Op-eds like this one by Tim Rutten blame the U.S./us for the horrific gang action.   This article instills some fear factor by trailing the dark side of Cancun.

I read a bunch of these articles over the weekend and really appreciated this one about the small town of Columbus, New Mexico.  Scott Kraft paints a portrait of daily life in this sleepy border town 30 miles south of Deming, just north of Mexican border town of Palomas and the Three Sisters mountains.  If you Google Map Columbus you can see just how remote it is.

Columbus’s most notable claim to fame occurred in 1916 when Francisco “Pancho” Villa attacked the town, practically leveled it, and escaped back to Mexico never being captured.   Prior to September 11th this was the only place in the continental U.S. having experienced an invasion by a foreign army.  (“Continential” qualifier to exclude Pearl Harbor.)

Kraft describes the relationship between the two cities, and it’s unfortunate turn for the worse over the recent years.  Read “Border Drug War is Too Close For Comfort.”

It’s understandable that with horrific stories of beheadings and other unbelievely incredible  horror stories that travelers would be deterred from enjoying time across the border.  Even if the majority of incidents only affect those involved, (or sadly decent law enforcerment,) it still doesn’t put the casual tourist’s mind at easy.   Warnings are out to the standard vacation spots too, which even if Americanized and not the “real” Mexico still support tourism and bring in a ton of money to the locals.  And the border towns are suffering even more, with daytrippers choosing to forgo their Tijuana tequila binges or pharmaceutical stockpiling excursions.

As recently as December I flew to Cancun and drove down the coast for some scuba diving south of Playa del Carmen, then visited some ruins near Valladolid.  I felt completely safe tooling around the back roads of Mexico – but if I feel a bit wary and sad after reading this stuff I can only imagine what “Joe All Inclusive” might think about a future trip to Mexico.

I’m headed to Puerto Vallarta later this month, (speaking of touristy stuff.)  I found an airfare that would have allowed a day and night in Mexico City, but ended up flying with friends who don’t have such an interest in the bustling metropolis.  So maybe next time…

Meanwhile for the sake of tourism, travel, and cross-culture, I certainly hope that things reverse course muy pronto.  (Quick Spanish lesson:  that last sentence would call for the subjuntive.)

An additional note:   Steven F. Havill writes a series of books set in fictional “Posadas County” New Mexico, which follow affable undersherrif Bill Gastner.   I think I’ve read every one (that the library has,) over the past few years.    It’s not Tom Clancy, and they’re fairly simple reads, but I really like the characters and setting.

Between eating burritos at the Don Juan de Onate and hanging out with Estelle and his god kids, Gastner finds himself in one crazy mystery after another.  After reading this article I can’t help wondering if Columbus was the inspiration for Havill’s “Posadas County”

Oh and it turns out a new one was published in November, titled “Fourth Time is Murder.”

Photos from Scott Kraft’s L.A. Times article, and B&N.com    by James Van Dellen

The Very Large Array is located in Magdalena, New Mexico, about 35 miles west of Socorro on highway 60.   The sped up videos of these satellite dishes moving harmoniously in sequence have been featured in countless commercials, and the photos of the dishes are seen on stock images everywhere – despite the relevance to the application or product.

With radio astronomy being the key element of research at the VLA the dishes are loaned to scientific and educational institutions throughout the year.  Organizations submit an application to use the dishes for a select amount of days or weeks.  If and when approved their time is allocated based on what time of year the dish configuration suits them.  

The satellite dishes are moved on railroad tracks in a “Y” formation, each leg extending 14 miles into the valley.  The dish configuration changes four times a year.   When “bunched together” they return signals from our closer interstellar neighbors, and at their most outward extension they return signals from the furthest possible reaches of space.  Most photographs are shown at the configuration closest together.

A walking tour is available during daylight hours, and when I was there the facility was conducting sporadic guided tours depending on the time or year.  We were fortunate enough to have a guide take our group of about 10 around the main station building and the maintenance hanger where we viewed one satellite dish up close.  In reviewing their site it appears guide tours are now offered just twice per year.

While the applications are of the most high tech and futuristic nature, unfortunately the computer systems that run them are ancient.  During my visit in 2002 our guide explained the difficulty of obtaining replacement parts for various systems.  The 1970s technology still churns away, and it reminds me of photos from the soon to be retired space shuttle electronics.  I think my iPhone today has more computing power.   Just another reason to stand behind our leaders who support science and technology exploration. 

The VLA’s largest pop culture role came from the 1997 film “Contact” in which Jodie Foster plays a scientist based at the VLA before being recruited to take an intergalactic trip through a wormhole.   Our guide dropped a few Jodie Foster stories, including how the children featured in the film’s final scene, (where she returns to work at the VLA,) were students from the local village of Magdalena.

If you’re a science geek like myself and roaming the desolate portions of interstate 25 through southern New Mexico the Very Large Array is an interesting detour and a unique peek into how we are able to “see” into the vast universe via radio signals.

Interior photo from the VLA Virtual Tour, created by Socorro High School.  Check out their photos too!  Official site at www.vla.nrao.edu

by James Van Dellen

The positives and negatives of the new Albuquerque – Santa Fe Rail Runner heavy rail line, slated to open this fall, are discussed – namely the changes it will bring to the corridor, along with reinstated airline service from Dallas and Los Angeles. I don’t see any negatives with improving access to Santa Fe. One of the geographical points of Northern New Mexico, positive or negative, is the remoteness. Even though Santa Fe sits only 65 miles north of Albuquerque it still has a sense of isolation when traveling on interstate 25 through the reddish hills, seeing the city lights fade away in the rear view mirror.

What’s lamented in the article is that some still see the town as “nothing more than a giant art gallery,” and want to bring new attractions and interest to the city. This is often at odds with preservationists. Basically tradition versus change. Many locals don’t want to see their town stray from its roots, but local business leaders realize change is necessary to keep tourists returning and lure in new ones.

The changes have rekindled a debate among locals over tourism and the city’s image. Some insist that preserving Spanish and pueblo influences is critical to preserving its appeal. Others call the touristy parts of town “Santa Fake” and say the manufactured look appeals to only some visitors. “People might come to see that once, but why would they ever come back if it’s static?” says Laura Steward Heon, director of Site Santa Fe. “It should just be put under a glass snow globe.”

Another issue is the housing and retail development that’s beginning to fill in the area between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. A few years have passed since I’ve last driven this stretch, but having traveled it on occasion between 1999 and 2005 I certainly appreciate the wide open spaces it offers. I would never want to see a continuous snake of ubiquitous retail pre-fabs and asphalt parking lots filling in the open areas like locust. But growth is inevitable, so now the responsibility falls on local leaders to ensure they don’t sell out their unique cultural look and heritage to developers who are hard pressed to bend their designs to match regional locales. (Remind to write about Rivertown Crossing in Grandville, Michigan.)

The concern about this corridor reminds me of the 65 miles that separate Denver and Fort Collins. Older folks I talk with tell me when everything north of Thornton was nothing but farms, and the only stop for food and gas was the famous Johnson’s Corner near highway 34. Now the area doesn’t appear much different than the 405 between Long Beach and El Toro.

Change happens. The new Rail Runner link will bring improved access for residents who live in Santa Fe and work in Albuquerque, and make it easy for tourists to travel to Santa Fe from points south. Growth will happen. This area is unique, and I hope the growth will maintain the characteristics of the area and complement its beauty, rather than end up like so many highway off-ramps and suburban beltways in our country.

And hopefully someday there will still be space “to open up a restaurant in Santa Fe….”

photo of the Santa Fe Rail Runner Terminal – From WSJ.

By James Van Dellen