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EAGLES DOMINATE
MEADOW LAKE
KIDS CLUB
Youth development program
Belen grapplers win big in duel, home tourney Sports 9A
VALENCIA
COUNTY
La Vida 1B
News-Bulletin
Vol. 105, No. 5
SERVING VALENCIA COUNTY SINCE 1910
WORLD’S LARGEST MATANZA
Thousands enjoy
annual Matanza
at Eagle Park
WEEK OF
JANUARY 29, 2015
Copyright © 2014, Valencia County News-Bulletin
50¢
John Gabaldon named
new village fire chief
By Deborah Fox
NEWS-BULLETIN STAFF WRITER
dfox@news-bulletin.com
Los Lunas
By Deborah Fox
Los Lunas Fire Department
Capt. John Gabaldon, 38, has big
shoes to fill. He will be the new
fire chief after Chief Atalino
“Lito” Chavez retires at the end
of the month.
Chavez, who has been with
the department for 38 years and
is the first paid fire chief of the
village, recommended Gabaldon
for the position to Mayor Charles
Griego.
NEWS-BULLETIN STAFF WRITER
dfox@news-bulletin.com
Belen
Good food, good people, good
music and good weather all came
together Saturday to make the
15th annual Hispano Chamber of
Valencia County Matanza a success.
It is estimated that more than
13,000 people attended the
event, coming from Santa Fe,
Albuquerque, Socorro, California,
Colorado and even Alaska.
It was chilly in the morning, but
it soon warmed up to make a gorgeous day to be outside enjoying
the World’s Largest Matanza.
Smoke billowed up at the 19
team cooking booths, scenting the
air with wood smoke and sizzling
John Gabaldon
See Gabaldon, Page 10A New Los Lunas fire chief
Deborah Fox-News-Bulletin photos
THE BELEN CONSOLIDATED SCHOOLS team won grand champion at the 15th annual
Hispano Chamber of Valencia County Matanza Saturday. Pictured, from the left, are
David Carter, director of special services; Rodney Wright, Belen High School principal;
Margie Zamora, BHS teacher; Diane Vallejos, director of special education; and Danee
See Matanza, Page 10A Bustos, BHS student.
School board elections
set for next Tuesday
By Julia M. Dendinger
NEWS-BULLETIN ASSISTANT EDITOR
jdendinger@news-bulletin.com
This year’s election season for local education boards is coming
to a close, with Election Day, Tuesday, Feb. 3, less than a week
away. There are 15 candidates who filed for seats on the Los Lunas
and Belen boards of education, and the University of New MexicoValencia Campus Advisory Board.
Four of the five seats on the Belen Board of Education will be
up for grabs this year thanks to two resignations, one late last year
and the other earlier this year.
Board member Larry Garley represents District 5 and was
appointed to replace Adrian Pino when he resigned in late 2013.
Because Pino had just been re-elected in February 2013, Garley
was appointed to serve only until this board election.
A retired teacher and coach with the Belen Consolidated
See Election, Page 5A
Candidate thrown out
of LL basketball game
By Deborah Fox
NEWS-BULLETIN STAFF WRITER
dfox@news-bulletin.--com
Los Lunas
STEVEN OTERO, former Valencia County Hispano Chamber of
Commerce president and founding member, helped start the
traditional event 15 years ago.
End
of
NATHAN GARCIA cooks red chile pork ribs at the 15th annual
Hispano Chamber of Valencia County Matanza. He was one of
the cooks for Pete’s Pro Truck and Auto Repair team.
an
Joseph R. Byers, a candidate for Los Lunas Board
of Education, and his son,
Donivan, were escorted from
the Los Lunas High School gym
Saturday by school resource
officer Joe Griego, during a
high school boys basketball
game.
According to the SRO’s
report, both Byers were asked
to leave the game after making “rude” comments to a referee. The report was obtained
through an Inspection of Public
Records request made by the
News-Bulletin.
Donivan Byers was escorted
from the gym first without incident, according to the report.
Joseph Byers said one of
the opponent team players was
elbowing LLHS basketball
players and had elbowed player
See Candidate, Page 8A
Era
63-year-old ‘Eagle’ water tank demolished;
new structure to be completed by July
By Clara Garcia
NEWS-BULLETIN EDITOR
cgarcia@news-bulletin.com
Belen
As the old water tank near Interstate 25 and the Camino
del Llano exit started to come down last week, some residents and Belen High School alumni were stunned that the
eagle painted on the tank was being destroyed.
City of Belen officials had been planning for a number
years to tear down the 63-year-old tank, which has not
been in service for about eight years. When enough funding became available last year, the project finally became
WEATHER
5333
a reality.
Jay Ruybalid, the city manager, said the tank, which was
built in 1952, has been in disrepair for many years, leaving
the remaining four tanks in the city to do the work of five.
“The one that’s being torn down is really old — it’s
rusted,” Ruybalid said. “Back when it was built, lead-based
paint was used and there’s lead abatement that has to take
place.”
Mayor Jerah Cordova said without the use of this oneClara Garcia-News-Bulletin photo
million-gallon tank, it put more pressure on the other tanks
in the city, and cut down on the available water the city TO MAKE WAY for a new water tank in Belen, demolition of the old tank along
could utilize.
Interstate 25 and Camino del Llano began last week. An eagle, the mascot of
See Tank, Page 5A Belen High School, will be painted on the new tank.
Call us: 864-4472
www.news-bulletin.com
INDEX
Classified ...... 4B
Editorial .........4A
Databank .......2A
News Digest ...2A
Deaths............8A
La Vida .......... 1B
Noticias ......... 3B
Record ............8A
Sports.............9A