Roswell Daily Record
RISD flunks AYP; it’s not alone
Vol. 120, No. 177 50¢ Daily / $1 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
EMILY RUSSO MILLER RECORD STAFF WRITER
WILD WEST ATTITUDE REMAINS
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
July 24, 2011
SUNDAY
www.rdrnews.com
The Roswell school district was among the 86 of 89 school districts in the state that did not make its adequate yearly progress mark in 2011, according to data released Friday afternoon by the New Mexico Public Education Department. The AYP rankings show that 720 out of 831, or 86 percent, of New Mexico schools did not make adequate progress under the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, a NMPED statement read. Only 42
percent of students in the state who were tested per for med at grade level in math and science, while 50 percent were deemed proficient in reading. NMPED officials said the dismal rankings signaled the need for reform. “The message couldn’t be clearer,” Education Secretary-designate Hanna Skandera said in the statement. “Our children need education reform now.” In Roswell, only one out of 20 schools made AYP, Sidney Gutierrez Middle Charter School.
The three school districts that made AYP were Roy Municipal Schools, Vaughn Municipal Schools and Des Moines Municipal Schools.
Fifty percent of all Roswell students tested were not proficient in math, and 47 percent were not proficient in reading. Roswell students who struggled most in math were students with disabilities, who tested 74 percent
not proficient; English Language Learners, who tested 71 percent not proficient; and Hispanic students, who tested 54 percent not proficient. African-American students and economically disadvantaged students also tested 54 percent not proficient in math. Asian students were the most proficient in math with only 25 percent non-proficiency, although only 39 Asian students were tested, compared to the 3,294 Hispanic students tested, or the 4,061 See AYP, Page A3
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — The arrest of Albuquerque’s chief criminal judge on charges he raped a prostitute is just the latest example of a seemingly wild West-norules-attitude permeating numerous levels of authority in New Mexico. Just this year, the mayor, police chief and a trustee of the small border town of Columbus were ... - PAGE A2
TOP 5 WEB
For The Past 24 Hours
• More July fireworks • Bravo pleads guilty • Senior Olympians keep on playing • City council visitors center workshop today • ‘I’m going to the movies after’
INSIDE SPORTS
Mark Wilson Photo
From audition to final curtain in 5 days Toy soldiers and other young cast members await their cues back stage during the Missoula Children’s Theatre and Roswell Kids’ Arts ProgramS presentation of “Pinocchio” Saturday afternoon at Pueblo Auditorium.
VANESSA KAHIN RECORD STAFF WRITER
COLD CASH IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE
RUIDOSO DOWNS — Favored Cold Cash 123 made his expected late charge to give Hall of Fame trainer Dwayne “Sleepy” Gilbreath a record-extending seventh Grade 1 Rainbow Derby victory on Saturday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs. The $899,524 purse broke the previous Rainbow Derbyrecord purse of $873,441.... - PAGE B1
TODAY’S OBITUARIES
• Bette Jo Arthurs • Pearl Dean • Corine Wagoner • Libby Lara • Judy K. DeYoung • Vida Woods • Simon Ismael Garcia • Langford Keith Jr. - PAGE B6
HIGH ...97˚ LOW ....71˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
CLASSIFIEDS..........D1 COMICS.................C4 ENTERTAINMENT.....B7 FEATURE ...............C3 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........A8 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8
INDEX
In less than one week’s time, a group of Roswell children auditioned, were cast, memorized lines, and brushed up on singing and
dancing skills to produce a main stage play, which was performed at the Pueblo Auditorium, Saturday afternoon. The play, “Pinocchio,” was staged just five days after the children passed through auditions. However, it included a full set, elaborate
costumes, music and dance — elements expected from a fully rehearsed performance. The fast and furious theatre experience came to Roswell courtesy of the Missoula Children’s Theatre Camp, a program that sends
Dems, GOP agree: Renovations coming nicely; Time grows short RCLT still needs money WASHINGTON (AP) — Precariously short of time, congressional leaders struggled in urgent, weekend-long talks to avert an unprecedented government default, desperate to show enough progress to head off a plunge in stock prices when Asian markets open ahead of the U.S. workweek. With the White House consigned to the periphery of negotiations, Republicans sought as much as $4 trillion in deficit cuts over a decade as a condition for raising the nation’s debt limit. But after hours of staff negotiations followed by a meeting of Congress’ top four leaders, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid accused GOP leaders of intransigence, adding he would not accept anything less than a deal that raised the debt limit through 2012. “Their unwillingness to compromise is pushing us to the brink of a default on the full faith and credit of the United States. We have run out of time for politics. Now is the time for cooperation,” he said in a sharply worded statement. A spokesman for House
Speaker John Boehner, Michael Steel, responded mildly. “Like the President and the entire bipartisan, bicameral congressional leadership, we continue to believe that defaulting on the full faith and credit of the United States is not an option,” he said in a written statement.
Lawmakers fear a big drop in investor confidence in stocks and bonds could start in Asia and sweep toward Europe and the Americas, causing U.S. stock values to plunge on Monday.
Obama met earlier in the day with the Republican and Democratic leaders — but only briefly— the day after Boehner abruptly broke of f his own oncepromising compromise talks with the White House. In talks through the afternoon in the Capitol, congressional aides were looking at an immediate debt limit increase of about See DEBT, Page A3
VANESSA KAHIN RECORD STAFF WRITER
See MISSOULA, Page A3
Renovations are well under way to tur n Roswell’s for mer Park Twin Cinema building into a proper venue for the Roswell Community Little Theatre. However, getting enough funds to complete the project is still a challenge. Earl Morris, member of the RCLT board of directors and chairman for the marketing and fundraising committee, estimates the theatre group will be able to have the second play of the 2011-2012 season, “The Elephant Man,” at the new locale. The play is set to open Nov. 4, a date Morris believes is ambitious. “It will be difficult to Mark Wilson Photo meet it, but we’re all Rodney Chavez of Future Design Builders helps construct working toward it,” he a stage in the new Roswell Community Little Theatre, said. If Nov. 4 comes and Thursday. goes and the new building is still not ready, he said building — forever. One including a permanent the “fall back” date would may sponsor a room plaque in the RCLT lobby. be Jan. 20, the opening (such as the green room, Morris said that out of day for “Small Talk.” a dressing room, or even 177 theatre seats, only 20 There are several the kitchen), an emer- have been sponsored. It fundraising efforts to ben- gency exit, or an auditori- costs $200 to sponsor a efit the theatre and allow um seat. Donors get varimembers of the commu- ous forms of recognition, nity to be part of the new See RCLT, Page A3