Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 119, No. 298 50¢ Daily / $1 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
December 14, 2010
Fire destroys Cloudcroft businesses
TUESDAY
www.roswell-record.com
MATTHEW ARCO RECORD STAFF WRITER
BRRRR — IT’S COLD!
LAPORTE, Ind. (AP) — Kate Ergang wasn’t worried when two jackknifed semi-tractors trapped her and a friend on an Indiana highway in a blizzard. They had eaten dinner already and had blankets and pillows in the car. They talked, listened to their iPods and dozed off. - PAGE A8
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An early-morning blaze ripped through two buildings in the heart of the village of Cloudcroft early Monday destroying six businesses, damaging several others and leaving a mark on many of its nearly 1,000 year -round residents. “This is a tragedy,” said Darla Schrader, who lived directly behind the structures and says she called 911 to report the fire after being awoken at about 4 a.m. by the smell of the smoke. “These people depend on this for their living and it’s all gone,” she said. “This is their livelihood.” Six fire departments responded to the call that was still smoldering more than 10 hours after emergency crews first arrived on the scene. There were no injuries and the cause of the blaze was still under investigation. “It’s been tough to watch,” said Dave Venable, the village’s mayor and owner of one of the destroyed buildings which housed five shops. “All these years and hard work,” he said. “It’s tough.” Venable said as many as 35 people will be out of work as result of the blaze. “A double whammy is
Matthew Arco Photos
Above: Firefighters ensure flames are extinguished from the fire that destroyed six Cloudcroft businesses Monday. Below left: A scene of the damage. Below right: Firefighters were still on the scene 10 hours after the early morning fire broke out.
what it is,” he said, referring to his dual role as business owner and comSee FIRE, Page A6
INSIDE SPORTS
THE STREAK ENDS DETROIT (AP) — No more, Brett. After 297 consecutive starts over 19 seasons, one of the greatest individual streaks in all of sports, Brett Favre ran into an injury he couldn’t beat and sat down. - PAGE B1
TODAY’S OBITUARIES
• Eduwjes ʻVickieʼ Silvas • Geoffrey Allen Vandewart • Nicolasa Perez • William Rose
- PAGE A8
HIGH ...78˚ LOW ....33˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
CLASSIFIEDS..........B6 COMICS.................B4 FINANCIAL .............E4 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........B6 LOTTERIES ............A2 PUBLIC RECORDS..A8 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ............A10 WORLD ...............B10
INDEX
Memorial service held for Jeff Wilson Memorial services for Jef frey Walter Wilson were held Monday afternoon. The services were held at the Roswell Convention and Civic Center, 912 N. Main St. Wilson, CEO and founder of the Cattle Baron Restaurants, Inc. of Roswell, died on Dec. 5, at Roswell Regional Hospital. Funeral services were held at LaGrone Funeral Chapel for family and close friends on Saturday. The Civic Center was reserved so members of the public could come to pay their respects. The crowd was subdued and attendance sparse. A slide show presented pictures of Wilson starting with his childhood. His Harley Davidson was on display, along with gloves and leather jacket. His pet Yorkshire terrier, Tinkerbell, attended and family members said she was sad over the loss of her owner and a bit overwhelmed. “I started with him 30 years ago at his first place with little more than a dirt parking lot,” said friend Larry Ervin. “Jeff had a unique way of wanting to make him proud. He’d give you a
A slide show presented pictures of Wilson starting with his childhood. His Harley Davidson was on display, along with gloves and leather jacket. His pet Yorkshire terrier, Tinkerbell, attended and family members said she was sad over the loss of her owner and a bit overwhelmed.
chance to do good and when necessary, he’d give you a second chance, too.” Wilson championed several causes in towns where his restaurants were located, including Assurance Home and Roswell Refuge in Roswell. Wilson is survived by his mother, Gen Campbell, sisters Melanie Steel, Nora Modderman and Wanda Kenmir, and brother, Clay Wilson.
Matthew Arco Photo
Body of Roswell man found Monday; foul play not suspected Police officers were dispatched to West McGaffey Street Monday after a body was found.
JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
A Roswell man was found dead along the 600 block of West McGaffey Street on Monday. Roswell Police Department responded to the call “about a possible deceased subject in the yard from a passing motorist around 6 a.m.,” said Erica O’Bryon, public information officer. The body was located in the alley near David Longoria Insurance Agency. Police arrived at the scene at 6:30 a.m. The block of South Missouri Avenue, and a blocklong segment of McGaffey Street from Missouri to
Washington avenues were cordoned off for most of the morning as officers examined the scene. Neighbors said they heard nothing during the night — no shouting or shots, nothing to indicate foul play. The Office of Medical Investigation arrived to examine the body around 9:30 a.m. “There were no obvious injuries and no reports of shots fired at night,” O’Bryon said. RPD initially viewed the death as suspicious, but after a day-long investigation officials ruled it an unattended death. “Foul play has definitely been ruled out,” said O’Bry-
on. Police officers could not say conclusively how the man died before toxicology and autopsy results are returned from Santa Fe. However, there was some conjecture that the man may have died of hypothermia. “Whether or not he froze to death, I don’t know, but it was a cold night last night,” O’Bryon said. O’Bryon indicated that the deceased man did live in the neighborhood and was found not far from his home, but she was unwilling to release the name pending further investigation. j.palmer@roswell-record.com