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TUESDAY, JAN. 8, 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. 1
What’s
happening January 12
Ron White at the Inn of the Mountain Gods
Not for the faint of heart, White is a Grammy award winning comedian who was a charter member of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour with Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, and Larry the Cable Guy and authored the New York Times best seller book, “I Had the Right to Remain Silent But I Didn’t Have the Ability.” Inn of the Mountain Gods, 8 p.m. 575-464-7777, www.innofthemountaingods.com. $25.
January 12
Free movie: “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”
British film about a group planning retirement at the peaceful retreat of the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, which does not turn out to be so ideal. Sacred Grounds Coffee & Tea House, 2825 Sudderth Dr. 6:30 p.m. 575-257-2273, www.sacredgroundscoffee. net. Free
Entertainment Calendar
Check inside on B5 for a listing of Live Music throughout Lincoln County with the great sounds of local artists such as Terry Bullard, The Eliminators and Susan Kolb.
Ski Apache
Great skiing with 38 percent of the runs open and snow making machines on full time. 38 inches of accumulated snow, mid-mountain snow depth of 21 inches. Lifts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 open. Gondola anticipated opening Jan. 18. For current ski report, check www.skiapache. com.
Lincoln County Day in Santa Fe Register today for the Feb. 6 reception in Santa Fe to discuss with legislators the concerns you have for our community. 575-257-7395, www.ruidosonow.com. $30
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A property of
Cramer sworn in as undersheriff By Sue Hutchison Reporter suehutch@valornet.com Until recently, Kenneth Cramer was the commander of the Major Crimes Unit and the Narcotics Enforcement Unit for the county’s sheriff’s department. Jan. 2 he added a hat as he was given the oath of office to assume the appointment of undersheriff. Cramer is a 1975 graduate of the University of Findlay, Findlay, Ohio and a 1999 graduate of the Northwest University Center for Public Safety in Evanston, Illinois, School of Police Staff and Command. In his 41 years of law enforcement, he’s accumulated more than 3000 hours of classroom training in addition to field and in service training required by New Mexico to maintain his certification. Employed by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s department for the last 12 years, he was police chief in Ohio and retired after 29
years of service. He’s experienced in court security, records, SWAT, property management and purchasing among other responsibilities. He’s held every position within the police department except captain and meter maid, according to Cramer’s biography. He’s taught criminology at Owens Community College and has authored a novel, “My Hero Didn’t Wear a Cape,” which highlights a composite of firefighters and public servants he’s known throughout his career. Sue Hutchison/Ruidoso Free Press “I appointed Cramer New Lincoln County undersheriff Ken Cramer, right, takes the oath of because of his longevity office with District Judge Karen Parsons. with the department and his administrative skills. He change will occur,” said Cramer. Shepperd was shot in the line of has a great deal of law enforce“The department is shaped by the duty. “He’s come back strong ment knowledge and he’s been guy on top. We’ll take a while and has a different personality with us since 2000,” said Robert and the department will look difthan Sheriff Virden. When you Shepperd, county Sheriff. ferent, but we’ll settle down into stop being a worker bee and start Cramer remembers when a great working unit,” he said. telling the other bees what to do,
Legislators gear up for a long session By Eugene Heathman Editor eugene@ruidosofreepress.com The 60-day New Mexico legislative session starts Jan. 15 and Lincoln County constituents will have some new faces of representation in addition to veteran legislators to negotiate a series of the county’s four main legislative priorities. The Ruidoso Chamber of Commerce 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
Rep. Zach Cook
Rep. Nora Espinoza
last month at the convention center as a vital component to Ruidoso prosperity. With Felix Baumgartner’s record breaking free-fall from
Sen. William Burt
the stratosphere, Spaceport America, is also being supported as the continued solidification see LEGISLATURE pg. B8
CYFD to re-open Fort Stanton detention center By Sue Hutchison Reporter Suehutch@valornet.com Representatives from Children, Youth and Families Department visited Lincoln County more than twice in 2012 exploring options to reopen the facility formerly called Camp Sierra Blanca. Because the name is copyrighted by Associated Marine Institute, a children’s rehabilitation program which originated in Florida, (now named AMIKids) a new name will need to be created. Each time the issue was approached, citizens voiced concerns. Projecting an opening last October, plans were not executed. Bob Tafoya, Chief of Staff for CYFD NM gave the following statement last week when asked about the current status of the project. “CYFD is moving forward with its plans to open a 24 bed facility in the Ft. Stanton area. The agency included in their Fiscal Year 2014 budget a funding request to begin operation in October 2013. The facility will serve southeast youth, allowing families to be involved in the rehabilitation process. The facility will produce 50 local jobs for the community with an annual operating budget of $3.2 million.” Several Ranches of Sonterra
citizens voiced their concerns during last year’s meetings, due in part, to a break in which occurred in Sonterra when juveniles escaped the facility in 2007. With local entities such as the Upper Hondo Soil and Water Conservation District offering to give juveniles work should the facility reopen, residents are still concerned for citizen safety and security. Representatives from Fort Stanton, recently designated one of only 11 national conservation areas, expressed their anxiety about a detention or correctional facility opening less than a mile away from the fort. Joseph Arcure, a volunteer at Fort Stanton for more than 10 years expressed his view. “When it was made a State Monument in 2007 and the old Camp Sierra Blanca was closed, the Fort’s 2000 plus acres were opened to the public for the first time in over 150 years. Shortly thereafter, the 20,000 acres completely surrounding Fort Stanton were designated as a National Con-
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servation Area. With more than 100 miles of pristine hiking trails available, visitors can get a rare and unhindered view of what this beautiful place was like when Native Americans saw the cavalry and first settlers arrive. “With the negative impact the Little Bear Fire will have on the national forest, the 22,000 recorded visitors in 2011 to Fort Stanton will surely increase. This may be the only place in the country where tourists can get such a vast and unspoiled view of
our heritage, and I would imagine the following would agree: Geronimo, Victorio, Kit Carson, Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, Lew Wallace, Black Jack Pershing and many others who have walked this precious land. In my opinion, a correctional facility that was appropriate prior to 2007 when this area was off limits to the public is no longer in the best interest of Lincoln County,” says Arcure who feels the proximity of the see FORT STANTON pg. A3
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