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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas

Top Stories

Friday, June 26, 1998

Local officials seek more info


By GREG HARMAN
Staff Writer
Though the deadline for joining the newly-formed West Texas
Narcotics Enforcement Task Force has been pushed back from
next Tuesday to mid-July, local agencies are still uncertain
about what membership in the force will offer and what kind
of price tag will accompany it.

Pecos Police Chief Clay McKinney said the first formal
invitation he received from Texas Gov. George W. Bush's
office asked for a "in or out" response by June 30,
committing the agency to involvement or exclusion. That
deadline has been changed to an unspecified date next month,
but funding and service questions remain.

Those questions are to be addressed at a July meeting for
all interested agencies.

"I guess I'll at least attend and see what they have to
offer and try to make a sound judgment after that," said
McKinney. "We are already getting calls from outside
agencies wanting to use our agents for undercover work out
of town."

The lack of available undercover officers, after the Permian
Basin Drug Task Force was de-funded by the state in May for
alleged mismanagement of funds, has made it difficult for
the smaller communities to operate effective undercover
operations. So, at least until a replacement agency is up
and running, communities may revert to borrowing outside
officers to do the infiltration work. "

We may have to go back to the way we used to do it for a
while," said McKinney.

The new West Texas Narcotics Enforcement Task Force will
initially be headed by the Texas Department of Public
Safety.

Motel workers rattled by lobby's new guests


By GREG HARMAN
Staff Writer
Several venomous snakes, slithering around donated dollar
bills, will be calling the front lobby of Quality Inn home
for the next week, and some employees there are not too
pleased.

The four rattlesnakes and two bull snakes were released into
a large display case in the lobby of Quality Inn this
morning by Sam Lindsay and Larry Longoria as a way of
welcoming rodeo participants to Pecos.

Gorged on sparrows and mice prior to their release into the
safety-glassed tank, the snakes are welcoming donations for
a cowboy charity known as the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund.
Bills and coins may be deposited through a hole in the top
of the cage, and several dollars already litter the sandy
floor.

The tall, wood and glass cage has been kept in Lindsay's
warehouse for the last several years, but his and Longoria's
hobby goes back even further.

"We've been catching snakes ever since we were little kids,
we sell them sometimes. My kids really like to watch them
eat," said Lindsay.

But not everyone is as exited about the new display case as
Lindsay and Longoria are.

Front Desk Supervisor Misty Thomas was visibly uncomfortable
with the new hotel guests. "I'll just have to block it out I
guess," she said.

One female hotel guest said it was okay -- as long as they
were locked up. Uneducated in rattler lore, the woman paused
to ask, "Do they bite?"

Hotel maintenance worker Randy Salcido promised to stay far
away from the cage.

Lindsay said that he did contact the area game warden, who
said it would be fine to house the reptiles at the hotel,
and pledged that the cage was secure.

Both Lindsay and Longoria expressed disappointment with the
summer snake populations. "If it were a good wet season then
we could have caught quite a few snakes," said Longoria.
Lindsay added that during a rain, as many as 12 or 13 snakes
could be found easily just driving area roads.

With the extremely dry, hot weather, only two snakes were
found in as many days. The rest were provided from the
pair's private stock.

Money raised by the snakes for the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund
will be used to help defray the medical costs for rodeo
cowboys, whether they are injured riding or simply driving
to the rodeo. Cowboys like bullrider Jerome Davis, who was
paralyzed on this year's Professional Bull Riders tour in
March, are aided by the fund.

Pageants set to open pre-rodeo events


By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
Music, entertainment and beautiful young ladies will be a
part of this evening's events at the Pecos High School
Auditorium.

The 1998 Golden Girl Revue and Little Miss Cantaloupe
Pageant are set to begin at 8 p.m. They will feature eight
young ladies vying for the title of Golden Girl and 11
little girls participating in Little Miss Cantaloupe.

Both will be crowned at the end of the evening after a fun
and interesting program.

Special props will help the Golden Girl nominees during the
talent portion of the event and music will be a part of the
program.

"We're having some different and unique ideas this year that
we want everyone to come out and see," said Suan Cross.

Golden Girl nominees include Alva Alvarez, who is sponsored
by West of the Pecos Museum and Bill and Marina Weinacht;
Amy Armstrong, sponsored by Pecos Valley Field Service; Erin
Dominguez, sponsored by Anchor West; Myra Fuentes, sponsored
by Pizza Hut; Linsey Hathorn, sponsored by Reeves County
Sheriff's Posse, John Griffis Diesel Service and Colt
Chevrolet-Buick; Shaye Lara, sponsored by Pecos Emporium,
Pecos Lion's Club and Beall's; Jennifer Martinez, sponsored
by Martinez Funeral Home, Winkles Trucks, Inc. and Farm
Bureau Insurance and April Ryan, sponsored by Engine Service.

The girls will present a production number with music by
Ricochet and the song, "Daddy's Money."

Special entertainment will be provided by Mark Alvarez, with
Johnny Terrazas the Master of Ceremonies.

Little Miss Cantaloupe and sponsors are: AriAnna Skye
Alligood, A-1 Motors; Lyndsay Michelle Chowning, Classic
Cable; Sarah Elizabeth Cross, Cross TaeKwon Do; Alexa Nicole
Estrella, Javier and Maribel Estrella; Kiara Rae Gutierrez,
Nova Gutierrez; April Herrera, Sheriff Andy Gomez; Amber
Dawn Hull, First National Bank of Pecos; Andrielle Martinez,
Desiree Boutique; Allison Lea Mendoza, West Texas
Financial/Desert Rental; Amanda Nicole Renteria, Renteria
Farms and Anastazia Leann Winkles, Nadine Smith.

Gore knocks GOP, touts school repair plan


EL PASO (AP) -- Texas would get nearly $1.9 billion in
interest-free bonds to build, repair and remodel schools if
Republicans would approve a presidential plan, Vice
President Al Gore says.

During an education forum Thursday night at the University
of Texas at El Paso, Gore called on Congress to pass
Clinton's school construction program.

``There is nothing more important for America's future
prosperity and strength than giving our children a
world-class education,'' Gore said. ``To do that, we must
provide safer, smaller, smarter, cutting-edge classrooms and
schools -- places where teachers can teach and students can
learn.''

The vice president also criticized Republicans who he said
had blocked the initiative.

While making an earlier address in El Paso, about 15 young
people lifted protest signs and began chanting about the
conflict in Mexico's state of Chiapas.

``Help stop the war, please Mr. Gore!'' they yelled, loud
enough keep people from hearing Gore.

Francisco Dominguez, 19, who spoke to Gore briefly
afterward, said the vice president expressed the
administration's concern about the plight of the Native
Americans battling the Mexican government.

``But he didn't say much,'' said Dominguez.

Gore visited the border as part of a two-day tour of Texas.
Today he visits San Antonio to address the state Democratic
convention.

During a stop in the Houston suburb of Friendswood, Gore
said Thursday that Houston Mayor Lee Brown's anti-gang
office will receive $212,984 to pay for a youth focus
community policing program.

The grant is part of $14 million in juvenile justice money
available to Texas, Gore said.

The vice president also discussed steps taken and those
still needed to keep young people from turning to crime.

``At this point we need to take some further steps,'' Gore
said. ``It's still way too high and we need to do much
more.''

He said after-school activities, anti-gang intervention
programs and an increase in the number of police on the
street all have helped keep potential offenders from
committing violence. But more action is needed, the vice
president said, suggesting that ideas could come from
children and community leaders.

Residents asked to form `Spaceport City'


LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) -- New Mexico could soon get a city
named after a spaceport that doesn't exist and maybe never
will.

Absentee ballots are being mailed and voter registrations
are being verified for an election to allow some Dona Ana
County residents to decide if they want to incorporate a
190-acre tract as Spaceport City.

The vote is being handled by mail, and ballots must be
received by July 21, when ballots will be tallied.

Spaceport City proponents hope to tap into the extensive
development expected if New Mexico decides to build a
commercial spaceport proposed for a 386-square-mile area
straddling northern Dona Ana and southern Sierra counties.

New Mexico is one of several states considering hosting a
spaceport if aerospace companies build a reusable space
vehicle to replace the nation's space shuttles. One site
under consideration is located in northwestern Pecos County,
between Fort Stockton and Pecos off U.S. 285.

The last day to register to vote in the incorporation
election was Tuesday, and the bureau has until Friday to
collect registrations that were filed or mailed before the
deadline.

Once all the registrations are verified, said election
coordinator James Morales. The mailing could begin by July
1, he said.

The vote culminates months of wrangling between Spaceport
City proponents and Doa Ana County Commissioners.

Commissioners have approved, then disapproved, then
re-approved the incorporation election. Spaceport City
proponents sued the county at one point and Chief U.S.
District Judge John Conway of Albuquerque ruled the county
must allow the incorporation election.

WEATHER


Highs Thursday 110.. The low this morning 75. Forecast for
tonight: Clear. Low 70 75. South wind 10-15 mph. Saturday,
sunny and continued hot. High around 108. South to Southwest
wind 10-20 mph.



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Pecos Enterprise
Mac McKinnon, Publisher
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324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
e-mail news@pecos.net

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Copyright 1998 by Pecos Enterprise