Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
City advertising spending under scrutiny Vol. 123, No. 143 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
BY JEFF TUCKER RECORD STAFF WRITER
A proposal to pay the city’s advertising firm an extra $44,000 was approved by City Council Thursday night, but a proposal to pay the fir m another $71,625 hit a snag as two residents questioned city leaders about the city’s advertising expenses. The City Council voted 91 Thursday to delay the $71,625 payment to Hayduk King Advertising of
June 14, 2014
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Santa Fe and to hold a workshop examining why the firm is requesting more money, on top of its $120,000 annual contract with the city. City Councilor Natasha Mackey cast the dissenting vote. City residents Billy Wood and Larry Connolly asked why HK Advertising was asking for more money. Connolly said the additional funding requests from HK Advertising needed an explanation. He
encouraged the City Council to hold a workshop to more closely examine the city’s advertising expenses. “This advertising is very confusing,” Connolly said. “That’s a huge amount. What is the total amount we spend on advertising?” Wood also said the need for the city to approve additional payments to HK Advertising, beyond the contract ter ms, had not been explained. “It appears we are always considering additional
money on advertising,” Wood said. City marketing director Renee Roach, who herself ear ns a $63,066 annual salary from the city, explained the additional funding requests. Roach said the $44,000 expenditure from lodger tax funds was needed to purchase another 100,000 visitor pamphlets, at a cost of 44 cents apiece. City Councilor Jeanine Best said the 44-cent cost per visitor brochure is inex-
pensive. Roach and City Councilor Caleb Grant said lodgers tax funding must be spent specifically on promotions, pursuant to state law. Grant said if the $44,000 funding request had been from the city’s general fund, other projects would take priority. City Councilor Juan Oropesa said he agreed with Wood. Oropesa said HK Advertising signed a contract with the city and should be held accountable
to it. “To come back again and ask for additional monies, I think there’s something wrong with that,” Oropesa said. The council subsequently unanimously approved the additional $44,000 payment to HK Advertising for the additional visitor brochures to be distributed in Tucson, Ariz., and Amarillo, El Paso and Midland, Texas.
12 dogs make trip to Colorado rescue
See SPENDING, Page A3
Mayor suspends local rescues until investigation complete
BY RANDAL SEYLER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Randal Seyler Photo
A dog, apparently a pit bull-terrier mix, is held at the Roswell Animal Shelter on Thursday. The shelter is suspending releasing animals to local rescue groups until the Sheriff’s Office completes its investigation into the Wednesday dog attack that sent a 9-year-old boy to the hospital.
A total of 12 dogs from Doggy Saviors rescue that were not involved in Wednesday’s attack on a 9-year-old boy are now in Colorado. Two more of the dogs were held back due to aggressive behavior, said Animal Shelter director Joseph Pacheco on Friday. “They seemed friendly, but when we took them on a walk down the hallway they tried to go after the other dogs,” Pacheco said. “So we kept them here.” There were a total of 18 dogs at the Doggy Saviors kennel before the mauling incident occurred on Wednesday. Two of the dogs are now dead, two were being held for observation, and the final two were held back due to their behav-
ior. The remaining 12 dogs were shipped out to the Buck’n-RRanch Animal Rescue in Franktown, Colo. On Wednesday morning, a pack of three pit bull terrier -mixed breed dogs escaped from the Doggy Saviors kennel and attacked 9-year -old boy Colby Prince, sending the child to the hospital. The boy’s father shot and killed one of the dogs, and wounded a second dog, which was later euthanized by animal control officers. The third pit bull-mix is being held for observation for rabies, as is a Lab-mix dog that was running with the other three animals but which did not attack the boy. Thursday night at the Roswell City Council meeting, Mayor Den-
NMSP identify 2 Pearce seeks transparency in VA discussions officers involved in fatal shooting STAFF REPORT
New Mexico State Police identified on Friday the two Carlsbad Police of ficers involved in the fatal shooting of an escaped prisoner in Carlsbad on Monday. According to a news release from the Department of Public Safety, Sgt. Edward Duarte and Officer David DeSantiago were the of ficers involved in the shooting. Duarte has eight years of service with the Carlsbad Police, while DeSantiago has one year’s service. Killed was 24-year -old Troy Kirkpatrick, who was
shot on Monday while trying to flee from Carlsbad Police officers after Kirkpatrick had escaped from their custody. The shooting occurred off the 1900 block of West Church behind the T ia Maria Apartments in Carlsbad. Prior to the shooting, Kirkpatrick was in custody of the Eddy County Detention Center. Kirkpatrick had a scheduled doctor’s appointment and was transported by a detention of ficer from the Eddy County Detention Center. According to police, KirkSee SHOOTING, Page A2
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — U.S. Congressman Steve Pearce said Friday that the debate over access to health care for veterans must be more transparent and involve the public if the federal government has any hopes of changing the culture within the Veterans Af fairs health care system. The New Mexico Republican, state officials and a group of veterans had an hour -long meeting with administrators for the VA system in New Mexico, where more than 1,000 patients had to wait three months or longer for initial appointments and 21 veterans died while on the waiting list. The VA refused to let reporters into the meeting and declined requests by Pearce’s staff to record the discussion. Still, the con-
The American Red Cross will host its Real Heroes recognition breakfast at 7 a.m. on Wednesday at the Roswell Convention and Civic Center. Last year was the first year the event was held in Roswell, and officials are hoping to make this an annual event.
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elected in 2002.
“What happens is in Washington, money is an easy answer. Send more money, and we can all forget about it,” Pearce said. “No. This is very hard and thor ny. We need to sit down and have uncomfortable discussions.”
New Mexico Veterans Services Secretary Tim Hale, left, talks about the challenges veterans in rural New Mexico have in accessing health care as U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., center, listens during a news conference in Albuquerque, on Friday.
gressman said the meeting marked a first step toward identifying what works and what needs fixing within New Mexico’s VA. A decorated Vietnam
veteran, Pearce said the solutions will involve more than spending money on an agency that has seen its budget double since the congressman was first
The uproar began two months ago with allegations of patients dying while awaiting appointments and of cover-ups at the Phoenix VA center. A subsequent government audit showed more than 57,000 veterans across the country waited at least three months for their first appointments at Veterans Affairs medical centers and an additional 64,000 who enrolled for VA care over the past decade never got seen by a doctor.
Real Heroes Breakfast to be held Wednesday
STAFF REPORT
Courtesy Photo
See DOGS, Page A3
The Red Cross Real Heroes Recognition Breakfast will be held at 7 a.m. Wednesday at the Roswell Convention and Civic Center. The purpose of the Real Heroes program is to honor ordinary people who make extraordinary contributions by putting their needs aside to help others in the community, Gale Landrum, community relations manager for
• JIM MARKL • PHYLLIS MCMAHON • ALBERTO SAVEDRA
American Red Cross, said. This will be the second time the Real Heroes Recognition Breakfast will be held in Roswell, and Landrum said she hopes it will become an annual event. The Red Cross is selling tickets for $25 each for the breakfast and they are also still seeking sponsors for the event. Nominees for the awards include: Humanitarian — Bert Eldridge and Ray Willis,
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who donated the 20 acres for the Veterans Cemetery, were nominated for their commitment to humanitarian efforts; Workplace Safety — Kimberly Featherstone, a teacher from Berrendo Middle school who assisted Kendall Sanders while waiting for EMTs, was nominated for her commitment to help others; Disaster Relief — CASA, the community organization, demonstrated commitment to the community
CLASSIFIEDS ..........B6 COMICS .................B5 ENTERTAINMENT .....A8 FINANCIAL ..............B3
following the Berrendo Middle School shooting; Law Enforcement — Joel Ramirez from the Chaves County Sheriff’s office was nominated for his actions which go above and beyond the call of duty; Fire fighter — Donald Ford, chief of Sierra Volunteer Fire Department, was nominated for his actions above and beyond the call of duty; Education — Michael See HEROES, Page A2
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2
HOROSCOPES .........A8 LOTTERIES .............A2
OPINION .................A4
SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ..............A8