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Clovis News Journal

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SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

cnjonline.com

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Injured soldier making strides

Good morning

Inside: Lineage and skills count for a lot in rodeo, but as the New Mexico High School Finals Rodeo proved, a good horse plays a large role in success. — Page 1C

❏ Clovis native awarded Purple Heart after being wounded in Afghanistan.

Web Poll

By Kevin Wilson

What do you think: Participate in our

CNJ STAFF WRITER kwilson@cnjonline.com

poll questions on our website: www.cnjonline.com CNJ staff photo: Kevin Wilson

This week’s question

WHICH BUSINESS would you like to see open a location in the Portales/Clovis area? ❏ TARGET ❏ STARBUCKS ❏ WHOLE FOODS ❏ OLIVE GARDEN ❏ OTHER

Last week’s results

Odds and ends: CALIFORNIA, Pa. (AP) — State police say they used a stun gun and lasso to catch an unbridled horse that was running loose on a Pennsylvania highway. State police say the horse was spotted near the California, Pa., exit of the Mon-Fayette Expressway about 7:15 p.m. Wednesday. Police say the horse would run away when they approached, so they used the stun gun and lasso to subdue and control the animal.

Forecast: Hot, sunny High

94

— Page 7A

Low

moved from Clovis to Las Cruces in 1988, said his name is spelled just like the New Mexico restaurant, though he jokingly noted he’d never set foot in there.

Celebrating freedom ❏ Community gathers for annual Juneteenth celebration. By Benna Sayyed

WHAT IS YOUR favorite outdoor summer activity? ❏ COOKOUTS. — 20 percent ❏ SWIMMING. — 13 percent ❏ FISHING. — 13 percent ❏ BOATING. — 10 percent ❏ GARDENING. — 10 percent ❏ CAMPING. — 8 percent ❏ HANGING OUT. — 7 percent ❏ I DON’T HAVE ONE. — 7 percent ❏ GOLF. — 6 percent ❏ SOFTBALL. — 6 percent Number of votes: 243

and breezy.

Robert Farley of Las Cruces checks on chicken, ribs and hot links Saturday afternoon during the Juneteenth celebration at Potter Park. Farley, who

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Index Calendar............................2A Classified ......................5-8B Commentary......................6A Crossword ........................8B Obituaries..........................7A Sports ............................1-4C

Contact: Content Editor Robin Fornoff can be reached at 763-6991 or rfornoff@cnjonline.com

Vol. 84 ◆ No. 67

CNJ STAFF WRITER bsayyed@cnjonline.com

Clovis residents of various generations and ethnicities gathered at Potter Park Saturday to celebrate the abolition of slavery with barbecue, water fun and stories of today and yesterday. Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery. The holiday on June 19 observes African-American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. According to more than a dozen Clovis Juneteenth CNJ staff photo: Kevin Wilson Extravaganza attendees, Saturday’s gathering was one to Volunteers, at right, serve meat and side dishes during the Juneteenth Celebration at Potter Park. Volunteers also fixed plates remember. Here’s what some for senior citizens so they wouldn’t have to wait in line in the hot sun. Clovis residents said: Charmaine Dawson, 27, Clovis Community College nursing student, local restaurant employee and operator at a local call center: “I came to get out the house and mingle with everybody out here. This is the time when all the African-Americans come out. I enjoy seeing people I haven’t seen in a while. I’ve attended basically all of the Juneteenth celebrations in Clovis in the past 27 years. The community doesn’t do a lot out here so it’s something the community can do. I enjoyed the weather today.”

Andrew Haskins, 17, May 2012 Clovis High School graduate: “I came out to celebrate for the black people. This is all my family and friends out here. Juneteenth to me is a celebration of us getting released from slavery. Everybody can get together and celebrate black heritage. It would be hectic if Clovis didn’t have a Juneteenth celebration. It’s something for people to do. Anybody can come; black, white, Mexican. It really ... (doesn’t) matter. This teaches people about black history. The religious rap, they ain’t never done that before. That’s a cool new addition. I’ve been coming to this since I was three.”

Elnora Mitchell, 68, retired military: “A lot of people forget about Juneteenth but this is the day that Texas recognized our freedom. All my relatives are from Texas. Juneteenth means that our ancestors were freed on this day. They were no longer considered slaves. Even though some of them kept working as slaves, they had freedom from bondage. Even though Juneteenth was late coming it finally came. A lot of young kids don’t know about this. Hopefully a lot of them will eventually understand the true meaning of it.”

More quotes — page 8A

The family of Army Sgt. 1st Class Dale Smith always knew he’d never be the same after his tour in Afghanistan quickly came to an end with a gunshot wound. But some things are getting back to normal for Smith and his family after a long road to recovery from a shot to the head that may have taken his sight, but only hardened his resolve to fight and his family’s resolve to know that things could always be worse. “We don’t care if he’s blind,” sisterin-law Cassie Smith said. “He’s our family. It’s a little bit of an adjustment, but nothing we can’t get through.” The Clovis native was awarded a Purple Heart shortly after he was wounded in a July 15, 2011, attack, and on May 26 received the Bronze Star for Valor during a homecoming ceremony at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, Colo. In attendance were his wife Lindsey, daughter Cadence and son SOLDIER/Page 7A

Courtesy photo: Raymond Smith

Sgt. Dale Smith holds his daughter, Cadence, 5, as they pose for a picture during a homecoming ceremony for the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado Springs, Colo., where Smith was awarded the Bronze Star with Valor. Smith suffered a gunshot wound to the head while he was serving in Afghanistan in 2011.

Longtime racer wins Clovis Derby ❏ Tayelor Chavez, 16, has raced in event for eight years. By Kevin Wilson CNJ STAFF WRITER kwilson@cnjonline.com

For Tayelor Chavez, “Next year,” is finally just, “Now.” The shortest run in the 11-year history of the Clovis Soapbox Derby — clocking in at three-and-a-half hours — ended with one of its longesttenured contestants taking the victory Saturday afternoon on Sycamore Street. After seven years of frustration, including two second-place finishes, a third-place finish and no finish worse than fifth, the 16-year-old Chavez earned a trip to the national derby in Akron, Ohio. The Clovis High School junior-tobe took a .63 second victory in the final two heats over Hailey Renfro —

who had beaten Chavez shortly after 10 a.m. in the first round of the double-elimination bracket. “It’s awesome,” a sunburned and beaming Chavez said, after running the table through the consolation bracket. “I can’t wait to go to Akron.” The field of 13 racers at the Rotary Club-sponsored event was a mix of experience — Renfro herself was in her third derby — and first-timers who knew of the event through older siblings who had competed. “I like it because it’s fun,” said 10year-old Kyle Webb. “I’ve made new friends and I like it.” Kyle was racing in his first derby in the place of his 13-year-old sister Kyla, who smiled while teasing her family that she would have gladly raced again in the plain racer with purple numbers — a contrast to the CNJ staff photo: Kevin Wilson custom paint jobs throughout the Madison Howard concentrates before the starting signal during a heat field. in the Clovis Soapbox Derby. Howard was one of 13 competing in the race, hosted by the Rotary Clubs of Clovis. DERBY/Page 7A


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