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TOP STORIESFebruary 11, 1998Departed deputy remembered with honorBy RICK L. SMITH Staff Writer PECOS, February 11, 1998 - The 1998 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year had been a peace officer in Reeves County for about 20 years and would probably still be serving the community if his life had not suddenly ended in an automobile accident in July of last year. Floyd Estrada was not only a Reeves County Sheriff's Deputy, he was also a member of the Reeves County Sheriff's Posse, active with the local 4-H Club, a member of the Balmorhea ambulance service and a participant of the area SWAT team. He had a Bachelor's degree in criminology and was working on his masters. "He was very diligent about his work and at the same time was also compationate and fair with people," said Reeves County Judge Jimmy Galindo, who presented the Law Enforcement Officer of the Year award to Floyd's wife, Elia, at the Pecos Chamber of Commerce awards banquet last month. "Floyd had a unique style that we all respected and loved," Galindo said. Floyd showed his devotion to the community through his involvement with youth development, Galindo said. Galindo told one incident that he witnessed that demonstrated Floyd's attitude toward life. During a recent Pecos Junior Livestock Show Floyd spotted a young man having a lot of trouble with his animal, Galindo said. The boy's parents were busy with another project at the show and were not around. The more the boy struggled to get his animal to behave the more frustrated he became. The animal sensed the boy's frustration and the two battled against one another. "Floyd stepped in and calmed the animal down," Galindo said. "He tied up the animal then went to the boy. "He told the boy You have to relax so your animal will be relaxed. Then you can both do what you have to do.' Then Floyd walked the boy through what he was trying to do with his animal." By the time the boy's parents returned the youth was in control and his parents never saw the turmoil he had been through. "Floyd just stepped in and stepped out of the situation and the parents never saw what he did,"Galindo said. Floyd spent his years with the sheriff's department as the resident deputy in Balmorhea, according to Reeves County Sheriff Arnulfo Gomez. "Floyd was loyal and hard working," Gomez said. "He was always combat ready. He didn't care about how many hours he put in. He was just law enforcement, period." Gomez said Floyd was the kind of man who if he found somebody broken down on the highway he would not only help them but he would also take them home with him. "He started the same year I did," he said. "He started as a deputy and I started as a jailer. We've been on shootouts and chases together, he always gave it his all. "He was a good man, he was like family." Candidate taxes become a voter issueBy GREG HARMAN Staff Writer PECOS, February 11, 1998 - A petition began circulating Pecos last week. Titled "Taxpayer Protest," the petition began making rounds after it came to the attention of some residents that Lin-Lou, Inc., a family corporation based in Pecos was a year behind in its taxes. One statement made in the petition charges that, while others are being put "out on the street" due to their inability to pay their taxes, "other people have escaped and concealed responsibility for their taxes in Reeves County." The "other people" referred to in the petition is county judge candidate and school board member Linda Gholson. The petition alleges that Gholson formed Lin-Lou corporation and suggests she has avoided being penalized for delinquent taxes because of her position on the school board. "I never at any time tried to conceal anything from anyone," Gholson said. Of the statement that she formed the corporation, Gholson said, "I did not form it, but am a part of it." According to its charter, Lin-Lou, Inc., was formed in 1986 for the sale of retail clothes and dry goods, purchase of real estate properties and investments and other business enterprises to the general public and state of Texas. To residents of Pecos this translates into the Style Shop, Ladies Ready to Wear and a number of real estate properties. Gholson admitted there had been delinquent taxes but said that those behind the inception of the petition over-estimated the total amount of back taxes owed by the corporation (over $10,000). This turned out not to be the case. The corporation was behind in 1996 property taxes by $11,023.85, while 1997 taxes were kept current. Drawing an important distinction, Gholson said, "The corporation's taxes were lagging, but my own personal property taxes were not." She added that the corporation's taxes had always been handled by her mother, Louise Taylor. "Sometimes people will do this," said County Tax Assessor/Creditor Elfidia Zuniga. "They pay their current year's taxes to keep off delinquency charges and take care of the older taxes when they can." But, Zuniga added, owing back taxes from 1997 is not uncommon. And as of Monday, Feb. 9, the total amount owed by Lin-Lou, Inc. had been paid by Taylor. But Gholson was not the only candidate lagging behind on her property taxes. As of 2:15 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5, five other candidates were behind on their taxes. Property taxes are considered "delinquent" and incur financial penalty after Feb. 1, and, if left unpaid, incur a 15 percent penalty on July 1, of any given year. Current Justice of the Peace in Precinct 1, Amonario Ramon, owed back taxes dating to 1994. He owed over $4,500 on two Pecos properties. When asked about the debt, Ramon said that he had been to the school tax office and had plans to pay the total of his back taxes on Tuesday, Feb. 10. His 1997 taxes are current and all delinquent taxes were paid by Wednesday morning, Feb. 11. Rosendo Carrasco, who is seeking J.P. of Precinct 3, owes about $4,800 in city and county property taxes. However, according to Zuniga, Carrasco has "taken responsibility" for his debt and has been paying it off in monthly installments. "I've been paying it off by about $50-$100 a week," said Carrasco, who owns Carrasco Mercantile in Balmorhea. When Rosemary Chabarria, who owes $247.60 in '97 taxes, decided to seek the office of district clerk she didn't know that her 12-year-old daughter Denise would soon be diagnosed with leukemia, as she was on Wednesday, Feb. 4, in Dallas. According to Chabarria, Denise has already started chemotherapy and must now be taken to Midland weekly for further treatment. "Even if I had the money I don't know if I could pay it," said Chabarria of her overdue taxes. "She is more important than anything else." Chabarria, who has worked in the county tax office for five years understands how important paying taxes is, and said she also knew how the matter may reflect on her as a candidate. She even toyed with the idea of dropping out of the race altogether. "She doesn't want me to quit," Chabarria said of her daughter on Feb. 10. "I'm just gonna wing it. All my money is going to her. If the people want me in there then it'll be their choice." However, an unexpected bonus to her husband's paycheck, Chabarria said on Wednesday, Feb. 11, would enable them to pay off the debt later in the day. County Commissioner Bernardo Martinez owed $174.97 on his '97 property taxes and was unavailable for comment as he was in Austin at a Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission conference. His taxes were paid as of Wednesday, Feb. 11. County Surveyor Frank X. Spencer, who is behind on '97 property taxes by $92.88, said that the property in question is a joint property. "I have paid my one-third of the taxes and the other party needs to pay his part now," said Spencer. Drug case falls apartBy PEGGY McCRACKEN Staff Writer PECOS, February 11, 1998 - Defense attorney Tony Chavez on Tuesday picked apart the state's case against Conception "Teofilo" Garcia, and 143rd District Court jurors found him innocent of delivery of cocaine. William Price, an undercover investigator for the Permian Basin Drug Task Force, testified that he bought a $20 paper of cocaine from Garcia on Jan. 1, 1997. However, under cross-examination, Price was unable to identify the location where the sale allegedly took place and to explain why the pickup the seller drove was registered to a Midland man. "It was nothing brilliant that I did," Chavez said. "The case just went south on them. It just came down to: did they believe Price or Garcia?" Garcia denied selling Price any drugs, and said he had ever seen him before in his entire life, Chavez said. Testimony began this morning in a civil damage suit that was rescheduled from Tuesday to accommodate Chavez's federal court hearings. Claudia Gurrola is suing the Pecos Holiday Inn Inc. for injuries she received when she walked into a plate glass window at the motel in March, 1995. Joel Fry represents Guerrola, while Scott Tidwell represents Holiday Inn. Legality of drug bust questionedBy PEGGY McCRACKEN Staff Writer PECOS, February 11, 1998 - U.S. District Judge Royal Furgeson denied a motion to supress evidence Tuesday, took another under advisement and reset a hearing on a third. Public Defender Kurt Mayer sought to suppress evidence in a marijuana possession case against Jose Efrain Ceniceros, 25. Ceniceros was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents after they noticed him driving erratically on U.S. Highway 118 south of Alpine Nov. 14, 1997. Stopping the vehicle for an immigration check, agent Jeffery Hamilton testified he noticed Ceniceros was nervous and delayed answering whether he was a U.S. citizen. He claimed to be a citizen, but was later determined to be a legal resident alien. Because of his nervousness and the fact the rear end of the vehicle appeared to be loaded, the Hamilton asked Ceniceros to open the trunk, which he did. It contained four Mexican flour sacks of bundles wrapped in duct tape. The bundles weighed 206 pounds. Ceniceros told the agents he drove to Ojinaga, Mex., paid $15,000 for the marijuana, crossed back into Texas and drove to Lajitas. Again crossing into Mexico, he picked up the bundles, loaded them into the trunk and headed toward Houston. Public Defender Kurt Mayer sought to suppress evidence based on the legality of the stop. Judge Furgeson reset Mayer's motion to suppress evidence against Gerardo Jacquez to Feb. 20 on the law applying to stop and identity. He took under advisement a motion made by attorney Jeff Parras to suppress evidence against Javier Mendoza Guillen and said the trial may be moved to Midland or El Paso. On Monday, Judge Furgeson accepted guilty pleas from Ludivina Garcia-Rodriguez, misprison of a felony; * Ruben Ruiz-Resendiz, import marijuana; and * Jose Dominguez, possess marijuana. He sentenced Benjamin Romero to 84 months in prison for marijuana possession, recommending he be incarcerated at La Tuna, near El Paso. Denying a motion to suppress evidence against Juan Fierro-Rodriguez, Judge Furgeson found him guilty of marijuana possession and set sentencing for April 13. He also denied motions to suppress evidence of marijuana possession against Larry Grubbs and Ojilvia Moreno-Arroyo, then said he would enter an opinion in the suppression motion by Lorenzo Quintana-Quezada within a week. U.S. Magistrate Judge Stuart Platt held court Monday and Tuesday as well, handling a large number of pleas and motions on Judge Furgeson's felony cases. Furgeson is required to approve or disapprove Platt's recommendations before they become final. Meanwhile, prosecutors filed an information charging Condry Allen Hartman with use of an interstate facility in aid of unlawful activity. Hartman, 48, allegedly used the Post Office and other interstate facilities to carry on a gambling/bookmaking operation. If convicted he could be sentenced to five years in prison and up to $250,000 fine. Chamber stifles rumorsBy ROSIE FLORES Staff Writer PECOS, February 11, 1998 - Contrary to rumors circulating there will be a Golden Girl Revue and Little Miss Cantaloupe Pageant again this year, as has been a tradition for many years, according to the Chamber of Commerce Women's Division president Suan Cross. Cross told chamber board members at their regular meeting that rumors had been circulating about there not being a Golden Girl Pageant, because the Rotary Club would no longer participate and help out. "We met last week and decided to go ahead and put on the production ourselves," said Cross. "And keep the tradition of Golden Girl going," she said. In previous years, the Rotary Club would co-sponsor the event with the Women's Division. "We want to put those rumors to rest and let everyone know that we will continue the tradition," she said. Rotary Club members took care of the "man-power," such as setting up the stage, getting the production part of the show ready and procuring a band for the occasion. "We will begin major re-organization of the event and start from the ground up," said Cross. Cross stated that the group is very optimistic and stated, "We're real excited, have many plans and we can handle it and with the cooperation of everyone put on a good show." One of the reasons the club gave Cross about not participating is that they were "burned out" with the same club volunteers doing everything every year. Dot Stafford a member of the both the chamber board and Rotary Club stated that the group (Rotary) had been trying to get someont else to take over the production part of the event. "We had people willing to help but not take full responsibility and there was nobody musically inclined who could do this," she said. Cross thanked everyone for participating in the recent banquet sponsored by the chamber. "I want to thank Paul Hinojos for coming up with the idea of using promotional items at the tables, that went really well," she said. Chamber president Richard Crider urged all members to volunteer for the Golden Gloves Tournament which will be held in Pecos this weekend. The chamber is sponsoring the two-day event. "We need all that can to come out and help this weekend," said Crider. A concession stand will be open during the event and will feature cold beverages among other things. "We'd like the community to come out and support us," said chamber director Tom Rivera. During the director's report portion of the meeting, Rivera told the group that the budget was not quite ready to be approved. "I know I told you all that it would be ready by this meeting, but the committee met and have drawn up a contract and recommendations which will be presented to the city," he said. The contract features the bed tax and the amount the city will contribute. "There will be no major changes and it should be essentially the same as last year," said Rivera. Rivera told the group that the only thing he would like to see a change in this year, was the staff's salary. "I'd like to see an increase in my staff's salary, not myself, but them and possibly some type of medical coverage," he said. "I'd like to see that worked into the budget somehow," he said. Kevin Duke, tourism and advertising director, told board members that they had a meeting with the bed tax committee. "We drafted up a contract that we will present to the city and then we will notify all committee members how much we will get from the city," said Duke. Duke updated the group on a judgement the chamber has against a popular Tejano band. "Tom received a phone call from one of the band members, saying that he was trying to purchase a home and couldn't because of our judgement," said Duke. "So maybe, we might get a settlement from them," he said. "If they make any kind of an offer we will let you know and then we can decide whether we want to accept it," he said. Linda Gholson, head of the merchant's committee, stated that several merchants had participated in the recent Groundhog's Day promo and that things went very well. "We had a good response and those who participated really enjoyed it," she said. Past president Paul Hinojos thanked everyone who helped make the chamber banquet a success, particularly the Women's Division. "They took time out of their busy schedules and away from their families to make this banquet a success and I also want to thank those who went," said Hinojos. A profit of $900 was made during this event. "That's not an exact figure, but that's about how much profit we made," he said. Jailer busted for supplying drugsBy CARA ALLIGOOD Staff Writer PECOS, February 11, 1998 - A jailer at Reeves County Jail, Adolfo Prieto, was arrested on a drug charge yesterday afternoon, after tips from anonymous sources led to a cooperative undercover investigation by local law enforcement authorities. Last week, narcotics investigators received information that a corrections officer was taking drugs into the county jail, according to narcotics investigator Paul Deishler. "We contacted the sheriff and Clay (Police Chief McKinney) and told them about it," he said. "The first of this week, we received more information on who it was, and that he was supplying drugs to inmates," Deishler said. The narcotics investigators, Deishler and Jeffery Baeza, worked with the sheriff and District Attorney Randy Reynolds, and "we started doing surveillance on Mr. Prieto whenever he was around the jail," said Deishler. "Yesterday afternoon while we were doing surveillance, we observed him depart from the jail and walk to the post office, where he met with known drug dealers or users within the community," Deishler said. While Prieto was on his way back to the jail, the investigators contacted Sheriff Arnulfo Gomez. "Sheriff Gomez met him and immediately took him into his office and found on his person a syringe and a substance believed to be heroin," said Deishler. "We then brought him over here to the police department and met with the sheriff, the chief, the district attorney and his investigator. After talking to him (Prieto), he confessed that the heroin and paraphernalia was for an inmate in the jail," Deishler said. Deishler said that Prieto supplied the investigators with the name of one inmate that he was taking the drugs to, but investigators believe there may actually be other inmates involved. Prieto, 30, 1024 S. Elm, was charged when the drugs were found on his person, at about 2 to 2:30 p.m. yesterday, with possession of a controlled substance within a correctional facility, an automatic third degree felony, according to Deishler. "I've been here since 1982, and this is the best cooperation I've seen between the police department, the sheriff's department and the district attorney in fighting the war on drugs," said Deishler. "I hate to see this happen, especially to one of my employees, but I have to do my job," said Sheriff Gomez. OBITUARIESDeane C. SchlomerDeane C. Schlomer, 80, died Saturday, Feb. 2, 1998. Services are scheduled for Wednesday, at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in El Paso, with burial in Fairview Cemetery in Gainsville, Tx. Schlomer was a former Balmorhea resident and a school teacher in Balmorhea for 40 years. Survivors include: one son, Keith Schlomer; one daughter, Winona Dye; two brothers; eight grandchildren; and seven greatgrandchildren. Hillcrest Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Richard SwinneyRichard Swinney, 54, died Tuesday, Feb. 10, 1998, in Dallas. A rosary is scheduled for 7 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 11, at Rhoton Funeral Home Chapel. Mass will be at 9 a.m., Thursday, at Calvary Hill Mausoleum Chapel with Father Lonnie Honea. Burial will be in Calvary Hill Mausoleum. Survivors include: his wife, Peg Swinney; three sons, Greg, Mike and Ronald Swinney; three daughters, Perri Tichenor, Kelly Jones and Stephanie Jones; one brother, Fred Swinney; and 11 grandchildren. Rhoton Funeral Home of Dallas is in charge of arrangements. John Rial Truss, Jr.John Rial Truss, Jr., 83, of Balmorhea, died Friday, Feb. 6, 1998, at his residence. Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m., Thursday, at Monahans Cemetery with Rev. Ted Harris officiating. Truss was born March 25, 1915, in Windom, Tx. He was a U.S. Army veteran and had worked for Gulf Oil Company for 35 years as a materials supervisor. Truss was preceded in death by his wife Verna "Connie" Truss. Survivors include: one daughter, Velma Truss Lowry of Rocky Comfort, Mo.; one brother, Joe Sam Truss of Midland; one sister, Mary Ruth Shell of Austin; three grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and three great-great grandchildren. WEATHERPECOS, February 11, 1998 - It will be rainy across West Texas tonight and Thursday with some snow possible in the northern area of the South Plains and Panhandle tonight. It will be mostly cloudy across all of West Texas with a chance of rain in the areas east of the mountains through Thursday. Lows tonight will be in the 20s and 30s in West Texas, highs Thursday will be in the 40s in the Panhandle and in the 50s and 60s elsewhere in West Texas. Return to top
Pecos Enterprise
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