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M O NDAY, D EC . 31, 2012 • W W W . R U I D O S O F R E E P R E S S . C O M • V OL . 4 , N O. 5 2
What’s
happening
A walk through 2012 –
reflecting upon a Centennial Year for Lincoln County
New Year’s Eve Celebrations December 31
‘Ballroom With A Twist’
A daytime and evening show featuring Dancing with the Stars pros Edyta Sliwinska and Alec Mazo, American Idol alums David Hernandez & Gina Glocksen and So You Think You Can Dance alum Randi Lynn Strong. 11 a.m. $75 and 8:30 p.m. $125. Inn of the Mountain Gods, 575464-7777, www.innofthemountaingods.com.
Billy’s New Year 2013
Live music with the Homegrown Boyz at 8 p.m. and $2,013 cash giveaway beginning at 5 p.m. Ruidoso Downs Race Track & Casino, 26225 Highway 70, Ruidoso Downs, 575-378-4431, www. raceruidoso.com. No cover
Cree Meadows New Year’s Eve Party
Party the night away at Cree. Food, favors, and champagne toast with music by Terry Bullard. Cree Meadows Country Club, 301 Country Club Dr. 7 p.m. 575-2579186. Reservations required, $20/singles and $30/couples
New Year’s Eve Party
No Scum Allowed Saloon, 7 p.m. - 1 a.m. Music by The Mixx. No cover. Dinner plates $10. 575-648-5583; www. noscumallowedsaloon.com
Win, Place & Show New Year’s Celebration Dancing and good cheer with Brendan Dawes. Champagne and party favors. No reservations required. Win, Place, & Show, 2516 Sudderth Dr. 8 p.m. 575-2579982, $20
Swiss Chalet New Year’s Eve Party
Food, fun and dancing with live music from Mark Remington and Friends plus midnight champagne toast. The Swiss Grill, 1451 Mechem, 8:30 p.m. Swiss Chalet. 575336-3333. $20
New Year’s Eve at Gracie’s Speakeasy
A Roaring 20’s party with flapper and gangster costumes encouraged. Must be 21 and over. 8 p.m. - 2 a.m. Individual and table reservations. Grace O’Malley’s Irish Pub, 2331 Sudderth Dr. 575630-0219.
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Little Bear Fire
While summer in June usually brings thousands of tourists to the community, more than 2,000 firefighters swarmed into the White Mountain Athletic Complex to join with incident command fighting the Little Bear Fire. When a naturally caused fire spread with 40 mph winds, an acre suddenly grew to more than 45,000 acres due to high winds. “The fire started on Sierra Blanca and ran northeast across six watersheds, including the Rio Bonito in the mountains directly adjacent to Ruidoso, Alto and Angus, NM. The burn severity was high to moderate throughout 53 percent of the fire,” stated the official Burn Area Emergency Response report. More than 250 structures, many of them homes, were destroyed. The fire was so intense at times that refrigerators, stoves and automobiles were reduced to ash. In its wake, flooding, FEMA assistance and a federal declaration of disaster have given national awareness to Ruidoso and Lincoln County. While there are many who question why a small fire turned into such a large one, conversations and possible legislative changes have taken place post fire which hope to bring forest service fire management issues from federal
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to local level. “The Little Bear Fire was the largest and most complicated incident I was involved with during the year,” said Joe Reinarz, fire management officer and LBF incident commander in a recent interview with the Ruidoso Free Press. “Once everyone started talking and determining what each one was supposed to do, it made the operation go much more smoothly,” he said. He was IC at another fire in Washington State but says the Little Bear was by far the larger of the two. His command team numbered 60, but more than 2,000 firefighters came from across the nation to join in the effort to manage and control the Little Bear Fire. From NYC to local volunteers, firefighters fought the fire to extinction and stayed longer to ensure the village’s safety. Press conferences and town hall meetings were a daily routine for the remaining month of June.
Eugene Heathman/Ruidoso Free Press
Rally sparks movement for policy change
Members of the community turned out in force at Wingfield Park to rally against US Forest Service public wild land management policies. The rally, dubbed ‘For our Forest’s Health’ was sponsored by the Ruidoso/Lincoln County Association of Realtors. “With the recent disaster of the Little Bear Fire, our community will suffer for many years to come due to the
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Local crowned Miss New Mexico
The reigning Miss Ruidoso, Candice Bennatt, was the recipient of the coveted Miss New Mexico crown Aug. 23 at Spencer Theater. One of 19 contestants competing for the title, Bennatt won while recovering from a day of illness. “We’ve found a home to hang our crown,” said Carol Henry, the pageant’s executive director who stated Spencer Theater will be their choice for hosting the pageant annually. She said she was appreciative of Ruidoso’s encouragement and support. With The Lodge being home base and supportive county residents and businesses, Ruidoso stands to gain statewide interest and tourism dollars with each pageant. Bennatt will represent the state in the Miss America 2013 pageant in January. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and has worked as a medical consultant. She travels across the state extensively and her interests include activism in Sue Hutchison/Ruidoso Free Press domestic abuse awareness, Operation Helmet, dance and fitness and is a former NFL cheerleader. Miss New Mexico Scholarship Pageant is scheduled for August 2013 at Spencer Theater.
! r a e wY e N y
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(575) 258-5008
Eugene Heathman/Ruidoso Free Press
mismanagement of the forests,” said James Paxton, Association president. “We feel that there are a number of people in Ruidoso and New Mexico who agree with our position that the forests have been mismanaged and we want our voices to be heard across the state and in Washington.” Paxton pointed out that the Association supports the fire fighters in their heroic efforts to contain wildfires, but it is the Forest Service’s policies where the group takes issue. People who attended the rally brought signs protesting the Forest Service’s current policies and promoting new, common sense management of wilderness wildfires, thinning and encouraging healthy forest conditions, and bringing back a once-thriving logging industry to New Mexico. The rally prompted the formation of the Little Bear Fire Coalition, a grassroots group that now holds regular meetings and public forums to initiate and monitor these changes.
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Horse doping and reform
Ruidoso Downs Race Track, already the target of claims that it’s the “most dangerous” track in the nation, was again scrutinized when trainers with horses at the track were found to have used illegal substances in getting their steeds ready to run. John H. Bassett and Carl Draper – both previous winners of the All American Futurity – were fined and suspended for using drugs which were meant to increase the performance of and reduce pain in horses. Bassett was fined $10,000 and suspended 10 years, while Draper received a $6,000 fine and 300day suspension. J. Heath Reed and Carlos Sedillo were also hit with fines and suspension. Reed was banned by the New Mexico Racing Commission for 21 years and See 2012 REFLECTIONS, pg. A3
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