Two sections, 24 pages

164th year, No. 70Publication No. 596-440Editor: Rob Dean, 986-3033, rdean@sfnewmexican.com Design and headlines: Kristina Dunham, kdunham@sfnewmexican.com Main office: 983-3303 Late paper: 986-3010

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Caught with a 16-ounce can of BudLight beer as a college student, at theage of 20, T.J. was criminally chargedwith being a minor in possession andcontributing to the delinquency of aminor — himself.

T.J., who was working toward adegree in criminal justice at NewMexico State University — whichhe earned a year later — fought thecharge in the New Mexico court sys-tem. The 2006 charges filed in LasCruces were later dropped by thestate, more specifically, by the officeof then-District Attorney SusanaMartinez.

Now, T.J. is hoping Gov. Martinezwill reconsider a measure that shevetoed last year, which would allowhim to petition to have those chargesexpunged from his record. T.J., whoasked that his last name not be pub-lished, testified before the HouseJudiciary Committee at the stateCapitol on Saturday in support ofSenate Bill 294, which passed a Sen-ate floor vote two weeks ago, 41-0.

The charges against T.J. weredropped “in the best interest of jus-tice,” according to a nolle prosequi —a document that declares the state isdeclining to prosecute a case, T.J. said.

Although the charges have been dis-missed, they have hindered T.J.’s abilityto land some dream jobs. T.J. said hewas turned away during employment

Lawmakersreconsiderclean slatefor someoffenders

S.F. mom pens book about loss

Mobilized against ‘mayhem’

Gun control advocates gathered on the Plazaon Sunday urging grass-roots support forcommon-sense state and federal legislationthat would reduce violence from firearms.

“You are the ones who can bring the change,”Mayor David Coss told the crowd of about 50. Manycarried signs condemning the National Rifle Asso-ciation and supporting better control of weapons,especially high-powered, semi-automatic firearmsand high-capacity magazines.

The rally was sponsored by the Mayor’s Office

and organized by the newly formed MothersOpposed to Mayhem.

Lois Rudnick, co-founder of the group, said gunviolence in New Mexico and the nation will notchange “without grass-roots lobbying.” Rudnickis a Santa Fe author and former American studiesprofessor at the University of Massachusetts Boston,according to her Facebook page.

Sunday’s vigil, she said, was held in memory ofthose, most of them children, who died in the Con-necticut school massacre in December and thosewho “perish every day throughout the nation”because of gun violence.

Rudnick, Coss and other speakers specificallyurged support for New Mexico House Bill 77, whichwould require background checks for gun show pur-chases. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Miguel Garcia,D-Albuquerque, has been passed by the House andis awaiting action in the Senate. Gov. Susana Marti-nez has said she would sign it.

On Friday morning, Santa Fe-basedauthor Emily Rapp appeared on NBC’sToday show to talk about her new book,The Still Point of the Turning World.

The book began as a blog (ourlittleseal.wordpress.com) that Rapp startedwhen her then-9-month-old son Ronan

was diagnosed with Tay-Sachs disease,an always-fatal genetic condition thatoccurs when the body fails to produce aspecific enzyme that breaks down lipidsin the brain. Tay-Sachs is degenerative:Babies and children with the diseasegradually lose their senses, becomeparalyzed and experience seizures. “It’s aslow shut down,” Rapp said.

Ronan passed away on Feb. 15, a month

shy of his third birthday.Rapp started the blog as a way to

stay in contact with friends and family,update them about Ronan’s condition andbecause, she said, “It was keeping me sane.It kept [Ronan] in the world in a differentway.” Rapp has written about Ronan andTay-Sachs for a variety of publications,

By Adele OliveiraThe New Mexican

By Nico RoeslerThe New Mexican

By Dennis J. CarrollFor The New Mexican

Members of New Mexicans for Gun Safety and Mothers Opposed to Mayhem participate in a rally on the Plaza to promote gun control legislationSunday. The groups seek new restrictions on high-powered, semi-automatic firearms and high-capacity magazines. CLYDE MUELLER/THE NEW MEXICAN

Demonstrators gather on Santa Fe Plaza to support gun control legislation

Please see SLATE, Page A-4

Please see GUN, Page A-4

Please see LOSS, Page A-6

After nearly two decades ofattempts to bring his vision to fruition,Eldorado-area developer Joe Miller’splans to create a 39-lot subdivision on133 acres on the east side of N.M. 285near Lamy will be the subject of a pub-lic hearing hosted by Santa Fe Countyon Tuesday, March 12.

Miller has beentrying for about20 years to developthe property. Ini-tially, his planswere stymied bya moratorium ondevelopment in thearea that lasted formore than 10 years.

Then, he spent almost another decadein litigation with Santa Fe County overthe county’s affordable housing rules,which kept all of his development pro-posals on hold.

Now his proposal for a subdivisiondubbed Spirit Wind Ranch West,which would be made up of lots rang-

ing in size from 2.5 acres to 3.5 acres,has been cleared by the County Devel-opment Review Committee and staffhas recommended that the Board ofCounty Commission give the masterplan approval Tuesday.

But there is still opposition to theplan from area residents, notably thosewho live in Spirit Wind Ranch, anadjacent subdivision that Miller devel-oped years ago.

Residents from that development —which features large lots and restric-tive covenants — have written lettersto the county opposing the project,and even hired a law firm to lobbyagainst the project on their behalf.

Written complaints contained in the

land-use file for the project includeconcerns that the subdivision wouldbe denser, allow modular homes, taxwater resources and destroy views,thus bringing down property values.

“What I’d like to see is more sensi-tive use of the land,” said Clare Carmi-chael. A retired dance studio owner,Carmichael and her husband movedto Spirit Wind from Chicago eightyears ago. They are among a handfulof residents who have written lettersto the county opposing the project.

“If he wanted to do the same thinghe’s done with Spirit Wind I don’tthink anyone would be upset with

County seeks input on controversial developmentWater, property valuesamong neighbors’ topconcerns; developer saysworries are unfoundedBy Phaedra HaywoodThe New Mexican

Please see COUNTY, Page A-6

Author saysshe hopeslessons ofher son’s lifehelp othersfeel less alone

The StillPoint ofthe TurningWorld, abook thatdocumentsa mother’sgrievingprocessfor herson, wasreleasedMarch 7.The bookbegan as ablog aboutthe boy’sillness.

Pasapick‘Pipes and Drumsof the Black Watch’Performance by the 3rdBattalion of the Royal Regimentof Scotland, 7:30 p.m., theLensic Performing Arts Center,211 W. San Francisco St.,$20-$75, ticketssantafe.org,988-1234.More events in Calendar, A-2and Friday’s Pasatiempo

TodayWarmer; a fullday of sunshine.High 55, low 29.

PAGE A-12

ObituariesJimmy D. King, 65, Santa Fe, March 5

PAGE A-10

2013 LEGISLATURE

INSIDEu Across the United States, gun violence hurts on adaily basis. PAGE A-4

Joe Miller