Zia Natural Gas Takes Its Case to the People
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OlJR 5 2ND '•{fl\H oso 50 Cf.NTS ) ) I{ ll I D ( > '-, < > , '\11 XI<() \\: I· D "'..: l "1 I) .\ 1 ., I ) I ( . ) 1 l) i.) ~ Zia Natural Gas takes its case to the people BY DIANNE STALLINGS CCNG. The two utilities have been battling know or understand it, for sure the population that this litigation is improper and should be RUIDOSO NEW\ HAH WR/fU! since the sale over accusations each side doesn't. We're just trying to educate the pPoph.' dismissed and we should get all of our legal fees breached the terms they do have options out there." and costR. At this time, because of our awarPness that people don't know what's going on, we After years of wrangling with village offi The most recent lawsuit was filed by CCNG against Zia asking the court to condemn the thought it would ht' very bendicial (to placP the cials in Capitan and Carrizozo, Zia Natural Gas The litigation continues ads!. I und(·rstand a bond issue (f,,r water, build president David Hamilton is taking his case to same four-inch line so it can be reacquired by ing and equipment improvemenU.J failed to pass the people. the municipal utility. Zia officials have stated A6rreeing to the purchase doesn't nec<•ssarily that when the villages' special low rate expires mean the pending litigation would be wiped (in Capitan). Here's an opportumt_v to take a Zia, which already serves Ruidoso, has look at what ht'nefits we can offer.·· placed two advertisements in today's Ruidoso in 2003, a much higher charge will be imposed if clean, she said. they are using Zia to transport their gas. Capitan Mayor Norman Iienfro couldn't be News about the utility's offer to buy the ''The only litigation we have right now is thP n·ached for comment and Trustee Debra Ingle Capitan-Carrizozo Municipal Natural Gas 'We have always had that offer out there," condemnation action brought against us," said she hadn't heard about the offer, although Zia attorney Mercedes Fernandez-Wells said Fernandez-Wells said. ''This doesn't necessarily Company for $489,000, plus a $125,000 bonus. ::;he waR aware of the l ~~:2 agreement. The bonus offer, an added incentive, is good Thesday. "I think what happened was that dur mean it's going to go away just like that. We be Carrizozo Mavor Manuel l1ernandez, who only until Jan. 5, but village officials have until ing the depositions we were taking Con the con lieve that purchasing the utility's assets would also sits on the gas hoard with Renfro, said the year 2001 to require Zia to buy the company demnation lawsuit), it was revealed to us (that) resolve a lot of conflicts and be of benefit to Tuesday he hadn't spt•n the offer, but he's inter- that is operated by the two villages. That provi some of the council people didn't know there was everybody. sion is part of a 1992 contract Zia signed when it an option to require us to buy the system. 'We haven't made this offer to try to settle purchased a 4-inch transmission line from 'We thought if some of the councilors don't the litigation. We're very strong in our position 'lt"l" GAS. IUgt• !.A ----------- ~----------------· High"W"ay Mayor's vvork cuts 'Rec Plaza' phone lines plan revealed Multi-million dollar facilitv 450 Ruidoso customers \\·ins t< >tal council backing without service for '5 hours BY To!'<I K. LAX'>O~ Rill>< J\Cl "U \ \I If/ \\ 1{/1/1< BY TONI K. LAXSON l!l'/CX)!,() NEW.S ~TAH WR/Tf_R A multi-million-dollar recreational plaza in J{uidoso, induding an indoor Telephone lin~s went dead swimming pool and a rpcrPation cl'n Monday afternoon for about 450 tn, took its first step toward reality Ruidoso homes and businesses '1\H·sday night. after a road crew inadvertently cut Mayor H.obPrt Donaldson gained a main line, a GTE spokesperson unanimous backing from village coun said Thesday. cilors 'l'u<'sdily for his :26-page concep "There was a cable cut - a t ual hhwprint ((,r the rPcreational subcontractor for Meadow Valley complex -- to he built on Hull Road Contractors cut a cable," said rwxt to the playing fields of the White Briana Gowing with GTE. "And it :'>.1ountain sports complex. affe~d aboJ-lt 450 customers." "We would develop this as our own Meadow Valley Contractors, town's plan·. wht•n• the citizen~; of Inc., is the Phoenix-based compa Ruidoso comP to play." Donaldson told ny contracted by the state for sev tlw n>uJwii. adding that th(' plaza eral highway improvement pro would lu.-tt•r a sense of com1nunity a:-; jects, including two on Mechem a n•cn·:ttHmal arpa for a rang£> of agt' Drive. Ben Chn~man/Ra.ndoso Nt·....-, h'T< I\ II,.., A memorial service was held Monday for Ruidoso News columnist and area residertt Dan Stonn at the Glencoe Rural Events Center A subcontractor for the compa ·~rhat"-.; what this is rPallv all The center-piece of the memorial se!Vlce. upper left. featured Stonn"s remarkable hat that he alwar-o wore. The crowd at the serv1ce. lower left. ny apparently cut the cable at about \Vp havP gnt to crPate. that numbered about 300 people. The service was officiated by the Rev. Canon John W Penn. wear1ng wh1te 1n the p1cture at nght. who was ass1sted '-'!'llS!' of t"CIIl1Tllllflil\', and OTJCP WP de about 3:15 p.m. Monday, when by Father Art Tripp. and Susan Penn, who is not pictured. telephone service was lost. GTE vt•Jop that II will hE·· much PasiPr to do crews restored the service about ottwr I hing-; hPcausP WP will all hl• five hours later, Gowing said. rnovmg in I ht• ,.;anw din-ction," he said. 1-{.oughlv pn~Jt't·!Pd to eost ahout $.') Among those affected by the " ... who is my friend and not a stranger" mill10n. tht· rt'lTPation plaza would he service outage was Zianet, a Las built w-ing a combination of funding Cruces business that provides sourTt':--. lw ~;ud. local Internet access, and several County residents say goodbye to Dan In thP concl'ptual plan Donaldson businesses in the Sierra Mall off of ~pt·nt thn•t• \"'PPks drafting, a :>0- Mechem Drive, though· neither Danny Boy" as anothPr trihutP to "'I can talk tu all ttw cm... ·s."" Dan BY TERRANCF v fSTAL ml'tl'r mdoor sv.:in1n1ing pool and ad Eastem New Mexico University had told his hrothur. "'I can call ·Pm R I '/[)( J.\0 !"TU "\ l Dn C)R Storm. Joining Hunloso Parks ;md H.("Cn'ation nor Ruidoso State Bank lost tele Storm knew instinctively not hv namP and t hPv'll raisP I twir oflicP would l'ost an p;.;lmwtPd $:~ mil phone service, officials said h·(·ads like thPy kno~-.· t h(•ir nanws ... He was remembered as a broth only the people, but the sPasons and lion. It could bt> fundt'Cl with gPnPral At Long's United Drug, em er, a friend and "almost a saint." the nature of the vallPv, PPnn said. Lynn Storm said he had gottt•n a oblig;ttion bond:-;. A vote on thP bond "He had an inahiiitv to sav an "funny feeling" as if ht> had rPCPiYt-d ployees could not run customers' The Rev. Canon .John W. Penn of J:-;o-;\ll' could ht• h1·ld in thP fall of :.WOO. a mf'ssagf' from be:-v·ond from Dan. credit cards or make calls on pre the Episcopal Church of Lincoln unkind word about ail:v person:· h{' ~:ud scriptions, store owner Bill Long County, who officiated the memorial Penn said. ''Though sometimes I"m "TPll "em thanks.·· I .vnn Storm ( >thr·r pn1po-.;als for thP n'<.TPation said_ service for Dan Storm at the Glencoe sure that could be a struggle." said of that mPssage fron1 Dnn. 'Tt•ll pl;ua. to hr· p<ud fi>r through various A private funeral servicP was ·Pm thanks for t hP Ion· and t hP n· "And Monday's the worst day Rural Events Center, said he re '-'<1\lrt't'"· IIJdud£• t \\U lt'TH1J:-; court:-;. a :Z held ParliPr Monday at St Annt.'s spPct that thPy -.;how!'d mP ·· for something like that to happen," called when he came to the area :HT!' ptcnll· park. a prP-tPPn play· Long said, adding that Monday some 10 years ago people Chapel, Glencot'. and KPith C:rt>Pn. ('ditorial advisl'r grmrnd. thn•p additi1>nal milP:-; of Storm was bunPd at a typically is a big day for prescrip told him about this colum "} k had ;111 and formf'r puh!J:-;h<'r of tlw Ru"lmw walking_JIIg}-.'lllg p:1th~. a fuuntain tions. ''That was a problem. A very nist for the local paper. familv plot on th!' sunnv ,Vcit's said Storm had hPt'n '"'''''n as l);trk and ;tn otrtdour l£•ctun· :-;J1p inahilitv to ~a\· big problem." "I had this vision of . side of the valle.V nPar h{s the embodiment of thP pap<•r ThP honds would not add to cur home. Next door, the Furr's this big, tall sophisticated an unkmd we >r<l "The Ruuloso News wJII go on," n•nt tax r:t!t':-:. hPC<IOSP Hu1dnso v.·ill Supermarket st.ore was asking high-powered columnist," about an\' Lynn Storm, Dan's (;reen said.