Hundreds attend memorial for Senate leader

A DAY OF MOURNING AND MEMORIES AT THE STATE CAPITOL ON THIS LAST DAY OF 2007 PEOPLE GATHERED TO PAY RESPECTS TO A NEW MEXICO POLITICAL LEADER WITH A QUIET AND STEADY STYLE STUART DYSON IN SANTA FE AT THE CAPITOL WHERE TODAY WAS ALL ABOUT BEN ALTAMIRANO WE RE HERE IN THE SENATE CHAMBER - WHERE ALTAMIRANO WAS PRESIDENT PRO TEM - A GENTLEMANLY LEADER FOR A LEGISLATIVE CHAMBER WHERE FIREWORKS FLY AND WORDS ARE SOMETIMES THROWN LIKE GRENADES PKG SCRIPT THE BODY OF STATE SENATOR BEN ALTAMIRANO LAY IN ITS FLAG-DRAPED COFFIN ALL DAY LONG IN THE CAPITOL ROTUNDA WHILE HUNDREDS PAID LAST RESPECTS THE SILVER CITY DEMOCRAT DIED LAST THURSDAY NIGHT AT AGE 77 - CAUSE STILL UNKNOWN BUT HE DID SUFFER A HEART ATTACK SEVERAL YEARS AGO FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES - IN THIS CASE THEY REALLY ARE THE SAME THING - REMEMBER HIS THIRTY SIX YEARS OF SERVICE IN THE SENATE Because I think this is about New Mexico - this is what our state is - it s about people who care - people who have the compassion - who care about their fellow man FOR ALTAMIRANO IT WAS CLOSE TO FOUR DECADES OF GRUELLING LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS - MARATHON BUDGET HEARINGS - ALL OF IT A LONG DRIVE FROM SILVER CITY AND ALL OF IT ON NO PAY - JUST A DAILY EXPENSE ALLOWANCE Senator Altamirano was a man of distinction - a man of honor - and for his family - thank you very much for giving us him for 35 years BENNY IS WHAT EVERYBODY CALLED HIM - AND FOR BENNY IT WAS ONE MORE DAY AT THE CAPITOL - ONE LAST TIME FUNERAL MASS IN SILVER CITY THURSDAY MORNING AT TEN - ST VINCENT DE PAUL CHURCH AT CAPITOL SD EWN4 RIGHT NOW