After months of hard work students from seven schools around the state are getting to race their hand-built solar-powered model cars.

The 2013 Zia Solar Car Race is being held today at the Explora museum in Albuquerque.

The event is sponsored by PNM.

Employees there worked with the students on the design and the solar-powered aspect of the cars.

The Patriot Guard Riders are joining in services today remembering a member of the Walatowa Veterans Association.

Vietnam War veteran Johnny Toya of Jemez Pueblo died Saturday.  He was 67.

Funeral Mass was said late this morning.  The Riders were then to accompany the procession to the Santa Fe National Cemetery for services there at 3 p.m.

A series of meetings to gather comments and ideas on bus rapid transit in Albuquerque begins tonight and continues through the end of the month.

This is the second round of sessions after meetings in November and December came up with ideas for passenger convenience that included:

• Boarding platforms level with the floor of the bus, easing and speeding the boarding process.
• Off-bus fare collection enabling riders to purchase tickets outside the bus, reducing waiting time to get on the bus.
• A smart signal system, allowing buses to communicate with traffic signals and reducing delays.

Now the process is looking at two basic alternatives for setting up a system with the existing confines of Central Avenue.  Among those issues are configuring dedicated bus lanes and the considerations that go into selecting good stations locations.

The schedule of public meetings is:

• Tuesday, May 7, 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m.: Old Main Library – Special Collections, Botts Hall – 423 Central NE
• Wednesday, May 8, 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m.: Mesa Verde Community Center – 7900 Marquette NE
• Tuesday, May 14, 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m.: Loma Linda Community Center – 1700 Yale SE
• Wednesday, May 22, 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m.: Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center – 501 Elizabeth SE
• Tuesday, May 28, 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m.: Alamosa Community Center– 6900 Gonzales Rd SW
• Wednesday, May 29, 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. :Albuquerque Museum of Art and History, Ventana Salon – 2000 Mountain NW

A full complement of participants will pound the pavement near downtown Sunday for the annual Run for the Zoo.

All events are sold out guaranteeing about 12,000 runners and walkers generating traffic delays along the routes of the 1-mile fun run and walk and the 5k, 10k and half-marathon events.

The start line is on Eighth Street SW at Tingley Field with five events starting from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. The event courses use city streets and zoo and bosque trails.

Numerous streets will be closed from 6 a.m. to noon including all of Tingley Drive SW and  many in the Country Club and zoo neighborhoods bounded by Tingley, Kit Carson, Laguna, Park and 10th streets.  The half marathon will use the bosque bike trail from near Tingley and Central Ave. SW south to the turnaround near Rio Bravo Boulevard SW.

Entry fees benefit the ABQ BioPark facilities including the zoo, aquarium, botanic garden and Tingley Beach.

A group of University of New Mexico students will be raising money this weekend to help children with cancer.

It’s part of the 11th Annual St. Baldrick’s Day.

About 200 people who’ve collected donations will shave their heads.

The fundraiser typically raises more than $60,000 that is all donated to UNM Children’s Hospital.

The event is Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. at the Children’s Hospital, 2211 Lomas NE.