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Satan's Den Exposed
The David Parker Ray Story
True crime book about a
criminal sexual sadist and cohorts busted in kidnap, rape and sexual
torture cases in New Mexico
By the Desert Journal's award winning investigative reporting team of Bill
Johnson, Fred Mramor & David Pierre
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Satan's Den Exposed - The David Parker Ray Story
About criminal
sexual sadist and cohorts in kidnap, rape and torture cases in Elephant
Butte, NM
A true crime book by the Desert Journal's award
winning investigative reporting team!
Dr. Michael
Stone, forensic psychiatrist, has rated David Ray among the most evil
criminals on the Discovery Times show, "Most Evil." Satan's Den
Exposed by the Desert Journal reveals how that evilness came to light.
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David
Parker Ray (right) and his attorney Lee McMillan (left) listen to the
expert testimony of FBI agent Mary Ellen O’Toole who testified Thursday
afternoon that criminal sexual sadists, such as Ray, generally aren’t
treatable. Ray will never walk the streets again – District Judge Kevin
Sweazea sentenced him to more than two centuries in prison during Ray’s
sentencing hearing in Truth or Consequences.
Photo by Bill Johnson |
David Ray gets 224
years
Victims
weep,
‘criminal’
sexual
sadist
looks on
By
Fred Mramor
of
the Desert Journal
David
Parker Ray was sentenced to 224 years in prison at a hearing in Truth or
Consequences Thursday having been convicted of numerous offenses involving
the abduction and sexual torture of three young women at his Elephant
Butte Lake home.
Ray
was convicted earlier this year for his crimes against Kelly Van Cleave,
formerly of Truth or Consequences, in July 1996. He later pled guilty to
charges involving two other victims, the late Angie Montano of T or C and
Cynthia Vigil of Albuquerque, in 1999.
Defense
attorney Lee McMillan unsuccessfully argued for withdrawal of Ray’s plea
agreement on grounds that Ray was incompetent to make informed decisions
while under the influence of numerous medications.
Prosecutor
Jim Yontz argued, and Judge Kevin Sweazea agreed, that Ray had been alert,
responsive, conversant, able to assist in his own defense and aware of
what was going on during his trials and other proceedings. Judge Sweazea
denied Ray’s motion to withdraw his plea.
Mary
Ellen O’Toole, Federal Bureau of Investigation agent in Virginia and the
FBI’s foremost expert in the field of investigating criminal sexual
sadism, testified Thursday that examination of Ray’s home, the trailer
he had converted into his infamous “toy box” and the sexual
paraphernalia and drawings found there suggest that Ray is a “criminal
sexual sadist.”
She
said Ray’s toy box and custom equipment were extremely impressive in
terms of sexual sadism, their potential lethality and the time, money and
effort it took to keep them a secret.
O’Toole
said there is no known therapy for Ray’s paraphilia (psycho-sexual
disorder) and that its corresponding behavior can be stopped only by
apprehension.
Ray’s
victims made their statements to the court and to Ray before the judge
pronounced sentence. Kelly (Van Cleave) Garrett who earlier was crying and
holding hands with Cynthia Vigil in the courtroom, said she wants Ray to
live a for long time and suffer in prison.
She
said the sick pervert will find no friends in prison and she hopes he will
be controlled and used in the same manner that she and Ray’s other
victims had. Garrett said however she is not a victim but a survivor.
Loretta
Romero, Angie Montano’s mother, said her daughter had a good heart but
had lost all respect, lost her smile, lost everything because of David
Ray. Mrs. Romero said she is here for Angie and her two little boys whose
lives Ray had ruined. Mrs. Romero said she feels sorry for David Ray, that
she forgives him and that her (now deceased) daughter would forgive him.
But Angie’s mother said she never will forget.
Less
forgiving was Cynthia Vigil’s grandmother, Bertha Vigil. Mrs. Vigil told
Ray he is a poor excuse for a human being and asked him how he would like
it if she did to his daughter what he had done to Cynthia.
Bertha
Vigil said her granddaughter has nightmares every night and that Ray had
ruined not only her life but her whole family’s.
Cynthia’s
grandmother said she prays Ray will suffer every day for the rest of his
life. “Satan has a place for you. I hope you burn in hell forever,”
Mrs. Vigil said.
“I
bare scars outside and inside that will never heal,” Cynthia Vigil said.
She said no punishment is equal to the agony she has suffered. Vigil said
she is afraid of being tied down and helpless, afraid of the dark and of
going out alone. Cynthia Vigil, crying, said she hopes David Ray will
spend the rest of his life inside four walls and suffer the way he made
her suffer.
Attorney
General Patricia Madrid said she was pleased to be at Ray’s sentencing
for the people of New Mexico. Madrid said Ray’s behavior was worse than
that of any animal.
She
said he had reduced his victims to abject terror and thought of them not
as human beings but as “packages.” She said Ray posed a particular
danger to the community by enlisting young accomplices.
Madrid
pleaded with the court to impose the maximum penalty on David Ray saying
that the community cannot risk any chance of his freedom. The attorney
general said Ray’s plans and his illustrated manual make it clear that
he will torture another human being.
Prosecutor
Jim Yontz said it has been two and a half years since he has thought about
what he would say today. Yontz said Ray’s crimes differ only in scope
but not in nature from events in the world outside this small community.
Yontz
said Ray had picked the wrong victims. He commended Angie Montano, Cynthia
Vigil and Kelly Garrett for their courage and fortitude. Yontz warned the
court that if Ray is ever released, he will offend before he gets home.
“This
monster should never be allowed to walk the streets again,” Yontz said.
“There should be no light at the end of the tunnel and he should realize
that a cell will be his home for the rest of his life and that he will
leave only in a box.”
Defense
attorney Lee McMillan conceded that his effort to have Ray’s sentence
reduced to 173 years suspended with only ten years actual prison time,
which he called a “death sentence,” was like rearranging deck chairs
on the Titanic.
McMillan
pleaded that the term paraphilia does not do justice to the disease his
client has suffered. Ray, 61, has “successfully” resisted his disease
for almost 50 years and has made efforts to reform himself while in
protective custody, McMillan argued.
Ray,
who seemed to be in good spirits during his sentencing hearing and unmoved
while his victims cried, said he is having a hard time expressing himself.
Despite his handicap as a public speaker, Ray told the court that no one
but his attorney had heard his side. Ray said many lies and distortions
have been told in his case.
Ray
commended the late Judge Neil Mertz who, according to Ray, said Ray never
had a fair chance at a fair trial in Sierra County and therefore moved his
trial to Tierra Amarilla. That trial, Ray reminded the court, ended in a
hung jury.
The
defiant Ray criticized Judge Sweazea - who would soon sentence Ray - for
moving the second trial to a venue conveniently near the judge’s home.
Ray criticized also Patricia Madrid for taking the credit and being on
camera after another prosecutor, Claire Harwell, who could not be present
for Ray’s sentencing, had done all the work.
Ray
said he had entered into a plea agreement to get his daughter released.
Ray’s daughter, Glenda Jean “Jessy” Ray, was Ray’s accomplice in
the abduction and sexual torture of Kelly Van Cleave.
Jessy
Ray, recently released from custody with five years probation, sat with
spectators, victims and the press during her father’s sentencing
hearing.
Ray
argued, as his attorney had, that his judgment had been impaired by the
numerous medications he had been taking. He said he never really knew what
was going on when he was allowed only 15 minutes on the phone with his
attorney each week while in custody.
Ray
said he had lost everything following his arrest including his home, all
other material assets and his health.
Ray
said the two and a half years in confinement since his arrest has allowed
him to reflect, read his Bible and “get right with God.” Ray said he
has put his life in His hands and that he can’t change the past but can
only be sorry.
Judge
Sweazea was not swayed by Ray’s statements. Sweazea said that after
sitting through Ray’s trials and hearing the compelling testimony of
Kelly Garrettt and Cynthia Vigil, he can only imagine the horrors they
suffered.
Sweazea
said that though the purposes of sentencing are incapacitation, punishment
and the possibility of rehabilitation, in Ray’s case the primary purpose
will be incapacitation so that no one else will suffer at his hands.
Sweazea
noted Ray’s extensive preparations demonstrated the extensive time,
effort and money that went into his horrific crimes.
For
his crimes against Kelly Van Cleave, Judge Sweazea sentenced David Parker
Ray to nine years for kidnapping, three years for conspiracy to commit
kidnapping, 18 years for each of six counts of criminal sexual
penetration, 18 months for criminal sexual contact, and 18 months for
conspiracy to commit criminal sexual contact.
For
his crimes against Cynthia Vigil, Sweazea sentenced Ray to 18 years for
kidnapping, nine years for criminal sexual penetration and nine years for
conspiracy to commit kidnapping.
Finding
Ray’s planning and preparation and the horrific nature of his crimes
sufficient to constitute aggravation, the judge imposed an additional one
third of the total of the forgoing sentences. All sentences, totaling 224
years less two and a half years time served, will be served consecutively.
Ray
was remanded to the custody of the New Mexico Department of Corrections.
<<<
>>>
To see more about our book, Satan's Den
Exposed - The David Parker Ray Story, click
HERE!
CLICK HERE FOR MORE LINKS TO
RELATED STORIES |
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Jessy Ray goes free
Sentenced
to five
years of probation
By Bill Johnson
of
the Desert Journal
Glenda
Jean “Jessy” Ray is free with five years of probation ordered for her
role in the July 1996 kidnapping of a young woman who her infamous father,
David Parker Ray, then raped and sexually tortured for three days.
She
had faced 150 years in prison but multiple counts of rape and other
charges were dropped.
The
prosecution argued that Jessy Ray, 34, delivered to her father, deemed by
the FBI to be a criminal sexual sadist, a young woman, Kelly Van Cleave,
for his sexual torture pleasure while keeping her unconscious with drugs.
All other charges, including several counts of criminal sexual
penetration, have been dismissed for Jessy Ray.
It
was the videotape of a tattoo on Van Cleave’s leg that would lead police
to the victim, then living in Colorado, in the wake of the spring 1999
investigation of the Rays and company, all who now hang their heads with
serious felony convictions including murder for Dennis Roy Yancy, and the
seizure of more than a thousand pieces of evidence from David Ray’s home
on Bass Road in Elephant Butte Lake State Park, where Ray also worked as a
mechanic.
Many
friends of Jessy Ray said they thought she would get off easy because she
had reported her father’s activities to the FBI at least 13 years prior
to the 1999 investigation. And some have viewed her as being a victim
herself although the truth has yet to be confirmed.
“Jessy
Ray actually reported to the FBI her father’s activities in 1986. The
case of the alleged sexual abuse and slavery of young women and girls was
investigated by the FBI in 1986 and 1987 and closed because of
insufficient evidence,” said Deputy District Attorney Jim Yontz,
prosecutor on the trail of torture case for nearly the last two and a half
years, “and because they found no victim.”
But
no one can explain how David Ray’s boss, Billy Ray Bowers, at Canal
Motors in Phoenix, AZ, disappeared in September 1988. His body rose to the
surface at Elephant Butte Lake exactly a year later in September 1989 and
for nine and a half years he would be known as “John Doe.” Bowers’
body was wrapped in blue tarp, and weighed down by a boat anchor.
The
body apparently gassed up during the summer’s warm water season at the
lake and emerged to the surface when a fisherman found the rolled tarp
floating in the Kettle Top area on the east side of the lake. The
investigation then revealed that Bowers had been executed and shot in the
back of the head before being dumped in the lake.
His
identity was unknown until it came up during the investigation of the Ray
sexual torture case, Yontz said.
Yontz
said Ray traveled between Phoenix and Elephant Butte Lake where he had
leased the lot since 1982 or 1984.
But
that case apparently will slip through the state’s prosecutorial process
because, according to Yontz, New Mexico’s statute of limitation for
murder was 15 years until some three or four years ago when it was
extended to the life of the case (or until all suspects are dead).
“We
turned this (Bowers’ homicide) case over to the U.S. Attorney. It could
become a case of the State of Arizona or of the Feds,” Yontz said.
While
her father spends his life plus in prison, Jessy Ray goes free as her
father had wished when he decided to plea out the remaining charges
resulting from the kidnappings and rapes of now-deceased Angie Montano of
Truth or Consequences in February 1999 and a former Albuquerque
prostitute, Cynthia Vigil, in March 1999.
Vigil
brought the case to light after she escaped bondage at Ray’s residence
on Bass Road. Vigil struggled with David Ray’s accomplice, Cindy Hendy,
broke free and ran outside wearing nothing but a black collar with chain
and lock attached.
Ray
was found guilty on all counts of kidnapping and criminal sexual
penetration in a trial in Estancia earlier in the year for the case
involving victim Kelly Van Cleave.
Yontz
said a status conference for Jessy Ray on Monday in Socorro turned out
instead to be a plea hearing in which she pled no contest to the charge of
second degree kidnapping.
District
Judge Kevin Sweazea then imposed a nine-year prison sentence, suspended
six years and seven months of the sentence and gave Jessy Ray credit of
two years and five months for time already served behind bars.
As
such, the nine-year sentence is deemed served unless Jessy Ray violates
the terms and conditions of her probation, the first year to be under
supervised conditions, Yontz said.
If
Jessy Ray satisfactorily complies with the terms and conditions of her
first year of supervised probation, the Adult Probation and Parole
Department can request her remaining time be spent on unsupervised
probation, Yontz said.
Asked
if Jessy Ray’s freedom was a condition for her father to plea guilty to
the charges leveled against him, Yontz said, “We told David Ray we were
making her this offer. His request and our decision weren’t contingent
on each other. It was made clear to him we would make the offer to Jessy
Ray and it wouldn’t void his plea. She was released and is living in
Albuquerque,” Yontz said.
However,
several residents on Austin Avenue in Truth or Consequences reported
seeing Jessy Ray in the area during the week or after her release Monday.
She was in town to attend her father’s sentencing hearing Thursday
afternoon.
Yontz
said he believes he would have gotten some kind of conviction had the case
for Jessy Ray gone to trial. “I believe we could have gotten her
convicted for kidnapping but not as an accomplice to rape (in the Van
Cleave case only),” Yontz said.
He
said the timing of the terrorist attacks back East also affected his case.
Much of the evidence in the case was found by FBI agents who are now not
available to testify because most all of them have been assigned to
investigate the terrorist bombing attacks in the United States, Yontz
said.
In
a related case, Yontz said kidnap and rape accomplice Cindy Hendy on
Wednesday dismissed her appeal on her conviction following her guilty plea
in the cases involving Vigil and Montano.
Yontz
said Hendy had claimed she received ineffective legal counsel with Las
Crcues attorney Xavier Acosta but during Wednesday’s hearing in Socorro
Hendy withdrew that claim, Yontz said.
Thursday’s
sentencing for Ray brings closure to the two-and-a-half-year-old case,
said Yontz with a sigh of relief.
<<<
>>>
To see more about our book, Satan's Den
Exposed - The David Parker Ray Story, click
HERE!
CLICK HERE FOR MORE LINKS TO RELATED STORIES |
|
|
|
Jesse
Ray sits in on the sentencing hearing for her father, David Parker Ray,
Thursday in T or C.
Photo by Bill Johnson
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The
semi-tractor tanker carrying carbon dioxide – dry ice – rolled over on
the northbound lane of Interstate 25 in Monticello Canyon 10 miles north
of Truth or Consequences at about 4:45 p.m. Wednesday. The photo was taken
while emergency personnel were still establishing a safety perimeter
around the wreckage of the hazardous material (hazmat) spill and before
the arrival of hazmat crews. The driver was injured and was taken to the
local hospital before being airlifted to an Albuquerque medical facility.
I-25 was closed for hours to motorists traveling both directions but was
re-opened by 11 p.m.
Photo by Bill Johnson |
County
commissioners
condemn terrorist attacks
Desert
Journal Staff
Report
Sierra
County Commissioners Thursday voted to approve a resolution that condemns
the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on America.
The
resolution reads:
“Whereas,
on Sept. 1, 2001, America was suddenly and brutally attacked by foreign
terrorists, and;
“Whereas,
these terrorists hijacked and destroyed four civilian aircraft, crashing
two of them into the towers of the World Trade Center in New York City,
and a third into the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C., and:
“Whereas,
thousands of innocent Americans were killed and injured as a result of
these attacks, including the passengers and crews of the four aircraft,
workers in the World Trade Center and in the Pentagon, rescue workers and
bystanders, and:
“Whereas,
these cowardly acts were by far the deadliest terrorists attacks ever
launched in the United States, and, by targeting symbols of American
strength and success, clearly were intended to intimidate our nation and
weaken its resolve, and;
“Whereas,
these horrific events have affected all Americans, it is important that we
carry on with the regular activities of our lives. Terrorism cannot be
allowed to break the spirit of the American people, and the best way to
show these cowards that they have truly failed is for the people of the
United States and their counties to stand tall and proud.
“Therefore
be it resolved, that the governing board of Sierra County condemns the
cowardly and deadly actions of these terrorists, and;
“Be
it further resolved, that the governing board of Sierra County supports
the President of the United States as he works with his national security
team to defend against additional attacks, and find the perpetrators to
bring them to justice, and;
“Be
it still further resolved, that the governing board of Sierra County
recommends to its citizens to support relief efforts by giving blood at
the nearest available blood donation center.
“Passed
and approved on this 20th day of September, 2001,” the
county’s resolution concluded.
<<<
>>>
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Road
to Tularosa
‘just
a pipe dream’
Desert
Journal Staff
Report
The
Sierra County Manager begged to differ in opinion with the County Attorney
when the question of whether the county commission should support the
people’s efforts to open the highly restricted road from Engle through
White Sands Missile Range to Tularosa hit their agenda Thursday morning.
Specifically,
the county commission was considering a resolution, “Opening of the
Tularosa Road,” when County Attorney James Catron said, “I think
you’re barking up the wrong tree after last week,” referring to the
terrorist attack on America and the unlikelihood that the military would
let its hair down during a time of national crisis by allowing traffic to
cross a part of WSMR that hasn’t been seen by the civilian population
for six decades or more or at least since the explosion of the world’s
first atomic bomb at Trinity Site towards the end of World War II.
But
Polley disagreed with Catron. “We need to stimulate the local economy
and the opening of the road to Tularosa is one way to do it,” Polley
said.
The
recent road opening effort was begun by Truth or Consequences resident Ron
Sullivan who claims to have obtained several hundred signatures since
beginning his petition drive more than a month ago.
According
to the resolution, the county commission has been requested by the
people’s petition to reopen the road between Sierra County and the
Village of Tularosa. As such, the county would request help from the
congressional delegation, state legislature and governor in reopening the
Tularosa road through WSMR.
Reopening
would provide another east-west travel corridor for economic development
opportunities between the two sides of New Mexico, the resolution states.
<<<
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City
commissioners
cut their own salaries
By
Fred Mramor of
the Desert Journal
Acting
Truth or Consequences City Manager Mark Huntzinger offered tough choices
for city commissioners at their special budget meeting this week to reduce
the city’s projected expenditures by $609,000 to bring cash balances up
to desired levels and present a budget acceptable to the New Mexico
Department of Finance and Administration.
“We
need to fix it before the state comes in and fixes it and none of us will
like it. I’m afraid we’re at that point,” Huntzinger said to
commissioners, city residents and employees who packed the commission
chambers Wednesday.
Huntzinger
offered a few ideas to raise city revenues (increase utilities rates,
business license fees, gross receipts tax by referendum, golf course and
other recreation fees and imposing overdue charges on library books) but
placed a greater emphasis on cutting city expenditures.
Huntzinger
began with a proposal to transfer $151,000 from the city’s sewer repair
and replacement (R&R) fund to the joint utilities fund. But Huntzinger
called the transfer an “accounting trick” and said it will help this
year but doesn’t address the city’s long-term problem of spending more
than it takes in.
Commissioner
Cookie Johnson recited a list of last year’s over-expenditures by
various city departments: City Commissioners, $21,000; City Manager,
$33,000; Police Department, $33,000; Animal Control, $1,764; Building
Inspector, $1,065; Buildings and Grounds, $23,684; Parks, $19,618;
Library, $5,000; Airport, $90,000, and; $10,000 and $64,000 in prisoner
care and Community Development Block Grant, respectively.
Less
palatable to commissioners, and even less to city employees, than the
R&R transfer was Huntzinger’s suggestion of eliminating certain city
positions as of Jan. 5, 2002.
Commissioner
Jimmy Rainey, to the applause of city employees, objected to this idea
saying the city hired employees in good faith and has an obligation to
protect them. “We can work this out as a family,” Rainey said,
suggesting that employees might agree to a two to five percent reduction
in wages.
Huntzinger
pointed out that the city might reduce expenses as necessary with a two
percent wage cut if it had a $30 million payroll. The city’s payroll,
including benefits, amounts to only about $3.8 million according to the
city’s finance department.
After
commissioners raised other objections to the ideas of pay cuts, layoffs
and the elimination of certain jobs, Huntzinger, the unfortunate barer of
bad news, was finally permitted to specify those positions he feels the
city can best do without and that will save the city $162,500 from Jan. 5
to June 2002.
Those
jobs are: assistant city manager (the position Huntzinger was hired for),
grant writer, one police officer, two street laborers, facilities manager,
two part-time park laborers, one weed-control worker, one part-time
library clerk, a water department employee, a recreation maintenance
worker and construction projects coordinator.
Commissioner
Nadyne Gardner stuck up for Construction Projects Coordinator
Jack Baker. Gardner said Baker has saved the city more than he has
been paid.
Huntzinger
reminded commissioners that the city could leave some recently vacated
positions vacant for the rest of this year, not hire new and as yet
unfilled positions and not grant “grade increases” to 31 employees,
mostly police officers. He suggested also that some current full-time
positions (assistant recreation director, receptionists, clerks,
information specialist and other indoor workers) be reduced to part-time.
Huntzinger
suggested other cost-cutting measures by reducing or eliminating city
services such as animal control, code enforcement, the golf course and
library. Huntzinger said, however, closing the library would not be a good
option because it would require the city to return money to the federal
government, which had loaned money to the city for the purpose of building
and maintaining a library.
Commissioner
Johnson elicited groans from city employees when she suggested that
certain city services, such as street repair and police protection, could
be combined with like services provided by Sierra County.
Johnson
then suggested that city positions created in the last two and a half
years be eliminated. Johnson said commissioners made a big mistake buying
into new positions created by former City Manager Sam Isom.
Commissioner
Lois Reaver-Black said 23 new positions were created during Isom’s
tenure and that the elimination of these jobs would save more than the
$609,000 the city is looking for.
Huntzinger
pointed out that three of those new positions (two airport employees and
one information specialist) formerly were contracted positions and are
therefore only technically, but not actually, new positions.
Huntzinger
agreed however to provide a complete list of city positions created under
Sam Isom when commissioners reconvene their special budget meeting Monday
afternoon.
City
employees also weighed in during Thursday’s meeting. Administrative
Assistant Vicki Rivera opposed any across-the-board pay cut. Rivera said
some city police officers already receive food stamps in order to feed
their families.
She
said commissioners should consider how a pay cut will affect the local
economy and the city’s gross receipts tax revenues. Rivera suggested
that commissioners lease out the city’s golf course to a private
interest or close it.
Assistant
Recreation Director Windy Barnes said that as a single parent of two, she
would rather take a five percent pay cut than lose her job.
Assistant
Utilities Director Ed Williams said he’s concerned that pay cuts won’t
end this year. Suggesting a rate increase, Williams said T or C’s
utilities rates are among the cheapest in the state. Commissioner Johnson
agreed that city utilities are cheap but said the public doesn’t agree.
TCPD
Sgt. Jessy Harzewski said some city police officers work overtime without
charging it to the city and some have a second job to provide for their
families.
Municipal
Court Administrator Bobbie Sanders said the police department and animal
control are the last places in which the city should look for cuts.
Sanders said the city couldn’t afford the lawsuits.
Former
Building and Grounds Director Larry Robbins, to thunderous applause from
city employees, pointed out that the city is contemplating layoffs while
not contemplating cutting its subsidy to Sierra Vista Hospital.
Huntzinger
said city employees are the city and do their best everyday but Huntzinger
said also every city employee can tell you how important his job is.
Not
prepared to accept any of Huntzinger’s cost-cutting proposals Thursday,
commissioners took one action of their own. Commissioners moved to
eliminate their own salaries for the remainder of this fiscal year.
The
action will save the city about $15,000 until June 30, 2002, according to
Huntzinger’s calculations, leaving the obviously frustrated acting city
manager to find $594,000 in budget cuts city commissioners will agree to.
Asked
if he felt he had made any progress toward getting the city’s financial
house in order, Huntzinger said after the meeting, “I think the
commissioners realize the impacts of past decisions and hopefully they
will make decisions that will return the city to financial stability.”
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...When
there was little to go around
Marie
Daves, 80, of Truth or Consequences, recalls a period of scarcity and
non-abundance in her life, while most Americans take today’s comfort
for granted. But they may not like what’s in store in the event of a
war declared over last week’s attack on America. Here she displays the
various types of rationing stamps that the government issued to citizens
during World War II and thumbs through the September 1945 application of
her first husband, Harry Adam, for a new car or a vehicle to be used for
well drilling and carrying tools and equipment in Albuquerque. The
rationing board however disapproved the application. “You couldn’t
buy an extra five pounds of sugar unless you had a rationing stamp. The
same went for shoes (available in six month cycles only), tires and
gas,” Mrs. Daves said.
Photo
by Bill Johnson
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Sierra
Ambulance Service gets quick fix for operations
Cannot
shut down without
30 days notice & PRC’s okay
Sierra
County Manager Adam Polley last week presented a $4,910.78 check to Sierra
Ambulance Service president Dan Driskill for payment in full of
outstanding ambulance bills for detention center prisoner care.
Polley
also gave Driskill a draft ambulance lease agreement that calls for the
county to pay for “all maintenance, repairs, fuel and insurance… [and]
all medical supplies required by law and regulation to operate” two
ambulances that Sierra Ambulance obtained for the County under a state
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Fund Act grant in 1999 and 2000.
Polley
cautioned Driskill at a meeting Sept. 13 in Truth or Consequences that the
county, which faces its own fiscal challenges, very carefully would
monitor compliance with any final lease agreement. County and state
officials met with local health care providers to seek solutions to Sierra
Ambulance’s financial crisis.
Driskill
said the county’s assistance was more than he had expected could be
offered. He said he and his employees deeply appreciate the county doing
what it could to help. Driskill said he believes the lease agreement would
be sufficient to keep the ambulance service operating until long-term
solutions could be found.
SAS
had threatened a shut down but Driskill said closure must come with at
least 30 days notice to the Public Regulations Commission and also with
PRC’s approval since the formation of another ambulance service is
unlikely in such short notice.
Driskill
said he had told PRC officials last week that he couldn’t see how the
ambulances could continue to operate safely without additional funding. He
said he would seek PRC approval to shut down within two weeks based on an
anticipated lack of money and employees necessary to provide ambulance
service.
The
draft agreement was approved and signed by the county commissioners
Thursday, Sept. 20, after they changed some of the contract’s language.
The contract will expire June 30, 2002.
Driskill
said he pledges to begin work immediately to follow up on other offers or
advice and assistance including:
·
Pursuing legal action against Mednet Ambulance, which recently
filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Albuquerque.
·
Retaining an outside ambulance billing or collection service to
handle its older uncollected accounts receivable.
·
Seeking immediate PRC approval for an overhaul of the
seven-year-old tariff that Sierra Ambulance inherited from Mednet.
·
Accepting offers to help attempt expediting its Medicare provider
application.
·
Agreeing to accept assignment on Medicare claims for ambulance
service provided in the future.
·
Working with Sierra Vista Hospital to identify ways to decrease
Sierra Ambulance’s operating expenses.
·
Obtaining a full audit of company financial records as soon as
possible.
·
Working to increase collections on ambulance bills through public
education, referral of accounts to a collection service, and facilitation
of payment arrangements.
Driskill
concluded the meeting by repeating his thanks for all of the support his
company has received from the county, hospital, state and local officials,
local media and community members.
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