Revisit some of the most memorable moments of 2014 in Sports and Vistas
Roswell Daily Record
Top news of 2014 left many looking for answers T THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Vol. 123, No. 312 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
wenty-thousand feet down the answers may be waiting, hidden in some underwater canyon far off Australia’s coast. But more than nine months after searchers began scouring the seas for a Malaysia Airlines jetliner that vanished with 239 people aboard, the catastrophe defies resolution.
In that way, the long, fruitless hunt for clues to Flight 370’s fate set the tone for many of the headlines that defined 2014. It
December 28, 2014
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was a year upended by calamity and conflict, disease and division that often left the public and its leaders grasping for answers.
From Ukraine to the Middle East, from the Ebola threat to the tensions exposed by police killings in Ferguson, Missouri, and elsewhere, many of the top news stories fed into a growing sense of frustration. Confronting the questions raised by the headlines brought little peace of
Ceasar and Sassy
mind. Instead, one event after another exploded, demanding attention but often rewarding it with weariness and lingering unease. Unlike 2013, when much of the news centered on Washington’s political dysfunction, many of this year’s biggest stories were rooted in far flung locales, but their impact kept rippling.
That was certainly the case with the conflict over Ukraine, stretching back President Victor to Yanukovych’s ouster in
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February. When Russia filled the vacuum by grabbing the Crimean peninsula and working with militants bent on taking more territory from the westernleaning government, it set off a standoff reminiscent of the Cold War. Militants are blamed for downing a second Malaysian jet as it flew over Ukrainian airspace in July, killing all 298 aboard, the largest number of them Dutch. U.S.See ANSWERS, Page A3
AP Photo
Chamber plans ‘Morning With members’ event In this April 20 file photo, relatives of passengers aboard the sunken ferry Sewol sit near the sea at a port in Jindo, south of Seoul, South Korea. Over 300 people were killed in the accident, many of them students.
STAFF REPORT
The Roswell Chamber of Commerce will hold a “Morning With Members” event beginning at 7 a.m. on Thursday at the Chamber building, located at 131 W. Second St. in Roswell. The “Morning with Members” is a chance for nonmembers to meet Chamber members and learn about the benefits of being a Chamber member, according to a news release. “I’m extremely grateful for all of our Chamber members and their contribution to the economic development in Roswell,” said Chamber President Rick Spragins in the recent newsletter. “We have great leadership in our city and county oversight, and there is new business development on the horizon. I think of all the great people in our community who give back to our community
Max Scally Photos
Above: Justine Gonzales gets a lift Saturday from Ceasar, a 17-year-old camel from Mongolia, outside Farmers Country Market, 2800 N. Main St., as Edwin Snail, right, helps. Right: Elias Salas, right, helps Damien Gonzales and Sassy, a 14year-old zony from Clovis, move along. Rides, costing $5, will be available today from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
with their time and financial support to the many charities we have doing such great work.”
Topics discussed will include the dif ference between a Diamond and Emerald member; how to sign up to use the Chamber conference room; the Annual Tailgate Open House; how to host a Lunch & Learn and much much more.
Another event the Chamber has been hosting that has proven popular is “Mornings with the Mayor,” where Chamber members and residents can meet with Mayor Dennis Kintigh and ask questions. October’s event was standing room only, said Chamber Executive Director Dorrie Faubus McCarty. To attend “Morning With Members,” RSVP at 6235695 to reserve a space.
UNM wants to preserve Approaching retirement, Coon reflects on career DH Lawrence Ranch
TAOS (AP) — A northern New Mexico ranch where novelist D.H. Lawrence once sought spiritual renewal is in need of its own renewal. The University of New Mexico, which owns the picturesque mountain ranch north of Taos, is seeking ways to preserve the property, officials said Friday. The school has formed the D.H. Lawrence Ranch Initiatives to strategize how to fund developing the site into a place for educational and cultural activities, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported. English professor Sharon Oard Warner and R. Gary Smith, associate director of the UNM Physical Plant Department, are co-chairing. They plan to put together an advisory board that will include representatives from the D.H.
Lawrence Ranch Alliance and Friends of D.H. Lawrence. According to preservation advocates, Lawrence and his wife, Frieda, made summer visits in 1924 and 1925. Even after Lawrence’s 1930 death, the ranch still hosted many famous visitors. Among them was Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, author Willa Cather and artist Georgia O’Keeffe. Frieda Lawrence, who died in 1956, left the property to the school in her will. The 160-acre ranch has fallen into decline, especially after the death of a longtime caretaker in 2008. The water and electrical systems, as well as the bathrooms, need to be upgradSee RANCH, Page A3 TODAY’S FORECAST
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BY BILL MOFFITT RECORD CORRESPONDENT
The end of an era usually comes in bits and pieces. After the dust has settled, historians can look back with a clearer vision and decide where the dividing line should be. One special point along that timeline will be the retirement of Chaves County Sheriff James R. “Rob” Coon, who will be leaving the sheriff’s office Wednesday after a 42-year career in law enforcement. Along the line, Coon’s career included being a SCUBA diver, SWAT team member, hostage negotiator, Honor Guard member and instructor for the New Mexico State Police. He’s also one of two officers still active in law enforcement that were at the 1980 prison riot at the
• ROBERT STEWART FREDERICK • SCOTT CLIFFORD SANDERFORD • ALLAN JOHN DRAKE
New Mexico State Penitentiary in Santa Fe. On Jan. 1, that dubious honor will belong solely to for mer Eddy County Sheriff Kent Waller, who now serves as the chief of police in Carlsbad. Though exposed to some horrific scenes, (described “dead on” in such books as “The Devil’s Butcher Shop” by Roger Morris) Coon considers it to be part of the job. “We were trained (but) ... mentally you’re not prepared to see that kind of stuff,” Coon said. “There was more damage than we realized. As much death as I’d seen on the highSee COON, Page A3
• ANGELA I. FISHER • SCOT HAYS • LORINE WILSON
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE B6
Bill Moffitt Photo
Chaves County Sheriff Rob Coon relaxes in civilian attire Tuesday after clearing out his office for his retirement Wednesday. Chief Deputy Britt Snyder will take over the post Jan. 1.
INDEX CLASSIFIEDS ..........D1 OPINION .................A4 COMICS .................C4 SPORTS .................B1 HOROSCOPES .........B8 LOTTERIES .............A2 WEATHER ..............A8