Roswell Daily Record
Ruidoso fire: 10 acres, 8 houses THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Vol. 120, No. 145 50¢ Daily / $1 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
June 17, 2011
FRIDAY
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WEINER RESIGNS
NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly three weeks after Rep. Anthony Weiner accidentally tweeted a photo of his bulging crotch, his final act as congressman was to attempt to resign with dignity. He had gone from the halls of Congress to the front pages of the New York tabloids, providing ceaseless fodder as cringe-worthy evidence of his sexually ... - PAGE A3
STORY AND PHOTOS BY MATTHEW ARCO RECORD STAFF WRITER
TOP 5 WEB
For The Past 24 Hours
• Butterfly photo • Diversion Program helps offenders • Loop Fire burns 25,000 acres • Rollover takes out poles, power • Charlie’s Restaurant to reopen Sunday
INSIDE SPORTS
Fire crews work on containing the Swallow Fire that burned eight homes in Ruidoso, Thursday.
County OKs precinct changes
A fire ripped through the steep rugged hills of Ruidoso Thursday afternoon, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of residents and burning eight houses, officials said. The Swallow Fire was quickly contained and grew to only about 10 acres, but caused substantial damage
after it completely destroyed eight homes perched on the mountainside on and around Swallow Drive. “It was a complete wall of fire,” said Debi Lee, the village manager. “It scared the heck out of us.” The blaze broke out sometime around 2:35 p.m. and crews stopped its forward motion sometime around 5 p.m., she said. About 150 personnel were
Hazardous no more
on scene and five aircraft were used to drop water and flame retardant. “It was moving very fast,” said Ray Pinnell, a resident whose home was spared by the fire but witnessed three of his neighbors’ homes burn before his eyes. “We just didn’t have enough time,” he said. Pinnell explained how See RUIDOSO, Page A8
EMILY RUSSO MILLER RECORD STAFF WRITER
MCILROY SHOOTS 65
BETHESDA, Md. (AP) — If he keeps playing like this, Rory McIlroy’s next chance to close out a major should come very soon. McIlroy, who blew a fourshot lead in the final round of the Masters, is on top at the U.S. Open, shooting a 6under-par 65 on Thursday to take a three-stroke lead over Y.E. Yang and the man who wound up taking the green jacket, Charl Schwartzel. There’s still a lot of golf between now and Sunday, but there’s no denying McIlroy looks like the player ... - PAGE B1
TODAY’S • • • •
OBITUARIES
Sherri K. Sanchez Floyd George Mary Phillips Elizabeth A. Torpey - PAGE B3
HIGH .˚104 LOW ....69˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
CLASSIFIEDS..........B5 COMICS.................B4 ENTERTAINMENT.....B5 FINANCIAL .............A9 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........B6 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ............A10
INDEX
Chaves County Commissioners during their monthly regular business meeting, Thursday, passed a resolution to adopt changes to voting precinct boundaries in preparation for redistricting before the 2012 elections. Boundaries for 30 of the 52 precincts in Chaves County were adjusted, and four new precincts were created, bringing the total number of precincts in the county to 56, county officials say. Two of the new precincts are not populated, which is not unusual, Rhoda Coakley, county clerk, says. “There is such a thing in some of the other counties See PRECINCT, Page A8
Mark Wilson Photo
Roswell Parks & Recreation Department employee Mark Hendricks works on the removal of a hazardous tree along West Alameda Street between South Missouri and Lea avenues, Tuesday morning.
Counseling Associates is one-stop access point to public benefits
JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER Part 2 of 3 The Chaves County Jail Diversion Program was developed to assist people with mental health issues and provide relief to the pressure on the jail system. “When I was working at the Detention Center, I was surprised at the number of people with mental health issues that showed up,” Roswell Police Chief Al Solis said. He believes jail diversion presents a viable alternative. “As long as there is follow-up and treatment, it’s a great idea. We need to figure out a way to help these people.” Attor ney Shelbie Allen expressed sympathy for her clients, who face minor charges as a result of mental problems. “It starts with the
loss of income, the loss of home, finally they arrive at such a base level, all hope is lost. Once the individual loses transportation, they lose the means to look for a job, and if they lose their home, they are unable to take a shower. They become not only unemployable, but unpresentable.” Psychologist Dr. Will Parsons said that many of the people he sees are homeless or have problems with alcohol or drugs. They cannot understand not only the charges against them, but the court process as a whole. “We see some with an underlying chemical imbalance, but many of the mental health issues, such as depression, are situational,” said Allen. “Often they cannot afford to see a doctor. Left without help, the
person is likely to selfmedicate because it’s easier to get illegal drugs than it is to get prescription medications.” Chris Herbert, Regional Housing Authority executive director, pointed out that the line that separates the haves from the have-nots is thin. “I read somewhere that 70 percent of the American population are living from paycheck-to-paycheck.” Once completed, Parson’s evaluation goes to court and the court rules. If a person is deemed incompetent, he is referred to Counseling Associates. At Counseling Associates, Jose Macias does a Comprehensive Community Support Assessment that includes everything from emotional needs,
See DIVERSION, Page A8
Community Foundation honors Justus Bowe Jr. The Community Foundation of Chaves County hosted its second annual Community Foundation Honors event on Thursday, and recognized a member of the community for his ongoing commitment and contribution to Roswell. Justus Bowe Jr. was selected as this year’s honoree for his lifelong contributions to helping residents of Chaves County. Sen. T im Jennings said of Bowe in his introduction, “He’s one of the most deserving members of our community.” CFCC Executive Director Susie Russell referred to Bowe as an incredible and accomplished individual. Bowe quipped, “People should know never to put a microphone in front of a preacher or a preacher’s son.” He credited his success to his wife, Claudette, whom he said was the leader in his family. When speaking of his award, he said, “It’s one of the few times when words fail me. It’s fantastic.” Retired from the Air Force
Jessica Palmer Photo
Justus Bowe Jr. was named this year’s honoree for lifelong contributions to Chaves County.
after 20 years of service, Bowe worked as a personnel technician at the New Mexico RehaSee BOWE, Page A8