Roswell Daily Record
Boomer Expo delights
Vol. 122, No. 42 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
February 17, 2013
SUNDAY
www.rdrnews.com
ILISSA GILMORE RECORD STAFF WRITER
COULD NEXT POPE BE AMERICAN?
NEW YORK (AP) — Conventional wisdom holds that no one from the United States could be elected pope, that the superpower has more than enough worldly influence without an American in the seat of St. Peter. But after Pope Benedict XVI’s extraordinary .... - PAGE B6
TOP 5 WEB
For The Past 24 Hours
• Man dies in RPD custody • Once lost, Jerry Beaver now lives to ... • Oil events bring leaders, students to ... • RISD participates in SO’s Active Killer ... • Dexter downs Lady ...
INSIDE SPORTS
PILLER IN TOP 20 IN LPGA EVENT
YARRALUMLA, Australia — Roswell native Gerina Piller shot a third-round 73 and dropped into a tie for 15th at the Women’s Australian Open at the Royal Canberra Golf Club. Piller, who started the day tied for eighth, bogeyed her second hole before picking up two shots with birdies ... - PAGE B1
TODAY’S • • • • • •
OBITUARIES
Inez Puckett-Head Humberto Estrada Christi L. Brito Jose Amos Villareal Virginia Runion Henrietta Martinez - PAGE B6
HIGH ...74˚ LOW ....37˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
CLASSIFIEDS..........D1 COMICS.................C3 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........A8 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 VISTAS ..................C1 WEATHER ..............A8
Mark Wilson Photo
Lunch is served at Mel’s Diner, aka Frontier Medical, as Michael Chavez (Mel) and Tami Holt (Flo) serve up fun during the 4th Annual Baby Boomer Conference & Business Expo at the Roswell Convention Center, Saturday.
People of all ages packed the Roswell Convention and Civic Center Saturday for the fourth annual Baby Boomer Conference and Business Expo, which featured a full day of giveaways, fun, dancing, music and health information. Organizer and Frontier Medical Marketing Director Barbara Gomez said in addition to fun, the core of the free event was education. Professionals such as doctors, lawyers, life coaches gave presentations on various topics and the event featured more than 80 booths from businesses, service organizations and non-profits where attendees could find information and purchase products. “It’s just a bunch of fun things happening at the same time,” Gomez said. “We’ve got it all.” The event attracts close to 3,000 people, she said, and See EXPO, Page A7
Prom dress fashion show delivers sparkle and shimmer ILISSA GILMORE RECORD STAFF WRITER
For mal dress shop Crystal Gowns presented a prom dress fashion show Saturday at the Roswell Mall, featuring students from area high schools. Store owner Nicola Bailey said she wanted to bring “red carpet glamour” to high school girls and showcase dresses that the store carries, which are available in sizes 00-30 and start as low as $49. Gabby Baker, the 2012 winner of Miss Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell, made an appearance at the event, to encourage the models and also met with members of the audience. “I think it’s exciting that [Bailey] brings this quality of dress to Roswell,” she said. “I know if I ever do need a gown, I’ll be here for
sure.” The teens modeled prom dresses for the 2013 season that featured trends such as movie star glamour, high-low cut dresses, sheer paneling, cut-out fabrics and lots of sparkle and shimmer. Goddard High School sophomore Paige Bur nes glowed in champagne-colored strapless dress featuring a bustier bejeweled with sequins and a short to long construction with a ruffle train. Though the 16-year-old had not modeled before, she said it “felt really good” and that she would consider the store when it’s time for her prom. “They have gorgeous dresses that fit you really well,” she said. Bailey encourages all young ladies to go to their prom. “It’s a
Mark Wilson Photo
Young models await their turn to walk the runway during a prom dress fashion
Legislators aim to bring state Border ports in NM tax system ‘back to the basics’ report record traffic Two state legislators have introduced legislation in an effort to reboot New Mexico’s tax system. Senate Bill 368, sponsored by Sen. Bill Sharer, R-Farmington, and House Bill 369, sponsor ed by Rep. Tom Taylor, R-Farmington, both propose the repeal of state taxes, such as the Personal Income Tax, the Corporate Income T ax, the Compensating Tax, to implement a 2 percent Consumption Tax on everything sold, purchased and rented in New Mexico. In a statement, Sharer
See FASHION, Page A7
said his bill would “give the tax system a har d reboot and bring it back to the basics of what the original Gross Receipts T ax was intended to be while eliminating all of the GR T deductions, credits and exemptions that have grown around it over the years.” “This is real tax reform,” he said. “While we have played around the edges of taxation for decades we now have a bill that will be a true ‘hard reboot’ of the tax system. It is time to quit tinkering and just do it.”
show hosted by Crystal Gowns at the Roswell Mall, Saturday.
The existing taxes that would remain under the plan are the Property tax, Severance Taxes and gasoline tax.
“It will be just easier to understand and compute,” Sharer said. “You know what you buy, sell and rent. Simply add 2 percent for the state’s cut rather than the over 8 percent tax that is charged now in some cities. We won’t need to charge those high taxes once the special interest credits, deductions and
SANTA TERESA (AP) — Two border ports in New Mexico reported record commercial traffic as the state continues to push to build the region as an alternative to the congestion between Ciudad Juarez and El Paso, Texas. The New Mexico Border Authority announced this week that last year the Santa Teresa Port of Entry processed more than 81,000 commercial trucks — 13 percent higher than any year on record. Meanwhile, the Columbus Port of Entry processed in 2012 more than 10,000 commercial trucks, with 18 percent more crossings than any prior year, according to the agency. The same port saw an 11 percent growth in pedestrian traffic, state officials said. State Economic Development Secretary Jon Barela See BORDER, Page A7
See TAX, Page A7
Russian region begins recovery from Friday’s meteor fall
INDEX
AP Photo
A circular hole in the ice of Chebarkul Lake where a meteor reportedly struck the lake near Chelyabinsk, about 930 miles east of Moscow, Russia, Friday.
CHELYABINSK, Russia (AP) — As a small army of people worked to replace acres of windows shattered by the enormous explosion from a meteor, many joked on Saturday about what had happened in this troubled pocket of Russia. One of the most popular jests: Residents of the meteor were terrified to see Chelyabinsk approaching. The fireball that streaked into the sky over this tough industrial city at about sunrise Friday was undeniably traumatic. Nearly 1,200 people were reported injured by the shock wave from the explosion, estimated to be as strong as 20
Hiroshima atomic bombs. But it also brought a sense of cooperation in a troubled region. Large numbers of volunteers came forward to help fix the damage caused by the explosion and many residents came together on the Internet — first to find out what happened and soon to make jokes. Chelyabinsk, nicknamed Tankograd because it produced the famed Soviet T34 tanks, can be as grim as its backbone heavy industries. Long winters where temperatures routinely hit minus-22 Fahrenheit add to a general dour mien, as do worries about dangerous
facilities in the surrounding region. In 1957, a waste tank at the Mayak nuclear weapons plant in the Chelyabinsk region exploded, contaminating 9,200 square miles and prompting authorities to evacuate 10,000 nearby residents. It is now Russia’s main nuclear waste disposal facility. A vast plant for disposing of chemical weapons lies 50 miles east of the city. “The city is a place where people always seem bitter with each other,” said music teacher Ilya See METEOR, Page A3