THE PAST 100 YEARS

From The Santa Fe New Mexican:

Jan. 10, 1924: The recent snow storms, piling up the frozen moisture nor use in the summer, are a source of great satisfaction to New Mexicans who still remember the awful drought of 1922, with its numerous echoes of bank and cattle ranch failures.

Jan. 10, 1949: Rep. John Simms Jr. went after support for speaker of the house today armed with a statement of “no opposition” from Governor Mabry.

At the same time men prominent in the governor’s organization — State Democratic Chairman Bryan Johnson, Corporation Commissioner Dan Sedillo, State Liquor Director Tom Montoya, Revenue Commissioner Victor Salazar — were putting on a nut-cracker squeeze to beat Simms and install Rep. Theo Rozell of Clovis.

Jan. 10, 1974: Edward L. “Gonzo” Gonzales was appointed to the City Council last night with a legal question of his eligibility to hold office apparently still unresolved.

Gonzales was appointed under and interpretation of state law that could have far-reaching effects in city elections by freeing more than 2,000 state employees against serving on the council.

Or, as Gonzales himself suggested, he could be faced fairly soon with an attorney general’s opinion that would require his resignation.

Jan. 10, 1999: The Santa Fe City Council will vote next week on a resolution that would seek to prohibit the use of city resources to identify or apprehend illegal immigrants.

Sponsors have backed away from a controversial earlier draft of the resolution that would have labeled the city an immigrant “safety zone.” And while many see the measure as mostly symbolic, some hope it will raise community awareness of immigrants’ local contributions and experiences with discrimination.