With the holiday season upon us, it's a perfect time not just to give thanks, but to keep on giving. Elsewhere in this issue, Debbra O'Hara examines how New Mexico is struggling to take advantage of the great growth opportunities along our border with New Mexico. Ralph Odenwald describes the challenge facing Qwest and Valor Telecom. They are picking up the pieces left behind by US West and GTE, which left behind a legacy of customer complaints and hostile relations with the state regulators who oversee the telecommunications industry. In this issue we also examine the impact of tourism on the state economy.
Numbers are up, despite the lack of snow last year.
At press time, we have already had a few heavy snows in the mountains, which is a good sign for an even better year in tourism. And speaking of impact on the economy, Shawn Shepherd explores the role of our national laboratories and other research institutions in supporting the New Economy in New Mexico. It has long been a truism that these technology centers have a spin-off effect that invigorates business and industry throughout the state. Shepherd finds that the science of the labs will be a cornerstone of our economic growth in years to come. In Master Builder, Joy Dickinson examines how the planning process has joined architecture as one of the critical elements for a successful project.