06-15-2011

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Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY

Loop Fire burns 25,000 acres

Vol. 120, No. 143 50¢ Daily / $1 Sunday

INSIDE NEWS

June 15, 2011

WEDNESDAY

www.rdrnews.com

BOEHNER WANTS ANSWERS

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker John Boehner urged President Barack Obama on Tuesday to explain the legal grounds for the continued U.S. military involvement in Libya and set a Friday deadline for the commander in chief’s response. - PAGE A2

TOP 5 WEB For The Past 24 Hours

• 2 girls arrested for murder • Judge postpones Madsen trial • Fire sunset • Silver For Me wins Ruidoso Futurity • Invaders finish sweep of Carlsbad

INSIDE SPORTS

STORY AND PHOTOS BY MATTHEW ARCO RECORD STAFF WRITER

Carlsbad Caverns officials say a 25,000-acre wildfire that came dangerously close to destroying a multi-million dollar visitor center and historic buildings within the national park, was likely human caused. Carlsbad Caverns National Park Superintendent John Benjamin said the Loop Fire’s point of origin was near the bottom of the canyon leading to the park by a pull-off, about 4.5 miles from the visitor center. He said within an hour of the report of the blaze, about 250 visitors and employees were evacuated from the caverns and park grounds. “By 3 p.m. everyone working over here could see the smoke,” Benjamin said. “By 3:30 p.m., we

The Loop Fire burned about 25,000 acres outside of Carlsbad Tuesday night, shut down Highway 62/180 and prompted the evacuation of White City.

was safe to get a look at the extent of the damage, Tuesday.

ALBUQUERQUE — New Mexico Activities Association Executive Director Gary Tripp announced Monday that he will retire from his position with the Association after the 2011-12 school year, according to a release from the NMAA. Tripp was hired as the executive director in March 2004 after a career in teaching, coaching and administration in the public education system. He is the NMAA’s fifth executive director since 1938. - PAGE B1

TODAY’S OBITUARIES

• Ruth M. Sherman • Georgia Needham • Sherri K. Sanchez - PAGE A6

HIGH .100˚ LOW ....67˚

TODAY’S FORECAST

CLASSIFIEDS..........B6 COMICS.................B4 FINANCIAL .............B3 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........A8 LOTTERIES ............A2 NATION .................A6 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8

INDEX

mattarco@roswell-record.com

were evacuating the visitor center.” The fire temporarily closed Highway 62/180 and spurred the evacuation of about 300 people from White City, fire officials said. At least 20 structures were threatened. “It did get close to the visitor center,” said Jennifer Myslivy, a fire official spokeswoman. “(But) right now the visitor center is looking good. ... It’s still there.” The visitor center was renovated in 2008 at a cost of about $8.5 million, according to park officials. Benjamin described the scene from atop national park once it

Rollover takes out poles, power Council votes 5–3 to EMILY RUSSO MILLER RECORD STAFF WRITER

TRIPP TO RETIRE FROM NMAA

“The developed area of the park has been burned over,” he said. “All you see is black or active fire.” He credited the firefighters who responded from a number of departments and his parks personnel with saving the visitor center and other structures located near the building. “If it weren’t for all of our (firefighters) ... we would be here in a much worse situation,” he said, adding, “This is a tough situation.” The caverns receive visitors from around the world and is open year-round, with the exception of Dec. 25. The blaze was 25 percent contained by Tuesday night, and 240 personnel were on scene.

A rollover accident Tuesday morning caused nearly $10,000 in damage and power blackouts when the out-of-control vehicle struck a utility pole at the intersection of East Grand Plains and White Mill roads, Xcel Energy officials say. State police say the driver of the Toyota TunEmily Russo Miller Photo dra pickup truck was traveling westbound on Xcel Energy works to repair the damage caused by a rollover accident at East Grand Plains and White Mill roads, Tuesday morning. See POWER, Page A3

accept $750K grant

MATTHEW ARCO RECORD STAFF WRITER

City councilors voted 5-3 Tuesday to go forward with accepting grant funding for upgrades to one of its hangars currently leased to Dean Baldwin Painting, during a special council meeting. Of ficials approved accepting a $750,000 Community Development Block Grant on the eve of a deadline on whether to move forward with the project

given by the Department of Finance and Administration. According to a draft of what the project would cost to expand the hangar to accommodate larger planes, the cost of the project after applying the funds will be about $2.2 million. “In the long run, I think this is a good deal for the city of Roswell,” said Councilor Steve Henderson. “... The total benefit of what this does for us and the

School Board chooses Reports: Food prices down, hiring up Brewer for Dolan’s seat

The Roswell school board nominated a new board member during its regular monthly meeting Tuesday night to replace Milburn Dolen, who announced his resignation in April due to time constraints with his full-time time. In a unanimous vote of approval, Peggy Brewer, Ed.D., was selected to serve out the rest of Dolen’s fouryear term representing District 3, which covers the southwestern part of the city from Alameda Avenue to Brasher Road, and

stretches out to Hondo. She will be up for election in March 2013. “She’s a good addition with all the experience she has had in our school district,” James Waldrip, who nominated Brewer, said. Brewer, a former teacher, principal and administrator, has worked for the Roswell Independent School District for about 35 years. She taught fourth grade at El Capitan Elementary School from 1972

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Wooing Hispanic voters back home, President Barack Obama kept his campaign pledge to become the first president since John F. Kennedy to make an official visit to this recession-battered U.S. territory. “The aspirations and the struggles on this island mirror those across America,” Obama declared Tuesday. On a sweltering day, thousands crowded the main roads and waved flags as Obama’s motorcade roared by. A huge banner

filled eight stories of a building, featuring the images of Kennedy and Obama. “We are proud to be part of history,” it said. Puerto Ricans are an important component of the larger, fast-growing Hispanic population in the U.S. — now totaling 50 million — that Obama wants to mobilize for his re-election. Even though he spent mere hours in Puerto Rico, at one point savoring a local sandwich specialty, the visit was designed to lift the president’s visibility and create goodwill far

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans are finally getting some relief from high gas and food prices. Wholesale food prices fell last month by the most in nearly a year, and gas prices keep dropping after peaking in May. A separate survey suggests CEOs are feeling more optimistic and will hire more in the second half of this year. It amounted to welcome news Tuesday after a rough patch that has stoked worries the economic recovery is slowing. More jobs and lower

prices would both give Americans more money to spend on other things and rejuvenate economic growth. Food prices at the wholesale level fell 1.4 percent, the Labor Department said. It was the largest drop since last June. About 40 percent of that decline resulted from steep declines in vegetable and fruit prices. The drop in food prices followed harsh winter freezes, which had driven up prices of tomatoes and other vegetables in February. Even if prices don’t

See COUNCIL, Page A3

fall further, economists say they probably won’t go much higher, at least. It may take as long as six months, but lower wholesale prices should work their way to the grocery store. “That’s a good thing for consumers, and it’s even better that it comes in parallel with lower energy prices,” said Gregory Daco, U.S. economist at IHS Global Insight. Overall, the producer price index, which measures price changes before See ECONOMY, Page A3

President Obama visits Puerto Rico with eye on US voters See BREWER, Page A3

beyond this island, its grand colonial fortresses and it azure waters. Residents of Puerto Rico are U.S. citizens but cannot vote in presidential general elections, only in primaries, one of many factors that give rise to a sense of second-class citizenship among some here. But they can vote in the mainland, and Florida, a key presidential battleground, which has the second-largest Puerto Rican population in the U.S., behind New York. See OBAMA, Page A3

AP Photo

Supporters hold posters depicting President Barack Obama as Superman, as they wait for the presidential motorcade to pass by in San Juan, Tuesday.


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