Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Fed OKs Roswell horse meat plant
Vol. 122, No. 155 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
NEW YORK (AP) — Given the wild trading of late, it was a calm close to the month. After flitting between tiny gains ... - PAGE B5
TOP 5 WEB
For The Past 24 Hours
• MAW to send local girl to Disney World • Tips on how to beat the heat • Job Corps updates leaders on programs • These aren’t the droids • Sign defaced at Cahoon Park
INSIDE SPORTS
Roswell-area Valley Meat Co.’s epic fight to attain federal approval to open the nation’s first horse slaughterhouse after a seven-year ban has ended, the plant announced Friday. USDA’s move may allow the plant to open in early July, but the threat of legal action by national animal rights activist groups could delay plans. The plant’s owner, Rick De Los Santos, will begin final preparation to open and hire 40 to 100 employees over the next few weeks
“Even though the USDA has issued a grant of inspection, until an inspector actually shows up at the plant, we don’t really trust they are going to now fulfill their word.” Attorney A. Blair Dunn
and months, said attorney A. Blair Dunn. “What we would really like to do is go to work, so it’s good to finally at least get the grant of inspection,” Dunn said. USDA’s grant of inspection for Valley Meat ended a nearly 15-month permitting logjam and legal struggle for the plant. The 7,200-square-foot plant proposes to accept horses from a third party,
AMY VOGELSANG RECORD STAFF WRITER The inter-galactic worlds collided as Star Wars crossed with Doctor Who, and Paul was introduced to “Hadoken!” A Weeping Angel lurked in the corner, carefully watching the comic book vendors, while an electronic tiger drove by displaying Brony shirts. With a mix of geek, nerd and science fiction, Roswell Filmfest and Cosmicon was a flurry of eventfulness, livening up Roswell Mall on Friday. Incorporating famous Internet memes like, “It’s over 9000” and “Mega Buster,” a photo booth grabbed the attention of meme enthusiasts. Even props, like Thor’s hammer and Captain America’s shield were available.
Cal and Kathy Pierce make base in Loveland, Colo., but enjoy traveling to different conventions to display what was originally a personal hobby.
OBITUARIES
• Royce Winerford Hurford - PAGE A2
CLASSIFIEDS..........B6 COMICS.................B4 ENTERTAINMENT.....A8 FINANCIAL .............B5 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........A8 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8
See EPIC, Page A2
Switching to a different element of space fiction, lifesize Star Wars characters made a bold appearance as part of Far Away Creations, an enterprise owned by a husband and wife team that specializes in life-size models of various weapons, characters and props.
TODAY’S
INDEX
has issued a grant of inspection, until an inspector actually shows up at the plant, we don’t really trust they are going to now fulfill their word,” Dunn said. “There are plenty of national organizations that are threatening to file lawsuits against the USDA to prevent them from providing inspectors. Chances are that hopefully the plant will be opening in July, but there will be quite a bit of
Meanwhile, Doctor Who’s TARDIS stood nearby, majestically and silently overlooking the happenings. The TARDIS, or Time And Relative Dimension In Space, looks like a small 1950s police box, but we all know it’s actually a time machine that’s “bigger on the inside.”
LONDON (AP) — When a 19-stroke exchange ended with Andy Murray’s Wimbledon opponent slapping a forehand into the net, thousands of Centre Court spectators ... - PAGE B1
HIGH .101˚ LOW ....72˚
process the meat and deliver the resulting products to another company to be shipped abroad. Beyond delays by the USDA, Valley Meat’s plans have sparked a national outcry from animal rights activists and public officials threatening legal and political action for months. Legal troubles and federal delays may not be over, Dunn suspects. “Even though the USDA
discussions and litigations.” The final federal approval does not fully resolve pending litigation between Valley Meat and the USDA given the agency’s unjustifiable failures to comply with law for more than 14 months, Dunn said. “Valley intends to continue to pursue the case in controversy with regard to holding USDA accountable for its unacceptable politically motivated behavior,” Dunn said. Local and state reaction to the announcement varied.
Roswell Filmfest and Cosmicon
MURRAY ADVANCES
TODAY’S FORECAST
SATURDAY
www.rdrnews.com
JILL MCLAUGHLIN RECORD STAFF WRITER
U.S. STOCKS FALL
June 29, 2013
Amy Vogelsang Photo
Attendant Gilbert Barela helps guide 5-year-old Alekxie Beltran on the Zoofari Express elephant at RFC, Friday.
Mark Wilson Photo
Jeremy Baggs, aka Gimli, from left, Shelby Halvorson as the Weeping Angel from Dr. Who and Tara Trever dressed as an alien, pose for photos during Roswell Filmfest and Cosmicon at the Roswell Mall, Friday morning.
“We build it for us because we love it,” Cal said of their Star Wars replicas. A Tatooine scene was the center of their display, complete with a Tusken Raider, a jawa, a landspeeder and even a walking, talking R2D2 to complete the scene. Every piece is made of different materials, but most are started the old-fashioned way: with a lump of clay, Cal said. Lately his favorite, as well as his nightmare according to Kathy, are the landspeeders. “(Kathy) does the magic at the end,” Cal said, giving his wife credit for the authentic, rustic, worn look painted onto the speeders. Using multiple materials such as leather, neoprene and fiberglass, the Pierces have created an entirely physical world of Star Wars personnel. They have also worked on movie scenes, doing work for “Paul” and “Lone Ranger.” “We like to find something to test new abilities,” Cal said. “And then hopefully we’ll get paid for it,” he added with laughter. But he is an artist first and a busi-
Lawrence Foster Photo
Former Roswell mayor helped city through hard times See COSMIC, Page A3
A Doctor Who enthusiast explores the TARDIS at RFC, Friday.
JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Bill Brainerd, former mayor of Roswell, served two terms, from 1968 through 1974 and from 1986 to 1994. He saw Roswell through one of the darkest episodes of its history when Walker Air Force base was shut down and the city lost one-third of its total population and the backbone of its economy. He, as serving mayor, and his predecessor, Gail Harris, brought Roswell back on a road to recovery, a topic that will be discussed on Sunday after talks at the Archive Building. Brainerd has a great sense of humor which he
exhibited when he discussed his time as an attorney in Roswell. “Someone once asked if I was a criminal lawyer. The response was: ‘We think so, but we‘ve not been able to prove it yet.’” His family came from the East, although Brainerd was born in Wichita Falls, Texas, in 1927. His father was a geology professor in Syracuse, N.Y., but members of the oil industry felt the elder Brainerd was wasting his talents and convinced him to move to
Texas.
Brainerd has lived through some of the biggest crises of the times. He still recalls the Great Depression, although he admits that the memories were vague. “I was young then. I remember people stopping by and knocking on the backdoor looking for some kind of job to do in exchange for a meal.” He recollects seeing men arrive with President RooSee SPOTLIGHT, Page A3
Bill Brainerd