Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Vol. 122, No. 271 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
November 12, 2013
Typhoon-hit victims in Philippines plead for aid
TACLOBAN, Philippines (AP) — Stunned survivors of one of the most powerful typhoons ever to make landfall picked through the remains of their homes Monday and pleaded for food and medicine as the Philippines struggled to deal with what is likely its deadliest natural disaster. Authorities said at least 2 million people in 41 provinces had been affected by Friday’s disaster and at least 23,000 houses had been damaged or destroyed. Large areas along the coast had been transformed into twisted piles of debris, blocking roads and trapping decomposing bodies underneath. Ships were tossed inland, cars and trucks swept out to sea and bridges and ports washed away. “In some cases the devastation has been total,” said
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Secretary to the Cabinet Rene Almendras. In Leyte province, the badly hit city of Tacloban resembled a garbage dump from the air, punctuated only by a few concrete buildings that remained standing. The official death toll stood at just over 250 people, but two provincial officials said Sunday it could reach 10,000 or more. The disaster has shattered transportation and communication links, as well as local governance structures, making it hard to come up with a definite tally. Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said “we pray” that the death toll is less than 10,000. “Please tell my family I’m alive,” said Erika Mae Karakot, a survivor on Leyte island, as she lined up for aid. “We need water and medicine because a lot of the peo-
ple we are with are wounded. Some are suffering from diarrhea and dehydration due to shortage of food and water.” Even though authorities had evacuated some 800,000 people ahead of the typhoon, the death toll was predicted to be high because many evacuation centers — brickand-mortar schools, churches and government buildings — could not withstand the winds and water surges. Officials said people who had huddled in these buildings drowned or were swept away. The U.S. military dispatched water, generators and a contingent of Marines to the worst-hit city along the country’s remote eastern seaboard, the first outside help in what will swell into a major international relief mis-
TUESDAY
AP Photo
A survivor walks by a large ship after it was washed ashore by strong waves caused by powerful Typhoon Haiyan in Tacloban city, Leyte province, central Philippines on Sunday. The city remains littered with debris from damaged homes as many complain of shortages of food and water and no electricity since Typhoon Haiyan slammed into their province.
The tribute starts with a simple ‘thank you’ Vaughn See TYPHOON, Page A3
faces water crisis
AMY VOGELSANG RECORD STAFF WRITER
“We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.” Novelist Cynthia Ozick seemed to sum up everything about Veterans Day in one simple sentence. And as more generations pass, some of the sacrifices may get lost in history books, but they should never be forgotten. A roar of applause greeted veterans as they were escorted into the Goddard High School auditorium Monday. Men and women from all walks of military life stood, proudly waving or saluting the applause. Some wiped their eyes, trying to bravely hide the tears. Maybe the emotions were brought on by memories, or perhaps it was merely due to the overwhelming appreciation circling the room. Outside the door, as veterans entered the high school, a line of American Flags greeted them, the red, white and blue billowing in the afternoon breeze. Head of the Flag Line was See THANK YOU, Page A3
JILL MCLAUGHLIN RECORD STAFF WRITER
Amy Vogelsang Photo
WWII veteran Gerry Hoffman and his wife Cloetta Hoffman attended the Goddard High School Veterans Day Assembly with family Monday after traveling all the way from Seattle.
Serving your country: It’s about freedom, but not free JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Jessica Palmer Photo
During the Veterans Day assembly, the mothers who are students at University High School brought their children from the school’s day care center to present letters, gifts and cards to local veterans to thank them for the sacrifices they made in the service of their country.
A hush fell on the crowd, people placed their hands on their hearts as New Mexico Youth ChalleNGe presented the colors at an assembly at University High School to honor area veterans, Monday. Members of the American Legion Riders, Dennis Kintigh and others came to receive gifts and notes from Univerity High School day care children. Representatives of the Chaves County Chapter of the Federal Republican Women also attended the assembly, some to stand and be honored as women who served in the armed services. In her introductory statement, University High Principal JoAnne Johnson talked about her sons who served in Iraq. She expressed her thanks to all veterans for their willingness to fight for American freedoms. “Thank you for continuing to fight for us today and continuing to
fight for us in the future.” Keynote speaker Rep. Bob Wooley (R-District 66) who is himself a Vietnam vet presented an American Hero Award to Shane Willis. He provided the definition of patriotism, love of one’s own country, and elaborated on the definition. “Patriotism is knowing the Pledge of Allegiance and knowing what it means. ... Patriotism means to help those in the community in need. ... Patriotism is honoring the flag and our Constitution.” Wooley questioned if most Americans truly realized what it has taken to maintain the American way of life. He gave the figures of the number of men and women who had died in World War II, in Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Afghanistan and Iraq. “A total of 680,074 men and women have given their lives for their country.” Chaves County Sheriff’s Deputy See FREEDOM, Page A3
Former New Mexico GOP Chairman John Dendahl dies SANTA FE (AP) — John Dendahl, who led the Republican Party of New Mexico for nearly a decade and was known for his fearless challenges of Democrats, has died. He was 75. Family and friends said Dendahl died Saturday in a Colorado hospital from complications from leukemia treatments. His wife, Jackie, said he had been in the hospital for a month. Known as an articulate and combative conservative, Dendahl served as GOP chairman
from 1994 until 2003. “The Democrats would be throwing spit wads at us, and John Dendahl was an F-16,” former Gov. Gary Johnson told the Albuquerque Journal, describing the political battles of the era. Dendahl ran for governor in 1994 but lost to then-political newcomer Johnson, who went on to win the general election that year. That same year, Dendahl was elected state Republican Party chairman, and he and Johnson
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TODAY’S FORECAST
• BOB HARRISON • HUGH EDWARD HANAGAN
became friends. Dendahl came under fire from his own party when he backed Johnson’s criticism of the war on drugs and Johnson’s calls for drug law decriminalization. However, the party looked to him to run against Gov. Bill Richardson in 2006 when the Democrat was seeking a second term. A self-described “pit bull” for the GOP, Den-
• JOHNNY HIDALGO • JO ANN PRINCE
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE A6
See DENDAHL, Page A3
CLASSIFIEDS ..........B6
COMICS .................B5
FINANCIAL ..............B4
The town of Vaughn spent a fifth night Monday without running water as village officials scrambled to figure out how to get the pipes to start flowing again. Massive water leaks have foiled delivery to all homes and businesses in the small town of some 500 residents living in what many travelers view as a main pit stop between Roswell and Albuquerque. “If we don’t get this taken care of, it’s going to get really bad,” said Police Chief Philip Holmes. The town’s water system was charged with water Monday afternoon, but had no pressure. “The water’s flowing, it’s just not pressurized,” Holmes said. “It hasn’t reached all the way to the homes. The best guess of the water department is, an air pocket is in there that has messed some things up.” The New Mexico Department of Transportation has trucked in non-drinking water for residents to flush toilets and keep homes clean. The New Mexico National Guard delivered a 5,000-gallon tanker of drinking water Sunday and a central distribution center at the town’s community center Monday. The Red Cross sent 80 cases of water but it only offered some two bottles per resident. The water supply center is not staffed and the town was asking its residents to get supplies before dark when it was expected to freeze overnight. Temperatures in Vaughn, like Roswell, are expected to drop drastically in the next few days. Vaughn is expected to drop to 30 to 32 degrees Monday night. Overnight freezing is forecasted again Tuesday into Wednes-
See VAUGHN, Page A3
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2 HOROSCOPES .........A8 LOTTERIES .............A2 NATION ..................A6
OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8