Something To Brag About; ABQ Sunport Ranked Among The Best In USA, Plus: Sandia Layoffs; They Happened Before, And: Happy Fourth, New Mexico

We've often bragged about ABQ's airport over the years, citing its convenience, cleanliness, aesthetic beauty and overall excellence. (And with our state's rankings so often in the cellar we are thankful for the talking point).  

Now as the peak vacation travel season gets going, we're glad to see that view shared by the Washington Post as they rank the ABQ International Sunport the nation's seventh best on their top fifty list. An excerpt:

Few airports embody their location more than the Sunport, a study in the Southwestern aesthetic. The adobe-style terminal feels like it belongs in a local pueblo rather than the gateway to New Mexico. Take a moment in the Great Hall after check-in to soak in the vibe on one of the airport’s wood-and-leather chairs or benches. It’s “totally New Mexico,” as one reader put it. 

Look up and take in the ceiling’s decorated wood beams, or vigas. Check out the Cavalcade of Wings’s more than 900 aircraft models before going through TSA. Stop in the new food court after TSA for a cup of piñon coffee, a brew flavored with the nut of the tree that grows in the high desert. Drink it under Lincoln Fox’s impressive “Dream of Flight” sculpture. Then pick up some red or green chile before heading to the gate. 

Fliers love ♥ Murals in the Great Hall from Native American artist Pop Chalee that depict buffalo and horses. Close to the city, it’s 5 miles from Albuquerque’s city hall.

Congrats to all the Sunport staff, especially the maintenance division whose work is consistently outstanding. We could not ask for a better gateway to the Land of Enchantment and now the nation knows. 

BOTTOM LINES & HAPPY FOURTH

About those layoffs at Sandia National Labs that we reported of this week and where we said that they appeared to be the first in "living memory," we get this from reader Michael Emerson: 

Joe, see page 11 of this report this on Sandia's history: 

. . .From 1970 to 1974, national budgets for research and development declined by nearly a third.” Federally funded nondefense research and development had undergone a 22 percent reduction from 1966 to 1975 due to the costs of the Vietnam War. This reduced funding resulted in three personnel layoffs at Sandia in 1970, 1971, and 1973.

Those layoffs were massive (something like 15-20% were let go) and traumatic for the city. I was in elementary school at the time and vividly remember hearing of fathers of classmates losing their jobs. The handling of the layoffs led to class action age discrimination lawsuits resulting in Sandia rehiring employees in the early 1980s. 

As a result of the 1970s layoffs, Sandia has avoided the practice and the use of the term “layoffs."

Great stuff, Michael. In this case "living memory" is for those under the age of 60. . .

In a first draft Wednesday we stated that Dem land commission candidate Juan Sanchez did not mention Sen. Martin Heinrich, who has endorsed his candidacy, on his website. That was an oversight. The senator is mentioned on Sanchez's bio page as well as the endorsement section. 

That's it for now. Happy Fourth, New Mexico.  Frank, fly us out of here. . .from the Sunport.

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