Changing of the guard

Some 15 past governors of Rotary District 5520, District leaders, and Las Cruces Rio Grande Rotary Club members gathered Saturday (June 24) to see Richard Haas succeed John Drusedum as governor.

The official change of governors occurs on July 1. However, the district governor’s baton and banner exchange was made one week early to avoid the Independence Day weekend rush.

The ceremony was held in Haas’s office, Desert Peak Architects in Las Cruces.

The district governor banner will move from Drusedum’s club, the Roswell Rotary Club, to the Las Cruces Rio Grande Club, where Haas is a member.

Past District Governor Robert Rausch, Roswell Rotary Club President Bianca Cheney, Las Cruces Rio Grande President Terra Winter, District Governor John Drusedum, incoming Las Cruces Rio Grande President Paula Heikell, and District Governor-Elect Richard Haas stand with the district banner.

Past District Governor Bob Rausch pins John Drusedum as past

district governor.

John passes the district governor baton to Richard Haas.

Rotarians join Sakura at Flying J

Roswell Rotary Club members joined exchange student Sakurako “Sakura” Kamitani on a weekend visit to the Flying J Ranch in Alto.

It was the final club social event for Sakura before she returns to Japan.

Club president Bianca Cheney was joined by Rotarians J.P. Cheney, Hud Rhea, and Jack Swickard at the Flying J Saturday (June 24).

After taking in some sightseeing at the entertainment ranch, the Rotarians, guests, and Sakura enjoyed a chuck wagon-style dinner and a Western concert by the Flying J Wranglers.

Also joining the group for dinner and entertainment were Jack’s wife Renee; Pecos Valley Rotary member Melinda Branin and her husband Wataru Niimori, Sakura’s current host family; and Bianca and J.P.’s daughter, her husband, and their son — Xanthia, Leland, and Declan Wright.

Roswell Rotary exchange student Sakurako “Sakura” Kamitani

 enjoys dinner Saturday night at the Flying J Ranch in Alto.

UFO Festival subject of talk

Tommi Jo “TJ” Conyers, city special events coordinator, will discuss the upcoming UFO Festival at the June 22 Rotary Club meeting.

The festival will run from June 30-July 2 this year.

TJ has worked in the city Public Affairs Department for a year and a half.

She was born and raised in Roswell, and is a 2006 graduate of Roswell High School.

“I love our beautiful city. From agriculture to the aliens, it’s all home,” TJ said. “When not at work, I enjoy spending time in the outdoors with my four kids and husband.”

Club builds handicap ramp

Volunteers worked Saturday (June 17) to assemble the Roswell Rotary Club’s third ramp under the New Mexico Ramp Project umbrella. The ramp was built to help a handicapped woman who lives in the 400 block of East 23rd Street. In top photo, Rotarian Jon Hitchcock screws a crossbeam, while in middle photo, Rotarian J.P. Cheney looks over his work.

New police chief addresses club

Police Chief Lance Bateman speaks to the Roswell Rotary Club at its June 15 meeting. Bateman, a longtime State Police officer, recently was appointed Roswell police chief.

Club seeks ramp volunteers

Leverda Otterbach home

Steve Smith, Roswell Rotary Club handicapped ramp coordinator, is seeking volunteers to build the club’s third ramp under the New Mexico Ramp Project umbrella.

Volunteers should meet at the home of Leverda Otterbach, 410 E. 23rd Street, Space 44, at 8 a.m. Saturday, June 17.

“I think we will be done before noon. We have some volunteers, but we can use more,” Steve said. “Mrs. Otterbach has been homebound for the past four months. This ramp will be a real blessing for her.”

New police chief to speak

Lance Bateman, Roswell’s new police chief, will speak at the June 15 Rotary Club meeting.

Bateman, retired State Police District 3 commander in Roswell, was born and raised in Roswell, where he graduated from Goddard High School.

Rotary night with the Invaders

Rotarians and friends at the Roswell Invaders baseball game

It was Roswell Rotary night at the Roswell Invaders baseball game June 6 at Joe Bauman Field.

Rotary club representative Hayden Wigley threw the first pitch and Rotary board member Elizabeth Prichard sang the national anthem.

Representing the club were 26 adults and several children.

The Invaders won 22-2 when the game ended after the fifth inning.

Club scholarship recipients

Roswell Rotary Club scholarship recipients who attended the June 1 club meeting are (front row, from left) Ava Jamison, Lanie Apodaca, Hayley Hampton, Kelsey Morley, and Lana Morley. Shown in the back row, from left are scholarship chair Chris Lauderman, and recipients Hayden Wigley, Reese Melton, Aurora Burnett, and Hailee Lance. Recipients not pictured: Danique Blankvoort, Ava Duer, Nicholas Fox, Ngoc Minh Pham, Ngoc Hong Pham, C.J. Quintana, and Emily Spaniel.

Roswell library director to speak

Enid Costley, Roswell Public Library director, will speak to the Roswell Rotary Club on June 8.

Enid, a former Rotary Club member, has been library director since November 2017.

Before moving to Roswell, she was children’s and youth services consultant with the Library of Virginia in Richmond.

Enid served as children’s librarian at the Hibbing (Minn.) Public Library from January 1988-September 2007.

She received a master’s degree in library and information science from Indiana University and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and special education from Greenville College in Illinois.