Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Vol. 124, No. 5 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
January 6, 2015
Ezzell part of right-to-work effort in NM House BY JEFF TUCKER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Roswell state lawmaker Candy Spence Ezzell and two other Republican legislators in the New Mexico House of Representatives have pre-filed legislation that would give New Mexico's workers the right to choose whether to join a union or to financially contribute to one. Ezzell, state Rep. Dennis Roch, R-Logan, and state Rep. Andy Nunez, R-Hatch,
TUESDAY
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said the bill would protect both private-sector and public-sector workers from being forced to join a union against their will as a condition of employment. So called “right-to-work” laws have been adopted in 24 states, including several neighboring states, such as Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona and Utah. Colorado, California and New Mexico are the only three Southwestern states that lack right-to-work laws. “The reason I feel that it’s
important that we have New Mexico as a right-to-work state is we need to be competitive with our neighboring states,” Ezzell said Monday. “If we expect businesses to move into our state, we have to be on the cutting edge with our neighboring states. I can’t help but believe that’s one of the reasons Tesla did not locate in this state. I really do.” Tesla Motors based in Palo Alto, California, which designs, manufactures and sells electric cars, in September chose Nevada for
the location of its $5 billion battery plant, spurning New Mexico and three other states that had been vying for the plant that will employ an estimated 6,500 workers. Nevada is a right-to-work state. Ezzell, a Roswell-area rancher, said she has introduced right-to-work legislation every year since her first election to the House in 2004. “It’s never made it out of the Labor Committee,” Ezzell said. ”It always gets
Community prays for a safe year
killed there.” This month marks Ezzell’s 11th year in the House and seemingly the best prospect of a right-towork bill making it through the House, given the new Republican majority that controls the House. In addition to giving workers the freedom to choose whether to join a union or financially contribute to one, supporters say the legislation would also make New Mexico’s business climate more competitive.
Supporters say states with similar protections are doing better than states without right-to-work laws.
BY RANDAL SEYLER RECORD CITY EDITOR
homeowners across the country are looking to modify their existing living spaces, including basements, garages, even bedrooms, to accommodate parents, adult children and even tenants, living on the same property. Often this entails adding kitchens and bathrooms, creating separate entries, and adding parking. Often these changes in building structure and living arrangements are bumping up against community zoning codes. “We have changed the definition of ‘beauty shop’ and ‘family’ in this revision,” said Amber Copeland, acting zoning administrator. In the proposed change, the ordinance strikes the words “women with” from the beauty shop definition, making the ordinance read “An establishment, licensed by the state of New Mexico, providing services that include hair treatment, manicures and facials.”
The annual 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting kickoff was Monday night at the convention center. Residents and local leaders joined together to pray for those in need and to pray for a safe year. Prayer gatherings will take place over the next three weeks at Gateway Christian International Church and Roswell House of Prayer. Sheriff Elect Britt Snyder, New Mexico State Representative Nora Espinoza and Mayor Dennis Kintigh spoke at the event. Top: From left: Jeanette Schaffer, invocation speaker, Espinoza, Snyder, Event Coordinator Natasha Mackey and Capt. John Dove of the Salvation Army. Top right: From left: Nancy Hildebrandt from Roswell House of Prayer, Rebecca Chavez from Christians United from Israel, Brenda Cruz and Jodi Ashcraft from Christians United from Israel. Bottom right: Snyder, Espinoza and Kintigh.
“We support anyone who wants to join a union or
Planning, Zoning Committee discusses ordinance changes Members of the city Planning and Zoning Committee discussed proposed changes to the city’s zoning ordinance on Monday. The committee ultimately sent the proposed ordinance back to city staff for further work, but the main topics of discussion were secondary structures and setback requirements. The committee first discussed zoning ordinance changes to allow for livable accessory structures in October, when city staff informed the committee that the city would need to address the national trend of secondary living structures. Municipalities across the country have seen an increase in the construction of livable accessory structures, and cities have been writing ordinances governing the size and placement of the structures. According to a 2012 article published on the website lokvani.com, suburban
Max Scally Photos
According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, right-to-work states saw a 43 percent gain in total employment between 1990 and 2011, while states without right-to-work laws gained about 19 percent.
See WORK, Page A3
Director: City cemetery oversight Workshop to assist in health now under parks department insurance open enrollment BY RANDAL SEYLER RECORD CITY EDITOR
The administration of the city cemetery now falls under the direction of the city Parks and Recreation Department, Director Tim Williams said on Monday. Williams told members of the Parks and Recreation Committee about the administrative change during the committee’s first meeting of 2015. “We’re trying to gather them in, and make the cemetery staff part of the team, but they are way down there,” Williams said, jokingly. City Manager Steve Polasek put the cemetery under the auspices of the parks department in an effort to operate more efficiently. “Ideally we will have mowing units and landscaping units that can handle that part of the cemetery operations so the staff can concentrate on services,” he said. Williams is hoping that putting the cemetery under the Parks’ supervision will help the maintainance of the veteran’s cemetery. “We have the veteran’s cemetery doing their thing, and South Park doing their
STAFF REPORT
Randal Seyler Photo
The Parks and Recreation Committee listens as Parks Director Tim Williams, top right, discusses a resolution to apply for a $452,000 state Department of Transportation grant for the city’s recreational trails program.
thing. I want to bring them together so the South Park staff can manage the veteran’s cemetery,” Williams said. The parks department will also be taking over mowing and landscaping for the city, so Williams said he foresees developing mowing and landscaping teams to take care of all of the city’s properties. “So will the Cemetery Board now go through us, or do they still go through Building and Lands Committee?” committee member Juan Oropesa asked Williams.
“That is a good question,” Williams answered. “I think they would report to this committee.” Oropesa said the Cemetery Board could continue to function, acting like the Parks and Recreation Commission, which also reports to the committee. Williams said he was in the middle of pulling information from all the city departments to determine where there is duplicated equipment and effort. Convention Center and
HIGH 51 LOW 24
• HAZEL DAWN GREEN DAY RASBERRY • ARNULFO TAVAREZ MONTOYA
TODAY’S FORECAST
See PARKS, Page A3
La Casa Family Health Center will be hosting a health insurance enrollment workshop from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday in Roswell. Professionally trained enrollment counselors will be on hand to provide assistance to anyone who might have questions or need assistance in navi-
gating the Insurance Marketplace. With the end of open enrollment approaching on Feb. 15, the event will provide individuals and families the opportunity to work with trained professionals to review coverage options, find out if they qualify for financial assistance, and sign up or re-enroll for a plan that meets their needs. The event will be held
See ZONING, Page A3
at the Roswell Adult Center, 807 N. Missouri Ave. For more information contact one of these individuals: Alice Armendariz at 575-624-4115 oraarm e n dariz@lacasahealth.com; Beatriz Salazar at 575622-5956 or bsalazar@lacasahealth.co m, David Briseño at 575359-3764 or dbriseno@lacasahealth.co m.
Hispano chamber declines county funds BY JEFF TUCKER RECORD STAFF WRITER
The Roswell Hispano Chamber of Commerce has declined $5,000 of economic development funding that it had been allocated last year by the Chaves County Commission. Hispano chamber executive director Romo Villegas said in a Nov. 18 letter to county leaders that the Hispano chamber appreciated the public funding, but that the Hispano chamber’s board of directors had declined the funding meant to spur economic development in Chaves County.
• FAUSTO CARRASCO
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE A6
• GENE ALLEN PRAG
“We are thankful for the opportunity to apply for, and receive, public funding from Chaves County in order to continue our mission,” Villegas wrote county leaders. “After discussion with the RHCC board of directors, and after taking in the totality of the financial obligations in Chaves County, we understand that the $5,000 granted by the Chaves County Commission to the Roswell Hispano Chamber of Commerce can better benefit other organizations. It is with this in mind that we respectfully decline the $5,000 granted to us by Chaves County.”
CLASSIFIEDS ..........B7 COMICS .................B5 ENTERTAINMENT .....B6 FINANCIAL ..............B4
The commissioners at their Dec. 18 meeting reallocated the $5,000 earmarked for the Hispano chamber for non-industrial economic development services to the Roswell Chamber of Commerce, boosting the county’s funding to the Roswell Chamber of Commerce from $40,000 to $45,000. The Chaves County commissioners in August included funding for the Roswell Chamber of Commerce, the Roswell Hispano Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2
HOROSCOPES .........A8 LOTTERIES .............A2
See FUNDS, Page A3 OPINION .................A4
SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ..............A8