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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Monday, January 27, 2003
Eagles again sweep 3-4A swim titles
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
PECOS, Jan. 27, 2003 - There wasn't much suspense on who would win the District
3-4A Swimming and Diving Championships by the time the
first break rolled around, but there was some in the individual
races Saturday afternoon at the Pecos High School swimming pool.
The host Eagles captured all but one race prior to the 20-minute
break during Saturday's finals, and took 10 of the final 14 races as well
to easily claim their 12th championship in 14 years on the boys' side
and their ninth title in 13 years in the girls' division. But some of the
races were surprise wins for the Eagles, who also set three district
records and one other team record on the way to their victories.
"We did better than I expected, so I was really pleased with
where they placed," said Eagles' coach Terri Morse. "I don't think I
rested them too much. I think it was because they were so excited
about the meet and they were swimming at home."
The boys scored 120 points to finish well ahead of Andrews,
which beat out Big Spring for second by a 63-56 point margin.
The gap was even wider on the girls' side, where the Eagles
scored 155 points to 70 for Andrews, and 30 for third place Abilene Wylie.
The two district records were both set late in the meet. Junior
Will Oglesby won the 500-yard freestyle with a 5:03.37 time, beating the
old record set by Pecos' Jeffrey Rodriguez in 1991 by .62
second. Morse said before the meet began that Oglesby and Max Key in
the 100 yard freestyle had chances to set district records, but the
other new marks ended up coming from the girls' 200 and 400-yard
freestyle relay teams.
The 400 squad of Betsy Lujan, Kelsey Holt, Jessica Minjarez
and Susan Moore. Their 4:02.20 time was half a second better than the
old mark, set by the Eagles 10 years earlier.
"I thought they had a chance at it if everybody was on that
day," Morse said. "We talked about it
and they knew they'd have to have a good day and they did."
The girls' overall dominance was shown by the fact that
two swimmers who weren't even on the 400 freestyle relay squad ended
up sharing Outstanding Swimmer honors for the meet.
Sophomore Teddie Salcido and freshman Lindsey Shaw won both their
individual events, and were members of the winning 200 medley and 200
freestyle relay teams, the second also setting a new district record along the way.
Shaw, Salcido, Holt and Lujan took that race with a 1:47.53
time, which was 1.3 seconds better than the mark set by Moore,
Catherine Minjarez, Lujan and Holt last season. In the individual events, Salcido
won the 200 yard freestyle race with a 2:09.80 time, beating
out teammates Jessica Minjarez and Lujan, and later took the 500
yard free with a 5:45.69 time, five seconds ahead of Minjarez.
Shaw won the 200 individual medley with a 2:27.27 time,
1.4 seconds ahead of Catherine Minjarez, and later won the
100-yard breaststroke with a 1:18.30 time, which was 3.6 seconds
up on the Eagles' Amie Reynolds.
Shaw had finished behind Jessica Hughey of Big Spring
in Friday's 200 medley prelims, while Moore had finished in back
of Andrews' Nancy Wallace in the prelims of the 50-yard freestyle,
but edged her in the finals with a 26.12 time to Wallace's 26.88. Wallace
did come back to beat Moore by .16 second to win the 100-yard
Winkles seeks reorganization in bankruptcy
By SMOKEY BRIGGS
Staff Writer
PECOS, Jan. 27, 2003 - Winkles Trucks Inc., filed a voluntary bankruptcy petition
last week, but the goal of the plan is continued operations at
current levels and restructuring the company's debt.
Winkles is a local company owned and operated by the Winkles
family and employs more than 180 people at its three West Texas locations.
Founded in 1954 by Kenneth Winkles in Brownfield, Texas
the company moved to Pecos in 1973. May 2003 will mark the
49th year of operations for the company.
The Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition was filed last Monday
with the U. S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Texas in Midland.
According to Vice President Ken Winkles Jr., the company is
still operating at full strength and will continue to do so through out
the proceedings.
"We are not selling equipment or assets, we are not laying anyone
off, we are making our payroll, we are servicing our customers, and all
of our creditors will get paid," Winkles said.
Winkles said that the overall condition of the trucking
industry, along with a less than cooperative creditor, led to the company's
current problem.
According to Winkles many of the company's expenses have more
than doubled over the last few years while freight rates industry-wide
have remained static for a decade.
Winkles cited fuel and insurance costs as two of the main culprits
in last week's filing
In September the company could foresee a possible problem with
its debt structure and approached its major creditor, Citi Capital Bank,
he said.
"They told us they would not wait (on a payment) and that told
me where we might be heading," Winkles said.
After that, the company began working with Security State Bank
and its owner Trans Pecos Banking Systems to restructure the debt.
"We started working with Security State Bank 45 days before we
filed (for bankruptcy)," Winkles said.
Before the debt could be restructured with Security State
Bank the cash flow problem that had been a possibility in
September materialized and Citi Bank refused to allow the company to make a
late payment, forcing Winkles Trucks to file for bankruptcy.
Winkles said that most of the Citi Bank loan is for trucks
and equipment.
By filing the bankruptcy petition the company is able to
continue operations while it reorganizes its debt with new creditors.
Once the reorganization is complete Citi Bank will no longer
be part of the company's financial picture.
"Actually we will be a stronger company when this is over.
That sounds self-serving but it is the truth," Winkles said.
Winkles said that in the past week he and Kenneth Winkles,
president and founder of the company, had visited with almost every
customer and creditor of the company.
"We found out we had a lot of friends that we do business
with," Winkles said. "All of our major customers are committed to
helping us any way they can."
Winkles stressed that under the bankruptcy plan all of the
company's creditors would be paid in full.
What happens during the bankruptcy proceedings?
"Business as usual," Winkles said. "Winkles Trucks is okay. We are
a financially sound company that ran into a problem with an
aggressive lender. When this is over we will be a stronger company than we were
and will continue to operate and serve our customers just as we have for the
past 49 years."
Commissioners OK grant plans, tour RCDC
By JENNIFER GALVAN
Staff Writer
PECOS, Jan. 27, 2003 - The Reeves County Commissioners Court met today
to discuss applications to the Criminal Justice Division of the
Governor's Office for the Juvenile Probation Department and take a tour of
the 960-bed Reeves County Detention Center III addition.
The meeting began with the discussion of the
application Criminal Justice Division of the Governor's Office for the
Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grant.
According to Mary Ann Acosta, the application is one that
was submitted by Chief Probation Officer Louise Moore.
Acosta said that the money would be used to provide them
with such items as cameras for the detention center.
According to a letter sent into County Judge Jimmy
Galindo, Reeves County is eligible for $10,920, with a 10 percent match
of $1,213 making the total $12,133.
The application was approved with a motion being made by
Galindo and seconded by Commissioner Felipe Arredondo.
The second application to the Criminal Justice Division of
the Governor's Office was for Juvenile Probation Counseling
Services Grant. Again Acosta said that it is a continued program in which
has been put to use.
She added that the counseling program has helped both
juvenile and parents.
The grant will be for $9,700 with no match from the county and
was approved with Arredondo making a motion and Commissioner
Gilberto Rayos seconding it.
A third application to the Criminal Justice Division of the
Governor's Office was for Juvenile Probation Detention Services Grant. "This is
a new application," Acosta said.
The application will help the department use their local
facility during the weekends.
Currently Reeves County is using the juvenile facilities of
Pecos County and Ector County for juvenile offenders on the
weekends, Acosta said.
The grant will be for $45,120, again with no match from the county.
The motion for the application was made by Galindo and
seconded by Arredondo.
The county judge then informed the commissioners of the
resolution supporting additional funding for the Texas Department of
Mental Health and Mental Retardation.
The funding would allow people with mental retardation to live
within the community rather then in an institution.
Commissioner Herman Tarin making the motion to approve
the resolution and Commissioner Hivi Rayos seconded it.
Tarin added that he knew people who depended on the assistance
of MHMR.
In connection with the RCDC expansion project and this
morning's tour of the facility by commissioners, Tarin went on to make a motion
to accept the order for payment of the LMD Architect for a total
of $3,386.18.
Arredondo seconded the motion after Lynn Owens made the report.
Owens went on to report that the payment of invoice number
2001068 to Frank Spencer and Associates has not been approved yet
therefore no motion was made.
Tarin continued to make a motion to accept the lease
agreement between Reeves County and Diversity Lever for a
dishwashing machine for RCDC III.
Arredondo seconded the motion.
The interior facilities at the RCDC are scheduled to be completed
this week, though work remains to be done on the outside of the
building. The RCDC III project will bring the prison's capacity to just under
3,000 inmates.
In other action, commissioners approved the property bid of
$250 for property located on 512 S. Walnut St., with Arredondo
making the motion and Tarin seconding it.
Owens informed the commissioners that he asked Western Office Systems Proposal
for Preventive Maintenance Agreement on the Spacesaver Filing
to consolidate the payments for the District Clerks Office the
County Clerks Office and the Sheriff's Office.
The amount would total $900, which was then approved
by Galindo and seconded by Tarin.
The commissioners also agreed to approve a $450 per year
software maintenance fee with Tarin making the motion and
Arredondo seconding it.
Financial aid info available for PHS students
PECOS, Jan. 27, 2003 - Financial Aid Night for college-bound Pecos High School
students is scheduled for 6 p.m. this evening at the PHS Cafeteria.
The program will be presented by Jim Glossbrenner with
the Panhandle-Plains higher Education Authority. Parents and students
are encouraged to attend the workshop to gain important information
on student financial aid.
There will be a drawing for $100 scholarship at the event, which
is sponsored by PHS Counselors Eva Arriola and Pat Cobos.
For more information call 447-7229.
Weather
PECOS, Jan. 27, 2003 - High Sunday 60. Low this morning 26. Forecast for tonight: Clear.
Lows 35 to 40. Southeast winds 10 to 20 mph. Tuesday: Mostly sunny
and breezy. Highs near 80. Southwest winds 15 to 25 mph. Tuesday
night: Mostly clear. Lows 30 to 35. Wednesday: Mostly cloudy.
Highs near 60. Thursday: Partly cloudy. Lows 30 to 35. Highs 65 to 70.
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
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Copyright 2003 by Pecos Enterprise
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