.

One more player folded and the last pushed all his chips in without any hesitation whatsoever. Ivan was not expecting that. His mind raced, what could he have? Two pair is unlikely, did he have a pair of fours, sixes, or sevens? If he did then he now had three of a kind. If Ivan called the all in bet and lost he would be broke, if he won his two hundred would become four hundred. He had seen this player show a bluff just a few hands earlier, could this be another bluff? Did this man sense that Ivan was on his last dimes and decide to scare him off? Ivan had always played aggressively and felt the man was just being a bully; Ivan pushed his remaining one hundred and sixty into the middle. He flipped over his snowman and said a familiar prayer to the poker gods, “ONE TIME BABY!”

The man who had been stone faced until now, cracked a smile and turned over the three of hearts and the five of clubs. He flopped a straight. Ivan’s hope turned to anger, “HOW COULD YOU CALL ME WITH THAT! I RAISED PRE FLOP!” Ivan still had a chance a five would give him a higher straight. The next two cards revealed no five, only a king and an ace.

Ivan got up and walked away, dejected, broke and cursing the day he began playing poker for a living. It was the most depressing walk, often compared to walking the plank on the pirate ship of old. He headed out to his car put the key in the ignition and began the hour long drive to his home from the casino. Halfway home and the dash began beeping. Damn Ivan thought, low on gas. Come on car make it home. Ivan slowed down to the speed limit and hit the cruise control hoping enough gas would be saved to make it home. As the Chevy headed up a long steep hill on the highway the car began choking for gas and then stalled completely. He coasted to the side of the road and parked the car. Just my luck Ivan said out loud as he pounded the steering wheel.

It was a continuation of the bad luck that had plagued him for weeks. Ivan got out of the car and began thumbing for a ride. Many cars blew by him and the wind was cold and pushed him back against his dead car. Semi trucks were worse. The wind and cold from the semi’s chilled him to the bone. Finally a large RV bus pulled to the side just past his car. Ivan began walking to the RV when the side door popped open and a well dressed man poked his head out. “Car Trouble?” “Nope, just ran out of gas, you don’t have any do you?” Ivan asked as he continued to walk to the bus. “Nope, come on in we will give you a ride.” Ivan stepped on the bus and for a second thought he had stepped into the Bellagio Casino. The bus was opulent and right in the middle was poker table with gold cup holders and gold inlayed chips. It was odd though, only two chairs were at the large table. The bus drove off and Ivan sat at the poker table as it was the closest chair. The chair was unbelievably comfortable and swiveled on its permanent mounts in the floor.

The man was well dressed, could be an Armani suit, deep dark black hair and black metal framed glasses. “Want a drink?” the man asked as he lifted up a gold metal flask. “Sure” Ivan said “I could use one.” “I’m Grigori but my friends just call me Greg” as he handed Ivan a shot. “Do you play?” Greg said as he picked up some chips. “a little” Ivan replied. Ivan was in no mood to discuss poker as he headed home broke from a poker game. “What do you do for a living?” Ivan asked. “I make deals, help people make their dreams come true or rid them of their problems” Ivan’s curiosity was piqued, what exactly did that answer mean? As he thought about that very question the words also came out of his mouth, He didn’t mean them too but they did.

“You want to be a big shot TV poker player right?” How could Greg have known that? Ivan thought. “I make my living at poker, I don’t care about fame just the money” Ivan said as he tried to hide the fact he was lying. “I can make it happen for you, but like any good poker game there is a risk for the reward.” “you can be the next winner of the world series of poker, you can be the next poker superstar” I just need one thing, your soul” Ivan laughed, “ok, yeah whatever, my soul, sure.” The hair of the back of his neck stood up and somehow Ivan knew it was real, or was it? “I told you I make deals, make peoples dreams come true, but every dream comes at a cost.”

Ivan had always been a gambler; he looked down at the gold inlay chips and decided he could outplay the devil. “Heads up, my success against my soul, I win you make my dream happen, you win I am yours” The bus ride was smooth and quiet almost as though it was not barreling down the highway. The tinted windows let very little light in yet the full moon was visible. It seemed to turn orange as the devil himself contemplated the deal. He picked up the cards, smiled and said “shuffle up and deal.” The two sat down at the table and took turns dealing the cards. Each started with ten thousand in chips and Ivan played conservatively at first trying to gauge his opponent. The two traded wins back and forth and the pots were small keeping each essentially even in chips.

Then Ivan looked down at ace of spades, eight of spades. He was on the button which meant he was last to act after the flop. Ivan raised three times the blind which was now at five hundred and one thousand. His raise was to three thousand, Greg just called and the flop was eight, eight, ace. Ivan had flopped a full house. Ivan checked hoping that the devil would bet. The devil obliged and went all in. Ivan had him now he thought. He had beaten the devil. Ivan pushed his chips to the middle as he stood up.

Grigori stood up and began a speech, “in the Hebrew religion, the 2nd Book of Enoch, contains references to a Grigori, a fallen angel. I am that fallen angel, I am Satanael or Satan. Many have tried to defeat me for thousands of years, who do you think you are to defeat me? Ever heard of Wild Bill Hickox? He tried to defeat me with the very same hand you are holding. For a hundred years that very hand has been called dead mans hand. Those who fail to learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.” Satan smiled and turned over a pair of aces. Satan held a bigger full house than Ivan's eights full of aces. Ivan sat down knowing he had lost.

The RV drove away into the darkness. A lone police car headed down the highway towards Ivan’s Chevy parked on the side of the road. As the police car approached the Chevy you could see a body laying in the middle of the road. A semi was overturned a few hundred feet past the Chevy. Ivan’s cold dead body lay in the road. Blowing in a gust of wind to the side of the road were two playing cards, The Ace of Spades and the Eight of Spades.

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Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Birthday USA! Happy 4th everyone. Be Safe and Have fun! Look for me in the Rio Rancho July 4th Parade! The Undersheriff , Robert Garcia will be at Santa Fe's Pancake Breakfast on the Plaza.

Happy Easter!

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Santa Fe Reporter Fooling Around Contest!

We have a winner! Laura Paskus has won the contest. The answer is Sheriff Manuel Gordo Sena who was Republican and Sheriff from 1952-1954 !

When the Julia Goldberg of the Santa Fe Reporter called me to ask if I would participate in a contest whereby the winner of a trivia question would get a free ride along with a deputy on duty I thought it might be an April Fools joke. I went along with it and waited until I actually saw the contest in the Santa Fe Reporter before putting this post up.

So It is real and for those of you who visited my blog today to take a stab at answering the question here it is.

When was the last time Santa Fe County had a Republican sheriff?



Bonus round for an official Sheriff's Badge lapel pin. What was that sheriff's name?

Ok, folks send in your answers via the comment section of this blog post. The first correct answer wins the prize. Get both answers correct and win both prizes!

Note: on April 2, 2009 I added a hint somewhere in my blog.
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A Return to Blogging for the New Year.

I am not sure anyone noticed but I took an unplanned respite from blogging for the last couple of months in 2008. I am not one for resolutions however, I did say I would return to this blog in 2009. As luck would have it the day I decided to sit down and blog again became the biggest news day to hit New Mexico since the last big news day in New Mexico.

Governor Bill Richardson dropped his nomination proceedings to the Commerce Secretary position offered him by President Elect Barack Obama.

I probably can't add more to this than every local and national news source has added since the bombshell dropped Sunday Morning. My phone rang constantly for about two hours after the news hit the airwaves. Most wanted to see what my take would be on the Lieutenant Governor race of 2010 which I had previously thrown my hat into.

It is early to say a lot, I like many will be watching the Pinon Nuts as they fall from the trees. I am the only candidate who has expressed an interest in Lieutenant Governor who has no ties to the Richardson administration and his fundraising efforts. Other than a $50 ticket here and there I just have never had the funds to attend and donate to the countless $1,000 or more a plate dinners, round tables, and other functions. I have never been appointed to a high paying job or position in State Government. Of course I am not saying that if you have ties to the Richardson Administration that you are automatically tainted and I actually hope that for the sake of New Mexico and its recent string of corruption trials that the whole CDR Investigation is a wash and no illegal activity occurred.

I have not given up on the race for Lieutenant Governor and my resume was in the hands of Lieutenant Governor Dianne Denish and her transition team. This recent event was not one I nor most others were expecting but it is in line with the string of political firsts that have occurred throughout 2008. From Senator Pete Dominici's departure to the loss of Heather Wilson to Steve Pearce, and then the great democrats sweep of congressional seats, culminating with the election of the first Democratic Black President, 2008 was an astonishing political year which seems now to carry on into 2009 for New Mexico.

An interesting side note, CDR Financial Products the company involved in the investigation which triggered Governor Richardson's pulling his name from the Secretary of Commerce broke the top 100 of googled items on Jan 4, 2009. Google has a feature called Google Trends where you can see the top items googled on a particular day. Coming in at number 100 was CDR Financial Products. As part of the feature you can see the time of the day an item peaked and where in the country the largest hits came from. The largest number of hits 7% came from Albuquerque N.M. . As you can see in the chart below provided by Google Trends the hits peaked at 11:00 am just 40 minutes after the news of Governor Richardson's withdrawal hit the national airwaves.



One final interesting side note Republican Mike Huckabee took 3 of the top 100 spots in the top 100 googled searches, 11th, 24th and 37th. Because people can search for name, website, and other variations or spelling errors typed in to google's search feature persons can make the list in more than one spot. Interesting, anyway it is good to be back writing again. I want to end this with a wish that 2009 is a good year for all of you, yes it is already Jan 5, 2009 but it is never to late to wish good for someone.

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Bad Economic Times and Law Enforcement

The recent economic news had primarily centered on businesses in America and has moved away from the individuals. What I mean by this is that the first signs of the economy failing and the big news 6 months ago was the residential foreclosures sweeping the country. The media and the government focus has now moved to business failures. I am going to put my Conan Obrian collar and point the flashlight at my face and make some predictions.

Cities and counties across the state look to cut budgets as taxes coming in to pay for services are dropping. It is a necessary evil as government must live with in their means. The problem with Law Enforcement is crime increases as the economy drops. Yet police agencies across the nation are held to flat budgets at best and cuts at the worst.

It is the way the cookie crumbles and there is not a lot that can be done. If crime rates raise to the point of crisis then and only then will government leaders bite the bullet and divert funds from other projects to law enforcement. The good side, if there is one, is that public safety is usually the last government function that is usually cut and is the easiest function in which to make a case for holding back cuts or even getting additional resources in tough economic times, if the crime rate is increasing enough.

In Santa Fe, the majority of the general fund for county government is property tax related. The huge swings seen in the city funds where the taxes are generated primarily through gross receipts are some what moderate in the county where property taxes are more stable. Leaders in law enforcement recognize crime trends and how economic factors, socioeconomic factors, seasons, weather, holidays and other factors that affect crime rates and respond accordingly. We need to prepare for the short and long term effects of tough economic times and ensure that our officers understand and are prepared to deal with these times. The upside to tough economic times is that careers in law enforcement become more desirabled. The benefits, retirement, job stability and pay make law enforcement a much more viable option to those who may not consider the career otherwise.

The important thing is that we understand and prepare for these times both as public officials and as individuals. Individuals need to understand what these times mean for crime trends and take extra precautions to prevent crime. The truth is we all should take these precautions all the time but there is never a better time than now to pay attention. I am adding these crime tips for burglaries because that is the most prevalent crime that will increase with tough economic times.

• Make your home look occupied, and make it difficult to break into.

• Lock all outside doors and windows before you leave the house or go to bed. Even if it is for a short time, lock your doors.

• Leave lights on when you go out. If you are going to be away, connect some lamps to automatic timers to turn them on in the evening and off during the day. Use motion detector lights outside.

• Keep your garage door closed and locked.

• Don't allow daily deliveries of mail, newspapers or fliers to build up while you are away. Arrange with the post office to hold your mail, or arrange for a friend or neighbor to take them regularly.

• Push-button locks on doorknobs are easy for burglars to open. Install deadbolt locks on all your outside doors.

• Know who belongs or does not belong in your neighborhood. If someone looks suspicious, call the police to have them checked out.

• Keep your yard clean and bushes and trees trimmed. You don't want to give burglars a place to hide or remain concealed as they come in and out of your yard.

• If you have an alarm system, use it, even if you are only leaving for a short time. While they may not prevent burglary's they do reduce the amount of items taken and many times when the alarm goes off the burglar will leave with out taking anything. Whether you have an alarm system or not buy signs that say you have an alarm and place them around your home.
  

The thing about burglaries is that one or two people can do 5 or 6 burglaries in a day. A few days of doing this and the crime rate can rise dramatically in just a short time. When we catch these persons the crime rate drops just as dramatically. We will catch these people and things will return to normal. The most effective way to catch these burglars is through help from the public. Deputies can not be everywhere and most burglars are caught when someone calls in a suspicious person or vehicle or when a burglar is caught in the act. I ask everyone to be extra vigilant and be our eyes and ears, it is a cliche but its also very true that crime prevention begins at home.

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My Zombie Death

If you are not sure what you are reading, click here, then come back and finish.


Son of a B****, I have been bitten. How could I be so stupid? I liked Vasquez too. He would of made a good cop. I grabbed my laptop with my trusty Alltel aircard and walked through the new rail yard park and locked myself in the freezer behind Tomasitas Restaurant. what a place to die. My mind is running a hundred miles an hour. I keep wondering about the chicken and the egg. Which came first? If I shoot myself in the head before I become a zombie, will I still become a zombie?

Suicide is against the catholic church teachings. They say you will go to hell. Jesus also says he will forgive you if you ask for forgiveness when you sin. I wonder, can you ask for forgiveness and get it before you commit the sin? I have always liked Evel Knievel. I remember he used to say he did not believe in god, that he only believed in himself. Then weeks before his death I saw him on Hour of Power with Rev. Robert H. Schuller, he was getting baptized and proclaiming his belief in god and Jesus Christ. Do we all look to god in our last minutes?

I only hope we have not failed in stopping this plague from taking over Santa Fe and who knows how far it could go. I hope my family is safe. Antoinette, Next year would have been 25 years married. I am sorry I didn't make it. I love you. Take care of our kids and our lovely grandchild. Aaron take care of mom and your sister, you need to be there for your mom and always make sure you are able to be there for them. Its cold, is it the freezer or is it the virus?

To my brother and sisters and the rest of our families, I will miss you and I love you all. I remember I once told Antoinette my wife that I had done everything I have always wanted to do. I really don't have a bucket list. OK, one thing, I never got to jump a couple trucks with a motorcycle. That reminds me of Undersheriff Robert Garcia and the rest of my staff and friends at work. Be safe all. One time I asked Robert If I could borrow his two pickup trucks. He laughed and said, just leave the tailgate down on the second one, your gonna hit it. He's going to make a damn good Sheriff.

I can hear scratching at the door, Damn zombies can't I die in peace? I open the freezer and start shooting. That takes care of another eight of them. The warm air from outside feels good. I need to lock myself back in though, can't afford to turn and be free.

I have been to quite a few suicides, I always wondered what was so bad that someone had to take that route. I guess turning into a zombie should qualify. My joints arrrrrrre stiffining, I donnt know how much lonnger I can type. I sometimes have this reoccurring dream. In the dream I confront the bad guy who is about to shoot me. I pull my gun and try to fire but no matter how hard I pull the trigger it wont move. My joints are reallly getting stiff, can I pull the trigger now?

I guess itss time. God forgive me for this sin. My Glock 357 is cold. It has frost on it. These things ar e suppossed to work in all cnditions. I hope its true. Every one has to die.....

One last thing......


HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Happy New Year!

After a real hectic November and early December I completely took a holiday break from politics, blogging and almost anything that was not family and home related. I hope everyones Christmas was as happy as mine. It was an easy going mostly stay at home couple of weeks. Now as 2007 comes to a close I hope you all had a great year and I wish everyone the best for 2008.

I am not one to make resolutions, I just never have done so. If you make resolutions I hope you are able to keep them. I intend to get back to blogging now so I hope for you thats a good thing. There was an interesting comment left on the Dr. Sex Graffiti post today and besides the interesting but flawed point of view, the comment comes as we near the two year anniversary of the trial coming to an end. I will write my rebuttal to the comment on my Jan 2 blog post. One final note, January 7, will mark the two year anniversary of this blog. Hard to believe I have been doing this two years. In those two years this blog has gone from one visitor to 34,260!
Wow, Happy New Year!

Halloween Safety Tips

I want to offer you all some Halloween Safety Tips you can use to keep your kids safe this Halloween.

· Carry a flashlight or glow sticks
· All young children should have parental supervision.
· Teenagers should have a map of the areas parents want them to stay in.
· Walk, don't run.
· Stay on Sidewalks
· Obey traffic signals
· Stay in familiar neighborhoods
· Don’t cut across yards or driveways.
· Make sure costumes don't drag on the ground.
· Shoes should fit (even if they don't go with your costume)
· Avoid wearing masks while walking from house to house.
· Carry only flexible knives, swords or other props.
· (If no sidewalk) walk on the left side of the road facing traffic
· Wear clothing with reflective markings or tape.
· Approach only houses that are lit.
· Stay away from and don't pet animals you don't know.
· Inspect all candy and items and do not keep anything that is not pre wrapped or may have opened.

Call the dispatch at 505-428-3710 to report any suspicious activities or unsafe activities in the area of trick or treaters. Check http://www.nmsexoffender.com/ for sex offenders living in your area; do not go to these homes when trick or treating.

Extra Sheriff’s Deputies will be on patrol as well as fire personnel throughout the night to help ensure your safety.

Sheriff Greg Solano Wishes you all a happy and safe Halloween!

Red's - A short story.

When I was young there was a story often talked about but usually not believed. It was the story of how one night the devil himself came to Reds Bar in Espanola. Mothers used the story to try and keep their daughters from going out drinking and partying. Although there are many variations to the story as my Halloween treat to you I have written my version. Parts are from memory of the story as told to me when I was young and parts are filled in by me to complete the story. Enjoy, and Happy Halloween!





REDS

By Greg Solano

It was a long day at work, but thank god it was Friday. Julie began putting things away on her desk and began the process of shutting down the IBM Computer. Since her company switched to the expensive IBM computer things are a lot easier during the day. Keeping track of accounts and delinquencies is definitely easier. At the end of the day before the computer she just closed up the ledgers locked them in the file drawer and left for the day. Now it took about 45 minutes to backup the data to the tape drive and shut down the computers for the day. On Fridays it seemed to take for ever.

Julie never used to complain, not even to herself, things have changed lately. Her mother’s death changed everything. Her mother never liked Julie’s job. As a collection agent for a finance company her job was to hound people every day and get them to pay their delinquent loan payments. Julie was good at her job, relentless and without sympathy she was known in the company as the “Pit Bull”. Loan officers though out the company wanted their delinquent accounts assigned to her. She would collect and keep them out of trouble.

Julie’s mother Christina used to call her Jewel’s and as a devout Christian who’s own mother came to Santa Fe New Mexico from Mexico City only sixty years ago Christina always thought her beloved Jewel’s work was not a good job for a Christian. Calling people all day to get blood from a turnip, “how could you do it me hita? “ she would often say. Now Christina was gone and Julie felt lonely. Julie partied a lot but never was able to have a stable relationship. It was usually one night stands or just guys she partied with. Julie hadn’t partied at all for over a month now, not since her mother’s unexpected death.

Christina died in a horrible car accident. Her 1979 Caprice Classic was destroyed by the semi load of trees coming down from the ski basin. It was one of those freak accidents that no one could have ever believed would happen. She was headed home after her day at work cleaning the homes of the rich on Bishops Lodge Road. As she headed home a Semi truck passing her in the opposite direction dropped its load of trees just as it passed her car. The huge steel car was crushed and Christina died probably never even realizing what had happened.

The IBM was through with its back up and shutting down. Julie picked up her purse and headed home. On the drive home Julie began thinking of going out tonight. Many times she would head over to Espanola and party at Red’s. This was a very small bar that had live music on weekends. It was the in place even though it could easily be described as literally a hole in the wall. “What the hell? Julie said to her self.” It has been such crappy week I need to get out.

At home Julie began looking through her closet for a dress; she picked out her black long dress with some black silk high heels, black panty hose finished off the ensemble. Some deep red lipstick and she was on her way. Julie glanced at her watch and saw that it was eight o’clock as she pulled into Espanola and headed down the strip to Red’s. She adjusted her dress as she stepped out of her long Red Monte Carlo. The large steel door of the 77 Monte Carlo squealed loudly as she slammed it shut. Julie’s high heels clicked loudly on the pavement as she headed to the door of Red’s bar and lounge.

Red’s was a dark small bar. The long bar ran along one end of the room with several tables scattered around the rest of the room. A very small dance floor was situated in front of a corner that was cleared out to make room for a band. Three men were set up and playing a Cumbia. The singer was a short olive skinned man with a pretty good voice, another Hispanic was on the drums and the band was rounded out with a bass player. Reds smelled of old beer which had seeped into the dark red carpet night after night for the past twenty years. Julie waited for her eyes to adjust before heading to the bar. “Hey Al, how’s it going?” “Julie! Where you been it’s been a long time, sorry about your mom, it was horrible” Al said as he passed her a Coors. “Let me have a shot also, lets kick this night off right” said Julie as she took a big swig out of the cold Coors can.

The bar was packed tonight and as usual the ratio of men to women was at least three to one. It wasn’t long before men began asking Julie to dance. She obliged them all, she was in the mood to party. Of course it was only a dance, she didn’t pay attention to the flirtatious advances that came during and after the dance. She danced and drank the night away and before she knew it the clock struck eleven. Julie sat down and used the bar napkin to wipe the sweat from her face. Another man walked up and asked her to dance. “I need a break come back in a little bit” she responded. As she sucked down what had to be her ninth or tenth coors her attention was drawn to the front door as it swung open. A tall dark skinned man entered the door. He was gorgeous she thought to her self as he looked over the room. He was dressed in black with black silky hair that reminded her of Elvis Presley and a body that looked sculpted by Michael Angelo himself.

Their eyes met and it was as though he came here looking just for her. He walked straight to Julie’s table and outstretched his hand to her. All of a sudden she wasn’t tired any more. She took his hand and headed straight to the dance floor. Neither said a word and it didn’t even dawn on Julie that this was weird. Julie was mesmerized and the two began dancing. All of a sudden he was the only man she saw in the bar. The couple all dressed in black and in the center of the dance floor became the center of attention. Yet they paid no attention to anyone else. “Julie you’re a beautiful woman” the man said as he finally spoke. “How do you know my name?” she asked him. “I met you here a few months ago” he said. “I am sure I would remember you” she said as she put her hand on his chest.

“You were pretty lit up and having a good time” his lips cracked a smile as he said this. The two danced and laughed for the next hour. As the clock reached a few minutes until midnight they were still dancing when he glanced up at the clock. “I’ve got to go” he said, “why don’t you come with me?” “No, let’s stay” she pleaded, “its early; last call is not until 1:15”. She held onto him trying to keep him dancing as he began trying to pull away. “I’ve got to go, come with me, let’s go!” His voice changed from the smooth man to a sort of growl. Julie was used to getting her way so she began kissing him and pulling him closer. She ran her hand through his hair and as she did so she felt two bumps, the bumps were unnatural, hard and almost seemed like small horns.

Julie felt strange for the first time she looked at the man whose eyes now seemed to turn red; he had a goatee where there was not one before. There seemed to be heat coming from his body, it was like standing in front of a fireplace. His hand pulled up to her neck and long nails that were not there before scratched across her neck. She could hear screams but they weren’t from her. She hadn’t realized it but the band had not only stopped playing, they were running out of the bar along with everyone else. The bumps on his head had extended at least two inches into the air and his clothes were smoking. The bar smell had changed from stale beer to burnt flesh. Julie could feel warm blood slowly coming down from her neck. She backed up slowly with out even realizing she was doing so.

The devil himself had now appeared before her, he smiled and then ran out the door a glowing tail swinging behind him. Julie wanted to run but could not move. She stood there in shock, the only one left. She walked out, still stunned and got into her car and drove away. It was a long drive home, 45 minutes. She was trying to comprehend what had just happened to her. Her heart was still pounding and her chest was heaving. The long road between Espanola and Santa Fe was dark and seemed even more so than usual. Then up ahead she could see a red bright light. Maybe it’s a cop she thought; as she drove closer the light appeared to be in the center of the road. She slowed down and the closer she got she realized it was a man, a man who seemed to be glowing red. Even though it was still far away she could see his face, it was the devil from Red’s Bar. He was grinning, his arms outreached toward her. She swerved the car to the right, and hit the brakes. The car slid into a ditch on the side of the road and stalled. Panic struck as she tried to start the car.

Julie looked into her rear view mirror and saw the demon standing behind her car, still grinning. He touched the trunk of her car and flames quickly encircled the car. Julie tried to open the door but it would not open. She screamed so hard that hardly anything came out. The demon turned and walked away. Screaming and frantic Julie tried the door again and it still wouldn’t open. She began praying the Our Father….. Our Father, who art in heaven hollowed be thy name. Thy kingdom com, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Suddenly she felt something, something calming. At the drivers door was a cloudy white light, in the center of the light Julie could swear she saw her mothers face and heard “Jewels, come to me”. The door opened and Julie stepped out. She walked towards the light as the flames continued into the sky. The light dissipated and Julie sat on the hill side and watched her car go up in flames.

Tomorrow she would start a new life……

The Week of Misinformation

This is supposed to be Secretary's week or as it has been renamed "Administrative Professional week or day". I will always remember this week as the week of misinformation. First on Sunday Commissioner Campos writes a letter full of misinformation, see my last blog post. Next I was shocked today at just before 3pm when I received calls from members of the media asking for my response to comments made by Commissioner Harry Montoya during the public Board of County Commissioners Meeting.

Commissioner Montoya apparently received entirely erroneous information on the incident which occurred last Thursday where two 18 year old males drove on to Pojoaque High School Campus with a shotgun behind the seat of their pickup. Instead of calling to check on the information he complained about actions of the Sheriff's Office which did not happen at the meeting. The commissioners comments were described to me as a Sheriff bashing tirade by some who were present at the meeting. When I learned of the tirade I sent my Under Sheriff and Major to address the comments at the meeting which was still underway. I was due in Magistrate Court and could not head right over. The good thing is court went quick and I headed to the commission meeting.

When I arrived "as quick as I could go and not speed or run red lights" I found the Under Sheriff and Major still waiting to speak. I waited and took the podium when the time came.

Commissioner Montoya had claimed the Sheriff's Office took 45 minutes to respond. Our first Deputy arrived on scene in 45 seconds. I had deputies posted at all mid and high schools in Santa Fe County due to rumors over the anniversary of the Columbine Shootings. The Deputy who arrived in 45 seconds had driven over to the nearby mid high as he was going back and forth checking on both schools.

Commissioner Montoya claimed that we refused to take the case and refused to let Tribal Police Officers handle the case under their cross commission issued by me. The truth is I wanted to make sure that who ever handled the case had jurisdiction to do so in order to ensure that the case could be properly prosecuted. Sheriff's Detectives had contacted the District Attorneys Office who decided at the time that we could not handle the case. The deciding factor was the fact that the two 18 year old boys were Native Americans and it was believed that the incident occurred on tribal lands. The crux of the debate was whether or not the school is or is not considered on tribal land. My office and me personally contacted the U.S. Attorneys Office, the F.B.I. , B.I.A., and A.T.F. in order to determine the best agency to successfully handle the case. It was finally decided that the Sheriff's Office would handle the case and this was after agreement was reached by District Attorney Henry Valdez whom I called on his cell phone as he was out of town and the Tribal Attorney Mr. Demolla. This process took nearly an hour but the two 18 year old boys were detained the whole time and the school and public were safe. These types of tribal jurisdiction issues plague New Mexico and other states and are often debated all the way to the Supreme Court.

Commissioner Montoya claimed I had revoked the Sheriff Cross Commissions of two Tribal Officers over this incident. I don't know where this came from but it is absolutely, positively, unequivocally and without any doubt what so ever untrue. This was never discussed, threatened, or even considered for one second. Where Commissioner Montoya got this from I have no idea. As I stated earlier Pojoaque Tribal Police did request that I let them handle the case utilizing our offices cross commission. This was denied based entirely on the decision by the District Attorney's Office and not for any personal or other reason.

Commissioner Montoya really should have just called me and asked questions about this incident. He would have found out that his information was inaccurate to say the least and we could have avoided a public spectacle caused when he went on a tirade over this issue in a public meeting. I have tried to convince the Commissioners that we need to get past our differences on the jail and work together. We are all elected officials and have to work with each other for the next two to four years depending on when each of our terms end. These kind of public fights especially over untrue issues only hurts our abilities to do the public business. I believe this whole public spectacle was a result of bad feelings remaining over the jail debate. Once again I offer an olive branch to the County Commissioners and ask them to put aside our philosophical differences over the jail and have a working relationship which allows us to get things done.

I am writing this on Tuesday evening, I will add links to Wednesdays news stories in the morning to the end of this blog.

New Mexican story on the dispute

P.S. HAPPY ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONALS DAY TO ALL MY GREAT STAFF AND THOSE WHO SIT IN CUBICLES AND BEHIND DESKS ALL DAY DOING A GREAT JOB FOR THEIR BOSSES!

Happy Easter!

I hope you all had a very Happy Easter.
May God bless all your families.

The Solano Family

Happy Valentines Day!

Today I want to take the liberty of using my blog to wish my wife Antoinette and my Daughter Sylvia as well as all my readers Happy Valentines Day! My wife and I met when we were 16 years old at Santa Fe High School. She will deny it when she reads this but she used to have a crush on me when I would walk past her aunts house where she used to spend a lot of time.

I would walk by in my platform shoes (or roller skate by), along with my John Travolta bell bottom pants and a silk shirt. I would top it off with a leather jacket and a huge boom box. The Boom Box made today's Ipods seem almost invisible. We had to carry them on our shoulders not to have them closer to our ears but instead to carry the weight of the 10 D-Cell batteries those things held. Anyway Disco aside we have had a great 27 years together.

My daughter is 14 but she thinks she is 21. Unfortunately she will probably be 21 in what seems like the blink of an eye. Tonight its dinner with friends and then a comedy show at the lodge in Santa Fe featuring Steven Michael Quezada. He is a great comedian so if you don't have plans you might want to check him out. Anyway, Happy Valentines day again to all of you!

P.S. I tend to exaggerate when describing my early years with my wife. LOL

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all of you and may you have wonderfull holidays full of friends, family, laughter and good times.

Sheriff Greg Solano

Happy Fourth of July!

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

I wish you all a Happy Fourth of July from my family to yours! At this time of the year we all clean off the BBQ Grills, pull out the lawn chairs and celebrate the freedoms that come with independence day. On this day in 1776 America declared its independence from Great Britain. It was the begining of a free America. These freedoms did not come easy and many lives were given up to ensure these freedoms for our generation. Our generation will also give up many lives to ensure these same freedoms for our children and grandchildren. That is a hard pill to swallow. Many times these are easy words to say, much harder to live, when your loved one is one whose life was given in the pursuit of freedom. From our soldiers through out the world, to our law enforcement officers across the nation, from our firefighters, border patrols, and yes even our politicians and news crews throughout the world all have given lives in the daily struggle to keep our nation free and live up to the ideals drafted by our forefathers.

Today as I sit on my comfortable patio with my laptop and wireless connection, the BBQ grill hot and ready and the cool breeze of a perfect afternoon keeping the temperature down, I think about those who don't have it so easy today. The soldiers in war zones trying to picture themselves at grandmothers house with all the kids running around and the intoxicated uncle starting to get on their nerves, and wishing they were actually there.

I think about the officer patrolling the streets, hoping that their tour of duty takes them near home so they can stop in to say hi and grab a piece of watermelon, all while rushing from call to call to deal with a few of those intoxicated uncles. The border patrol agents are in my thoughts and prayers as they man their posts and patrol the border. Out in the middle of no where there is little chance for a Fourth of July Celebration, little chance that they can run by the house and grab a quick piece of watermelon. The firemen and women come to mind, grabbing a quick Fourth of July lunch before they head out and patrol the streets looking for illegal fireworks and just being a presence in the neighborhoods. Each of them hoping that the only fires they will see is the flash of sparklers but realistically praying that the inevitable fires will all be small and easily manageable.

You notice I mentioned politicians and media in my post. I am reminded of the assassinations of great politicians like Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy, the attempted assassinations of presidents like Ronald Reagan . The deaths of news crews at war torn nations as they perform the noble service of keeping us informed and government in check comes to my mind as well.

All of these hero's and many others like the activists such as Martin Luther King and Ceasar Chavez, who make America what is through the ultimate sacrifice come to my mind today. So, as we each celebrate Fourth of July lets not forget those who's sacrifices make this day possible. Tomorrow as we go back to our jobs lets not forget that we may be called upon to make a sacrifice, maybe a small one, or maybe the ultimate sacrifice, and when that day comes we must step up, remembering that we must insure the Fourth of July's for the future generations.


Have a very Happy Fourth of July.

Happy Birthday Lil Shorty!

Today is my daughters birthday. In honor of her fourteenth birthday I present this video. Happy Birthday Lil Shorty!

Tis the Season for Conventions

Looks like everyone's off to one convention or another. Governor Richardson made a quick visit to the Yearly Kos convention last Friday. Our fellow blogger and local alternative paper editor Julia Goldberg is on her way to Arkansas to attend the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies where she is not only an attendee but a speaker as well. I will be attending the New Mexico State Fraternal Order of Police Conference which is being held right here in Santa Fe this year. Our own local F.O.P. President Michael Salazar is making his bid for the State Presidency of the F.O.P.. I will also be attending the Buckaroo Ball on Saturday night where my wife and I will join many attendees who will enjoy a concert by Wynonna while a lot of money will be raised for local charities.

On Tuesday its off to Taos where the New Mexico Association of Counties will have their conference. The great thing about this conference is that a majority of the Sheriff's from around the state get together and it allows us to discuss issues occurring in Sheriff's Offices throughout the state. I find these meetings to be among the most productive I attend each year. So tis the season for conferences. And yes in between all the serious stuff there is a little fun also. Many times the media portrays some of these as junkets especially when they are held in exclusive places, however, I really believe that a lot of information and networking is obtained from these meetings and they are well worth the expense and time. Which by the way is why all the media has their own conferences whether its alternative newspapers, mainstream media or even special conferences for left or right wing media.

One last note, I want to congratulate the Santa Fe County Reserve Program who's deputies are to be honored at the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office on Friday with a Volunteers excellence award which was sent to me to present to the deputies by none other than President Bush himself. These volunteers do a great job for Santa Fe County and place their lives on the line (for free even!). I am very proud of their work and their great accomplishments.