~ ...--- ~ ....--- .....- ",.... ~ .- r-~-.-~ --. .......--- - ~ -.......-0;----- ...... ~~~ - -- ---- -- --- --- - -- ......---- ~ -_. -- ~. -- ...- --- -- -- - --- -.-~ --.-- ...- ~ - .- ------,--, ~ ~ -- " .. ;. - .....':- .. YE~R /1' , IIJ j OSO I~LlJql // 50 CENTS ISSl'E NO. 19- 36 PAGES RUI 1) () S (), NE \V ~1 E x I C () I{ j 1) A Y, l.l I.)' I: J 2 3 ., 1999 www.ruidosonews.com __-.L- • _ + Tax pushes Ruidoso to top ofthe list BY TONI K. LAxsON in the measure that will push \>. TAXING TIMES, see start discussing another 1/8 cent to RUIDOSO NEWS STAFF WRITER Ruidoso's tax rate over the 7-percent pay for a new jail, he said. Stewart mark. The commission unanimously how other towns };las said each liB-cent increase is pro­ ~ SPORTS Starting in January. a state first approved a 1/8-cent increase to pay for compare. page 2A jected to raise $335,000 a year. will occur in Ruidoso. indigent health care in the county. Ruidoso and Raton share the top Out-of-towners ''You will be the first over 7 per­ spot for gross receipt tax because both The 1/8-00nt tax increase becomes County will climb from 5.125 to 5.250 dash Ruidoso's cent." said Jwnes O'Neill. an official effect Jan. 1. Lincoln County Manager municipalities have had to repair with the New Mexico Taxation and percent. Gross receipts tax on a $100 'Ibm Stewart said. , aging water systems. said O'Neill. hopes in little Revenue Department, referring to a bag ofgroceries in the county and out­ director of tax policy in the state pending increase to Ruidoso's gross With that tax hike, Ruidoso's side any municipality will be $5.25 league tourney gross receipts tax will climb to 7.0625 department, does not mention the receipts tax rate. instead of $5.13. county's portion. cents on the dollar. and that will cost. Currently. Ruidoso is tied8JE'th Now, the county's only portion of ''The reason for it basically is PAGE 18 Raton for the state's highest for exwnple. consumers in Ruidoso the total gross receipts tax is 1/16 of a because Raton and Ruidoso were receipts tax at 6.9375 cents per .lIar. 12 cents more on a $100 worth of gro­ penny, Stewart said. The majority of allowed a I-cent supplemental tax by Last week., after several postpone­ ceries. or $7.06 instead of $6.94 in the grO~8 receipts tax goes to the state. ments and an emotional debate. gross receipts tax. Besides the 1/8 for an indigent health Lincoln County Commissioners voted Gross receipts taxes in Lincoln fund, county commissioners soon may See TAXES, page 2A .... VA-MONOS Business owners hope Sudderth face lift won't Musicians drum up create a main drag a benefit concert for one of their own BY MEsHA SMITH & TONI K. LAxsON pedestrians and extending the roa THE RUIDOSO NEWS walking shopping district. PAGE 100 As far as keeping shoppers Some uptown business owners away because of loSt parking fear that plans to beautify Sudderth spaces, Donaldson said most of Drive from midtown to Mechem the businesses in the planned Drive might end up hurting their improvement ~a have their ~ BUSINESS businesses. own parking spaces. as com­ "We do need to upgrade our pared to midtown where only iInage." said Jim Goodwin, owner of about five stores do. Yet. he Owners are 'wild, Scb1otzsky's Deli and TCBY Treats. said. shoppers find their way to Bu~ he added. "Every parking place . the midtown stores. wild' about doing basja dollarvalue and with every one _ Donaldson invited mer­ business in Ruidoso yoU;lose, you're l~that much rev­ ch~nts to schedule appoint­ en". Every parking place is worth tnents next week with village pAGE~ ab$.tt -$-$20200- a-day1:0 me." officials-to 1;alk about their con­ .Phase Two of the Main Street cerns. Business and property orolect, scheduled' to start in April owners along the planned and poss101y as soon as February, improvement area may sched­ will improve curbs, sidewalks, street ule an appointment by calling lights and landscaping, village offi­ village hall at 258-4343. cials 8QD0UDced. Thursday. Donaldson said plans for RUidoso Village Manager Alan the construction. though still a Briley said an estimated 50 percent work-in-progress, call for the of the on-street parking - along job to be completed in phases. ~ WEATHER curves. near driveways and in front with the areas in front of busi­ Mesha SmithlRuidoso News of businesses with other parking nesses without parking areas Uesa Westmacott, owner of Sweet Creations. says the Sudderth Drive improvements In uptown are Take your facilities - will be eliminated in the the first priority. The goal is to bound to effect her business and others. project. Instead, street parking will complete those areas before the umbrella ­ match that currently in midtown, summer tourism season is underway. said the street lights will not be the some business owners worried. also. more rain on where groups ofthree parkingspaces Though the start ofthe project·is same as the wooden lights in mid­ "I'm looking forward to it being tap for today are placed along the road. tentatively planned to start in April, town, which an: expensive and nicer, but not looking forward to the Thursday night, in the first of Donaldson said there's a possibility it require high maintenance. The new construction. There's so much ofthat PAGE 2A many planned public meetings about could take off as soon as February. street lights will cast the same the $1 million project, Ruidoso The project will incorporate bronze glow. though. already;' said Liesa Westmacott. Mayor Robert Donaldson addressed lessons learned from the first mid­ Sidewalks are to vary in size up owner of Sweet Creations. "I don't some merchants' worries. town improvement project and the to 10 feet across, Donaldson said. see how it can't not hurt the business "I know one of the big concerns ongoing work on Mechem Drive and Benches will be placed along the pro­ a little bit." ~ INDEX for businesses is parking," U.S. Highway 70. he said. ject along with garbage cans. Myra Taylor, who owns Donaldson told a group of about "This one is our project." Briley Landscaping plans include aspen Mountain Ski Shop with her hus­ Business..•.. 2C 'Movies 11 D wor~ added. "And we want to make sure Classifieds. 3B Old West 15D 20 people. "So. we are going to trees and a non-fntit bearing pear band, Ronnie, was more optimistic. with individual business owners that we write specifications tight tree as well as bushes and flowers. Crossword 7B Opinion 4A Deaths 3A ~Ie to get as much parking back there enough that we don't have the type The village will receive $750,000 "It will improve business up 28 of problems the state is having here;' Taylor said. She said that with Going Out . 10D Rear estak: ••• 3B as we can." in federal money for the project, Here & TI1ere 1C Spons 1B But, as he said repeatedly, the on Mechem." which Ruidoso will match with sidewalks, people might continue to Letters 4A Weather 2A beautification project is not about In outlining initial plans for $250,000 of its own. walk past midtown and visit the parking - it is about sidewalks. the project, Briley and Donaldson The impending construction has shops farther up on Sudderth. Convention staff rolls out the red carpet for bevy ofartists BY MEsHA SMITIf include arranging details with make it h. upen." FOR 71lE. RUIDOSO NEWS the Ruidoso Convention Center, Setting up for the Art Festival at where the festival takes place; the the Ruidoso Convention Center Months of hard work and prepa­ Sheriff's posse, for security; and food involves breaking doWtl the set-up ration provide the canvas that donations for the Chamber's ham­ from previous ,ctivities, cleaning the supports the colorful works of art on burger stand and the hospitality facilit)r, taking down all the movable ...... display today through Sunday at the room. Motines said. walls because the festival uses the .......... stand­ Ruidoso Art Festival. "Attention to details is the num­ entire conference area, setting up a Ing. board / '"This is a very important event ber one thing." she said. hospitality room and running electri­ member ofthe fOr us. We go all out for it,n said Cherie On Thursday, Chamber of cal cords, Cordova said. o.amberol Holmes, executive assistant for Commerce members and volunteers Monica Gonzales, office manager CoJi.i~ the Chamber of Commerce, who is in were busy dividing the convention at the convention center. said, and joan her first year of putting together 'the center's floor into 125 booths that are "It's really an on-going process:' She Z;wone. execu­ Art Festival. 10 feet by 10 feet. tagging spaces in tive director of said they started getting the conven­ !he~ The whole production starts in the parking lot for the artists and set­ tion center ready for the festival January when applications for theArt tingup a tent outside for food vendors. rape down on Thesday. booth cIvI:sIons Festival are sent out to artists. she Artist registration started around Cordova said the convention cen­ Inlheempty said. The applications. accompanied 1 p.m. Thursday. ter's staff had to make sure lighting c:.onvendan ~ by slides of the artists' work, are "You see a large room transfer into was adequate for each booth after the ta ~ve-person returned by March 17. A an elegant art show," Holmes said. artists arrived. and supplied them jury reviews the slides in animpartial For Manny Cordova, Ruidoso with tables and chairs ifneeded.