Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 121, No. 186 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
August 4, 2012
SATURDAY
www.rdrnews.com
RISD unveils new Missouri Ave school
BOOK SIGNING SUNDAY
Born in Santa Fe County in 1850, he was a Hispanic New Mexican who gave his fellow country folk practical options to avoid the tyranny and suppression they suffered during the Lincoln County War: educate yourself, and do not fight needlessly. - PAGE A2
TOP 5 WEB
For The Past 24 Hours
• Pignitary, messy; Wool Lead, super clean • Auto wreck leaves 1,000 without power • City needs $2M for projects • McFadden interim chief • Who bought Impact Confections?
Mark Wilson Photo
Missouri Avenue Elementary students receive an assist in cutting the ribbon from principal Glenda Moore during grand opening ceremonies of the new school as N.M. Secretary of Education-Designate Hanna Skandera, far left, looks on, Friday. JULIA BERGMAN RECORD STAFF WRITER
INSIDE SPORTS
Mark Wilson Photo
Missouri Avenue Elementary students race in the gymnasium following grand opening ceremonies at the new school, Friday.
WHAT COULD BE BETTER THAN THIS?
LONDON (AP) — Seventh at the turn, an Olympic champion at the end. Make it 17 gold medals for Michael Phelps. Was there any other way to go out in the final individual race of his career? With those long arms whirling through the water, Phelps was next-to-last when he touched the wall at the far end of the pool in the 100meter butterfly but in a familiar position when he made the touch that counted Friday — his name atop the leaderboard, a smile on his face, another gold medal around his neck. - PAGE B1
Start with a brick building — a hallmark of Roswell’s architecture. Add shiny concrete tile floors, state-of-the-art white boards and a computer lab on each floor. The result is the first brand new Roswell Independent School District elementary school in more than 60 years. About 100 individuals gathered for the unveiling of the new Missouri Avenue Elementary School, 700 W. Deming St., Friday morning. Many expressed their desire to see the new school be a leader not only within the RISD but statewide. The state’s Public Education Secretary Hanna Skandera was on hand at the ceremony, and
lauded the new school, the RISD and the Roswell community. During an interview prior to the ceremony Skandera said, “To me, what Missouri Elementary represents is education at its best. The community coming together and saying this is something we need and want for our kids to ensure a great spot for our kids to learn, and then backing up their words with action. They delivered on that. They did it under budget and they now have a great school that represents their community and a community who came together to make it happen. And that’s exactly what we need to see in education overall. It’s great to see Roswell modeling and championing this is how you get behind your school.” Those who spoke during the ceremony, including the project’s architect, members of the construction team and Missouri Avenue principal Glenda Moore, attributed the fruition of the new school to the community and its support. The project which totaled $14 million, subsumed around 14 months of construction. RISD school board president Mackenzie Hunt thanked the taxpayers for their support during the ceremony. He also showed his appreciation for Mayor Del Jurney and school board members. The school is expected to incorporate current state education standards, along with building codes, indoor air quality, acoustics, technology, and lighting. Missouri Avenue’s old location at 700 S. Missouri Ave., will be converted into a public park, which is what was previously in place at the site of the new school. By the start of the school year, construction will be complete and students and teachers will be in their new classrooms. Bob Gorrell, of the Public Schools Facility Authority, complimented the state Legislature and its efforts to secure funding See RISD, Page A3
Scientific ghost town Allen Dwyer protests ‘cruel delay stirs skepticism ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — Pegasus Global Holdings’ surprise announcement that it was pulling out of plans to build a $1 billion scientific ghost town in eastern New Mexico is stirring skepticism of the private firm’s grandiose plans for transforming 15 square miles of this largely rural state into a next-generation research center. Lea County had been working closely with the
company after winning the bid to house the Center for Innovation, Testing and Evaluation. But “when we started pressing for details, that’s when they decided to look elsewhere,” county manager Mike Gallagher said.
Hobbs Mayor Sam Cobb said he didn’t even know the group was abandoning its plans until he read a See GHOST, Page A3
and unusual’ sentence JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Allen C. Dwyer filed an appeal with the state Supreme Court in November, in which he protested his 15-year sentence on the charges of first-degree murder in the death of B. Tony Quici, 83, as cruel and unusual. The case
will be reviewed sometime this month. Quici was found face down in his home on Jan. 22, 2008, a by care worker. At the time, officials ruled that Quici received his injuries as a result of a fall. Quici lived for about a week after the attack and told his daughter, Rachel, that he had not fallen. She
argued with the police about their finding, and asked them to investigate what she believed to be a homicide.
In March 2010, the 20year-old Dwyer called the Alamogordo Department of Public Safety to ask what had happened to Quici. In his confession,
Mary Hart spreads the Aloha Spirit through living and dance See DWYER, Page A3
TODAY’S OBITUARY
• Norma J. Sharpless - PAGE A6
HIGH .102˚ LOW ....71˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
CLASSIFIEDS..........B6 COMICS.................B3 ENTERTAINMENT.....A8 FINANCIAL .............A7 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........A8 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8
INDEX
Courtesy Photo
The Rev. Chris Mullennix hugs his wife Priscilla as he reaches for his daughter Starla.
Rev. Chris Mullennix returns from USMA CHAUNTE’L POWELL RECORD STAFF WRITER
Chris Mullennix just happened to be checking his email last month, when he discovered God had dropped an opportu-
nity right in his lap. That first lieutenant in the Army Reserve and pastor of that Church of God had been selected to attend the prestigious United States Military
See MULLENNIX, Page A3
Chaunte'l Powell Photo
Mary Hart shows off some of her Hawaiian Dance moves at Senior Circle.
CHAUNTE’L POWELL RECORD STAFF WRITER
When Mary Hart dances, it’s not simply an expression of rhythm, it’s the telling of a story, a sharing of a culture and something about the Aloha Spirit. “My intent is to perpetuate the Hawaiian culture through hula dancing,” she said.
And though she is not a kumu hula, or a master instructor of hula, or even of Hawaiian descent, the Aloha Spirit has always been a part of her in some way. Ohana, the Hawaiian word for family, has been an integral part of her life since before she even knew what the word meant. Hart is the youngest of four children and was born in Los Angeles. Her mother was a history teacher at Long Beach State and her dad managed a chain of grocery stores. She said she grew up around many wonderful people including her grandparents and all of her neighbors. “I grew up in a sense of being around a lot of people,” she said. “And I’ll never be alone, believe me.” While living in southern California during the 1950s, she said she and her family attended the Date Festival every year. There she learned how to make candies and preserves out of dates. One of her See SPOTLIGHT, Page A3