By Barry MasseyThe Associated Press

New Mexico’s state workers and educa-tors are in line for their first across-the-board pay increase in four years under anearly $5.9 billion state budget signed into

law Friday by Gov. Susana Martinez.Despite some speculation that Martinez

might line-item veto that part of the budget— she originally called for no pay raises —she left intact provisions that allocate about$33 million for 1 percent salary increases forpublic employees, including school work-ers, in the fiscal year that starts July 1.

Asked why she decided to keep the payincrease intact, Martinez told reporters,“Because we have a really good jobs pack-age.” That was a reference to the tax bill she

signed earlier in the week that cuts corpo-rate taxes.

“We have the diversity and the ability to

compete with other states … that we feltthat if we bring in better jobs, higher payingjobs, that we’re able then to give that1 percent. I know it was a small percentage,but every penny counts when people arestruggling.”

Some state workers have complainedthat this raise will be eaten up by risinghealth insurance premiums and deductiblesannounced earlier this week.

The governor used her line-item veto

KIDSSummer

2013

Places and programs for everyone

InsIdeu Governorsigns bill toallow Sundayliquor salesstarting at11 a.m. in Julyu A look at billsthat made it —and those thatdidn’t.

Page a-4

“ It restrains statespending to a responsiblelevel and ensures that wehave strong reservesduring uncertain times.”

Gov. Susana Martinez

Two sections, 24 pagesTV Book, 32 pages164th year, No. 96Publication No. 596-440Editor: Rob Dean, 986-3033, rdean@sfnewmexican.com Main office: 983-3303 Late paper: 986-3010

Calendar a-2 Classifieds B-7 Comics B-12 Lotteries a-2 Opinion a-11 Police notes a-10 Sports B-1 Time Out B-11 Life & Science a-8Index

Get a head start on what to do when school’s out Kids Summer, inside

Locally owned and independent Saturday, April 6, 2013 www.santafenewmexican.com75¢

PasapickBaile de CascaronesNorthern New Mexico folkdance, 7-11 p.m., Santa FeCommunity Convention Center,201 W. Marcy St., $10; couples,$15; ages 6-18, $2; 983-7839.More events in Calendar, A-2and Fridays in Pasatiempo

TodayMostly sunny.High 69, low 41.

Page a-12

ObituariesPauline AnnetteMian Chakeres,72, Santa Fe,March 31Jocelyn Elder, 56,Santa Fe, Feb. 16Henry Lucero, 39,Santa Fe, March 31Phil R. Lucero, 84,Española, April 3

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state workers get raise in new budgetGovernor touts balance,trims more than $22 millionfrom $5.9 billion package

Chip Dunahugh of Santa Fe, No. 1 on the list of vertical feet logged at Ski Santa Fe, stops at the top of the Parachute run on Friday.The ski area’s last day will be Sunday. PHOTOS BY LUIS SÁNCHEZ SATURNO/THE NEW MEXICAN

By Nico RoeslerThe New Mexican

Two Santa Fe men facing meth-amphetamine-trafficking chargesalso have been charged in the theftof five vehicles from a CerrillosRoad car dealership in February.

Santa Fe police public informa-tion officer Celina Westervelt saidFriday that police believe Justin

Jameson, 30, and Angelo Rotunno,31, were key figures in the theft offive vehicles from Sierra Santa FeBuick GMC, 2721 Cerrillos Road,on Feb. 12. Both have also beennamed by state police as players in amethamphetamine-trafficking ringin Santa Fe.

Jameson was arrested Feb. 26 fol-lowing a two-month-long Region3 Drug Enforcement Task Forceoperation, according to state policeSgt. Emmanuel Gutierrez.

Gutierrez said almost a poundof methamphetamine — with anestimated street value of $12,000 —

was seized during the investigation,along with an ounce of cocaine, twostolen handguns and more than$4,200 in cash.

“The drugs were coming up fromMexico, and all the key players thatwere arrested were selling and dis-tributing them in the Albuquerqueand Santa Fe areas,” Gutierrez said.

State police, in cooperation withSanta Fe police, Santa Fe Countydeputies and the FBI, also arrestedand charged Rotunno, ChristopherCandelaria, 38, of Albuquerque, and

From left, Dunahugh, Ray Valdez, 10th on the list, andGary Reynolds, No. 2, all of Santa Fe, take a break at Tote-moff’s at the ski area on Friday. Sunday will be the lastday of operations for Santa Fe Ski.

Powder hounds scramble to make top of ‘vertical list’ at Ski Santa Fe

Season’s rite of passageBy Phaedra HaywoodThe New Mexican

T here is plenty of bluebird(blue sky), but not much pow-pow (fresh, light snow) at Ski

Santa Fe these days.The resort closes Sunday, and

spring conditions — warm daysand slushy snow — were in fulleffect Friday, when a group of localdie-hards gathered on the mid-mountain deck of Totemoff’s forlunch.

All powder hounds mourn theend of the season. But those whoparticipate in an informal competi-tion to ski the most vertical feetper season at the resort will havesomething to carry them through

the long, hot summer until flurriesfly again: bragging rights.

About eight years ago, the resortstarted digitally scanning guests’tickets as they boarded the lift asa way to gather attendance data,but season-pass holders known tothe lift operators would often blowright past them without gettingscanned.

Skier services manager CandyDeJoia said management decidedto encourage passholders to getscanned by giving them a chance totrack their vertical feet — as deter-mined by the length of each liftand the number of times the passwas scanned by an operator of that

East meets West in local doctor’s practiceDr. Joalie Davie integrates alternative therapies. LIfe & sCIenCe, a-8

FAA delaysshutdownof airporttowers

By Joan LowyThe Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The closings of control tow-ers at 149 small airports, due to begin this weekendbecause of government-wide spending cuts, are beingdelayed until mid-June, federal regulators announcedFriday.

The Santa Fe Municipal Airport was among thoseslated to lose air-traffic controllers in May, but airportDirector Jim Montman confirmed Friday that the facil-ity’s tower will remain open through at least June 15.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it needsmore time to deal with legal challenges to the clo-sures.

Also, about 50 airport authorities and other “stake-holders” have indicated they want to fund the opera-tions of the towers themselves rather than see themshut down, and more time will be needed to work outthose plans, the agency said in a statement.

Santa Fe officials, already planning for a flat munici-pal budget for the next fiscal year, have said paying fortower workers with local funds wouldn’t be easy.

The first 24 tower closures were scheduled to beginSunday, with the rest coming over the next few weeks.Obama administration officials have said the closuresare necessary to accomplish automatic spending cutsrequired by Congress.

Despite the delay, the FAA said it will stop fundingall 149 of the airport towers, which are operated byprivate contractors, on June 15. Under the new sched-ule, the closures will be implemented at once, ratherthan a gradual phase-in, as had been planned.

Late Friday, Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., said he wouldco-sponsor legislation that prohibited the FAA fromsuspending or terminating the operation of anyair-traffic control tower during fiscal year 2013 or2014, regardless of whether the tower is operated byFAA employees or federal contractors. The bill alsorequires the agency to resume operations for anytower closed before the bill is enacted.

“Air traffic controllers play a critical role in ensuringour pilots and passengers can fly safely in and out ofairports in New Mexico and across the country,” Udallsaid in a news release. “Closing any towers would havea detrimental effect on the health of local economies

Santa Fe air-traffic operation getsreprieve at least through mid-June

Police: Men sold meth, stole vehiclesProbe nets ‘key players’in alleged drug ring

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