Roswell Daily Record
INSIDE NEWS
MADE IN CHINA
WASHINGTON (AP) — Uniforms for U.S. Olympic athletes are American red, white and blue — but made in China. That has members of Congress fuming. Republicans and Democrats railed Thursday about the U.S. Olympic Committee’s decision to dress the U.S. team in Chinese manufactured berets, blazers and pants while the ... - PAGE A3
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Official: NMFA issued fake audit
Vol. 121, No. 167 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — The New Mexico Finance Authority, which makes billions of dollars in loans for public projects, faked its annual audit that was sent to creditors and investors for 2011, the state auditor said Thursday. The revelation shocked state officials and raised questions about both the potential fallout and what the false document might have been trying to hide. “I don’t know because we have never seen anything
July 13, 2012
FRIDAY
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at this scale,” said Antonio Corrales, director of operations for State Auditor Hector Balderas. “But if creditors come back and take those loans (that were made based on faked audit results), I don’t know if ... insurance would cover it if it was provided under false pretenses. It could be huge.” In a press release announcing the findings, Balderas said he was “moving aggressively to determine the full extent of this
Richard May, CEO of the finance authority, called the matter “deeply concerning” but insisted it would have no effect on NMFA’s ability to meet its financial obligations.
fraud perpetrated against New Mexico’s taxpayers.” “I’m extremely concerned that a report was fraudulently created in order to misrepresent the Authority’s financial condition to agencies, investors and the public,” he said.
Balderas said he discovered the fake audit after the NMFA failed to submit its annual review as required by law. He says a fraudulent audit report had been produced for investors and creditors, but the firm that
supposedly created that document has confirmed it is not their work. Balderas’ office did not release any more information about what might have been misrepresented in the faked audit, and it declined to release its report on the matter because it is under investigation by law enforcement and other entities. Richard May, CEO of the finance authority, called
Ash, silt from Little Bear fills Bonito Lake
See AUDIT, Page A3
RUIDOSO (AP) — Bonito Lake north of Ruidoso is no longer viable as a drinking water source for the city of Alamogordo after a wildfire filled the body of water with silt and ash.
The Ruidoso News reports that the lake known as a fishing and camping retreat now has the odor of charred trees and rotting fish in the air.
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Justin King, public works project manager for Ruidoso, says it will take several years of dredging to correct the problems.
The lightning-sparked Little Bear fire bur ned through nearly 70 square miles and destroyed more than 240 homes and other structures earlier this summer.
INSIDE SPORTS Mark Wilson Photo
Samaritan’s Purse International Relief volunteers clean up an area of Bonita Park near Ruidoso that was destroyed during the Little Bear Fire, Wednesday.
The Ruidoso News reported that crews working around the lake are focusing on keeping the level below the spillway to prevent more damage downstream.
PENN STATE CONCEALED ABUSE
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joe Paterno and other top Penn State officials hushed up child sex abuse allegations against Jerry Sandusky more than a decade ago for fear of bad publicity, allowing the former assistant football coach to prey on other youngsters, according to a scathing report issued Thursday on the scandal. “Our most saddening and sobering finding is the total disregard for the safety and welfare of Sandusky’s child victims by the most ... - PAGE B1
TODAY’S OBITUARIES
• Stella Sanders • Billy Joe Richardson • Bonnie Ann Graham - PAGE A6
HIGH ...95˚ LOW ....68˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
CLASSIFIEDS..........B5 COMICS.................B3 FINANCIAL .............B4 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........B5 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8
INDEX
Mark Wilson Photo
Bonita Park near Ruidoso took a direct hit from the Little Bear fire.
Mark Wilson Photo
Samaritan’s Purse International Relief volunteer Robert Garcia clears burnt trees in Bonita Park near Ruidoso, Wednesday.
Good food, info at MainStreet Salazar proposes oil, Roswell’s Farmers Market gas, potash plan NOAH VERNAU RECORD STAFF WRITER
With the growing season under way, MainStreet Roswell’s Farmers and Gardeners Market is back and better than ever. The market, which began last week, will be held each Saturday from 7 to 11 a.m. through the end of September on the Courthouse lawn on Main Street between Fifth and Sixth streets, offering attendees homegrown fruits and vegetables, crafts, recipes, nutritional information and grilling demonstrations. More than 25 local vendors assembled Saturday for the season’s first market, a strong showing that MainStreet Roswell Director Dusty Huckabee said is a sign of good things to come this summer. “It’s just been going strong and growing every year,” Huckabee said. “We had a ton of people out there last Saturday.
“... When I first got into Main Street business, the old timers would say that they’d come to town and get their haircut, do their grocery shopping and then go to the Courthouse lawn and visit with friends. Well, for a while that just kind of died away. But now, we’re seeing it all come back.” MainStreet Roswell’s onsite grilling offers a chance for people to learn how to grill fresh vegetables, with demonstrations currently provided by the Department of Health’s Women, Infants, Children program. Carrie Weems, nutritionist supervisor with the Department of Health, said WIC has been working with the Far mers Market for five years to help supply residents with the information they need to eat healthier. “Working with WIC, we see a lot of nutrient deficiencies, especially in the fruits and vegetables,” Weems said. “They’re more expensive, so a lot of people
tend to buy more junk food than healthy food. A lot of people don’t know how to cook or how easy it can be. So we’re just out there showing how simple you can grill and have something delicious come out of it!”
Lester Peck, market manager, said delicious fresh fruits and vegetables at a reasonable price is only part of what makes the market so beneficial to residents. “First of all, it gives a basis for good nutrition to all of the citizens. There are a lot of things that are attractive about it. People have fun down there, and it’s a good outlet for all the vendors we have, too.
“Everything is strictly local — (the food) can’t be from out of state, and it can’t be re-sale. ... There will be anything that you would grow if you had a See FOOD, Page A3
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on Thursday introduced a proposal that could effectively end a decades-long squabble over development of oil and natural gas in an area that makes up the nation’s greatest potash reserve.
Oil and gas developers and the companies going after potash — the key ingredient in fertilizers — have been locked in a series of legal disputes over development of the resources for years. The concern has centered on contamination of the resources and mining safety.
“At stake here are tens of thousands of jobs in southeastern New Mexico in the oil and gas industry as well as thousands of jobs in the potash industry,” Salazar said. “And
importantly, both of those industries are part of the energy and mineral security of the United States.” Salazar’s draft order would establish a program for identifying areas where development can happen safely. Buffer zones would be established to allow oil and gas drillers to go after the fossil fuels without compromising potash deposits. Experts say advances in drilling techniques make the proposal possible. Salazar said “drilling islands” could be created within the 625-squaremile area where potash is protected. The area, which is managed by the Bureau of Land Management, produces three-quarters of the potash mined in the US. Part of the Per-
See OIL, Page A3