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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas

Top Stories

Monday, January 25, 1999

Chamber speakers urge local involvement

By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
Community involvement was the theme of the main speakers Friday night at the annual Pecos Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet, held at the Reeves County Civic Center.

Increased involvement, both in the Chamber and in other efforts to benefit Pecos, was urged by both incoming Chamber President Linda Gholson and outgoing president Richard Crider along with the night's guest speaker, El Paso City Councilwoman Elvia Hernandez.

"We need participation from people to help us out," said Crider — referring in this case about the upcoming Golden Gloves Tournament — while reviewing the activities of the Chamber during 1998. "We need to keep it here in our town. It gives young boys the chance to do what they want to do, and participants come in from all over the Panhandle, which is good for our city."

Both Crider and Gholson stressed community input.

"We need your ideas, what you people think this town needs," Crider said, and Gholson later added "I want to stress it takes everyone in this community to make a stronger community. I urge all of you to share your ideas."

Crider cited last year's idea by Chris Metler for local businesses to purchase their own West of the Pecos Rodeo banners. "Chris also pointed out the need for flags to hang from light poles," along Cedar Street, an effort in which several businesses, including Anchor West, Gibson's and Texas-New Mexico Power Co., got involved.

Gholson said she has been given ideas about making local housing more affordable by fixing up currently vacant homes for first-time homeowners, and "Pecos Bucks" — certificates good for spending in Pecos and given to people who buy goods locally.

Hernandez cited her own work, after being elected as District 8 representative on the El Paso City Council, in getting the city's downtown Christmas Tree Lighting Parade changed from a Tuesday to Saturday to increase community involvement. "We had 20,000 people downtown for that parade," Hernandez said.

She also cited El Paso's overall efforts to gain the recent "empowerment zone" designation from the Clinton administration, which will give the city access to $100 million over the next 10 years and low interest loans to attract businesses to the area.

"Because we pushed and pushed and pushed to get things done we got that designation. You need to be in your legislators' faces, whether it's for health, housing, transportation," Hernandez said. "I encourage you all to get involved with your mayor, with the city council and with your commissioners to get things done."

"Any time you want to revitalize an area you've got to put your money where your mouth is," she said. Citing such activities as the downtown Convention Center project in El Paso, and the Mex-Tex Menudo Cookoff in Midland, organized when she was with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce there. "I think that first year we lost $9,000. It's in its 11th year right now, and it ended up making about $67,000.

Along with asking for increased participation, Crider said the Chamber had a good year financially, cutting losses on the Fall Fair by contracting out the concert to Louis Matta and Ray Ortega. "The chamber kept the concession on soda sales and we made some money there," Crider said.

Banquet MC Dick Alligood told the audience that Chamber Executive Director Tom Rivera and his wife Anita could not attend the meeting because their young son had been taken to Medical Center Hospital in Odessa suffering from an as-of-then unidentified illness. Rivera's son has since been released from the hospital and returned to Pecos.

Windham named Citizen of Year at banquet

By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
Gibson's True Value owner Larry Windham was named Citizen of the Year for 1998 on Friday night, at the annual Pecos Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet at the Reeves County Civic Center.

Pecos City Councilman and past Chamber president Gerald Tellez Jr. presented Windham with the award, saying, "This individual epitomizes what a citizen's commitment to community should be.

"Many people and groups in our community have benefited from this very charitable and giving individual. Whether it be through the donation of his time, money or materials, he is often called upon to help, and you can just guarantee 99 percent of the times he is asked, he will say yes," Tellez told the audience. "I would venture to say that if you ask just about anyone in Pecos, he has helped them is some way or another, whether is was through the schools, church, youth program and many others, he has been there for support."

Citizen of the Year was the final award of the night given out, before a crowd of about 250 at the Civic Center. Other awards included presentation of Student of the Year, to Pecos High School senior Alva Alvarez, and Teacher of the Year, which went to Zavala Middle School's Ronny Daniel.

The Ruiz Profile of Courage Award was given to Rachel Apolinar Dominguez, Obie Maddux won the Hidden Hero Award for 1998, Department of Public Safety Cpl. Emmitt Moore received the award as Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, Dale Toone received the Agricultural Service Award, Suan Cross was presented the Women's Division Award of Service, and Fred Dominguez was named Outstanding Director of the Chamber of Commerce for the past year.

Pecos High School principal Danny Rodriguez presented the Student of the Year Award to Alvarez, who has been accepted into Harvard following her graduation from PHS this Spring. He also had Alvarez read the essay she submitted to Harvard, on riding with her father on his job as a trucker and what his sacrifices meant to her future, to the Civic Center audience.

School superintendent Don Love gave Daniel his award, saying "I was privileged  to have had him as a teacher when I was principal at Zavala, and I know first hand the outstanding job he has done. He is very deserving of this honor."

Matt Ivy, Elizabeth Parent and Efrain Rodriguez were the other students nominated as Student of the Year, while the other teachers recognized during the banquet as nominees were Elaine McKee of Pecos Elementary, Pamela K. Miller of Lamar Middle School, Delia Olibas of Bessie Haynes Elementary, Francisco F. Ornelas Jr. of Crockett Middle School, Yolanda Matta Ramirez of Austin Elementary, Sue Parent of Pecos Kindergarten and Karen Waters of Pecos High School.

The Ruiz Award was presented by Frank Apolinar Jr. to his sister.

"Growing up, she, like the rest of us, experienced tragedy, but never let it weigh her down, for she had great faith and courage to continue in life," Apolinar said. "She has truly been an inspiration to her children, who love her dearly. Through her words and actions she teaches individuals with an unending desire to fulfill the greatest of aspirations.

"On top of raising six children she has continued her father's legacy (at the Santa Rosa Catholic Church Food Bank) to see that no one goes without food," he added, saying Dominguez, "has constantly and in the absence of hesitation responded to God's calling, to educate individuals, vocally proclaim God's word, seek the needs of the less fortunate as well as ensure the welfare of all."

Pecos Mayor Dot Stafford presented Maddux with the Hidden Hero Award, recounting his actions with the Pecos Volunteer Fire Department after fire Chief Doug Cox was hospitalized with an illness in 1997.

"He assumed the duties of fire chief while declining the pay for that position so that Doug could continue to draw that pay," Stafford said. "He held the position of acting fire chief until Doug was released to assume his duties in September, 1997.

Stafford said Maddux, 73, "turned down thousands of dollars to help a friend in need at the same time he helped the fire department and the entire community in a time of need."

Moore received his honor as Law Enforcement Officer of the Year from County Court-at-Law Judge Lee Green, who called Moore "a positive role model and an example of what a law enforcement officer should be," citing his involvement with the Police Explorers and his presentations at the schools "in teaching advanced math and how that can be used in the reconstruction of accident scenes."

"He has integrity, he is professional, honest and compassionate and he never forgets the human element when he deals with people," Green said.

Other law enforcement nominees included officer Armando Garcia of the Pecos Police Department, Reeves County Sheriff's Deputy Hilda Woods, Officer Danny Perea of the Reeves County Law Enforcement Center and Deputy U.S. Marshal Billy K. Johnson.

Dale Toone was the only recipient unable to attend Friday's banquet, due to illness, Agriculture Service Award Presenter Ray Owen told the audience. Owen went over Toone's 47 years of involvement with agriculture in Reeves County, and his successful involvement in cotton farming in the 50s and a less-successful endeavor into hog farming in the 60s.

"During the 70s he worked with cotton and a few trial things along the way," Owen said, "Onions, alfalfa, sugar beets, small grain, and so forth. He tried alfalfa in a big way during the mid- and late-70s. He sold his alfalfa to a local feed lot and others bought in for their stock. He then sold his land to a new farmer in the area and left the alfalfa business, as well as part of his index finger, on that farm."

Owen also noted Toone's work after suffering a heart attack in 1981, working with cantaloupes and bell peppers and receiving his real estate license.

Crash kills Enterprise circulation manager

By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
David Brian Madril, 35, the circulation manager for the Pecos Enterprise, died early today when his car hit a concrete pillar at the I-20 overpass on Texas Highway 17.

Pecos Police Sgt. Tony Dawdy was one of four officers pursuing the Madril vehicle north on Texas 17 at a high rate of speed when it moved to the center of the roadway and struck the pillar, said Police Chief Clay McKinney.

Police investigator Kelly Davis said the impact pushed the engine into the passenger compartment, "so he had to be going real fast."

Ambulance attendants cut open the car and removed Madril from the vehicle, but were unable to revive him. Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Amonario Ramon pronounced Madril dead at 1:27 a.m. today.

Ramon ordered an autopsy and will await the results before ruling on the cause of death. He said the body was taken to Lubbock, and he expects a report from the pathologist later this week.

McKinney said that police officers were pursuing Madril after receiving a call from his ex-wife, Annabelle, at 12:30 a.m. today that she was worried about him.

While on their way to Madril's home at 1614 Johnson St. officers spotted his vehicle on Eddy Street and tried to stop him, McKinney said.

Madril failed to stop, and from Eddy he turned onto Stafford, then south onto Texas Highway 17, McKinney said. Four officers continued to pursue the vehicle until it reached Lindsay Road, where Madril made a U-turn and began traveling back north into town, he said.

As they were approaching the overpass at I-20, the officers saw Madril's vehicle move to the center of the roadway and impact the barricade on the overpass, then strike the cement pillars, McKinney said.

The barricade, called a guard rail energy-absorbing terminal, was demolished, and Texas Department of Transportation has placed bright orange barrels in front of the pillars.

Enterprise Publisher Smokey Briggs said Madril had been circulation manager about four months.

"This is a great loss to the Enterprise," Briggs said. "David was a trusted and loyal employee and a respected colleague. Our hearts go out to David's family, and we will miss him greatly."

Besides his Enterprise job, Madril worked nights at Reeves County Hospital as a security guard for the past year. He had worked in ground maintenance from March, 1992 to June, 1995.

While managing the Pecos Recycling Center, Madril received the "Hidden Hero" award given by the Pecos Chamber of Commerce at its 1997 annual banquet. Prior to that, he had been an unsuccessful candidate for county commissioner, Precinct 4.

Madril was also involved in a number of projects for the Pecos Chamber of Commerce. He helped with the preparation of Friday's Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet, and received a certificate for his work during the banquet, along with several other outgoing directors.

Madril had recently sought to create a `time capsule' project to coincide with the building of the new United States Post Office in Pecos.

"We are going to miss him," said Nadine Smith, Reeves County Hospital administrative assistant.

Obituaries

Maynard Bates

Maynard Bates, 73, of Pecos, died on Saturday, Jan. 23, 1999, at a Big Spring hospital.

Graveside services will be on Wednesday, Jan. 27, at Talpa Cemetery, Coleman, Texas.

He was born on May 10, 1925 in Hamlin, Tx., grew up in Nolan County and had lived in Pecos since 1953. He worked as an oilfield pumper for Paul Williams Contract Pumping until he retired.

Bates was a Baptist and a veteran of World War II having served in the United States Army.

Survivors include his wife, Wanda Bates of Pecos; one daughter, Lorrie Walker of Pecos; two sons, Nolan Bates of Brenham and Tim Bates of Afton, Tenn.; six grandchildren and one great-grandchild; one brother, Erma Bates of Lampasas and one sister, Violet Bates of Lampasas.

Nalley-Pickle and Welch Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

David Madril

Services are incomplete for David B. Madril, 35, who died Monday, Jan. 25, 1999.
 

Weather

High Sunday 86; low last night 31. Tonight, partly cloudy. Low in the lower 40s. South to southeast wind 10-20 mph and gusty. Tuesday, partly cloudy. High around 70. Southwest wind 15-25 mph and gusty, shifting to northwest late.



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Pecos Enterprise
York M. "Smokey" Briggs, 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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