Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Vol. 124, No. 130 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
May 31, 2015
SUNDAY
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Mayor: Mistake made with marijuana farm Staff Report
Roswell Mayor Dennis Kintigh met with the Roswell Daily Record Thursday for the mayor’s monthly forum with the newspaper. The following are the questions and the mayor’s answers. There are a lot of abandoned cars in Roswell. What can the city do or what is the city doing about abandoned cars? “The parking of cars is an area where we need revisit our ordinances. I would like to see an ordinance prohibiting the parking of vehicles on unimproved surfaces in the front or side yards of residences. Right now, we do have an ordinance that prohibits you
from parking between the curb and the property line, which is usually the sidewalk. Even if there is not a curb, there’s still the street line, that’s the way it’s written. Once they move it though off the public’s property and it’s onto private property, that’s not a violation. This ordinance concept I have is actually in place in many cities. I think it would go a long ways to improving the presentation of Roswell. We don’t have a draft ordinance yet. We’re not that far along, but it’s something that I’ve been wanting to pursue for quite a while. So until we do have that though, once a car is on private property, there’s not a problem. It’s not in violation that the city can
do anything about.” Are the police body cameras in use yet? “Yes” All throughout the department? “Patrol has them. The detectives do not and the street crimes unit, I don’t know about.” Is it the goal to have the entire staff equipped? “I wouldn’t put it on detectives. I would have it on patrol.” What is the quality and quantity of water that the city of Roswell has? “The city of Roswell is actually in excellent shape. We have extensive water rights. We actually have more water rights than we need, and in turn we have leased them out to use on farms. These water rights
were acquired decades ago by some very forward-thinking city officials at the time. So, candidly, we are in the best shape water-wise in the state of New Mexico, best shape water-wise in the Permian Basin and I would argue the best water situation in the entire Southwestern United States.” In quality or quantity? “Both. We are sitting on top of an Artesian aquifer that water comes from the mountains to the west. There’s a geological formation that’s such that the water slides down and it’s trapped between two layers of rock. By the time it gets here to the Pecos River, it’s actually under pressure. You’ve seen, I’m sure, the old pictures when they ini-
Kintigh tially started irrigating this area. They would actually look like geysers coming up out of the ground. There are some fascinating stories about some of that
issue that produce some drainage problems that to a certain extent continue to bother us. We have See MAYOR, Page A3
A time for silence and respect By Sebastian Garcia Rio Grande Sun
ESPANOLA — Patriotism is seemingly harder to come by these days, with conflicts abroad that some don’t agree with, and unrest in the United States. But for Los Alamos Middle School students like Española resident Alejandro Treviso, attending an annual Washington D.C. trip hosted by their school is a great way to show pride for their nation. Treviso, 13, along with three of his classmates, went on the trip and got the chance to do what few people have done — lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The trip aimed to show some of the nation’s landmarks, while building memories and connections with adults and children, alike. But for Treviso, the trip was much more. “It felt good to lay the wreath,” Treviso said. “I was extremely happy. It was a big honor. Not many people get to do it. No one else go to do it over spring break. Hooah!” For Treviso, a first time visitor to Washington and Arlington, the experience was one he will not forget. “It was really fun, I got to hang with friends and it was a great honor for my family,” he said. He also said he felt prideful during the wreath laying.
Submitted Photo
Los Alamos Middle School students Leah Wolfsberg, left, front, Alejandro Treviso, left, right, Echo Rogers and Alex Storm prepare for the wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington, Virginia, over spring break. Treviso, from Española, has a long family lineage of military service and said it was an honor to lay the wreath.
Former Los Alamos Middle School teacher Roberta Cocking organized the trip and coordinated the wreath ceremony for the local students. “We bring the kids to the capital to see wonderful things enriched with history,” Cocking said. “The children leave with one close friend, and upon returning from the trip, the kids have become a family.” It’s more than just a school trip and the Washington tour offers more than just an experience. “The trip can make an impact on people’s lives,” Cocking said. Students leave on the trip the first Friday of spring break and are gone for four days. Some of the highlights of the trip include visiting the aquarium in Baltimore, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Holocaust Museum and Arlington National Cemetery, where a wreath is laid at the Tomb. In order to gain clearance for the wreath lying, which takes place every Easter Sunday morning, an application has to be filed two years in advance to allow for proper processing. Students also have to write an essay to accompany the application. Treviso’s essay focused on his extended family and its military connections. See RESPECT, Page A2
Convicted robber New book all about ‘Kid’ stuff caught after pursuit By Jared Tucker Multimedia Journalist A man with a prior armed robbery convic tion who was wanted for allegedly stabbing, tying up and robbing another man earlier this month has been arrested following a high See PEREZ, Page B8
By Jeff Jackson Record Staff Writer
Perez
Museum getting new look By Jeff Jackson Record Staff Writer After being closed since February, the Historical Society for Southeast New Mexico and museum almost has its house in order. A renovation of the building at 200 N. Lea
Ave. continues on the second floor, but an initial phase is complete on the ground floor and the museum is once again open for visitors. Work began Feb. 2 to paint the interior and exterior of the 103-yearSee MUSEUM, Page B7
Today’s Forecast
HIGH 88 LOW 62
Jeff Jackson Photo
Roswell author John LeMay signs one of his books available at the Historical Society for Southeast New Mexico. His upcoming book is called “Tall Tales and Half Truths of Billy the Kid.”
Local author John LeMay’s new book due next month is a true story about false events. If that appears oxymoronic, let LeMay explain the story behind “Tall Tales and Half Truths of Billy the Kid.” “I thought it would be funny to do another book about Billy the Kid and just put everything in there that was untrue about Billy the Kid rather than everything that was untrue,” LeMay said. “And the publisher liked that, they just didn’t like the idea of the title, another book about Billy the Kid
• Theresa D. Puckett • Eva Mae Roberts • Teofila Rubio Rodriguez
See SPOTLIGHT, Page B7
Index
Today’s Obituaries Page B6
• Richard A. Duran • Wanda Dell Dyer • Cecil Ginanni • Zora B. Lykins
so they called it ‘Tall Tales and Half Truths.’ Because everybody that puts out a book on Billy the Kid right now is searching for the truth, so I thought the only way to be original would be go to the opposite direction and just gather all the untruths together.” Plenty has been written about Lincoln County outlaw William H. Bonney, of course, but LeMay’s unique approach is a shot in the dark that found its target and might even draw a chuckle or two. “There really aren’t any truths in the book, I guess. It’s all stuff like the
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