Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Vol. 123, No. 272 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
November 12, 2014
API economist: Fuel prices lowest in four years
BY JEFF TUCKER RECORD STAFF WRITER Weak demand for gasoline coupled with record levels of production have resulted in the lowest fuel prices in four years, says the chief economist of the American Petroleum Institute. And with lower gas taxes in New Mexico than nationwide, motorists are seeing significant savings with gas prices averaging $2.80 a gallon in the state. John Felmy, chief economist for API, spoke to the New Mexico Landmen’s
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Association Tuesday in Roswell. “It’s an exciting time,” Felmy told the Daily Record in an interview preceding the meeting. “For groups like this, they work very hard and they are at the forefront of the industry.” Crude oil prices have dropped dramatically since June, Felmy said, resulting in substantial savings for motorists, truckers and other carriers. “We’ve seen crude prices since June drop by 72 cents a gallon and gasoline has
dropped by 76 cents,” Felmy said. “New Mexico has lower prices than the national average, primarily because of lower taxes.”
Felmy said taxes on gasoline in New Mexico are 12 to 13 cents lower than the national average. Nationwide, gasoline taxes are about 50 cents a gallon, he said. In New Mexico, gas taxes are about 37 cents a gallon, of which 18.4 cents are federal taxes.
“And that’s exactly the difference between U.S. prices at $2.92 and New Mexico at
$2.80,” Felmy said. Crude oil closed Monday at $77.40 a barrel. That’s down from a record high of $147 in 2008 for a 42-gallon barrel. “What we’ve seen is also weak demand for gasoline because the economy is still not great,” Felmy said. “Gasoline demand is down and we’ve got record production of gasoline. That means the refineries and marketers’ have been margins squeezed.” Roswell motorists saw a glimpse of lower fuel prices
All Saints helps with Operation Christmas Child
this summer when a brief gas war broke out between local retailers. On Aug. 10 and 11, regular-grade gas prices ranged from $2.93 a gallon in the city to $3.49, when the state average was $3.45 a gallon. Roswell was the only city in the state at the time where gas was being sold for less than $3 a gallon, according to NewMexicoGasPrices.com. Felmy said local fluctuations in fuel prices are common. “At the station level, it’s a
function of a lot of factors, competition first of all,” he said. “I did notice you have a lot of unbranded stations here, which tend to be lower in price. But it’s competition between the individual businessmen, because 95 percent of the stations are owned by individual businessmen.
BY RANDAL SEYLER RECORD CITY EDITOR
Violent crime and property crimes are increasing, and Smith said the way to defeat crime is to stop it at its origin. “One point I want to make is that the violent crime we are seeing is not random,” the police chief said. However, some of the property crimes have been attributed to juveniles, who have been responsible for burglary and graf fiti
Police chief wants to start ‘Hot Spot’ policing program Police Chief Phil Smith wants to put an end to the crime wave Roswell is currently experiencing, and one of the tools he wants to institute is a “Hot Spot.” “This Hot Spot program is being adopted all over the country,” Smith told the Police Committee on Monday. “I am concerned about the crime rate we are seeing here.”
See FUEL, Page A7
Hundreds gather to honor veterans
Max Scally Photos be shipped to kids in for-
Thanks to the generosity of students at All Saints Catholic School in Roswell, needy children overseas will get Christmas gifts through the Operation Christmas Child program. All Saints students packed shoeboxes with toys (excluding toy guns and knives), clothes and school supplies that will
“They are also competing on costs, because real estate costs, real estate taxes, are an important component, and the demand and supply
eign countries. Plastic containers similar in size to a shoebox could also be used.
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — Gov. Susana Martinez joined with Purple Heart recipients, Navajo Code Talkers, one of New Mexico’s Medal of Honor recipients and hundreds of others Tuesday to pay tribute to the state’s veterans.
Operation Christmas Child is a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse, an international relief organization. The students are pictured praying over the gift boxes. Children from pre-K through eighth grade attend All Saints.
Martinez, whose father was a Korean War veteran, told the crowd that New Mexicans have answered the
See POLICE, Page A3
call to arms throughout history and there’s no question the state is “the home of the brave.” She pointed to the Code Talkers, survivors of the Bataan Death March and the new generation of veterans who are returning from service in the Middle East. “On Veterans Day, we take
NMMI camps receive Market brings hope to women around globe accreditation from ACA STAFF REPORT
New Mexico Military Institute has been accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA) for its summer camp operations. Brigadier Gen. Richard V. Geraci, commandant of cadets, said that the accreditation site visit in June was the concluding step in a sequence of collaborative actions with the American Camp Association Southwest Region that began nearly 12 months before the visit. During the visit, the accreditation team
focused on NMMI’s Junior Leadership Camps. ACA accreditation status is proof of NMMI’s commitment to a safe environment with high standards in every aspect of Summer Camp Operations and activities conducted during June and July at NMMI. ACA accreditation serves as an educational tool and industry benchmark for NMMI. Accreditation formally recognizes NMMI’s planning and execution for summer operations, high-
Susan Bellomo, computer support and former librarian for the Wilson-Cobb History and Genealogy Library in Roswell, discusses researching family histories at the Kiwanis Club meeting on Tuesday.
Roswell residents will have a chance to do some early Christmas shopping while helping women from around the world when the second annual World Market is held from 4 to 9 p.m. on Nov. 22 at The Liberty. The theme of this year’s event is “Purchase With Hope,” and that sums up the purpose of the World Market very well. “All the products are made by women who have been rescued from human traf ficking or similar
oppressed situations.” said Wendy Cook, a volunteer with the World Market event, on Tuesday at the Roswell Kiwanis Club meeting. Women from India, Kenya and Haiti have contributed crafts and jewelry to this year’s event, and the money raised by the World Market is returned to the women who made the items. This year’s event will introduce new products and bring back popular items from last year’s event, according to the
Submitted Photo
Volunteers for Roswell's second annual World Market unpacked inventory on Saturday in preparation for the event. World Market, a one-night shopping experience that features products made by women rescued from some of life's most oppressive circumstances, will be held from 4 to 9 p.m. on Nov. 22 at The Liberty in Roswell.
Wilson-Cobb library brings history, genealogy to Roswell See NMMI, Page A3
See MARKET, Page A3
Tracking family history can be challenge, librarian says BY RANDAL SEYLER RECORD CITY EDITOR
Randal Seyler Photo
BY RANDAL SEYLER RECORD CITY EDITOR
See VETERANS, Page A3
If you want to discover your roots, the first place to start is with your relatives, says Susan Bellomo, past librarian and computer support for the WilsonCobb History and Genealogy Library in Roswell. “The first place to start is with your family,” Bellomo told the Roswell Kiwanis Club members on Tuesday. “Talk to your grand-
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mother, and your greataunts, talk to everyone you can find.” Getting with your relatives for family history provides you with more than just dates and names, but you also can learn insights into family members and their personalities. “In my family, my grandparents used to get 50 gallons of honey to eat on their bread every winter and the kids would get tired of honey,” Bellomo
said. “My father’s brother used to say, ‘I sure like honey — pass the butter!” Bellomo said her interest in genealogy began in 1996, and one of her first stumbling blocks was having a common surname in her family. “I was researching the King family, and do you know how many Kings there are? It’s not quite as bad as Smith, but it is close.” It took Bellomo 15 years to track down her grand-
parents’ parents. “There are some in that family I am still looking for.” Bellomo distributed a sample pedigree chart which starts with the person filling out the chart, then their parents, then grandparents, and finally great-grandparents. In just those three generations are 14 people. Great-greatgrandparents bring 16 more names to the chart. “You always start with yourself, and your spouse if
• MARY MCCURDY • BARBARA CRESSWELL
• LUPE MORENO MONTOYA • WILLIS EARL SAVAGE
CLASSIFIEDS ..........B8 COMICS .................B6 ENTERTAINMENT .....B7 FINANCIAL ..............B4
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE A7
you have one, then your parents, and work back from there,” Bellomo said. “When you get to a wall, then you come to see us at the library.” The Wilson-Cobb History and Genealogy Research Library is a special collection, standalone library that was established in April 1999, according to the website, wilsoncobb.org. It was organized See LIBRARY, Page A3
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2
HOROSCOPES .........B5 LOTTERIES .............A2
OPINION .................A4
SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ............A10