Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 122, No. 108 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
HOUSTON (AP) — National Rifle Association leaders told members Saturday that the fight against gun control legislation is far from over, with battles yet to come in Congress and next year’s midterm elections, but they ... - PAGE A7
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• Police seeking info on Herrera • Roswell’s Most Wanted caught • Day of Prayer • Local briefs: Goddard takes two from Valencia • Rockets edge Coyotes in district championship
May 5, 2013
More events at 2013 Party on the River AMY VOGELSANG RECORD STAFF WRITER
NRA SAYS FIGHT IS FAR FROM OVER
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
After a crisp mor ning, the day has warmed to a balmy 75 degrees, and people crowd the lawn at Cielo Grande Recreation Center, riding ponies, eating pizza and enjoying the live country music played by The Mixx in celebration of the annual Party on the River. The day is filled with events, from skateboard competitions to volleyball games. Friends and family sit in bleachers to watch and cheer on a game of flag football. Kids scream and laugh as they go down a blowup water slide. And some, like mother Ansie Jacobson, take a moment to sit and relax in the sun. While her 6-year -old son and husband play on the rides, she takes some time for herself. “It’s a day out with the family to listen to the music, and it’s a perfect day: not too hot, not too cold, not too windy,” Jacob-
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son said. She adds that Roswell’s weather is much better than the freezing weather and snow she left in South Dakota. Also enjoying the weather and festivities, 18-monthold Emma Lee Stuart bounces around, dancing and clapping to the music as her mom, Jamie Stuart, and 6-year -old brother, Ashton Marquez, cheer her on. “(Best part about Party on the River is) probably the atmosphere and the people,” Jamie says. “You see everyone you haven’t seen in a long time and enjoy the band. I think it’s about family and just relaxation. And the weather is perfect!” There is a lot of space for children to run around, and more games and activities for the kids than there have been in past years, according to Jerry and Lenore Metcalf who perform in the afternoon with their band, The Tom Blake Trio.
Mark Wilson Photo
Angel Martinez is thrown from a mechanical bull during the Party on the River at Cielo Grande, Saturday.
The stage continues to showcase talent from around New Mexico, but as it gets later a large crowd gathers on the grass in preparation for the big performance from Gloriana. Founded in 2008, Glori-
ana is a country music group consisting now of three group members: Rachel Reinert leading with her voice and brothers Tom and Mike Gossin following along with vocals and guitars. Thanks to a connec-
Old Timers kick off Party for 1st time
INSIDE SPORTS
VELASQUEZ, CANNON UPEND SURI, ALI As anyone who has ever filled out an NCAA tournament bracket knows, rarely does a bracket go chalk. In the District 4-4A girls doubles tournament on Saturday, things seemed ... - PAGE B1
TODAY’S • • • •
OBITUARIES
Helen Brinker John DiPaolo William Reeder Barbara Reinhardt
- PAGE B7
HIGH ...79˚ LOW ....50˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
INDEX CLASSIFIEDS..........D1 COMICS.................C4 ENTERTAINMENT.....C6 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........C6 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8 WORLD .................B7
Mark Wilson Photo
Hot air balloons begin to take flight from Cielo Grande during the Old Timers Balloon Rally, Saturday morning.
AMY VOGELSANG RECORD STAFF WRITER Bright colors, little kids bundled under layers of coats running around and sounds of excitement paint the open field at Cielo Grande Recreation Area. Cold ears and
numb fingers haven’t stopped people from waking up before the sun on Saturday to make it to the 26th annual Old Timers Balloon Rally to see nearly 60 balloons inflate and launch into a pure blue sky. Locals and out-of-town visitors
alike have gathered to witness the beautiful takeoff of hot air balloons. There’s AirRageous, a blue balloon with bold purple, green and yellow
Operation WASP rounds up those with outstanding warrants The Chaves County Magistrate Court in Roswell, in cooperation with local law enforcement agencies successfully completed Operation WASP (Warrant Arrest Service Project). It is part of an ongoing process to find and arrest defendants with outstanding warrants. The warrants ranged from felonies such as dis-
tribution of methamphetamines, battery on a household member, to traffic misdemeanors. The warrant service covered all of Chaves County. A total of 250 warrants were checked, of those, 50 had out-of-state addresses. “We knocked on a total of 200 doors. ... We cleared some 30 warrants, many had multiple warrants. We went as far as Lake Arthur to pick up prisoners,” said Chaves County Sheriff Lt.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Seven U.S. soldiers and a member of the NATO-led coalition were killed on Saturday in one of the deadliest days for Americans and other foreign troops in Afghanistan in recent months, as the Taliban continued attacks as part of their spring offensive. The renewed violence came as Afghan President Hamid Karzai acknowledged at a news conference that regular payments his government has received from the CIA for more than a decade would continue. Karzai also said that talks on a U.S.-Afghan
bilateral security agreement to govern future American military presence in the country had been delayed because of conditions the Afghans were placing . The U.S.-led coalition reported that five troops were killed by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan, and coalition spokesman Capt. Luca Carniel confirmed that all were American. The coalition did not disclose the location of the roadside bombing. However, Javeed Faisal, a spokesman for the governor of Kandahar province, said the coalition
JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Britt Snyder.
Chief of Police Al Solis said, “This is run by Magistrate Court, and the RPD was not the only agency involved. We were just one of a few agencies.”
Sheriff Rob Coon said the Chaves County Sheriff’s Office took the lead. “We had 10 or 12 guys in on it. We went in and picked up the warrants.” See WASP, Page A3
See BALLOONS, Page A3
tion with Majestic Communications LLC VP Director of Operations, John Sebastian, Gloriana makes an appearance in Roswell. “I knew them from the beginning and they remembered me from having dinner in Madison, Wis., 2 1⁄2 years ago,” Sebastian said. “I was one of the first people to play their first hit.” This connection, and some musical politics, helps secure a performance from Gloriana. Before the concert, excited winners of the KMOU country station VIP contest gather in a white tent to meet the band. All three members cheerfully and genuinely greet every person, taking pictures with every fan. But as excited as some enthusiasts are to meet Gloriana, they are equally as excited to be in Roswell and see all the green aliens. “We watch the UFO shows on the bus while on tour, and we’re big nerds,” Mike says enthusiastically. “So when we saw the green alien statues today, we’re like, we fit right in! We literally live for this stuff.” The members of Gloriana are easily excited, from aliens, to pins they receive from the mayor, to simply performing in front of fans. “It’s a great crowd,” Mike continues. “(There are) a lot of fans out here and they’ve been awesome to us all day. The hospitality has been great.” As the air cools back down and night falls, GloriSee PARTY, Page A3
One more year for Early Intervention Program ILISSA GILMORE RECORD STAFF WRITER
This week, the state’s Developmental Disabilities Supports Division granted a one-year extension for the Early Intervention Program at Tobosa Developmental Services. The DDDS initially did not award Tobosa’s funding request for the program and without the funding, Executive Director and CEO Joe Madrid said Tobosa would have sustained a $1.3 million cut and would have had to stop its early intervention services by
See EXTENSION, Page A3
Seven American service members, member of coalition killed in Afghanistan patrol hit the bomb in the Maiwand district of the province, the spiritual birthplace of the Taliban. Later, the coalition reported that a soldier with the Afghan National Army turned his weapon on coalition troops in the west, killing two in the most recent of so-called insider attacks. Such attacks by members of the Afghan security forces against their fellow colleagues or international troops have eroded confidence in the Afghan forces as See ATTACK, Page A3
AP Photo
Afghan President Hamid Karzai speaks during a news conference in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday.