Santa Fe New Mexican, Oct. 7, 2013

Page 1

Broncos capitalize on late Romo interception, edge Cowboys 51-48 Sports, B-1

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Monday, October 7, 2013

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Aging gay population faces new stigmas

An app for horse health

Experts say many feel less comfortable standing up for themselves as they age, and they are vulnerable to being pushed back into the closet. NAtIoN & WoRLD, A-2

A local veterinarian has developed an iPhone app to help horse owners with ailing animals. LocAL, A-10

House speaker stands firm on debt ceiling

Works of ‘love and light’

John Boehner rules out a House vote on a straightforward bill to boost the borrowing authority without concessions from President Barack Obama. NAtIoN & WoRLD A-3

Feds ignore tribes’ misuse of funds Review finds abuses add up to millions, rarely result in punishment By Justin Pritchard and P. Solomon Banda The Associated Press

Sally Dinwiddie and her husband, Stu, take a look at some of the paintings by Ross Soleil Palmer at his art show on Thursday. Sally Dinwiddie is one of Palmer’s teachers at Santa Fe High School. PHOTOS BY LUIS SÁNCHEZ SATURNO/THE NEW MEXICAN

Santa Fe High student delves beyond physical limitations, shares insight through paintings By Robert Nott

The New Mexican

R

oss Soleil Palmer estimates that he turns out about one artistic “masterpiece” a week. He can perform the “Quiennese waltz” — a dance he invented. He has memorized the texts of more than 100 books from listening to others read them and can, if prompted, start reciting from any page within those books. He did just that during the art opening for his first exhibition of

paintings Thursday evening. Palmer, an 18-year-old special needs student at Santa Fe High School, is both functionally blind — he only can see objects within 3 inches of his eyes — and physically challenged. Ross and his twin brother, Andrew, were born three months early to Raya Soleil. Andrew lived only 4½ months. Ross spent the first six months of his life in a hospital but survived despite

Please see PAINtINgS, Page A-4

today Plenty of sunshine. High 71, low 41. PAge A-12

Pasapick www.pasatiempomagazine.com

Al Staggs The poet reads from his latest collection, Fragments of Life, 6 p.m., Collected Works Bookstore, 202 Galisteo St., 988-4226. More events in Calendar, A-2 and Fridays in Pasatiempo

Index

Calendar A-2

Classifieds B-6

Viginia Stark, who has known Palmer since he was 6, talks to him at his art show on Thursday.

ETHETE, Wyo. — American Indian tribes have been caught misappropriating tens of millions of taxpayer dollars, according to internal tribal audits and other documents. But federal authorities do little about it — due to a lack of oversight, resources or political will. The result? Poor tribes like the Northern Arapaho of Wyoming suffer. One Arapaho manager pocketed money meant to buy meals for tribal elders. Another used funds from the reservation’s diabetes program to subsidize personal shopping trips. And other members plundered the tribal welfare fund, then gambled the money away at one of the tribe’s casinos. Altogether, employees drained at least a half-million dollars from the coffers of a tribe whose members have a median household income of about $16,000 a year. Federal agencies questioned millions more dollars the Northern Arapaho government spent, but decided not to recover any of the money — and even increased funding to the tribe. The Wyoming tribe is hardly unique. An Associated Press review of summaries of audits shows that serious concerns were consistently raised about 124 of 551 tribal governments, schools or housing authorities that received at least 10 years of substantial federal funds since 1997. Fraud and theft occur across the range of nonprofits and local governments that get federal money.

Please see MISUSe, Page A-5

Attendees share tips to make most of Balloon Fiesta By Chris Quintana The New Mexican

The 2013 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta features more than 500 hot air balloons and thousands of visitors daily, and it can be daunting for those who have never attended. Luckily, on Sunday morning there was no shortage of fiesta veterans willing to dispense advice for newcomers. Ray and Beth Rondeau, who have attended since the event was held at the Coronado Center mall in the 1970s, insist the best way to experience the Balloon Fiesta is to trot among the inflating balloons. “You want to be right in there,” Ray said while pointing out a swelling balloon. “You won’t get the real feel otherwise.”

Comics B-12

Family A-9

El Nuevo A-6

That feel includes hearing the roar of balloon burners, rubbing against the coarse fabric of a balloon or even joining the cheering crowd when a balloon pulls away from the ground. But that’s not for everyone. Some families said they prefer sticking close to the picnic tables on the outskirts of Balloon Fiesta Park. There, they have a place to set their bags, they said, and some of the more adventurous folks can stand on the rickety tables for a better vantage point when snapping photos. Others, like the Shelton family of five, cart folding lawn chairs to the middle of the field. Jeremy Shelton, the father, said staying put reduces stress and allows him to view all the balloons at once. As for the children, he and his wife, Kelly,

Please see BALLooN, Page A-10

Opinions A-11

Editor: Ray Rivera, 986-3033, rrivera@sfnewmexican.com Design and headlines: Kristina Dunham, kdunham@sfnewmexican.com

Police notes A-10

Sports B-1

Justin Griego and Cassie Boren watch the balloons inflate Sunday at the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque. KATHARINE EGLI/FOR THE NEW MEXICAN

Tech A-7

Time Out A-8

Main office: 983-3303 Late paper: 986-3010

Two sections, 24 pages 164th year, No. 280 Publication No. 596-440


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