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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Friday, April 23, 1999
School has three apply for vacant coaching job
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
PECOS, April 23, 1999 -- Three candidates — all with current or former
local connections — have applied for the vacant head football coach position
at Pecos High School, with today being the final day for applications.
The position became open on April 8, when first-year coach Dan Swaim
resigned to take an assistant coach's position with the Midland High Bulldogs.
Gome Olibas, personnel director for the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD, said
as of this morning, he had received applications from one of Swaim's assistant
coaches, Gary Grubbs, along with Zavala Middle School coach Jerry Parent
and Fred Carter, a Pecos native currently working in the Ector County ISD.
"Those are the only ones who have applied so far, unless we get some
in in the last minute," Olibas said. "After today, we'll start interviewing
next week."
Olibas said he hoped the school board would be able to make a final
decision on the job during their regular monthly meeting on May 13.
Grubbs coached with Swaim at Bracketville, before coming to Pecos last
year to serve as the Eagles' offensive coordinator. Parent has been head
football coach for the seventh grade at Crockett Middle School for over
a decade, while Carter served the same position in the early 1980s and
is currently working as a coach at Hood Junior High in Odessa, Olibas said.
Swaim served two years as an assistant coach under Mike Belew before
being named head coach of the Eagles in January, 1998. In his one season,
he led the Eagles to a 6-5 record, that included Pecos' first winning season
since 1986 and their first playoff berth since 1975. The Eagles shared
the District 2-4A championship with Canutillo, and were beaten by El Paso
Burges in the bi-district round of the playoffs.
Kids get bear facts at Arbor Day event
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, April 23, 1999 -- Smokey Bear was the star attraction at the
Pecos Arbor Day Ceremony held Friday morning at Austin Elementary School.
The Pecos Tree Board and Austin Elementary School sponsored the special
celebration in honor of Arbor Day today. A proclamation by Town of Pecos
City Dot Stafford was read during the ceremony.
Allyson Salcido, Cruz Nieto and Eric Levario read their versions of
short stories written by the students and titled, "A Tree is Nice."
Trees, a poem, was read by Katherine Tipton, while Oscar Mestas of the
Texas Forest Service talked to the group about the importance of Arbor
Day and the care of trees.
The winners of the poster contest were presented. One student from each
classroom at Austin Elementary School who had the best drawing about Arbor
Day, received a special gift pack, filled with coloring books, pencils
and other assorted items.
A fire prevention message was given to the first and second graders
by Smokey Bear. The group then moved outside to the school grounds for
the planting and dedication of a tree by Pecos Tree Board members.
A presentation of Tree City USA Fifth Year Award was made by Oscar Mestas
to Mayor Stafford. Pecos has been named a Tree City USA by The National
Arbor Day Foundation for the fifth time, according to Mestas.
The Tree City USA program is sponsored by The National Arbor Day Foundation
in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the
USDA Forest Service.
To become a Tree City USA, a community must meet four standards: a tree
board or department, a tree care ordinance, a comprehensive community forestry
program, and an Arbor Day observance.
"Trees make a world of difference in our communities," said John Rosenow,
The National Arbor Day Foundation's president. "Trees have long been recognized
for the beauty and the value they lend to homes, neighborhoods, parks and
business areas. At the same time, those trees conserve energy, help clean
the air, protect rivers and streams, and provide a home for wildlife in
our towns and cities," he said.
"An effective community forestry program is an ongoing process of renewal
and improvement Ï a program of tree planting and care that continues
through the years," Rosenow said. "The Tree City USA award is an excellent
indication that there is a solid foundation for that process of improvement,"
he said.
Girl Scouts welcome guests to opening of repaired hut
By SMOKEY BRIGGS
Staff Writer
PECOS, April 23, 1999 -- Girl Scouts, Brownies and Daisies welcomed
Pecos into their newly renovated Girl Scout Hut at 715 S. Park St. on Thursday,
during their open house.
According to Rosemary Varela, troop leader for Daisy Troop 188, the
hut was closed in October for much needed repairs.
"The building was in terrible shape," Varela said, "the ceiling was
damaged and there were holes in the walls."
Visitors at the open house were greeted with new sheet rock and trim,
fresh paint and new ceiling fans, not to mention girl scouts of all ages
armed with cookies, cake and punch.
"We had an excellent turn out today," Kathy Lujan said "The mayor was
here, several members of the city council and lots of girl scout parents
and friends."
Lujan is troop leaders with Girl Scout Troop 191.
Delma Peterson, community services director for the Permian Basin Girl
Scout Council, was also on hand to mark the opening.
"This is a great day for Girl Scouting in Pecos," she said. "The troop
leaders have worked very hard to get this facility reconditioned for the
girls and they should be very proud."
Peterson said that she didn't have a complete list but did want to thank
as many organizations and people as possible including: Anchor West for
its donation, the town of Pecos for donating both money and the time of
city workers Conrad Saldana and Macario Martinez who did most of the remodeling
work, Isabel Blanchard, a girl scout mom who did a lot of the leg work
for the project, and the many individual parents and friends who contributed
their time and effort.
"This was truly a community effort and shows that Pecos really cares
about its children," Peterson said.
Alligood says Y2K's final effects unknown
By SMOKEY BRIGGS
Staff Writer
PECOS, April 23, 1999 -- Pecos Rotary Club members were given an update
on the Year 2000 computer problem (Y2K) by Dick Alligood at their weekly
meeting on Thursday.
Alligood is the owner of Oilfield Phone Service, Alcomm Long Distance,
and part owner in the internet service provider Bitstreet.
"For the last couple of years there has been this growing roar about
Y2K," he said. "What we are finding out today is that (the closer January
1st gets) fewer and fewer people are willing to talk about Y2K ."
Alligood pointed to growing fears of Y2K related litigation as one of
the primary reasons for this trend.
"Experts are realizing that they cannot guarantee Y2K compliance — that
they cannot guarantee that your business will not be disrupted on January
1st," he said.
Alligood said that up until a few years ago, most programmers thought
that the Y2K problem was minor, but that as the industry began to address
the potential problems more problems appeared.
He said that one of the biggest potential trouble spots was embedded
systems — computer chips buried in almost every aspect of modern life —
from home appliances to power plants that generate electricity.
"These chips have been very cheap over the last couple of decades and
so have become very pervasive," he said.
"Serious people are worried about a collapse of the world economy while
many experts are saying the new year will bring about only minor disruptions,
if any," he said.
"The point is," he said, "is that nobody really knows how we will be
affected."
Alligood pointed out that most politicians are sidestepping the issue
with non-answers when questioned.
Alligood's biggest concerns are potential problems with the national
infrastructure.
"No one entity is in charge of the entire power grid," he said, "and
if one portion of that grid goes down, we may feel the effects nationwide."
Alligood also pointed out that many experts are predicting that any
problems that do surface with the new year will be fixed by April of 2000.
The intervening three or four months might be troublesome, he said.
The Rotary Club meets every Thursday at twelve noon at the Pecos Valley
Country Club.
Request by parents needed to enter enhanced program
PECOS, April 23, 1999 -- Parents wanting their child to be considered for
the Enhanced Curriculum Program must submit a written request to the principal
of their child's present campus.
Requests will be accepted up the last school day in April. No requests
will be accepted after April.
Lotto
AUSTIN (AP) — Results of the Cash 5 drawing Thursday night: Winning numbers
drawn: 1-8-14-28-32. Number matching five of five: 1. Prize per winner:
$87,602. Winning ticket sold in: Nolanville. Matching four of five: 229.
Prize: $574.
***
AUSTIN (AP) — The winning Pick 3 numbers drawn Thursday by the Texas
Lottery, in order: 2-3-7 (two, three, seven)
Weather
High Thursday 99; low last night 54. Tonight, increasing clouds. Low around
60. East wind 5-15 mph. Saturday, mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance
of showers or thunderstorms. High in the lower 80s. Southeast wind 10-20
mph.
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
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 1999 by Pecos Enterprise
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