Albuquerque Journal from Albuquerque, New Mexico • Page 1

KW MEXICO'S LEADING NKWSPAFEK ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL Thursday Morning, February 3, 1994 Copyright0 1994, Journal Publishing Co. Daily 50 Made in USA 1 14th Year, No. 34 66 Pages in 5 Sections FBI Nabs Suspect in Firancia Case December from the Florence state prison after being held nearly five years for burglary. FBI spokesman Doug Beldon said someone recognized Richardson driving through Winslow in what later was identified as a stolen vehicle about 11 a.m. Wednesday and contacted police.

-1 I the trunk. Francia's father, Lawrence, said the FBI telephoned about 4:30 p.m., saying that Richardson had been caught. A little later, the head of the Albuquerque office of the FBI, Matt Perez, came by his house to brief the family on the arrest. "We are relieved a little bit," Francia said. "We still want our son back." Richardson was released in Arizona police and the FBI moved in on Richardson, who was captured unarmed.

"He surrendered without any problem," FBI spokesman Jack Callahan said. Richardson was wanted in the Jan. 12 disappearance of Francia of Albuquerque. The car Francia was driving was found burned on the Navajo Reservation north of Winslow on Jan. 13, and a body tentatively identified as Francia was in He was found only a few miles from his in-laws' ranch, which he left Jan.

23 after they told authorities he'd confessed to killing Francia. After a tip that Richardson, 27, had been spotted in Winslow, police found a pickup truck Richardson had been seen driving on a state road about 25 miles south of the city. A police helicopter combed the nearby mesas, finding Richardson hiding in a rocky canyon. Richardson Captured Near In-Laws' Ranch By Donna Olmstead JOURNAL STAFF WRITER Police captured Paul Daniel Richardson, wanted in the disappearance of 16-year-old Jonathan Francia, late Wednesday afternoon after a massive manhunt south of Winslow, Ariz. rim ii if i 2 2 "lie was apparently spoueu oy a Francia: citizen in Winslow because of Disappeared MORE: See FBI on PAGE A6 1 2 Richardson: Was spotted in pickup UUi lOUiliiilLL- L-UllUtU Villi liZd-LceU.

U.S. To Clamp Down on Border 1993 Fiesta: Attracted 650 balloons and an estimated 1 .6 million spectators over nine days with 14 events. Impact on New Mexico: Organizers say the event brought $75 million in spending to state. Spectators and participants paid an esti-. mated $3.8 million in New I Mexico taxes." Problem: Size of current launch site is limited and rapid development of sur- rounding land is removing critical parking space.

Proposed solution: Acquire 264 acres immedi-; ately north of the launch area to develop multiuse park, including a permanent site for the balloon fiesta. By the end of fiscal 1995, a total of 1,010 new and reassigned agents will be added to San Diego and El Paso, the official said. Focusing on limited stretches of the border is in line with a recommendation of a study done for the Immigration and Naturalization Service during the last year of the Bush administration. The study concluded that concentrating resources on a relatively limited section of the border could have a high payoff in reducing illegal entries. For the first time, officials said, the fiscal 1995 budget will include funds for encouraging permanent resident immigrants to become citizens, an effort that INS Commissioner Doris Meissner has made a priority.

About $30 million will be budgeted for the citizenship drive in fiscal 1995, aimed largely at the 5 million legal residents who came to the United States since 1965 and another 3 million 70 percent of them from Mexico many of whom came illegally but have received amnesty and will become eligible for citizenship this year through 1996, officials said. Immigrants who become citizens MORE: See U.S. on PAGE A8 Beefed-Up Patrols, Sanctions in Works By Ronald J. Ostrow LOS ANGELES TIMES WASHINGTON The Clinton administration will announce a two-year "border initiative" today to reduce illegal immigration, deport illegal immigrants from state jails, step up enforcement of employer sanctions, streamline asylum procedures and make it easier for 8 million immigrants to become citizens. The program will add 400 Border Patrol agents to the 996 now on the border in the San Diego area this fiscal year 300 of them new and 100 reassigned from desk and other support work, administration officials told the Los Angeles Times.

Added resources and technology, ranging from improved sensors and mobile infrared scopes to new lighting and fencing, will be targeted on the two areas where 65 percent of illegal entries take place San Diego and El Paso. Too often in the past, additional agents and equipment were "sprinkled" along the entire U.S.-Mexico border, an official said. Current park could be used for parking. Senate Bill 283: Proposes state spending $5.8 million to buy land. The city would put up the same amount Fiesta would contribute $250,000.

GLANCE BALLOON FIESTA FINANCES AT A Use of the city-owned park is free through 1 996, but the fiesta pays around $260,000 to prepare the site and rent nearby land for parking. Income from 1 992 event was $2.75 million and expenses were $2.61 million. The fiesta had a cash balance of $408,235 at the end of 1992. Annual budget around $2 million, of which $202,000 is i for salaries of eight staffers. Director Marge Ruppenthal is $46,350.

HUSS BALL 1 JOURNAL Senate Panel OKs Fiesta Plan Missile Tests May Dump Debris on N.M. ing the site, but in terms of expanding it, they've always begged, borrowed and used lands at other people's discretion," he said. Fiesta officials concede that their own promotions fuel the notion they're rolling in dough. "It is a not-for-profit corporation, so we basically don't make money," said executive director Marge Ruppenthal. "When we say we've brought in $75 million in direct money, that does not mean the fiesta makes $75 million.

MORE: See BALLOON on PAGE A6 event to another city if it can't expand. Development is swallowing up land and critical parking space around the 78-acre, city-owned Balloon Fiesta Park near 1-25 and Paseo del Norte. A mayoral task force and fiesta officials have selected 266 acres north of the current park as the new site. People who think the fiesta can afford to buy the land by itself are wrong, said Sen. Shannon Robinson, D-Albuquerque, who introduced the money bill.

"They have a little extra money each year they turn into improv for a multiuse park and permanent home for the fiesta. Some Albuquerque officials have said they're willing to put in another $5.8 million, and fiesta officials have said they could use cash reserves to donate up to $250,000. "If it were a single-use (park) once a year, I don't think that position would be easily supportable," City Councilor Deborah Lattimore said. "I'm looking for something for kids that doesn't involve spray cans." But the driving force to buy the land has been balloon fiesta officials, who say they may move the $5.8 Million Sought To Help Buy Land By Michael Hartranft JOURNAL STAFF WRITER Few would dispute that the Kodak Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta brings in millions of tourist dollars to the city. But should taxpayers pay the cost of keeping it here? A committee of state lawmakers endorsed the idea Wednesday by approving a bill that seeks $5.8 million from the state to buy land Hearing Planned The Army plans eight public hearings on its draft environmental report on a proposal to launch missiles from Fort Wingate to White Sands Missile Range.

Three of those hearings are planned for New Mexico Feb. 22 in Gallup, Feb. 23 in Crown-point and March 1 in Shiprock. long, rocket boosters could fall on National Forest, Ramah Navajo Reservation and El Malpais National Monument land in the sparsely populated area south of Grants, according to a draft environmental report on the proposed tests. MORE: See HESIDENTS on PAGE A8 Rural Residents Voice Opposition By John Fleck JOURNAL STAFF WRITER Scud-like U.S.

Army missiles could be launched later this year from Fort Wingate, near Gallup, to White Sands Missile Range, dropping spent rocket engines over the Zuni Mountains and El Malpais National Monument, according to an Army report released this week. White Sands is one of four test ranges studied over the past year by the Army for a new missile defense program. It is the leading candidate because it is the only overland range of the four. Beginning later this year, 12-foot- THURSDAY ZZl Three Strikes' Crime Bill Sent to Showers LEGISLATURE 1 Sen. Phillip Maloof, sponsor of the Senate bill, told the Judiciary Committee the three-time felon proposal is the "most important legislation facing the state of New Mexico." "We've heard over and over the public's No.

1 concern is crime," said Maloof, out parole for people convicted of three unrelated violent felonies. The panel's action isn't fatal to the legislation, but with two weeks remaining in the 30-day legislative session, the vote is life-threatening because it stalls the supporting the legislation, as did representatives of state district attorneys and a crime-victims group. Public Safety Secretary Richard de Baca said a small percentage of the criminal population is responsible for a large share of the violent crimes in New Mexico. "It costs less to keep these repeat violent criminals locked up than it costs society for their violent acts," he said. MORE: See SENATE on PAGE A8 Senators Question Its Scope, Expense By Thorn Cole JOURNAL CAPITOL BUREAU SANTA FE The anti-crime proposal known as "three strikes and you're out" didn't get to first base Wednesday with the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The committee voted to shelve the bill indefinitely. The -measure would mandate life sentences with Legislative coverage, A10.A11 D-Albuquerque. Law-enforcement officials with the King administration joined in bill's progress. A similar measure in the House hasn't had a hearing yet. Good Morning State lawmakers are debating whether to ante up $5.8 million to buy a site for the Albuquerque balloon fiesta.

Supporters fear a rejection would let the air out of expansion plans. Weather Variable cloudiness. Highs 30s to near 60. Tonight, widely scattered snowshowers mountains, north and rain or snowshowers south. Lows teens to 30s.

D17. Squalid Scene Chicago police on an early morning drug raid find 19 children, the youngest 6 months old, living in a squalid, cockroach-infested apartment, sleeping on the floor and competing with dogs for food. A4. Mayor Assails Site Of New Courthouse By Scott Sandlin JOURNAL STAFF WRITER Between the Lines Looking like the stripes on a tiger, snow lines crevices along 1-25 near Truth or Consequences on Wednesday. Left over from the winter storm that hit the state last weekend, the snow was still clinging to shady spots.

AARON WILSON JOURNAL BUSINESS D6-9 DEATHS D17 RW CLASSIFIED D10-16 EDITORIALS A16-17 SPORTS 01-5 COMICS D18 HAPPENINGS D16 STOCKS 07 CROSSWORD B2 METROPOLITAN CI TRENDS DAILY RECORD D18 MOVIES E2-4 JV 65 DEAR ABBY B2 NEW MEXICO C3 WEATHER 017 SPORTSLINE 621-18QQ WEATHERLINE 821-1111 SF WEATHERLINE 988 5151 Mayor Martin Chavez is challenging the federal government's plans to locate its new courthouse iq Martineztown. In a letter to the federal official in charge of land acquisition for the courthouse, Chavez insists building it Downtown would be best for the city and offers to consider donating city land for it. And although he doesn't raise the issue in the letter, Chavez said in an interview he MORE: See MAYOR on PAGE A8 i.