Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Vol. 123, No. 284 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
November 26, 2014
WEDNESDAY
Lawmaker: Marijuana needs debate in New Mexico
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The conversation about whether New Mexico should join other western states in legalizing marijuana is cranking up as state lawmakers prepare for the 2015 legislative session. Rep. Bill McCamley, a Democrat from southern New Mexico, is taking his case for legalization to fellow lawmakers Tuesday during a meeting of the interim health and human services committee. McCamley said legislation has yet to be crafted,
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but Oregon is being looked at as a model. Voters in that state, Alaska and the District of Columbia approved ballot initiatives to legalize marijuana earlier this month, joining Colorado and Washington. In New Mexico, the legalization push follows the success of ballot questions in two of the state’s most populous counties that gauged voter support for decriminalizing marijuana. “If you look at prohibition, it’s basically a failure both in terms of alcohol in
Luncheon for families
the 1920s and the drug war now,” McCamley said during an interview. “We’re spending all of this money enforcing marijuana laws and prosecuting people for smoking marijuana. That can be used in other law enforcement ef forts like prosecuting rapists and murderers, and that’s important.” Then there’s the potential for tax revenue. There have been no studies on the economic effects legalization would have on New Mexico, a poor state
and one that has long struggled when it comes to economic development. In neighboring Colorado, the state has brought in more than $52 million in taxes, licenses and fees for recreational and medical marijuana since the beginning of the year. McCamley also estimates the state could save over $33 million in costs associated with police, courts and corrections if marijuana is legalized. “If we legalize and regulate marijuana we get the
benefits of the tax money and the cartels that are creating a lot of violence both in the United States and internationally, we cut them off at the knees at the same time,” he said.
A bill that would have let voters decide the issue failed during the last legislative session amid concerns about running afoul of federal law and possibly losing grant money from the U.S. Justice Department and other agencies for efforts to reduce drug trafficking and drug pro-
Thanksgiving Dinner to be hosted by community BY RANDAL SEYLER RECORD CITY EDITOR
This year’s Community Thanksgiving Dinner will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday at the Fraternal Order of Eagles, located at 3201 S. Sunset. The annual tradition began setting up today at the Eagles building, and volunteers and donations are still welcome, says event organizer and chairman Johnny Gonzales. “We can still use pretty much everything,” Gonzales said on Tuesday. The annual dinner is held for the elderly and the poor in the community, and donations of food are welcome from the public to make the community dinner a success. Covered dishes, desserts, and cooked turkeys are needed and the public is also welcome to come dine and serve at the annual event, which has been a Roswell tradition for 30 years. Volunteers are also needed to help transport the elderly and to deliver meals to homes on Thanksgiving Day, Gonzales said. “There are many people out there who will be alone and would like to have your company,” he said. “Your presence at the Thanksgiving dinner
Max Scally Photos
The Tobosa Developmental Services employees held their annual luncheon Tuesday at the banquet hall at the Fraternal Order of the Eagles. Tobosa program provides an annual luncheon for clients, employees and family members.
duction. The New Mexico Sheriffs’ Association has yet to develop a position on the matter. “Right now, there are several sherif fs who are very opposed to it. We also have sheriffs who say let’s wait and see and others who want it researched,” said Jack LeVick, the group’s executive director. “Before we jump on board as another state doing it, everybody needs to spend See DEBATE, Page A3
helps make this a joyful day for those who have no one to share their Thanksgiving dinner with.” Gonzales, who has been out of commission due to health problems, said he will be at the annual event he started all those decades ago. However, he won’t be able to stay at the dinner for very long, due to his health. Gonzales, 64, recently underwent quadruple bypass surgery. During his lifetime, he has also undergone a kidney transplant and went through years of dialysis. As a result of his experiences in dialysis, he often ministers to dialysis patients in Roswell and has been working to collect electric wheelchairs for patients who need the wheelchairs but cannot afford them. He also has been collecting and distributing medical supplies, such as adult diapers, through his community outreach program, Prison Door Ministry. “I’m not going to miss it after 30 years,” Gonzales said. “I have to be there to say hello to everybody.” For more infor mation, calle Gonzales at 624-7579 or email him at gonzalesjohnny@hotmail.com. City Editor Randal Seyler may be contacted at 6227710, ext. 311, or reporter02@rdrnews.com.
Annual craft show to take place Black Friday, Saturday BY DYLANNE PETROS STAFF WRITER
With the upcoming holiday season, people may be looking for unique gifts for loved ones and the 32nd annual Christmas Fantasy Arts and Crafts Show features many. The show will be at the Civic Center Nov. 28 from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. and Nov. 29 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is the second year that
Jane Nevarez and her husband Paul have promoted the show. “The other couple that put it on retired,” she said. The show was started by the previous couple just because they wanted another craft show in the area. Like the arts and crafts show Holly-Day Magic, Christmas Fantasy Arts and Crafts Show attracts vendors from all over the United States.
“There are a lot of out-oftowners,” Nevarez said. Some of the out-of-town vendors include people from Washington state, Albuquerque and El Paso. There will be around 40 artists at the show, she said, and the items sold will vary from jewelry to goat cheese. “We’ve got jewelry, goat cheese, fine art, gourds, wooden inlay … rope art … furniture, pottery … (and) sweet green chile,” Nevarez
cial support from the United Way of Chaves County, the Boys & Girls Club is able to offer memberships for families that might not otherwise be able to afford them. McKelvey said about 95 percent of the children who are current Boys & Girls Club members, ages 5 through 15, are considered at-risk or needy. “We help our families every day really,” McKelvey said. “We try and balance it out with the funding we receive. That’s what we don’t want to do is turn a family away.” McKelvey said a young family with four children was paying $450 a month
in child care expenses before looking into after school programs at the Boys & Girls Clubs. McKelvey said she encouraged a friend of the mother of four to apply. “The family of four didn’t have the money to pay for after -school programs when she called and I told her what we charged per month,” McKelvey said. “I told her, ‘Tell her to come in, we’ll work with her.’ We were able to help her. It’s because we have organizations like the United Way that we’re able to use some of that money for sponsor-
said. Some of the vendors have shown their work during Holly-Day Magic but not all artists overlap into Christmas Fantasy. “There’s a few that are in Holly-Day Magic that are in our show but we do have a lot of different artists,” she said. “We’ve got a lot of new artists this year. Some of them have never done a show in Roswell before.”
Submitted Photo
Paul and Jane Nevarez, the promoters of the Christmas Fantasy Art Show, make art out of cowboy ropes, metal and used horseshoes.
Boys & Girls Club offers socialization and education BY JEFF TUCKER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Computer games are not good babysitters, says Jaynan McKelvey, unit director of the Boys & Girls Club of Roswell. McKelvey said providing supervision for children after school and during summers is far better than children being home alone and unsupervised. “We just need more places where the kids can go somewhere and be more active, productive and develop social skills,” McKelvey said. “That’s really important.” McKelvey said with finan-
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TODAY’S FORECAST
See CLUB, Page A3
See SHOW, Page A3
Jeff Tucker Photo
Jaynan McKelvey, unit director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Roswell, spends a typical afternoon surrounded by children. Here, she’s speaking with 9-year-old Abagail Cruz as children play outside the club.
• SUSAN ANN MALES • DAVID BRADLEY DUER • LEILA G. SHELLEY
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE A7
CLASSIFIEDS ..........B8 COMICS .................B7 ENTERTAINMENT .....B6 FINANCIAL ..............B4
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2
HOROSCOPES .........A7 LOTTERIES .............A2
OPINION .................A4
SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ............A10