Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Council OKs seeking solar farm for Roswell Vol. 123, No. 244 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
October 10, 2014
FRIDAY
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Sanchez objects due to project’s proximity to church BY RANDAL SEYLER RECORD CITY EDITOR
City Council The approved a resolution aimed at bringing a solar energy project to Roswell during Thursday’s City Council meeting at City Hall. The City Council was considering a resolution to allow the city to enter into negotiations with Xcel
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Energy to place a $20 million solar energy facility on 100 acres of city property. The project would be built by developer Silicone Ranch and the “solar farm” would bring in tax revenue to the city, utilizing what is currently a vacant property, said John Mulcahy, president and CEO at Roswell Chaves County Economic Development Corporation.
“This resolution doesn’t agree to anything, it just shows that we are willing to negotiate,” Mulcahy said. “It just allows us to submit a bid for the solar project.” The construction of the solar facility would create about 100 short-term jobs, Mulcahy said, but once the site was constructed maintenance would be quarterly and would be minimal. However, those initial jobs
would mean a $1.2 million boost to the local economy. “There is some expense here to the city now,” Mayor Dennis Kintigh said. “The city has been maintaining and mowing that property.” Mulcahy noted that the property is currently zoned residential, which means the solar farm is a suitable usage according to the city planning and zoning regu-
Rey Berrones Photo
Sal Basille, left, and Francis Garcia, hosts of “Pizza Cuz” on the Cooking Channel, order lunch Thursday from Chef Toddzilla. Chef Toddzilla’s Mobile Cuisine will be featured on Basille and Garcia’s new show “Pizza Masters,” which has them traveling across the country sampling the best food at various tourist locations.
lations. “When they invest the money into this piece of property then the tax goes up,” Mulcahy said. Councilman Savino Sanchez was the sole dissenting vote against the resolution. Sanchez voiced his concern that the planned solar facility was too close to Church on the Move. “How is that going to
affect the appreciation of the building we have?” he asked. Mulcahy said that if the project comes to fruition, then the community will have a reliable source of energy locally. Councilor Jeanine Corn Best said that the solar facility was “harvesting the sun,” and that the solar
BY RANDAL SEYLER RECORD CITY EDITOR
those numbers when establishing budgets,” Cole said. The state requires enrollment reports at the 40-, 80and 120-day mark to determine total enrollment of a district. Schools are then funded on headcount as established by the state. The total 80th day enrollment at Berrendo Elementary was 406, Cole said. El Capitan Elementary School posted an 80th day enrollment of 432, Military Heights Elementary reported 479 and Valley View Elementary had 487 students enrolled, Cole reported. Renovations at El Capitan cost $16.4 million and added 23,214 square feet of classrooms and a 2,160square-foot media center
RISD Board talks school construction, teacher openings Students from Berrendo Elementary welcomed the Roswell Independent School District’s Board of Education to their campus on Tuesday. The board met at the elementary school, which recently completed a $12.1 million renovation, including an addition of 4,225 square feet of classroom space and a 2,816-square-foot media center. Chad Cole, assistant superintendent for financial operations, updated the board members on the work at Berrendo Elementary and the current enrollment numbers for the campus. “The 80th day enrollment is important for the district because the state looks at
See COUNCIL, Page A3
Man gets 10 years Graves Farm to host annual fest Saturday for pound of meth BY DYLANNE PETROS RECORD STAFF WRITER
STAFF REPORT
A Portales man has been sentenced to 121 months in federal prison on a methamphetamine conviction. Jesus Jose Or nelasYanez, 39, was also sentenced Tuesday in federal court to five years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $17,500 fine. Or nelas-Yanez was arrested Dec. 18, 2012, on a criminal complaint alleging that he violated the federal immigration laws by re-entering the United States without permission after he previously had been deported. He has been in federal custody since that time. On Feb. 6, 2013, Ornelas-Yanez and a codefendant, Tomas Garcia, 56, a Mexican national illegally residing in Portales,
were indicted and charged with conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The indictment also charged Or nelas-Yanez with unlawful re-entry of a removed alien. According to the indictment, Ornelas-Yanez and Garcia conspired on Dec. 12, 2012, to distribute methamphetamine in Roosevelt County. They also possessed methamphetamine on that date with the intention of distributing it to another person, authorities said. On June 26, 2013, Or nelas-Yanez pleaded guilty to a count in the indictment charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
The seventh annual Farm Festival and Corn Maze will take place Saturday at Graves Farm and Garden. The festival started as a “by-product” of the corn maze the far m hosted every year, said Andrew Graves, son of owners Buz and Ronda Graves. “We were already doing the schools and we had the hayride to the pumpkin patch so I think the first year we decided to do one for our church,” Andrew said. The festival was also started to get the name of Graves Far m out in the public, Ronda said. “We originally started it to bring people out because people didn’t know who we were,” she said. Each year, there are activities for people to par-
Dylanne Petros Photo
Students from Roselawn Elementary School in Artesia enjoy lunch at Graves Farm after going on a hayride and picking pumpkins Thursday morning.
ticipate in including carnival games, face painting, and jolly jumps. This year, there will be four new activities for people to participate in like duck race, kick the can, pony rides and a zipline. “Every year, (the festival) gets a little bigger so we’re gonna continue to add more things every year,” Andrew said.
Along with the games and carnival rides, there is a Farmstrong Competition. “(The) Farmstrong Competition is actually where a guy pulls a tractor, which is a little bit different this year,” Andrew said. “In previous years it was stacking hay, moving a 50 pound pumpkin and flipping a tractor tire but it was a little intense.”
See BOARD, Page A3
Since the event is different this year than in past years, Andrew believes there will be more than 50 people competing. “I suspect that because it’s a little easier this year more guys are gonna do it,” he said. The festival will feature 75 different attractions including: pumpkin hayrides, a zipline, the Farmstrong Competition, a cor n canon, a pumpkin slingshot, the corn maze, a mechanical bull ride, seven food vendors, free far m games, five jolly jumps — three of which are free — water meloneating contests and an irrigation pipe setting contest, Buz said. The far m games, Buz said, are the games Tug-OWar, sack races, threelegged races, pie roulette, egg toss and adult trike races.
Wings for L.I.F.E. assists with life skills, relationships See METH, Page A3
STAFF REPORT
Wings for L.I.F.E. is a United Way organization whose goal is to build family relationships and individual life skills with programs that pr oduce positive behaviors while respecting the dignity of those it serves in Chaves County. It has operated in Chaves County since 2005, helping more than 2,000 clients a year. Wings for L.I.F.E. programs are all offered free of charge. No individual is ever denied access because of an inability to pay. There are 14 weekly programs
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TODAY’S FORECAST
as well as bi-monthly Community Outreach Program that serves 1,650 adults, childr en and youths each year. Wings for L.I.F.E. sponsors several special events for families and individuals every year. “Thanks to United Way and members of our community who support United Way, Wings for L.I.F.E. works to meet the needs of the people of Chaves County,” said Shelly Currier, executive director. “Wings for L.I.F.E. conducts an after -school program that teaches important lifeskills, known as assets, to over 200 elementary school children K-5. The program is based on
• ROGENE CORDES • JACK W. BOX
Search Institute’s 40 Developmental Assets that promote academic success and gives young people power to make positives choices,” said Currier in an email. One lesson taught in the after school programs is empathy, or the ability to identify with another’s situation or feelings. Currier shared a time when they taught empathy. There was a shy little girl who attended the program. After the lesson, the little girl noticed there was a new boy that no one was playing with. Despite her shyness, she walked up to the boy and asked if he wanted to
• MELODY LYNN KUYKENDALL • MARIE BARAJAS
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE B6
CLASSIFIEDS ..........B8 COMICS .................B7 ENTERTAINMENT .....A8 FINANCIAL ..............B5
See FEST, Page A3
be friends.
Wings for L.I.F.E. has a community outreach program that meets twice a month on Sunday evenings that has professionals in the community (judges, lawyers, health care providers, educators, nutritionists, counselors, etc.) giving presentations on topics of importance to our community. The program is followed by a dinner prepared on site. Wings for L.I.F.E. also has parenting classes in the community offered weekly on Wednesday evenings. For more information, call 575-317-2042.
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2
HOROSCOPES .........A8 LOTTERIES .............A2
OPINION .................A4
SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ............A12