Wes Naman

The mayor plans to re-stripe Montaño to four lanes, but some say the project could do more harm than good

There may not be a single road in Albuquerque that has been more controversial than Montaño. Be it neighborhood angst over the laying down of the very road itself and the construction of Montaño Bridge, or protesters lying in the dirt to keep bulldozers at bay when a developer came to build Universe Boulevard, every time the city announces plans to change the corridor in some way, neighborhood residents and historic-preservation groups have been there to oppose it. Now, it seems as though Montaño, that road with a knack for stirring up trouble, is at it again. Only this time, it's getting folks all riled up over a brand new paint job.

Letters

Wes Naman

On Oct. 17, subdued councilors met after the recent, balance-shifting municipal election. Not that party labels have meant much recently, with a Democratic mayor depending on Republicans for automatic support. Maybe more appropriate, if oversimplified, categories would be “Corporatists” versus “Populists.” The Alibi waits with great interest to see whether the city will now get more Pop grassroots or more Corp trickledown.

Bush's new Medicare bill could lead to further cutbacks for the poor

It doesn't seem possible, but the Bush Administration has just managed to mess up what was just about the only positive aspect of the new Medicare Prescription bill. Now it has absolutely no redeeming qualities.

Batter-up in the World Series of wilderness

The last time we succeeded in setting aside a few acres of our state's disappearing wilderness, we had a president who joked that trees cause pollution. So here's great news: Congress has passed the Ojito Wilderness Act, the first New Mexico wilderness legislation since 1986.

Dateline: Belgium—If you are in Belgium, whatever you do, don't take a leek. Belgian police warned thieves last Saturday not to use any of the 500 pounds worth of leeks stolen from a vegetable farm in the West Flanders town of Izegem. Leeks are the primary ingredient in Vichyssoise soup, but police say the recently purloined vegetables should have stayed in the ground another six weeks to be safe after treatment with toxic pesticides. According to the Belga news agency, consumers have been warned not to eat any leeks with a “strange smell.”