Veteto award winners named - Hobbs Chamber of Commerce

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HOBBS
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LOVINGTON
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DENVER CITY
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2014
Community News
The Hobbs Police
Department invites the
public to a COMMUNITY COFFEE at 7:30
a.m., today at the HPD
headquarters. Enter
through the north
doors.
Faith in Action is hosting its CELEBRITY
DINNER at 6 p.m.,
Thursday in the Magic
Ballroom, in the
Broadmoor Shopping
Center. For more information, call 318-9525.
50 cents
Jal chief suspended without pay
LEVI HILL
NEWS-SUN
Jal’s top cop, Police Chief Larry
Burns, has been put on a 10-day suspension without pay following an in-house
investigation by Jal’s City Manager
Bob Gallagher.
Gallagher released a statement on the
findings
of
his
investigation
Wednesday. Burns was placed on paid
leave on April 16 after Gallagher said he
received information that he felt warranted an investigation.
“We have looked carefully and completely at the alleged actions of Chief
Burns and have concluded the allega-
be inconsistent with his obligation to
the city and reflected disregard of the
city interest,” Gallagher wrote. “I am
disappointed in the judgment the Chief
used and have reminded him of the
high standard of behavior that is
required of his office and that the public has every right to expect of him and
of all of us.”
Gallagher said details of the investigation would not be released due to the
fact that it is a personnel matter.
Burns, who said on April 16 he intended to resign his position, said
Wednesday he had decided not to
resign.
tions were factual
and the evidence
supported the facts,”
Gallagher wrote.
Based on the finding, Gallagher said
he notified Burns he
would
be:
Suspended without
pay for 10 days,
beginning April 28
and ending May 9, Burns
and upon his return
will be placed on a three-month probation.
“I found the actions of Chief Burns to
I LOVETT TRIAL
HPD
officer
testifies
The Lea County Board
of COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS will
meet at 9 a.m.,
Thursday, at the Lea
County Courthouse in
the Commission
Chambers located at
100 North Main Ave.,
in Lovington. For more
information, call 3968602.
CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT
NEWS-SUN
The ALZHEIMER'S
ASSOCIATION N.M.
Chapter Caregiver
Support group will
meet at 1 p.m., Friday at
the Agnes Kastner Head
Community Center, 200
E Park in Hobbs. For
more information, call
575-624-1552.
Inside Today
Obituaries ...........................2
Mark the date ....................3
Fun & Games ......................7
Weather ..............................8
Sports ..................................9
Classifieds..........................12
TV ......................................14
Lottery...............................14
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PRICES
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Posted
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HOBBS SCHOOLS PHOTOS
Jefferson Elementary teacher Ida Garcia, left, was surprised by her family, co-workers and students when
members of the Veteto Foundation showed up in her classroom on Tuesday morning with the news that she
is a Veteto Excellence in Teaching award winner.
Five Hobbs teachers to receive $5,000 checks for excellence in the classroom
Veteto award winners named
GABRIELA MUÑOZ
NEWS-SUN
Hobbs High School teacher Karen
Jackson had two reasons to celebrate
on Tuesday — the birth of her new
grandson Luke and news that she had
been named a 2014 Veteto Excellence
in Teaching Award recipient.
Clad in jeans and a T-shirt in
honor of Earth Day, Jackson was
surprised with the announcement
during her Environmental Science
class Tuesday morning. Members
of the Veteto Foundation, Veteto
Foundation Selection Committee
members, school administrators
and her husband, Bob Jackson,
were on hand to present her with
flowers and an invitation to accept
her award at the awards banquet
next month. At the banquet, the
recipients will be presented with a
$5,000 check.
Jackson was one of five Hobbs
teachers who were notified of the
honor Tuesday. Other award recipients are Jefferson Elementary thirdgrade dual language teacher Ida
Garcia, Edison Elementary special
education teacher Dorothy Noseff;
Houston Middle School band teacher
SEE VETETO, Page 6
575.392.0664
Cell: 575.631.8789
4220 Lovington Highway
Hobbs, New Mexico 88240
email: [email protected]
website: www.hobbstrailersnm.com
David Moghaddam - Owner
“We’ll follow you Anywhere!”
REBECCA
LONG
226 W. Vega
Hobbs, NM
88240
Jodie Day
BY BUCK VANDERMEER
FOR THE NEWS-SUN
[email protected]
auto • home • life • commercial
I recently began searching for photos and
stories about Lea County veterans to be
given to the Lea County Museum’s veterans
memorial. The pictures will be mounted on
the Wall of Heroes. Here are four stories of
people I would like to see on the wall.
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1021 E. Bender, Hobbs, NM
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Bryan Cheney
Karen Jackson
Dorothy Noseff
CARLSBAD — For almost six
hours Tuesday Rodney Porter sat
in the witness stand answering
questions and describing photos.
Porter,
the
Hobbs
Police
Department’s lead investigator
was a detective sergeant in 2002
when he was assigned to investigate the death of Elizabeth
Garcia. Porter continued his testimony during the fifth day of the
Paul Lovett murder trial in a Fifth
Judicial
District
Courtroom. Lovett is
being retried
for the Jan. 15,
2002 murder of
Garcia.
Porter
was
able to identify
the tire and
shoe
impressions found at Lovett
the
murder
scene and was able to locate samples of the items that matched the
impressions. Lovett’s car had
been repossessed, but during the
investigation it was found in
Lafayette, La., by local law
enforcement.
“I asked that (if Louisiana law
enforcement officials would) go to
a dealership and take samples
from that car,” Porter said. “They
were sent to an (Federal Bureau of
Investigation) lab for analysis.”
Porter said the samples sent
were not sufficient for analysis
and the car had to be obtained.
Porter testified that he and another HPD officer traveled to
Louisiana to purchase the car.
“The City of Hobbs purchased
that vehicle,” Porter said. “We
sealed the doors with evidence
tape, the trunk, the hood. We
loaded it up on a trailer and drove
it back to Hobbs. It was in mid to
late 2003.”
Once the vehicle was in custody,
detectives were able to obtain
measurements tying the vehicle to
the scene. The original tires of the
vehicle were not present but a
receipt obtained during the investigation showed the tires the vehicle previously had.
“(Measurements) between the
wheels of the car was 55 inches,”
Porter said. “The wheel base
SEE TRIAL, Page 6
Four suggestions for the veterans’ Wall of Heroes
575-393-2661
$69.99
“I was talked out of doing that. My citizens asked me to stay,” he said.
Burns is running for the district three
magistrate judge seat in Lea County on
the Republican ticket. He said he
intents to continue running for that
position.
“I am still campaigning and still running for office and this should not affect
it in any way what-so-ever,” he said.
Burns has been with the Jal Police
Department since 1992 and the town’s
police chief for 12 years. He had no further comments on the investigation or
his suspension.
Chito Ramirez
Buck
VanderMeer
Stories from the
Buckboard
I interviewed Chito Ramirez two years ago
just prior to his 90th birthday. He was born
on May 28, 1922 in San Diego, Texas, near
Corpus Christi, to Valentin and Eliza
Ramirez. He and his brothers Mac and
Ventura served in the Army during World
War II.
“My father served in World War I,” Chito
said. “I was 18 when I was drafted into the
Army.”
“Before I left my father showed me a map
of everywhere he had been in the first war,”
he continued. “My brother’s, Mac and
Ventura and I, actually followed our father’s
footsteps across northern France, the
Ardeene Forest and the Rhineland. We liberated some of the same towns and villages
where our father had fought in WWI.
The most emotionally difficult moments of
the war for Ramirez came during the battle
for the crossing of the Rhine River.
“We were under the command of General
George Patton,” he said. “The Germans had
blown up all the bridges. They were trying
to prevent our crossing the river. It was a
terrible battle. One of my brother’s was
injured and I couldn’t find the other one.”
Fortunately all of the brothers came home
from the war. On May 26, 1946 Chito married Gollita. They had six children. In 1967
he moved the family to Hobbs. When asked
what the United States meant to him Chito
put his hand said, “es mi corazon,” meaning
“it is my heart.”
Chito celebrates his 92nd birthday next
month.
Jim Daugherty
Jim Daugherty, 88, of Hobbs, served in the
U.S. Navy during World War II. He was born
SEE HEROES, Page 4
FROM
HOBBS NEWS-SUN • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2014
Lovett
from PAGE 1
KIMBERLY RYAN/NEWS-SUN
USW awards
Women’s basketball player Anika Hostos receives the athlete of the year award from USW President Gary Dill
Monday night during the second annual Academic and
Athletic Awards Banquet.
Baseball player Cody Woods
receives champion of character award Monday at the
USW banquet.
Men’s basketball player
Andres Gomez receives the
athlete of the year award
Monday at the banquet.
Men’s basketball
player Daniel
Bolar receives
the champion of
character award
Monday during
the second annual Academic and
Athletic Awards
Banquet at the
Maddox Student
Life Center on
the USW campus.
Veteto
from PAGE 1
Bryan Cheney; and Houston
Middle School business technology teacher Jodie Day.
This is the eighth year the
Veteto Foundation has recognized Hobbs teachers with its
Excellence
in
Teaching
Awards.
The
foundation,
founded by Mark Veteto and
his father, the late Burton
Veteto, accepts nominations,
submitted by parents, co-workers and students.
A five-member committee
then selects five teachers to
honor for their service to the
schools and the community.
“They go through every one
of the applications and ask
themselves, ‘Who has made a
difference, not only in the
classroom, but in the community,’” said Veteto. “And this
(recognition) is a simple way
for people like me — who are
not educators — to say, ‘We
acknowledge what you do. We
respect what you do and more
than anything, we hope you
continue doing what you do.’”
Jackson said she was thankful for the honor, but ultimately credited her students for her
love of teaching.
“I always said the best part of
my job is the people that sit in
these seats,” Jackson said.
At Jefferson, Ida Garcia
received hugs of congratulations from family members,
co-workers and her students.
“Thank you so much,”
Garcia said. “I don’t know
what to say, I’m surprised and
I’m so happy.”
“She’s good,” said nine-yearold Carlos Garcia, a student in
Garcia’s class. “She’s my
favorite teacher. She’s the best
teacher in the world.”
Fellow Jefferson teacher and
parent of one of Garcia’s students, Veronica Castillo, lauded her not only as an educator
but as a mentor.
“When I started working
here, even though she wasn’t
assigned to be my mentor, she
took the time to help,” Castillo
said. “She’s great. She goes
above and beyond.”
While
Houston
teacher
Bryan Cheney was at a loss for
words when he received the
news of the honor, his students
had plenty to say about him.
“He’s one of my favorite
teachers,” said eighth-grader
Duncan Newey. “He’s one of
the best teachers that I’ve ever
had.”
“He’s been such an influence
and inspiration to me,” added
eighth-grader Colby Coleman.
“He’s a role model. He’s one of
my favorite teachers as well.”
Committee member Sara
Sroufe said the committee was
overwhelmed with testimonies
like Newey’s and Coleman’s.
“There was story after story
after story about what a difference (Mr. Cheney) makes
in these kid’s lives,” Sroufe
said. “He was a shoo-in for
this award. It was an easy
choice.”
And while Houston teacher
Jodie Day was busy helping
write the nominations for her
peers, others were busy writing hers.
“She’s usually the one helping write them,” said Principal
Donna Jones. “She had no idea
she was even nominated. She
was writing letters and had no
idea others were writing letters for her.”
Day was shocked to find the
tables were turned this year,
she said.
“I nominate others,” Day
said. “I was on the (nomination) committee. I thought I
knew what was going on.”
“I think she deserves it,” said
eighth-grader Justin Fraley of
Day’s award. “She’s one of the
best.”
And while there are many
people who take on the job of
educating children, only a
handful take on the responsibility of teaching special
needs
children.
Special
Education teacher Noseff is
one of those few.
Principal Pat Duran said she
was thrilled to hear Noseff
was a recipient of the award.
“I was so excited,” Duran
said with a laugh. “She is an
amazing teacher.”
But Noseff said she could not
take full credit for the award
alone.
“I have five wonderful ladies
that I work with in the classroom,” Noseff said, “and I love
my job. I love the kids.”
Hobbs Superintendent TJ
Parks congratulated each
teacher and expressed his
appreciation for their hard
work and for the recognition
from the Veteto Foundation.
“The best part about it is that
between the wheels at the crime
scene was also 55 inches.”
During
cross-examination
defense
attorney
Michael
Rosenfield asked Porter if those
measurements were common or
if they could have been found in
any other vehicle. Porter
responded “yes” to both questions.
Rosenfield showed Porter a
binder containing more than 30
documents that displayed communications between HPD and
FBI about items that were sent
to the FBI to study and came
back to HPD with results. The
documents had different items
from several suspects including
Lovett. He asked Porter what
the purpose of sending those
documents to the FBI was.
“The ultimate purpose for me
sending things to the FBI crime
lab was to find the truth,”
Porter said. “I then provide
those results to the DA’s office
and we worked together to try
and find out what we will do
with the investigation.”
Rosenfield also asked Porter
about any evidence that was
found in Lovett’s vehicle.
“There were no indications
that blood was present or that it
had been cleaned up,” Porter
said.
Porter was then asked about
an initial list of suspects connected to Garcia which contained 28 names. Rosenfield
asked if Lovett’s name was
included on that list and Porter
responded “No.”
Next on the stand was Kaylee
Lay, Lovett’s ex-wife who was
married to him from 2002-05.
Lay gave detectives a box of athletic shoes that belonged to
Lovett. The same brand and
model of shoes matched shoe
impressions found at the scene
of the crime. Her testimony was
short as she only identified the
box as being the same she gave
detectives.
The last witness was Herb
Hedges. In 2002 Hedges worked
in the brand protection department of an athletic shoe company. As part of his duties he
would identify shoe imprints for
law enforcement and defense
attorneys during trials. He identified the shoes that Lovett was
teachers are getting recognition for things that they don’t
know they are getting recognition for,” Parks summed up.
“And I don’t know of very
many communities in the state
of New Mexico where we have
wearing from a photograph that
detectives had in their possession.
“They have different individual
characteristics
that
matched the ... shoe,” Hedges
said. “The color combination,
the color pop, the four foot support straps, the reflective material and the color pops on the
out sole. All those things add
together to make a unique
upper.”
He was able to identify three
separate models of shoes that
had the same out sole that could
have made that impression.
In
cross-examination
Rosenfield asked if about
200,000 shoes with that out sole
were produced for sale in the
United States.
“It’s more like 280,000,” Hedges
said.
In 2007, Lovett was convicted
for the murders of Garcia and
Hobbs resident Patty Simon,
who was murdered in 2003.
Lovett was arrested the same
day Simon’s body was found
after he was located shirtless,
covered with scratches and
wearing
bloody
jeans.
According to reports, Lovett
was connected to Garcia’s case
through DNA evidence in the
form of semen found on her
underwear.
In August of 2012, The N.M.
Supreme Court ordered a retrial
on Garcia’s murder citing that
both cases should have been
tried separately. Lovett’s conviction in Simon’s death was
upheld.
Following last week’s jury
selection, the prosecution called
eight witnesses involved in the
investigation of Garcia’s disappearance including law enforcement officials, family members
and the man who discovered
Garcia’s body.
New Mexico Chief Medical
Examiner Dr. Ross Zumwalt
was then called to testify about
practices in securing evidence
as well as his report of Garcia’s
autopsy. He testified about cause
of Garcia’s death.
“There was a large number of
wounds on her,” Zumwalt said.
“This particular case would
result in slow bleeding. It took a
while before enough blood was
lost to cause death.”
Zumwalt’s testimony almost
caused a mistrial as he made
THE FRONT PAGE
reference to a form that was
used in the previous trial before
he was stopped by Rosenfield.
As part of the retrial and to
insure a fair trial no mention of
the previous conviction could
be used during the retrial.
On Monday, Lovett’s ex-wife
Shelley Terrell, who was married to him in 2002, and Porter
were among those called to the
witness stand.
Terrell was questioned about
some photos and receipts that
she gave to detectives during the
6
investigation as well as whether
Lovett was home the night
Garcia died. She said that while
he was at home when she fell
asleep, she had no knowledge if
Lovett was at home the entire
night.
During the 2007 trial, Lovett
was convicted of two counts of
first degree murder, one count
of kidnapping and one count of
criminal sexual penetration.
Jurors opted for a life in prison
sentence even though the death
penalty was available at the
time.
a foundation like this that recognizes their teachers. We’re
very blessed.”
Gabriela Muñoz can be reached at
391-5437 or [email protected].
Anyone Interested in
Umpiring USSSA Baseball
Please Call
DeMond Thomas
(575) 492-2580
My Life, My Choice...NO DRUGS!
You may think it best to host a party at your house for
your youth to consume alcohol. Think Again!
Throw a party where teens drink
and you may go to jail!
• 32% of parents and 35% of teens know of parents who host teen alcohol parties
• 23% of teens have attended a party where alcohol is served to underage youth, while
parents thought the number closer to 12%
• 6 people under the age of 21 die every day from non-driving, alcohol related accidents
Source: “Parents Who Host, Lose the Most: Don’t be a party to teenage drinking” Evaluation Report, January 2008
PO Box 5403 - Hobbs, NM 88241
575-391-1301 • Fax (575) 391-1303
www.communitydrugcoalition.com
Join the CDC and others to fight back. Don’t allow drugs and alcohol
to negatively impact your life or the lives of your family.