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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas

Top Stories

Thursday, July 23, 1998

Council moves to limit potential sex sites


By GREG HARMAN
Staff Writer
Although no sexually-orientated businesses yet exist in
Pecos, City Council members voted this morning to take
measures to regulate strip clubs and sex shops should they
appear in the future.

Town of Pecos City Council approved the first reading of a
lengthy city ordinance -- based on a similar ordinance
adopted by the city of Odessa -- that would set strict
limits on the location and licensing of sexually-orientated
businesses. Only City Councilman Gerald Tellez opposed the
passage of the ordinance.

As a tape recorded reading of the 37-page ordinance droned
in the background, Pecos Enterprise Publisher Mac McKinnon
urged the council to "respect freedom of speech and freedom
of expression," insisting that state laws already adequately
protect against indecent behavior.

"We have the freedom to rights of expression in this
country, that's one thing that is great about this country.
We have adequate laws to take care of our cities."

City Attorney Scott Johnson, said that the ordinance, as
drafted, "does not prohibit conduct -- it regulates it. The
state does not regulate many aspects in this ordinance."

According to the ordinance, sexually-orientated businesses
would be restricted form operating within 800 feet of a
church, school, public park, residential area, convention
center or coliseum, or shopping mall. It would also restrict
such businesses from operating within 1000 feet of one
another.

The ordinance would further require a license for operation
of a sexually-orientated business at a cost of $500
annually. The applicant, or the applicant's spouse, may not
have been convicted of an offense of a sexual nature,
involving prostitution, public lewdness, indecency with a
child, or possession of child pornography, among others.

Sandra Fierro, owner of Club Suavecito, protested that the
issue involved in the debate over the ordinance was not
indecency, but "the right to choose."

This morning's debate was prompted after a group of
religious leaders and their parishioners who were offended
by a recent performance in Pecos. It was Club Suavecito that
provided male strip dancers for over 90 area woman,
gathering a handful of protesters in its wake.

Councilman Randy Graham felt the ordinance was appropriate
for Pecos. "Twenty years ago we wouldn't have foreseen a
gang problem or a teenage pregnancy problem here . . . I
need to vote my conscience."

Councilman Ricky Herrera, responding to McKinnon's plea for
respect of individual rights, said, "I certainly don't want
to infringe on the rights of individuals, but I need to look
at the community as a whole . . . and think about the
betterment of the whole community."

McKinnon sought an opinion from Chief of Police Clay
McKinney, who, he said, would be stuck with enforcing the
new laws.

McKinney refused to take a position on the debate, saying
only that if the ordinance passed he would enforce it.

Later, as the council waited for the tape recorded ordinance
to wind down before taking a vote on it, Abundant Life
Pastor Matt Williamson -- who has figured prominently in
both the original protest of the male dancers and the
movement in requesting such an ordinance -- and Fierro
argued from their seats over the nature of law and
entertainment without meeting eyes.

When the tape recorded reading finished, the council
approved the ordinance with only minor changes in the
language for clarification purposes.

Williamson succeeded in getting the word "regularly" struck
from the ordinance. The law would now cover any site that
has an adult entertainment event, and may lead to Club
Suavecito being redefined as an "Adult Cabaret," thereby
barring performances there.

Councilman Danny Rodriguez made the motion to approve the
first reading of the ordinance, and Herrera seconded it.

The ordinance must pass a second reading before it is
adopted as law.

Truck stop special (delivery)

Trip ends with baby born in Penwell


By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
Most babies are born in hospitals these days, but one little
Pecos resident didn't wait to get to the medical facility,
making his appearance instead at a stop along the highway
between Monahans and Odessa.

Wesley Allen Curry, newborn son of Donna Curry, of Pecos,
had both a sudden and scary entry into the world earlier
this month, as his mother was traveling on Interstate 20
from Pecos to Odessa.

Curry's baby was due Aug. 18, but on July 10 while she, her
mother, Billie and her sister, Debbie, were on their way to
see Donna's doctor in Odessa, she began feeling very ill.

"She had been diagnosed with having kidney stones, which
they found right after they found out she was pregnant,"
said Debbie Curry. "She thought she was passing a kidney
stone and we had contacted the doctor in Odessa and he said
to take her in to check it out."

The trio stopped at the Texas Interstate Truck Stop in
Penwell, just 15 miles from their destination. Donna's
mother tried to get in touch with the doctor, while Debbie
called 911 and requested an ambulance.

"We didn't know Donna was in labor. She wasn't due for six
more weeks and she wasn't having any contractions or any
other labor-like symptoms," said Debbie.

When she returned to the car, much to her amazement, Donna
delivered a five pound, five ounce boy. "We were supposed to
be in Odessa at 1 p.m. and the baby was born at 1:25 p.m.,"
Debbie said.

She said that when she first learned her sister was sick,
she thought she might be passing a kidney stone. "I thought
she's passing a kidney stone, so I'll help her with that,"
said Curry.

"Imagine my surprise when the kidney stone turned out to be
a baby instead," she said. "I just yelled at my mom, I can
see it's head, I can see the whole baby and it's a boy."

But shortly after his birth, Wesley quit breathing.

"I remember my sister, Donna, told me make him cry and I
did, and he just whimpered a little and that's when he
started turning blue and looking lifeless," said Curry.

Curry said that right then and there is when she decided to
try what she had seen on television. She had never applied
CPR to anyone before but this first attempt proved
successful.

"I thought I can do this, I can do this," said Curry. "And I
just started giving him CPR.

"I actually lost him three times, but I just kept giving him
mouth to mouth," Debbie explained. "I lost his pulse and
heart beat - everything."

"I just like to watch 911 on the Family Channel and I guess
it paid off, because I really paid attention to that show,"
the new aunt said.

The whole event took about 20 minutes, with a variety of
onlookers at the truck stop and some trying to help out,
according to Curry.

"There was a lady there from Monahans, whose a nurse and her
car had broken down, she lent us a little syringe to clear
his passages," she said. "I knew I had to do that too and I
cleared them and kept on giving him mouth to mouth until his
breathing was more stable."

Curry described her first experience at being a mid-wife as
miraculous, awesome experience and something that cannot be
described.

"It's just something unbelievable," she said.

Little Wesley went to Odessa Medical Center following his
birth at the truck stop and weighed five pounds, five ounces
and was 18 inches long.

Curry doesn't have plans to open a mid-wife practice or
anything, but said, "If I ever had to do it again, I would."

She also said she has bonded with her sister and her new
nephew more after this experience and is really pleased with
the outcome.

The baby was six weeks early, but to add more to the
miraculous birth, after only one week in the hospital he was
able to come home.

"This baby's birth is a series of miracles lined in a row,
from people who helped at the truck stop who wouldn't have
been there except for car trouble to an aunt, (me) who
performed CPR without any formal training," said Curry.

"I believe this baby is destined for great things, nobody
makes an entrance like this for an ordinary life," she said.

T-NMP ordered to cut $60 million off rates


From Staff and Wire Reports
Rates for residents in the Pecos area, along with others
across the state served by Texas-New Mexico Power Co. will
be going down by $60 million over the next five years,
following a ruling by the Texas Public Utility Commission.

The PUC on Wednesday ordered the company to cut rates for
residential and commercial customers by the $60 million,
starting with a $3 million cut this year. The order,
including provisions recommended by the company, set up TNMP
for competition at the end of the five years of rate cuts.

Fort Worth-based T-NMP said it will open its markets to
competitors in 2002.

"This is a definte victory for TNMP's customers," said
Kevern Joyce, TNMP chairman. "It's gratifying to have all of
our hard work over the past three years both recognized and
supported by the PUC."

The company serves about 175,000 customers in Texas,
inclduing West Texas customers in northern Reeves County and
western Pecos County.

Cash stash uncovered by deputies


Reeves County Sheriff's Deputies Jesse Franco and Terry
Halpain had plenty of cash on hand at the Reeves County Jail
Wednesday afternoon, after making a traffic stop earlier in
the day on Interstate 20 that led to the discovery of
$31,000 in the trunk of the vehicle.

The officers were on patrol about 11:30 a.m. when they
stopped the Chevrolet four-door on I-20 near mile marker 33,
seven miles west of Pecos for the traffic violation. A check
of the vehicle uncovered $31,000 in denominations of $10,
$20, $50 and $100 bills hidden behind a panel in the trunk,
Franco said Wednesday.

The Chevrolet, which had Texas plates, was held by the
deputies and the driver of the car and his passenger were
taken into custody, Franco added.

No drugs or drug paraphernalia was found inside the
vehicle, he said, and the case was still under investigation
Monday afternoon. Neither of the two men were identified,
though Franco did say the driver was from Texas. He said
neither had been formally charged with any crime when they
were brought to the sheriff's department after discovery of
the money.

No further information was provided by the department this
morning on the identities of the two men or if any charges
were to be filed in connection with the cash discovery.

Residents show support for dump


By EDUARDO MONTES
Associated Press Writer
SIERRA BLANCA - Backers of a proposed radioactive waste dump
advertised Wednesday what they said were the facility's
potential benefits.

The half-page ad in the Austin American-Statesman was in the
form of an open letter from Sierra Blanca residents saying
the low-level site promised to bring jobs and economic
development to the tiny West Texas community.

It included the signatures of about 100 people, mostly town
residents.

``We wanted to try to counteract some of this negative press
that this thing has been getting from out of town opposition
- rabble rousers is what I call them,'' said Bill Love, a
businessman involved in placing the ad, paid for with
private donations and money from the Sierra Blanca Community
Development Corp.

Love also said the ad was placed in the Austin paper because
proponents wanted to get their message to state officials.

Local dump opponent Gloria Addington said the ad was
``completely wrong'' in saying the majority of residents
supported the site and she disputed the talk of it being an
economic boon.

``I think we'd have more economic development from a
McDonald's that would employ as many or more people without
threatening the environment,'' she said.

The dump, intended to house tons of low-level waste from
Texas utilities, hospitals and universities, has always been
a controversial project.

But it has faced intensified attacks in recent weeks since
two state hearings examiners recommended against licensing
the Hudspeth County site, which is about 120 miles southwest
of Pecos.

The Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, which is
not bound by the recommendation, will have the final say on
the license.

Congress is also considering a compact that would allow
Maine and Vermont to use the Texas dump, to be located 80
miles southeast of El Paso and seven miles southeast of
Sierra Blanca

Examiners, after hearing weeks of testimony on the dump,
said earlier this month that the Texas Low-Level Radioactive
Disposal Authority had failed to adequately assess the risks
of a fault underneath the site and to adequately review
possible negative socioeconomic impact.

``There is no threat of an earthquake,'' Hudspeth County
Judge James Peace said. ``There has not been one here in
more than 750,000 years. This is a good project based on
sound science with great economic benefit from our
community.''

Love, who is a former county judge, said the ``only negative
socioeconomic impact from this thing will be if it goes
away.

``We'll go back to being a dying one-horse rural
community,'' he said.

Sierra Blanca has already received millions of dollars from
the state as the potential dump host, money that has gone
into building a new library, a park and other community
projects.

Supporters such as Peace said that is proof of the dump's
potential, but opponents have likened the payments to
bribery.

Love said proponents will make other efforts to have their
side heard, but he said another ad was unlikely since it was
so expensive.

Nominations land on `Moon' and `Ally'


By LYNN ELBER
AP Television Writer
LOS ANGELES -- ``From the Earth to the Moon,'' HBO's
sweeping chronicle of America's space program, received a
leading 17 nominations today for the Primetime Emmy Awards.
Fox's surprise hit ``Ally McBeal'' got 10 bids, one less
than the top-nominated ``Frasier.''

The 12-part cable drama on space, which was produced by
actor Tom Hanks, had been the focus of a protest by
broadcast networks who felt it was too lengthy to be
considered as a miniseries.

Other top nominees included NBC's medical drama ``ER'' and
Fox's ``The X-Files,'' each with 16 bids, and the NBC
miniseries ``Merlin'' with 15 nods.

The nominations were announced in a ceremony by Anthony
Edwards, who received an actor bid for ``ER,'' Jane Leeves,
nominated in the supporting actress category for
``Frasier,'' and Meryl Marshall, president of the Academy of
Television Arts & Sciences.

The winners will be announced Sept. 13.

NBC was the most honored network with 86 total nominations,
followed by HBO with 72, ABC with 54 and CBS with 36. Fox
received 35 bids, while Turner Network Television got 18.

Phil Hartman, shot to death by his wife May 28 in a
murder-suicide, was remembered by the academy with a
nomination as best supporting actor for his work in NBC's
``NewsRadio.''

Jerry Seinfeld was left out of the nominations, even though
his NBC series, which bowed out this year, left the air.

Other snubs: ``Friends'' was left out of the comedy series
category although Lisa Kudrow received a supporting actress
bid, and ``Homicide: Life on the Street'' again was bypassed
for a drama nomination.

Even though ``Ellen'' was canceled by ABC, its star, Ellen
DeGeneres, who came out as a lesbian along with her
character, received a nod as best actress in a comedy
series.

``Ally McBeal,'' was a newcomer to the competitive comedy
series category, unusual for an hourlong show. It also was
nominated nine other times.

It faces veteran competition in the comedy category from
HBO's ``The Larry Sanders Show,'' and NBC's ``Frasier,''
``3rd Rock From the Sun'' and ``Seinfeld.''

Joining ``ER'' and ``The X-Files'' in the best drama
category were ABC's ``NYPD Blue'' and ``The Practice,'' and
last year's winner, NBC's ``Law & Order.''

Joining Edwards in the drama series acting bids were Andre
Braugher of NBC's ``Homicide: Life on the Street'' David
Duchovny of ``The X-Files,'' and Dennis Franz and Jimmy
Smits of ``NYPD Blue.''

Actresses named in that category were Gillian Anderson of
``The X-Files,'' Roma Downey of CBS' ``Touched by an
Angel,'' Christine Lahti of CBS' ``Chicago Hope,'' Julianna
Margulies of ``ER'' and Jane Seymour of ``Dr. Quinn,
Medicine Woman,'' which was canceled two months ago by CBS.

Nominations for actor in a comedy series were Michael J. Fox
of ABC's ``Spin City,'' Kelsey Grammer of ``Frasier,'' John
Lithgow of ``3rd Rock From the Sun,'' Paul Reiser of NBC's
``Mad About You'' and Garry Shandling of ``The Larry Sanders
Show.''

Actresses nominated in the category besides DeGeneres were
Calista Flockhart of ``Ally McBeal,'' Helen Hunt of ``Mad
About You,'' Kirstie Alley of NBC's ``Veronica's Closet,''
Jenna Elfman of ABC's ``Dharma & Greg,'' Patricia Richardson
of ABC's ``Home Improvement.'' There were six nominees
instead of the usual five because of a tie.

Competing with Hank's space miniseries and ``Merlin'' were
Showtime's ``Armistead Maupin's More Tales of the City,''
TNT's ``George Wallace'' and USA's ``Moby Dick.''

Patrick Stewart, vacationing in Maine, risked turning on the
television this morning to learn whether he'd been nominated
as lead miniseries actor for ``Moby Dick.'' He was.

``It was a gamble, you know, because it could have been a
very disappointing day, the last day of my vacation,''
Stewart said by telephone with KTLA-TV. ``We were thrilled
to be included in such a classy category.''

A network movie managed to squeeze into the outstanding
movie category, which had been an exclusive club for cable
offerings last year. Nominated was CBS' ``What the Deaf Man
Heard,'' along with HBO's ``Don King: Only in America,''
``Gia'' and ``A Bright Shining Lie,'' and Showtime's ``12
Angry Men.''

In their second year of eligibility for commercials, the
nominees included ads for American Express, Apple Computer,
AT&T, Hallmark and Pella Windows.

Networks have been increasingly testy about cable's
representation in the Emmys, especially as broadcast
viewership continues to lose ground to cable.

The cable industry even voted in April to scrap the
19-year-old Cable Ace Awards, an indication that cable
executives feel confident about their ability to compete
with the networks.

Although eligible for Emmys for only a decade, it was a
cable channel, HBO, that won the second-most trophies last
year. NBC got 24, but HBO was close behind with 19.

This year, the ceremony celebrating five decades of Emmy
history will be held at the Shrine Auditorium. The show's
producer, Don Mischer, said he decided to skip a host in
favor of showcasing more actors as presenters.

``We want it to feel like the entire television industry has
come together for this night,'' Mischer said earlier this
week.

The ceremony will look back at such past Emmy winners as
Fred Astaire, Laurence Olivier and Harry Belafonte.

The change from Emmy's longtime Pasadena Civic Auditorium
home to the Shrine will allow for a larger audience that,
for the first time, will include members of the public. The
TV academy has yet to detail how those tickets will be
distributed.

The ceremony has been extended to four hours in honor of the
anniversary milestone. The additional hour will be used in
part to show celebrity arrivals.

OBITUARY

Alvin Moore


Reverend Alvin Moore, 72, died Monday, July 20, 1998, at
Medical Center Hospital in Odessa.

Church services are scheduled for 2:30 p.m., Monday, July
27, at Mt. Gilead Baptist Church in Gilmer, Tx. with burial
in Piedmont Cemetery in Gilmer.

He was born May 4, 1926, in Gilmer, was a minister and a
member of the Pentecostal Church.

He was preceded in death by his parents Lonnie Moore and
Precious Ward Moore and one son, James Welton Moore.

Survivors include his wife, Doris Faye Moore of Pecos; two
sons, Alvin Moore Jr. and Rev. John Wayne Moore both of
Phoenix, Ariz.; two daughters, Brenda Gayle Moore of
Arlington, Lois Ann Moore of San Angelo and one brother,
Melvin Moore of Greenville, Tx.

Martinez Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

WEATHER


High Wednesday 99. Low this morning 69. Forecast for
tonight: a less than 20 percent chance of early evening
thunderstorms, otherwise partly cloudy. Low in the lower
70s. southeast wind 5-15 mph. Friday, partly cloudy. High
near 100. South wind 10-20 mph.



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Pecos Enterprise
Mac McKinnon, Publisher
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.

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

Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium.

Copyright 1998 by Pecos Enterprise