Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Vol. 121, No. 289 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
December 2, 2012
SUNDAY
www.rdrnews.com
Parade ushers in Christmas season NOAH VERNAU RECORD STAFF WRITER
STEP BACK IN TIME
Just for a little while, forget the holiday shopping, going from house to house Christmas caroling or playing host; the Historical Society for Southeast New Mexico is having an event that’s all about giving to members of the community. The Historical Society, at 200 N. Lea Ave., is hosting a free open house Sunday from 1-4 p.m. Visitors are invited to step back in time, see ... - PAGE C1
TOP 5
Mark Wilson Photo
Hot air balloon burners light up the night sky during MainStreet Roswell’s 24th annual Electric Light Parade, Saturday.
Roswell residents lined up along Main Street on a war m December night to take in the sights and sounds of the Electric Light Parade, a holiday celebration that commemorated 100 years of New Mexico statehood. The annual event put on by MainStreet Roswell set the tone for the season with 25 floats that lit up downtown Roswell, while a Christmas caroling contest brought out contestants in vintage clothing from the early days of New Mexico. “The people who are dressed up from the ’20s look really cool,” said Roswell resident Daniel Gladu, who brought his wife and two children. He added that Saturday’s Electric Light Parade was his first, and while gesturing to those in the long coats and hooped dresses behind him, said an event like this is all about community. “It’s awesome that everybody is out and having a good time. It’s cool like that.” Of those dressed for the occaSee PARADE, Page A3
WEB
For The Past 24 Hours • Suspect leads cops on highspeed chase • Murder scene • Parade at 6; come early for singing • DA wants to review James Gomez’s release • GHS cruises into 4A title game
INSIDE SPORTS Mark Wilson Photo
Accidental Harmony, a singing troupe from Hobbs, sing Christmas carols downtown during MainStreet Roswell’s Christmas Caroling Contest, Saturday.
Mark Wilson Photo
MaryAnn Murphy of the Patriot Guard Riders readies for MainStreet Roswell’s Electric Light Parade, Saturday.
Hispano Chamber billboard welcomes visitors CHAUNTE’L POWELL RECORD STAFF WRITER
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher killed his girlfriend Saturday morning and minutes later, holding a gun to his head, thanked his general manager and coach before shooting himself outside the team’s practice complex. Authorities did not release a motive for the murder-suicide, though police said that Belcher and his girlfriend, 22-year-old Kasandra M. Perkins, ... - PAGE B1
KC TRAGEDY
TODAY’S OBITUARIES
• David M. Salas Sr. • Earl Wayne Cochran • Asa Z. Paschall • Dalila Quadros • Raquel Rede • Christopher M. Barker • Aminta Aguilar • Arthur Contreras Jr. - PAGE B7
HIGH ...77˚ LOW ....40˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
CLASSIFIEDS..........D1 COMICS.................C3 FEATURE ...............C4 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........A8 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8
INDEX
The Hispano Chamber of Commerce wants visitors to know what Roswell is all about the moment they reach city limits. Friday the group had a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a billboard located just past Brown Road, welcoming those entering the city from the west. The Hispano Chamber believes the billboard is an excellent way to send a message out about how diverse the city is. The billboard pictures five children of different ethnicities, each costumed to represent five styles of music that can be
heard in Roswell — gospel, country-western, folkloria, mariachi and symphonic — and bears a welcome message. The Chamber has never had a sign welcoming people to the city before and treasurer Susie Roe said to finally have one “means a lot.” Secretary Car men Arias said all the points stated in the sign are key in describing Roswell. “I think it’s very important to point out our culture, diversity and that we’re a business-friendly city,” she said. “I think that’s a major, major point of the Roswell community.” She added that the process to get the billboard
went smoothly and hopefully by promoting businesses around the city will encourage everyone to work together and prosper. R.G. Bobby Villegas of the Far mers Insurance Group was one of the sponsors of the welcome sign and said he did not hesitate to support the project because it accurately it depicts the city. “We want the people to know they are welcome coming in and Roswell a business-friendly city,” he said. “We do have a very diverse culture within the city ... the picture tells it all because it’s really about
Mark Wilson Photo
Members of The Roswell Hispano Chamber of Commerce and the Chaves County Development Foundation cut the ribbon to celebrate the Chamber’s new billboard, Friday. Pictured, from left, are Jose Zavala, Bob Donnel, Carmen Arias, Susie Roe, Mike McLeod, Dominic Villegas, Bob Villegas, Sandra Quintero and Romo Villegas.
USPS unveils stamp honoring Lady Bird Johnson See WELCOME, Page A3
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The smiling face of Lady Bird Johnson, who during her time as the nation’s first lady advocated for the environment, appears on a new postage stamp that was dedicated Friday by the U.S. Postal Service in Austin. The ceremony marked the 47th anniversary of her husband, President Lyndon B. Johnson, signing legislation she supported that helped beautify America’s highways. The event
was held at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas at Austin. “Lady Bird Johnson changed the face of America — literally,” said Thurgood Marshall Jr., chairman of the postal service’s Board of Governors. “She believed we had a responsibility to our environment to restore what had been damaged — and to remember what had been neglected. That’s why she led campaigns to clean up our cities and urged
more Americans to visit national parks,” he said. “One of her proudest achievements was the Highway Beautification Act. She was so vocal in her support for the legislation that it became known as ‘Lady Bird’s Bill.”’
Her daughters, Luci Baines Johnson and L ynda Johnson Robb, joined Marshall at the dedication ceremony. Their mother, a
Pipeline decision pressure on Obama increases AP Photo
WASHINGTON (AP) — Embarking on a second ter m, President Barack Obama faces mounting pressure on a decision he had put off during his reelection campaign: whether to approve the $7 billion proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline between the U.S. and Canada. On its sur face, it’s a choice between the promise of jobs and economic growth and environmental
concer ns. But it’s also become a proxy for a much broader fight over American energy consumption and climate change, amplified by Superstorm Sandy and the conclusion of an election that was all about the economy.
Environmental activists and oil producers alike are looking to Obama’s decision as a harbinger of what he’ll do on climate and energy in the next four
years. Both sides are holding out hope that, freed from the political constraints of re-election, the president will side with them on this and countless related issues down the road.
Once content with delays that have so far kept the pipeline from moving forward at full speed, opponents of Keystone XL have launched protests in recent weeks at the White House
and in Texas urging Obama to nix the project outright. Meanwhile, support for the pipeline appears to be picking up steam on Capitol Hill. But Obama has shown little urgency about the pipeline, which would carry crude oil about 1,700 miles from wester n Canada to Texas Gulf Coast refineries. The pipeline requires State See PIPELINE, Page A3
See STAMP, Page A3
United Way of Chaves County
622-4150 Collected
$379,779 Goal
$500,000
75.9% Of Goal Collected