THE PAST 100 YEARS

From The Santa Fe New Mexican:

Jan. 31, 1923: A primary bill, different from any previous offering in this line, was to be introduced in the senate today by Democratic Floor Leader Zinn.

Unlike any other primary measure so far introduced, a series of weeding out, or elimination, conventions, precinct, county, district and state, is provided for in this bill.

Jan. 31, 1948: Purchase of the 880-acre Breese ranch near Glorieta has been authorized by the executive board of the Baptist Convention of New Mexico, the Rev. Clint Irwin, pastor of the First Baptist church of Santa Fe, announced today. The site is to be offered to the Southern Baptist convention as a western assembly and summer conference grounds.

The consideration, including a sixroom ranch house and dairy barn, is $50,000.

The Southern Baptist convention, if it takes over, will make an initial expenditure of at least $1 million for improvements, the Rev. Mr. Irwin said.

Jan. 31, 1973: The formation of an energy division, to concentrate all energy related research and development at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, was announced today by LASL Director Dr. Harold M. Agnew.

... “I believe it is time to concentrate our energy related efforts under a single laboratory division. LASL’s strong multidisciplinary scientific staff and the proximity of the Valles Calederas, which can become an outdoor laboratory for geothermal research, are among the many positive factors which make LASL well suited for energy research and make likely important LASL contributions towards solving some of our national energy problems.”

Jan. 31, 1998: Five-term Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Schiff said Friday that he needs to focus on surviving cancer and will not seek re-election.

The announcement opened up a floodgate of speculation about who will run for what is now an open seat in New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District, centered in Albuquerque.