Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 121, No. 268 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
November 9, 2012
FRIDAY
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NMCF awards grants to 2 nonprofits The nominations were made by community leaders throughout the state such as Susie Russell, and final decisions were made by a volunteer selection committee. None of the Chispa recipients knew their organization had been selected until they were presented with the award Thursday. “I’m just completely blown away,” Down Syndrome Foundation executive director Missy Hol-
man said. “It’s such an amazing surprise, and it’s going to make a huge difference.”
Holman said the yearly budget for DSF is $55,000, and that any grant that helps to cover operating costs is significant. “Operating-wise, it will pay rent and salaries and air conditioning, and
See NMCF, Page A3
CRANES AND COCOA, SATURDAY
Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge is hosting Cranes and Cocoa, Saturday. Members of the public are invited to attend the event that starts at 3 p.m. at the Skeen Visitors’ Center. From 3 to 4 p.m., refreshments will be served, including hot cocoa and cookies. At 4 p.m., Jim Montgomery, board member ... - PAGE A2
TOP 5 WEB
For The Past 24 Hours
• Winter Wonderland auction Nov. 16 • El Cap commemorates Veterans Day • 60% of Chaves County’s registered ... • Hagerman bridge • Prep football: Dissecting Week 10
INSIDE SPORTS
Mark Wilson Photo
Susie Russell, of the Community Foundation, and Ben Lewinger, of New Mexico Community Foundation, surprise Missy Holman, right, executive director of the Down Syndrome Foundation, with the Southeastern New Mexico Down Syndrome Foundation’s 2012 Chispa Award, Thursday.
NOAH VERNAU RECORD STAFF WRITER
Roswell Boys & Girls Club and Down Syndrome Foundation each received a $7,000 grant Thursday from New Mexico Community Foundation, which recognized the local nonprofits for accomplishing so much with so little. The Roswell organizations were two of
just 12 organizations across New Mexico to receive NMCF’s firstever Chispa Awards. Ben J. Lewinger, director of communications and collaborative partnerships for NMCF, said the Chispa Awards will be given to nonprofits annually. He added that “chispa” means “spark,” and that each of Thursday’s recipients “shine a light in the community.”
Voter turnout drops to 62% Council tables police SANTA FE (AP) — Fewer New Mexicans turned out to vote in the presidential election than four years ago when New Mexico was considered a battleground swing state and attracted several campaign visits from the presidential candidates.
About 62 percent of registered voters cast ballots in this year’s presidential race, according to unofficial returns. That’s down from nearly 70 percent in 2008, and it’s the
lowest turnout rate since the 2000 presidential election, when 61 percent of eligible voters participated.
“I think this election did not reach the level of excitement and enthusiasm as four years ago on either side,” Albuquerque pollster Brian Sanderoff said Thursday.
New Mexico was a highly competitive state in the 2008 and 2004 presidential contests as the Democratic and Republican
Autumn leaves ALBUQUERQUE — The Roswell boys soccer team had everything going for it. The Coyotes blasted Artesia 7-0 to take the District 44A championship and shut out Sante Fe in the first round of the NMAA Class 4A Boys State Soccer Championships last weekend. Before the Coyotes’ quarterfinal match against Chaparral, however, five Coyote players (including three starters) were benched for disciplinary reasons by the Roswell coaching staff. Quite simply, Roswell was peaking at the right time. - PAGE B1
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OBITUARIES
Douglas Haynes Flodell Burton Angell Marie Moore Isabel S. Garcia - PAGE A7
HIGH ...83˚ LOW ....52˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
CLASSIFIEDS..........B4 COMICS.................B3 FINANCIAL .............A6 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........A2 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8
INDEX
nominees sought to nail down the state’s electoral votes. The campaigns invested heavily in getout-the-vote ef forts to make sure their supporters went to the polls. But New Mexico was seen as relatively safe for President Barack Obama in this year’s race, and the Democratic incumbent ended up winning the state by a nearly 10 percentage point margin over Republican Mitt
Mark Wilson Photo
Autumn has passed its midway point and the colorful foliage adorning area trees begin to thin out at 400 Penn Plaza, Thursday.
attorney resolution
ILISSA GILMORE RECORD STAFF WRITER
City Council voted Thursday to table a resolution submitted by the Police Department to create a new position of police attorney that would have adjusted the city’s already approved 2013 budget. The council voted 6-4 in favor of voting on the resolution at another time after Councilor Jeanine Best suggested the item required more discussion.
According to the resolution, the new position would assist the Police Department in the areas of Municipal Court, Magistrate Court and District Court prosecutions.
Council also voted in favor of a resolution for the city to apply for government funding to improve streets and sidewalks in the area around Mesa Middle School.
Adopt-a-Soldier event, Saturday See VOTER, Page A3
CHAUNTE’L POWELL RECORD STAFF WRITER
RHS FALLS
TODAY’S
Mark Wilson Photo
Susie Russell, of the Community Foundation, is showered with hugs from kids at the Roswell Boys & Girls Club after the club received a 2012 Chispa Award, Thursday.
This Veterans Day weekend, Walmart is working in conjunction with Roswell’s Rocha, Salas, Naylor and Martinez Adopt-a-Soldier Program to make sure those fighting overseas receive a little bit of Christmas cheer this holiday season. The store is hosting an event on Saturday from 3-5 p.m., honoring those who have served the country. During the ceremony, the national anthem will be sung, an official document will be read and more infor-
mation about the Adopt-aSolider will be shared. Refreshments will also be served and all who attend will have the opportunity to write notes to the soldiers, thanking them for their service.
Nicole Vargas, founder of the Roswell program, said they have been collecting personal items such as baby wipes, socks, coffee and hand war mers, and treats like beef jerky, cookies, and even board games. She said there’s been a huge response from the community as everyone’s thinking of the troops during this holiday season and
See CITY, Page A3
about 200 pounds of items have been collected. That number does not include contributions she’s anticipating getting from the East Grand Plains area. Her ultimate goal is to ship the packages out to the soldiers by Nov. 17, so that they may receive them in time for Christmas. She said she is thankful for the volunteers who have helped pack boxes, as well as the rest of the community’s support.
“I really appreciate the schools like El Capitan and Roswell High School that
Oh, boy! Headstart kids to get Veterans Day Parade bicycles from Ride For Bikes Saturday at 10 a.m. Be there or be square Wagner said Roswell Headstart is the first nonNOAH VERNAU RECORD STAFF WRITER
Roswell Headstart children will be ready to roll this holiday season after the Eddy County-based charity Ride For Bikes announced its plans Thursday to donate 335 bikes to the Roswell nonprofit organization. Ride For Bikes is made up primarily of employees from the Artesia companies Navajo Refining Co. and Holly Frontier Corp. Roswell Headstart area supervisor John Wagner said the bikes will go a long way to serving Roswell’s low income, poverty-stricken families. “Our median household income is $15,000 a year.
profit organization outside of Eddy County to receive bikes from Ride For Bikes ...
So a lot of these children don’t necessarily receive a gift for Christmas. And these individuals from Holly Frontier and Navajo have been so gracious to select our program as a nonprofit organization to donate these bikes. It means a lot.” Wagner said Roswell Headstart is the first nonprofit organization outside of Eddy County to receive bikes from Ride For Bikes, and that he hopes the relationship between the two organizations is one that will “continue in the years to
come.” Robby Gaines, project manager at Navajo Refining Co., said Ride For Bikes has been giving away bikes to community organizations for seven years. He said the program started when Navajo employees were putting bikes together to get around the refinery at Thanksgiving time, and the idea struck that they ought to do bike builds for kids. Gaines said the program raised $5,000 in See BIKES, Page A3
CHAUNTE’L POWELL RECORD STAFF WRITER
Roswell has the opportunity to honor soldiers young and old at the Veterans Day Parade scheduled to take place Saturday at 10 a.m. This year, Dennis Johnson, Jack Swickard and John Schaffer will serve as grand marshals of the parade and will lay wreaths down at the memorial site. All three men are Medal of Valor recipients. According to Rita KaneDoerhoefer, parade committee member, this year there are close to 60 entries. Included in those entries are 100 Patriot Guard motorcycles, entries from American Legion and Valley
See ADOPT, Page A3
Vintage Motor Car Club. There will also be six bands, two high school and four middle school. She added that all service branches will be represented in the parade and all ranks are welcome, from brigadier generals to buck privates.
One of those participants, Jim Cassidy, who served 20 years in the United States Air Force, will be with Corvettes for Vets. Ever since taking his first ride in his brother’s Corvette at the age of 6, Cassidy dreamed of owning one of his own. His dream became a reality when he purchased his 2007 C-6 for See PARADE, Page A3