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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas

Top Stories

Monday, November 9, 1998

Woman has questions about charity mailing


By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
Mary Kate Zeman pulled an official-looking letter out of her
mailbox last week, then looked closer at the red lettering,
"Registered Document Enclosed."

"Please verify contents at once," warns a line over the
address window. "Any delay could slow sweeps winning
payment."

Beside the address window is another warning that apparently
is meant to be taken as an official warning from the Post
Office.

"Registered documents enclosed for addressee only...No other
individual should open or take possession of the contents
which are private and intended for the person named within.
$2,000.00 fine or 5 year imprisonment or both for any person
who tampers or obstructs delivery; U.S. Code Title 18, Sec.
1702.

Mrs. Zeman is a little too sophisticated to be taken in by
such "official" warnings. She didn't even open the envelope,
but brought it to the Enterprise to suggest a story on what
she suspects is a "con deal."

The return address on the envelope is:

The offices of Records of Sweepstakes/Disbursements Division
-- Official Records -- Registered confidential documents.

Enclosed is a legal-size page with much the same heading as
the envelope, with the added entry: Selected prize: $3,000,
Entry Number: #0502644.

The body of the letter describes a $3,000 prize that Zeman
may claim by filling out the enclosed form -- which offers
an opportunity to donate to the National Cancer Center --
and mailing it in the enclosed envelope to the National
Cancer Center, Attn: Mike Walsh, in Topeka, KS.

A close inspection of the instructions reveals that the
recipient has not won anything; but possibly has a chance of
winning.

"On or about October 10, 1998, your entry number was
assigned to you, and a pre-selected winner was chosen. Only
upon receipt of this document will we determine if you are
the holder of the pre-selected winning entry number," the
letter reads.

On the donation/entry form, just below a box designating a
gift of $7, $10, $15 or $25 to fight cancer, is another box:

"No, I will not send even a small gift to help fight cancer.
But please notify me if I am the winner of the $3,000
prize." 0502644.

Is this a scam? The Enterprise could not make any attempt to
contact the National Cancer Center, since no telephone
number was listed on the form. It does list numbers of
several state agencies that regulate charities - none in
Texas nor Kansas.

Texas Attorney General Dan Morales has warned consumers to
be wary of any solicitation and to donate only to charities
they know are legitimate.

Girl's winning essay earns meeting with Ryan


By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
A Pecos girls fulfilled a dream of meeting a famous Texan
this past summer, thanks to her writing skills in a
statewide competition.

Elidia Gonzales, of Pecos, was recognized recently as one of
three statewide first place winners of the Nolan
Ryan/Natural Resources Foundation of Texas Statewide
Contest. The first prize was an evening at The Ballpark in
Arlington to see a Texas Rangers baseball game and have
dinner with Mr. and Mrs. Nolan Ryan.

Gonzales is the daughter of Edward and Rita Gonzales. She
was a student at Crockett Middle School last year when she
entered the essay writing contest, which was open to
students across Texas.

Included in the trip were numerous gifts from the Rangers
baseball club and Elidia Gonzales' name in lights on the
ball park scoreboard. Her family was included in the evening
events.

"We had the opportunity to have supper with them in their
suite," said Edward Gonzales, Elidia's father.

"He has always been my favorite player and a I never thought
I would have the chance to meet him, so this came as a big
surprise," he said.

Gonzales stated that he was very proud of his daughter for
winning first place in the competition. "We were just so
happy to be there, it was something really special," he said.

Mike Bradford, Executive Director of the Natural Resources
Foundation of Texas, stated, "Ms. Elidia Gonzales conveyed
very effectively her understanding of the natural resource
question for this contest.

"It is a compliment to her family, teachers and her
community to have her as an essay winner," he said.

"There were two other winners there, one from Greenwood and
one from the Metropolitan (Dallas) area," said Gonzales.

The winners were selected by a statewide panel of natural
resource scientist. The Natural Resources Foundation of
Texas is a non-profit, educational foundation which produces
scientific natural resource programs for schools, colleges,
universities and Congress.

Also, the Foundation offers Natural Resource Academics for
teachers (continuing education credits) throughout the state
on a scholarship basis.

For more information concerning the Natural Resources
Foundation of Texas, write or call Bradford at P.O. Box
51722, Midland, Texas 79710, or call 915-570-9410.

WEATHER


High Friday 63, Saturday 77, Sunday 80. Lows 45, 43, 43.
Wind advisory today. Tonight, partly cloudy. Low around 40.
Northwest wind 15-25 mph . Diminishing toward morning.
Caution on area lakes. Tuesday, sunny and cooler. High
around 60. Northwest wind 10-20 mph.



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Pecos Enterprise
Ned Cantwell, 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

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Copyright 1998 by Pecos Enterprise