Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 121, No. 113 50¢ Daily / $1 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
CAMPAIGN IS SET TO REST GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Prosecutors rested their campaign fraud case against John Edwards on Thursday after 14 days of dramatic and often unflattering testimony that focused on the once-promising politician’s infidelity and the secret money... - PAGE A2
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
May 11, 2012
FRIDAY
www.rdrnews.com
Twin car bombs in Syrian capital kill dozens
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Twin suicide car bombs exploded outside a military intelligence building and killed 55 people Thursday, tossing mangled bodies in the street in the deadliest attack against a regime target since the Syrian uprising began 14 months ago. The bombings fueled fears of a rising Islamic militant element among the forces seeking to oust President Bashar Assad and dealt a further blow to international efforts to end the bloodshed. The first car bomb went off on a key six-lane highway during the mor ning rush hour, knocking down a security wall outside the government building and drawing people to the scene, witnesses said. A
much larger blast soon followed, shaking the neighborhood, setting dozens of cars ablaze and sending up a gray mushroom cloud visible around the capital. Syrian state TV video showed dozens of bodies, some charred or dismembered, strewn in the rubble or still inside damaged cars. An Associated Press reporter at the scene saw medics in rubber gloves picking through the site for human remains amid the two craters that were blasted into the asphalt. The Interior Ministry, which oversees the police and security services, said 55 people were killed and more than 370 were wounded. Officials said suicide bombers detonated explosives weighing more
AP Photo
In this photo released by the Syrian news agency SANA, a man, right, reacts as flames and smoke rise from burned cars after two bombs exploded in Damascus, Syria.
than 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds). “The house shook like it
was an earthquake,” Maha Hijazi said, standing outside her home nearby.
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INSIDE SPORTS
Mark Wilson Photo
Graduates from Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell arrive for the GED Completion Graduation ceremony, Thursday.
GED graduates are now ready to move ‘adelante’ NOAH VERNAU RECORD STAFF WRITER
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Ian Poulter is enjoying his new digs — his newly built home and his spot atop the leaderboard Thursday in The Players Championship. Poulter, finally finished with a house at Lake Nona...
- PAGE B1
TODAY’S • Ina “Bea” King • Caitlyn Marie Martinez
OBITUARIES
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Forty-eight GED graduates stepped onto the stage and shouted, “Adelante!” after receiving their high school equivalency certificates Thursday night at ENMU-R, the 23rd annual GED High School Completion Graduation ceremony put on by the university’s Adult Basic Education Department. The graduates successfully completed tests of General Education Development, which provide the necessary credentials for adults who did not complete high school. Speakers focused on the theme of going forward, opening doors and overcoming challenges. ABE Director Todd
DeKay opened the ceremony discussing all of the opportunities created through reading. “Reading is active; TV, movies, videos, are passive,” he said. “Reading engages your imagination, video substitutes for your imagination. Reading takes you into life, while TV distracts you from life. Reading also makes up for the shortness of life.” Student speaker Shelby Henry said that it takes a lot to “come in and do in one day what most people do in years,” and stressed that the graduates remain proud, never letting anybody tell them that their certificate somehow holds less value than a high school diploma. The featured speaker was Freddie Romero, a
district court judge of the 5th Judicial District. Romero shared a story about his friend, Doug, who attended law school with Romero 30 years ago.
Doug was a paraplegic who inspired Romero and his fellow classmates to “stop bellyaching so much.” Romero said that seeing what Doug had to overcome showed everybody how petty many of their concerns were, and taught him perseverance. “There is no challenge too large, that it cannot be overcome by you,” he said. “If you have a goal don’t worry about the challenges. They’re there to make you stronger. By overcoming those challenges, you will continue to inspire everyone around you.”
Assurance Home gets a new ride
Romero closed the speech with an anecdote about a teacher he once had who only knew one Spanish word: adelante. Romero said his teacher always ended her speeches with the word, stressing the importance of moving forward.
“(The GED) is a door of opportunity,” he said. “Your ABE teachers unlocked that door for you, and they might have jiggled it a little for you, but you’re the ones that opened it. You are the ones who opened that door, and you are the ones who are going to go forward.” nvernau@rdrnews.com
A major area solar project received approval for the issuance of the city’s industrial revenue bonds in the maximum principal amount of $11 million, pending approval of area schools that are affected by property taxes. The Roswell City Council approved the authorizing of the issuance of the IRBs in its regular business meeting Thursday evening. A solar energy developer, Sunrise Energy Ventures New Mexico, LLC, has asked the city to issue its IRBs to finance all or part of the costs of solar electricity generation facilities and all necessary and useful equipment, which will be constructed and installed in various locations within the city. The city has no liability for the IRBs and cannot incur any costs in the issuance of the bonds. Sunrise Energy already has the funding in place to purchase the bonds. An existing 29 rays are in place in the county. Between 20 to 23 rays, which will all be located in the city proper, are yet to be complete, Kirk Holzgrebe, of Sunrise Energy, said. The IRB’s are “issued through the city as a conduit for us to then negotiate on the property tax portion of the projects that we’re going to be building,” Holzgrebe said. Included in that, he said, are the city, See COUNCIL, Page A3
Mike Kakuska, successful public schools admin., seeks County seat JULIA BERGMAN RECORD STAFF WRITER
HIGH ...78˚ LOW ....56˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
INDEX CLASSIFIEDS..........B6 COMICS.................B4 FINANCIAL .............B5 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ......A10 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WASHINGTON.......B10 WEATHER ............A10
Major solar project gets city funding
See SYRIA, Page A3
JULIA BERGMAN RECORD STAFF WRITER
WEB
TWO TIED FOR LEAD AT PLAYERS
World powers seeking to halt Syria’s unrest condemned the attack and urged all sides to adhere to a cease-fire brokered by U.N. and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan. The Obama administration condemned the attack and expressed concern that al-Qaida may be increasingly taking advantage of the country’s prolonged instability. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told reporters that U.S. intelligence indicates “an al-Qaida presence in Syria,” but said the extent of its activity was unclear. “Frankly we need to continue to do everything we can to determine what kind of influence they’re trying
Mark Wilson Photo
Don Bullock of Bullock’s Jewelry, left, and Ron Malone of Assurance Home chat next to a 1947 Ford that Bullock donated to the home, Thursday.
Roswell Independent School District Assistant Superintendent Mike Kakuska, who has worked for various agencies, principally public schools, says he is seeking election to the most contested County Commission seat, District 4. Commissioner Dick Taylor, who will complete his second consecutive term and is not eligible for reelection, currently represents the district. A Republican, Kakuska will face Robert Cor n, a retired county magistrate judge, during the primary. If successful, he will then face Democrat Magil Duran, a retired state employee, in November. “It’s real important for a fresh voice to come out every once (in a while) and talk about issues that oth-
Mike Kakuska.
ers may not see just because you’re new,” Kakuska said. The position will allow Kakusa to continue his job with the RISD, a factor that attracted him to run. Kakuska spoke of his impact on the public See KAKUSKA, Page A3