Ruidoso Free Press
September 11, 2013
A7
Carrizozo Health Center has new provider
care Services operates a hospital, 6 clinics and a countysupport. “lCMC is dedicated to serving lincoln County Medical Center is wide ambulance service. lincoln County Medical Center the patients, members and communities pleased to announce that rebecca Meunier, employs more than 250 people, including more than 15 throughout lincoln County and we feel CFNP is the new provider at the Carrizozo providers throughout lincoln County. Rebecca will be a great fit while deliverHealth Center as of Sept. 5. ing the level of Meunier will be in the Carrizozo Health care residents have Center Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Fricome to expect,” day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and at the Corona said Jackson. “I am Health Clinic every Wednesday from 9 a.m. looking forward to to 4 p.m. beginning Sept. 11. “rebecca has providing the high25 years’ experience in health care through est quality of care emergency and primary care,” said Dr. Gary to the residents of Jackson, lCMC’s Medical Director. “This Rebecca Meunier than that of Mandel’s By Todd Fuqua Carrizozo, Corona will be of significant benefit for Carrizozo, According to City Clerk Carol Reporter Corona and the surrounding area,” added Jackson. Meuni- and the surrounding area,” said Virden, Mandel’s salary and benefits todd@ruidosofreepress.com Meunier. She is married with two er started her career as a clinical lab specialist in Hobbs, Changes continue at the Hubbard totaled more than $50,000. Pawley New Mexico and spent 15 years in that field before spend- children and enjoys cooking and said he envisioned this new position – Museum of the American West. gardening. ing eight and a half years as an emergency department referred to as a “museum technician” Following the resignation of lincoln County Medical nurse. – would be viewed more as a trainee, David Mandel, curator of exhibits Center is a county-owned facility Meunier received her bachelor of Science general thus the lower rate of pay. at the museum, Consultant Director leased by Presbyterian Healthcare biology and nursing degrees from Southeastern louisiana Virden stated the average pay for ray Pawley came before the ruidoso Services. This partnership has university in Hammond, la., and her Masters of Scia museum technician in New Mexico Downs City Council on Monday to existed since 1972 and is dedience in Nursing from louisiana State university Health is about $27,000, not counting bendiscuss options on hiring Mandel’s cated to improving the health of Science Center in New Orleans. She received her family efits. replacement. individuals, families and communurse practitioner certificate from the same institution. “There’s a young man already “We need someone who can folnities. lincoln County Medical Meunier is a certified emergency nurse and holds certifiworking there that could be open to low instructions and function in an Center and Presbyterian Healthcations in advance cardiac life support and pediatric life this position, but he’s also looking exhibits capacity, but under direcat other opportunities,” Pawley said. tion,” Pawley told the council. “We “I’d need some room to negotiate.” need someone on board as soon as Pawley said he’d like to bring in possible.” someone that has some experience but Given the current funding and can still be trained, with the possibilstaffing situation at the museum, ity of becoming a full-blown curator Pawley confirmed that whoever is eligible to participate in the amnesty event. Greentree Solid Waste will combine in the future. hired – he hinted he has someone in GSWA is still accepting discarded library and coordinate two ‘free’ drop off recycling The council voted unanimously to mind already – would be required events, for old major appliances and discarded and textbooks at the GSWA yard, 26590 u.S. approve the position’s creation, with to cross-train in many disciplines tires, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 27, Highway 70 in ruidoso Downs. Public and beyond exhibit development, and that a search to fill the position beginning tribal schools, home schools, private schools, and Saturday, Sept. 28, at All American Park immediately. the salary would be significantly less in ruidoso Downs and the lawrence brothers libraries, and, county and Mescalero residents with old books IGA parking lot for all lincoln County and may transport them for free Mescalero residents. Old damaged or discarded furnaces, hot water heaters, dryers, washing recycling at the Greentree facility. Saturday Nov. 2 will be the machines, refrigerators, stoves and freezers annual e-Waste recycling event will be accepted. Other types of scrap metal will also be accepted except for wire. No trash at lawrence brothers IGA, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. of any kind should be in the appliances. This is an opportunity to get Passenger vehicle, SuV and light truck tires with less than 17” rim diameters will also rid of old, unwanted appliances and metal for free. For more inbe accepted at no charge. No heavy equipformation, contact the Solid Waste ment, tractor or large semi-truck tires will be Authority office at 378-4697, accepted. Tires on rims or just rims may also be dropped off. More than 1100 tires were col- extension 10; toll free at 1-877lected from across lincoln County at a similar 548-8772, via email at gswa@ greentreeswa.org or www.greentire recycling event last April. treeswa.org. Commercial tire companies are no longer
Mandel gone, museum seeks new technician
Special appliance/tire disposal event in Ruidoso and Downs
Republican monthly meeting hosts Bobbi Shearer
TAX RATES, from pg. A6 “We did send out the notices of value that indicate residential or non-residential,” baca said. “Whether they read them or not is a whole other thing. A lot of people don’t realize what’s happening until they get their tax bill and protest that the following year.” baca also touched on the price of ranching, following earlier inquiries from commissioners. “I know you all were concerned with the numbers and values of livestock this year,” he said. “We did our values from the Department of Taxation and revenue, and when we applied those, we actually didn’t see a loss.” livestock numbers were down for the year, 11.7 percent in total, with the greatest change being 3,804 fewer cows from the previous 30,021 reported. Yet values of the livestock had risen, $480,003 in cattle alone, for a total of 9.2 percent up from 2012, baca reported. Though ranchers might not feel as much of a pinch with each animal worth more, the Predatory Control Tax will take a $2,707.65 hit this year. each animal brings in $0.55, he said. A lot of the changes came from the state’s end as valuations changed on nonresidential properties such as railroads and schools, up about $1 million overall, he added. There also was an increase in protested values, totaling about $8.8 million this year compared to 2012’s $6.7 million – which may prove a complication, as “when they figure the tax rate, they don’t figure the protested amount, so if all that protested amount isn’t lost, we end up with extra money, as that’s not figured in the rates the DFA tells us. I would say it’s like gravy for county, because the DFA doesn’t know if that will stick and we
don’t either, not until they go before the protest board.” looking at further information from the realtors Association of New Mexico, median residential retail values in the county have dropped significantly in the past three years, about 25 percent from each previous year, a total of 45.7 percent less than 2011 prices. The current median home price in the county is down to about $141,000, opposed to 2011’s $259,500. Conversely, the number of homes purchased has risen significantly, up about 34 percent per year, totaling 78.8 percent more from 2011 to 2013, a change from 33 in 2011 to 59 in 2013. In total, the increase in quantity has beaten out the falling individual prices, raising the total number of dollars in spent from 2011’s $25.23 million to this year’s $27.52 million – up 9.1 percent. The previous year, 2012, was the big detractor, down to $23.23 million, according to the association. Still, 2013 was an anomalous year, largely on account of the recent fire, Baca added. “We actually lost almost $25 million (in residential home values) from the little bear Fire,” baca said, answering Commissioner Kathryn Minter’s question about the fire’s impact. “We just went ahead and did our normal assessment, we added three percent to the homes that were undervalued, we picked up new homes, we did our maintenance – if any of the homes had additions or anything. We just happened to pick up enough value where we didn’t end up on the negative side of the residential portion. On the non-residential side, we valued some large tracts that had been undervalued. So, hopefully, that will help to hold the tax rate down.”
Photos courtesy of Sue Hutchison
Dianna Duran, NM Secretary of State was scheduled to appear at Lincoln County’s monthly Republican meeting, but was unavoidably detained. In her place, Director of the NM Bureau of Elections Bobbi Shearer came to answer questions and presented an open forum. Voter registration, voting centers, campaign finance and current legislation was discussed. Replacement and updating machinery at the state’s new voting centers caused some concern. Shearer talked about Duran’s efforts to replace the state’s aging voting systems. Jim Dickinson said he feels the new voting centers make it easier for fraud, or for someone to vote in another’s name. “With the old precincts, we knew each other,” he explained. Shearer explained that the state minimum voter identification standards only require a voter to provide a verbal statement of the person’s name, address and date of birth. “It’s important to remember, however, that voter identification is the voter’s choice in New Mexico.” She explained that voters may choose what form of identification to present when voting, including their drivers licenses or voter information cards from the county clerk. With the new voting convenience centers, presenting identification can help ensure that a voter receives the correct ballot. At right, Several area elected officials and Rep. Nora Espinoza were present and contributed to the discussion. Espinoza gave an update on same-sex marriage issues which are requiring county clerks to rely on state judges to uphold current laws. Declaring recent actions as “totally illegal,” Espinoza said she’s supported the Defense of Marriage Act each of the seven years she’s been in office. “But it reaches committee and never leaves,” she said, of the legislation and encouraged concerned citizens to apply pressure to New Mexico’s Attorney General to uphold current law.
BUSINESS BUZZ, from pg. A6 thank them again for a job well done at an appropriate price and with smiles,” read one of the nominations. Hometown Tire Pros, is an outstanding example of great customer service. If there is a business in the community that you would like to nominate for Member of the Month, contact Deborah Douds or Mirissa Good at the Chamber of Commerce, 575-257-7395, or stop by the Chamber and pick up a nomination form and return it to the Chamber of Commerce.
Handle and attendance figures up for Ruidoso Downs summer season
The 60-day ruidoso Downs summer season concluded with a 8.3 percent increase in total handle and a 3.4 percent boost in attendance. The handle increase included a 9.8 percent boost in live handle and a 8.3 percent increase in handle at ruidoso Downs from other sites. The attendance increase came with a record-setting closing weekend, highlighted by the Grade 1, $2.6 mil-
lion All American Futurity and the Grade 1, $2.8 million All American Derby. On Sunday, All American Derby day, 21,857 fans attended ruidoso Downs for the all-time largest crowd on a non-All American Futurity day. On labor Day, All American Futurity day, 24,558 patrons came to ruidoso Downs for the highest attendance in the track’s history. The total attendance over the four racing days on labor Day weekend reached 57,236, breaking the previous record of 54,992 set in 2012.