DAILY LOBO new mexico
June 28 - July 5, 2010
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summer The Independent Voice of UNM since 1895
IT project to cause network outage by Chelsea Erven Daily Lobo
by Leah Valencia and Shaun Griswold Daily Lobo n arsonist struck at the Sigma Chi House at 1850 Campus Blvd. N.E. early June 10, Albuquerque Fire Department officials said. It was the ninth fire at this location in the last two years. AFD Captain Michael Paiz said AFD is investigating to find the person responsible.
All nine fires took place in the early morning between 1 and 4 a.m., but AFD has not released the names of any suspects, Paiz said. Investigators installed cameras in the house after a fire on Nov. 11, 2008. On Nov. 17, 2009 the cameras recorded one intruder, but investigators said they were not able to identify a suspect.
In December 2009, the AFD investigators removed the cameras. “We couldn’t see. The person went in undetected,” Paiz said. “The fire was on the opposite side of the building where the cameras were installed.” The Sigma Chi House has sustained over $50,000 in damage as a result of the nine fires. Paiz said AFD is offering a $2,000 reward any information that leads to an arrest.
The Information Technologies Department will be shutting down power to various buildings throughout late June and early July as part of an effort to strengthen the UNM network. IT Chief Information Officer Gilbert Gonzales said replacing network switches that are no longer efficient will ensure continued network availability, reliability, security and speed. “These switches have been running for five or more years,” Gonzales said. “And what happens is that when they start getting old, the company will not support them, which means we can’t get anyone to maintain them anymore and they have to be replaced.” The improved network will be up and running after the IT Department refreshes and upgrades the system, said Vanessa Baca, the IT department’s communication director. The network upgrade will include replacing old network switches in some of the main campus buildings as well as implementing enhanced security features, she said. The network switch is a device that manages the sharing of multiple computers or networks on the same data connection. Baca said the upgrade is the first
The schedule of building power outages and subsequent switch replacements is as follows. All outages will occur between 7 a.m. and noon. Hokona/Zuni Halls June 29, 2010 Latin American Institute June 29, 2010 Physics and Astronomy July 6, 2010 South Golf Course July 8, 2010 Mesa Vista Hall July 13, 2010 UNM School of Law July 20, 2010 Student Union Building July 27, 2010 CERIA SW Biology Aug. 3, 2010 phase of a multi-million-dollar network refresh effort. “The main-campus network up-
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Marshal: Fireworks too risky in dry areas by Tricia Remark Daily Lobo
Fire scorches downtown building by Kallie Red-Horse Daily Lobo
A fire at 1301 Broadway Blvd. N.E. broke out last Wednesday evening in a building that houses three businesses: Cross Country Auto Parts, TMM Business Records Storage and Factory Motor Parts. The flames were confined to TMM’s portion of the building by Thursday, said Melissa Romero, Albuquerque Fire Department spokeswoman. “High winds were a challenge during the first night in the extinguishment of the fire,” she said. “AFD firefighters made tremendous progress through the night and into the next day. The fire was contained to the TMM Business Records Storage portion of the building and sustained most of the damage.”
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Daily Lobo volume 114
issue 158
TMM representatives declined to comment on the fire. Joe Morris, owner of Commercial Warehouse Co. across the street, said he was concerned for his business when he heard about the fire. “I got a call on Wednesday night from some friends, because they knew I had a business over here,” he said. “They thought I might ought to know about it. I drove down that night and saw it — it was just terrible.” The scene Wednesday night was chaotic, Morris said. “The amount of smoke that we could see from the house alone was huge,” he said. “But it was nothing compared to actually being there. It was like a nightmare. The whole top of the roof was on fire, and it is a pretty large building.” But AFD acted efficiently to stop
the blaze, Morris said. “The amount of water that was dumped on that fire was immense,” he said. “One hose was pumping 2,000 gallons a minute and then two other hoses were pumping 1,000 gallons a minute. That is 4,000 gallons a minute for almost 20 hours.” Though the fire continued to burn through Saturday, the flames were minimal and no injuries were reported, Romero said. “As of (Friday, June 25), the scene has decreased to the parking lot of the fire building,” she said. “Seven AFD units remain on scene to extinguish any flare ups or hot spots.” Determining the source of the flames is of utmost importance to the city, Romero said, and the Bu-
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A ban on fireworks in certain areas of Bernalillo County went into effect Wednesday, just in time for the Fourth of July. No fireworks, including sparklers and fountains, are allowed in areas east of Tramway Boulevard to the west face of the Sandias, the East Mountains and the Rio Grande Bosque, said Chris Gober, Bernalillo County fire marshal. “Wildlife, trees and grasses — that’s starting to dry out and getting to a critical level, so we’re trying to limit the number of human-caused wildfires,” he said. Gober said there are between 30 and 40 wildfires caused by fireworks every year, which is why the county implemented the ban. He said recent dry weather increases the fire risk. “If we don’t get any really good moisture within the next couple weeks, the fire potential will probably become extreme,” he said. He said the ban was also in effect last year around July 4. Sandoval County is under a similar ban, he said. He said only “safe and sane” fireworks should be used in unrestricted areas of Bernalillo County. “Safe and sane” are fireworks
Artist Ave.
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that don’t go more than 10 feet high and stay within a 6-foot-diameter circle, he said. The City of Albuquerque also issued fireworks restrictions against all “aerial and ground audible devices,” including roman candles and firecrackers. People caught with illegal fireworks will get a citation, must appear in court and can receive fines up to $500 and jail time, according to the City of Albuquerque website. Gober said he hasn’t received any complaints about the restrictions. He said community members are more concerned that fireworks are still legal in Bernalillo County. Jennifer Pavis, manager of Phantom Fireworks in Hidalgo County, said the store sells fireworks that aren’t “safe and sane” because Hidalgo has different regulations. She said Phantom still encourages all buyers to practice safe firework use. “When people come in we give them a safety flier,” she said. “After you finish with your fireworks, make sure you dump water on it to make sure it’s completely out.” Scott Scanland, a lobbyist for Tent Fireworks in Albuquerque, said the store only stocks “safe and sane,” but it’s up to the buyer to use fireworks in approved areas. He said
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