Roswell Daily Record
INSIDE NEWS
GATES: LIMITED DAMAGE FROM LEAKS
WASHINGTON (AP) — No U.S. intelligence sources or practices were compromised by the posting of secret Afghan war logs by the WikiLeaks website, the Pentagon has concluded, but the military thinks the leaks could still cause - PAGE A9
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Fed: Short-term fix; long-term risks
Vol. 119, No. 248 50¢ Daily / $1 Sunday
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is balancing a short-ter m fix for the economy with a long-term gamble: His plan to buy T reasury bonds to fight high unemployment and super -low inflation now could ignite inflation later. But Bernanke is signaling that doing nothing would pose the biggest risk of all. The Fed chief on Friday made his strongest case yet for injecting billions more dollars into the economy. Purchasing the bonds could further drive down
October 16, 2010
SATURDAY
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rates on mortgages, corporate debt and other loans. Lower rates could lead people and companies to borrow and spend. And higher spending might help ease unemployment and invigorate the economy. The Treasury purchases would have another aim, too: to dispel any notion that consumer prices will stay flat and might even fall. In his speech Friday in Boston, Bernanke indicated that Fed policymakers favor raising inflation, which has all but vanished. And more inflation could help the economy. Here’s
how: Companies would feel more inclined to increase prices. And shoppers who thought prices were headed up would be more likely to buy now rather than wait. Their higher spending could embolden employers to step up hiring. It would also help lift inflation. But overhanging the Fed’s plan is the risk that it would trigger runaway inflation months or years from now. Once investors began to fear approaching inflation,
Honor Guard; honorable watch
See FED, Page A8
AP Photo
From left, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Eric Rosengren and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke arrive at a Federal Reserve conference in Boston, Friday.
Feds oppose legal pot
TOP 5 WEB
For The Past 24 Hours
• Transwestern Pipeline donates paper ... • Silver Taps honors fallen NMMI alumni • After 95 years, Roswell will lose Cobean’s ... • Council approves channel repair • CC! honors cross country athletes
INSIDE SPORTS
Mark Wilson Photo
A New Mexico Military Institute Honor Guard cadet marches by the flame in Bronco Plaza during homecoming festivities, Friday morning.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Attorney General Eric Holder is warning that the federal government will not look the other way, as it has with medical marijuana, if voters next month make California the first state to legalize pot. Marijuana is illegal under federal law, which drug agents will “vigorously enforce” against anyone carrying, growing or selling it, Holder said. The comments in a letter to ex-federal drug enforcement chiefs were the attorney general’s most direct statement yet against Proposition 19 and set up another showdown with California over marijuana if the measure passes. With Prop 19 leading in the polls, the letter also raised questions about the
Character Counts! in Chaves County begins Sunday COYOTES ROLL TO ‘W’
If you know the Roswell football program, then you know Kevin Kelly. But, one guy you may not know is Michael Foster. Foster was a relative unknown to most of the people at Friday’s game against Portales. By the end of the night, though, everyone at the Wool Bowl knew just who Michael Foster is. He was the guy disrupting nearly every Portales play. He was the guy bringing down Portales ... - PAGE B1
TODAY’S OBITUARIES
• Jose “Sabu” Rivas • Sophia P. Hernandez • Bernard “Beau” Stone • Barbara A. Zaideman • George S. Sisneros - PAGE A10
As parts of the country prepare to kick off National Character Counts! Week, residents of Roswell and greater Chaves County are doing their part to promote The Six Pillars of Character. County officials and students of Dexter Elementary School came together at the Chaves County Administrative Center, Friday, to prepare for a week of events supported by Character Counts! in Chaves County. “We’re announcing the start of Character Counts! week,” said Alvin Jones, cofounder of Character Counts! in Chaves County.
“We believe we are seeing the benefits of all the hard work that has gone on,” he said. “It’s happening.” Character Counts! focuses on the organization’s guiding principles, The Six Pillars of Character — Respect, Caring, Trustworthiness, Fairness, Responsibility and Citizenship. Character Counts! in Chaves County is celebrating its 15th year of existence, Jones said. “Here we are, now, all these years later and it’s growing,” said Terri Douglass, president of Character Counts! in Chaves County, who referred to the
Mark Wilson Photo
Children from Dexter Elementary participate in the Character Counts! ceremony in the rotunda of the Chaves County Administration Center, Friday.
Patsy Chesser: From ranch to Auxiliary, 20 years and counting MATTHEW ARCO RECORD STAFF WRITER
HIGH ...83˚ LOW ....47˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
CLASSIFIEDS..........B8 COMICS.................B9 ENTERTAINMENT.....B8 FINANCIAL .............B7 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ......A12 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ............A12 WORLD ...............A11
continuing success of the county’s program. National Character Counts! Week runs Oct. 1723. Character Counts! in Chaves County will host its annual Zoo Tour and Pillar Presentations at the Spring River Park and Zoo Oct. 19, from 8:30 to 11 a.m. The Honor the Badge Presentation that recognizes emergency personnel is slated for Oct. 20 at 6 p.m. at the Chaves County Administrative Center, 1 St. Mary’s Place.
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INDEX
Matthew Arco Photo
Patsy Chesser says her years of volunteer work is all about “just helping people.”
Depending on the circumstances, a trip to the hospital isn’t always an experience many will look forward to having to endure — though it’s often inevitable. Luckily, communities such as Roswell have residents dedicated to community service and giving solace to families tasked with having to walk through the front doors of a medical facility. Patsy Chesser is just one of those persons who greets family, friends and wellwishers who enter Eastern New Mexico Medical Center. She started as a Hospital Auxiliary Member in January 1989 and accumulated 5,747 volunteer hours — and still counting. “It’s just wonderful to be able to help people,” she said. “I love it. It’s just the most rewarding work.”
The larger part of her volunteer time, nearly 20 years, was marked by driving about 35 miles from her ranch outside of the city just to get to work at ENMMC every Thursday morning. More recently, Chesser was given the Outstanding Auxiliary Member award during a New Mexico Hospital Association event in Albuquerque. She was born in Roswell and raised on a farm in the area of East Grand Plains. Years later, she met her future husband at a square dance. “He was the best dancer in the country,” she said, with a smile. The couple moved onto a ranch outside of Roswell,
which her husband bought just prior to the two being wed. “The kids (and I) were the hired help,” said Chesser, who responded, “Oh, yes,” when asked whether ranch life kept her and their four children busy. “It was neat,” she said. “We worked hard and had fun working. It was always fun.” Of course, ranch life did have its hazards and such was the case about 20 years ago when Chesser came into contact with a rattlesnake. “I don’t know if I stepped on it, but it bit me,” she said, recalling how she See SPOTLIGHT, Page A8