Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 123, No. 188 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
August 6, 2014
FLETC immigrants remain under quarantine BY JEFF TUCKER RECORD STAFF WRITER
About 600 illegal immigrants remain under quarantine and are receiving medical treatment in Artesia and Roswell as residents of Artesia and the nation remain on edge, federal and local authorities said Tuesday after touring the Federal Law Enforcement T raining Center in Artesia. About 30 asylum hearings are being held a day, although the immigrants are not being removed from the Artesia facility because of a quarantine due to chicken pox, U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce said Tuesday during a news conference at the Greater Artesia Chamber of Commerce. Pearce, R-Hobbs, said the last confirmed case of
chicken pox among the immigrant population was confirmed Thursday, starting a new 21-day quarantine period. In total, two cases of chicken pox have been confir med among the immigrants from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, with about a half-dozen false positive tests for tuberculosis, Pearce said. The parents of the two children who tested positive for chicken pox have been isolated, Pearce said. Pearce, Artesia Mayor Phillip Burch and a handful of other local officials met with local reporters after touring FLETC Tuesday for about an hour. Burch said he has been busy quelling rumors circulating the Artesia community. “The rumor today at 1
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o’clock (Tuesday) was that one of the children died and was taken to the hospital,” Burch said. “Absolutely incorrect. There was a child taken to the hospital, treated and back on site. There are rumors of HIV cases. Wrong, none that have been recorded. There’s no active TB case being tracked by any (health) facility, Artesia, Roswell or the FLETC. So many of the things, I’m not sure where people get them, but they’re out there and we try to address as many as quickly we can.” Burch said since June 23, there have been two calls for the Artesia Police Department to respond to FLETC. He said both incidents were minor. “Neither one of them See FLETC, Page A8
Jeff Tucker Photo
U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, left to right, Artesia Mayor Phillip Burch, state Sen. Cliff Pirtle and state Rep. Candy Spence Ezzell meet Tuesday with reporters at the Greater Artesia Chamber of Commerce after a group of lawmakers toured the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Artesia. More than 600 illegal immigrants are being detained and quarantined at FLETC after two detainees tested positive for chicken pox.
County imposes new standards for chambers
Commissioners urge merger of 2 chambers BY JEFF TUCKER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Jerry Heck Photos
A young participant receives a paint tattoo Tuesday during Roswell’s Night Out presented at the Spring River Park and Zoo.
Roswell’s Night Out brings out neighbors BY JERRY HECK RECORD STAFF WRITER
Steve Wolfe and Richard Lucero are the advisers for the Roswell Neighborhood Watch Program. Wolfe said, “This is our seventh consecutive year for Roswell’s Night Out, but it is the first time we had it here at the zoo. It’s a symbol [to the criminals] that we are not going to take it, getting ripped off anymore.” Wolfe also advised to get a hot dog and a drink as they were going fast. The Juke Box Band played on the city’s trailermounted band shell and the large number of kids used the playground equipment. Meanwhile, Berrendo Volunteer Fire Department Engine 105 and the Roswell Fire Department’s Engine 15 had set up a fire combat course for recruits under 12 years old. Hilda Pacheco Peeples represented the Roswell Safe Coalition. The organization advises homeowners on the use of door locks and alarms. The Roswell Police Explorers Post 911 was on hand. Of ficer Brackeen said, “The program has benefited many of the officers currently in the department. The experience helps them advance to sergeant and detective.” Officer Michael Fry, the
Left: A firefighter recruit goes through a fire combat course Tuesday at Roswell’s Night Out. Berrendo Volunteer Fire Department Engine 105 and the Roswell Fire Department’s Engine 15 set up a fire combat course for recruits under 12 years old. Below: The Juke Box Band performs on the city’s trailer-mounted band shell.
Post adviser, said the Explorers program is open to residents 14 to 21 years old. Fry was an Explorer. The Roswell Police Explorers Post 911 is on Facebook. The introduction of National Night Out, “America’s Night Out Against Crime,” in 1984 began as an ef fort to promote involvement in crime prevention activities, policecommunity partnerships, neighborhood camaraderie and send a message to
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criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back. In the first National Night Out, 2.5 million took part. The event now involves over 37.8 million people. Roswell’s Neighborhood Watch started in the 1980s and then lost steam. In 2008, the program was revitalized by Lucero, a retired Roswell Police Department commander, and Wolfe, a retired Navy captain who
• ROSEZELLA DEBAUN LANG • DOROTHY J. WHEAT • SAMUEL JOHN CORDOVA
was a Pepsi Cola Company manager and worked for Armstrong Construction Co. While Neighborhood Watch is the thrust of the organization, both Lucero and Wolfe are very much involved in the Chaves County Crime Stoppers, the Roswell SAFE Coalition, and in fingerprinting activities at various local health fairs and similar events. For more information, call 622-7233.
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE A8
Chaves County leaders have put in place specific performance standards for the county’s economic development agencies to continue qualifying for public funding, while also encouraging Roswell’s two chambers of commerce to consider a merger. The county commissioners included funding for the Roswell Chamber of Commerce, the Roswell Hispano Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Corp. of Roswell-Chaves County in the county’s final budget for the 2014-15 fiscal year. The commissioners allocated $80,000 for the EDC, $40,000 for the Roswell chamber, and $5,000 for the Hispano chamber in the county’s $43,354,116 budget.
The commissioners have funded the three entities for years. However, for the first time, they have put in place specific performance standards that the three economic development agencies must meet to continue receiving money from the county. At the suggestion of Commissioner Greg Nibert, the commission adopted benchmarks which the three entities must meet by January to obtain the second half of their funding in the county’s 2014-15 fiscal year. “They are much more intense agreements, with reporting requirements, goals and achievements,” Nibert said at the commissioners’ July 24 meeting when the county’s final budget for the 2014-15 fiscal year was unanimously
Stu Pritchard, 92, dies
See CHAMBERS, Page A3
STAFF REPORT
One of Roswell’s most accomplished and beloved citizens, Stuart Pritchard, passed away Tuesday at the age of 92. He was an Air Force lieutenant colonel, businessman, artist, writer and civic leader who retired in Roswell, his hometown, after Walker Air Base closed in 1967. Pritchard was born on Nov. 3, 1921, in Hagerman. He was employed at the Carlsbad Cavern National Park when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. A beginning pilot who had just completed training in the Civilian Pilot Training program, he was assigned to the Army Air Corps in January 1942, completed an accelerated program and spent a major portion of the war as an instructor of instruments and formation tactics. Sent to the South Pacific Theater, he flew as a B-29 pilot until the close of hostilities, then returned to CLASSIFIEDS ..........B8 COMICS .................B7 ENTERTAINMENT ...A10 FINANCIAL ..............B4
Pritchard civilian life to join his brother, Dick, in a homebuilding business. As a reservist, he was recalled for the Berlin Airlift where he flew about 100 missions. See PRITCHARD, Page A8
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2 HOROSCOPES .......A10
LOTTERIES .............A2
OPINION .................A4
SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ............A10