Las Cruces Sun-News (Newspaper) - October 2, 2007, Las Cruces, New Mexico LAS CRUCES Our 185 Southern New Mexicos Newspaper 2007 ft 50 Cents Inside Sports Coaches resign The six Onate High coach es that were put on paid admin leave last Friday have resigned their coaching Page re laic riday IP Local Full audit A state official believes a full audit of the Region III Housing Authority is needed extending beyond original calling for only a partial Page Station moves The Greyhound bus station relocated to 525 Lohman and offers a couple added Business at NASDAQ at Adios Gardunos A fixture hard to miss at the corner of Lohman and is closing its a decision man agers say is difficult but Weather Mostly cloudy with a thunderstorm High 86 Low 66 Lottery picks New Mexico Pick Roadrunner Cash 4 This Way 1681 Texas Pick Cash Five 216212933 Texas TwoStep 6193235 Index Business Classifieds Editorial Obituaries Sports A Printed on recycled paper Copyright 2007 A Group Newspaper Dust off your best put a polish on your boots and get ready to herd your family out to the Its time once again for the Southern New Mexico State Fair and The rendition of the annual event kicks off Wednesday and con for a run at the Dona Ana County Fair 12 miles west of Las ONLINE EXTRA To view a full schedule of the Southern New Mex ico State visit and dick on the appropriate Online From the midway to the show ring and everything in saddle up for a good Heres a sample of what to expect while you enjoy the fair on the Southern New Mexico State Fair Wednesday through Sunday Gates are open from 8 10 Wednesday and 8 midnight Friday and 8 to 6 Veterans Exhibit Building is open from 9 to 8 Wednesday and 9 to 10 Friday and Saturday and 9 to 5 roll call Rodeo action kicks off with the Timed Event Championships and a traditional ranch rodeo Thurs day in the Corral West Rodeo The Turquoise Circuit Pro Rodeo Finals take to the arena Friday and The Southern New Mexico State Fair boils down to two common and For many FFA and stu the fair is the culmination of a hard year of And the payoff comes in the form of the Junior Livestock This years Junior Livestock Sale is Admission includes pro speedway and live entertainment Ages 5 and 6 to 12 years Age 13 and Watch Students from schools throughout the county are scheduled to attend the fair Thursday and Much of the cost of busing the youngsters to the fair is being underwritten this year by the New Mexico Farm The Light Effect Puppets perform Friday and Saturday in Youth DARE Town Kids Rodeo offers fun with a message Friday and If you are looking for something with a little more tractor pulls are slated for Saturday and and vintage tractors will parade every day through the Satur speedway racing at the Southern New Mexico Speedway kicks off at madness Ride the eat the treats and toad up on fair souvenirs on the Wednesday night is ail you can ride with a single purchase ticket getting you all the ing fun you can Enter including Jamie OHara the Magic Bruiser the Biggest Weldes Big Bear Show and Grizzly The Walk ing hypnotist Tim and horse trainer Joby Priest will perform throughout the fair grounds and on the Upton Iced Tea Stage and Memorial Med ical Center stage every The new million arena will be used for the first time at the county fairgrounds this See page for details on finishing touches where many events will be held including a pro rodeo In the mood for a tune or a turn around the dance floor The Southern New Mexico State U Fairs got you Music and dance performances are planned during the including Bucky the Josh Grider Band The Delk Zias Randy and liquid just to name a Read more about the bands in Thursdays From the handiest buttons and bows creations to painted and photographic the best of local arts and crafts will be on Everything from quilting and canning exhibits to student art will be on dis Students from throughout the county work every year to prepare their spe cial booths displaying their best cre Adults get in on the action as showcasing their artistic talents and handcrafting The displays are located in the Vet erans which opens FORMATION COMPILED BY JASON GlBBS DESIGNED BY ERIC SEO Panel hears crosses appeal Arguments about historical context of crosses presented to 10th Circuit By Felisa Cardona FOR THE DENVER The ongoing con over the city of Las made its way to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals here Monday as a three judge panel heard arguments about the religious and historical context of the cross Paul Weinbaum and coplaintiff Martin Boyd sued Las Graces because they believe the town has violated the tion in endorsing Christianity on city police officers patch es and on the podium at City Council City officials contend the cross es are not religious they simply represent the name of the which in English translates to The Last a District Court judge in New Mexico dismissed lawsuit ruling that a city may make use of images that have a religious connotation as long as the primary or principal effect is not to endorse reli gion Now Wein baum who We hope that this issue can finally be put to see page for an editorial on this was present in the court room Monday is hoping that the judges in Den ver will see it his His Brett Duke of El argued that just because the city is using the crosses in honor of the citys that doesnt mean they dont carry a religious connota But Judge Jerome Holmes asked Duke if it was possible that an observer of the emblem could see it as anything other than a reli Why would a reasonable observer find that to be an endorsement of religion if they recognize the historical name of the town Holmes Duke said most people who see the seal would identify it as a religious symbol and it could make feel excluded from See page Otero counties consider spaceport tax elections Both have yet to approve an set official election By Diana Alba REPORTER LAS CRUCES Sierra County officials commitment to a spaceport tax election has nt and the county is working with spaceport to select a date for the a Sierra County commissioner said last an Otero County official said the spaceport tax ques tion for their voters is on the November 2008 general election Neither county has taken the formal step of approving an ordinance to set an official elec tion date a circumstance that Dona Ana County com missioners objected to earlier this They decided then not to move forward with the creation of a spaceport district an entity that must be in place to spend local spaceport tax dollars until Otero or Sierra set firm election Sierra County Commission er Gary Whitehead said the county has always planned to hold an election but wasnt aware until just recently that a spaceport district had to be formed before spaceport tax revenue could be Whats important here is that we make clear to the res of Dona Ana that we have budgeted for that elec and we definitely want to hold that he We just didnt understand that there was such an urgency to do Spaceport America is a pro posed launch site for space vehicles that is planned for southern Sierra Sierra County Manager Janet said the county has about in its budget to hold a special elec An attorney for the New Mex ico Spaceport Authority has told Dona Ana County officials that the projects million budget depends on the mil lion in spaceport tax thats esti mated will come from Dona Ana County one reason the spaceport district is The spaceport authority is aiming to break ground on the project next with the first launches occurring in 2009 or That time line hinges on several including the outcome of a Federal Aviation Administration process to issue a permit for the Kelly deputy director for the New Mexico Economic Development Depart ment and chairwoman of the spaceport authority said she doesnt believe the time it will take to form a spaceport district will delay the time line for the Otero and Sierra counties both feel pretty serious about doing this and I see them both moving forward with a spaceport district she ODonnell said the spaceport authority will begin its big spending projects toward the end of when construe On the Net Spaceport America tion Whitehead said Sierra Coun ty must consult with the space port authority about its time frame for needing tax He said the county commission will work backward from that date to set a spaceport tax elec tion which will likely be early next Even Whitehead county officials will need a cer tain amount of time to per suade voters that a new sales tax will be in their See page
