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Archive 2003

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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.



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Pecos Enterprise
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