Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 122, No. 285 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
November 28, 2013
www.rdrnews.com
THURSDAY
Storm of wet weather hits East Coast during the Thanksgiving rush PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A wet and blustery stor m along the East Coast made driving hazardous and tangled up hundreds of flights Wednesday but didn’t cause the all-out gridlock many Thanksgiving travelers had feared. Many travelers marveled at how orderly and anxiety-free the airports were during what is typically one of the busiest days of the year. One big question lingered in New York: Will high winds ground Snoopy and the other giant cartoon-character balloons at the Macy’s parade on Thanksgiving Day? The storm for the most part unleashed wind-driven rain along the Northeast’s heavily populated Interstate 95 corridor from Richmond, Va., to the tip of Maine. Emerging from the weather gantlet was Katie
Fleisher, who made it by car from Portsmouth, N.H., through rain and fog to Boston’s Logan Airport with little trouble and discovered to her amazement that the panicked, cranky crowds she expected were nonexistent. “We thought it would be busier here. But there’ve been no lines, and it has been really quiet all morning,” said Fleisher, whose plan was to fly to Pittsburgh. “Our flight is still on time, but we are checking the app every couple minutes,” she said. “We are nervous, as we are traveling with two 1-year-olds, and any extra time on a plane would be horrible.” The storm was expected to drop around 6 inches of snow in parts of West Virginia and wester n Pennsylvania and up to a foot in a pocket of upstate New York. Damaging winds gust-
ing up to 60 mph were expected to rip through Boston and other coastal areas. Those winds could prevent the giant balloons from taking flight this year at the Macy’s parade. Safety rules that specify wind speeds were enacted in New York after a spectator was killed in 1997 in an accident involving an out-of-control balloon. Flight cancellations piled up at East Coast hubs. By midday Wednesday, around 250 flights had been canceled, according to the tracking website FlightAware.com. But that was a tiny fraction of the nearly 32,000 flights that were scheduled to, from or within the U.S. on Wednesday, the site said. And the weather in many places was improving as the day wore on. Most of the cancellations involved Newark,
AP Photo
On the busiest travel day of the year, family and friends watch for arrivals of loved ones, at Denver International Airport, Wednesday.
N.J., Philadelphia and New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
The longest delays af fected Philadelphiabound flights, which were being held at their points of origin for an average of about two hours because of the weather, according to the website. The Philadelphia area was under a flood watch, with 2 to 3 inches of rain forecast before falling temperatures turn precipitation to snow.
Lower gas prices lifting hopes for holiday sales WASHINGTON (AP) — No one begs Santa Claus for cheaper gasoline. Yet falling gas prices are shaping up as an unexpected gift for drivers — and for people on their holiday shopping lists. The average price of
gasoline has tumbled 49 cents from its peak this year to $3.29 a gallon, putting it on track for the lowest average since 2010, according to AAA. Because many AmeriSee PRICES, Page A3
‘A F a i r y Tale
Christmas Carol’ ENMU-R’s latest play ‘a fun, energetic, playful Christmas show for children and adults’
AMY VOGELSANG RECORD STAFF WRITER
Rey Berrones Photo
Humpty Dumpty, the Little Big Bad Wolf and Little Bo Peep prepare for their parts in the upcoming production of “A Fairy Tale Christmas Carol” at ENMU-Roswell.
It’s a fantasy take on a traditional tale, and as the holiday season draws near, what could be more appropriate than a story about Christmas suited for the entire family? Easter n New Mexico University-Roswell will be doing a Christmas play: “A Fairy Tale Christmas Carol.” This play is Charles Dickens’ famous “A Christmas Carol,” but with a twist. Scrooge has morphed into the Big Bad Wolf, and a nephew, workers and clients, who represent all other sorts of fairy tale creatures,
from Rumpelstiltskin and Mother Goose, to Mary Contrary and Prince Charming, surround him. In 10 words (or less), director Daniel Wolkow summarizes the play: “A fun, energetic, playful Christmas show for children and adults.” Having directed eight other shows, people often use the line “Why so serious?” on him. His reputation is not of the lighthearted comical variety. But with the influence of many people asking for a Christmas play mixed with the desire to put on a production his 6-year -old See PLAY, Page A3
McClain charged as City of Angels Toy Drive kicks off Sunday “We don’t turn anything away. There’s accessory in shooting JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Danielle McClain, 22, was arrested early Wednesday, in the 300 block of East Bonney Street. McClain is charged as an accessory to attempted premeditated murder. The incident occurred Nov. 1 when McClain and another individual contacted the victim at her residence, asked her outside and then the male suspect shot her. According to the affidavit of criminal complaint, police responded to several calls about shots fired in the area of Frazier,
Church and Lewis streets around 4 a.m. When officers arrived, they found the female victim with several bullet wounds in her legs and torso. The document indicates that her wounds were so severe she was unable to give a statement at the time she was found. Later when police attempted to talk to her at Eastern New Mexico Medical Center, the investigating officer learned she had lost her pulse during transport, recovered and was subsequently air-lifted to Lubbock. The records state police
See SHOOTING, Page A3
HIGH 58 LOW 28
TODAY’S FORECAST
TESS TOWNSEND RECORD STAFF WRITER
always that special gift for that special kid.” - Organizer Felipe Rodriguez
Kmart shoppers will see some special seasonal visitors this Sunday. Volunteers for the City of Angels Toy Run will be camped out in front of the store, kicking of f their annual collection of toys, clothes, food and monetary donations for local families in need. “We urge whoever can come out and give to come out and give,” said event organizer Felipe Rodriguez, who builds classic cars for a living. The toy drive starts Sunday morning. Volunteers will be on scene Friday through Sunday each following weekend from morning until around 2 p.m.
Toys will be dispersed on Dec. 23, as is tradition. City of Angels accepts unwrapped toys, monetary donations, turkeys, other edible holiday treats and clothing such as undergarments, jackets and shoes. “We don’t turn anything away. There’s always that special gift for that special kid,” said Rodriguez. Gifts of cash will go toward purchasing items as needed the night of gift dispersal. Rodriguez said that at times in the past, funds have been used to help house families without
shelter. The drive started 13 years ago as the Low Rider Toy Run, in reference to the event’s connection with the Low Rider antique car club, of which Rodriguez is a member. The drive changed its name nine years ago to City of Angels in honor of Brianna Lopez, who died at 6 months of age in New Mexico in 2002 as a result of child abuse. Her death sparked major changes in New Mexico laws punishing perpetrators of child abuse. Kmart has supported the
• TOM HOOVER • FRANCES BURKSTALLERGOODSON
• CLITTICE VEORA GREEN PARKER • LISA COBOS • ORBAN WAGGONER
CLASSIFIEDS ..........B8 COMICS .................B6 ENTERTAINMENT .....B7 FINANCIAL ..............B4
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE A7
drive for the past four to five years, according to store manager David Lucero. “We’re just opening our doors to, you know, help [Rodriguez] in any way that we can,” said Lucero. He said that the store will offer special discounts to shoppers who donate Kmart goods to City of Angels and commented that employees often make donations. The toy run pulls volunteers from community organizations around town, such as Adopt-a-Soldier. Various football clubs have also helped out in the past. “We just say ‘thank you’ to anybody that comes out and donates. It’s for a good cause,” said Rodriguez.
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2 HOROSCOPES .......A10 LOTTERIES .............A2 NATION ..................A7
OPINION .................A4 SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ............A10