Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 121, No. 108 50¢ Daily / $1 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — A new look at a 425-yearold map has yielded a tantalizing clue about the fate of the Lost Colony, the settlers who disappeared from North Carolina’s Roanoke Island in the late 16th century. Experts from the First Colony Foundation and the British Museum in London discussed their findings Thursday at a ... - PAGE A6
May 5, 2012
NM average HS graduation rate drops
SANTA FE (AP) — New Mexico’s statewide average high school graduation rate slipped to 63 percent last year, but the Public Education Department said Friday it had changed the graduation calculation to meet a federal mandate. Students are tracked from the time they are freshmen and the latest figures show that not quite two-thirds of the class of
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2011 received their diplomas in four years, according to the department. The average graduation rate was 67.3 percent for the class of 2010 and 66.1 percent in 2009, but those were based on a slightly different methodology. The latest rate includes some students who previously could be excluded from the calculation because they might need
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“All of our students should graduate. That’s what we aim for and that’s our goal.” — Public Education Secretary Hanna Skandera
more time to graduate, such as those who were disabled, pregnant, jailed or had a significant medical emergency. The calculation change was made to comply with a federal require-
ment for states to use a similar yardstick for measuring graduation, which will allow for more accurate state-to-state comparisons. Public Education Secretary Hanna Skandera said
the latest rate provides a “much more accurate picture of what’s happening in our state.”
She acknowledged the methodology change could partly account for the drop in the statewide graduation rate, but said that wasn’t an excuse for the reduction and the latest figures
Police violence LULAC concern
See GRADUATION, Page A3
NOAH VERNAU RECORD STAFF WRITER
TOP 5 WEB
For The Past 24 Hours
• Day of Prayer on the courthouse lawn • Water line repair may cost $100K • DA amends charges against Kanmore • Agents, officials field flood questions • Sanchez triumphs in all-NMMI final
INSIDE SPORTS
Mark Wilson Photo
Students at Monterrey Elementary take turns launching their balloons with the help of volunteers from Balloon Explorium, a non-profit children’s museum from Albuquerque dedicated to ballooning education, Friday morning.
The New Mexico League of United Latin American Citizens is holding its 83rd annual state convention in Roswell this weekend, addressing a variety of issues that impact the Hispanic community throughout the Land of Enchantment. LULAC was established in 1929 to attend to matters of education, employment, economic parity and social justice, and remains the largest and most tenured Hispanic civil rights organization in the United States. LULAC began its conven-
Miles Hanisee seeks RSO plays Shadow Concert election to CoA bench 20 WILL RUN FOR THE ROSES
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Hot pace. Muggy day. One of the deepest, talented fields in years. A delicious stew with all the ingredients for an unpredictable Kentucky Derby. The 20-horse field for today’s race is so stacked that unbeaten Gemologist is no better than third choice on the morning line. In other years, the colt would be the talk of the Derby. In this one, early favorites Bodemeister and Union Rags have grabbed the spotlight. - PAGE B1
TODAY’S OBITUARIES
• Martin Lujan • Joyce Ansley - PAGE A6
Judge Miles Hanisee JULIA BERGMAN RECORD STAFF WRITER
Judge Miles Hanisee, who indicated that he has more appellate experience than almost any lawyer in the state, says he is seeking election to the New
Mexico Court of Appeals. Hanisee was recommended for the position by the bi-partisan Judicial Nominating Commission, and appointed by Gov. Susana Martinez in July 2011. Under state law, after appointment judges must be placed on the ballot to go before the voters in the next election. “I applied for the position based on my passion for and my 17 years of practicing appellate law. For whatever reason, the way my legal mind was assembled it works for appellate law,” Hanisee said. “It’s stimulating in the sense that (it’s always evolving). You’re sort of on the forefront of that when you review cases as an appellate judge.” The NMCOA, comprised
See LULAC, Page A3
JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
The Roswell Symphony Orchestra held its Shadow Orchestra Children’s Concert, Friday, at Pearson Auditorium on the NMMI campus. Maestro John Farrer introduced the first chairs from each section of the orchestra and discussed the instruments. The musicians played solos so the students had an opportunity to hear each instrument individually. First chair violin wowed the audience with a rendition of “Pop Goes the Weasel.” The musician playing the double bass showed off his instrument and his skill with “I’m a Little Tea Pot.” The piccolo warbled a lively adaptation of “Yankee Doodle.”
Mark Wilson Photo
Members of the Roswell Symphony Orchestra play to nearly 700 fourth-graders attending its Shadow Orchestra Children’s Concert, Friday.
The low, deep sound of the bassoon crooned out the representational theme of Grandfather from “Peter and the Wolf.” Meanwhile, the trumpet player provided a spirited version of the “Theme
from Star Wars.” The thunderous crashing of the bass drum brought a gasp from the audience. Each song was greeted by cheers and applause from the stuSee RSO, Page A3
Michael Murphy: God gave us dogs to teach us how to love See HANISEE, Page A3
HIGH .100˚ LOW ....61˚
TODAY’S FORECAST JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
CLASSIFIEDS..........B6 COMICS.................B3 FINANCIAL .............A8 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........B6 LOTTERIES ............A2 NATION .................A6 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ............A10
INDEX
Jessica Palmer Photo
Michael Murphy, SENM Patriot Guard ride captain and doglover, and one of his custom motorcycles.
When you arrive at the Murphy home, you will be greeted by a canine chorus. Michael Murphy is a selfprofessed animal lover and a SENM ride captain with the Patriot Guard. He considers the Patriot Guard one of the most important things he does. The Patriot Guard appears in parades. It accompanied the New Mexico National Guard when it left the country and welcomed it when it returned home The Patriot Guard provides a motorcycle escort for funer-
als with flags flying for fallen soldiers and for veterans. “We have funerals for a lot of World War II and Vietnam vets. It’s such an honor to serve these vets. This is the last roundup for them,” said Murphy. “At one, the family came to thank me, and I felt like I should be thanking them.” Motorcycles have long been a part of his life. He got his first at age 13. Murphy customizes motorcycles. He used to own the shop Blood, Sweat and Gears; he closed it in 2008. “I’m retired now. I just putter around the house.” In his collection, he has real
classics, including a Harley-Davidson Heritage complete with sidecar, a custom chopper, a fat tire bobber (Harley), and one he calls Captain America, similar to the one in Easy Rider. His entry won first prize in last year’s the Electric Light Parade when he placed a Christmas tree in a sidecar and, of course, decorated both tree and chopper with lights. His sidecar also has transported the celebrated Sage to raise funds for the Sage Foundation for Dogs Who Serve. Murphy and his wife Mary Anne have shar-peis and cats. Murphy uses his skills for his four -legged family. When one of his dogs began to have difficulSee SPOTLIGHT, Page A3