Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 122, No. 272 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
November 13, 2013
www.rdrnews.com
WEDNESDAY
Smith discusses safety plans JILL MCLAUGHLIN RECORD STAFF WRITER
Several residents gathered Tuesday night at Roswell High School to meet the city’s new police chief and hear from city leaders about how to make their neighborhoods safer. City Councilors Jason Perry and Barry Foster organized the Neighborhood Watch meeting. Councilor Savino Sanchez spoke to attendees. Mayor Del Jurney and City Manager Larry Fry also attended.
“It is really exciting to see people out here,” Foster said. “Our police force will do all they can. It takes us. We know who is supposed to be in our neighborhoods or not. We’ve got to know who our neighbors are. We’ve got to protect ourselves.” Residents asked several questions of Police Chief Phil Smith, who talked about his new plans to strengthen community policing and proactive programs for the city. Neighborhood Watch advisers also shared ideas for resi-
dents to become involved in helping keep their homes and neighborhoods safe. “We need to work on getting people involved,” Sanchez said. “The reason I’m here, I want the city to change. This is the city of Roswell, not the northside, eastside, south or west. Let’s work together on this and let’s make a difference in this community.” Perry told residents he believed the community had to start partnering up and doing its job. “It only takes one to get
concer ned,” Perry said. “There is something we can do.” Smith took several questions from attendees who asked about gangs, abandoned houses, drug problems and speeding problems.
He also shared his approach to policing. Smith said he doesn’t think from a policing perspective but from a community perspective. He believes in community
See SMITH, Page A3
It’s fall, after all
Jill McLaughlin Photo
Roswell Chief of Police Phil Smith answers a question from a resident Tuesday night at a community meeting organized by city councilors to discuss neighborhood safety.
RISD maintenance staff recognized by state Legislature TESS TOWNSEND RECORD STAFF WRITER
Mark Wilson Photo
Cooler temperatures and early morning rains stripped many trees of their seasonal foliage as leaves cover the ground at 13th Street and N. Kentucky Avenue, Tuesday morning.
The Roswell Independent School District Board of Education announced at its meeting Tuesday that the New Mexico Legislature had recognized district maintenance staf f with an achievement award. The board also approved new social studies textbooks for middle schools. The maintenance department received a silver Ben Lujan Maintenance Achievement Award. The Lujan awards recognize school districts that demonstrate effective maintenance management practices. Maintenance personnel Sean Benedict, Jimmy Clements and John Dean
received individual Lujan awards for maintenance achievement. Benedict said of his colleagues, “They’re always going 110 percent behind the scenes doing whatever they can for the district.” The textbook purchase is the first of middle school social studies textbooks for the district in about 10 years, according to Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Susan Sanchez. She said state funding allocations for textbooks restrict new book purchases to select grade levels and subjects each year. “It’s just relevant and up to date infor mation,” Sanchez said of the material in the four books. “The
Water returns in Vaughn, Trujillo charged with murder still under boil advisory JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
JILL MCLAUGHLIN RECORD STAFF WRITER
Water began trickling again into homes and businesses in Vaughn Tuesday but the town remains under a stateordered boil water advisory. “They all have water flow at this point,” said Police Chief Philip Holmes. “It’s just that pressure is low. Being able to take the full shower … that’s what the issue is at this point.” New Mexico Environ-
ment Department staf f remained in Vaughn throughout the day to assist the city and test the water.
“If there are no other events that happen that cause either leaks or any other circumstances that prevent water from flowing, there should be full pressure resuming soon,” said Tom Blaine, director of the environmental health division of NMED. “We’re optimistic and feel that the situation has at least stabilized.”
NMED sent samples of the water to a laboratory to be tested for contamination. Those results should be available today, Blaine said.
Until the state is certain the water is free of bacteria, the residents are still cautioned to boil their water before consuming it.
NMED staff visited every restaurant in Vaughn and worked with food handlers to ensure they were properly trained in how to preSee VAUGHN, Page A2
The Roswell Police Department served a warrant on Christopher Trujillo, 23, at the Chaves County Detention Center, Monday evening. T rujillo is charged with one count of murder. He was sought by the RPD as a person of interest in the shooting death of Victor Oaxaca, 25, that occurred around 11:30 p.m. on Oct. 23, at Variety Liquor and Lounge, 1100 W. Second St. In the affidavit of criminal complaint, detectives reported talking to nearly 20 people during the course
Boy Scouts instills youth with character This article is one in a series of stories focusing on local agencies that receive support from the United Way of Chaves County, which is currently conducting its annual fundraising campaign. TESS TOWNSEND RECORD STAFF WRITER
“On my honor, I will do my best To do my duty to God and my country and to
obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.” Sound familiar? It’s the Boy Scout Oath. Boy Scouts of America has taught young people outdoor skills and instilled them with character for more than 100 years in Roswell. The organization has been a United Way agency for about half of that time. The Conquistador Council of Boy Scouts of America, which includes
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TODAY’S FORECAST
Chaves County troops, receives 13 percent of its annual funding from United Way, according to Keith Alder, CEO of the council. The organization puts that funding toward paying administrative staff and organizing activities such as camping. “The Conquistador Council appreciates the partnership in funding different programs,” said Alder. This past year, funding helped the council send 33 of its 1,200 young members to the National Jamboree summer camp in West Virginia, where
the boys participated in outdoor activities and learned leadership skills. About half of the Scouts who went came from the county. Scouting is not all about camping — it is also about giving back to the community. Among roughly 300 Chaves County Scouts, several have overseen community service activities as part of their Eagle Scout service projects. In 2013, local projects included refinishing the parking lot of Assurance See SCOUTS, Page A3
• Norma Jean Gonzales • James Groseclose
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE A7
• Hugh Hanagan • Jo Ann McNamara Prince • Johnny Ysidro Hidalgo
of their investigation, including bar patrons, staff, family members and friends of both the victim and the accused. No one reported actually witnessing the crime, but many said they heard the sound of gunfire, bangs or loud knocks. No one said they noticed any sort of altercation between Oaxaca and any other customer inside the bar. The court documents record a large amount of blood at the scene and shell casings, along with track marks, which indicated a vehicle left at a high rate of speed. Officials went to Eastern New Mexico Medical Center, where Oaxaca went to receive treatment
See RISD, Page A3
Trujillo
and died of his injuries. The detective observed that Oaxaca had been shot twice, in the stomach and thigh. See MURDER, Page A3
Blue Cross, Blue Shield to buy Lovelace Health Plan JILL MCLAUGHLIN RECORD STAFF WRITER
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico plans to buy Lovelace Health Plan, in a deal that is expected to close at the end of December. The acquisition will not include Lovelace’s hospitals or clinics, said Laurie Volkin, Lovelace’s communications manager. “Lovelace Health Plan members in Roswell can continue to access services at Lovelace Regional Hospital-Roswell and all Lovelace hospitals in Albuquerque, now and after the transacCLASSIFIEDS ..........B8 COMICS .................B7 ENTERTAINMENT ...A10 GENERAL ...............A2
tion is finalized,” Volkin said. The Roswell hospital will not change its name, she said. The transaction is subject to state and federal regulatory approvals and other conditions. Both are anticipated to close by Dec. 31. Lovelace Health System operates six hospitals and a health plan. The health plan serves 108,000 members in New Mexico, but was not chosen to remain in the New Mexico Medicaid managed care program, See LOVELACE, Page A3
INDEX HOROSCOPES .........B8 LOTTERIES .............A2 NATION..................A7 OPINION .................A4
SPORTS .................B1 STOCKS .................B5 WEATHER ............A10 WORLD ..................A8