Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Vol. 123, No. 206 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
August 27, 2014
Commissioners deny rezoning request again BY RANDAL SEYLER RECORD CITY EDITOR
The Planning and Zoning Commission once again denied a zoning change request, which would allow a dispatch and maintenance facility to be built within the city limits, by a vote of 4-2. The property owners, Bill and Mary Shepard, will appeal the commissioners’ decision on Thursday, and the matter will move on to the full City Council in September. The Shepards want to change the zoning of their property at 1602 East Second St. The zone change
was requested to allow the property to be used for storage of oil field service and rental equipment at the site, according to a meeting abstract provided to the councilors in their meeting packets. A buyer for the property wants to create a new dispatch and maintenance facility in Roswell, which will be a building and yard to park and maintain vehicles between oil field trips on a daily shift basis, and to rent equipment to third parties such as oil field lighting, generators, pumps and other outdoor field hardware consistent with I-1
zoning, according to a memo from Manatt & Company Realtors, who represent the Shepards. Several residents who were against the rezoning were in the audience and they spoke their minds before the commission. “I have my home and business east of this property, and his property doesn’t flood because it drains onto my property, and everyone else’s property,” resident Diana Tuttle said. On July 31, the planning commissioners voted 7-0 to deny a request for a zone
Wiggins, Peterson honored
See REZONING, Page A3
Randal Seyler Photo
Bill Shepard discusses his zoning request with the city Planning and Zoning Commissioners during Tuesday night’s meeting at City Hall. The commissioners voted 4-2 to deny Shepard’s request for a second time.
Audit: Agencies have $10M in military gear
Rey Berrones Photo
Kim Wiggins, left, and Dorothy Peterson were honored at the Historical Society for Southeast New Mexico's 33rd annual Heritage Award Dinner at the Roswell Civic Center. Each year, the historical society honors members of the community who have made a profoundly positive impact on the community. Peterson and Wiggins were honored for their contributions on both documenting the local culture as well as their community involvement. The dinner also serves as the primary fundraiser for operating costs for the historical museum and archive. Wiggins and Peterson both donated artwork that was auctioned off at the event. A Wiggins piece raised $5,200 for the museum.
NM panel discusses future of Gila River
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — New Mexico is no closer to deciding what to do with its share of water from the Gila River after experts and advocates weighed in Tuesday on more than a dozen proposals that call for everything from building dams and reservoirs along the river to boosting conservation among farmers and residents. The Interstate Stream Commission has to make a decision by the end of the year. The problem is none of
the proposals have risen to the top as the best option despite more than 200 meetings, volumes of public comment and $3 million spent on studies over the past decade. “At the present time, the staff has found no showstoppers,” said Estevan Lopez, the commission’s director. He said it wouldn’t be prudent for the commission to make any preliminary determinations before the
BY RANDAL SEYLER RECORD CITY EDITOR
Teachers retur ned to school on Aug. 7 to prepare for the students’ return, and the educators had to hit the ground running.
Principal: Over 1,400 students at Roswell High The hallways of Roswell High School are teeming with 1,400 students this year, and keeping them engaged and in school is a challenge, says Principal Ruben Bolanos. “Our kids retur ned on Aug. 14, and our numbers started out at 1,300-plus students, and we had 1,409 as of this morning,” Bolanos said on Tuesday. Bolanos was the guest speaker for the Roswell Kiwanis Club.
WEDNESDAY
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See GILA, Page A3
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — A U.S. Department of Defense program that loans local law enforcement agencies surplus military gear has sent $10.2 million worth of weapons, helicopters and armored trucks to New Mexico, according to an audit of the equipment. The audit by the Pentagon office responsible for the 1033 program shows that the equipment went to 32 agencies. Departments as small as the Clovis Police Department and the New Mexico State University Police received massive MineResistant Ambush Protected vehicles, or MRAPs, while San Juan County Sheriff’s Office was granted the use of a $4 million helicopter to help patrol a 5,200 square-mile region in the Four Corners area. The Albuquerque Police Department also received
weapons from the program, documents show. The document was obtained by The Associated Press through a public records request. The surplus equipment program is under review by the Obama administration in the after math of the police response to unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, following the shooting death a black 18-year -old by a white police officer. President Barack Obama said images of well-armed police confronting protesters made it useful to review how local law enforcement agencies have used federal grants that permit them to obtain heavier armaments. Law enforcement agencies in New Mexico said the extra military gear helps them in their work. “We use it simply as a See GEAR, Page A3
Luncheon raises funds for Walk to End Alzheimer’s Submitted Photos
Right: Comfort Keepers of Roswell hosted a luncheon on Monday to raise funds for the fourth annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Cindy Lewis, at right, franchise owner for Comfort Keepers of Roswell, Artesia and Carlsbad, and daughter Jessica, left, were among the volunteers taking tickets at the door. Below: The fundraiser for the New Mexico Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association was held at the Elks Lodge on Monday and featured a brisket lunch. The group hoped to raise $3,000 to support the Walk to End Alzheimer’s.
“There is a lot of information for them to digest before Aug. 14, and we had several teachers go to AP training,” Bolanos said. “We have to prepare the staff for the challenges of meeting all the requirements mandated at the state level each year.” Besides classroom activity, all the extracurricular See RHS, Page A3
HIGH 89 LOW 65
TODAY’S FORECAST
• CLYDE STONE • BECIENTO “BILLY” ALBAREZ
• FLONY OPAL SPENCE
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE A8
CLASSIFIEDS ..........B8 COMICS .................B7 ENTERTAINMENT ...A10 FINANCIAL ..............B4
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2 HOROSCOPES .......A10
LOTTERIES .............A2
OPINION .................A4
SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ............A10