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From Staff and Wire Reports
PECOS, January 6, 1997 - Sleet started out the workday in Pecos this
morning, then turned to snow that melted as it hit the ground.
Temperatures hovered near freezing, with an overnight low of 35 reported
by the National Weather Service observer in Pecos. Sunday's high was 51.
Precipitation measured .02 inches for the weekend, the first moisture of
the New Year and the first measurable amount since Nov. 28, 1996.
While it has snowed at times in Pecos in recent winters, there has been
no accumulation on the ground since a Halloween weekend snowstorm
dropped between 1½ and 2 inches here in 1993.
Forecasters expect the howling blue norther, capable of glazing roads
with ice and powdering North and West Texas with snow, will knife deeper
into the state.
Early this morning, the cold front had made its way south to near
Harlingen. It became a stationary front as it extended west to near
McAllen, then paralleled the Rio Grande to just west of El Paso.
Snow was falling in the Panhandle and South Plains. Abilene reported
snow flurries and Breckenridge had some accumulation.
To the north, snow was reported on the ground this morning around
Roswell, N.M., while to the west, up to 14 inches of snow had fallen in
24 hours on northern Arizona's high San Francisco peaks outside
Flagstaff, and a mixture of snow and rain fell near Tucson at lower
elevations in the southern part of the state.
New Mexico's mountain town of Edgewood, east of Albuquerque, had picked
up 16 inches.
Blowing snow and ice-covered pavement this morning closed Interstate 40
between Grants and Albuquerque and I-25 between Albuquerque and Santa
Fe, state officials said.
Skies were cloudy over all of the Lone Star State with rain extending
from Ozona to Abilene to Paris.
The North Texas forecast is for rain likely in the south and east. Snow
in the northwest and a mixture of sleet, snow or freezing rain southeast
half. Lows will range from 26 in the west to 35 in the southeast.
Tuesday will have nos in the northwest and sleet, snow or freezing rain
in the southeast half. Highs will be 28 in the northwest to 36 in the
southeast.
Schools were closed in more than a dozen New Mexico cities, including
Albuquerque. Nonessential state government workers were told to stay
home and other worker were given an extra hour or two to report to work
at places including the Los Alamos National Laboratory.
On Sunday, the storm contributed to one traffic death in Arizona and two
in New Mexico.
Copyright 1996 Pecos Enterprise. All rights reserved. AP contributed to
this report.
By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
PECOS, January 6, 1997 - Ground crewmen beat the Tostitos sky ship this
morning to keep ice and snow from accumulating on the helium-filled
envelope while it is tethered at Pecos Municipal Airport.
Bad weather interrupted the ship's voyage from Wednesday's Fiesta Bowl
in Phoenix, Ariz. to Dallas and then to New Orleans for Super Bowl XXXI.
Chief pilot Capt. Bart Van Beest of Orlando, Fla. said the weather may
keep them out of Dallas, but they hope to arrive in New Orleans a few
days early to let people see the ship before the Super Bowl on Jan. 26.
Capt. Bob Fowler of Palm Springs, Calif., said the stop in Pecos is the
first for himself and for the ship.
"Other crew members have been here before with another ship," he added.
Crew members total 21, with the ground crew traveling in a convoy as the
air ship flies overhead.
"We stay within 10-15 miles of the crew, so if anything comes up
enroute, we can land anywhere. We have to have them there to land the
ship," he said.
Crewmen on the ground grab nose lines to guide the ship in, he said.
Snow is a deadly enemy of the sky ship, because of its weight.
"If we fly in snow, it accumulates and turns to ice, and the weight will
become too great for the helium to keep us in the air," Fowler said.
While it is tethered to the mast, the ship continues to float in the
air. Crewmen must keep the snow and ice from accumulating so it will
stay in the air.
"If the weight of the snow becomes greater than the lift of helium, it
will not float," Fowler said. "We always like for the ship to float as
it is attached to the mast. The best position for an airship is in the
air."
A sky ship such as "Tostitos" is a fair weather ship, Fowler said.
"Our uniforms are generally shorts and T-shirts," he said, while pulling
close a heavy overcoat he brought for the stop in Dallas.
"I used to live in Abilene, so I know what can happen in West Texas," he
said.
Airship Operations Inc. of Orlando, Fla. owns the "Tostitos," and
Airship Management Services of Greenwich, Conn. manages it.
Whether grounded or in the air, the crew stays with the ship around the
clock, and its electrical power is always on.
"We maintain pressure of helium while it is on the mast," Fowler said.
Ray Boulerice, crew chief, said he ordered helium out of El Paso.
"We got some last night, but since we will be stuck here a couple of
days, we will need some more," he said.
Since helium cylinders are very heavy, the vehicles don't have room to
carry it, he said.
"I call ahead and ask them to deliver it to where we are going. Normally
it is not a problem," Boulerice said.
Fowler said the pilots help on the ground crew while the ship is idled
and take care of notifying clients when they are delayed.
"After that, we just hang out and watch the weather and hope for it to
clear," he said.
They stay in hotels wherever they stop for the night and eat in local
restaurants.
"We are very happy that the people of Pecos are so friendly," he said.
"The hospitality has been outstanding."
By MARI MALDNOADO
Staff Writer
PECOS, January 6, 1997 - With the aid of three Pecos law enforcement
agents, the Monahans Police Department were able to put a dent in that
city's drug trafficking trade over the weekend.
Their clandestine activities led to the issuance of 19 arrest warrants
and three search warrants for three area residences.
Since August, local narcotics investigators were involved in an
undercover investigation in Monahans upon request of the police
department there. The three agents engaged in an estimated 25 narcotics
buys, "ranging from methamphetamines, cocaine, marijuana and heroin,"
according to one of the officers.
Amounts varied, "from $20 bags of weed to an `8 Ball' of cocaine," which
the investigator said contained 3.5 ounces of the powdery substance.
With the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety, Ward
County Sheriffs Office, Pecos Police Department and Reeves County
Sheriffs Office, 12 persons were arrested and an undisclosed number of
narcotics and stolen property confiscated on Friday.
In the home of Jesse Montes, 35, 1406 S. Gail, officers said more than 5
ounces of cocaine were discovered by the entry team, along with two
truck loads of allegedly stolen property and $9,500 in cash.
One investigator said that Montes, after having been read his rights,
confessed that about $7,000 of the cash were drug proceeds, while the
majority of the alleged stolen property was also obtained through drug
trade.
Montes was taken into custody and charged with delivery of a controlled
substance. However, since Friday, Montes was released on bond and fled
the country, according to one of the agents.
Narcotics were discovered in the other two residences, that of W.C.
Johnson, 910 S. Main St., and a Wickett home occupied by Jimmy McKinney.
Both were arrested and charged with delivery of a controlled substance.
"Randy (Reynolds, 143rd District Attorney) was advised of the operation
just prior to the `bust out'," said one investigator, who added, "his
investigator was sent along to assist us."
Others arrested were: Yolanda Quiroz, Tony Armendariz, John Anderson,
Charles McDonald, Richard McDonald, Alicio Yanez, Ester Garcia, Noris
Spencer, Ernesto Ornelas and Karen McDuffy.
Their ages and addresses were not available as of press time.
Monahans Police Department Chief of Police Dave Watts said just before
noon today, "We're still trying to get all the information," and are
still conducting an inventory of all the confiscated property.
No word was available on the seven pending warrants nor on the bonds set
for each of the defendants.
By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
PECOS, January 6, 1997 - Ten limited guaranty clauses to the promissory
note securing Reeves County's loan to Pecos River Livestock makes it
impossible for the 143rd District Court to enter a judgment in a civil
suit heard in September by visiting judge Paul McCollum, one of the
defendants claims.
Reeves County sued Pecos River Livestock Inc. and nine of its directors
who signed the guaranty. A 10th director signed an agreement to pay his
share of the $131,000 debt, and he was not a defendant in the suit.
Judge McCollum heard testimony for three days, then gave attorneys six
weeks to submit briefs before rendering judgment. Those briefs were
filed, but no judgment has been rendered.
Last week, defendant Louis Lively filed a supplemental post-trial brief
claiming uncertainty created by the 10 limited guaranty clauses makes
certain judgment impossible.
The guaranty clauses, taken as a whole, over-guaranteed the underlying
obligation by 1½ times, claims Lively's attorney, Robert Scogin of
Kermit.
"This creates an uncertainty as to enforcement by Reeves County against
the various guarantors of the obligation of Pecos River Livestock Inc.,"
Scogin said.
"There is no uncertainty as to the liability of Pecos River Livestock,
Inc.; however, there is uncertainty as to the liability of each separate
guarantor," he said. "The burden of proof is on Reeves County to prove
the certain liability of each separate guarantor on the
note, which is an impossibility because of the multiple limited
guarantors who are not jointly and severally liable for the
entire amount, and there is no method to compute a certain liability of
any single guarantor."
Scogin said that the court should render judgment for Reeves County,
subject to any credit, against Pecos River Livestock Inc., and enter a
take nothing judgment as to all guarantors.
"Not only is this legally correct, but in equity the loss is spread
among everyone because each guarantor was an owner of shares in Pecos
River Livestock Inc., and lost their investment in the project," he said.
Reeves County Commissioners made the loan for a goat dairy, which Pecos
River Livestock established south of Pecos. After buying dairy goats,
bucks and producing numerous kids, the group still had not completed a
milking barn and purchased milking equipment.
When they failed to make payments on the note, Reeves County foreclosed
on the note and sold the dairy.
Gladys Youngblood, 89, died Sunday, Jan. 5 at her residence.
Services are scheduled for Tuesday at 2 p.m. at the Pecos Funeral Home
Chapel with Rev. Greer Willis officiating. Burial will be at Mount
Evergreen Cemetery.
Youngblood was born on Jan. 18, 1907 in Marathon, was a homemaker and a
Baptist. She was preceded in death by her husband, Wilton L. Youngblood.
Survivors include one son, Wilton Earl Youngblood of Midland; one
sister, Jean Gault of Pecos; one grandchild and two great-grandchildren.
Pecos Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
PECOS, Jan. 6, 1997 - High Sunday 51, low last night 35. Weekend
precipitation .02 inch. January precipitation .02 inch. Year-to-date .02
inch. Heavy snow warning in effect for this afternoon through Tuesday.
Tonight, periods of snow, heavy at times. Low in the lower 20s.
Northeast wind 10-20 mph. Tuesday, a 70 percent chance of snow. Total
accumulation up to 8 inches possible. High 25-30. Northeast wind 10-20
mph.
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Copyright 1997 by Pecos Enterprise
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324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
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