Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 121, No. 237 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
NEW YORK (AP) — Americans are expected to spend more during what’s traditionally the busiest shopping season of the year, but they’re not exactly ready to shop ’til they drop like they have been in the past two years. - PAGE B3
October 3, 2012
WEDNESDAY
Historical Society honors Silent Servants NOAH VERNAU RECORD STAFF WRITER
HOLIDAY SALES FORECAST TO GO UP
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
The Historical Society and Foundation for Southeast New Mexico honored three Silent Servants for their contributions to the community during the 31st annual Heritage Award Dinner, Tuesday, at the Civic Center. Recognized for their dedicated service to youth in Roswell and the surrounding area, the honorees were longtime dance instructor Bobbi Alcorn, Assurance Home director Ron Malone and Leadership Roswell executive director Rick Kraft. Historical Society admin-
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istrative director Roger Burnett said the Society’s board of directors could not have chosen three better individuals to honor for their service to the community. “We call them Silent Servants because they are silent, they go about their job without making a big deal about it,” Bur nett said. “They were chosen for what they’ve done in the community, and basically, one of the things was that they haven’t had a lot of recognition. So it’s a good feeling to have the opportunity to recognize these people. “I think everybody likes to be recognized. Some peo-
Fun at the fair
ple crave it and they go out of their way to do things, but other people just go about doing their job and contributing to the community without expecting anything in retur n. I think these are three of those type of people.”
Malone, one of the founding members of the Assurance Home board of directors in 1975, worked as a drug abuse counselor, a mental health counselor and a social worker before becoming executive director in 1980. In 2007, Malone helped found the James Ranch Youth Shelter, a See SILENT, Page A3
Mark Wilson Photo
From left, Ron Malone, Bobbi Alcorn and Richard Kraft were honored as Silent Servants by The Historical Society and Foundation for Southwest New Mexico, Tuesday evening.
First debate tonight
TOP 5 WEB
For The Past 24 Hours
• Suspect bites cop, breaks taser, goes ... • Eastern NM State Fair parade winners • Roswell kicks off October with ... • Shooter Dominguez still at large • Broncos crush Phoenix, move to 4-2
INSIDE SPORTS
Children ride the racers during the Eastern New Mexico State Fair, Tuesday.
COYOTES DEFEAT CAVEMEN
CARLSBAD — It is natural in sports, particularly at the high school level, to have lulls during a game. Sometimes those can prevent a team from winning, but that wasn’t the case for the Roswell boys soccer team on Tuesday. The Coyotes (10-6) dominated play in the first half and built a big lead, which allowed them to pick up a 31 win despite some miscues in the second half against the Cavemen. Early on, Roswell’s patented pressure attack ... - PAGE B1
TODAY’S OBITUARIES
• Marianne Stevens • Elma Jean Gay • Aurora Contreras • Harry Fields Jr. - PAGE A7
HIGH ...96˚ LOW ....57˚
Border Patrol agent shot, killed on duty
NACO, Ariz. (AP) — A Border Patrol agent was shot to death Tuesday in Arizona near the U.S.-Mexico line, the first fatal shooting of an agent since a deadly 2010 firefight with Mexican bandits that spawned congressional probes of a botched government gun-smuggling investigation.
The agent, Nicholas Ivie, 30, and a colleague were on patrol in the desert near Naco, Ariz., about 100 miles from Tucson, when shooting broke out shortly before 2 a.m., the Border Patrol said. The second agent was also shot, and was reported to be in stable condition Tuesday afternoon.
identified the agent who was wounded, nor did they say whether any weapons were seized at the site of the shooting. At a press conference in Naco, an FBI official said the agency still was processing the crime scene and it might take several days to complete. The FBI and the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office, which is also investigating, declined to say whether investigators have recovered guns or bullet casings. No arrests have been made, but authorities suspect that more than one person fired at the agents. The last Border Patrol agent fatally shot on duty
Mark Wilson Photo
WASHINGTON (AP) — There’s more to tonight’s presidential debate than just the 90 minutes onstage. For the campaigns, it’s a three-part performance: Part I: Aw-shucks time Setting low expectations can help a so-so performance seem like a success. So in the days before their first meeting, President Barack Obama called Republican challenger Mitt Romney “a good debater” and deemed his own skills “just OK.” His aides groused that Romney got more rehearsal time, while Obama was busy being president. For his part, Romney praised Obama as “a very eloquent, gifted speaker.” See DEBATE, Page A3
Lions host Special Needs Day CHAUNTE’L POWELL RECORD STAFF WRITER
Debbie Gonzales, Joan Hall and the rest of the Roswell Lions Club want to make sure that everyone has a good time at the Eastern New Mexico State Fair. In keeping with that desire, the club sponsored its 48th consecutive Special Needs Day, Tuesday, allowing those with disabilities to enjoy the festivities. Small groups of youngsters ages 3-6 visited various attractions at the fair including the mobile dairy classroom and Ken Karter and his funny dummies. Gonzales, vice president of the club, says it’s important for disabled to have a chance at a nor-
Mark Wilson Photo
Ernest Buckham of the Downtown Lions Club asks children from the Developmently Delayed Preschoolers program in Dexter how they liked their hamburgers during the Eastern New Mexico State Fair, Tuesday. mal childhood and the day gives them an opportunity to have that. This year the Lions wanted to branch out and
include the elderly, but Hall said miscommunication and possible confu-
St. Andrews animal blessing set for Sunday afternoon Authorities have not
See BORDER, Page A3
JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
TODAY’S FORECAST
CLASSIFIEDS..........B6 COMICS.................B4 FINANCIAL .............B3 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........A8 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8
INDEX
Jessica Palmer Photo
From left, Raggie, the Rev. Dale Plummer and Clarissa during a photo op at St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Tuesday.
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 505 N. Pennsylvania Ave., will hold its 5th annual Blessing of the Animals on Sunday at 2 p.m. The Rev. Dale W. Plummer, St. Andrews rector, will officiate. “We do this in honor of St. Francis,” he said. St. Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of animals and the environment. Catholic and Anglican churches hold ceremonies for animals on his feast day, Oct. 4. Plummer is an animal lover and a longtime adherent to the blessing of the animals. He has conducted
blessings for at least 10 years in churches in Topeka and Junction City, Kan. He moved to Roswell more than a year ago and has upheld the tradition here. Plummer said that all pets are welcome to the ceremony on Sunday. The animals need not be limited to cats and dogs. Through the years, Plummer has blessed some pretty unusual animals. “I remember a little boy who brought in a tarantula in a box.” In the past, St. Andrews has also blessed an iguana, brought in by Cassie Gross of the Roswell Humane Society. “I remember a ferret and we have had some horses. Those we do in the parking lot,” Plummer said.
See LIONS, Page A3
Each animal receives an individual blessing, along with prayers for all God’s creatures, said Plummer. Last year some 50 pets and their humans attended the feast day celebration.
Plummer was also called upon to conduct the memorial services for Roswell’s, and America’s, hero dog Sage. He and his family have two dogs, one a rescued yellow Labrador and the second a red heeler pup. Plummer feels that the blessing of the animals is important. “... pets become members of our family, and from the theological perspective, we have stewardSee BLESSING, Page A3