07-22-2011

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Roswell Daily Record

Vickers finds 15 feds missed

Vol. 120, No. 175 50¢ Daily / $1 Sunday

INSIDE NEWS

EMILY RUSSO MILLER RECORD STAFF WRITER

In the past month, Roswell’s city planner has driven two hours or more each day in search of something that may never come to pass. He’s reviewed aerial maps of Roswell, sketched out block-based work maps of Roswell, and even drives for hours to

THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY

July 22, 2011

FRIDAY

www.rdrnews.com

hand count the number of houses in Roswell. All this to come up with a magic number: 1,634. The number of people needed to boost Roswell’s population to 50,000, which would elevate the city’s status to a Metropolitan Statistical Area, making it an entitlement community. That status could potentially lure in hundreds of millions of dol-

Vickers has multiple tools with which to count the number of housing units.

lars in both private and public sectors with national developers in retail, commercial office, industry and manufacturing. It would also ensure federal funding for infrastructure needs, and medical and educa-

tional facilities. So with stakes high, the City Council voted in April to use the Census Count Question Resolution program as a formal avenue to appeal the 2010 Census data, which found Roswell’s

Trapping ban to end

MISSIONS COMPLETED

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The space shuttle passed into history Thursday, the words “wheels stop” crackling over the cockpit radio for the very last time. In an almost anticlimactic end to the 30-year-old program, Atlantis and its four astronauts glided to a ghostly landing in near-darkness after one last visit ... - PAGE A6

TOP 5 WEB

For The past 24 Hours

• ‘I’m going to the movies after ... • Pearce to hold Facebook town hall ... • Council passes on film offer • The next Nancy or Tiger? • RIAC gets $775K grant

INSIDE SPORTS Courtesy Photo

Senior Olympians keep on playing Back row, from left: Larry Martin, Robert Willis, Jack Batson and Terry Cleveland. Front row, from left: Charlie Martin and Everett Lankford.

VANESSA KAHIN RECORD STAFF WRITER

Local senior athletes did Chaves County proud at the 2011

BATS POWER BRAVES OVER ROCKIES

DENVER (AP) — Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman each homered and had two hits and the Atlanta Braves overcame a shaky start by Tommy Hanson to beat the Colorado Rockies 9-6 Thursday. Brooks Conrad homered and Nate McLouth had two hits apiece for Atlanta, which earned a split of the fourgame series. Craig Kimbrel pitched the ninth for his 30th save. Carlos Gonzalez homered for the Rockies before .... - PAGE B1

TODAY’S OBITUARIES

• Curtis Miller • Libby Lara • Judy DeYoung - PAGE A6

HIGH ...99˚ LOW ....72˚

TODAY’S FORECAST

CLASSIFIEDS..........B4 COMICS.................B3 FINANCIAL .............A7 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........A8 LOTTERIES ............A2 NATION .................A6 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8

INDEX

Summer National Senior Games in Houston, last month. Many of the seniors have experience with the competitiveness and exhilaration of playing sports from when they were in high

population to be 48,366, just three percent short of the 50,000 benchmark. City Planner Michael Vickers was chosen to head the city’s efforts to argue the data, which has proven to be a tedious task. Submitting an appeal, in a nutshell, entails reviewing the data compiled by

school and/or college. Today, several of these seasoned seniors go to state or national games and bring home medals.

See CENSUS, Page A3

ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — State game commissioners on Thursday approved a recommendation from wildlife managers to end a trapping ban in southwestern New Mexico, where federal officials have been working to reintroduce the Mexican gray wolf. The commission voted unanimously in favor of the state Game and Fish Department’s proposal during a meeting in Clayton. The vote disappointed conservationists, who had sent thousands of emails and letters to the commissioners in recent weeks to support keeping the ban in place. Regulated furbearer trapping on the Gila and Apache national forests was banned last summer by for mer Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson, a supporter of the wolf reintroduction effort. The commission extended the ban last fall, giving researchers more time to study the risks of trapping and snaring to wolves. The researchers are done with their work but a report summarizing their findings has yet to be made public, and conservation groups have accused the Game and Fish Department of colluding with trapping and livestock groups to influence the commission’s decision-making process. Despite a public records request, the conservationists claim the agency has refused to provide information related to meetings the

Prez, House GOP in Mayfield commends zoo staff endgame debt talks WASHINGTON (AP) — In secretive endgame negotiations, President Barack Obama and House Republican leaders reached anew on Thursday for an elusive “grand bargain” deal to cut deficits by $4 trillion or more and prevent a threatened Aug. 2 government default, officials said. House Speaker John Boehner declared that his rank and file generally stood ready to compromise in order to reach an agreement as a way of “getting our economy going again and growing jobs.” Obama, in a newspaper opinion piece, said the talks provided an “opportunity to do something big and mean-

ingful.” Still, 12 days before the default deadline, officials stressed that no compromise appeared imminent. And new hope of one ran instantly into old resistance: from Republicans opposed to higher taxes and Democrats loath to cut Medicare and other benefit programs. In a measure of concern among Democrats, party leaders spent nearly two hours meeting with Obama at the White House late Thursday. While talks on a major, long-term agreement con-

VANESSA KAHIN RECORD STAFF WRITER

be recognized for anything you do,” said Hunter. He is a partner at the law firm Kraft and Hunter LLP. Originally from Oklahoma, Hunter attended Cameron University and received a bachelor’s degree in political science. He then attended Texas Tech University Law School. Hunter moved to Roswell in 2004 with a desire to have his own law firm. He teamed up with his friend, Rick Kraft. Much of his time as a lawyer is spent doing pro bono work, which is how he caught the attention of Jared Kallunki, the person who nominated him

See SENIOR, Page A3

See TRAPPING, Page A3

JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER

The American Association of Zookeepers has designated the third week in July National Zookeepers Week. “This national celebration is in recognition of zookeepers, aquarists and animal care professionals. Zookeepers serve as animal care experts, frontline educators and conservationists,” said Shane Good, association president. “I’m always happy to Zookeeper Scott Sherman puts the finishing touches on acknowledge the hard the coati cage with the help of the occupants. work of our zookeepers. I have been a zookeeper for Spring River Zoo director variety.” However, she explained 35 years. You start at the Elaine Mayfield. She loves Spring River bottom shoveling and you work your way up,” said as a smaller zoo. “You get See ZOO, Page A3

Manatt, Hunter among NM Biz Weekly’s 40 under Forty

Two Roswell residents received a prestigious award not only for what they have done for the community, but for the fact they’ve done so much in relatively little time. Dustin Hunter, 38, and Claire Manatt, 28, were recognized as two of New Mexico Business Weekly’s 40 Under Forty. The award is meant to recognize young community leaders. There was an award celebration in Albuquerque July 14 to mark the occasion. “It’s always an honor to

See DEBT, Page A3

for the award. Kallunki is a managing attorney for New Mexico Legal Aid. “Even though he’s a very busy guy ... when I ask him for any kind of assistance ... he’s the first one to show up,” Kallunki said. “He’s one of the most impressive guys I know.” Although she currently resides in Washington, where she works for Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., Manatt was born and raised in Roswell. She graduated from NMMI high school and attended New Mexico State See 40 UNDER, Page A3

Courtesy Photo

Claire Manatt, New Mexico Business Weekly 40 Under Forty honoree.

Courtesy Photo

Dustin Hunter, New Mexico Business Weekly 40 Under Forty honoree.


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07-22-2011 by Roswell Daily Record - Issuu