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PECOS, March 5, 1997 - Pecos High School students and parents are waging
a war against the dress code revisions passed unanimously by school
board members Thursday and made effective almost immediately.
Some 30 students, according to Pecos High School Principal Alice
Duerksen, were separated Tuesday and today from the rest of the school
for not complying with the new dress code. They were placed in the
auditorium.
"They're mostly the same people (Tuesday and today)," she said. The
students are given three options: to comply with the dress code, call
their parents or go the auditorium and teachers will try to get their
assignments to them.
The dress code changes involved the length of shorts, skirts and
dresses; use of pants jeans and skirts; cheerleader uniforms; headgear;
shades of lipstick and nail polish and grooming paraphernalia.
Alterations to the dress code were introduced after concerns were raised
about student discipline at the secondary level.
Duerksen said a committee of eight high school teachers met with
Superintendent Mario Sotelo on Feb. 10 and Feb. 17 to discuss the
proposed changes.
Sotelo was out of town today and unavailable for comment.
Duerksen said she was unsure if all eight committee members
made the meeting with the superintendent but that, "these (dress code
changes) came out of that meeting."
Under the new rules, shorts, skirts and dresses will not be worn more
than three inches above the middle of the knee. The approved proposal
reads that a 3-by-5 note card will be used to measure the length of such
garments.
The new code states that all pants, skirts and shorts must be worn at
natural waistline and fit properly and cheerleaders will wear warm up
suits to class. Short uniforms will not be allowed.
The revised code prohibits the use of hats and caps in the building and
points out that confiscated headgear will be held for six weeks.
Also, no black, metallic or dark shades of lipstick or fingernail polish
will be worn and grooming articles will be confiscated if seen in the
classroom.
The changes to the dress code affect only high school students.
Parents and students are upset that these revisions were made so
late in the year.
PHS senior Eric Abila asked, "why were these changes made with only 11
weeks left in the school year?"
The most controversial change deals with students having to wear shirts
that can be and will be tucked in.
Abila also asked why teachers don't have to abide by a dress code.
A parent who asked not to be identified said he'd heard concerns from
another parent on the fact that school clothes for the students have
already been purchased according to the dress code included in the
handbook at the beginning of the year. "And now they're telling kids
they can't wear them," he said.
Student Heather Lara said she and a friend started a petition stating
their strong feelings against the new dress code. Lara said the
petition has about 400 signatures to date.
"The way we dress doesn't have anything to do with learning," said
student Stephanie Gonzales.
All of the students questioned this morning said they didn't feel that
clothing worn prior to the new dress code was interfering in any way
with the learning environment.
"It's disruptive now," said student Arnulfo "Nufie" Flores.
The group also indicated that they would have made it a point to be at
the school board meeting had they been informed about the changes.
Lara said she was asked by one teacher to go to the auditorium for not
having her sweater tucked in and then turned away by another teacher
assigned to the auditorium because sweaters don't have to be tucked in.
Students and parents contend that they were not informed of the planned
changes prior to Thursday's school board meeting.
One student said he didn't feel that the changes were fair, especially
the shirt tucking rule, "some people don't want to show off their jeans."
"They're (school officials) more worried about what we're wearing, and
not about (the fact that there are) more than 10 girls pregnant," in
high school, said student Tina Lopez.
School board President Linda Gholson said that board members requested
an investigation into allegations made about the discipline or lack
thereof at the high school and the dress code revisions were part of the
result.
She said board members were not involved in any of the plans to
change the dress code and only handed the proposal at Thursday's meeting.
PECOS, March 5, 1997 - Directors for the Community Council of Reeves
County on Tuesday discussed applications for executive director and
chose three of the 11 hopefuls for interviews at the council's March 20
meeting, when one will be chosen for the position.
Chosen for interviews are: Michael Benavides, Caprice Cox and Alvian
Venegas.
Venegas is an associate at the Family Dollar store in Pecos. He is
experienced in computers, clerical and assisting people and speaks both
English and Spanish. He has a bachelor of liberal arts with
concentrations in sociology and psychology.
Benavides is assistant manager for Wal-Mart and has other management and
sales experience. He was a business major at Sul Ross State University,
where he earned 60 cumulative hours.
Cox recently moved to Pecos with her husband, who is employed by Anchor
West Inc. She previously worked as a spousal abuse director, a
substitute teacher, counselor and assistant juvenile probation officer.
Her most recent position was in public relations for the Corpus Christi
Zoo.
She holds an associate degree in education, a certificate in
bio/behavioral dynamics and completed a child care workshop at the
University of Arizona.
The board also formed committees to review and update personnel policies
and bylaws.
Volunteering for the personnel policy committee are Joyce Wilhelm of
Monahans, Karon Shelton of Pecos, Julian Florez of Barstow, Mary
Gonzales of Monahans and David Madril of Pecos.
On the bylaws committee are Felipe Arredondo, Bill Wendt, Andy Gomez,
Bobbie Nunn, Wilhelm, Gonzales and Madril.
Interim executive director Frank Perea said this morning he hired Mary
Jane Ontiveros as Head Start director. She and others he has hired are
to be approved by the policy council in their regular meeting at 5 p.m.
Thursday.
Other positions filled include two bus drivers, a janitor, a teacher
aide and coordinators for nutrition and health and parent involvement.
PECOS, March 5, 1997 - Roy Lindsay Construction has begun demolition of
condemned buildings for the city of Pecos, said Jack Brookshire,
building inspector.
Crews are working to remove debris from five buildings on East Second
Street that have already been torn down.
At the American Motor Inn on the west end of town, Lindsay is removing
windows from the building while Brookshire awaits an emergency waiver to
tear it down.
If the waiver is not forthcoming, the city will have to pay for a survey
to determine whether the building contains asbestos. That would be
expensive and time consuming, Brookshire said.
"We are trying to get an emergency order declaring the building in
danger of collapsing and a health and fire hazard," Brookshire said.
He has placed a warning tape around the building to keep people from
breaking in and stealing furnishings and materials.
"They have already taken most of the furniture and about half the
carpet," he said. "The owners got some of it after it was condemned, but
we have caught people who weren't supposed to be out there."
Brookshire said he would file charges on anyone caught on the premises
without permission.
Randy Graham has filed for re-election to his position as Pecos City
Council in the May 3 election. He becomes the third incumbent to file,
said City Secretary Geneva Martinez.
The other two whose terms are expiring are Dr. Elvia Reynolds and Gerald
Tellez Jr. Both have filed for re-election.
Martinez said the race is open to any qualified resident, and no filing
fee is required.
All incumbents have also filed for new terms in the Reeves County
Hospital District, Pecos-Barstow-Toyah school board and Barstow City
Council elections, while no one has filed as of yet in the Balmorhea
city and school board races.
In the Reeves County Hospital District board election, incumbents
Jeannette Alligood and Marcella Lovett have filed for re-election in
Precincts 4 and 2, respectively.
Hospital board candidates may file with administrative assistant Nadine
Smith.
In the P-B-T election, incumbents Steve Armstrong and Hugh Box are the
only candidates to file so far for the two three-year terms voters will
decide on May 3.
Barstow City Council incumbents Olga Abila, Salvador Villalobos and
Lucio Florez have all filed to retain their positions on the council.
The three positions are two-year terms.
Candidates for both the P-B-T school board and Barstow city elections
can file with Jo Allgood at the school board office.
In Balmorhea, school board positions are open for two three-year terms.
Those are held by James Garlick and Paul Matta and nobody has filed for
those positions as of this morning.
In the Balmorhea city council election, Kathy Haynes, Norma Jean
Redwine, Janell Ward are the three incumbents whose two-year terms
expire in May. No filings were reported there as of 11:30 a.m.
Three council positions are currently open in Toyah with the terms of
Rose Barnes, Bart Sanchez and Diana Tollett up for re-election. All
three are 2-year terms.
As of this morning, it was not known if anybody had filed for these
positions.
Potential candidates have until March 19 to file for a position in all
the May elections.
Early voting for Pecos voters in the city, school and hospital elections
begins April 14 in the Pecos Community Center, 508 S. Oak St.
PECOS, March 5, 1997 - After four days on the job as food service
director for the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah school district, Helen Miller
continues to find herself in kitchen of various campuses.
School board members approved Miller's appointment to the position,
vacant for the past two months, during Thursday's regular, monthly
meeting.
She was selected from a list of five candidates that were interviewed
and screened from a larger pool.
"We're so shorthanded," said Miller. She added she has been working in a
different cafeteria every day since her assignment. "I don't mind
though."
Formerly the Cafeteria Manager at Pecos Elementary, Miller has 22 years
experience with P-B-T food service.
Manager for the Crockett Middle School Cafeteria, Gloria Woods, said
Miller will be missed by the third graders. "They all just love Helen,"
she said.
"Everybody knows she's a good cook," said Woods, adding that cafeteria
crews try to integrate a variety of foods into their menus and will
continue to do so, according to Miller.
Crockett students particularly like "vegetables" Woods said,
acknowledging, "the ladies really try hard to treat the kids like their
own family."
"We want our cafeterias to be friendly...an enjoyable place to come
eat," said the new food service director. "We're going to serve good
food," she added.
Miller said she understands that each cafeteria worker has their own way
of doing things, but maintains the notion that good, nutritional food is
important.
Any questions or comments about the lunch menu, Miller can be reached at
the P-B-T ISD Food Service Office at 447-7266.
The 130-foot derrick fell just before sunrise Tuesday as a crew was
installing casing to a depth of 9,000 feet in the shaft.
James Kirby, 31, was in serious condition as of early this afternoon at
Methodist Hospital in Lubbock with multiple fractures, a hospital
spokesperson said.
Robert McBride, 27, was reported in good condition at Odessa's Medical
Center Hospital with a fracture Tuesday night, but a spokesperson there
this morning said McBride was not listed on the hospital's paitent list.
Both men are part of a Hobbs, N.M.-based team from Allen's Casing Crew
Inc. of Odessa.
David Nunez, a 34-year-old employee of Patterson Drilling Co., was in
stable condition at Winkler County Memorial Hospital in Kermit with a
bruised elbow and bruised ribs.
``It is a miracle that we did not have any fatalities,'' said Ed
Cosgrove, area director for the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety
Administration in Lubbock. ``The rig was really a mess.''
An OSHA compliance officer returned to Patterson's Rig No. 71 today in
an investigation that Cosgrove said would likely take several weeks to
complete.
Mark Cullifer, safety director of Snyder-based Patterson, said engineers
would also examine the derrick to determine why it collapsed.
Winkler County Sheriff Robert Roberts said Tuesday that metal fatigue on
the derrick's frame could have caused the 6:45 a.m. collapse. But
Cullifer said engineers were more qualified to make that judgment.
The well is about six miles southwest of Kermit and east of Wink off FM
1232.
PECOS, March 5, 1997 - A Pecos man is being held in Reeves County Jail
for possession of a narcotic, following a Tuesday evening traffic stop.
Steven Natividad, 23, 801 Adams St., was a passenger in a Buick sedan
pulled over by Police Patrolman Freddy Contreras after he noticed the
driver was not wearing a seat belt.
The driver and passenger were asked to exit the vehicle about 6 p.m.
Tuesday.
Reeves County Narcotics Investigator Clay McKinney said Contreras
observed Natividad drop a white package, which landed near his feet as
he exited the car.
Contreras proceeded to pick up the package and identified the substance
as cocaine, said McKinney.
A search of the vehicle was conducted following Natividad's arrest, said
the narcotics investigator, but no other drugs were found.
The package weighed in at three grams and has a street value of about
$180, said McKinney.
He said Natividad was out on a $100,000 bond after his probation was
revoked on an original charge of delivery of a simulated substance out
of Dallas County at the time of his arrest.
Municipal Judge Phyllis Salyer arraigned Natividad this morning, setting
a bond of $10,000.
The driver was cited for not wearing a seat belt.
His co-defendant, Janet Fay Salvato, 44, entered a plea of guilty to the
same indictment and testified for the prosecution against Goodall.
They were arrested Jan. 5 after Department of Public Safety and Border
Patrol agents became suspicious of their activities and found about 80
pounds of marijuana in the gas tank of their car.
Jim Blankinship of Alpine prosecuted for the government, and Mike
Barclay of Alpine defended Goodall. Anthony Foster of Alpine represented
Salvato.
The trial completed this week's docket for Senior Judge Lucius Bunton.
He will return March 17 for two jury trials.
We're very proud to have Jim Bob on board as we become part of the
Pecos community," said John Bachmann, managing principal of Edward
Jones. "He brings to Jones a level of commitment and enthusiasm that is
certain to benefit his clients."
McNeil said he is excited to be opening a new office for a firm that
has built a reputation on serving individual investors.
"Edward Jones is the largest financial-services firm in the nation in
terms of offices, but it maintains its commitment to individuals," he
said. "I have been impressed with the interest the firm's headquarters
in St. Louis has shown in this new office. Pecos, and the investors who
live here, are very important to the firm, and I really like that."
Prior to joining Edward Jones, McNeil was involved in the cattle
business in the Pecos area. He attended Howard College.
With more than 3,400 offices in all 50 states, Edward Jones is the
largest financial-services firm in the nation in terms of offices. Plans
are under way to expand to 10,000 offices in the next decade.
Still, Jones is the only firm that serves individual investors
exclusively, offering a variety of investments including certificates of
deposit, taxable and tax-free bonds, stocks and mutual funds. The firm
traces its roots to 1871 and today serves more than 2 million customers.
McNeil can be contacted at 445-7322. His office will be housed within
the next 30 days at the Executive Center at Oak Street.
Jim Bob and his wife Leslie are Pecos natives and have 2 daughters,
Taryn and Jordan,
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_
Copyright 1997 by Pecos Enterprise
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