Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 121, No. 150 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
COMPOSER, LYRICIST RICHARD ADLER DIES AT 90 IN NY
NEW YORK (AP) — Composer and lyricist Richard Adler, who won Tony Awards for co-writing snappy and infectious, songs for such hit Broadway musicals as “The Pajama Game” ... - PAGE A5
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
June 23, 2012
SATURDAY
www.rdrnews.com
Martinez to push for fireworks legislation
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez has spent the last few weeks touring fire-ravaged parts of the state. With each stop, she has been urging people to be careful as the Fourth of July approaches. That’s all she can do. State law prevents her from imposing a statewide ban on the sale and use of fireworks. “Of course, it’s political,” she told The Associated Press of the battle with state lawmakers over banning fireworks. Martinez and fire officials gathered in Albuquerque’s foothills on Friday to urge New Mexicans to refrain from using fireworks. Martinez said she plans to
push legislation again during the 2013 session that would establish a system by which cities, counties and the state can tailor temporary bans during extreme droughts. “We should all be able to agree that preventing fires that could devastate our communities is a priority that transcends politics,” Martinez said. Efforts to change the law have met resistance from vendors, who say their businesses would suffer while sales would be allowed to continue on sovereign tribal lands. Some critics also argue that the state forester already has discretion to impose fire restrictions on state lands.
Under state law, local jurisdictions have the power to restrict the use of fireworks and to ban certain fireworks during droughts. However, local officials must hold a public hearing and issue a proclamation for a ban at least 20 days before a holiday for which fireworks can be sold. Even though only a fraction of New Mexico’s fires are sparked by fireworks, Martinez sent a letter last week to municipal leaders around the state asking that they impose bans. More than half of the state’s 33 counties already have. New Mexico has been struggling with dry conditions in recent years and the last two fire seasons have
AP Photo
Gov. Susana Martinez talks to reporters during a tour and briefing at a fire base camp near Reserve, May 31.
been record-breakers in terms of the number of acres charred. Experts say it’s not rocket science. With fuels as dry as they are, one spark can result in several square
TOP 5 WEB For The Past 24 Hours
• Little Bear: 42,995 acres, 60% contained • CFCC honors grass roots organizer ... • Statewide burn ban • County approves rezone requests • Invaders rally for 7-6 win
INSIDE SPORTS Mark Wilson Photo
Cosmic-Con kicks off with costumes Costumed youngsters participate in the Famous Monsters of Filmland Cosmic-Con Kick-Off: Costumed Event at Spring River Park and Zoo, Friday.∫
NOAH VERNAU RECORD STAFF WRITER The Roswell Cosmic-Con
SANDUSKY FOUND GUILTY
BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) — Jerry Sandusky was convicted Friday of sexually assaulting 10 boys over 15 years, accusations that shattered the Happy Valley image of Penn State football and led to the firing of Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno. Sandusky, a 68-year-old retired defensive coach who was once Paterno’s heir apparent, was found guilty of 45 of 48 counts. Sandusky showed little emotion as the verdict was read. The judge ordered him to be taken to the county jail to await sentencing in about three months. - PAGE B1
TODAY’S OBITUARIES
• There are no obituaries today, June 23.
HIGH ...94˚ LOW ....68˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
and Film Fest is well underway, and has already provided participants a
Taliban gunmen lay siege to Afghan hotel KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Heavily armed Taliban gunmen stormed a lakeside hotel near Kabul, sending terrified guests jumping from windows or into a lake to try to escape the onslaught. Eighteen people were killed in the 12-hour rampage, their bullet-riddled bodies strewn on carpets, on the lawn and a blood-smeared patio.
The attack, which ended at midday Friday, was a gruesome reminder of the Taliban’s determination to scare the Afghan people and undermine efforts to stabilize the nation as U.S.led forces prepare to withdraw by the end of 2014.
smorgasbord of activities — with celebrity guests, films and a masquerade ball at
Break-in
Spring River Park & Zoo.
See COSMIC, Page A3
miles of blackened vegetation. State Forestry spokesman Dan Ware said there were
Will it rain?
See MARTINEZ, Page A3
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — Forecasters with the National Weather Service said Friday it’s still unclear whether the showers that soaked communities along the Middle Rio Grande Valley overnight are a sign of what’s to come this monsoon season. New Mexicans have spent a year waiting for any kind of meaningful moisture to break the spell of the drought. The latest maps show a sea of red and yellow across every square mile of the state, dictating dry conditions that range from moderate to extreme. Members of the state’s drought monitoring group met for nearly two hours to discuss the current drought situation, the chances of summer rains developing over the next month, the fires burning around the state and the potential for flooding if the rains materialize. While chances are split among having below, norSee DROUGHT, Page A2
The insurgents arrived shortly before midnight at the Spozhmai hotel, situated in a wooded area on the banks of the turquoise-colored Qargha Lake, where Afghan families often go to relax and forget about the war.
The gunmen — toting machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and vests laden with explosives — first killed the hotel’s security guards, then pushed their way inside and began firing at guests who were having late-night meals. Gunfire rang out for hours and black smoke rose from
Mark Wilson Photo
A SWAT team member walks outside Great Looks 2 Total Image Salon, Friday morning, following a break-in which occured during the early morning hours. The SWAT team assembled believing that the suspect might still be inside, but after a thorough search and the deployment of tear gas, no suspect was found. Police are reviewing surveillence video from inside the establishment.
Elton Dilbeck preached first sermon to please his mom See AFGHAN, Page A3
NOAH VERNAU RECORD STAFF WRITER
CHURCH................B4 CLASSIFIEDS..........B8 COMICS.................B6 FINANCIAL .............B7 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ......A10 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ............A10
INDEX
Noah Vernau Photo
The Rev. Elton Dilbeck preached first sermon to please his mother. And he was hooked!
When Elton Dilbeck was a young man, his mother tried everything she could to persuade her son to become a preacher. After one foundered attempt after another, Dilbeck finally gave in on Mother’s Day 1940, delivering his first sermon in Cushing, Okla. Although he went that day mostly to please his mother, it did not take long before Dilbeck understood why she was so persistent. “It was at least a 20minute ser mon, and I knew,” Dilbeck said. “... In
10 minutes, I knew.”
The Rev. Dilbeck, who turned 92 this month at Villa Del Rey, went on to preach for more than 60 years. He delivered sermons all over the United States before settling in Roswell, where he preached at West Country Club Church of Christ from 1977 to 1987. Dilbeck never truly retired, however, as for several years he
spent much of his time providing services for funerals and weddings, and also taught many classes. Born June 13, 1920, Dilbeck grew up in Rocky, Okla. He earned his bachelor’s degree in agronomy from Oklahoma State University in 1941, the same year he married his wife Eleanor on Christmas Day. See SPOTLIGHT, Page A3