Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Vol. 123, No. 84 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
April 6, 2014
www.rdrnews.com
SUNDAY
March aims to raise awareness about child abuse
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — Parents, advocates and others on Saturday descended upon the State Capitol for a march to raise awareness in the fight against child abuse as New Mexico embarks on reforming its troubled child welfare system. The procession from the capitol to Santa Fe’s historic plaza comes just days after Gov. Susana Martinez announced numerous policy changes and directives aimed at keeping abused and neglected children
from falling through the cracks. The governor’s move was in response to what she called the tragic death of Omaree Varela, a 9-year old Albuquerque boy who police say was kicked to death by his mother. Critics say the system didn’t do enough to protect Varela despite previous reports of abuse. Organizers of the march acknowledged the case has brought new light to the problem. The Solace Crisis Treat-
Bargain hunting
ment Center in Santa Fe has seen a dramatic increase in reported abuse cases since the beginning of the year, executive director Maria Jose Rodriguez Cadiz said. In February alone, there were 32 cases reported, marking one of the busiest months for the center in 20 years. Saturday’s march is part of a nationwide effort in recognition of National Child Abuse Prevention Month, Rodriguez Cadiz said. Participants wore royal
blue shirts and blue ribbons. Some held signs calling for an end to child abuse. The governor, who was attending a community event on child abuse in Estancia on Saturday, said through a spokesman that everyone in the community shares the responsibility of preventing and stopping abuse. In Albuquerque, city officials attended a childabuse summit Friday and announced they would be unveiling billboards and
bus advertisements to encourage people to report suspected abuse to the state Children, Youth and Families Department hotline. Advocates say they’re encouraged by the renewed interest in the fight against child abuse, but some state Democratic leaders say Martinez, a Republican, hasn’t done enough to address staffing problems and the overwhelming caseload within the state’s child welfare agency. Sen. Michael Padilla, an
Albuquerque Democrat who grew up in foster homes, said the problems go back decades and the governor’s initiatives “do not even scratch the surface when it comes to improving service delivery.”
PHOENIX (AP) — Immigration advocates and supporters rallied Saturday in cities across the country in a renewed effort to push President Barack Obama to put a freeze on deportations. Organizers of the more than 50 planned “Day of Action” demonstrations said Obama has the executive power to stop deportations that separate immigrants living in the country illegally from their loved ones. In Eloy, Ariz., more than 100 supporters converged in front of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center after journeying more than 60 miles from Phoenix. Natally Cruz, an organizer with the grassroots group Puente Arizona, said many of the people in attendance have relatives who have been inside the facility for more than a year. “We want President Obama and his administration to really hear our com-
munity members across the country, to understand we do not want one more person separated,” said Cruz, who entered the U.S. at age 8 illegally with her parents. “One family every night goes to bed missing somebody in their family.” Many walked with signs saying “Not 1 More Deportation” and calling for deferred deportation action for all. The group included a woman whose son has been in the Eloy Detention Center for nearly three years and a woman who was arrested at her work and detained for two months, the group said. The Eloy Police Department had about five officers monitoring the rally. Sgt. Brian Jerome said the demonstration was relatively peaceful with no arrests. Amber Cargile, an ICE spokeswoman in Phoenix, said the agency respects the rights of people to protest outside its facilities. “While we continue to
One thing he suggested was for the state to increase the number of certified foster homes. The gover nor’s refor ms will require at least four times the number of current foster homes, some of which are now caring for as many as 12 children, he said.
Rallies nationwide decry deportation
Mark Wilson Photo
Bargain shoppers look through the offerings during the sixth annual Roswell Community Yard Sale held next door to the Wool Bowl, Saturday morning.
‘Robert H. Goddard: Tension grows between ranchers, advocates Aiming for the Stars’ event set for October For mer Mayor Bill Brainard initiated the idea to hold a two-day event to honor the legacy of rocket pioneer Robert H. Goddard and his years of research in Roswell. Originally pitching this idea to the Chaves County Tourism Council, a community group came together and developed Brainard’s idea into an event that not only honors Goddard, but also his supporters and other New Mexico-related space pioneers. In a press conference on April 3, Brainard, along with others responsible for
the event, released details on the event, which will be held Oct. 17 and 18. The first day of “Aiming for the Stars,” features a luncheon honoring Goddard’s accomplishments while recognizing those that contributed to his success: Charles A. Lindbergh, Harry F. Guggenheim, and the Smithsonian institution. Representatives from the Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh Foundation, Harry F. Guggenheim Foundation, and National See STARS, Page A2
RENO, Nev. (AP) — Tensions bubbled over on the range in a turf battle that has been simmering for decades over one of the icons of the American West and scant forage on arid, high desert lands from Nevada to Wyoming. With the presence of wild horses continuing to pit animal advocates against ranchers, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, which is caught in the middle, on Saturday began seizing hundreds of cattle from a longtime rancher that it says is trespassing on public land in southern Nevada. The action came a day after the agency agreed to remove horses from the
See TENSION, Page A3
AP Photo
In this Jan. 13, 2010, file photo, two young wild horses play while grazing in Reno, Nev. Wild horse protection advocates say the government is rounding up too many mustangs while allowing livestock to feed at taxpayer expense on the same rangeland scientists say is being overgrazed.
Young couple advocates for babies statewide
RANDAL SEYLER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Randal Seyler Photo
Sheridan Gluff, left, and her husband, Wayne, have been active supporters of the March for Babies since losing their infant, Ryan, to an undiagnosed heart defect in 2010.
HIGH 72 LOW 45
TODAY’S FORECAST
See DEPORTATION, Page A3
Wayne and Sheridan Gluff have lived through every new parents’ nightmare. Their infant son, Ryan, died on April 24, 2010, of a congenital heart defect that might have been discovered with pulse oximetry screening — a screening he never received. He only lived four days. In honor of Ryan’s mem-
• LAWRENCE C. HARRIS • WELDON MILES WATSON • MALYNDA JANE WEBB
ory, the Gluffs, a young 20-something couple, will be at Cielo Grande Park on Saturday for the annual March for Babies, a fundraising event held each year to support the March of Dimes. Wayne says the annual event has become a family affair with
• ARTHUR ROBERT MCQUIDDY • ADRIAN J. MARTINEZ JR. • DON HUDSON
many friends and relatives pitching in to help stage the March for Babies. Coordinating the annual March for Babies is not the only activity the Gluffs have been involved with since Ryan’s tragic death. Due to the Gluf fs’ ef forts, along with the
• JACK HOOVER ALDRICH • RUFINA (RUTH) SILVA-WILTON
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGES B7 & B8
March of Dimes and Rep. Nora Espinoza, R-Roswell, there now is a state law that requires the noninvasive testing for Critical Congenital Heart Disease in newborn infants.
CCHD, which is difficult to identify without the screening, accounts for about 30 percent of all infant deaths caused by birth defects, according to the Centers for Disease See GLUFFS, Page A2
INDEX CLASSIFIEDS ..........D1 LOTTERIES .............A2 COMICS .................C4 OPINION .................A4 GENERAL ...............A2 SPORTS .................B1 HOROSCOPES .........A8 WEATHER ..............A8