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TUESDAY, FEB 5, 2013 • W W W . R U I D O S O F R E E P R E S S . C O M • V OL . 5 , N O. 5
What’s
happening February 6
Lincoln County Day in Santa Fe
Business leaders from Lincoln County, Ruidoso and Ruidoso Downs with the Ruidoso Valley Chamber of Commerce travel to Santa Fe to be the voice of our community at the Legislature. Reception 5 p.m. at The Inn & Spa at Loretto, Santa Fe. 575-257-7396.
February 8-10
Mardi Gras in the Clouds
Lots of music, food and fun. Cajun cooking contest, continuous silent auction, Friday night dance, Burro-bon Street Shop celebrations, Mardi Gras Market, and Sunday Battle of the Bands. Cloudcroft. Feb. 8, 4:30 p.m.; Feb. 9, 10 a.m.; Feb. 10, 11 a.m. 1-866-874-4447
February 8-9
Cowboy Mardi Gras in White Oaks
Get your beads on! Daytime fun at Carrizozo’s Soul of the West Bootique and evening events with Norma May’s Cajun dinner, karaoke and a Best Cowboy Mardi Gras costume contest at No Scum Allowed Saloon in White Oaks, 7 p.m.
February 9
ENMU-Ruidoso Betty Bennett Trust Fund live auction More than 33 pieces of incredible Native American art to be auctioned to benefit scholarships for Mescalero Tribal members through ENMU-Ruidoso. Appetizers and cash bar. Inn of the Mountain God’s Event Center, 6-9 p.m. 575-257-2120.
Free movie, ‘Sweet Land’
Set in 1920, this winning tale of love’s ability to triumph over ignorance has Inge traveling from Germany to rural Minnesota to meet the man destined to be her husband and struggles with anti-German propaganda. Sacred Grounds Coffee & Tea House, 2825 Sudderth Dr. 6:30 p.m.
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A property of
Holloman’s heroes homecoming By Sue Hutchison Reporter suehutch@valornet.com After a more than nine month deployment, airmen from the 7th Fighter Squadron returned to Holloman Air Force Base last week to family members and friends. Hundreds joined local military personnel to welcome the flights as they landed. Pilots and support personnel returned home after being deployed to various southwest Asian locations. Originally from Guam, Byron Balajadia, who serves as a U.S. Army infantry specialist, left on deployment shortly after his first child, son Byron Paul was born at Lincoln County Medical Center. “It’s a great hospital. We stayed from Friday through Sunday. Byron Paul was stubborn,” he said of his son’s birth. “I kept saying, c’mon buddy, let’s go, dude.”
Local OB/Gyn Dr. Deborah Hewitt delivered their baby. Byron Paul’s mom, flight analyst Staff Sgt. Sharlene Balajadia was deployed when their son was 10 months of age. Through electronic communication, Sharlene was able to keep in touch with her son’s progress and growth. Now at 14 months, Byron Paul was reintroduced to his mom last Tuesday at HAFB. Andrew Croft, 49th Wing Commander is a pilot and flew missions over Turkey and Saudi Arabia, among other locations more than 10 years ago. He spoke about the returning troops. “We have our six F-22’s and about 160 personnel coming back from southwest Asia after about a nine and a half month deployment providing a theater support package which is a forward presence and standard See HOLLOMAN, pg. A3
Sue Hutchison/Ruidoso Free Press
Alexa Baum’s expression is etched with relief as her husband, Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Baum, was reunited with his family following his 289 deployment. Pictured are Alana, Nathan, Jeremy and Alexa Baum at HAFB.
Converging on the Roundhouse for Lincoln County Day Local leaders focus on legislative priorities
By Eugene Heathman Editor eugene@ruidosofreepress.com The 60-day New Mexico legislative session started Jan. 15 and the annual Lincoln Day will be Wednesday at the state capitol followed
by a legislative reception hosted by the Ruidoso Valley Chamber of Commerce at the Inn and Spa at Loretto. Business and civic leaders will converge on the roundhouse to persuade legislators to negotiate a
Becky Brooks
Lady Eagle in the lane Todd Fuqua/ Ruidoso Free Press
Hondo’s Destiny Lackey (15) looks up to the basket after grabbing a rebound in front of Lake Arthur’s Christina Caro during the teams’ District 3B opener at Hondo on Jan. 29.
series of the county’s four main legislative priorities. “The Ruidoso Valley Chamber of Commerce (RVCC) board of directors and staff would like to encourage all chamber members and village businesses to join them in address specific issues affecting local commerce and business and to initiate dialogue with respective legislators,” said Becky Brooks, executive director for the RVCC. The RVCC hopes to have the control of fireworks in Lincoln County’s fragile and fire weary forests a top priority. Mayor Alborn actively yet unsuccessfully lobbied in 2012 for local entities to have complete control of fireworks bans. Water conservation and doubling tourism funding to $5 million were presented to representatives and legislators during a meet and greet sponsored by the chamber at the con-
vention center as a vital component to Ruidoso prosperity. With Felix Baumgartner’s record breaking free-fall from the stratosphere, Spaceport America is also being supported as the continued solidification of aerospace technology and free enterprise being beneficial statewide. As of Jan. 31, Space Flight Informed Consent Act (SB 240 and HB 308) - The Space Flight Informed Consent Act passed unanimously in the Senate. The bill will now work its way through the House where it will be heard in the House Judiciary Committee then to the House floor. This bill improves protections for component manufacturers and suppliers to space flight entities that operate in New Mexico while satisfying concerns of all See LC DAY, pg. A3
Gondola vandals to be prosecuted Ski Apache reports that two men were caught defacing one of the new Apache Arrow gondola cars at Ski Apache. Chris Loretto, a lift operator at the top terminal spotted the damage then alerted security and ski patrol. Both men were apprehended and the Sheriff’s Department was called to Ski Apache to investigate the matter. Dorsey Grover of Ski Apache said, “The Ski Area intends to prosecute this and all other instances of defacing Ski Area property, especially the new gondola.”
According to Grover, each gondola car costs $40,000 and the staff at Ski Apache does not want to see them covered in graffiti or otherwise damaged. The two men were carving drawings into the windows. There are signs posted throughout the Ski Area about the consequences of these acts. “We would like the public to know that we are serious about prosecuting and seeking restitution for any acts of vandalism at Ski Apache,” said Grover.
Photo courtesy of Sandi Aguilar
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