Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Vol. 124, No. 81 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
April 4, 2015
Saturday
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Gov. Martinez signs Pirtle’s water bill By Jeff Tucker Record Staff Writer
Gov. Susana Martinez on Friday announced she signed 14 bills into law, including legislation offered by Roswell’s state senator regarding the location of water hearings. The governor signed into law Senate Bill 276, a measure sponsored in the 2015 legislative session by state Sen. Cliff Pirtle. “I was happy to see that it was signed because I think it will serve the rural communities of New Mexico,” Pirtle, R-Roswell, said Friday. The bill limits the location where a state engineer hearing can be held to the county
in which the water right at issue is adjudicated, licensed or permitted, unless the parties and the state engineer agree to another site for the hearing. State Rep. Bob Wooley, R-Roswell, co-sponsored the bill in the New Mexico House of Representatives. Senate Bill 276 was passed by the New Mexico Senate on Feb. 23 by a 36-5 vote and was passed by the House on March 18 by a 36-23 vote. The bill was passed by both chambers despite expressed opposition from the state Office of the State Engineer, which argued that Senate Bill 276 would
increase staff travel costs. “The agency estimates that based on the administrative caseloads in recent years, the additional operating budget of increased travel will cost between $40,000 and $50,000 per fiscal year,” states a fiscal impact report of the bill prepared by the Legislative Finance Committee. Pirtle said he was able to change the position of the Office of the State Engineer during the legislative process. “By the end of it, I had the state engineer himself in committee in support of it,” Pirtle said. “By the time it was all said and done, we all
came to the conclusion that it actually was going to be a good policy.” The LFC said before Senate Bill 276’s enactment, the state engineer or the hearing examiner could select the location of a hearing to maximize the convenience and efficiency of the process for the involved parties. “OSE reported that between 2009 and 2013, 63 percent of hearings were originally proposed at locations outside of Santa Fe,” the LFC said in its fiscal impact report. “However, the agency stated that ‘Many applicants throughout the state request that their hearings be conducted in Santa
Fe in order to avoid additional attorney and expert witness fees because their attorneys and expert witnesses are located in Santa Fe or Albuquerque.’” Pirtle said ordinary citizens should not be those that have to travel long distances to water hearings. “Whenever a hearing is held in Santa Fe, staff from the district offices have to travel to Santa Fe,” he said. “There’s always staff from somewhere traveling. Those costs are probably going to offset. The important part is the citizens of New Mexico aren’t the ones that should have to travel. This is an example of government
working for the people.” On March 18, just three days before the March 21 end of the 60-day session, state Rep. Candy Spence Ezzell offered an amendment to Senate Bill 276 that would have broadened the bill to include the New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission. Ezzell’s amendment would have stricken from state law the requirement that the WQCC hold hearings of statewide application in Santa Fe. Ezzell’s amendment was passed by the House, but rejected by the Senate, and See BILL, Page A3
Local educator gets scholarship
RMAC hosts Spring Fling
Submitted
Jeff Jackson Photo
The Roswell Museum and Art Center concluded its first ever Spring Fling at RMAC Friday. Art projects were the centerpiece of daily activities. Just a few of the 64 total youths who participated during the week gathered Friday to display this banner everyone helped make with their hand traces. Other activities included a planetarium show, tours of the museum, an Easter egg hunt on Friday and snack time. The program was open to youths 7 to 16 and it averaged 50 day. The museum’s coordinator for membership and events, Olga McGuire, coordinated the Spring Fling project.
Volunteer Fair scheduled today at Civic Center Submitted How can our Roswell-newbies find information about more than 70 civic organizations in town? How can the organizations reach those new to our town and those who are now in a place in life to give back, when the need for volunteers is just as important as it was 100 years ago? The solution came with our Salvation Army Roswell Corps, who are organizing the first event of its kind in recent memory. They will present all organizations looking for volunteers – on one day – under one roof. The First Roswell Volunteer Fair is going to take
place in the Roswell Civic Center on 912 N. Main St. on today between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Those who are interested helping children, the elderly or animals, education or health, there is a booth and experienced volunteers who will be able to tell those who are interested in becoming active all about it. No matter, if our future volunteers are looking to be physical active, or want to share their knowhow, or are talented in organizing or planning, they will find the right place to take action and to make Roswell a much better place for their family, kids and our community. There will be compli-
mentary coffee, tea and muffins in the morning and snacks, beverages for lunch. According to the Corporation for National & Community Service of the United States of America, one in four adults (25.4 percent) in 2013 volunteered through an organization, demonstrating that volunteering remains an important way of life in the nation. Looking back on history, voluntarism is as close to the heart of the United States as reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. It is part of the American spirit, often playing a revoluSee VOLUNTEER, Page A3
Cheryl Martinez has been awarded the 60th anniversary scholarship from the Delta Kappa Gamma International. The honor society for women educators promotes excellence in education and personal ad professional growth of women educator, leading in the field of graduate scholarships given to members ad emphasizing leadership development for its more than 76,000 members in 17 countries. A member of the society’s Alpha Theta Chapter in New Mexico, Martinez is attending the Universi-
Martinez ty of Nebraska where she is majoring in educational leadership. Martinez is a 1977 graduate of Roswell High See EDUCATOR, Page A3
Not so soon!
Jeff Jackson Photo
Despite what this conspicuous sign on North Main Street implies and what some night owls in town might wish for, there are no plans to open a Hooters restaurant in Roswell. Mark Whittle, spokesman for the nationwide chain restaurant known for its scantily clad female servers, emailed the Roswell Daily Record to say while corporate officials have their eyes on Roswell “there are no specific plans to do so at this time.” Managers of two Hooters in Albuquerque also said they were unaware of any move into Roswell. Truth is, a real estate couple placed the sign as an April Fool’s Day prank and said the property is actually zoned for residential, not commercial development.
Pope presides over Good Friday procession at Colosseum ROME (AP) — Pope Francis, presiding at the traditional Good Friday Colosseum procession, decried what he called the “complicit silence” about the killing of Christians. The evening, torch-lit ceremony at the ancient arena recalls the suffering and death of Jesus by crucifixion. After listening silently, often with head bowed and eyes tightly shut, to reflections read aloud about Jesus’ suffering, Francis pressed what lately has been an urgent concern of his papacy -the present-day martyrdom of Christians in parts of the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere. “We see, even today, our broth-
ers persecuted, beheaded and crucified, for their faith in you, in front of our eyes or often with our complicit silence,” he said, as he prayed. A few hours earlier, Francis had condemned the deadly attack by Islamic militants targeting Christians at a Kenyan university. Earlier this year he denounced the murder in Libya of 21 Coptic Christians by Islamic State-affiliated militants, saying they were slain simply for being Christian. And he has lamented how Christians in parts of the Middle East have been forced to flee their ancient communities to escape persecution. Among those chosen to take Today’s Forecast
HIGH 65 LOW 44
turns carrying the lightweight, slender cross in the procession were faithful from Iraq, Syria, Nigeria, Egypt and China. One of the prayers during the procession called for the “fundamental right of religious freedom” to spread throughout the world. In another reflection, a lector See FRIDAY, Page A3 AP Photo
Nuns and faithful hold candles as they attend the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) torchlight procession celebrated by Pope Francis in front of the Colosseum on Good Friday, in Rome. Index
Today’s Obituaries Page B3
• Ruby Gonzales
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