Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 123, No. 127 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
Veterans, fallen heroes honored at local services BY TIMOTHY P. HOWSARE RECORD EDITOR
Two services were held back-to-back in Roswell Monday morning to honor veterans and fallen heroes. At 8 a.m., a prayer breakfast was held at the Roswell Elks Lodge No. 969 at which a remembrance was given for prisoners of war and those missing in action. A small table with a single chair and a lit candle was set up in front of the podium, which Scott Montgomery, leading knight of the Elks Lodge, said symbolized POWs and MIAs. The guest speaker was Mayor Dennis Kintigh. He commented on the irony of politicians, like himself, being called upon to speak at Memorial Day events. He said politicians are always asking for something, whether it be votes or money. Kintigh said if it wasn’t for the sacrifices of veterans and active service personnel, elected officials would not even have the right to address a gathering of people as he was doing at the Elks Lodge. Tom Blake sang the national anthem and led a
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sing-along of several other patriotic songs. Blake also performed at the Memorial Day ceremony held at 10 a.m. at South Park Cemetery, singing to recorded tracks instead of accompanying himself on guitar. He could be seen in the minutes leading up to the 10 o’clock hour hastily setting up sound equipment. “I’m mostly running the PA at this one,” he told the Daily Record reporter. Blake said it can be a bit frantic when he has to per for m at two events back-to-back, but was nonetheless exuberant in his performance of “God Bless the USA.” The guest speaker at the 10 a.m. ceremony was John Taylor, a local veterans’ advocate who writes a weekly column on veterans’ issues for the Daily Record. Taylor was born in New Mexico, attended the Virginia Military Academy and then moved back to New Mexico. A Vietnam veteran, TayTimothy P. Howsare Photos lor served as an airborne ranger with the 101st and Top: The colors are posted by the Roswell Veterans Honor Guard during a Memorial Day ceremony held Monday by American Legion Post No. 28 at South Park Cemetery. Above left: About 100 motorcyclists rode in a procession from downtown Roswell 82nd Airborne. to the cemetery. Above right: The ceremony was a time for prayer and reflection. The four wreaths in the picture were each placed on symbolic graves for the American Legion, Disabled Veterans of America, Military Order of the Purple Heart and the See VETERANS, Page A3 Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Cadets achieve officer rank
BY TIMOTHY P. HOWSARE RECORD EDITOR
Mary Morgan Photo
Family of cadet Jonathan Touchet pin his stripes at the commissioning ceremony Friday at Pearson Hall.
Twenty-four for mer cadets at New Mexico Military Institute can now rightfully say their top boss is the commander-in-chief of the United States. An Army ROTC Commissioning Ceremony was held Friday morning at Pearson Auditorium on the NMMI campus. Upon completion of their two-year cadet program, the young men and women were sworn in as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army. The commissioning address was given by Maj. Gen. James B. Laster, a Marine officer and NMMI alumni who serves at the
Special Operations Command headquartered at MacDill Air Force near Tampa, Fla. Rather than addressing the crowd from the podium, Laster spoke from the auditorium floor so he could be closer to the cadets. Although he chose the Marine option, Laster said the Army school training he received at NMMI was essential to his career as an officer. “I am proud of both the Marines and the Army,” he said. He told the cadets they now have an “awesome responsibility” to be leaders. He said every morning during his briefings in
Tampa he hears just how the world is a dangerous place. Although al-Qaeda has been weakened to the point it is now on “life support,” he said, there are still other threats to our nation’s security. “The Ukraine-Russia conflict was a strategic surprise,” he said. “It’s a dangerous world. You have been commissioned by the president to make sure our military is led.” He then thanked the parents of the cadets. “Your cadet didn’t just arrive here,” he said. “You gave them a solid foundation.” See CADETS, Page A3
Carlsbad man killed ‘EnhanceFitness’ keeps seniors moving in two-vehicle crash STAFF REPORT
A 38-year -old Carlsbad man died Saturday morning when he was ejected from his pickup truck after colliding with a commercial truck in Lea County. Chad Pennington was airlifted to Lea Regional Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries, according to the New Mexico State Police. The driver of the commercial truck, Refugio Soto-Ochoa, 47, of El Paso, was not injured in this crash. At approximately 11:18 a.m., of ficers from the State Police responded to the scene of a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of US Highway 62/180 and
New Mexico State Road 176. It was reported one subject had been ejected and severely injured. Initial investigation by the State Police determined a 2008 Mack commercial truck driven by Soto-Ochoa was traveling westbound on US Highway 62/180. During this time, a 2013 Chevrolet pickup driven by Pennington was stopped on New Mexico Road 176 attempting to turn westbound onto US Highway 62/180. As Soto-Ochoa approached the intersection, Pennington failed to yield the right of way, driving directly in the path of the Mack truck. The trucks See CRASH, Page A3
HIGH 92 LOW 62
TODAY’S FORECAST
BY RANDAL SEYLER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Seniors at the J.O.Y. Center are dancing, stretching and moving for fitness, and the cost of the class is nothing, thanks to the New Mexico Senior Olympics and the “EnhanceFitness” exercise program. “EnhanceFitness” is an evidence-based program for older adults that focuses on stretching, flexibility, balance, low impact aerobics and strength training exercise, said instructor Jan Melton. “The only requirement is that you be at least 50 years old,” Melton said. “The class is open to men and women.” Classes meet at 2 p.m. three times per week, on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at the J.O.Y. Center. Each ses-
sion is one hour. “The exercises are done at the level of the participant,” Melton said. “If you need to sit in a chair and just do the ar ms, then that is fine.” The fitness program has been very successful, Melton said, and the program requires a fitness test of participants before they begin exercising. Four months later, the fitness test is re-administered so improvement in the participants’ fitness can be measured. The program is so successful, the National Senior Game Association recently recognized the “EnhanceFitness” program as the national winner of its Innovative Program Award. “The Aging and LongTerm Services Department is committed to supporting
THERE ARE NO OBITUARIES FOR TODAY. TO SEE INFORMATION ON UPCOMING FUNERAL SERVICES, SEE PAGE A6. TODAY’S OBITUARIES
Randal Seyler Photo
Enhance Fit instructor Jan Melton leads her class through the aerobics exercises at the J.O.Y. Center in Roswell on Thursday. The free fitness class is designed for people over 50 who want to improve their fitness level.
programs, such as ‘EnhanceFitness,’ that provide seniors an opportunity to remain physically active,” said Cabinet Secretary Gino Rinaldi. “Seniors who are physically active are often able to CLASSIFIEDS ..........B6
COMICS .................B5
ENTERTAINMENT .....A8
live fuller, more independent lives.” Rosa Valadez, one of the “EnhanceFitness” students at the J.O.Y. Center, said she has lost 60 See FITNESS, Page A3
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2
HOROSCOPES .........A8 LOTTERIES .............A2
OPINION .................A4
SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ..............A8