Roswell Daily Record
BLM gets land for chicken THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Vol. 121, No. 294 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
BUYOUT LEADS TO LAYOFFS
CHICAGO (AP) — The company that makes the gold-plated Oscar statues will lay off almost 100 employees in the process of being bought out. But some workers could be rehired, it said, and the one-of-a-kind awards will still be produced on Chicago’s north side. - PAGE B4
December 8, 2012
SATURDAY
www.rdrnews.com
ROSWELL (AP) — The area of protection for the lesser prairie chicken in New Mexico is expanding. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management acquired 1,789 acres of land in eastern Chaves County earlier this month that will become part of a larger, special management area for the member of the prairie grouse family. The BLM had sought the help of the Conservation Fund to consolidate land and raise funds to purchase land and grazing permits. “We hope that other private land owners will be
inspired by today’s announcement and will work with federal, state and non-profit partners to establish similar strongholds for this species throughout its range,” Benjamin Tuggle, the southwest regional director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said Friday. The chicken’s range includes parts of New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma and Kansas. Fish and Wildlife is conducting a review to determine whether the lesser prairie chicken should be formally listed as a threat-
ened species. Ranchers, far mers and wind far m operators worry about a listing because it could increase regulations. Wind turbines, oil wells and fences are among the culprits scientists say have caused the chicken’s decline. A final decision on the listing is expected by November 2013.
Nearly 85 percent of the chicken’s grass and brushland habitat has been affected by ranching and
They do Christmas dances, too
See BLM, Page A3
Lesser prairie chicken
TOP 5 WEB For The Past 24 Hours
• Farewell, and thanks for everything • Albertson’s employee finds gun with ribs • Farmers Country Market ‘builds’ new ... • Cops bust cadet on Texas warrant • Title on the line in Los Lunas
INSIDE SPORTS
Mark Wilson Photo
LOS LUNAS — Hard work, dedication and perseverance. That’s what it takes to win a state championship. The Goddard Rockets displayed all three in 2012 and that’s exactly why they were hoisting the NMAA Class 4A ... - PAGE B1
TODAY’S OBITUARIES
• Paul Ashby • Esther E. Fabry - PAGE A3
HIGH ...73˚ LOW ....35˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
CLASSIFIEDS..........B5 COMICS.................B3 FINANCIAL .............B4 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........A8 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8
WASHINGTON (AP) — It takes more than a superstorm to derail the U.S. job market. Employers added 146,000 jobs in November and the unemployment rate dipped to 7.7 percent, a fouryear low, the government said Friday. Though modest, the job growth was encouraging because it defied disruptions from Superstorm Sandy and employers’ concer ns about impending tax increases from the year-end “fiscal cliff.” Analysts said the job market’s underlying strength suggests that if the White House and Congress can reach a budget deal to avoid the cliff, hiring and economic growth could accelerate next year. A budget agreement would coincide with gains in key sectors of the economy. Builders are breaking ground on more homes, which should increase construction hiring. U.S. automakers just enjoyed their best sales month in nearly five years. And a resolution
SCOTUS will hear Artist John Cerney wants 2 marriage cases to make scene near city The Sweet Leilani’s perform Hawaiian and Christmas dances at Lovelace Regional Hospital, Friday morning.
ROCKETS WIN IN FINAL SECONDS
Job gains defy Sandy
USFWS Photo
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court plunged into the contentious issue of gay marriage Friday when it agreed to take up California’s ban on same-sex unions and a separate dispute about federal benefits for legally married gay couples. The court’s action gives the justices the chance to say by late June whether gay Americans have the same constitutional right to marry as heterosexuals. Several narrower paths also are open to the justices as they consider both California’s voter-approved Proposition 8 and the provision of the federal Defense of Marriage Act that denies to legally married gay Americans the favorable federal tax treatment and a range of federal health and pension benefits given to heterosexual couples.
The court is embarked on what could be its most significant term involving civil rights in decades. In the area of racial discrimination, the justices already have agreed to decide cases on af fir mative action in admission to college and a key part of the Voting Rights Act. The gay marriage cases probably will be argued in March and decisions in all the court’s cases are likely by the end of June. The high court’s decision to hear the federal benefit question was a virtual certainty because several lower courts struck down the provision of the 1996 law and the justices almost always step in when lower courts invalidate a federal law. There is nothing that
See ECONOMY, Page A3
NOAH VERNAU RECORD STAFF WRITER
The scenery along a highway near you might soon inspire an epidemic of double takes. Outdoor artist and California native John Cerney visited with city leaders Friday at the Roswell Chamber of Commerce to discuss the possibility of displaying a large plywood scene near the city. His artwork, described as “giant cut-out art,” utiMark Wilson Photo lizes the landscape as a background and is Muralist John Cerney of Salinas, Calif., shows a conceptuintended for the viewing al art piece to the Chamber of Commerce, Friday. pleasure of the unsushomemade pie and a way,” he said. “The thing pecting traveler. Cerney’s idea for a proj- rancher leaning upon his for me is to have a driver ect tailored to Roswell rifle next to an automo- of a car have their mind in a certain place. depicts extraterrestrials bile. beside a UFO greeting a “My projects are meant woman who offers up a to be seen along a high-
Edward Seitz rebuilds his life after losing everything See SCOTUS, Page A3
See SCENE, Page A3
CHAUNTE’L POWELL RECORD STAFF WRITER
INDEX
Chaunte’l Powell Photo
Edward Seitz poses in front of the Roswell Adult Center, the place where he was shown love and compassion when he needed it the most.
Edward Seitz has always loved working with his hands. Since the age of 13, he’s worked in landscaping, construction and even the mortuary business. He said he’s relied on his hands to help him make a living his entire life. Seitz has also relied on those hands to help him rebuild his life after losing everything. In 2002 Seitz’s mother moved to Roswell to care for her sick sister, and was later diagnosed with two types of cancer. Upon hearing the news of his mother’s ailments, Seitz immediately quit his job in Kansas and moved to Roswell, as his mother requested. He took care of her until her passing in 2011, just two years after he lost his wife. After his mother passed, he said that his world collapsed. His mother and aunt had purchased the house they were all living in and
with a broken ar m and no for m of steady income, Seitz eventually lost the house and ended up on the streets. Following those incidents, Seitz sank into a state of depression and said he tried to cope with destructive remedies such as alcohol. It was to the point where he said he just wanted to end it all. Right when he needed a helping hand most, he found his way to the Roswell Adult Center. He stumbled upon the center one day while ridSee SPOTLIGHT, Page A3