,.........--_ .....,_._ '_r_,,' '__ ,"~H-_""- . " • ~; I' ... I ; J I f I I I ! WEDNESDAY, OcroBER 2,1996 ISSUE 40 IN OUR 50TH YEAR 26 PAGES IN Two SECTIONS/50 CENTS Casino workers meet today Feds help with tions for the 253 inn rooms, he receives several calis every hour Mescalero flood o Tribe still awaits added. from people waiting for a decision "We always get quite a few on the Casino Apache motions. repair work court decision on groups in the fall," he said, "and it's "The emergency motion is in still been a prettybusy time for us." front of a panel ofjudges," she said The Mescalero Apache Tribe will request to reopen If the motions are approved ear­ for the umpteenth time when an­ get $7 million in emergency federal ly today, McCullough said he other call came in. ''When they'll funds to help it recover from flood­ thinks the tribe could reopen the make a decision, there's no way of ing that ravaged parts ofthe reser­ Casino Apache casino tonight. knowing." vation this summer. by KATHLEEN McDONALD "If we're able to reopen, we'll put No hearing about the motions is The funding is included in the them all back to work just like it scheduled, the clerk added. Omnibus Appropriations Bill that Ruidoso News Staff Writer Unemployment options will be was last Tuesday. The Mescalero Apache Tribe mo­ incorporates six appropriations "If we're not allowed to reopen, tions ask for stays (delays) on the bills. The House ofRepresentatives, laid out today in a meeting for ap­ proximately 270 Casino Apache em­ then others will be laid otT. It's al­ U.S. attorney's forfeiture and Senate and president have all ap­ ready the slow season, and now closure orders. The motions were proved the omnibus measure. The ployees. The workers including with no gaming.... filed Sept. 25 in the 10th Circuit bill is for the fiscal year beginning "We've been hopeful (for a deci­ Court of Appeals in Denver, the Oct. 1. dealers, security officers, bartenders and housekeepers ­ sion) every day. I wish we'd hear so same court that granted a similar Sen. Pete Domenici, a member of these people can go back to work stay for the Jicarilla Apache Tribe's the Senate Appropriations Com­ have been jobless since Sept. 24, when U.S. Attorney John Kelly and we can get back to business as casino on Sept. 24. mittee, said the bill includes $7 mil­ usual." lion for the Bureau of Indian M­ forced the casino to shut down. The In the motions, Mescalero State Department of Labor per­ fairs for eme.rgency stabilization of casino lies a few miles up the road Apache Tribe president Wendell sonnel from Alamogordo and the two dams, emergency road repair, from Ruidoso at the Inn of the Chino said the tribe would abide by Ruidoso suboffice will be at today's and other flood-related emergency Mountain Gods, and many of the the Court of Appeals' decision on a meeting to take collection claims expenditures. people who were laid off live in similar case appealed by nine New and distribute information about "This is an imponant appropria­ Ruidoso. Mexico pueblos. That appf;lal will be workers' rights and collection tion for the Mescaleros. I am The U.S. Court of Appeals Tues­ heard Nov. 20. responsibilities. pleased that my colleagues have day still had not ruled on a week­ agreed. to provide this funding," old request to let the casino reopen "What we hope is that when we While U.S. Attorney John Kelly Domemci said. while the tribe appeals a court get there at 8 o'clock we'll hear they fOJ"Ced Casino Apache to close by .... New Mexico Indian tribes are ruling that the casino is illegal. A got a stay," said Eddie Beagles, the threatening to take its machines also included in the request for $5.6 court clerk said it's impossible to director of the workforce develop­ and freeze its bank accounts, he million to respond to fire damage tell when the ruling on the tribe's ment center, on Tuesday. agreed to let the pueblos' casinos earlier this year. Tribes in Arizona, emergency motions will take place. If not, casino employees can ex­ stay open because they signed a California, Colorado, Minnesota, A number of usual daytrippers pect to get a maximum $2121week court agreement saying they would Kathleen McDonaldffhe Rwdoso New, Montana, Oregon and Washington to the mountain resort have in unemployment, Beagles said. close if they lose the appeal. The will also be eligible for this as­ vanished during the past week, Inn Mescalero and Jicarilla Apache Born to ride sistance. of the Mountain Gods manager Stili waiting for ruling tribes did not sign such a court­ Ruidoso Pollee Detective Wolfgang Born placed second in his John McCullough said. approved agreement with Kelly, so division in the White Mountain Cup Challenge Saturday on Ski However, the hotel hasn't expe­ A federal Court of Appeals clerk Kelly is fighting their attempts to Run Road north of Ruidoso. Please see Sports page for details. Children can still rienced "any huge drop" in reserva- said Tuesday from Denver she stay open. sign up for parade Children in grades kindergarten to sixth can sign up still for Satur­ day's Aspenfest parade. Entry County will help Hospital seeks county aid forms are available at the Ruidoso Valley Chamber ofCommerce. Those entered in the parade for expansion, remodel plans should assemble in the New Mexico do village projects Financial Services parking lot lo­ by DIANNE STALLINGS "If we use the county's 'facilities' by DIANNE STALLINGS agencies would be included on cated at the intersection ofMechem Ruidoso News Staff Writer money on the hospital, we remove LINCOLN COUNTY MEDICAl and Sudderth drives. Children and Ruidoso News Staff Writer insurance coverage in case an Hospital officials asked Lincoln Ruidoso village and school accident occurs in the parking it from our other facilities and we CENTER EXPANSION COSTS their bicycles and/or pets should be County commissioners Tuesday for have buildings all over the place," district officials won the coopera­ , (estimated) lined up by 9 a.m. when the judging lot. $1.7 million toward remodeling and tion of Lincoln County com­ Spencer said. contest begins. The village will bear all con­ additions at the county medical Construction $1,427,500 missioners for two construction Commission Chairman Monroy The Aspenfest parade steps off struction costs, Jackson said. center in Ruidoso. Out-building 165,000 projects Tuesday. The new $1.6 million library is Construction won't begin until Montes told Mitchell and Miller to Furnishings and fixtures 249,500 at 10 a.m. But cooperation carried a come back in 30 days with some The children participating will being built between village hall July 1997, and may take three Design fees 185,500 price tag. sub~office, alternative methods or combined exit the parade at the Ruidoso and the currently the years to complete, she said. Reimbursibles 30,000 Commissioners agreed to al­ methods of funding, and more State Bank on Sudderth. Parents home for the county health Remodeling will have to be accom­ Contingency 160,000 Iowa 5Ox100-foot strip of county detailed construction figures. should pick up their children at the nurse and a second base for the plished with minimal disruptions to Taxes 133,600 land to become part of a pro­ Ruidoso State Bank parking lot. sheriff's office. departments, she said. Hospital auxiliary representa­ TOTAL $2,351,000 posed continuous parking lot The second part of the vil­ Hospital board member Gary tives said they raised $150,000 this linking village hall to a new pub­ lage's request took longer. Mitchell reminded commissioners year for the hospital and would Next DWI blitz lic library and to the county's Jackson said the village and the $2.35 million project will dedicate future fundraising to the starts Friday sub-office on Kansas City Street. school district need county help benefit the public in more than im­ construction project. Proposed hospital In exchange, Village Manager to provide access to a $1 million, proved medical care since the 39­ About $390,000 of the voter­ The next Operation DWI blitz Gary Jackson said he will recom­ 17-acre sports field complex bed hospital belongs to the county. approved special tax levy each year construction work begins on Friday, Oct. 4, and con­ mend the Ruidoso Village Coun­ being built at the White Presbyterian HealthCare Systems is used for operation of the hospital Proposed Lincoln County Medi- tinues through Sunday, Oct. 13. cil waive a $500 per month rent Mountain elementary and mid­ based in Albuquerque is the man­ and $410,000 is supposed to go for cal Center improvements include: Thejust-completed blitz in Sep­ currently being paid by the dle school compound. agement company. capital outlay, Miller said. But for-. - alterations to bring the­ tember netted 87 DWI arrests out county to house ajuvenile proba­ More than 1,000 children at· The hospital also is a major the past two years, the hospital has laboratory into compliance with of 45,484 vehicles passing through tion office at the police depart­ tending the three schools there employer with a annual payroll of used $278,000 of that capital outlay hospital building codes; 45 checkpoints and 34 saturation ment. as well as other groups would $5.3 million, Mitchell said. money to pay the county's Medicaid enlarging undersized patrol areas, officials said.