06-25-2011

Page 1

Roswell Daily Record

House says no to Libya mission THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY

Vol. 120, No. 152 50¢ Daily / $1 Sunday

INSIDE NEWS

PETER FALK DEAD AT 83

NEW YORK (AP) — The best way to celebrate Peter Falk’s life is to savor how Columbo, his signature character, fortified our lives. Thanks to Falk’s affectionately genuine portrayal, Lt. Columbo established himself for all time as a champion of any viewer who ever felt less than graceful, elegant or well-spoken. - PAGE A6

June 25, 2011

SATURDAY

www.rdrnews.com

AP Photo

House Speaker John Boehner, of Ohio, walks from the House floor on Capitol Hill, Friday, during debate over funding for U.S. military action in Libya.

Fire chars fence

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House refused to vote President Barack Obama the authority for U.S. military operations against Libya on Friday but stopped short of cutting off funds for the mission, a mixed message reminiscent of congressional unease on Vietnam and more recent wars. In a repudiation of the commander in chief, the House voted overwhelmingly against a resolution that would have favored letting See LIBYA, Page A3

TEA PARTY REPS SPLIT ON WAR CASH WASHINGTON (AP) — The House’s tea party caucus split on a major foreign policy vote Friday — whether to cut of f money for air attacks in Libya — revealing a divide on the philosophical question of how often and under what ter ms the U.S. should intervene in foreign conflicts.

The tea party Republicans overwhelmingly oppose President Barack Obama’s decision to par-

TOP 5 WEB

For The Past 24 Hours

• Burn victims’ booster bikes through city • County takes top Roadeo trophy • UFO Festival scrubs parade • RPD arrests, charges flasher • Let’s be careful with the fireworks

INSIDE SPORTS Mark Wilson Photo

A blaze that came within feet of an apartment complex in Roswell was extinguished late Friday afternoon before it did any serious damage to about 16 residences, officials said. Flames completely charred a wooden fence behind Summit Apartments, 1700 W. Summit St. Fire officials didn’t immediately know the cause of the fire, but reported no injuries and only smoke damage to the apartments. Chad Hamill, Roswell Fire Department deputy chief, said the small blaze broke out behind the apartments in a vacant lot. “It looks like the fire started in the brush,” he said. “It just spread all the way down the fence.”

FLORIDA BOUNCES VANDY

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Florida is in the College World Series finals, which is right where most people in college baseball figured they would be all along. The second-seeded Gators advanced with a 6-4 victory over Vanderbilt on Friday. Preston Tucker drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning to offset a shaky bullpen that squandered a three-run lead. Florida (53-17) will play South Carolina or Virginia in the best-of-three finals ... - PAGE B1

TODAY’S OBITUARIES

• Eusebio “Juan” Peralta • Clarice M. Madsen • Willie Roy Skinner - PAGE A6

HIGH .106˚ LOW ....69˚

TODAY’S FORECAST

ticipate in the NATO-led operation in Libya without consulting Congress. But 27 of the caucus’ 59 members voted against a GOP-led bill to strip federal dollars from part of the American effort there.

The group’s chairwoman, Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, was among those who voted no. The GOP presidential hopeful said she

Profs & Pros See TEA PARTY, Page A3

ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — Two aging professors accused of running a sophisticated prostitution website appeared to have one goal: Police say they wanted to create a place where respected men like themselves could go for sex without having to worry about getting caught up in street stings. “They have a lot to lose, and they tried to build an organization to protect themselves,” Albuquerque police Lt. William Roseman said. The website, based in the Albuquerque-Santa Fe area, featured “weather reports” about police vice stings; physical descriptions and cell phone numbers of undercover police to help members avoid arrest; training videos on what to do if members were busted; and detailed information on the prostitutes themselves, including prices and star

Only 1 in 12 really Yes, that’s exactly what it is wants fireworks JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER

Roswell Daily Record spoke to people outside the Roswell Post Office Friday. The question posed was, “How do you feel about fireworks during this fire season?” Of the dozen interviewed, only one came out in favor of fireworks, although two believed that the municipal fireworks should continue. Two of those questioned said they didn’t like fireworks, but refused to be named. Pat Angelos: “They should allow a city display, but they shouldn’t allow the sale of fireworks.

Monica Cardenas: “I don’t want fireworks at this time. It is too dry.” She went on to say that she was afraid what would happen if people were allowed to use fireworks at a home display. Fred Moran: “This year, I wouldn’t recommend it. Normally, I’m a fan of fireworks and put on a display for my neighbors and friends every Fourth of July, but not this year.” Kevin Moore: “I understand both sides of the issue. We’re in an exceptionally dry year. We have businesses who will lose dollars if they cannot sell

See PROFS, Page A3

EMILY RUSSO MILLER RECORD STAFF WRITER

A 9,000-pound extraterrestrial landed in Roswell June 18, but there’s no cause for alarm or government coverup. It’s just Amy’s Fireworks store on East Second Street preparing for the upcoming UFO Festival. Eddie Arnett, of Amy’s Fireworks, bought a behemoth bright green alien wood carving that Mark Wilson Photo weighs about four and a half tons, and is about 18 Jesus Figueroa applies paint to a giant alien sculpture in feet tall and about 16 feet the parking lot of Amy’s Fireworks Friday morning. wide, to spruce up his storefront and attract was unique,” Arnett said. quite the ordeal, says the Juarez-bor n sculptor new customers over the “I love it.” Jesus Figueroa, 30, Transporting the masFourth of July weekend. “Roswell’s the all-alien sive alien from Ruidoso city, and I just thought it Downs to Roswell was

Alice Eppers: ‘It’s just been a great, great ride’ See SURVEY, Page A3

See ALIEN, Page A3

MATTHEW ARCO RECORD STAFF WRITER

CLASSIFIEDS..........B6 COMICS.................B3 ENTERTAINMENT.....B6 FINANCIAL .............A7 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........A8 LOTTERIES ............A2 NATION .................A6 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8

INDEX

Alice Eppers

Matthew Arco Photo

Community service takes shape in many different forms, but no matter the method, passion and dedication are the underlying driving forces. Roswell’s Alice Eppers is no exception to the rule. Born and raised in the city, Eppers later worked the family’s ranch in the county as her primary occupation, however, it quickly became only one of her duties after she got involved with politics in the 1970s. “In 1976 the Bureau of Land Management decided we were going to have to cut down our fences so antelope could go out on different pastures,” she said. “We were going to lose our ranching operation if we didn’t fight it.”

She and her late husband Bud, who she described as a rancher at heart with no political aspirations, jumped into gear to fight the proposal. Bud became president of the Southeast New Mexico Grazing Association and Eppers served as secretary. “That’s how we started,” she said. “With protecting our ranch.” The couple, along with others, were successful in fighting off the destruction of the fences. Bud continued to serve as president of the association and soon began working as a lobbyist, speaking with

state local lawmakers and traveling to Washington D.C. “He never got paid,” she said, aside from things such as travel costs. “He took it very serious.” The pair were hooked, she said. They knew that in order to enact change or prevent damage to their livelihood, they needed to get involved politically. In 1980, Eppers went to work for Joe Skeen. She explained how Skeen told her that he would never be elected as a write-in candidate See SPOTLIGHT, Page A3


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.