Take young entrepreneurs, stir together with innovative ideas, mobile devices and generous amounts of social media, add the spice of vying for microgrants and mix well with fun. That’s the basic recipe for business development as created by a leading-edge economic development model called MIX Santa Fe.

Kate Noble, special projects administrator for the City of Santa Fe’s Economic Development Division, is actively involved with MIX Santa Fe. For her efforts in “bringing the spirit of entrepreneurship to city government,” Noble has been named the 2012 Ben Luján Public Servant of the Year. The award — aimed at elected officials and public employees — was presented by the statewide economic organization, New Mexico IDEA. Noble, a Santa Fe native, has been with the Economic Development Division for almost five years.

Joseph Mondragon recently earned the title of Best All Around Operator at the New Mexico Department of Transportation’s 2012 State Equipment Road’eo. Mondragon, a member of NMDOT’s District Five Peñasco Patrol, outperformed 23 other New Mexico heavy equipment operators at the annual competition held this year in Roswell.

Mondragon and his team also took home the Commissioner’s Cup for the highest scores in the safe and skillful use of dump trucks, backhoes, front-end loaders and motor-graders. Along with Mondragon, District Five’s team included Dennis Valdez of the chip seal crew, Nelson Terrazas of the bridge crew and Fermin Maes of the Tierra Amarilla Patrol. This is the second year in a row District Five has won the Commissioner’s Cup.

The District Five Ojo Caliente Highway Maintenance Patrol was recently honored for its “good work and service to the local communities.” Patrol foreman Lawrence Aragon accepted a plaque from the Rio Arriba County Board of Commissioners at the board’s Dec. 6 meeting. The Ojo Caliente Patrol consists of Aragon, Bernie Trujillo, Martin Rivera, Leandro Campos, Steve Chavez and Harold Goodnight.

The staff at Cerrillos Hills State Park invites the public to a Holiday Open House from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 19, at the park’s visitor center on Main Street in Cerrillos. Seasonal refreshments will be on hand, and the park staff has almost completed their naughty and nice list. “Come see if you rate a sugarplum or a lump of coal,” said park manager Sarah Wood.

Wood added that the gift shop in the visitor center has great ideas for holiday gift giving, including gemstone samples, local books, walking sticks, water bottles and notecards by local artists. The visitor center and gift shop are open from 2 to 4 p.m. daily. For more information, call 474-0196.

If you have news about a public employee, contact Gussie Fauntleroy at gussie7@fairpoint.net