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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Wednesday, June 6, 2001
Pecos sailor remembers those who fought WWII
By JENNIFER GALVAN
Staff Writer
PECOS, Wed., June 6, 2001 -- Sitting at his kitchen table having his
morning breakfast, Bill Davenport starts to remember his days in the Navy
during World War II.
It is the morning of June 6, the anniversary of D-Day, when the Allies
landed on the Normandy beaches on the coast of France and began the long
campaign that ended with the unconditional surrender of Germany almost
one year later.
A resident of Pecos, Davenport can remember the exact date he and three
other classmates of his joined the Navy. That day came right after the
undefeated Pecos Eagles football team was defeated by Wink another undefeated
football team in the district. Davenport was a senior in December of 1942.
The next day he and three his friends dropped out of school and enlisted
for the Navy.
"We thought that they could not win that war without us," Davenport
said as to why he joined the Navy.
Producing a video of the Pecos men who died in World War II, Korea and
Vietnam, Davenport remembers that he had grown up with most of the young
men who died in WWII.
"I went to school with a lot of these Pecos boys," Davenport said. "The
majority are now gone."
"It leaves an empty feeling. It's hard to describe," Davenport said.
" It seems that every time you turn around, there's another one gone."
As Davenport sits in his navy blue rocking chair he tells the story
of his friend Charles Carrell, from Pecos. Carrell spent time as a prisoner
of war in eight Japanese prisons during the war and was released August
30, 1945.
After the way, while visiting Davenport, Carrell announced to him that
he was thinking of enlisting. While Davenport did not advise it, Carrell
did re-enlist. However, on his way to pick up his uniform and his orders,
Carrell died in a car accident near McAlester, Oklahoma.
Davenport was a crewmember with an amphibious force, were he would ride
on boats known as LCMs (landing craft, medium) that were fifty feet long,
and could travel at least 450 miles. LCMs had a crew of at least three
or four men, he said.
"I had lots of good buddies," Davenport said about his unit.
Davenport also remembers that after the attack at Pearl Harbor, twelve
Pecos boys joined the military.
Davenport keeps a scrapbook from those years. In it you can find newspapers
from Hawaii, clipping from the Pecos Enterprise, photos of his friends
and of course pictures of the pin up girls. Other memorabilia that Davenport
keeps are official documents that were declassified and he got a hold of.
"This is official stuff but was declassified and I got a hold of it,"
Davenport said proudly, while pointing to his three-inch, three-ring binder.
Continuing to look through the binder, he points out some of his girlfriends
back then.
Again sitting in his rocking chair, Davenport seems to have been thing
of those old girlfriends for he says with a grin, "Back in those days I
must of liked pretty girls because that's all I had."
Davenport and his wife, Enid Bush, who died of cancer in 1997, had five
daughters. While one of Davenport's daughters lives in Pecos, his four
other daughters live in Wink, San Antonio, Houston and Denton.
Summer golf no bogey for kids
By LEIA HOLLAND
Staff Writer
PECOS, Wed., June 6, 2001 -- Local kids are teeing off with summer
golf lessons held by Pecos-Barstow-Toyah Independent School District at
Crockett Middle School.
Golf coach Tina Hendrick said that more young golfers registered for
summer golf this year than last.
"I had a real good response this year," she said.
Hendrick said that the golf lessons began on May 30th.
Kids from first grade through high school can participated in summer
golf where they learn different levels of golf including grip, swing, stance,
alignment, chipping and putting and golf etiquette, Hendrick said.
Hendrick said that in order to be in golf the kids had to register and
pay a fee of $5, which would allow them to get involved in any sport offered
by the school district this summer along with golf.
"They can go to anything the school offers except swimming with the
$5 fee," she said.
Hendrick said that she believes giving the kids a variety of sports
to choose from is good.
"It gives them something to do, different sports to try," she said.
All in all, Hendrick said that approximately 70 kids signed up for summer
golf.
"I'm working on my golf program," she said.
The young golfers are asked to provide their own clubs and are given
golf balls to use during practice, but they have to provide their own golf
balls for tournaments.
Hendrick said that golf is not a cheap sport but is a good sport that
the kids can play for life.
"It's an expensive sport," she said. "But it's a rewarding sport because
they can play it for the rest of their life."
Being the only coach, Hendrick said that she gets a lot of help from
the golfers' parents, which she appreciates.
Hendrick said that the kids are also very supportive of each other.
"They encourage each other and root for each other and help each other,"
she said.
The summer golf season will end with tournaments on June 21st
and 25th.
Some of the summer golfers will be able to practice for those tournaments
with an upcoming tournament scheduled for this weekend at the Reeves County
Golf Course.
Director of the Reeves County Recreation Center Nora Geron said that
this weekend's tournament is one stop on the West Texas Junior Champions
Tour.
A San Angelo man named Steve Alexander created the tour for golfers
between the ages of 9 and 18 from West Texas towns, Geron said.
The tour travels to various towns in West Texas including San Angelo,
Sonora, Alpine, Big Lake, Fort Stockton and Pecos.
Geron said that the tour members, who pay a $15 membership fee, are
able to travel to a different town each day, Monday through Friday to play
in the tour.
The cost to enter in each tournament throughout the tour is $20.
Geron said that of the 63 registered members in the tour they expect
about 40 players here this weekend.
Geron also said that local golfers that are not members of the tour
would be able to compete in this weekend's tournament but not in any other
tournament on the tour unless they pay the tour fee.
"Kids not in the tour can play in their local town tournament," she
said.
Geron said that Alexander asked Pecos to be on the tour, which she believed
would be good for the local golfers as well as the tour golfers.
"We're just doing it for the kids," she said. "We'd like to see a lot
of Pecos kids do this. It's a great experience."
The Pecos stop on the tour is set to begin with a tee time at 8 a.m.,
on Friday morning at the Reeves County Golf Course.
School Board to discuss signing bonus for teachers
PECOS, Wed., June 6, 2001 -- Increasing signing bonuses for all subject
matter teacher shortage areas will be the topic of discussion at the regular
Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD board meeting. Areas where the district faces shortages
are: math, science, bilingual, special education and technology applications.
The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m., Thursday, in the board room at
1304 S. Park. The public is entitled to attend the open session of the
meeting.
Board members will discuss and approve restoring funding to budgeted
items that were cut in the 2000-2001 budget; appointing two board members
to the insurance committee; take action if any, on employee recognition/awards
program; discuss/approve use of classroom for six weeks to accommodate
the Texas Workforce Summer Youth Program remediation class; changing staff
development program dates on 2001-2002 calendar and set budget meetings.
The group will discuss the use of PHS baseball field for 13-18-year-old
baseball league; planting pine trees on school owned property; cafeteria
guidelines and prices for the 2001-2002 school year; reinstating holidays
for hourly custodial, maintenance and bus barn employees; holiday calendar
for custodial and maintenance employees; request to purchase foreclosed
properties; bank depository contract-2001-2003; 2000-2001 budget amendments
and a public hearing for Title-I Part A and Title VI Innovative Program
Strategies; Title II Part B Co-op; Title IV Co-op and endorsement of nominated
individual for representative on the TASB board of Trustees from TASB District
18.
The Board will discuss an update and revision to the local Gifted-Talented
Plan; disposition of surplus equipment; board resolution to participate
in the Texas Local Government Statewide Purchasing Cooperative sponsored
by TASB and Interlocal Agreement and a district dress code for employees.
Mayor keeps house off auction block
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Wed., June 6, 2001 -- Town of Pecos City Mayor Ray Ortega will
once again get to keep his home, following a lawsuit instigated by the
city official.
An auction had been set for 10 a.m., Tuesday, June 5, in front of the
courthouse steps, but that sale was canceled.
"I'm just the trustee," said David Stephens, with Elliott and Waldron
Abstracts, who was named, along with Ortega's mortgage company in a suit
to stop the sale.
Stephens said that about four or five times a year, the law firm Barrett
Burke, pays him $25 to be substitute trustee. "It just means that I sell
the property to the highest bidder," said Stephens.
The law firm works in conjunction with the lenders, which in this case
is Nationwide Home Mortgage Company.
"I couldn't be trustee if I had anything to do with it," said Stephens.
"I'm trusted not to be the borrower or lender," he said.
Stephens acts a go-between for the two and is hired to do this several
times out of the year.
"What happened was that under Chapter 13, there is what they call a
payment plan," said Ortega.
Ortega had filed for Chapter 13, bankruptcy last year, saying at that
time that it was, "a reorganizational effort to get his affairs together."
"Under Chapter 13, it doesn't mean I don't have to pay back the creditors,
I have to pay all the creditors back in full with interest," said Ortega.
Ortega said that under the payment plan he was under the impression
that the mortgage payment was included in the lump-sum payment but it was
not. "So I was supposed to be making the bankruptcy payment, along with
the mortgage payment," he said.
The mortgage company cited a relief of stay, to be able to foreclose
on the house and the court granted the relief of stay. "In order to stop
that I had to file an injunction and try to get the house payment under
the plan," said Ortega.
Ortega said that the main reason he went into bankruptcy was because
of the house payment, in which he was behind the payments on. "So now,
I'll be double paying, because of the payments and mortgage payments,"
he said.
Ortega said that be filing this lawsuit the house could then go back
into the bankruptcy court. "The judge will then decide if it will go under
the plan," he said.
Lara Croft look-a-like contest underway
PECOS, Wed., June 6, 2001 -- The Pecos Enterprise is sponsoring a Lara
Croft look-a-like contest in conjunction with the State Theatre's premier
showing of Tomb Raider on June 15th.
First prize is $50 and four passes to see Tomb Raider at the State Theatre.
Contestant pictures will be published in the Pecos Enterprise. Contact
the Enterprise at 445-5475 to arrange to have your picture taken in your
best Lara Croft costume.
Obituary
Pablo Matta
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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