|
Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Wednesday, April 5, 2000
Salt cedar project field day attracts state, federal reps
By SMOKEY BRIGGS
Staff Writer
PECOS, April 5, 2000 - The Upper Pecos Soil and Water Conservation
District is sponsoring an informational field day about the salt cedar
eradication project on Friday, April 14.
"This will be an informational program about the project," said Barney
Lee, the district conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation
Service. Lee has been assisting the Conservation District in the salt cedar
eradication project, and the April 14 meeting is expected to attract both
state and federal representatives.
Lee explained that salt cedar trees line the banks of the Pecos River
and use a tremendous amount of water. In the process the tree also adds
salt to the river.
"It pulls salt out of the ground and deposits the salt on the surface
as sap drips from the leaves. That salt then gets washed into the river
and the salinity gets worse," Lee said.
Most western rivers are infested with salt cedar, which was brought
in for erosion control around the turn of the century, Lee said.
Which is why Friday's program and tour is attracting plenty of attention.
"This is the first project to get approval to apply the chemical directly
to the salt cedar _ along the edge of the river. The chemical, Arsenal,
has been approved for this use in this situation. If this program works,
and it looks like it is, then this could have a tremendous effect on water
systems across the Western United States."
More than 200 people have confirmed their reservations for the program,
including Texas Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs, Arty Williams of
the Environmental Protection Agency and United States House Representative
Bob Turner.
Friday's tour and program will explain the project from conception to
where we are now, Lee said.
"It takes two years for the chemical to do one hundred percent of what
it is supposed to, but right now the treated part of the river looks better
than expected. It looks very good," he said.
Lee said that the field day will include and overview of the project,
a discussion of application procedures, an update on the ongoing study
of the project by Texas A & M University, and speeches from Arty Williams
and Susan Combs about salt cedar and the national and state implications
of the program.
Lunch will also be served and after lunch there will be a tour of the
treated area of the Pecos River, he said.
Students' math success equals trip to state
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, April 5, 2000 - Future mathematicians will be testing their
skills once again at a higher level this weekend in San Antonio.
Four local middle school students will be going to TMSCA competition
in San Antonio, following their victories at regional level held in Ft.
Stockton recently.
Frankie Hernandez, a seventh grader at Zavala Middle School will be
traveling with eighth graders Ana Carrasco, Alexandrea Martinez and Daniel
Quintana from Crockett Middle School, to compete at the state level.
Math and science UIL teams from San Angelo, Midland, Ft. Stockton and
McCamey, competed in the regional UIL competition.
Hernandez placed third in general math at the regional meet to qualify
him for state. His team placed first overall. Carrasco placed third at
that meet; Martinez placed second and Quintana placed eighth.
Martinez also qualified in number sense and this is her second year
to compete at the state level.
The event will be held at the University of Texas-San Antonio.
"We're real excited that we're taking these kids," said teacher Olivia
Herrera. "They've been working really hard," she said.
The group meets after school every day to practice and hone in their
skills, sometimes until very late, according to Herrera.
"I'm really nervous, but I like math a lot, and feel I'm pretty good
at it," said Frankie Hernandez, who will be going to his first state competition.
Hernandez is the son of Betty and Lupe Herrera.
When not busy studying and working out math problems, Herrera likes
to play sports.
"I've worked very hard and last year, I just missed it by one question,"
said Ana Carrasco, who participated in the event last year.
Carrasco said she is very excited, but a little nervous. She enjoys
playing sports and talking on the phone, when she has some spare time.
She is the daughter of Olga Baeza and Manuel Carrasco.
"I like math a lot," said Daniel Quintana. "It's always been my favorite
subject."
Quintana, the son of Salomon and Sylvia Quintana, likes to go swimming
and enjoys reading.
Alexandrea Martinez, the veteran of the group, participated in state
competition last year, in both general math and number sense. She placed
in the top 25 last year in general math and was in the top 50 in number
sense.
"This is out of 150-200 individuals competing," said Herrera. "So that's
really good and we have high hopes for her, we know she can do really well."
"I'm really looking forward to it," said Martinez, who plans to become
an industrial engineer, following graduation from high school.
"I love math, it's my favorite subject and I know if we really work
hard, we can do well," she said.
Martinez loves to play tennis. She is the daughter of Irene Martinez
and the granddaughter of Andres and Hortencia Martinez, who she currently
lives with.
"We're just so proud of all of them and I know we're going out there
and doing well," said Herrera.
School board sets Thursday meeting in closed session
PECOS, April 5, 2000 - Personnel will be the topic of discussion at a special
Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD Board meeting scheduled for 6 p.m., Thursday, in
the board room.
The group will meet in closed session, as authorized by the Texas Open
Meetings Act. Texas Government Code, Section 551.101 et. Seq., Section
551.074: (personnel) and Section 551.071: private consultation with the
board's attorney.
Behind closed doors the board will have a consultation with attorney
regarding personnel related issues and personnel: to deliberate the appointment,
employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline or dismissal of
a public officer or employee.
The group will return to open session to take action, if any, on items
discussed in closed session including consideration of non-renewal of term
contract employees.
Superintendent search begins in Balmorhea
By JENNIFER WARD
Special Correspondent
BALMORHEA, April 5, 2000 - Balmorhea school board members have begun
their search for a new superintendent, following a called special meeting
of the board last Thursday.
The meeting was called after Dr. Carl Hoffmeyer submitted his resignation
at the regular monthly board meeting on March 16. Bryan LaBeff, Executive
Director of Region 18 Education Service Center in Midland, attended last
Thursday's meeting to discuss with the board Region 18's handling of the
superintendent search.
The board agreed to have Region 18 start the search for Hoffmeyer's
replacement, and a vacancy announcement for Superintendent of Schools was
made on Friday, March 31.
Applications for the position can be mailed into, Bryan LaBeff, Executive
Director; Balmorhea ISD; Superintendent Search; Region 18 Education Service
Center; P. O. Box 60580; Midland, TX 79711, no later than May 12, 2000.
The finalist of the search will be presented to the board and interviews
will be held at a later date.
After discussion of the superintendent's post, the board went into closed
session to discuss professional staff. In the open session that followed,
school board members voted to extend the contracts of all professional
teaching personnel, the school counselor, and also the school's principals.
The Balmorhea ISD Board's next regularly scheduled meeting will be Thursday,
April 13.
Lotto
AUSTIN (AP) - Results of the Cash 5 drawing Tuesday night: Winning numbers
drawn: 2-8-10-26-34. Number matching five of five: 1. Prize per winner:
$79,154. Winning ticket sold in: League City. Matching four of five: 323.
Prize: $368.
***
AUSTIN (AP) - The winning Pick 3 numbers drawn Tuesday by the Texas
Lottery, in order: 8-4-7 (eight, four, seven)
Obituary
William C. Moss
William C. "Bill" Moss III, 59, of Snyder and formerly of Pecos, died Tuesday,
April 4, 2000 at Coqdell Memorial Hospital in Snyder.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m., Thursday, April 6, at Colonial
Hills Baptist Church in Snyder with Rev. Miller Robinson (retired Baptist
minister) and Rev. Tommy Culwell, pastor of Colonial Hill officiating.
Burial will be in Hillside Memorial Garden.
He was born June 23, 1940, in Dallas, was a Western Regional Administrator,
TDCJ Windham School and a member of Colonial Hill Baptist Church in Snyder.
He graduated from Seymour High School and played football at North Texas
State University where he earned his bachelor's degree. He earned his master's
degree from Sul Ross State University in 1969. Moss moved to Snyder in
July 1987 to become manager of the Snyder Chamber of Commerce. He had been
chamber manager in Monahans. Prior to that he served 15 years with the
Pecos and Monahans schools as high school principal. He resigned the chamber
post to become Windham school principal in August 1991.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a daughter, Melissa Burke,
who died in 1988.
Survivors include his wife, Judy Moss of Snyder and one sister, Lynda
Patterson of Snyder.
Bell-Cypert-Seale Funeral Home in Snyder is in charge of arrangements.
Weather
PECOS, April 5, 2000 - High Tuesday 86. Low this morning 43. Forecast for
tonight: Clear. Low 50-55. Southwest wind 10-15 mph. Thursday: Sunny and
continued warm. High near 90. West wind 15-25 mph and gusty. Extended forecast:
Thursday night: Fair. Low 50-55. Friday: Mostly sunny during the day and
fair at night. Low in the lower to mid 40s. High around 85.
Pecos Enterprise
York M. "Smokey" Briggs, Publisher
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.
324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
e-mail news@pecos.net
Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium.
Copyright 2000 by Pecos Enterprise
|