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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Friday, August 3, 2001
B-1 cutback plan won't affect area flights
From Staff and Wire Reports
FRIDAY, Aug. 3, 2001 -- An effort by the U.S. Air Force to cut down its B-1
bomber fleet won't affect plans for low level flights by the bombers
over Reeves County and other parts of West Texas, an Air Force spokesman
said today.
The House Armed Services Committee voted Wednesday to block the Air Force
plan to cut the B-1 bomber force by one-third and remove them from three
of the five bases that now house them. The Air Force is also seeking a 20
percent reduction of its B-1 bomber fleet at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene,
where the B-1 bombers flying over West Texas would originate.
"It won't affect the flights in Reeves County," said Lt. Wes Ticer, Public
Information Officer with Dyess AFB.
Ticer said the proposal was to consolidate B-1 Bombers at two bases, Ellsworth
AFB in South Dakota and Dyess, while reducing the overall fleet of the 16-year-old
bombers.
"If they do consolidate it's plans are to retire one-third of the staff,"
said Ticer. "There are about five bases and looking at 93 B-1s and they plan
to reduce it's number to 60."
Ticer said Dyess would have fewer aircraft, with plans to cut the number
of bombers from 30 to 24, but that the number of flights won't decrease.
"The number of aircraft we have won't affect how much we fly," said Ticer.
The plan originally was to reduce the number of B-1 and this was announced
back in June, according to Ticer.
"Even if it's approved it won't affect anything out in Reeves County,"
said Ticer. "This includes military training, RBTI and other operations."
Ticer said this proposal is an attempt to use B-1's more efficiently,
by consolidating operations at the two bases. "It still has a ways to go,
but it won't affect Reeves County anyway," he said.
Under the Realistic Bomber Training Initiative (RBTI), B-1s from Dyess
and B-52 bombers from Barksdale AFB in Shreveport, La., would conduct low
level bombing runs over Reeves County, and construction work is currently
underway on an electronic scoring site 17 miles south of Pecos, that is expected
to employ about 31 people and bring $1.6 million into the local economy annually.
The flights would travel at an altitude of about 3,000 feet over the South
Plains and a second electronic scoring site near Snyder, while bombers flying
over southern Reeves County are expected to travel at elevations of about
500 feet. Two lawsuits, filed by ranchers and environmentalists in the South
Plains and Trans-Pecos/Big Bend areas are pending in U.S. District Courts
in Lubbock and Pecos.
The fight over the B-1 bomber locations came as the House committee worked
to complete a $343 billion defense authorization bill for fiscal 2002, which
begins Oct. 1. The House is expected to vote on it in September.
The B-1 amendment was authored by Rep. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and cosponsored
by Rep. Jim Ryun, R-Kan., both of whom are from states that would lose B-1
bombers in the planned reduction from 93 to 60 planes. Idaho's Mountain Home
Air Force Base would also lose its B-1s.
Chambliss rejected the Air Force's contention that the change will save
$165 million that can be used to upgrade the remaining planes, saying, "It's
not going to save that much money. It'll save, at best, $100 million, and
we don't believe it's going to save anything."
He also contended it made no sense to remove the bombers from Robins Air
Force Base in central Georgia, because that base just opened a $75 million
installation built specifically to house the B-1s.
The measure would require the administration to complete numerous reports
before it could expend any money to retire, dismantle or transfer any of
the planes.
Initially, the amendment lost on a 29-29 vote that followed no party lines.
After Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., who had missed that vote, showed up, the
committee voted again and the amendment carried, 33-26.
Rep. Curt Weldon, R-Pa., who opposed it both times because Air Force Chief
of Staff Michael Ryan said the B-1 changes were the best thing for the service,
said he expected the provision to be deleted by House and Senate conferees
who will reconcile differences between their bills.
New director gets first look at Eagle band
By LEIA HOLLAND
Staff Writer
FRIDAY, Aug. 3, 2001 -- The Pecos High School Mighty Eagle Band has started
another season with early morning practices this week.
New Head Band Director Merle Lenfest said that the small group of band
students that have shown up started practice on Wednesday because UIL rules
does not allow schools to begin before August 1.
Lenfest said that when he was hired as new band director earlier this
year, the students at Pecos High School impressed him.
He said that just by the way the students handled themselves in the hallways
was impressive and so far his experience with his students has been good.
"The kids who have been coming are great," he said.
Lenfest said that so far he has 189 students on the band roster but has
not had a chance to meet all of them because some are in athletics while
others are still working.
He said that he has also had students that are not currently on his roster
show up for practice.
Once school starts, Lenfest said that the students who have showed up
for summer practice would have spots in the shows.
"These are the ones you can count on," he said. "The ones willing to
make a little bit of a sacrifice."
Lenfest and fellow band directors William Goff and Scott Bostwick are
planning to work together and "team teach" each band from sixth grade to
high school.
"There's no sense in having three directors if we're not going to team
up," he said.
Lenfest said that he has met many people that are very welcoming and he
hopes he can hold up the reputation that he already has with the community.
"Everybody I've met seems to be excited to have me here and I hope I can
continue that," he said.
Lenfest said his objective for the year is to get to know the students
and help them have fun but also get them disciplined enough to be able to
have fun.
He said that he does not plan to preach the importance of ratings to the
students because he does not believe that the ratings are that important.
He said that unlike athletics the ratings are based on different people's
perception of the performance.
"The most important rating is how we feel about ourselves," he said.
Lenfest hopes for a successful season but knows that he is not the one
causing the success.
"If I've ever been successful it's not because of me, it's because of
the students I've had," he said.
Next week the band students will be practicing Monday through Thursday
from 9 a.m. to 12 noon and also from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The band's first performance
will be later this month, at halftime of Pecos' season opening football game
against Kermit at Eagle Stadium.
Stores expecting busy afternoons as state's sales tax holiday begins
By JENNIFER GALVAN
Staff Writer
FRIDAY, Aug. 3, 2001 -- With the sales tax holiday beginning today, department
stores and parents prepare themselves for a busy weekend.
The holiday lasts from Friday through Sunday and allows shoppers to buy
certain clothing and footwear items costing less than $100 each without paying
any tax. Shoppers will save about $8 on every $100 they spend.
Wal-Mart employees this morning were working on some last minute touches
as parents entered the store.
"We are getting more clothes out and putting them on the racks," Wal-Mart
manager Olga Guebara said. "It has been kind of busy. More people will probably
come in later."
Though Wal-Mart opened its doors at 8 a.m. Diana Maldonado was there before
the store even opened and Tillie Rayos arrived as the store opened.
The two mothers plan on just shopping at Wal-Mart in Pecos, but Maldonado
will be going to Carlsbad and Rayos to San Antonio this week end.
"I was surprised they (Wal-Mart) had a better selection," Rayos said.
"We are seeing what we can find here first and what ever we don't find here
we will buy it there."
Beall's Department store manager Delma Arreguy said that they opened at
8 a.m. as well for the event and will open up at the same time on Saturday
and on Sunday at noon.
"We had a slow start this morning," Arreguy said. "Our business brings
in the afternoon crowd."
Arreguy said that their shoe department is what is bringing in the most
people because of their buy one get second pair half off plus the free sales
tax.
Another store that was seeing a good crowd was Desiree's, where they were
busy more then usual.
"We have been steady since we opened," employee Pam Bustillos said.
With a selection of shoes, such as High Tech Magnum boots and Sketchers
being 10 percent off, shoes have been their biggest items also.
"I think all the kids want Sketchers this year," Bustillos said.
Bustillos said that people call and tell them that they will be there
a little after six and because they know some people get off work at six
they are willing to stay open a little bit later.
"We will stay open for them," Bustillos said. "Everything can be said
with the ad in the paper."
Texas Gov. Rick Perry said this weekend's sales tax holiday is a "Texas
common-sense tax policy" where shoppers will save an estimated $40 million.
"Hardworking Texans, in my opinion, deserve this tax break," Perry said
Thursday in a stop in El Paso. He was in Midland earlier and was scheduled
to travel to Texarkana, Nacogdoches and Beaumont today to deliver the same
message.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
Austin students' pre-registration set for Thursday
FRIDAY, Aug. 3, 2001 -- Pre-registration for students in grades first
through third grade will be held from 6-8 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 16.
The three grades will now be housed at Austin Elementary School, following
a decision made earlier in the year by Pecos-Barstow-Toyah school board members
to close down Pecos Elementary, where third grades had attended school.
Everyone will meet in the school cafeteria for pre-registration on Thursday.
Weather
FRIDAY, Aug. 3, 2001 -- High Thursday 99. Low this morning 74. Forecast
for tonight: Mostly clear. Low in the mid 70s. Southeast wind 5 to
15 mph. Saturday: Mostly sunny. High near 103. Southeast wind 5 to
15 mph. Saturday night: Mostly clear. Low in the mid 70s. Sunday
and Monday: Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower to mid 70s. Highs 98 to 102.
Obituary
Shirley Langford Cowan
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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