I recently spent some time in New Mexico. My travels through the state gave me the chance to touch base with many of my constituents and energized me as I returned to Washington. I look forward to my next visit, but until then I hope you'll take a few minutes to read through this edition of The Domenici Report. Enclosed you'll find an update on Las Cruces' new court house, information on the recent switch to daylight savings time, and the best way to contact my office for help. I am also excited to show you some of the great things my spring student interns have been up to during their time in my Washington D.C. office. I hope you enjoy!

Sincerely,

After years of work, I was more than pleased to help break ground for the new federal courthouse in Las Cruces.

Shoveling a little sand at the building site marked an important step in alleviating some of the problems faced by the federal judiciary in New Mexico.

In recent years, New Mexico and the rest of the southern border region have been overwhelmed with federal criminal immigration and drug cases. I have personally heard from many judges about their overwhelming caseloads. Some federal judges must travel 200 to 300 miles to hear cases in Las Cruces, and mass arraignments are often held because there are so many defendants in the system.

Our federal judges need adequate space and technology to handle their caseloads, so I am proud to have obtained funding for the construction of the new five-story, 237,000-square-foot courthouse. I believe it will help provide much needed relief for our federal judiciary system.

I am pleased about Las Cruces' new federal courthouse, but it alone will not solve the federal judiciary's problems in southern New Mexico. This is why I have also introduced legislation (S.389) to authorize 11 new permanent and temporary judgeships for districts along the Southwest Border that are experiencing heavy immigration caseloads. Under this legislation, New Mexico would receive one permanent and one temporary federal district judge.

I hope to achieve quick passage of this legislation and will continue to look for every possible way to address the problems facing our federal judges in New Mexico.

This week, Americans across the country had to roll out of bed an hour earlier as the nation moved into daylight saving time (DST) a full three weeks earlier than usual. The extended DST-from March 11 to November 4-came about as one of the energy-saving provisions written into the Energy Policy Act (EPAct) of 2005.

When President Bush signed EPAct into law in New Mexico in August 2005, he enacted a bipartisan effort to advance a national energy policy. It was the first such law in nearly 13 years, and it took a lot of give and take on all sides to get done.

The provision to expand DST by four weeks was initiated in the House of Representatives and became part of the final EPAct as part of the compromise required to reach a final agreement.

Proponents of the idea have argued that with more daylight hours, people will be more active outside and thereby conserve energy that might otherwise be consumed indoors. Proponents also say increased daylight improves highway safety.

EPAct requires the Energy Secretary to give Congress a report nine months after March 11 on the impact the extended DST may have had on energy consumption in the United States. Congress retains the right to revert DST back to the 2005 time schedules once the study is complete. I look forward to reviewing the results of this report, and will do so with the thoughts of New Mexicans in mind.

When it comes to high school athletics, Character Counts should not only apply to the student athletes, but also the coaches and the parents in the stands. "Doing the right thing" means practicing Respect, Responsibility, Trustworthiness, Citizenship, Fairness, and Caring, even in the heat of the game or the excitement of cheering for your kids.

Character Counts promotes "Pursuing Victory with Honor," which is New Mexico Activities Association's (NMAA) program created for student athletes and coaches. The program's character building training includes instruction to help coaches and parents be proper role models for young people. The NMAA has taken the program to every school district in the state.

Up to 40,000 New Mexicans come to Albuquerque each March to celebrate the end of the high school basketball season. This year the big basketball tournament at the UNM Pit highlighted the student athletes and coaches who earned "Pursuing Victory with Honor" awards for showing their true colors on and off the court!

The New Mexico Activities Association "Pursuing Victory with Honor"

Sportsmanship Awards this year go to:

- David Byrd, Dulce High School
- Rayla Doty, Aztec High School
- Alicia Garcia, Mora High School
- Ryan Gonzales, Pojoaque High School
- Estrella Lopez, Peñasco High School
- Adam Martinez, Escalante High School
- Jessica Montoya, Pojoaque High
   School
- Tori Northcutt, Clovis High School
- Casey O'Connor, Dora High School
- Cruz Sedillo, Cibola High School
- Martin Visarraga, Peñasco High School
- Kevin Wilcox, Farmington High School

The Adult awards go to:

- Sid Black, Melrose High School
- Robbie Garcia, Española High School
- JoJo Padilla, Santa Fe High school

The Team Sportsmanship Awards belong to:

Aztec High School Volleyball Team, and Questa High School Football team.

Once again, I am deeply honored to salute my remarkable New Mexico neighbors. I am always pleased to recognize these young people who are walking the walk and talking the talk of Character Counts!

Cancer is a scary word. And when the diagnosis hits your family, trying to find the right treatment can be even more frightening and overwhelming.

Casa Esperanza has long been an oasis-a home away from home-for cancer patients and their families from around New Mexico who must spend time in Albuquerque to find recovery and cures. Casa Esperanza has now expanded its loving care with the Patient Navigation and Survivor Services program.

When the diagnosis is cancer, Casa Esperanza will help you learn about treatment options, resources, and services at no cost to you. You can start from your own home in Las Cruces, Roswell or Tatum by contacting lmarchand@casaesperanzanm.org, or by calling (505) 277-9882.

Casa Esperanza has a remarkable, experienced staff to help you make the right decisions about options for your family.

It has been a great pleasure to devote some of my resources and staff to working with Casa Esperanza over the last few months. In its 14 years of operation, more than 20,000 New Mexicans have made Casa Esperanza their "home away from home" at an affordable cost. I am happy to support the foundation's annual fundraiser on April 14.

This event is an incredible auction of Hope Chests decorated by some of New Mexico's most noted artists. The one pictured is by our great state treasure, Amado Peña. For more information, visit casaesperanzanm.org.

Every day, more and more people are beating cancer-and it's because of great organizations in our state like Casa Esperanza. I hope you'll take the time to see how you can support the efforts of this vital organization!

For many in New Mexico, this is the holiest of seasons. Most New Mexicans will mark Passover and Easter with church, synagogue and family.

Passover is an eight-day celebration of the Jewish Exodus from Egypt and brings many New Mexico Jewish families together.

Thousands of New Mexicans will devote their Easter weekend to religious pilgrimage.

Many people observe this season with a walk to Chimayo in northern New Mexico. The faithful flock there because they believe in the healing powers of El Santuario de Chimayo, a nearly 200-year-old shrine.

In central New Mexico, the Easter season means a hike up Tome Hill in Valencia County. Tome Hill State Park is along the Camino Real and La Puerta del Sol between Belen and Los Lunas. Hundreds make the Good Friday climb to crosses at the top of the hill, but it's a beautiful setting for reflection and inspiration all year.

After a long, cold winter, the rites of spring are enriched with the upcoming Passover and Easter holidays across the Land of Enchantment.

The Northern Aplomado Falcon once thrived throughout the Southwest. However, after the 1930s its population numbers began to steadily decline. In fact, the last known breeding of this species occurred near Deming back in 1952.

However, after a great deal of planning and in an effort to facilitate recovery of the

species, the Northern Aplomado Falcon was reintroduced to New Mexico's skies last year.

In a partnership between the Peregrine Fund, the Department of Interior, and private land owners, 11 falcons were released on the Armenderis Ranch located east of Truth or Consequences.
For over a decade, I have strongly supported the Peregrine Fund's work to conserve birds of prey like the Northern Aplomado Falcon.

If you would like more information about the Peregrine Fund visit this link, and its work on the Aplomado Falcon project.

Domenici's Spring Semester interns recently spent a day with "Food and

Friends," a Washington, D.C., organization that helps folks in need. Michelle Miller, ENMU; Kristen Woodruff, UNM; William Cole Perrin, ENMU; and Gregory Murphy, Notre Dame University, volunteered with the organization that feeds 2,300 people with terminal illnesses daily. This kind of service helps young people learn how great it feels to give back to the community.

In 2006, more than 1,700 New Mexicans contacted my field offices seeking help for problems they were experiencing with federal agencies. These problems included Social Security, the IRS, postal service and many others.

If you need help, please write me a letter or fill out the privacy release form on my website.

Be sure to include your Social Security number and case number, or any other identifier which will assist me in making an inquiry on your behalf. You can email your completed privacy form through my website. You may also fax or mail your letter and/or privacy form to your nearest Domenici field office. My staff can then handle your case until it is resolved.

Traveling through southern New Mexico, just north of Tularosa, you will find an amazing concentration of petroglyphs at the Three Rivers Petroglyph Site.

The site displays glyphs of sheep, birds, humans, and other geometric designs that were created by the Jornada Mogollon

people between about 900 and 1400 AD.

The glyphs were made by using stone tools on the exterior of the rock.

The site is not a long hike, but with the concentration of the petroglyphs, you can easily spot several of them almost every step of the way. There is information at the site's visitor center about the designs, but many of them are open to your own interpretation!

The Three Rivers Petroglyph site is 17 miles north of Tularosa, and 28 miles south of Carrizozo, off of Highway 54.

For more information, visit the Bureau of Land Management website.