Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Investigation into bomb threat continues Vol. 123, No. 242 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
October 8, 2014
WEDNESDAY
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Berrendo Middle School students evacuated BY RANDAL SEYLER RECORD CITY EDITOR
Berrendo Middle School students are back in school today after the campus was evacuated Tuesday afternoon due to a bomb threat. According to a news release from the state Department of Public Safety, a package was found at the school and the State Police Bomb Team was dispatched to the school to assess the package and to render it safe, according to the release.
“The bomb threat was investigated by the State Police, and they didn’t find anything,” said Superintendent Tom Burris. All children from the school were safely evacuated and there are no injuries reported as a result of this incident, Burris said. Classes resumed Wednesday mor ning as nor mal, and the buses were scheduled to run their normal schedules, Burris said. “We will resume the investigation in the morning,” Burris told the
The Jazz Man Cometh
Independent Roswell School Board members on Tuesday night. “We want the person or persons who wrote this note to know that we will prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.” “I saw a lot of leadership from our superintendent today in this unfortunate event, and I want to commend him for the job he did today,” School Board Member Mackenzie Hunt said. “I also want to commend the teachers and parents for the leadership and composure we saw as they
responded to this incident this afternoon.”
Hunt also commended the State Police and the Chaves County Sheriff’s Office for their prompt and professional response to the bomb threat. “I appreciate the strength of our superintendent in making the quick decision to evacuate the students,” Hunt said.
City Editor Randal Seyler may be contacted at 6227710, ext. 311, or reporter02@rdrnews.com.
Randal Seyler Photo
A Chaves County sheriff deputy directs traffic from Berrendo Middle School while blocking access to the campus during a bomb scare on Tuesday. The New Mexico State Police are investigating the incident, and the State Police Bomb Team was dispatched to handle the suspicious package.
Bond questions ask $169M for capital projects
Five proposed constitutional amendments up for ratification BY JEFF TUCKER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Bill Moffitt Photo
World-renowned drummer and vibraphonist Chuck Redd joins in with S.O.Y. Mariachi during welcoming ceremonies at the Roswell International Air Center Tuesday evening. Redd will perform at 10 venues during the Roswell Jazz Festival which starts today.
Voters statewide are now able to vote on three bond measures that would authorize the issuance of $169 million of general obligation bonds for capital projects and on five proposed constitutional amendments of limited impact. Absentee in-person voting got underway Tuesday at the Chaves County clerk’s office, with early voting to begin Oct. 18. General Election Day is Nov. 4. Contested races for the U.S. Senate and governor top the general election bal-
lots, but perhaps the most meaningful votes are at the end of ballots where voters across New Mexico will be asked to approve the issuance of $169 million of bonds for schools, libraries and senior citizen facilities.
Bond questions
The three bond questions were referred to voters by the New Mexico Legislature through simple majority votes in both houses during the legislative session earlier this year. Bond Question A asks voters to approve allowing the state to issue up to $17 million of general obligation
Roswell police report Committee talks livable accessory structures 6 vehicles vandalized SUBMITTED BY RPD
Six instances of vandalism to vehicles — most while parked at the owners’ residences — that occurred from Sunday night to Monday afternoon resulted in estimated damage of nearly $4,000. Five of the instances involved smashed windows and occurred at the north end of town. In four of those cases, a single window on the vehicle was smashed with some sort of blunt object, while the other vehicle had a total of five windows smashed. These instances occurred in the 400 block of Northwood Drive, the 10 block of Lafayette Loop, the 600 block of Sunrise Road, the
900 block of West Berrendo Road and the 2600 block of North Main Street. The latter case involved a vehicle parked in the parking lot of Golden Corral restaurant. That vandalism occurred early Monday afternoon. The other cases appear to have taken place overnight between Sunday and Monday. One other vehicle vandalism case from that night/morning occurred in the south part of town in the 10 block of Langley Place. That vehicle had two tires slashed and a large dent put into the driver’s side of the vehicle. Individual vehicle dam-
BY RANDAL SEYLER RECORD CITY EDITOR
Coming soon to your backyard — your parents. A growing trend in the U.S. is the construction of livable accessory structures, and City Zoning Administrator Louis Jaramillo told the Planning and Zoning Council Committee on Tuesday that the city will need to address this trend in the near future. “Every day, 8,000 people tur n 65,” Jaramillo said. “And nationally we have seen the trend of children moving back in to their parents’ homes due to economic instability.” As a result, municipalities across the country have seen an increase in
Randal Seyler Photo
Members of the Roswell Planning and Zoning Council Committee discuss regulating “livable accessory structures,” such as small guest houses, within the city limits during Tuesday’s meeting.
the construction of livable accessory structures, and cities have been writing ordinances governing the size and placement of the structures. According to an 2012 article published on the
website lokvani.com, suburban homeowners across the country are looking to modify their existing living spaces, including basements, garages, even bedrooms, to accommodate parents, adult children
See BOND, Page A3
and even tenants, living on the same property. Often this entails adding kitchens and bathrooms, creating separate entries, and adding parking. Often these changes in building structure and living arrangements are bumping up against community zoning codes. The rise of homeowners seeking to reshape their suburban properties is associated with three factors, according to the website. Many older homeowners don’t want to move. In a 2009 AARP survey, 85 percent of surveyed individuals over 50 said they wished to remain in their communities for as long as possible.
J.O.Y. Center allows independence for senior citizens
See VEHICLES, Page A3
STAFF REPORT
Dylanne Petros Photo
The Chaves County J.O.Y. Center offers different programs for seniors and their families to make sure the seniors are living well.
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TODAY’S FORECAST
The Chaves County J.O.Y. Center aims to help senior citizens live their lives independently and with the help of the United Way, the group is able to do just that. “(United Way’s Campaign) allows our organization to enhance the quality of services provided to the senior citizens of Chaves County,” said Monica Duran, executive director of the J.O.Y. Center. The J.O.Y. Center helps around 1,450 senior citizens a year and started in 1982, Duran said.
• DEWEY NEIL (PETE) SMITH • MARGARET LORENE WALDO • JOSE R. CHAVEZ
Some of the ways the center helps people is by providing transportation and of fering housekeeping. The organization also provides meals for senior citizens. Senior citizens may either go to the J.O.Y. Center to have a meal or they can have one delivered to them. Senior citizens may also go to the J.O.Y. Center during the day to engage in activities at Adult Day Care, which runs 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday-Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday. “We have an employee who is
• RAYMOND LEE GONZALES • BETTY COMPTON • SANDY ERNEST BASS
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGES A2 & A6
See STRUCTURES, Page A2
the caregiver for her mother. The J.O.Y. Center Adult Day Care provides respite care during the day so that our employee can continue to work. Without this service, our employee would have to quit work or place her mother in the nursing home,” Duran said.
The J.O.Y. Center also has a Caregiver Program, which allows caregivers to meet and offer support for one another. The J.O.Y. Center is located at 1822 N. Montana Ave.
CLASSIFIEDS ..........B6
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2
FINANCIAL ..............B3
LOTTERIES .............A2
COMICS .................B5
HOROSCOPES .........A3
OPINION .................A4
SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ..............A8