Las Cruces Sun-News from Las Cruces, New Mexico • Page 1

City Fathers Battle Budget Again Tonight A graphic presentation will be given Las Cruces City Commis' sion at 8 p.m! today in an attempt to justify a $40,000 increase in customer sales and service division of the public utility department. Approval of the $4,432,000 city budget for fiscal year 19C9 70 was postponed Tuesday night on a three to two vote after Commissioners Albert N. Johnson and Hcrculano Ferralez raised questions "over the tremendous increase." City Mgr. A. J.

Vasilakis said commissioners will be given "everything except pictures" to show that the increase was needed. Public Utility Director Henry U. Gaines told commissioners Tuesday night that the city lost gas service customers a couple of years ago because the city did not promote business like private utilities. He said the department was created for this purpose and that in the not too distant future would have to go to a "full service." He cited retention of year around accounts since the five- man department was created. "In 1901 62, the gas of 5,200 customers was turned off six months of the year.

Last year, 1,700 people requested their gas be turned off and between 3,500 and 3,600 stayed on in the summer," he added. Gaines said revised rate schedules and better public relations helped account for more customers staying on gas service. Ferralez said he agreed that the department needed to compete with public utilities but "1 share the concern of Commissioner Johnson on the tremendous increase and want to know the breakdown." Although the utility department's section of the budget drew the most fire, long, searching looks were given departments supported by the gencnil fund. Commissioners learned that the sanitation department was recommended for a $17,000 cut from $369,000 approved in the last budget to $352,000 for new one. A $7.000 increase was figured for the police department which Finance Director Richard Ratcliff said would not provide for an increase in personnel.

An $9,000 increase over the past fiscal year was provided in total funds" for the fire department. An increase of $9,300 was provided for total parks expenditures with an increase of $1,000 over 1968 09 for recreation expenditures. Las Cr News Vol. 89--No. 45 LAS CRUCES, NEW MEXICO, THURSDAY EVENING, MAY 22, 1969 20 PAGES--lOe William A.

Sutherland Sutherland Is Dead; Rites Set Saturday Snoopy Orbits Final tribute will be paid William A. Sutherland, 92, 733 N. Reymond in funeral services scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday at St. Paul's Methodist Church.

The Rev. Robert Templelon and the Rev. Nelson Wurglcr will officiate. Burial will follow in Masonic Cemetery, under direction of Graham's Mortuary. He died Wednesday afternoon.

Sutherland, who spent 72 years in Las Cruces, is survived by his widow, Mrs. Minnie Low- berry Sutherland; one daughter. Sirs. Constance McManus of Las Cruces and one son, Adm. William S.

Sutherland, USN. Norfolk, and his grandson, Commander William P. Sutherland. USN, London, and one sister, Mrs. Florence Bush, Mexico City.

At 92, Sutherland still maintained his law office at 204 E. Griggs and was known as the oldest attorney in New Mexico and the oldest attorney associated with the Santa Fe Railway Company. He practiced law in Las Cruces since 1908. His interests centered' around three thing. 1 New Mexico Slate University, SI.

Paul's Methodist Church and the Republican Party. He graduated from the university in 1898, then called New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts, after coming up from Durango, Mexico, to complete his education. His first three years of college were spent at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Tex. He played football here and was still an avid Aggie booster. Sutherland attended the Men's Bible Class at St.

Paul's Methodist Church. His interest in his. church goes, back to his Rev. Alexander Hamilton. Sutherland who was a mis- (See SUTHERLAND, Page, SPACE CENTER, Houston (AP) The lunar landing craft, carrying astronauts Thomas P.

Stafford and Eugene Ccr- iian undocked from the Apollo 10 spacecraft today, starting the final phase of man's closest approach to the moon. A last minute problem had threatened to cancel or delay I separation. SPACE CENTER, Houston (AP) Two Apollo 10 astronauts transferred into a fragile lunar landing cratt todly, reported it in "go" condition and prepared to make man's closest approach to the moon's surface, a daring descent to within 50,000 feet of the Sea of Tranquility. Air Force Col. Thomas P.

Stafford and Navy Cmdr. Eugene A. Cernan crawled through a three-foot tunnel into the spidery lunar module, or LEM, in mid-morning and began checking the craft's complex systems. They were in their second day in lunar orbit. After an hour, in which minor communications problems were cleared up, Cernan reported: Thode Heads Top Seniors At Mayfield High School Stephen Thode today was named honor student at Mayfield High School, heading a list of 10 top graduating seniors.

The announcement was made during the school's annual Hon-' or Assembly in the school gymnasium. Completing the top 10 are, alphabetically: Cecilia Creel. Karen Guice, Eva Dianne Hulsey, Leonard Lake, Mary Katherine Lee, Sherman Nelson, Patricia Riddle, William Todsen, and Roberta Walker. Other -awards and their winners were American Legion Air Force Junior ROTC Award for general military excellence, David Martin, and for scholaslic excellence, Robin Jones. Olher ROTC awards went to Ronald Akers, Sherman Nelson, James Loya, Ronaldo Maynez, and James Pettes.

Others were Aggie Alumni Award, Donny Jiron; Band Awards, Cecilia Creel and Buddy Lopez; Business Award, Marcic Estrada; Cheerleaders Award, Theresa Phillips; Chemistry II Award, Thode; Chi Omega Leadership Award, Nancy Burn; Chorus Award, Bangle Salas; Dance Award, Marda Wcchter. Delta Zeta Cilizcn- ship Award, Pally Riddle; English Award, Mary Kay Lee; French Award, Pally Kiely and Lynn Shuman: Future Teachers of America Award, Evelyn Dodd; Girls Athletic Association Award, Nora Reed; Home Econom- Stephen Thode ics Awards, Gretta Garrett, Sally Chavez, and Rane Wiley; Journalism and Mathematics Awards, Steve Thode; Mortar Board Awards, Cecilia Creel, Karen Guice, and Husley; Myers Athletic Awards, Mike Dittmar football, Leon Garcia cross country, Arnold baskelball, Joe Wilkey wrestling, Stan Jones -track, and Bob Hall golf; Orchestra Awards, Mary Na- V.ayama ar.d Marcia Wcchler; Physics Award, Sherman Nelson; Social Stu'dics Award, Dianne Hulsey; University of New Mexico Awards in Humanities, Marcia Wcchter, and in Science and Mathematics, Steve Thode; Whitfield Leadership Award, Bill Diven; and Zela Tau Alpha Recognition award, a Guice. Scholarships announced were: Elks Club No. 1119 Most Valuable Student Award Patricia Riddle. PSL in Chemistry (NMSU) -Bonnie Poulos.

PSL in Engineering (NMSU)-- Roberta A. Walker. PSL in Physics (NMSU) -Leonard Lake. Engineering Council Scholarship (NMSU) William Diven. Derbyshire Sleel Scholarship (NMSU) Slanley Weaver.

El Paso Natural Gas. Co. Scholarship (NMSU) Nora Reed and Joyce Lavon Hardin. New Mexico State University Tuition Scholarships Patricia Riddle, Mary K. Lee and Eva Diane Hulsey.

John Risner Memorial Scholarship (NMSU) Rosalie Salcido. Teacher Co op (NMSU) -Anita Logan, Joseph Dale Cark and Debbie Sales. Army ROTC four year Scholarships (NMSU) James Fleming and Ronald James Akers. Dept of Fine Arts Awards (NMSU) Cissy Creel, Buddy Lopez, Margaret Beer, Russell Gray, Dorothy Gray, Linda Hawkins, Ana Bellran, Deborah Brown and Marilyn Kallman. Music Scholarship (Arizona Slate University) Rick Strei(See THODE, Page 2) News Briefs SANTA FE (AP) An application by Mutual Building and Loan Association of Las Cruces to establish a branch office in Truth or Consequences will lie heard by Banking Commissioner Grant 0.

Brumlow June 10 in Santa Fe. WASHINGTON (AT') Living costs rose six-tenths of 1 per THE WEATHER I.AS CRUCES AREA Increased cloudiness through today with thunderstorms in the area lalo today. Partly cloudy and a iitllc cooler Friday with scattered afternoon and evening thundcrshowcrs. Low lonlghl 54. High Friday 86.

Sunrise 6:06. Suitot 8:01. cent in April to continue the sharpest upward price spiral in more than a decade, the Labor Department reported today. WASHINGTON (AP) Sccrc- tary of Defense Melvin R. Laird charged North Vietnam today with stepping up the pace of the Vietnam wtr nt the same time il was putting forth peace proposals.

SANTA FE (AP) The Stale Corporation Commission announced today it has scheduled a hearing In Santa Fc June 18 on Ihc application of New Mexico railroads for an Increase In Inlraslate Insight rales. GENEVA (AP) The United Stales submitted a draft treaty today to ban nuclear arms and other weapons of mass destruc- tion from the sea bed. The draft, put before the 17- nalion disarmament conference, was in answer lo a Soviet draft presented March 18. It calls for complete demilitarization of the sea bed, a concept which the United Stales rejected. SAN ANTONIO, Tex.

A -The United Presbyterian Church has ended its annual meeting with adoption of a report sympathizing with the aspirations al church assaulting Negro and Mexican American militants. OUR HOME TOWN One change nobody likes is a flat tire. "Snoopy is all go. I found nothing wrong with il." Snoopy is Ihe radio code name for Ihe LEM. The command ship, manned by Navy Cmdr.

John W. Young, is called Charlie Brown. Slafford and Cernan leave Young alone in Ihe command vessel at 3:05 p.m. EOT to swoop down toward a landscape which they described Wednesday in terms such as "rugged planet," "fantastic," and "out of this world." In the most perilous moments of the mission, they twice are to skim til nine times the speed of sound just 9.3 miles over a landing site they are scouting for a Edwin Mechem Is Named Realtors' Citizen Of Year Edwin L. Mcchem, former governor and U.S.

Senator, Wednesday night was named "Citizen of the. Year" by the Las Cruces Board of Realtors. Realtors also cliose R. Stanley Miller as "Realtor of the Year" and Peter Donald Jiron was given the realtors' scholarship. Miller is president of Monarch Real Estate Corporation and Jiron is a senior at Mayfield High School.

Mecliem, thrice governor, served as U.S. Senator by appointment in 1963 and A Hative of was graduated from high school in Las Cruces, attended Mexico State University a received his law degree from the University of Arkansas. Mechem served from 1942-46 as special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Chairman of 'New Mexico' Stale Police Board, he is a member of the Commission on Re-Organization of Slate Government, member of the Palestine Refugee Commission, and member of the Commission on Government Security and is serving an appoinlment with American Law Institute board. Miller, who organized Monarch Real Estate four years ago, is past president of the Las Cruces Board of Reallors and was instrumental in establishing multiple listing service.

Born in Clovis, Miller came to Las Cruces with his parents at an early age. A graduate of Las Cruces High School, he served in the Navy during World War II. He attended New Mexico Stale University and then went to work with W. Edwin L. Mechem W.

Little Agency before establishing his own business. Jiron, 18, Mayfield i School, senior, plans to enter New Mexico State University this fall. The son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Jiron of Fail-acres, he was honored by Mayfield faculty as "Distinguished Senior of the Year." Jiron is a member of National Honor Sociely and Letler- mens' Club.

In spite of a handicap caused by burns received when he was three years of age, Jiron was a regular on the Trojan wrestling learn. Mrs. Lewis (Sarah) Emcrick presented the "Citizen of the Year" award and Mrs. Kcd (Dorolhy) Chrislian gave the (See EDWIN, Page 2) Peter Donald Jiron R. Stanley Miller Judge Gels Tondi Willi Davis Druthers Are Not Considered "I don't want to dispose of my car," Carl W.

Davis, Houston, 1 Tex. told Judge E. Forrest Sanders, Wednesday. "And I don't want to spend the court's money to pay a lauyer to defend you," snapped Ihe judge. The judge later appointed Neil Weinbrcnner to defend the man accused of assault with intenl lo commil a violent felony.

Da- ACCUSED GUNMAN Carl W. Dnvis, left, and his companion Ollln Bcuhring move through the Donn Ann County Courthouse under the watchful eye of Dcp. Sheriff A. P. Garcia.

(Finch) vis is accused of allegedly firing Iwo shots at state policeman Ben Marrufo Tuesday afternoon. Davis appeared before Sanders lo plead as an indigent and secure the services of a court appointed lawyer. He admitted owning a automobile and it was about this car the conversation took place. On a i Weinbrcnner to defend the 20 year old a Sanders ordered the defendant tp have the attorney try lo get title of the car from Davis' parents in Houston so it could he sold lo raise funds. Before appointing an attorney, Judge Sanders heard Dist.

Ally. E. II. Williams tell of the accused trying lo talk to him and offering a deal, which Williams said he refused. He said the man wanted lo lie senl back to a federal prison from which he is an admitted parolee.

Davis, speaking for himself, asked Sanders to allow him to plead guilty, saying he was willing to waive a preliminary hearing and enlcr a plea of guilty. The court refused 10 accept this. Davis then said he was recently paroled from a federal prison and had violated the parole conditions. Still Sanders refused to allow the man to represent himself or to waive preliminary hearing. Davis was arrested at gunpoint at Ihe Western Union office here several hours after the shooting incident south of tlio city.

July landing by two Apollo 11 astronauts. The two spaceships were to be apart more than eighl hours, with Young' continuing to circle (he moon al an altitude of (9 miles, ready to fly a rescue mission if SI afford and Cernan en- counler trouble. During the two flights over the landing site, the LEM pilots hope to obtain a tolal of 13 minutes of radar ranging, photographs and visual observations. Then they are to execute a series of tricky maneuvers lo rejoin Young in Ihe command ship, duplicating moves the Apollo 11 landers must make alter Uiey blast off Ihe moon. The linkup musl be made i( Stafford and Cenian are to get home.

LEM, a little, bug-like ship, was designed to operate in airless space and on the moon and can not return lo earth. If the maneuver is successful, and Apollo 10 flashes safely back to earth Monday, Apollo 11 will be ready to set out on the lunar landing mission 55 days later. Joe La Point Is Appointed Ad Director Joe La Point, veteran newspaper advertising man, has been named advertising director of the Las Cruces Sun-News. A nalive ol Las Cruces, lie is a member of a long established newspaper family. His grandfather published the Las Cruces Citizen, then his father and later his mother.

A brother was associated with the Citizen before 'he family sold the newspaper. La Point served as assistant advertising manager of the Sun- News for two years and later as advertising director for 7'a years durinK the time Ihc lato Orville E. Priestly published tho newspaper. He later was employed 1'or one year as sales and public relations representative for Bronson Printing, then served as advertising manager of Las Cruci's Citizen and the Wind and Sand for 7'i years Joo La Point when Gene Priestley was publisher. He rejoined (he Sun-News advertising a in February ef 1908, Long active in civic affairs, La Point devoted a number of years to Hoy Scout work, to- school activities, and is a member of Immaculate Heart o( Mary Church.

He has been active In developing the church. He is married and the father ol three children. One son is an electrical engineer nnd one son is In the Navy, Mr. and Mrs. l.a Point and their 13 year old son reside at 720 Mlmbrcs..