Albuquerque Journal from Albuquerque, New Mexico • Page 2

A-2 ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL Friday, AprU 4, I97S 2 Officials Off Fair Commission I -ft By TOMAS MARTINEZ Gov. Jerry Apodaca said Thursday that Mrs. Fern Sawyer of Nogal, and Deming Banker Claude E. Leyendecker will not be reappointed to the New Mexico State Fair Commission. Apodaca said, "They (Sawyer and Leyendecker) will not be reappointed.

We will announce their replacements prior to the (April 10) meeting. At this time we are still considering a number of people to fill these posts." THE JOURNAL REPORTED last December that Mrs. Sawyer, a prominent New Mexico Democrat who has served on the fair commission since 1963, would not be reappointed for alleged failure on her part to support Apodaca in his race for governor. At that time a source close to then governor-elect Apodaca told the Journal that Mrs. Sawyer was quietly supporting Apodaca's Republican opponent Joe Skeen.

"The governor-elect doesn't want to appoint people to boards and commissions who did not back his candidacy or who do not support his philosophies," the source said last December. MRS. SAWYER COULlTnofBe reached for comment. A member of the family said Airs. Sawyer was visiting a sick friend in an El Paso hospital.

Leyendecker, also a Democrat, was reached at an Albuquerque hotel and had this to say about not being reappointed to the fair commission: "He (Apodaca) is the governor and has the prerogative to appoint his choice. That is the name of the game. Serving on the commission was one of the greatest experiences I've ever had and I think I did a half-way decent job. I have no ill feelings as far as not being reappointed," Leyendecker said. LEYENDECKER WAS appointed to the fair commission in 1971 by former Gov.

Bruce King to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Grants Publisher James Barber. Mrs. Sawyer and her mother, Democratic national committeewoman Dessie Sawyer of Crossroads, have been prominent in state Democratic circles for decades. 8 ni Claude E. Leyendecker "No 111 Feelings" 'Noland Sees No Firings Continued from Page 1 suited in a deferment of any consideration of the reorganization or employes until April 22.

"WHAT CAME OUT is that one of the Democratic commissioners (Robert Hawk) stated strongly his belief in the personnel merit system and he wouldn't talk of individuals," Noland said. "And it does take a majority vote," he added. Noland told the employes it's part of working in government to have concern when new elected officials take office. "As an individual, no one is indispensible and all organizations revolve around a few key people. But what we can offer as professionals," Noland said, "is the experience and expertise to provide continuity and stability which can only help the commission do their job." When asked about the reorganization Santillanes said he was not planning to fire or demote anyone, but "maybe some shuffling and just some changes of duties to have a better relationship with the county manager and the commission." HAWK REPEATED he wants only to improve the organizational structure and lines of communication and said he hopes any decisions on individual employes would be the county manager's.

Hawk and Santillanes have expressed support for No-land, a political Independent who was hired by the previous commission and whose contract has been extended by the present commission. "If any commissioners are dissatisfied with an employe, I would hope they would go to the county manager," Hawk said. Commissioner James P. "Corky" Morris, one of the commission's two Republicans, said the removal of Miss Layden would be "the greatest misfortune to befall not only county taxpayers but county employes. She doesn't have a political fiber in her except the desire to serve her employer and fellow employes." Morris said he is "very pessimistic" about the situation and predicted the outcome will depend on the vote of Hawk.

"IT'S JUST SLOWLY COMING to a head." he said. The difficulty was heightened when Eichenberg refused to obey a County Personnel Board order to reinstate three employes he had fired. Santillanes said the decision to abide by board rulings 4 which the personnel ordinance says are to be final should be up to each elected official. Commissioner Hawk declined to discuss Eichenberg, but said, "I believe all county employes, no matter if under a separate elected official or not, should be under the personnel merit system." And he said: "One of the most important things a personnel ordinance does is not that when there is a grievance someone gets relief but that because there is a process, a routine, it is a deterrent to gross violations." HE ADDED that he would consider it a gross violation if refusals to abide by board decisions became "repeti- tive." Eichenberg's action has resulted in a move by the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Coun- cil 8020 to look into a recall move against Eichenberg. LULAC represented one of the three fired employes at the grievance hearing and has been checking charges of racial discrimination in Eichenberg's office.

Eichenberg declined to comment on the LULAC statement and said he will not reinstate the three employes. Court Costs For Lucero Will Be Cut By DAVE STEINBERG Of the Journal's Santa Fe Bureau SANTA FE A district judge Thursday granted the indigency claim of former State Sen. Anthony Lucero so he doesn't have to pay all costs of the appeal of his bribery conviction but also imposed three conditions on the order granting free process. THE THREE conditions, as explained by Dist. Judge Thomas Donnelly, are: That by noon Monday Lucero must deposit $1500 with the district court clerk by certified check to apply to the cost of the appeal.

Donnelly's official court reporter, Mary Vasquez, had testified that the revised cost of preparing the transcript the trial and all pretrial matters was $6000. "HE IS ASKING the taxpayers to cough up $6000 and he only incurs embarrassment," Asst. Dist. Arty. Tony Tupler argued inasking the court to deny the request.

That by Monday Lucero must file with the court a sworn affidavit stating all of his intersts in real estate, rights to refunds and all current debts, either contingent or liquidated. Tupler had tried to show with ments and witnesses that some of Lu-cero's claimed $68,000 in debts had been written off, were old, unsubstantiated or falsely claimed. "WE ARE NOT talking about a Rio Arribadirtfarmer whoknows the meaning of poverty," Tupler contended. "Here we are talking about a self-made man, an educated man with a number of business ventures who was the state's second-ranking senator. He -has considerable means, he has considerable prosperity if he is of a mind to do so." And that the district attorney must try to recover from Lucero any sums spent by the state for his appeal.

According to an appeals court deadline, Lucero must make satisfactory arrangements either pay half the transcript preparation fee or be declared indigent by Monday. LUCERO TESTIFIED that he has not worked for the past 10 months, that no one will hire him as a financial consultant until he is cleared of the conviction and that if given the chance, he will repay the state for money used for the appeal. At one point, he acknowledged that because of his financial state he would not readily be consulted. Lucero's attorney, Tom Tabet, argued that under state law Lucero's unemployed status and claimed income $41.30 disability check entitle him to be declared indigent. "WITHOUT EVEN the debts considered, it is sufficient to grant him free process," Tabet said.

Tabet was filling in for Mary Walters, who had succeeded Lucero's son as attorney of record in the case. Tupler pressed Lucero on what had become of some $2000 raised for his appeal at a testimonial dinner in Old Town soon after his conviction. Lucero said more like $1400 was collected and it went for expenses in the appeal and for costs in fighting a bad check charge in Gallup. WHEN TUPLER asked him where he raised the $19,000 to pay that off, Lucero said it was $7000 and he borrowed the amount from his son, Anthony E. Lucero who had himself borrowed it.

The money had been owed Sen. Wayne Radosevich, D-McKinley. Under questioning by Tupler, Lucero detailed his family's financial condition his wife's income as a teacher's aide, two children who work and two older children not at home who contribute to the family's funds. TUPLER ALSO elicited additional information from Lucero and other witnesses: That though the family house on Rio Grande Blvd. was repossessed Gov.

Apodaca Will Name DOD Chief By EDMAHR Gov. Jerry Apodaca will announce theappointments today of Fabian Chavez as director of the Dept. of Development and William Kundrat as director of tourism, the Journal has learned. The governor is expected to make the announcement this morning. A SOURCE close to the governor's office said Chavez will replace William Simms, who resigned last week as director of the DOD.

Simms never gave a reason for his resignation and said it was not requested by the governor. Kundrat, who now serves as convention bureau director for the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, will replace Chavez in the state tourism director post. KUNDRAT IS a former director of the New Mexico Retail Assn. Chavez, a prominent New Mexico Democrat and former majority leader of the New Mexico Senate, is expected to assume his DOD duties immediately, the Journal learned. Kundrat will assume his new state post at a later date.

CHAVEZ HAS been close to the governor since Apodaca's election last November. He recently has been on leave from his tourism post while serving as the governor's legislative liaison director. Kundrat also has been a strong supporter of the governor. He first met Apodaca when he was a lobbyist in Santa Fe for the retail group. School Age Drug Usage Reported Up Continued from Page 1 ren.

tohelp the childdevelop a positive self-concept, sound decisionmaking skills and sound mental health practices." Ryther said another survey will be made next month using additional questions and consolidating some of those from previous years. Questions on drug use, however, remain about the same. The report comparing the 1973 and 1974 survey results says information on all drugs surveyed "indicates that the level of experimentation and use continues to grow in the categories of narcotics, marijuana and alcohol. "A TREND noted in 1973, that the having used stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens and solvents had in general declined, seems to be reversing. Darticularlv with regard to depressants, stimlants; and solvents.

"This year's (1974) percentages are approaching the same level as 1972, and, in a few cases, surpassing those levels," the report says. That part of the report is based on a table showing percentages of the sample who "have used (the drugs) one or more times." The report, citing a table on current use of narcotics, says the change statistics "are, in most cases, so small as to approach insignificance" and further notes many youngsters interpret "narcotics" to include all drugs. But "there would still remain the concern in this category for the total percentages reflected (in the table) for usage in the upper grades," the report continues, noting the 4.7 per cent of overall use by 12th graders. THE NARCOTICS TABLE, broken down like others by frequency of current use, shows higher percentages in the less frequent use categories except in 12th grade, when 1.5 percent are shown in the seven or more times per week" category. Ryther noted the figures on current use "must be discussed in terms of frequency." The report says data on marijuana use "shows spotty change from a year ago," and notes the greatest increases in grades 7-9 occurred in tbe lowest frequency categories.

"In grade 10 the increase was general, while in grades 11 and 12 less frequent use declined and more frequent use increased. "THE ONLY grade level to decline in marijuana usage was the 11th, and the largest relative increase is seen in 9th grade," the report says. The report notes later the rate of increase between 1973 and 1974 was larger than between 1972 and 1973. But it cites a chart that "illustrates the continued preference of our young people for alcohol relative to marijuana." The report further points out two tables "confirm a continuing increase in the use of alcohol, both hard liquor and beer and wine, in all grade levels" except at the 9th grade where use of beer and wine declined. "It is interesting to note that the 9th grade: showed the largest relative increase in the current use of marijuana, as well as increases in current use in every other category.

except narcotics," the report says. IT FURTHER notes general use of hard liquor is in low frequency categories and use of beer and wine is increasing in the lower frequency use and declining slightly in the daily use category. Of hallucinogens, the report says a downward trend continues in use among 7th, 9th and 10th graders but is reversing among 8th, 11th and 12th graders. Mrs. Fern Sawyer Not Reappointed Anti-Thieu Plot Nipped By S.

Vie ts Continued from Page 1 to the rear in support for a military takeover plot. "These elements have been arrested by security forces. Further investigation is under way." There was no immediate indication who was arrested, nor how important they are. Rumors of an impending coup against Thieu have swept Saigon for more than two weeks in light of the defeat of half the South Vietnamese armed forces. Most of the nation's 'generals are known to blame Thieu for the setbacks because he ordered the first government retreats from the central highlands.

A WEEK AGO, his security forces conducted raids during the Saigon curfew and arrested dozens of politicians and other civilian opposition forces, also on charges of hatching a coup d'etat plot. Earlier Thursday, Saigon's Roman Catholic archbishop appealed for a change of leadership and senior Communist diplomats said the -Viet Cong was ready to stop fighting and start negotiations if Thieu were ousted. Catholics gathered at several suburban churches in demonstrations blaming Thieu for the military debacle in which the government has lost 18 of South Vietnam's 44 provinces to the Communists. Police opened fire over the heads of the demonstrators at several churches as the new earlier 9 p.m. curfew approached.

No injuries were reported. TENS OF THOUSANDS of refugees and disorganized soldiers fleeing the approaching Communist forces along the coast created traffic jams behind roadblocks around the capital, creating more chaos than the Communists. Weyand, in a departure statement to newsmen at tightly guarded Tan Son Nhut Airbase.saidhe was leaving "with great affection and respect for the people of South Vietnam and I assure them that I will do all in my power to be of assistance to them." ID on Body Was Wrong LAS VEGAS, N.M. (AP) A young woman found strangled and tied to a tree near Newkirk, N.M., apparently was mistakenly identified as Nancy Stroud, 22, of Galveston, state police said Thursday. "There was a mistake in the identity of the girl," said a Las Vegas state police spokesman.

"The victim is not Nancy Stroud. We have no identity." A man identified by police as Nancy Stroud's brother-in-law identified the body of the dead woman, the spokesman said, "but it was an honest mistake. The girl had been beaten. There must have been some similarity." Galveston Police said Nancy Stroud's mother in Galveston reported her daughter alive in University City, saying she had talked to her on the telephone. Las Vegas police also said a warrant for the arrest of Michael Mosely for questioning in connection with the death had been canceled.

Officers earlier had said Mosely was believed to have been a traveling companion of Miss Stroud. "Since the girl has called her mother, and she's okay, we have to start again from the bottom and try to identify this girl," the spokesman said. An autopsy showed the woman, whose body was found about two miles north of Newkirk on March 25, had been strangled, police said. Wholesale WASHINGTON (AP)'- Wholesale prices in March fell six-tenths of a per cent, resulting in the sharpest four-month price drop in 24 years, the government reported Thursday. The Labor Dept.

report was further evidence that inflation is moderating even though the declines at wholesale have not been fully passed through to consumers at the retail level. FARM AND FOOD prices fell 2.5 per cent to lead the over-all decline in wholesale prices last month. Industrial goods rose two-tenths cf a percent. The six-tenths drop bit month followed declines of eight-tenths in February, three-tenths in January and five-tenths in December, and brought the total price drop over the past four months to 2.2 per cent. Analysts with the Bureau of Labor Statistics said it was the first time since early 1963 that wholesale prices dropped four months in a row.

It also marked the sharpest decline in any four-month period since prices fell 3.3 per cent in mid-1951 during the Korean War. Wholesale prices in the first quarter of 1975 have declined at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.7 per cent, a dramatic turn-around from increases of 13.4 per cent in the fourth quarter of 1974 and 35.2 per cent in the third quarter. "This confirms our expectation of a further moderation in the nation's inflation rate," said James L. Pate, assistant commerce secretary for economic affairs. THE FORD administration has predicted inflation will drop to about 6 per cent by the end of the year, about half the rate of 1974.

Despite the recent declines, Bickford Denies Guilt Continued from Page 1 mitted he killed Velten but said he had gone to his sister's home "covered in blood" the night of the death. IN OTHER testimony, Officer Tena said he had showed Mrs. Weyer, the alleged eyewitness, pictures of the convicted men in the case and she had picked out two; "she said, 'This one is Grubby (Keine) and the other one I don't know his name. The second time he showed her the photographs, Tena said, she identified the other men. When defense attorneys asked whether Tena would take a polygraph examination on the question of whether he had talked to Mrs.

Weyer on other occasions than her statements he refused. Jose Rivera, Mrs. Weyer's former boyfriend, testified officers discussed aspects of the case with him and had promised rape charges separate from the case would be dropped if he would testify in the trial against the men. Later, Rivera said, Mrs. Weyer told him she had not witnessed the killing.

The hearing will resume this morning. Land Office Collections Up From the Journal's Santa Fe Bureau SANTA FE-The State Land Office will collect about $4 million more this fiscal year than originally estimated for the state's Permanent Fund, schools and state institutions, Land Commissioner Phil Lucero reported Thursday. Present estimates, he said, are the office will collect about $65 million this fiscal year. Estimated at the beginning of the 12-month period were for collections of $61 million. He said the Land Office transferred $6.45 million to the appropriate agencies during March.

Rentals and lease bonuses go to the institutions for which the land is held in trust for operating expenses. Royalties from oU and gas and mineral production go into the state's Permanent Fund, the income of which goes to the institutions and the schools. The March collections brought the total first eight months of the fiscal year of $51 million. Declines wholesale prices last month iweVe still 12.5 per cent higher than a year ago. This is because of the big increases late last year.

i Over the year, industrial ties were up 18.6 per cent; processed foods and feeds, up 8.8 per cent, and farm products, down 13.1 per cent. Consumer prices have eased somewhat in recent months but have not fully reflected the declines at wholesale. This is partly because of the usual time lags, increased costs in processing, and efforts by middlemen and retailers to maintain or widen profit margins. CITING THE March wholesale price report, Pate said: "We may just now be starting to see improvements in the nonfood area" resulting from steady declines in raw material prices and the recession's impact, which has curbed consumer demand. Industrial prices last month rose only two-tenths of a percent, after increases of five-tenths in both January and February and more than three times that rate through most of 1974.

Chemicals, transportation equipment, machinery arid fuels led the March increase, the government said. The index for processed foods and feeds fell 2.9 per cent in March, largely because of decreases for sugar and confectionery and manufactured animal feeds. At the farm level, prices fell 2 per cent, reflecting falling prices for grains, oilseeds and vegetables. Prices for consumer foods those ready for sale on grocery shelves declined 1.6 per cent; while non-food finished items rose three-tenths of a percent. The over-all Wholesale Price Index in March stood at 170.4, meaning that it cost $170.40 to buy at wholesale a variety of goods that cost $100 in 1967.

Honor Farm Caseworker Pedro "Buddy" Ramirez. The prison has been without a full-time director since mid-January after former corrections official Jack T. Grasinger resigned, reportedly under pressure from the Corrections Commission, and returned to Arkansas. MANY LOS LUNAS area residents and some of the farm staff were critical of the Corrections Dept. for bringing Grasinger from out of state last August.

Prison officials said Grasinger was the only person qualified for the job. New felt there were qualified people in the state. On the reported salary dispute between officials and Ramirez, reliable sources say Ramirez was offered a $65-a-month increase to about $1025 a month. Grasinger, according to State Personnel Dept. records, was paid $1160 monthly.

Leach said, "Well, it's back to the drawing board. We will go to the State Personnel Office for a new list of Honor Farm Head Sought After First Pick Declines twice and then foreclosed, son Anthony currently holds legal title to it; That the former senator still owes the Santa Fe Hilton $1000 for expenses incurred while staying there during the 30-day 1974 legislative session; -That a listed debt of $1800 to Kurt's Camera Corral in Albuquerque had in fact been owed by Congress Industries Inc. and was written off as uncollectable when Congress Industries declared bankruptcy. Lucero said he was an incorporator of the firm. And that Rich Ford in Albuquerque had written off a $1900 debt as uncollectable when it repossessed a leased car of Lucero's last November.

Albuquerque Journal PO Drawer Seventh Silver, SW Albuquerque, N.M. 87103 Phone 842-2300 SUBSCRIPTION RATE BY CARRIER Morning Sunday 75c a week Sunday only 25c a week SUBSCRIBERS desiring lo pay annually In advance will please mail remittance at earner rale direct to circulation department. SINGLE COPY RATES Morning 10c Sunday 25c MAIL RATES NEW MEXICO Morn Sun I yr $55 00 OUT OF STATE Morn Sun I yr $75 00 Morn Sun 6 mot $4100 Morn 4 Sun 3 nio $22 00 Morn Sun 1 mo 8 00 Sunday only 1 mo I 2 SO Morn Sun 6 mos Morn ir Sun 3 mos Morn Sun 1 no Sunday only 1 mo $1000 $1600 600 i I 50 All mail are payable in advance. Foreign Country rales avaibhle upon request Second-class Postage paid at Albuquerque and additional mailing of ficei. Served by the Associated Preaa and i by i United Preaa International National Advertising Branham Maloney, I DC, Member of Audit Bureau of Circulation By TOMAS MARTINEZ LOS LUNAS A new search has been launched for a superintendent of the Los Lunas Honor Farm after an employe who was offered the post turned it down because of an apparent salary dispute.

Secretary of Corrections Howard Leach told the Journal earlier in the week a new superintendent had been named but the announcement would not be made until today's Corrections Commission meeting at the farm. 1 THURSDAY, LEACH said an announcement will not be forthcoming because the person offered the job had not accepted it. Leach would not name the employe and would only say that a salary accord could not be reached. "It was one of our honor farm employes. I do not want to say anything that would embarrass this person.

We want to keep him as a loyal employe," Leach said. Reports circulating around the Los Lunas area, however, point strongly at.