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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Monday, September 18, 2000
Students given lesson on Constitution
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, September 18, 2000 - Students at a Pecos elementary school were
able to relive history this morning, as they participated in the signing
of the U.S. Constitution.
It may not be 1787, and these delegates are not founding a nation, but
students at Bessie Haynes Elementary School in Pecos, got a chance to relive
history that was made 213 years ago during a re-enactment of the signing
of the U.S. Constitution, sponsored by U.S. Senator Phil Gramm's office
as part of National Constitution Week.
Magarita Velez, representing Gramm, presented students with pocket-sized
copies of the U.S. Constitution. Students had a chance to sign a scroll
in a re-enactment of the signing ceremony. The scroll featuring students'
names will then be sent to the National Constitution Center, where it will
be displayed alongside others from across the nation.
"The constitution is a living document, as important today as the day
it was signed by the Framers, including George Washington, Alexander Hamilton
and Benjamin Franklin," Gramm said in a statement. "Events like this give
our children a chance to experience history hands-on, so they can appreciate
the sacrifices that those men and women made. Constitution Week should
be a time for all Americans to reflect on the democratic values that have
made our country great."
The U.S. Constitution was signed on Sept. 17, 1787. National Constitution
Week is Sept. 17-23.
Velez told the assembled group that everyone at the school would have
a chance to sign the scroll, which would be sent back to her office and
then forwarded to Philadelphia.
Velez shared information on the background of the constitution and provided
vital and little-known facts about the events surrounding the momentous
occasion.
Ben Franklin at 81 years of age was the oldest to sign the constitution
with the youngest being Jonathan Dayton at 21 years of age, according to
Velez.
"There were many people who came together to sign the constitution,"
said Velez. "There were 13 colonies and representatives from all the colonies
to decide what was going to go on this document."
"The people who signed the constitution didn't actually write it," said
Velez. "The constitution was framed, or thought of, by these individuals."
Velez stated that it took more than 100 days to see what would actually
go on constitution. "They decided that every state would have two representatives,
because the smaller colonies wanted equal representation, and the equal
number of people for each district," she said.
There are currently 100 members of the U.S Senate, two for each of the
50 states, while members of the House of Representatives are divided up
based on each state's population.
"After it was decided how it would be drawn a penman was hired, they
paid $30 for clerks to write the constitution," said Velez.
Velez told the group that back then they didn't have ballpoint pens
or fountain pens, but instead used quills, sharpening the point of the
feathers before using it to write.
"In order to write, they dipped it in ink, which is very hard to write
with," she said.
Velez said all these men were very proud to sign this document, which
is the basis for the operation the United States' government and for the
rights of its citizens.
It took a lot of thought, compromise, foresight and knowledge to put
the constitution together, according to Velez.
"And actually the man who wrote the document, his name wasn't even on
it, he never signed it," said Velez.
Jacob Challis was an assistant clerk of the Pennsylvania State Assembly,
and he is the one who actually wrote the constitution, and got paid only
half of what the clerks made.
All students at Bessie Haynes Elementary School will have a chance to
sign the document that will hang in Independence Hall in Pennsylvania.
Juries render split decision in possession trials
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
PECOS, September 18, 2000 - Two cocaine possession trials before U.S.
District Judge Royal Furgeson in Pecos produced two different results last
week in U.S. District Court in Pecos, as jurors convicted a Delicias, Chih.,
Mex. man of possession of 36.2 pounds of cocaine on Wednesday while a second
jury found a Chihuahua City, Mex., man not guilty in a case involving possession
of 36.8 pounds of cocaine.
Both trials resulted from traffic stops earlier this year at the Presidio
Port of Entry. In the first trial, Rafael Miranda-Fierro, 36, was charged
possession and importation of over 5 kilograms of cocaine on April 15,
2000. According to U.S. Customs Service agents, Fierro was stopped while
driving a golf Ford Windstar van at the Presidio checkpoint, after he told
agents he was going shopping in Presidio but did not know the name of the
store.
After Fierro was ordered to open the hood of his van, a K-9 unit alerted
to an area near the vent system, and the cocaine was found beneath the
cowling area near the vehicle's windshield.
In the second trial, Jorge Anaya-Armendariz, 29, was found not guilty
of the same two charges, stemming from a traffic stop at the checkpoint
on April 26, 2000. Armendariz was a passenger in the red Chrysler driven
by Jesus Omar Quezasa-Quintana, 21, also of Chihuahua City, who pled guilty
to importation of cocaine on Aug. 10.
After the car was stopped and searched, with the cocaine again being
found in the compartment beneath the front windshield, Quintana told agents
he had been paid $1,5000 to drive the Chrysler to El Paso, but said while
he knew something was in the car he did not know it was cocaine.
Armendariz said he had been asked by Quintana to ride with him to El
Paso, and was told he would be paid for doing so.
Armendariz was ordered released following Thursday's not guilty verdict.
Sentencing for Quintana on the count of importation of cocaine is scheduled
for Oct. 10.
Pee Wee football planning for opening day
PECOS, September 18, 2000 - A parade will be held on Saturday prior to
the start of the Pecos Eagle Pee Wee Football League.
Eight teams of players in Grades 3 through 6 will participate in the
full-contact league, the first for elementary school-age players in Pecos
since 1980. Four games are scheduled on Saturday, starting at 10 a.m. at
the Crockett Middle School Field, with the parade scheduled for 9 a.m.
from the 800 block of South Eddy Streets south along Eddy, Washington and
Iowa streets to the Crockett field.
All parents and other area residents are urged to turn out for the parade
and the games. A concession stand operated by the Pecos Lions Club will
be set up at the field, with proceeds going to the Pee Wee Football teams.
Obituary
Laurencia Chavez
Laurencia "Ruena" Chavez, 81, of Wink, died Thursday, Sept. 14, 2000, at
her residence.
Services were held at 2 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 16, at St. Joseph Catholic
Church in Kermit with Father John Lucido officiating. Burial was in Kermit
Cemetery.
She was born March 16, 1919, in Marfa, was a homemaker, a resident of
Wink for 56 years and was a Catholic.
Survivors include one son, Jesse Chavez of Lubbock; three daughters,
Ramona Hernandez of Wink, Ermalinda Chavez of Pecos, Gloria Gantz of Odessa;
one sister, Maria Montez of Stanton; 12 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren
and two great-great grandchildren.
Cooper Funeral Home Chapel, Inc. of Kermit is in charge of arrangements.
Weather
PECOS, September 18, 2000 - High Sunday 96. Low this morning 59. Forecast
for tonight: Clear. Low in the mid 60s. Southeast wind 5-15 mph. Tuesday:
Mostly sunny. High in the upper 90s. Southwest wind 5-15 mph. Tuesday night:
Mostly clear. Low 60-65. Wednesday: Partly cloudy. Low 60-65. High 90-95.
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
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