Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 121, No. 61 50¢ Daily / $1 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
March 11, 2012
Roswell Scouts have a busy day
SUNDAY
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Cub Scouts hold Pinewood Derby NOAH VERNAU RECORD STAFF WRITER
TOURNEY TO HONOR LOVATO
A decade ago, Roswell endured a tragedy that was like no other, the loss of innocent lives and all were American heroes. On March 16, 2002, Steve Lovato, 30, was killed while working for American Medical Response responding to an explosion at 616 Redwood St. - PAGE C1
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INSIDE SPORTS
Mark Wilson Photo
Daisy Girl Scout Daisha Patton, 5, flips through a photo album, part of the Girl Scouts Walk Thru History - 100 Years of Leadership Celebration, Saturday, at the Girl Scout Program Center.
Girl Scouts celebrate organization’s 100th NOAH VERNAU RECORD STAFF WRITER
New Mexico is not alone in its Centennial. Girl Scouts of the Desert Southwest celebrated 100 years of Girl Scouts, Saturday, honoring the national youth organization’s storied history with three events in Roswell. Rebecca Sherwood, membership team leader, said she has been involved locally with Girl Scouts for 24 years, and that witnessing the program’s growth, as both a Scout and Scout leader, has been a remarkable experience. “There’s been continued Girl Scouts activity here since the
’20s,” Sherwood said. “It’s an excellent program. There’s nothing better for our young women than a program that teaches them leadership and responsibility, and to see a need in their community and meet that need. They have the skills for that. And we have fun, too.” The Scouts started the day with a Thin Mint Fun Run, at Cielo Grande Complex, where 110 participants took part in a 1-mile walk, 1-mile run and 4-mile run, raising money for Girl Scouts activities in Chaves County. The program later hosted a Walk Thru History display at the Girl Scout Program Center, giving See CELEBRATE, Page A3
From Tigers to Webelos, Boy Scouts of America rolled on with the 2012 Pinewood Derby Championships, Saturday, at Roswell Ford-Lincoln Inc. The event included dozens of registered racers across five divisions of Cub Scouts, featuring cars that sported the craft and workmanship that have made the derby an iconic part of Scout tra-
dition for nearly 60 years.
“A lot of people don’t have any exposure to Boy Scouting outside of the Pinewood Derby,” said Jim Bethel, district director. “I remember the Pinewood Derby. Everyone knows about the Pinewood Derby. It’s a tradition that has been built up over the life of Boy Scouting and everyone enjoys doing it.” Scout divisions of boys from See DERBY, Page A3
Mark Wilson Photo
Competitors and race fans cheer on their favorite cars during the Conquistador Council Boy Scouts of America Pinewood Derby Championship, Saturday, at Roswell Ford Lincoln Inc.
Syria assaults oppositon as diplomacy staggers BEIRUT (AP) — Syria launched a long-anticipated assault to crush the opposition in the rebellious north on Saturday, bombarding its main city with tank shells from all sides and clashing with rebel fighters struggling to hold back an invasion.
UNM TAKES MWC
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Moments after Drew Gordon helped lead New Mexico to the Mountain West Conference tournament title, delirious Lobos fans chanting “MVP! MVP!” surrounded the forward while he did a TV interview on the court. Gordon was indeed named the tournament MVP after scoring 12 points ... - PAGE B1
TODAY’S OBITUARIES
• Lidia R. Rico • Charles John Isaacs • Albert E. Scott • Ronald H. Wade • Albesa N. Sanchez • Walter Lee Taylor • Elsie Gisi • Madie Reeves Teel • Michael Alan Peters • Kevin Mario Smith - PAGE B6
HIGH ...70˚ LOW ....38˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
CLASSIFIEDS..........D1 COMICS.................C3 ENTERTAINMENT.....B7 SUNDAY BUSINESS .C4 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........A8 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8
INDEX
AP Photo
Free Syrian Army fighters console a comrade after an ambulance took an injured friend to a hospital during fierce fighting against government troops in Idlib, Saturday.
President Bashar Assad rejected any immediate negotiations with the opposition, striking a further blow to already staggering inter national ef forts for talks to end the conflict. Assad told U.N. envoy Kofi
Annan that a political solution is impossible as long as “terrorist groups” threaten the country. The opposition’s political leadership has also rejected dialogue, saying talk is impossible after a yearlong crackdown that the U.N. estimates has killed more than 7,500 people. That makes it likely that the conflict will continue to edge toward civil war. Syrian forces have been building up for days around Idlib, the capital of a hilly, agricultural
province along the SyriaTurkey border that has been a hotbed of protests against Assad’s regime. Saturday mor ning, troops blasted Idlib for hours with dozens of tank shells as the forces moved to encircle the town, an Associated Press team in Idlib reported. Families fled their homes, carrying blankets and a few other meager belongings. Others huddled in homes.
Santorum takes Kansas, Romney bags Wyoming
WASHINGTON (AP) — Rick Santorum won the Kansas caucuses in a rout on Saturday and Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney countered in Wyoming, a weekend prelude to suddenly pivotal Southern primary showdowns in the week ahead. “Things have an amazing way of working out,” Santorum told supporters in Missouri, where he traced his campaign through a series of highs and lows. He called his showing in
Kansas a “comfortable win” that would give him the vast majority of the 40 delegates at stake. Final returns in Kansas showed Santorum with 51 percent support, far outpacing Romney, who had 21 percent. Newt Gingrich had 14 percent and Ron Paul trailed with 13 percent. Santorum picked up 33 of the state’s 40 delegates at stake, cutting slightly into Romney’s overwhelming advantage.
See SYRIA, Page A3
In Wyoming, Romney won seven of the 12 delegates at stake, Santorum three, Paul one. Uncommitted also won one.
The day’s events unfolded as the candidates pointed toward Tuesday’s primaries in Alabama and Mississippi that loom as unexpectedly important in the race to pick an opponent to President Barack Obama in the fall.
AP Photo
Shawnee County Republicans drop their ballots into the box following candidate speeches at the Ramada in Topeka, Kan., on Saturday.
Japan marks 1 year since disaster City names Hamill chief RIKUZENTAKATA, Japan (AP) — With moments of silence and prayers, today Japan was remembering the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck the nation one year ago, killing just over 19,000 people and unleashing the world’s worst nuclear crisis in a quarter century. At dawn in the devastated northeaster n
coastal town of Rikuzentakata, dozens of people from across Japan gathered to offer prayers in front of a solitary pine tree that stands amid the barrenness, a symbol of survival. Some returned to where their houses and those of friends once stood, and placed flowers and small gifts for loved ones lost in the disaster. Later today, memorial
See GOP, Page A3
ceremonies to mark 2:46 p.m. — the precise moment the magnitude9.0 earthquake hit — were planned along the northeastern coast and in Tokyo, where the emperor and prime minister were scheduled to speak at the National Theater. The quake was the strongest recorded in
See JAPAN, Page A3
Roswell’s Deputy Fire Chief Chad Hamill was named permanently to the position of fire chief. Former Roswell Fire Chief James Salas announced on Dec. 12, 2011, that he was retiring at the end of the year. Hamill was appointed as acting chief while the city reviewed candidates.
As chief, Hamill will work on a daily basis and oversee general operations of the department as whole.
In addition, the city selected two new battalion chiefs, Steve Shannon and Shane Adams. The positions became open after one battalion chief resigned and a second retired. The battalion chiefs supervise the dif ferent shifts. The RFD operates on three shifts, A, B, and C. Shannon was appointed battalion chief for the A shift. Adams is battalion chief on the B shift.