Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 121, No. 57 50¢ Daily / $1 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
March 7, 2012
Voters defeat tax, 3 incumbents
WEDNESDAY
www.rdrnews.com
Savino Sanchez Jr., associate pastor of Roswell’s Church on the Move, won Ward IV, the most contested seat, against councilor Amarante Fresquez and Milbur n Dolen, general manger of Applebee’s.
“We worked hard. We had a good team. I’m just excited about starting to work on what I believe we need to do in the city to make the changes we need to make. It’s going to take all of us. I can’t do it by myself. This is what I campaigned about, to unite the city, unite the people, to get involved and that’s what I want to do,” Sanchez said.
SONGWRITER SHERMAN DIES AT 86
LONDON (AP) — How do you sum up the work of songwriter Robert B. Sherman? Try one word: “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” The tongue-twisting term, sung by magical nanny Mary Poppins, is like much of Sherman’s work — both complex and instantly memorable ... - PAGE A6
TOP 5 WEB
For The Past 24 Hours
• N.M. Game and Fish advise not to take ... • The Corps, 770 strong, march against cancer • Gabriella, Kelci to wear crowns • Bikers ride for MS Society • Goddard’s Bolduc, Roswell’s Olesinski ...
INSIDE SPORTS
RHS GALS ON TO STATE SEMIFINALS
ALBUQUERQUE — The mark of any good team is its ability to overcome in the face of adversity. The Roswell girls basketball faced all the adversity it wanted on Tuesday, but overcame all of it to reach the state semifinals for the ninth time in the past 10 seasons with a 51-50 overtime win over seventhseeded .... - PAGE B1
TODAY’S OBITUARIES
• Alma Allen • Odel Stoker • Emmett E. Dearman • Georgia Archuleta • Albert Scott • Zelma (Zel) Gammill - PAGE A6
Mark Wilson Photo
See VOTERS, Page A3
Jeanine Corn-Best and Steve Henderson congratulate one-another after winning their respective wards, Tuesday evening.
JULIA BERGMAN RECORD STAFF WRITER
Three new faces will appear on the Roswell City Council when it convenes for its regular business meeting Thursday. Incumbents were ousted in three out of the four contested council races in the 2012 municipal election. Longtime executive director of the Roswell Hispano Chamber of Commerce, Juan Oropesa, beat out councilor Bob Maples for the Ward I seat. “One of the things I
would really like to work on is the recreational side of it. The Wool Bowl is a project that needs to be looked at, and other programs that keep kids busy,” Oropesa said. He attributed his success to a combination of “a lot of walking, a lot of knocking on doors and a lot of running away from dogs. I had a lot of individuals to help me out.”
Businesswoman Jeanine Corn-Best was the champion over councilor Judy Stubbs for Ward III. Stubbs had 16 years of
experience on the council.
“I think Roswell has spoken their piece. They want to start a new chapter in the chapter of Roswell,” Corn-Best said. “The time now is to sit and have a meeting with Judy and understand what she’s gone through all these years and let her convey to me what her goals are. ... You can’t put the older councilman away. You have to understand the wisdom and what they have to tell you. You have to take that wisdom and build on it.”
Mark Wilson Photo
Voters line up to cast their ballots Tuesday morning at the Church of Christ on West Country Club Road.
Governor vetoes bill for Santorum, Romney duel in Ohio corporate tax revision
SANTA FE (AP) — Republican Gov. Susana Martinez vetoed a proposal Tuesday to revamp the tax treatment of large multi-state retailers and slightly reduce New Mexico’s top corporate income tax rate. The gover nor said she rejected the proposal because it would raise taxes on some large companies, could hurt the state’s economic competitiveness and increase the cost of certain goods purchased by New Mexicans, including potentially food and clothing. Supporters of the bill, including labor unions, contend it would have stopped “big box” retailers, such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc., from avoiding taxes by shifting income to subsidiaries in other states. “While proponents of this legislation may have had a few particular corporate
targets in mind when pushing for this tax increase, the result would be much broader and raise taxes on businesses like grocery stores,” the governor said in a statement.
“Increasing taxes on grocery stores, clothing retailers, and home improvement stores, while choosing to cut taxes for a different set of corporations — such as large banks, casinos, payday loan companies, or any other large corporation that pays corporate income tax — is not only misguided and arbitrary tax policy, but it’s also not the way to foster economic growth in New Mexico.” The measure would have required large retailers — those with a store of more than 30,000 square feet — to combine the income See VETO, Page A3
tion. Santorum’s broke through in primaries in Oklahoma and Tennessee and in the North Dakota caucuses. Romney had a home-state win in Massachusetts to go with victories in Vermont and Virginia. Ohio was the marquee matchup of the night, a second industrial state showdown in as many weeks for the two rivals. Of all the Super Tuesday states, it drew the most campaigning and television advertisements, and for good reason— no AP PHoto Republican has ever won the White House without Campaign staffers for Republican presidential candidate carrying the state in the Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, tape signs together before the fall. North Dakota caucus in Fargo, Tuesday. With votes tallied in 77 WASHINGTON (AP) — day that stretched from percent of the state’s Rick Santorum and Mitt one end of the country to precincts, Santorum was Romney split six states the other in the most tur- winning 38 percent of the and dueled for supremacy bulent Republican presiin Ohio on a Super Tues- dential race in a generaSee GOP, Page A3
New owner, new name
Hay, wind and fire
VANESSA KAHIN RECORD STAFF WRITER
HIGH ...80˚ LOW ....42˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
CLASSIFIEDS..........B6 COMICS.................B4 ENTERTAINMENT.....B6 FINANCIAL .............B3 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........A8 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8
Councilor Steve Henderson defeated tax consult-
ant Billy Wood to keep his Ward II seat. He will now serve his third consecutive term on the council. “I know that there will be some changes with the new members of the council. Those of us that have had some experience are certainly willing to share that with our new people. We look forward to moving ahead with the city,” Henderson said. Councilor Elena Velasquez, who was running unopposed for her Ward V seat, received 246 votes. Incumbent Municipal Judge Larry Loy defeated Kevin Roe in a race that remained within a 100point spread until the last
INDEX
Mark Wilson Photo
Area firefighters work to keep burning bales of hay under control while battling high winds at Woodcrest Dairy southeast of Roswell, Tuesday afternoon.
After months of sale negotiations and several weeks of anticipation, the hospital on East 19th Street has a brand new name. Once known as Roswell Regional Hospital, the city’s most recent alternative for hospital care, the facility will now be known as Lovelace Regional HospitalRoswell. Hospital staff revealed the name during an unveiling ceremony at the facility’s cafeteria, Tuesday. “We’ve got a lot of reasons to celebrate,” said Ron Ster n, CEO of Lovelace Health System. Insurance brokers mingled with hospital staff as everyone had lunch. The ceremony also included an unveiling of
new art to be printed on anything related to the hospital — such as letterhead, business cards and postcards. Artwork includes Lovelace’s signature daisy with a stethoscope for a stem. Ben Slocum, CEO of Lovelace Health Plan, to which LHS is a parent company, said there are about 30,000 people in and around Roswell who are LHP members. “We’re happy to be here,” Slocum said of Lovelace’s new hospital. “We’re happy to expand. ... The local community appears to be very excited.” Stern said representatives of the newly named hospital will continue to reach out to the community of Roswell — businesses and individuals alike. He See HOSPITAL, Page A3