POSTAL PATRON U.S. POSTAGE PAID MAILED FROM RUIDOSO, NM 88345 PERMIT NO. 9 PRESORT STANDARD
50 cents
“Never Settle for Less”
For more photos and the latest stories updated daily, visit
www.ruidosofreepress.com
1404 Sudderth • Ruidoso, NM
575.257.4223
What’s
happening May 8
Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club at IMG
Join us at Club 49 inside Inn of the Mountain Gods for the Laugh Out Loud, Live StandUp Comedy Series. 7 p.m. 575-464-7028, www.innofthemountaingods.com. Only $5. Must be 21 or older to attend.
May 9
Business After Hours at Fusion Medical Spa
Meet other business professionals in the beautiful Fusion Medical Spa and talk to the medical staff about all of the services and products available. Fusion Medical Spa, 1900 Sudderth Drive, 5 p.m. Free.
May 10
Free ENMU Community Choir concert
Free concert featuring Broadway, pop and Celtic songs in the beautiful Old Mill Playhouse. 6:30 p.m. 641 Sudderth Dr. Free.
May 11
Annual Sierra Blanca Christian Academy Golf Tournament
Four person Scramble, 18 holes, fundraiser and social event. Shotgun start at 9 a.m. Links at Sierra Blanca, 575630-0144, $100 per player or $300 for team of four.
‘Small Abstractions’ art exhibit in Carrizozo
Douglas Stanton works primarily in small sizes using acrylic paints and unconventional tools, such as putty knives, squeegees and trowels. Also featuring Geoff Marcy, a ceramist that has created “Crystalline Glazed Ceramic Vessels” for the exhibition. The show will run through June 23. Buckalow’s Fine & Decorative Art Gallery, 412 Twelfth St., Carrizozo. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
May 12
Mother’s Day Brunch Buffet at Rebecca’s
An elegant setting for an incredible buffet: Shrimp Cocktail with Raspberry Cocktail Sauce, Baked Atlantic Salmon with Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce, Red Chile Rubbed Pork Grilled Chicken, Carved Prime Rib Au Jus and Peppercorn Sauce and more. The Lodge at Cloudcroft. Reservations are required: 575-6822566. www.TheLodgeResort. com. $35 for adults, $15 for children 12 and under.
MORE listings MORE articles MORE photos MORE sports MORE awards Find MORE at www.RuidosoFreePress.com
TUESDAY, MAY 7, 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 8
A property of
Regional construction icon opens Ruidoso plant By Eugene Heathman Editor eugene@ruidosofreepress With a notable uptick in large scale construction projects, Mesa Verde Enterprises is paving the Road to Progress with its new Ruidoso Batch Plant. Based in Alamogordo, General Manager Cal McNatt saw there are plenty of large projects on the horizon to invest in a new concrete batch plant, and construct a hot mix asphalt plant on Airport Road. With roadwork being performed on Ski Run Road, infrastructure work on Carrizo Canyon Road and the resurfacing of Sudderth Drive, Mesa Verde is ideally positioned to meet the site work needs of major projects in the area. While the level of commitment to the area is new, Mesa Verde is no stranger to Lincoln County. The company has been supplying aggregate materials and performing construction services in the village and surrounding areas for many years. “Mesa Verde has sucEugene Heathman/Ruidoso Free Press cessfully completed many projects in the area and currently has Mesa Verde Construction display their new truck fleet and concrete batch See MESA VERDE, pg. A3 plant operations in Ruidoso.
Tales of legendary Smokey Bear By Lynda Sánchez
So many folks have Smokey Bear tales either directly tied to the fire or to the more recent fires in the Capitan Mountains. Danna Henderson, one of the kids who grew up at Fort Stanton, recalls that her home economics class at Capitan High School made dozens – if not hundreds – of sandwiches for the crews and, of course, everyone in the town knew when the bear cub came to town. Another piece of history to add to the Smokey Bear story was our family involvement in an indirect manner. The Hispanics called Smokey, El osito con las patas quemadas” – “the little bear with the burned paws.” Our next door neighbors, the Garcias, were also part of the hundreds of men who were called in to fight the original fire, as was my suegra or father-in-law Samuel Sánchez. Fifty years later, almost to the date of the infamous fire when they found
The Village of Ruidoso has moved to Level II Fire Restrictions which ban outdoor smoking and fires. For additional countywide fire restriction information turn to pages A8 and A9. For more information, call the Ruidoso Fire Department at 575-257-3473.
VOR weekly water report
Eugene Heathman/Ruidoso Free Press
Smokey, another fire in the Capitans broke out and burned several thousand acres. Part of the burn was on the upper part of our ranch. The Lazy Diamond J ranch. That terrain was incredibly rough and part of the Capitan Wilderness. James, Katherine our daughter (who now works for the United States Forest Service) and I were part of the fire incident command post up at Baca Campsite. We decided to step up to the See SMOKEY BEAR, pg. A3
Local Elk Foundation chapter raises funds for conservation projects By Eugene Heathman Editor eugene@ruidosofreepress Since 1997 the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has expended more than $240,000 with more than $1.1 million in partner funds to establish conservation projects on 19,772 acres of Lincoln National Forest. On April 27 at the Inn of the Mountain Gods, the Sierra Blanca Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation hosted its annual fundraiser featuring games of chance, raffles, live and silent auctions to raise more than $30,000 which will be spent locally for upcoming projects in 2013 such as the Rusty Barrels Water Development project near Hale Lake, a wetland creation project on Grindstone Mesa, similar to the
Ruidoso is at Level II Fire Restrictions
recently completed Blue Lake Wetland Creation project and the Dry Burnt Trick Tank Project in the Sacramento Ranger District. A trick tank is a watering device for livestock or wildlife. It collects precipitation, holds the water in a covered tank to minimize evaporation and maintain adequate water quality, and dispenses water on demand into a basin from which animals can drink. Dispensing may be regulated by a mechanical float device similar to a ballcock in the tank of a flush toilet. Trick tanks are manufactured in several styles, including inverted umbrella and apron. They are heavy and often are used in remote wilderness locations, to which they may require delivery via helicopter. See ELK FOUNDATION, pg. A3
• Grindstone Reservoir: 52.3 feet below spillway; 16 percent full pool capacity; a small amount of water is being diverted into the reservoir from the Rio Ruidoso • Alto Reservoir: Nearly dry and not in use; wells are being used to supply the Alto service area • Storage tanks: 59 percent full; one of the North Fork wells has been out of service for a number of years was brought online and the lines had to be flushed because of accumulated debris from lack of flow, this temporarily reduced the level in the Alto Crest storage tanks • Water treatment and production: In the month of April, Alto and Grindstone water treatments plants treated 29.87 million gallons of water and the Cherokee, Hollywood and Ruidoso High School wells produced 26.15 million gallons of water
’Zozo 2013 prom royalty
Photo courtesy of Kellie Gallacher
Victoria Ventura and Tavi Nash, were crowned king and queen in Carrizozo’s 2013 prom event.
Ruidoso to host annual New Mexico Search and Rescue Conference
The New Mexico Search and Rescue Council will be conducting ESCAPE (Emergency Services Annual Preparedness Event), its annual training event for search and rescue volunteers May 10-12 at the Ruidoso Convention Center. More than 250 volunteers from throughout New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Texas, will be meeting to network and train on all aspects of effective search and rescue. The three-day conference also features a static display of SAR vehicles (including a paraglider) and State Police helicopter demonstra-
tions. The event boasts 33 qualified instructors teaching more than 44 search and rescue related courses. Friday’s training programs include GPS navigation, presentations from the Civil Air Patrol and Introduction to Scent Theory for SAR dogs, ARRL amateur radio class, introduction to technical rescue, basic search and rescue gear, and search techniques. Saturday will open with the annual business meeting followed by training sessions including Tacking Awareness by Fernando Moreira, high ALTO
REAL ESTATE TEAM SDC, REALTORS®
(575) 258-5008
(575) 257-5111 ext. 117 307 Mechem Dr, Ruidoso, NM
and low angle rescue, repeater use for SAR, field trauma medical training, amateur HAM radio class and licensure, and canine and horse training to list a few. Special guest, Kimberly Kelly, will give the keynote address to the assembly Saturday evening on ‘Locating Subjects with Alzheimer’s’. Highlights in Sunday’s schedule include the field certification exam, State Police helicopter demonstration, a litter utilization demonstration, a technical rescue scenario, and a complete See CONFERENCE, pg. A3
FEATURED PROPERTY
NICE 3 BEDROOM, 3 BATH HOME WITH GOLF MEMBERSHIP! This chalet style home has a nice rock fireplace, and a living area plus family/ game room. Fabulous location on the #16 fairway of Alto Golf & Country Club. Enjoy golf memberships to both Altos’ premier golf courses. Nice deck to relax on or for watching the wildlife stroll by. This property has great potential and is priced to sell! Furnished too! Don’t miss this great opportunity. $199,000. #111286
Find Ruidoso’s #1 REAL ESTATE TEAM at: www.ruidosorealestate.com