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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Thursday, September 27, 2001
School district AD Williams OK following diabetic attack
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Thurs., Sept. 27, 2001 -- Homecoming for the Pecos Eagles is scheduled
for tomorrow, but the Eagles may have to fly solo without their leader.
Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD athletic director Lawrence "Bubba" Williams is
currently in Reeves County Hospital, following a diabetic attack this week.
"He found out he is diabetic following that incident," said his wife,
Laverne Williams.
Williams said her husband is doing well and will have to take better care
of himself. "He'll have to watch his sugar," she said.
Williams said her husband, who had been feeling badly, is currently doing
well, but is still in the hospital. "We're hoping he can get out today, but
we'll have to see what the doctor says," she said.
Williams said that the first thing her husband thought about was the Pecos
Eagles' homecoming game against Monahans scheduled for tomorrow. She said
that the first thing he said was, "I have to be out of the hospital by Thursday,
so that I can attend the game on Friday."
However, whether Williams will be out at Eagle Stadium tomorrow will depend
on what the doctor's orders are, his wife said.
Williams has been the P-B-T ISD athletic director since 1998, and has
served as head baseball coach for the Pecos Eagles for the past 20 years.
A Pecos High School graduate, he also served as an assistant baseball, football
and basketball coach over the past 30 years.
McCain, Heinz complete buy-out of Anchor Foods
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Thurs., Sept. 27, 2001 -- A Canadian-based company has completed the
three-company deal to purchase the production facilities and foodservice
business of Anchor Food Products Inc.
McCain Foods Limited has purchased the operations of Anchor Foods, including
its Appleton, Wis. headquarters and Wisconsin operations, along with its
plant in Pecos and another operation in Mexico. As part of the deal, H.J.
Heinz Company purchased Anchor's branded retail products business. Specific
terms of the three-party transaction were not announced.
Anchor began operations in Pecos in 1990, moving into the former Pecos
Cantaloupe Co. building. The company began locally processing batter-dipped
onion rings for shipment around the United States, and in the past decade
has grown into the city's largest employer, with about 750 people at the
company's Interstate 20 plant.
Gilles Lessard, chairman and CEO of McCain Foods U.S.A. in Oak Brook,
Ill., says the acquisition of the Anchor foodservice positions McCain sales
in the U.S. to about $1.5 billion. He added that the acquisition positions
McCain as a major player in frozen appetizers, as well as its original frozen
potato business.
"We now are positioned to showcase our innovation, production capabilities
and customer service to an even broader range of foodservice customers,"
Lessard said.
Anchor had sales of $503 million in 2000. Along with onion rings, it produces
and markets cheese appetizers, stuffed jalapeno peppers and vegetable appetizers,
along with rolled and other specialty appetizers.
McCain Foods USA is a major manufacturer of frozen French fries, appetizers
and pizzas. It is part of McCain Foods Limited on Nova Scotia, Can., with
operations in 13 countries on five continents and sales of about $4 billion.
The new Food Service Appetizer Group will produce and market a wide variety
of brands, including Poppers, Anchor, Moore's, Brew City and Golden Crisp,
to the food service trade.
Bill Raaths, Anchor's president and CEO who will head the combined appetizer
business group, also sees synergies in the merger. "Anchor is recognized
for its new product innovation and marketing sizzle. Coupling this with McCain's
operational strength, solid brands and major international presence produces
a winning formula."
Along with its plants in Pecos and Appleton, Wisc., McCain's other appetizer
plants are located in Rice Lake and Ft. Atkinson, Wis.; Grand Island, Neb.,
and in Toluca and Cuahtemoc, Mexico.
Vandals again able to torch PHS bonfire
By LEIA HOLLAND
Staff Writer
PECOS, Thurs., Sept. 27, 2001 -- Pecos High School students, along with numerous
members of the community, were scrambling to stack up wood for the
Homecoming Bonfire this morning after the original bonfire pile was set on
fire about 1:30 a.m. today, the second year in a row the bonfire has
been burned the night before the scheduled event.
The Pecos Volunteer Fire Department were called to the bonfire site, south
of the Reeves County Golf Course, at 1:45 a.m., were they found the fire
going strong.
PHS Principal Danny Rodriguez said that Fire Chief Roy Pena called him
at home to inform him of what had happened.
Rodriguez said that once the fire department arrived the fire was already
high and it was decided to let it continue to burn.
"We couldn't stop it," he said. "So we decided to wait until morning
to see what we could do."
Fire Marshall Jack Brookshire said that the fire was started by someone
lighting up debris surrounding the bonfire.
"They just set the debris that was out there and it just kept spreading
until the whole thing was on fire," he said.
Rodriguez said the premature fire did upset the students at the high school.
"They were really upset because they worked hard building it," he said.
Rodriguez added that the students are coming together, with the help of
community members and businesses, and rebuilding so the bonfire will go on
as scheduled.
Rodriguez said that once the school decided to continue and rebuild the
community joined in to help in the rebuilding process.
"People have responded well," he said. "Everybody has just kind of joined
forces."
Rodriguez said that many people have donated wood for the rebuilding as
well as manpower.
Rodriguez said that he does not want to speculate on who set the fire,
he just wanted to focus on rebuilding it for the students.
"We will not let that stop us. We will rebuild," he said. "We want to
do what is right for our kids."
Last year's bonfire was also set on fire before it was time and the students
rebuilt that one as well.
Rodriguez said that it turned out that a few out-of-town workers who were
staying in the nearby Swiss Clock Inn had started last year's fire.
Brookshire said that once those men were caught the city was only able
to charge them with setting a fire within the city limits, which is a Class
C Misdemeanor.
He said that they could not charge the men with arson because in order
for that to happen something of value would have to have been destroyed.
Brookshire said that he was told that some students were working at the
bonfire until approximately 1:15 a.m., but left thinking that no one would
bother the bonfire that late at night.
The city is investigating this morning's fire but so far they do not have
much to go on.
"We got a report of a vehicle seen leaving the area but that could have
been the students," he said. "We really don't have any leads to go by."
Rodriguez also said that sometime this week approximately 15 yard signs
belonging to football players were found in the city zoo.
"Somebody had stolen them and put them in there," he said.
Rodriguez said that the bonfire would not stop the school from enjoying
the 2001 Homecoming festivities and hopes to see the community and PHS Exes
come out for the pep rally and football game.
The Homecoming Parade is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., today along Eddy Street
in Pecos and the bonfire will happen as scheduled at 9 p.m.
Schools schedule GED registration early next week
PECOS, Thurs., Sept. 27, 2001 -- GED registration has been scheduled for
1-5 p.m., on Monday, Oct. 1 and Tuesday, Oct. 2, at the Pecos High School
Counselor's Office.
Test dates will be held at 4:45 p.m., Monday, Oct. 22 and Tuesday, Oct.
23.
Examinees must present a Texas Driver's license or Texas Department of
Public Safety ID Card.
For more information call Pat Cobos or Eva Arriola, Pecos High School
Counselors at 447-7229.
Weather
PECOS, Thurs., Sept. 27, 2001 -- High Wed. 87. Low this morning 48. Forecast
for tonight: Clear. Lows in the mid 50s. Light SE winds. Friday:
Sunny. Highs in the upper 80s. South winds 5 to 15 mph. Friday night:
Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 50s. Saturday: Mostly sunny. Highs
in the mid 80s. Sunday: Partly cloudy. Lows in the 50s. Highs
in the 80s.
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 newsdesk@nwol.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 2001 by Pecos Enterprise
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