IUIIIUIIUIIIIUUIJ Uibli i'11 ti ;) u, jl V4 ~ 1,4~ i ,~:, OUR 5 JRD YEAR nJ~kU ~UbLlJHtNb JUUiHRt,, JIL~41 tbtl l lAMULLL uh Ll ~A:,u ,, 1nu:i olt~ oso DVVJ 50 CENTS RUIDOSO, NEW MEXICO FRIDAY, MARCH ISS\ I~. NO. H6. 32PA(,ES • 24, 2000 W\\'W.ruidosonews.com . ' . .. • f! • "" •• I ·~~- 4 ~' I Jr. > 1 """1 ' ·• \ Firefighters . i I establish t> SPORTS Warrior softball . agreement finds two in the Wln column Mutual assistance strives PAGE 18 for better protection BY jAMES KALVELAGE RUIDOSO NEWS S1AH WJ!IIER t> VAMONOS Fire fighting departments across Lincoln County and the Mescalero Apache Reservation have established a mutual assistance agreement to pro­ duce what they say will be a quick re­ sponse in the event of grass or forest fires. The accord, dubbed a mutual aid alert, is in response to the dry condi­ tions the region has seen this winter. Local artist finds It is believed to be the first such mu­ tual aid alert agreement in the area. Dianne Sr:alhngs/Rwdoso News 'Brushes "The departments have met a cou­ Thomas Chavez, wearing cap at right, Ruidoso emergency manager; confer.; with representatrves from village departments and from state and ple of times in the past· month," said federal agencies dunng a drill Wednesday to test local response to a possrble Mescalero dam filllure. with indulgences' Virgil Reynolds, Ruidoso's fire chief. "The volunteer and paid department PAGE 3D members are paying increased atten­ tion to the situation. n Agencies team up for disaster drill The agreement divides the region into two sections, east and north. BY DIANN£ STALLINGS The east sector includes the com­ 11.11/DOSO Nl'W.\ HA:..::I~·l-_:WIUT.c..=.::.;ER=-.:.... ______ dination for a mock flood. The next "It may be the time to trigger r:.,., BUSINESS munities of Glencoe, Hondo, Lincoln, will cover responses for a wild fire, an evacuation of the people in the Mescalero, Ruidoso and Ruidoso Officials from Ruidoso, state he said. flood zone area," he said. Downs, as well as fire-fighting crews and federal agPncies huddled over The day-long drill pointed Dut From the Mescalero viewpoint, Tour bus company from the Lincoln National Forest. maps and relayed messages by a need to write t.he village's evacu­ Curtis Williams, who supervises The north includes Bonito, Capi­ emergency radios as they pre­ ation plan in coordination with emergency responses on the reser­ opens in Ruidoso tan, Carrizozo, Mescalero, Ruidoso pared to evacuate residents living each level of alert used by the vation and oversees the reservoir, and the Forest Service. down stream of the Mescalero Mescalero Apache Tribe for the wants a better system of commu­ PAGE 3C "If a wild land fire breaks out, say dam lake reservoir and earthen dam at nications established to coordinate in our village, once we get there, if we The di~aster was only on the Inn of the Mountain Gods. with the village, Chavez said. feel it's more than we can handle, we paper Wednesday, but the drill in~ "For instance, their level one "Over the years planning just say 'automatic aid,"' said Nick volving about 50 people and com­ awareness is simply realizing that these exercises, I've seen better Herrera, Ruidoso Downs' fire chief mand posts in Ruidoso, Ruidoso lake depth is increasing;.. Chavez and better cooperation with The agreement, awaiting signa­ Downs, Mescalero, Santa Fe and said. "At level two, we should start Mescalero," he said. "Curtis tures from just a few fire departments in Carrizozo was designed to point preparing for the rise of stream Williams is super to work with. [> HOME & FAMILY in Lincoln County, was initially con­ out weaknesses in the chain. and lake levels below the dam." We share resources and infonna­ ceived last spring, following a 10-acre Thomas Chavez, emergency Carrizozo Creek is fed directly tion." fire in a forested, largely residential manager for Ruidoso, said such by the lake and connected to the Notice of a possible disaster A special trip area of Ruidoso, Herrera said. The drills are useful in showing lapses Rio Ruidoso. triggers the formation of com­ May 16, 1999, fire, near Hull Road in the village's disaster plan, Level three is tied to \ ncv.l­ mand headquarters, the timing of to Washington and Warrior Drive, saw a number of which covers all types of emergen­ trolled releases of water frum the emergency sirens and evacuation neighboring departments come to the cies. dam spill way and a more inf •n: e PAGE lA Wednesday's drill tested coor- danger, Chavez said. See DRILL, page 2 <\ See AGREEMENT. page 2A G> WEATHER Court niling could tnean higher natural gas rates for residents BY DIANNE STALLINGS It 11 percent increase. While rates in Ruidoso and RUIDOSO NEWS STAFF WRITE.R al tax expenses was "arbitrary." also stated that Sunny skies awarding only $24,252 in aircraft expenses and a Ruidoso Downs decreased slightly, rates in Hobbs detennination that the company operated on a and Jal, the two other communities served by Zia, today A 1997 rate case that decreased charges by Zia zero cash working capital basis were not substan­ went up. Natural Gas in Ruidoso and Ruidoso Downs was tiated by the evidence presented. "The dollar consequence of the court order rejected by the state Supreme Court earlier this "We're pleased with the Supreme Court rul­ could be that thf' company would receive another month. ing," Zia attom.ey Mercedes Fernandez-Wells said $500,000 and a 16 percent increase overall," Huff­ By summer, that could mean 8,000 local resi­ Thursday "But as far as the local impact, we will man said. i> INDEX dents will pay more for their natural gas service. have to see if the court allows a rehearing ( peti­ The PRC filPd a petition for rehearing last An order vacating the ruling was the result of tioned by the regulatory commission). If it doesn't, week, he said, adding such petitions rarely are an appeal by Zia, whose officials sought a $2.7 mil­ we still have to see what the commission does granted. The Am .... 3D Old West ... lOD Busmess ..... 3C Opmton ..... 4A lion rate increase and were awarded a $983,423 then. "If the court •ienies the rehearing, it will be Class1fieds. 48 Real estate . 4 B increasE>. "I think this is so new, they're not sure." some time before a nPw order is issued by the Crossword ... RB Sports ...... 1 B The New Mexico Public Regulatory Commis­ The state Corporation Commission and the PRC," he said. Going Out .. 80 Weather ..... lA sion was told to reconsider its ruling in an ordet: Public Utilities Conunission merged two years ago The final impact by summer could be another Leners ...... 4A Whar's s1gned by Judges Pamela Minzner, ,Joseph Baca to form the new PUblic Regulatory Commission 5 percent on top ofthP original 11 percent increase, Movtes ..... 9[) Happenmg .. 9[) and Gene Franchini on March 1. Lee Huffmann, associate general counsel with The court told the commission its rlt•ctsion not the PRC, said in tbe original 1997 case, Zia asked to allow Zia a rate incrcas<? that would cover actu- for a 31.5 percent•rate boost, but was awarded an See GAS. page 2A Ruidoso officials continue to look for equitable county. services BY D•. "TN£ STALLiNGS Single-family dwellings in Lincoln County Rlm!_(W> 'ff"'l? \(1\J/ It_ !_I!!l___________ _ ry are the large d(·velopment.s of Ranches ofSon­ terra and Alto VIllage that fall in the "outside Capitan" district, which pumps in $991,870 of the Complaints from Ruidoso officials that the total $1.68 million from unincorporated property. village doesn't get its fair share of county services Next in line is Ruidoso, which sends $1.54 for the pro}X'rtV taxe~ paid into I ,incoln County million to he! p pay for county government - 43.8 government , !, i ' , low n afu ,. u review of percent of thP total property taxes hilled for that charts prepan . t y •.A>t.Hty 'l'reasurer ,Joan Park. use. - County - Out "The fact is that Ruidoso pays the lion's share Ruidoso also nccounts for 51.1 percent of the of the property tax," said Ruidoso Mayor Robert single-family dwellings in the county while unin­ -Ruidoso Downs·- In Donaldson. "Have them show us what we get for corporated areas total 33.2 percent. our money. Park poinLP<: out that based on those figures, "They can cook the statistic.•> all they want, one third of pe<Jrh· contribute nearly half of the ..___.I Corona - In but the bottom line is the dollars. I don't care taxes going to count\ g-overnment while Ruidoso's about percentage - it's dollars. households pay 43.8 1>erc·ent. "If they want to show me I'm wrong, I'm open She also ndted that 22 2 percent of a Ruidoso ~~~::~1ffl Carrizozo - In ears," he srud Monday. 'Td be happy to sit there resident's tax bill goes toward county government and listen. Show me dollar for dollar. Show us the expenses, while 43.8 percent ',f n Capitan resi­ - Capitan - In dollars that are actually coming back to the vil­ dent's tax bill goes there. lage of Ruidoso in county services." But Donaldson and Joan Zagone, PX<'Putive The largest peroontage of taxes collected to director of the Ruidoso Valley Chamber ot ':om­ - Ruidoso - In support county government comes from unincor­ merce, said percentages don't tell the story- dol­ porated portions of the county at 47.8 percent, lars do.