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TOP STORIESFebruary 27, 1998High winds destroy carportBy GREG HARMAN Staff Writer PECOS, February 27, 1998 - When Cathy Ortiz left her Lindsay addition home yesterday around 1 p.m. to run a few errands and pick up her three children from school, probably the last thought on her mind was that her house may be blown away by strong winds in her absence. But, returning to her home in the 5200 block of Valley Road around 4:30 p.m., she found her carport demolished -the roof of her house and driveway strewn with loose shingles and splintered wood. "Half of it was up on the roof," she said, motioning to the debris now scattered in her drive. "The other half fell here," she said pointing to the drive. "It was a mess." Even the 15-odd foot iron pipe that had held a television antennae high above the house had been snapped in two. Ortiz said that when she returned from town and first saw the wreckage she was scared that her home's roof may have been damaged. "But this neighbor boy came and helped me get the stuff off the roof," she said, "and there was only slight damage to the roof." "We had steady winds most of the day around 30-35 miles per hour," said Isabelle Blanchard, co-manager of the Pecos Municipal Airport. According to airport weather logs, the strongest gust of the day, measured at 46 mph, was experienced at 2:42 p.m. But gusts of yesterday's 10-15 mph variety are not that severe, said Blanchard. The tough stuff comes mostly in the spring, when gusts may measure as high as 50 mph. Youth stabbed by intruder at P.H.S.By ROSIE FLORES Staff Writer PECOS, February 27, 1998 - Crime Stoppers is seeking further information about an incident that occurred at Pecos High School in January when student was cut by an apparent intruder onto school grounds. At 10 a.m. Jan. 23, a 14-year-old white male was exiting the Pecos High School main building en route to another classroom, when he was confronted by an unknown individual. The individual, a 6-foot tall Hispanic male in his early 20s, pulled a knife, started slashing and cut the 14-year-old's hand, according to a Crime Stopper report. "The only information we had on this other individual was that he was Hispanic, was wearing a black beanie cap, sweater, had a mustache and a goatee," said Pecos Police Investigator Kelly Davis. Davis stated that the individual is not a student at Pecos High School and that the 14-year-old juvenile was not seriously injured. The attacker ran away and got into an unidentified vehicle and left the scene, according to Davis. A report has been filed in the incident, but no further information is known about the suspect. "Apparently the 14-year-old stated that he did not know who this guy was and that he didn't know why he was targeted," said Davis. To pass along information to Crime Stoppers call 445-9898. Strong turnout for early votingBy ROSIE FLORES Staff Writer PECOS, February 27, 1998 - More than 100 voters have been casting their votes daily since early voting began for the March Democratic Primary Elections. "We've been averaging over 100 voters each day, which is really great," said early voting clerk Debbie Thomas. The lowest daily total of voters so far in this election was 107. Thomas stated that she hopes the high number of voters continues. As of Thursday afternoon, 778 individuals had voted by personal appearance. There were 281 mail-in ballots, bringing the total number of voters in Reeves County to 1,059. Early voting will continue until until March 6, for the Democratic Primary Elections. Individuals can call the county clerk's office to receive ballots by mail. "They should also call us back to make sure they received their ballot, filled it out and that we have received it back," said County Clerk Diane O. Florez. Saturday the clerk's office will have a booth at La Tienda from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. for anyone who would like to vote early by personal appearance then. "The different voting places give people a chance to vote when they can and this way we get more people to vote," said Florez.
Feb. 26 declared "Dot Stafford Day"By GREG HARMAN Staff Writer PECOS, February 27, 1998 - Here ye! Hear ye! Citizens of Pecos, from this day forward the date of Feb. 26 will be officially known as "Dot Stafford Day." The City Council of the Town of Pecos, all decorated in gold stickers proclaiming Dot Stafford Day, voted unanimously that the mayor should have a day named in her honor. While taking a moment to recognize the mayor, Mayor Pro-tem Danny Rodriguez said that Stafford had served the council well as mayor for two terms, before that serving eight years as a council member. Obviously delighted by the motion, Stafford assured the audience that she had no idea the council was considering such an action. "You don't know how much this means to me," she said. "I've enjoyed every minute of it." Later in day, beginning around 1 p.m., Stafford was honored at her now-former workplace The First National Bank of Pecos. Punch and cake was served over the strains of a classical string trio. "I wasn't expecting this high-brow music," she said. "I was expecting guitars." Bank president Bruce Duston said, "We're happy for her, but we're gonna miss her for sure." About 75 friends and colleagues attended the farewell party. Stafford said she is retiring, though she plans to continue to work one day a week at the bank and increase her civic activities. Stafford announced at yesterday morning's council meeting her intention to seek another term as mayor. Young citizens attend council meetingBy GREG HARMAN Staff Writer PECOS, February 27, 1998 - Council members at yesterday morning's Pecos City Council meeting must have thought that all their hard work was finally earning them the attention they deserved when an extra row of chairs had to be brought in to accommodate the large crowd at the meeting. Only it turned out that half of the guests were well below the voting age. They are students of Zavala Middle and Pecos High school who were boning up on civic involvement. Zavala teacher Cindy Duke brought her seventh-grade class to the meeting to encourage the council to dedicate March 2-6 as "Texas Independence Week." Phillip Salcido addressed the council on the history of Texas Independence -highlighting the historic battle of the Alamo -relating the need for citizens to become aware of the sesquicentennial of statehood. "On behalf of my classmates I thank you all for having us here today," said Salcido. The proposal approved by the council calls for citizens to dress "Texan," hold bonfires and parades and engage in "excessive noise-making" during the special week. Mayor Dot Stafford commented that the Zavala students "had a lot of things working." After approving the students' proclamation, the council heard from Geneva Martinez, city secretary and Pecos Youth Advisory Commission coordinator. Martinez informed the city leaders that the Jon Ben Sheppard Leadership Institute of the University of Texas of the Permian-Basin desired to conduct an all-day seminar in Pecos for area youth. Straight Way, a drug and suicide prevention team that advocates total abstinence from drugs, would also participate in the event, she said. The council granted permission for the youth commission to pursue setting up the event, tentatively scheduled for Sat., March 28. Several organizations represented at the event expressed interest in helping out. Frank Spencer of Frank Spencer & Associates promised to contribute. Pecos High School Principal and Councilman Danny Rodriguez and Texas-New Mexico Power representative Mya Surrat both offered the group space at their facilities for the event. Martinez said she is looking for sponsors to help provide lunch and snacks for the event, one of the requirements imposed upon the host party. For the rest of the meeting the council addressed issues concerning sewer and water lines in the county. Spencer, operating on the council's request, furnished a cost estimate of $26,500 for the preparation of a permit renewal for Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission and the incorporation of an additional wastewater pond. The council approved the application, but only following a discussion of financials. City Manager Kenneth Neal said he recommended proceeding with the plan although "there is no way to estimate what changes the TNRCC will make from one week to the next." Councilman Randy Graham said that, in light of last year's high engineering fees, he wanted to get city employees involved in the project as much as possible to help defray costs. Spencer said that the city had offered to help out on previous projects but had not come through. "I was not aware we had dropped the ball," said Graham. At this point City Attorney Scott W. Johnson interrupted, saying that the council was getting off track. "Under the Protective Services Act you need to pick the engineer first and negotiate the contract second." The city also approved Fire Chief Jack Brookshire as enforcer for private sector sewer problems, drafting a letter of assurance to the TNRCC that the municipality would support sewer line repair and replacement, and agreed to Spencer & Associates training city water employees in interpreting data secured by a newly-purchased television camera. "We will help them interpret the data," said Spencer, "and later sit down and discuss how to proceed with repairs." In response to recent water line problems experienced by the Reeves County Detention Center, when water pressure was unusually low for a 24-hour period last week causing the center to import 500 gallons of bottled water for the staff and inmates, the council voted to advertise for contractual bids to replace a large portion of the water line leading to the facility. The line, which runs from Lincoln Street in Pecos to a storage tank near the detention center off Highway 17, equals approximately 7,800 linear feet of 6-inch pipe to be switched out for 12-inch line. Spencer said that when he was hired in 1984 to study and analyze the problem of transporting water to the then-proposed center he had suggested that a 350,000 gallon above-ground storage tank be located at or near the site. This was not done, he said, because of financial restraints. With the number of inmates continuing to rise, Spencer suggested installing 12-inch pipe to the tank, a 350,000 gallon above-ground storage tank and looping of the water line. The parties involved in the discussion agreed that the pipe and the tank were necessary to providing fire safety to the facility. County Judge Jimmy Galindo offered that the county could purchase the pipe if the city would install it. The prison could install a tank on county property at a later date, he said. Of the city's actions during the water dilemma at the center -recently criticized at a county commissioners meeting -Galindo said that "Mr. Garcia was very attentive to the problems at RCDC and relieved minor fluctuations out there." The council voted to advertise for bids to replace the 6-inch water pipe with 12-inch line. Lent, a period of special worshipBy ROSIE FLORES Staff Writer PECOS, February 27, 1998 - Ash Wednesday marked the beginning of Lent and area churches are planning to observe it with special services and events. St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 416 S. Plum, will have a special service at noon each Wednesday during Lent in the parish hall. Interim preacher for the church, Father Charles McIntyre, will present a series of talks called, the "Joy of Discipline." Following the service, a brown bag luncheon will be held. Everyone is welcome to bring their lunch and enjoy a quiet moment of observation. First United Methodist Church, 301 S. Elm, is starting a Bible study group. During Lent, a Bible study will be held at 6 p.m. each Sunday. For Catholics, Ash Wednesday marks the entry into the spirit of Lent. With a prayer ashes are placed in the form of a cross on the forehead of observers. Worshipers should repent and believe the gospel and remember that they are dust and into dust they will return, according to Sister Josefa Dwyer with Santa Rosa Catholic Church. Dwyer explained that the period of Lent celebrated in many Christian churches is an annual celebration of the most important mysteries of the Christian faith, the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ. Lent is celebrated in imitation of His loving sacrifice to save us from the slavery of sin and to make possible our eternal happiness in heaven. Many Christians spend 40 days of preparation in imitation of the 40 days Christ spend in the desert being tempted by Satan. This is a period of self-denial in the form of fasting, not eating meat and other sacrifices, according to Dwyer. It includes increased reading of the scriptures and prayer, charity works in the Catholic church, increased numbers who assist at daily mass and at the way of the cross, said Dwyer. Lent which means "spring" is celebrated during springtime because Christ was crucified in the sping. It also symbolizes a renewal of our spiritual life as Christ passes from death to life and as nature seems to come alive again after "the death of winter." In the Catholic church, Lent is also a more intense time of preparation for catechununs. Catechununs are adults preparing for baptism and baptized persons who are preparing to enter the Catholic faith, according to Dwyer. The final three days before Easter are of special solimity, especially Holy Thursday, with celebration of the Last Supper of Christ by solemn mass in which Catholics believe that bread and wine are consecrated to become the body and blood of Christ. Good Friday commemorates the solemn reverence the suffering and death of Christ. On the evening of Holy Saturday, in a beautiful celebration, the catechununs are baptised and baptised believers are received into full communion with the Catholic church. Easter Sunday celebrations are especially joyous in commemorating Christ's resurrection. For the times of special services during Lent call Santa Rosa Catholic Church, at 445-2309, located at 620 E. 4th Street; St. Catherine Catholic Church, Plum and Walthall at 447-9231 or Our Lady of Refuge in Barstow at 445-6889, located on Brant Street. OBITUARYMaria SarabiaMaria Elena Sarabia, 49, died Thursday, Feb. 26, 1998, at Reeves County Hospital. A rosary is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., Friday, at Martinez Funeral Home Chapel. Mass will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, Feb.28, at Santa Rosa Catholic Church with burial in Greenwood Cemetery. Sarabia was born April 21, 1947, in Ojinaga, Mexico. She was a longtime resident of Pecos and a Catholic. She was preceded in death by her father, Francisco Maynez. Survivors include: her husband, Catarino Sarabia; her mother Hermila Mongarro; one son, Cesar Fuentes of Pecos; three daughters, Mireya Munoz of Pecos, Elisabeth Perez of Sherman and Priscilla Olvidrez of Andrews; three brothers, Manuel Maynez of Pecos and Melchor and Mario Maynez of Odessa; one sister, Martha Fuentes of Pecos; and six grandchildren. Martinez Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. WEATHERPECOS, February 27, 1998 - High Thursday, 61, low this moring, 33. Light snow showers and flurries will continue across northern sections of the Texas Panhandle through Saturday. The rest of the state will have partly to mostly cloudy skies and some light rain possible in sections of North Texas and Southeast Texas. It will be partly to mostly cloudy over the rest of West Texas. It will be cooler across the entire area through Saturday. Most of the snow early today was in the Borger area, but forecasters said snow showers and flurries are expected over the Panhandle through Saturday. The snowfall is not expected to be significant. Lows tonight will be in the 20s in the Panhandle and in the 30s and 40s elsewhere in West Texas. Highs Saturday will be in the 40s in the Panhandle and in the 50s and 60s elsewhere in West Texas.
Pecos Enterprise
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