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Volume 2, Number 236
January 24, 2008
January 24, 2008
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Special weather information
provided by:
Wendell L. Malone,
Area Skywarn Coordinator
Eddy & Culberson counties
provided by:
Wendell L. Malone,
Area Skywarn Coordinator
Eddy & Culberson counties
| THE WEATHER BOX www.eddycountyskywarn.blogspot.com A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect until 6 p.m. MST/5 p.m. CST effecting the cities of Artesia and Carlsbad, Carlsbad Caverns National Park and Van Horn. Light snow is expected to develop across the Van Horn area and Guadalupe Mountains this morning and spread over the Upper Trans Pecos and southeastern New Mexico Plains through the afternoon. Snow may occasionally mix with sleet of freezing rain, especially this afternoon. Total snow accumulations of 2 to 4 inches will be possible above 6,500 feet in the Guadalupes while up to an inch of sleet or snow accumulation will be possible below 6,500. Snowfall amounts are expected to be around an inch over the lowlands, with less than an inch of sleet or less than one quarter inch of ice possible. Wintry precipitation will continue across the southeastern New Mexico Plains and spread northeastward over the Permian Basin tonight. Precipitation is expected to fall in the form of sleet and freezing rain across these locations into Friday morning. Today: A chance of snow and sleet, mixing with freezing rain after 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 32. Southeast wind between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Tonight: A chance of freezing rain and sleet. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31. South wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Friday: A slight chance of rain or freezing rain before 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 51. South wind between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38. West wind between 5 and 10 mph. Saturday: A 10 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 58. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph. Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. Sunday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 66. Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 40. Monday: Sunny, with a high near 68. Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 36. Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 61. Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 33. Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 53. |
| The United States government's national threat level is Elevated, or Yellow. The U.S. threat level is High, or Orange, for all domestic and international flights. Only small amounts of liquids, aerosols and gels are allowed in carry-on baggage. See the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) website for up-to-date information on items permitted and prohibited on airlines. |
Q&A on SCHIP
WASHINGTON - The House once again attempted to override President
Bush's veto of SCHIP legislation to expand health insurance benefits to
illegal immigrants, adults and upper-income households through a program
intended to assist low-income children. Congressman Pearce has been
outspoken in disapproving of this excessive expansion of SCHIP and
Thursday morning released the following statement:
"The Majority's Leadership has made the first major vote in the new session
a meaningless political play. Instead of focusing on the immediate needs of
America's families, Speaker Pelosi and her supporters have decided to
spend another day debating the same issue.
"We passed an SCHIP extension at the close of last session that does
exactly what we've supported all along: extend the current program to
ensure it focuses on poor kids first. This vote is just another attempt to
raise taxes, increase spending and push Americans into government-run
health care programs."
NOTE: The following background information was compiled by the
Republican Study Committee:
Q: Does H.R. 3963 increase the scope of the SCHIP program?
A: Yes. Under current law, states can cover families earning up to 200% of
the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) or $41,300 for a family of four in 2007 or
those at 50% above Medicaid eligibility. As of 2010, H.R. 3963 increases
the eligibility limit to 300% of FPL or $61,950 for a family of four while
continuing the current authority for states to define and disregard (i.e.
ignore) income. As a result, H.R. 3963 places no practical limit on SCHIP
eligibility since states can always manipulate the definition of income to
expand coverage. In addition, Section 116(g) of the bill overturns CMS’s
current policy of requiring states to ensure that 95% of the eligible children
in their state below 250% of FPL are enrolled before expanding coverage
to higher incomes.
Q: Does H.R. 3963 raise taxes?
A: Yes. H.R. 3963 increases the cigarette tax by 61 cents to $1 per pack,
and the cigar tax up to $3 per cigar. Some conservatives may be
concerned that the bill increases taxes on low-income individuals in order to
pay for the expansion of SCHIP, which is designed to assist low-income
families. In addition, this revenue source is constantly declining as fewer
and fewer individuals begin to smoke, since placing a tax on cigarettes will
likely deter sales, leading some to question the efficacy of the offset.
According a study by the Heritage Foundation, “To produce the revenues
that Congress needs to fund SCHIP expansion through such a tax would
require 22.4 million new smokers by 2017.”
Q: Will H.R. 3963 decrease private insurance participation in the market?
A: Yes. Expanding SCHIP will generate a substantial shift away from the
private health insurance market, by encouraging more and more children to
obtain health care coverage from the federal government. According to
CBO, under H.R. 3963, two million children will shift from receiving private
health insurance to government health insurance. This means that they
may get worse health care service and become increasingly dependent on
the federal government. In addition, as H.R. 3963 begins to reduce SCHIP
funding in 2012, some note that states may shift these children who would
be newly eligible for a government program into Medicaid.
Q: Would H.R. 3963 bar illegal immigrants from receiving benefits?
A: No. While H.R. 3963 states that “nothing in this Act allows Federal
payment for individuals who are not legal residents,” the bill actually
weakens existing law by removing the documentation requests under the
Deficit Reduction Act (DRA), specifically the burden that citizens and
nationals provide documentation proving their citizenship in order to be
covered under Medicaid and SCHIP. Instead, the bill would require that a
name and Social Security number be provided as documentation of legal
status to acquire coverage and that those names and Social Security
numbers be submitted to the Secretary to be checked for validity. It is
unclear what substantive changes were made to the original bill the
President vetoed (HR 976) beyond the cosmetic with regard to citizenship
certification. Some conservatives may remain concerned that a Social
Security number and name are not sufficient for proof of citizenship. For
instance, according to a recent letter from Social Security Administration
Commissioner Michael Astrue, a Social Security number would not keep
someone from fraudulently receiving coverage under Medicaid or SCHIP (if
they claimed they were someone they were not).
Senators upbeat about AFSOC
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Pete Domenici and Jeff Bingaman
Thursday asserted that a new Governmental Accountability Office (GAO)
report affirms that the Air Force used the correct analysis and made the
right decision to locate an Air Force Special Operations Command
(AFSOC) mission at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico.
The GAO-initiated report, “Defense Infrastructure: Realignment of Air
Force Special Operations Command Unites to Cannon Air Force Base, New
Mexico,” studied the decision to locate AFSOC assets at Cannon and found
that the process for the decision was based on sound information. It also
looks at future personnel and aircraft estimates at Cannon, and affirms
AFSOC plans at the base. Domenici and Bingaman indicated that the GAO
report does not diminish their expectations for Cannon’s future.
“There’s nothing earth-shattering in this report, and it only solidifies my
enthusiasm for the future of AFSOC at Cannon,” Domenici said. “While the
GAO might estimate that there will be fewer aircraft at Cannon, the truth is
AFSOC numbers have changed before and could change again. We don’t
know for sure what the final Cannon numbers will be, but know there will be
great things for Cannon. We just have to look at the recent Air Force
Roadmap to see all the great assets they are considering for Cannon’s
future.”
“I’m certain AFSOC will have a long relationship with Cannon Air Force
Base, and that it will play an increasingly important role in our national
security,” Bingaman said.
Domenici, who serves on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, and
Bingaman also pointed to the FY2008 Defense Appropriations Bill that
provided $10.75 million for military construction projects at Cannon as a
signal of the ongoing growth they expect at the base as the AFSOC mission
is fully implemented. The defense spending bill also contained $238 million
for Special Operations Forces to modify CV-22 aircraft, which should have
an impact on Cannon.
The GAO report can be viewed at: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08244r.
pdf.
Council selects mayor, mayor pro tem
ARTESIA - The Artesia City Council met in regular session on Tuesday
evening. In order to fill the vacancy created by Mayor Manuel Madrid's
death last week, the council unanimously selected Mayor Pro Tem Phil
Burch to serve as the city's mayor for the remainder of the term, which
expires in March 2010. City Clerk Aubrey Hobson administered the oath of
office. Mayor Burch thanked the council for their confidence in him and
said, "I will do my best to serve as Manuel would have."
Councilor George Holmes was selected to fill the position of Mayor Pro
Tem. A vacancy in District 3 now exists as a result of Burch's selection.
The council's intent is to appoint a representative from District 3 at the next
city council meeting, scheduled for February 12.
Hobson reported that no one had filed as a write-in candidate. The
deadline for write-in applications was January 22.
Human Resources Director Bill Thalman presented three names for
approval for hire in the Solid Waste Department. Roberto Silvas and
William Babers were hired as full-time employees. Vernon Nelso was hired
on a part-time basis.
Community Director Tina Torres presented several items for council's
approval, including requests for public hearings at the next meeting. At
Tuesday night's meeting, Torres presented a Propery Development
Agreement for Hotel Artesia, and consideration of an ordinance approving
the replat of the lot for the project. Both items were approved.
Several members of the community were present for the portion of the
meeting given to visitors who did not request to be on the agenda. They
were speaking on behalf of Suzanne Valencia and her sister, Rosemary
Fierro, who were both cited by the Code Enforcement Officer last week for
operating unlicensed daycare services in their homes. The citations had
been generated in response to a complaint. Valencia and Fierro were both
in attendance, but neither took the opportunity to address the council.
Mayor Burch commended the parents present for their civil manner in
discussing this understandably upsetting situation with him and others, as
well as in their pleas to the council.
County Commissioner Lewis Derrick also addressed the council during the
visitors portion of the meeting. He invited the council to attend the
groundbreaking of the new Eddy County Health Office in Artesia. The
public is also invited to attend. The ceremony will be at the corner of
Memorial Dr. and Tenth St. in Artesia on Thursday, January, 24, 2008 at
4:00 p.m.
The Eagle has added
FORT WORTH – American Eagle, the regional affiliate of American Airlines,
will increase its service to Roswell, N.M., beginning April. 7 by adding a third
daily round trip between Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Roswell
International Air Center, using 50-seat ERJ-145 aircraft.
“We are pleased that we are able to add another flight to Roswell,” said
American Eagle President and CEO Peter Bowler. “The community has
been extremely supportive of our service since it first started last
September. Customers have been connecting in Dallas/Fort Worth to travel
destinations all over the world.”
“This is a wonderful addition and I felt all along that this is a viable market
for American Airlines,” said Mayor Pro-Tem Phil Burch of Artesia, N.M. “We
can only look forward to bigger and better things in the near future.”
“This is great news for Roswell and all the community partners,” added
Roswell Mayor Sam LaGrone. “Our success has been phenomenal and I
encourage our citizens to keep using this jet service.”
“The American Eagle flights have been a great step forward in economic
development for this area,” said Chaves County Commission Chairman
Dick Taylor. “The addition of the third flight is one more step to improving
our communities.”
“The Hike It & Spike It Tournament is an event that brings thousands of
tourists to Roswell, and the American Eagle jet service has become a major
asset in the continued growth of our tournament,” said Jim Matteucci,
Chairman of the Board for the Bank of the Southwest and local organizer
for The Hike It & Spike It Gridiron Tournament which benefits the United
Way of Chaves County.
For more information, visit Fly Roswell.
DHS ENDS ORAL DECLARATIONS AT BORDERS
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
reminds travelers that beginning January 31, 2008, border crossers will be
asked to present documents denoting citizenship and identity when
entering the United States through land and sea ports of entry. This
change primarily affects United States and Canadian citizens, who have
previously been permitted entry by oral declaration alone, and marks the
transition toward standard and consistent documents for all travelers
entering the country. It is also the start of a more robust and concerted
public education campaign, intended to inform travelers of document
requirements which will be implemented next year.
“For the safety of the American people, the United States cannot have an
honor system at the border,” said Homeland Security Secretary Michael
Chertoff. “Requiring secure and reliable documentation at our borders will
drastically reduce security vulnerabilities posed by permitting entry based
on oral declarations alone. As travelers become accustomed to carrying
documents to cross the border, and as we move to more stringent
documentation requirements, our border officers will be able to more
quickly and confidently identify cross-border travelers.”
Beginning Jan. 31 of this year, U.S. and Canadian citizens ages 19 and
older should no longer expect that an oral declaration alone will be
sufficient to prove identity and citizenship for entry into the country.
Instead, travelers will be asked to present documentation from a specified
list of acceptable documents when entering the U.S. at land and sea ports
of entry. Examples include birth certificates and driver’s licenses. A
complete list of acceptable documents is available to travelers at ports of
entry and is also available at www.cbp.gov. Travelers who do not present
one of these documents may be delayed while U.S. Customs and Border
Protection (CBP) officers attempt to verify their identity and citizenship.
Children ages 18 and under will only need to present a birth certificate.
In order to further secure our borders against illegal entry, the U.S. will no
longer be able to admit travelers based on nothing more than a person’s
oral assertion of citizenship. During October to December 2007 alone, CBP
officers reported 1,517 cases of individuals falsely claiming to be U.S.
citizens. Last month, CBP officials determined that an individual falsely
claiming to be a U.S. citizen was wanted for homicide in California . This
individual was paroled for entry into the U.S. and transported into the
custody of the San Diego Sheriff’s Department. Separately, multiple
Government Accountability Office and Inspector General reports have
highlighted weaknesses associated with oral declarations and substandard
documentation.
Standard and consistent documentation is critical for border officials to
accurately determine admissibility into the United States . The Jan. 31
change is a step forward from the largely subjective standard that allowed
travelers to present an almost limitless array of documents, such as
baptismal certificates, to satisfy CBP officers of their citizenship. This
change will allow frontline officers to standardize inspections against a
narrower class of documents, and CBP has protocols in place to verify the
authenticity of suspicious driver licenses and guard against the use of
counterfeit or altered licenses.
DHS has maintained a consistent public awareness and information
campaign to ensure that the traveling public is aware of the new travel
documentation requirements under the Western Hemisphere Travel
Initiative (WHTI). The transition beginning Jan. 31 will allow travelers to
become accustomed to the need to present appropriate documents.
Travelers who apply for a passport card, passport, Trusted Traveler
Program cards, or other secure documentation denoting both citizenship
and identity in response to the Jan. 31 change will not need to take
additional steps to meet the final WHTI requirements upon full
implementation in June 2009.
U.S. citizens may begin applying in advance for the new U.S. Passport Card
on Feb. 1, 2008, in anticipation of land border travel document
requirements. The U.S. Department of State expects that cards will be
available and mailed to applicants in spring 2008.
Although DHS was on schedule to begin implementation of the new
requirements as early as summer 2008, the fiscal year 2008 Appropriations
Bill passed by Congress last month restricts the department from
implementing these new requirements until June 2009.
For more information, visit www.dhs.gov or www.travel.state.gov.
WASHINGTON - The House once again attempted to override President
Bush's veto of SCHIP legislation to expand health insurance benefits to
illegal immigrants, adults and upper-income households through a program
intended to assist low-income children. Congressman Pearce has been
outspoken in disapproving of this excessive expansion of SCHIP and
Thursday morning released the following statement:
"The Majority's Leadership has made the first major vote in the new session
a meaningless political play. Instead of focusing on the immediate needs of
America's families, Speaker Pelosi and her supporters have decided to
spend another day debating the same issue.
"We passed an SCHIP extension at the close of last session that does
exactly what we've supported all along: extend the current program to
ensure it focuses on poor kids first. This vote is just another attempt to
raise taxes, increase spending and push Americans into government-run
health care programs."
NOTE: The following background information was compiled by the
Republican Study Committee:
Q: Does H.R. 3963 increase the scope of the SCHIP program?
A: Yes. Under current law, states can cover families earning up to 200% of
the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) or $41,300 for a family of four in 2007 or
those at 50% above Medicaid eligibility. As of 2010, H.R. 3963 increases
the eligibility limit to 300% of FPL or $61,950 for a family of four while
continuing the current authority for states to define and disregard (i.e.
ignore) income. As a result, H.R. 3963 places no practical limit on SCHIP
eligibility since states can always manipulate the definition of income to
expand coverage. In addition, Section 116(g) of the bill overturns CMS’s
current policy of requiring states to ensure that 95% of the eligible children
in their state below 250% of FPL are enrolled before expanding coverage
to higher incomes.
Q: Does H.R. 3963 raise taxes?
A: Yes. H.R. 3963 increases the cigarette tax by 61 cents to $1 per pack,
and the cigar tax up to $3 per cigar. Some conservatives may be
concerned that the bill increases taxes on low-income individuals in order to
pay for the expansion of SCHIP, which is designed to assist low-income
families. In addition, this revenue source is constantly declining as fewer
and fewer individuals begin to smoke, since placing a tax on cigarettes will
likely deter sales, leading some to question the efficacy of the offset.
According a study by the Heritage Foundation, “To produce the revenues
that Congress needs to fund SCHIP expansion through such a tax would
require 22.4 million new smokers by 2017.”
Q: Will H.R. 3963 decrease private insurance participation in the market?
A: Yes. Expanding SCHIP will generate a substantial shift away from the
private health insurance market, by encouraging more and more children to
obtain health care coverage from the federal government. According to
CBO, under H.R. 3963, two million children will shift from receiving private
health insurance to government health insurance. This means that they
may get worse health care service and become increasingly dependent on
the federal government. In addition, as H.R. 3963 begins to reduce SCHIP
funding in 2012, some note that states may shift these children who would
be newly eligible for a government program into Medicaid.
Q: Would H.R. 3963 bar illegal immigrants from receiving benefits?
A: No. While H.R. 3963 states that “nothing in this Act allows Federal
payment for individuals who are not legal residents,” the bill actually
weakens existing law by removing the documentation requests under the
Deficit Reduction Act (DRA), specifically the burden that citizens and
nationals provide documentation proving their citizenship in order to be
covered under Medicaid and SCHIP. Instead, the bill would require that a
name and Social Security number be provided as documentation of legal
status to acquire coverage and that those names and Social Security
numbers be submitted to the Secretary to be checked for validity. It is
unclear what substantive changes were made to the original bill the
President vetoed (HR 976) beyond the cosmetic with regard to citizenship
certification. Some conservatives may remain concerned that a Social
Security number and name are not sufficient for proof of citizenship. For
instance, according to a recent letter from Social Security Administration
Commissioner Michael Astrue, a Social Security number would not keep
someone from fraudulently receiving coverage under Medicaid or SCHIP (if
they claimed they were someone they were not).
Senators upbeat about AFSOC
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Pete Domenici and Jeff Bingaman
Thursday asserted that a new Governmental Accountability Office (GAO)
report affirms that the Air Force used the correct analysis and made the
right decision to locate an Air Force Special Operations Command
(AFSOC) mission at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico.
The GAO-initiated report, “Defense Infrastructure: Realignment of Air
Force Special Operations Command Unites to Cannon Air Force Base, New
Mexico,” studied the decision to locate AFSOC assets at Cannon and found
that the process for the decision was based on sound information. It also
looks at future personnel and aircraft estimates at Cannon, and affirms
AFSOC plans at the base. Domenici and Bingaman indicated that the GAO
report does not diminish their expectations for Cannon’s future.
“There’s nothing earth-shattering in this report, and it only solidifies my
enthusiasm for the future of AFSOC at Cannon,” Domenici said. “While the
GAO might estimate that there will be fewer aircraft at Cannon, the truth is
AFSOC numbers have changed before and could change again. We don’t
know for sure what the final Cannon numbers will be, but know there will be
great things for Cannon. We just have to look at the recent Air Force
Roadmap to see all the great assets they are considering for Cannon’s
future.”
“I’m certain AFSOC will have a long relationship with Cannon Air Force
Base, and that it will play an increasingly important role in our national
security,” Bingaman said.
Domenici, who serves on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, and
Bingaman also pointed to the FY2008 Defense Appropriations Bill that
provided $10.75 million for military construction projects at Cannon as a
signal of the ongoing growth they expect at the base as the AFSOC mission
is fully implemented. The defense spending bill also contained $238 million
for Special Operations Forces to modify CV-22 aircraft, which should have
an impact on Cannon.
The GAO report can be viewed at: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08244r.
pdf.
Council selects mayor, mayor pro tem
ARTESIA - The Artesia City Council met in regular session on Tuesday
evening. In order to fill the vacancy created by Mayor Manuel Madrid's
death last week, the council unanimously selected Mayor Pro Tem Phil
Burch to serve as the city's mayor for the remainder of the term, which
expires in March 2010. City Clerk Aubrey Hobson administered the oath of
office. Mayor Burch thanked the council for their confidence in him and
said, "I will do my best to serve as Manuel would have."
Councilor George Holmes was selected to fill the position of Mayor Pro
Tem. A vacancy in District 3 now exists as a result of Burch's selection.
The council's intent is to appoint a representative from District 3 at the next
city council meeting, scheduled for February 12.
Hobson reported that no one had filed as a write-in candidate. The
deadline for write-in applications was January 22.
Human Resources Director Bill Thalman presented three names for
approval for hire in the Solid Waste Department. Roberto Silvas and
William Babers were hired as full-time employees. Vernon Nelso was hired
on a part-time basis.
Community Director Tina Torres presented several items for council's
approval, including requests for public hearings at the next meeting. At
Tuesday night's meeting, Torres presented a Propery Development
Agreement for Hotel Artesia, and consideration of an ordinance approving
the replat of the lot for the project. Both items were approved.
Several members of the community were present for the portion of the
meeting given to visitors who did not request to be on the agenda. They
were speaking on behalf of Suzanne Valencia and her sister, Rosemary
Fierro, who were both cited by the Code Enforcement Officer last week for
operating unlicensed daycare services in their homes. The citations had
been generated in response to a complaint. Valencia and Fierro were both
in attendance, but neither took the opportunity to address the council.
Mayor Burch commended the parents present for their civil manner in
discussing this understandably upsetting situation with him and others, as
well as in their pleas to the council.
County Commissioner Lewis Derrick also addressed the council during the
visitors portion of the meeting. He invited the council to attend the
groundbreaking of the new Eddy County Health Office in Artesia. The
public is also invited to attend. The ceremony will be at the corner of
Memorial Dr. and Tenth St. in Artesia on Thursday, January, 24, 2008 at
4:00 p.m.
The Eagle has added
FORT WORTH – American Eagle, the regional affiliate of American Airlines,
will increase its service to Roswell, N.M., beginning April. 7 by adding a third
daily round trip between Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Roswell
International Air Center, using 50-seat ERJ-145 aircraft.
“We are pleased that we are able to add another flight to Roswell,” said
American Eagle President and CEO Peter Bowler. “The community has
been extremely supportive of our service since it first started last
September. Customers have been connecting in Dallas/Fort Worth to travel
destinations all over the world.”
“This is a wonderful addition and I felt all along that this is a viable market
for American Airlines,” said Mayor Pro-Tem Phil Burch of Artesia, N.M. “We
can only look forward to bigger and better things in the near future.”
“This is great news for Roswell and all the community partners,” added
Roswell Mayor Sam LaGrone. “Our success has been phenomenal and I
encourage our citizens to keep using this jet service.”
“The American Eagle flights have been a great step forward in economic
development for this area,” said Chaves County Commission Chairman
Dick Taylor. “The addition of the third flight is one more step to improving
our communities.”
“The Hike It & Spike It Tournament is an event that brings thousands of
tourists to Roswell, and the American Eagle jet service has become a major
asset in the continued growth of our tournament,” said Jim Matteucci,
Chairman of the Board for the Bank of the Southwest and local organizer
for The Hike It & Spike It Gridiron Tournament which benefits the United
Way of Chaves County.
For more information, visit Fly Roswell.
DHS ENDS ORAL DECLARATIONS AT BORDERS
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
reminds travelers that beginning January 31, 2008, border crossers will be
asked to present documents denoting citizenship and identity when
entering the United States through land and sea ports of entry. This
change primarily affects United States and Canadian citizens, who have
previously been permitted entry by oral declaration alone, and marks the
transition toward standard and consistent documents for all travelers
entering the country. It is also the start of a more robust and concerted
public education campaign, intended to inform travelers of document
requirements which will be implemented next year.
“For the safety of the American people, the United States cannot have an
honor system at the border,” said Homeland Security Secretary Michael
Chertoff. “Requiring secure and reliable documentation at our borders will
drastically reduce security vulnerabilities posed by permitting entry based
on oral declarations alone. As travelers become accustomed to carrying
documents to cross the border, and as we move to more stringent
documentation requirements, our border officers will be able to more
quickly and confidently identify cross-border travelers.”
Beginning Jan. 31 of this year, U.S. and Canadian citizens ages 19 and
older should no longer expect that an oral declaration alone will be
sufficient to prove identity and citizenship for entry into the country.
Instead, travelers will be asked to present documentation from a specified
list of acceptable documents when entering the U.S. at land and sea ports
of entry. Examples include birth certificates and driver’s licenses. A
complete list of acceptable documents is available to travelers at ports of
entry and is also available at www.cbp.gov. Travelers who do not present
one of these documents may be delayed while U.S. Customs and Border
Protection (CBP) officers attempt to verify their identity and citizenship.
Children ages 18 and under will only need to present a birth certificate.
In order to further secure our borders against illegal entry, the U.S. will no
longer be able to admit travelers based on nothing more than a person’s
oral assertion of citizenship. During October to December 2007 alone, CBP
officers reported 1,517 cases of individuals falsely claiming to be U.S.
citizens. Last month, CBP officials determined that an individual falsely
claiming to be a U.S. citizen was wanted for homicide in California . This
individual was paroled for entry into the U.S. and transported into the
custody of the San Diego Sheriff’s Department. Separately, multiple
Government Accountability Office and Inspector General reports have
highlighted weaknesses associated with oral declarations and substandard
documentation.
Standard and consistent documentation is critical for border officials to
accurately determine admissibility into the United States . The Jan. 31
change is a step forward from the largely subjective standard that allowed
travelers to present an almost limitless array of documents, such as
baptismal certificates, to satisfy CBP officers of their citizenship. This
change will allow frontline officers to standardize inspections against a
narrower class of documents, and CBP has protocols in place to verify the
authenticity of suspicious driver licenses and guard against the use of
counterfeit or altered licenses.
DHS has maintained a consistent public awareness and information
campaign to ensure that the traveling public is aware of the new travel
documentation requirements under the Western Hemisphere Travel
Initiative (WHTI). The transition beginning Jan. 31 will allow travelers to
become accustomed to the need to present appropriate documents.
Travelers who apply for a passport card, passport, Trusted Traveler
Program cards, or other secure documentation denoting both citizenship
and identity in response to the Jan. 31 change will not need to take
additional steps to meet the final WHTI requirements upon full
implementation in June 2009.
U.S. citizens may begin applying in advance for the new U.S. Passport Card
on Feb. 1, 2008, in anticipation of land border travel document
requirements. The U.S. Department of State expects that cards will be
available and mailed to applicants in spring 2008.
Although DHS was on schedule to begin implementation of the new
requirements as early as summer 2008, the fiscal year 2008 Appropriations
Bill passed by Congress last month restricts the department from
implementing these new requirements until June 2009.
For more information, visit www.dhs.gov or www.travel.state.gov.
Living Treasure nominees sought
ARTESIA - The Artesia Historical Museum & Art
Center Foundation needs your input! The
Foundation sponsors the Museum’s Living
Treasures awards ceremony & reception each
year, which honors one man & one woman in
Artesia who have made a difference in all of our
lives—whether it’s by preserving our town’s
history, volunteerism, good deeds, or by
contributing towards our quality of life in their
own way. The one thing all of our past honorees
have had in common is their modesty; therefore
we would like to ask all of you here in town to let
us know who you think is worthy of recognizing
as this year’s Living Treasures. If you have a
person in mind to nominate, please take a
moment to write down their name and your
reasons why you feel this person deserves
recognition and drop it by the Artesia Historical
Museum & Art Center by the end of February
2008, or mail it to us at 505 West Richardson
Ave., Artesia 88210. Thank you for caring about
our local unsung heroes!
ENMU-R renovating CUB
ROSWELL - The renovation and expansion of
the Campus Union Building (CUB) on the ENMU-
Roswell campus is well underway. The project
calls for the renovation of close to 15,000
square feet of existing space, as well as 4,667
square feet of new construction. Included in the
scope of work is expansion of the cafeteria,
renovation of the kitchen and service line,
upgrading of kitchen equipment, renovation of
bathrooms and meeting rooms, and the addition
of a new meeting room. The total cost of the
project is $3.6 million, funded through local
general obligation bond funds. The project is
expected to be completed by March 1 and will
provide improved food services to students and
the community.
The new cafeteria will be able to seat 311
people, compared to 165 in the old space.
According to Food Services Director, Jim Baird,
the new cafeteria will be open on Monday,
March 3 starting with buffet service. “Every day
after that we will open a new venue, probably
starting with the new grill area and Crustano’s
Sandwich Crafters,” he said. “The next day we’ll
add Sunset Strips, which is a grab and go area
with chicken items and fries. The next day we
will open the Ancho Grill (Mexican food), and the
following Monday we will open the Bonici Eatery
(Italian).” Baird said each of the venues, other
than the buffet, will have warming chutes with
grab and go product for less waiting. “Most of
the venues will have signature salads and we
will also have a salad and soup bar,” said Baird.
The cafeteria is open to the public as well as
ENMU-Roswell students and staff.
Absentee Voting to Begin Next Week
ARTESIA - Absentee voting for the March 4,
2008 Regular Municipal Election will begin on
January 29, 2008 and will end February 29,
2008. Voters wishing to vote Absentee must
request an application to vote by absentee by
calling the City Clerk’s Office at 746-2122 or
email at cityclerk@artesianm.com. The
application will be mailed to your address.
County office groundbreaking set
Groundbreaking of the new Eddy County Health
Office in Artesia. Public is invited to attend:
Corner of Memorial Dr. and Tenth St. Artesia,
NM on January 24, 2008 at 4:00 p.m.
‘Excellence in Range Management’ Award
Las Cruces – The New Mexico Section of the
Society for Range Management (SRM)
presented its Excellence in Range Management
award to the Bureau of Land Management for
the agency’s work to restore degraded
rangelands and wildlife habitat in southeastern
New Mexico. Linda Rundell, State Director for
the BLM in New Mexico, accepted the award on
behalf of the BLM’s state management team
and the agency’s Pecos District Office in
Roswell.
The BLM worked with a variety of partners to
restore more than 250,000 acres of degraded
rangelands in New Mexico in 2007, far
surpassing the 2006 total of 145,000 acres.
What started out as a concept to restore and
enhance landscapes three years ago has grown
into Restore New Mexico, an effort involving the
BLM, ranchers, agencies, organizations and the
energy industry. The partnership will restore its
500,000th acre this year.
“The BLM under Linda Rundell has
demonstrated that it won’t be satisfied with
being a custodial land manager,” said Dr. Karl
Wood, President of the SRM’s New Mexico
Section. “Linda and her management team are
getting the word out about the condition of New
Mexico’s rangelands and forming innovative
partnerships to restore them.”
BLM management honorees include:
- Linda Rundell, New Mexico State Director
- Jesse Juen, Associate State Director
- Ron Dunton, Deputy State Director -
Resources
Field honorees include:
- Ray Keller, Rangeland Management
Specialist, Carlsbad
- Dave Evans, Chief of Operations, Carlsbad
- Russell Fox, Rangeland Management
Specialist, Roswell
Habitat fragmentation, erosion and the spread
of invasive plants have resulted from decades
of human impacts and natural ecological
processes. Because fire has largely been
excluded from the landscape, there’s been a
dramatic shift over the past 150 years from
desert grasslands with scattered shrubs to
vegetative communities extensively dominated
by invasive shrubs; this has occurred on more
than 6 million acres in New Mexico. The result
has been reduced grass and herbaceous cover
and a significant increase in the amount of bare
ground. These factors have in turn severely
reduced their biological productivity, while
increasing their susceptibility to erosion and
reducing the quantity and quality of
groundwater.
“Regardless of how people feel about land uses
or management priorities, everyone agrees we
need to look at the land differently than we have
in the past,” said Rundell. “We are now
beginning to restore entire landscapes. It’s
amazing what can happen when folks have a
shared vision.”
The BLM is expanding its efforts with partners
this year to restore rangelands to a healthy and
productive condition throughout New Mexico.
Efforts are focusing on landscapes dominated
by mesquite, creosote, juniper and other
invasive species to restore native vegetation,
which also benefits watersheds and wildlife
habitat.
Starting this year, the BLM and its partners will
also begin attacking cheatgrass, an exotic
species that has taken over huge areas of
Nevada, Utah and other Great Basin states.
Partners under the program are also identifying
and reclaiming orphaned oil and gas wells,
pads, and roads in the Permian and San Juan
Basins.
The goal of brush treatments is to reduce the
incidence of brush in rangelands to historic
levels; in many areas, the percentage of brush
in a landscape has increased from 10 to 90
percent or more over the past 150 years,
radically reducing the biological productivity of
these areas.
Restore New Mexico partners include ranchers,
the Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS), New Mexico State Land Office, New
Mexico Department of Game and Fish, New
Mexico Association of Conservation Districts,
several Soil and Water Conservation Districts,
New Mexico State University, and the BLM.
ENMU production this week
PORTALES—The Department of Theatre and
Dance at Eastern New Mexico University in
Portales will present "Perla de Luna" at 7 p.m.
nightly from Wednesday, Jan. 23, through
Saturday, Jan. 26, in the University Theater
Center, Studio.
The show begins at 7 p.m. each night. General
admission is $4.
Directed by Felipe Macias, professor of theatre
at ENMU, the play is part of a series of Portales
"porch" plays currently in development by ENMU
alumni and Portales native Leonard Madrid. A
one-act version was presented as a reading at
the Kennedy Center American College Theatre
Festival Region VI in Tulsa, Okla., in March
2007. The play was subsequently juried and
invited to the 2008 regional festival in Huntsville,
Texas, as a fully realized production.
"The Department of Theatre and Dance is
proud to present Mr. Madrid’s work not only
because he is a graduate of our program but,
more importantly, because he is one of a
handful of young playwrights working to
establish a cultural voice specific to New Mexico
in the world’s dramatic community," said Macias.
The play features Hillary Livingston from
Portales as Perla de Luna whose performance
is done for partial completion of the Bachelor of
Fine Arts degree, Laura Holder from Artesia as
Cruz, DeDe Gonzales as Mariposa from
Portales, Alberto J. Hernandez from Los
Angeles as Calletano, Julie Amber Dorado as
Estrella from Carlsbad, and Mike Jimenez as
Oro from Roswell.
For more information, call the Department of
Theatre and Dance at 575.562.2711, or the Box
Office at 575.562.2710.
Traditions flourish at exhibit
ARTESIA - The Artesia Historical Museum & Art
Center is getting ready to present “Our
Traditions”, a community program for everyone,
on Saturday January 26, 2008 at 2:00-4:00 pm
in the Museum’s Art Annex at 503 West
Richardson Ave. in Artesia.
“Our Traditions” is part of our Smithsonian
exhibit “Key Ingredients” public programs, and
will give visitors a chance to not only check out
our exhibit but to learn about a variety of
traditional food growing & preservation methods
that are still being practiced today. Some of
these methods evolved through necessity, such
as the need to preserve food without electricity
and refrigeration. Others have survived the test
of time simply because they’re still the best way
to do things!
The “Our Traditions” program will be presented
in an informal, come & go format. Visitors are
invited to come by and learn about traditional
methods of gardening & composting (which was
originally a way to recycle kitchen waste) from
Eddy County Gardener of the Year Mary
Fanning. Jimi & Theresa Genzling of Desert
Eagle Farms in Lakewood will be on hand to
demonstrate food dehydration techniques and
to give leads on local sources for heirloom
crops. Susie Taylor of Loco Hills will also be
here to talk about traditional canning and other
food preservation & cooking methods that don’t
require refrigeration or electricity. In other
words, this is everyone’s chance to ask
questions, try some hands-on demonstrations,
and pick the brains of experts! Handouts will
also be available for everyone to take home.
But what would a food-related program be
without food?! We’ll have miniature jam/jelly
tarts, veggies marinated in a variety of herb-
flavored vinegars, pickles, and lots of different
dehydrated veggies to munch on. We’ll also
have recipes for everything available, plus some
new vintage recipes. If you haven’t participated
in our recipe swap meet yet, please consider
doing so: just bring us a copy of your favorite
recipe(s) and we’ll make copies and put them
out for everyone to pick up and enjoy!
Everyone is invited to attend our program—for
more information call (575) 748-2390 or visit
www.artesiamuseum.org.
ARTESIA - The Artesia Historical Museum & Art
Center Foundation needs your input! The
Foundation sponsors the Museum’s Living
Treasures awards ceremony & reception each
year, which honors one man & one woman in
Artesia who have made a difference in all of our
lives—whether it’s by preserving our town’s
history, volunteerism, good deeds, or by
contributing towards our quality of life in their
own way. The one thing all of our past honorees
have had in common is their modesty; therefore
we would like to ask all of you here in town to let
us know who you think is worthy of recognizing
as this year’s Living Treasures. If you have a
person in mind to nominate, please take a
moment to write down their name and your
reasons why you feel this person deserves
recognition and drop it by the Artesia Historical
Museum & Art Center by the end of February
2008, or mail it to us at 505 West Richardson
Ave., Artesia 88210. Thank you for caring about
our local unsung heroes!
ENMU-R renovating CUB
ROSWELL - The renovation and expansion of
the Campus Union Building (CUB) on the ENMU-
Roswell campus is well underway. The project
calls for the renovation of close to 15,000
square feet of existing space, as well as 4,667
square feet of new construction. Included in the
scope of work is expansion of the cafeteria,
renovation of the kitchen and service line,
upgrading of kitchen equipment, renovation of
bathrooms and meeting rooms, and the addition
of a new meeting room. The total cost of the
project is $3.6 million, funded through local
general obligation bond funds. The project is
expected to be completed by March 1 and will
provide improved food services to students and
the community.
The new cafeteria will be able to seat 311
people, compared to 165 in the old space.
According to Food Services Director, Jim Baird,
the new cafeteria will be open on Monday,
March 3 starting with buffet service. “Every day
after that we will open a new venue, probably
starting with the new grill area and Crustano’s
Sandwich Crafters,” he said. “The next day we’ll
add Sunset Strips, which is a grab and go area
with chicken items and fries. The next day we
will open the Ancho Grill (Mexican food), and the
following Monday we will open the Bonici Eatery
(Italian).” Baird said each of the venues, other
than the buffet, will have warming chutes with
grab and go product for less waiting. “Most of
the venues will have signature salads and we
will also have a salad and soup bar,” said Baird.
The cafeteria is open to the public as well as
ENMU-Roswell students and staff.
Absentee Voting to Begin Next Week
ARTESIA - Absentee voting for the March 4,
2008 Regular Municipal Election will begin on
January 29, 2008 and will end February 29,
2008. Voters wishing to vote Absentee must
request an application to vote by absentee by
calling the City Clerk’s Office at 746-2122 or
email at cityclerk@artesianm.com. The
application will be mailed to your address.
County office groundbreaking set
Groundbreaking of the new Eddy County Health
Office in Artesia. Public is invited to attend:
Corner of Memorial Dr. and Tenth St. Artesia,
NM on January 24, 2008 at 4:00 p.m.
‘Excellence in Range Management’ Award
Las Cruces – The New Mexico Section of the
Society for Range Management (SRM)
presented its Excellence in Range Management
award to the Bureau of Land Management for
the agency’s work to restore degraded
rangelands and wildlife habitat in southeastern
New Mexico. Linda Rundell, State Director for
the BLM in New Mexico, accepted the award on
behalf of the BLM’s state management team
and the agency’s Pecos District Office in
Roswell.
The BLM worked with a variety of partners to
restore more than 250,000 acres of degraded
rangelands in New Mexico in 2007, far
surpassing the 2006 total of 145,000 acres.
What started out as a concept to restore and
enhance landscapes three years ago has grown
into Restore New Mexico, an effort involving the
BLM, ranchers, agencies, organizations and the
energy industry. The partnership will restore its
500,000th acre this year.
“The BLM under Linda Rundell has
demonstrated that it won’t be satisfied with
being a custodial land manager,” said Dr. Karl
Wood, President of the SRM’s New Mexico
Section. “Linda and her management team are
getting the word out about the condition of New
Mexico’s rangelands and forming innovative
partnerships to restore them.”
BLM management honorees include:
- Linda Rundell, New Mexico State Director
- Jesse Juen, Associate State Director
- Ron Dunton, Deputy State Director -
Resources
Field honorees include:
- Ray Keller, Rangeland Management
Specialist, Carlsbad
- Dave Evans, Chief of Operations, Carlsbad
- Russell Fox, Rangeland Management
Specialist, Roswell
Habitat fragmentation, erosion and the spread
of invasive plants have resulted from decades
of human impacts and natural ecological
processes. Because fire has largely been
excluded from the landscape, there’s been a
dramatic shift over the past 150 years from
desert grasslands with scattered shrubs to
vegetative communities extensively dominated
by invasive shrubs; this has occurred on more
than 6 million acres in New Mexico. The result
has been reduced grass and herbaceous cover
and a significant increase in the amount of bare
ground. These factors have in turn severely
reduced their biological productivity, while
increasing their susceptibility to erosion and
reducing the quantity and quality of
groundwater.
“Regardless of how people feel about land uses
or management priorities, everyone agrees we
need to look at the land differently than we have
in the past,” said Rundell. “We are now
beginning to restore entire landscapes. It’s
amazing what can happen when folks have a
shared vision.”
The BLM is expanding its efforts with partners
this year to restore rangelands to a healthy and
productive condition throughout New Mexico.
Efforts are focusing on landscapes dominated
by mesquite, creosote, juniper and other
invasive species to restore native vegetation,
which also benefits watersheds and wildlife
habitat.
Starting this year, the BLM and its partners will
also begin attacking cheatgrass, an exotic
species that has taken over huge areas of
Nevada, Utah and other Great Basin states.
Partners under the program are also identifying
and reclaiming orphaned oil and gas wells,
pads, and roads in the Permian and San Juan
Basins.
The goal of brush treatments is to reduce the
incidence of brush in rangelands to historic
levels; in many areas, the percentage of brush
in a landscape has increased from 10 to 90
percent or more over the past 150 years,
radically reducing the biological productivity of
these areas.
Restore New Mexico partners include ranchers,
the Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS), New Mexico State Land Office, New
Mexico Department of Game and Fish, New
Mexico Association of Conservation Districts,
several Soil and Water Conservation Districts,
New Mexico State University, and the BLM.
ENMU production this week
PORTALES—The Department of Theatre and
Dance at Eastern New Mexico University in
Portales will present "Perla de Luna" at 7 p.m.
nightly from Wednesday, Jan. 23, through
Saturday, Jan. 26, in the University Theater
Center, Studio.
The show begins at 7 p.m. each night. General
admission is $4.
Directed by Felipe Macias, professor of theatre
at ENMU, the play is part of a series of Portales
"porch" plays currently in development by ENMU
alumni and Portales native Leonard Madrid. A
one-act version was presented as a reading at
the Kennedy Center American College Theatre
Festival Region VI in Tulsa, Okla., in March
2007. The play was subsequently juried and
invited to the 2008 regional festival in Huntsville,
Texas, as a fully realized production.
"The Department of Theatre and Dance is
proud to present Mr. Madrid’s work not only
because he is a graduate of our program but,
more importantly, because he is one of a
handful of young playwrights working to
establish a cultural voice specific to New Mexico
in the world’s dramatic community," said Macias.
The play features Hillary Livingston from
Portales as Perla de Luna whose performance
is done for partial completion of the Bachelor of
Fine Arts degree, Laura Holder from Artesia as
Cruz, DeDe Gonzales as Mariposa from
Portales, Alberto J. Hernandez from Los
Angeles as Calletano, Julie Amber Dorado as
Estrella from Carlsbad, and Mike Jimenez as
Oro from Roswell.
For more information, call the Department of
Theatre and Dance at 575.562.2711, or the Box
Office at 575.562.2710.
Traditions flourish at exhibit
ARTESIA - The Artesia Historical Museum & Art
Center is getting ready to present “Our
Traditions”, a community program for everyone,
on Saturday January 26, 2008 at 2:00-4:00 pm
in the Museum’s Art Annex at 503 West
Richardson Ave. in Artesia.
“Our Traditions” is part of our Smithsonian
exhibit “Key Ingredients” public programs, and
will give visitors a chance to not only check out
our exhibit but to learn about a variety of
traditional food growing & preservation methods
that are still being practiced today. Some of
these methods evolved through necessity, such
as the need to preserve food without electricity
and refrigeration. Others have survived the test
of time simply because they’re still the best way
to do things!
The “Our Traditions” program will be presented
in an informal, come & go format. Visitors are
invited to come by and learn about traditional
methods of gardening & composting (which was
originally a way to recycle kitchen waste) from
Eddy County Gardener of the Year Mary
Fanning. Jimi & Theresa Genzling of Desert
Eagle Farms in Lakewood will be on hand to
demonstrate food dehydration techniques and
to give leads on local sources for heirloom
crops. Susie Taylor of Loco Hills will also be
here to talk about traditional canning and other
food preservation & cooking methods that don’t
require refrigeration or electricity. In other
words, this is everyone’s chance to ask
questions, try some hands-on demonstrations,
and pick the brains of experts! Handouts will
also be available for everyone to take home.
But what would a food-related program be
without food?! We’ll have miniature jam/jelly
tarts, veggies marinated in a variety of herb-
flavored vinegars, pickles, and lots of different
dehydrated veggies to munch on. We’ll also
have recipes for everything available, plus some
new vintage recipes. If you haven’t participated
in our recipe swap meet yet, please consider
doing so: just bring us a copy of your favorite
recipe(s) and we’ll make copies and put them
out for everyone to pick up and enjoy!
Everyone is invited to attend our program—for
more information call (575) 748-2390 or visit
www.artesiamuseum.org.