Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 122, No. 192 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
MOUNTAIN MAN MESS
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
August 11, 2013
SUNDAY
www.rdrnews.com
Senators push for emergency food funding
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — The number of New Mexican families worried about where their next meal will come from is growing as the economy sputters along and food banks try to cobble together what donations they can. But keeping shelves stocked may be more difficult this year as federal support for The Emergency Food Assistance Program is expected to be slashed by more than half. A bipartisan group of 21 U.S. senators — including
Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, Democrats from New Mexico — is urging Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to use existing funding to purchase more food that can then be funneled to the nation’s food banks. Last year, federal funding for the program totaled more than $300 million, which was used to buy commodities such as poultry and pork. With only $133 million set aside this year, there’s no way existing supplies will meet demand, the sen-
ators said in a letter sent this week to Vilsack. They said one in eight Americans receive emergency food assistance each year through the nation’s food banks. “With the millions of families across the country continuing to struggle to make ends meet in the wake of the recession, TEFAP commodities are critical,” they wrote. Officials estimate that more than 20 percent of the food moving through the nation’s network of food
banks is made up of commodities that are purchased as a result of the emergency food program. For Roadrunner Food Bank, the state’s largest food bank, the program delivered an extra 3 million pounds of high-protein food last year. “There’s always a gap between the amount of food that we have and the amount of food that we need, and that extra food really helps us close that gap,” said Melody Wattenbarger, Roadrunner’s presi-
dent and CEO.
The food bank distributes more than 100,000 pounds of food every day, and Wattenbarger said there has been no sign of demand letting up. The food bank estimates it reaches about 40,000 people a week, including senior citizens and children.
In northern New Mexico, The Food Depot has reported a 30 percent increase in demand for food assistance since the economic downturn.
TRIPLETT, N.C. (AP) — way Eustace The Conway sees it, there’s the natural world, as exemplified by his Turtle Island Preserve in the Blue Ridge Mountains. And then there’s the “plastic, imitation” world that most other humans inhabit. But the border between the two has always been porous — uncomfortably so... - PAGE C5
Photos Mark Wilson
INSIDE
True TranscenDANCE
SPORTS
Clockwise from bottom left: Stacey Ennis of Sundarii Dance (far left); Michelle al Farfesha; and Tre Bellas perform during Origins: Evolution 2013 TranscenDANCE at Pueblo Auditorium, Saturday evening.
Weekend of bellydance shakes up Roswell
AMY VOGELSANG RECORD STAFF WRITER
The Egyptian and Arabian styled music filled Pueblo Auditorium Saturday night. On stage, an array of colors flew around, the light glinting off coin jewelry at Sundarii Dance’s fourth Origins Evolution performance, TranscenDANCE. Bellydancers from all
FURYK LEADS PGA PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — Oak Hill finally had enough elements for a strong test Saturday in the PGA Championship, and Jim Furyk was up for the fight. Grinding to the end in swirling wind that cast doubt... - PAGE B1
TODAY’S • • • • •
OBITUARIES
Romeo F. Klein Ernest James Brown Mary Alice Chancey Joe David Grant Johnnie Lee Kermode Sr. • Harold H. Jones • Margaret P. Wadas • Mary Jane Clark - PAGES A2, B6
HIGH ...92˚ LOW ....70˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
As of 10:25 p.m., day, there were 0.12 inches of rain in the gauge at the Daily Record.
RAINFALL
CLASSIFIEDS..........D1 COMICS.................C4 ENTERTAINMENT.....D6 FEATURE ...............C5 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........A8 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8 VISTAS ..................C1
over New Mexico and Texas demonstrated a variety of dance styles. From traditional bellydancing to a newer, hiphop and techno-modern style, the various dances are still connected with the impressive control of muscles and the ability to move in an unreal way. As unique as their body shapes and dance styles, each dancer’s outfit spoke
about different personalities. Some were dark and black, portraying a gypsy style. Some were steampunk-inspired, displaying a particular challenge in dancing with a corset. Other outfits are a complex display of bright colors and layers of materials. Regardless, each dancer
See BELLYDANCE, Page A3
Obama: Progress made Smith competes for MAOT on vet claims backlog
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — President Barack Obama assured disabled veterans Saturday that his administration is making progress on reducing a backlog of disability claims and said the number of requests for assistance has fallen by nearly one-fifth since peaking at more than 600,000 just a few months ago. In an address at the Disabled American Veterans’ convention in Orlando, Obama also announced a new national plan to guide mental health research, as well as commitments from 250 community colleges and universities to help veterans ear n college degrees or get the creden-
tials they need to find jobs. A top concern for veterans is the backlog of disability claims for compensation for illness and injury caused by military service. “After years of military service, you shouldn’t have to wait years for the benefits you’ve earned,” Obama said. The number of claims ballooned after Obama made it easier for Vietnam veterans who were exposed to the herbicide Agent Orange to get benefits. Access to benefits also was eased for sufferers of posttraumatic stress disorder See BACKLOG, Page A3
INDEX
AMY VOGELSANG RECORD STAFF WRITER
In a competition of interviewing and talent, Miss New Mexico’s Outstanding Teen was chosen from Chaves County and is now competing for the national title in Orlando. At only 14 years old, Jaden Smith has found herself starting her freshman year of high school on the other side of the country, participating in a series of events as she competes against 16 and 17-yearold girls for the national Miss America’s Outstanding Teen title.
Arianna and Zara Sarkees stroll hand in hand with their mother through Cahoon Park during the Big Brothers Big Sisters Children's Festival, Saturday afternoon.
Although excited, Smith will be kept very busy preparing for each portion of the competition. Luckily she has the support of her two parents, Gary and Gena Smith, as well as her 11-
Smith year -old brother Jake Smith, all of whom are in Florida with her for the See SMITH, Page A3
BBBS Children’s Festival thrills young and old alike AMY VOGELSANG RECORD STAFF WRITER
Mark Wilson Photo
She will be judged based on five components: fitness wear, evening gown, on stage questions, talent and an eight minute interview about a platform called “Leap Into Literacy,” a platform she chose concerning youth and illiteracy, a topic she feels passionate about and believes should be addressed in the community.
The Eagles’ “Hotel Califor nia” blared over loud speakers, filling Cahoon Park Saturday as parents ran after their children at the Big Brothers Big Sisters Children’s Festival. From food to various games and activities, the park was swarming with excited kids. One big attraction was a Roswell
Fire Department obstacle course. This was especially exciting for 9-year-old Taylor Gannuso.
Her eyes were intense as she ran through the course. She was looking for victory. She sprinted in a zigzag between cardboard fire hydrants and then through a giant piece of plastic tubing. Next it was up a ramp and then the challenge of pulling a weighted life-size dummy in
firefighter gear. Finally, the course ended with pulling a hose and spraying water at a metal flame. Gannuso did it all in record time. “They asked if I was faster than the boys, and I said ‘yes’ because I was on a baseball team,” Gannuso said, panting for air after finishing the course. “My favorite part was swinging See FESTIVAL, Page A3