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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Tuesday, September 7, 1999
Balmorhea festival winners named
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
BALMORHEA, Sept. 7, 1999 -- Pecosites took home grand champion honors
for the Brisket Cookoff held in Balmorhea on Saturday, while owners of
a Balmorhea restaurant snagged the Frijole Bean Cookoff grand prize.
There were six entries in the 2nd Annual Brisket Cookoff, with the Baeza
Brothers of Pecos bringing home top honors, as part of the Oasis of West
Texas Labor Day Celebration in Balmorhea. Winners received trophies and
the champion received a complimentary entry (sponsored by the Pecos Chamber
of Commerce), in the World Championship BBQ Cookoff scheduled for Pecos
on Oct 1-2.
The Franchise of Balmorhea placed second in that event and the Ortiz
Family of Fort Stockton netted third place.
The Chicanita Café and owners Anita and Ismael Dutchover won
the grand champion prize in the 23rd Annual Frijole Bean Cookoff.
Cooks prepared their favorite food using various fuels, and the event
featured seven entries. Brisket cookoff runner-ups The Franchise also placed
second in this Happy Days of Fort Stockton took home third place in the
bean cookoff.
In the ever-popular washer pitching contest, winners in the men's division
were Juan Baeza, of and Willie Dutchover of Balmorhea. In the women's division,
Diana Roman and Christy Matta won first.
There were a dozen entries in the men's division, with second place
going to Aaron Zuniga and Ramiro Ramos of Saragosa. Third place winners
in the men's division were Alvaro Venegas and Gilbert Rodriguez of Pecos.
The women's division attracted six entries, with second place going
to Dede Renz and Jackie Wardlow of Balmorhea. Third place winners were
Valerie Torres and Ester Shockey of Odessa.
The first annual Yo-Yo Contest proved to be a huge success and Carissa
Sparks, placed first in the 13 and over category. In the 12 and under,
Savannah Matta placed first and Daniel Bejarano won first place in the
eight and under division.
Twenty-two competitors entered the Yo-Yo competition, which was a lot
of fun and something new and creative, according to Pat Brijalba, one of
the organizers of the event, held just before noon on Saturday.
Taking second place in the 12 and under division was Orlando Sanchez
and A.J. Lozano placed third in that category. In the eight and under division,
Adam Roman placed third.
Museum to honor Cortes family Saturday
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Sept. 7, 1999 -- Descendants of Dr. Jose B. Cortes will be honored
with a reception this Saturday at the West of the Pecos Museum, coinciding
with the annual 16th of September celebration.
Every September the West of the Pecos Museum honors a local Mexican-American
family. Special exhibits and a reception are prepared in recognition of
this Pioneer Family. The tradition started in 1989 and encourages local
Mexican-American families to continue the preserving of their rich history.
Jose B. Cortes was born in December in 1851 in Havana, Cuba. He lived
there until 1871, when he decided to emigrate to the United States.
When he arrived in the United States he went to Philadelphia and entered
medical school. After gradating and becoming a doctor he enlisted in the
army on April 17, 1884. He was stationed at Fort Clark, Tx., where he was
a Captain of the Hospital Corps, Regional U.S. Army. On April 16, 1889,
after five years of service he was discharged and went to Marfa, where
he met and married his wife, Eliza Tercero. They moved from Marfa to Ruidosa,
Tx., where he practiced medicine.
The couple had two daughters, Josefa, born in 1910 and Rosa, born in
1912, both in Ruidosa. The Cortes moved from Ruidosa to Fort Davis where
Dr. Cortes was a physician in the military hospital. He was a civilian
doctor taking care of the medical needs of the soldiers in Fort Davis.
In 1914, Dr. Cortes moved his family from Fort Davis to Balmorhea. While
in Balmorhea, Dr. Cortes became a highly respected doctor, and worked very
closely with Dr. Jim Camp of Pecos.
During the influenza epidemic of 1918, Dr. Cortes and his wife, Eliza
worked night and day caring for the sick, giving them medical treatment,
food and rounding up supplies that the people needed. For this he earned
the undying gratitude of all the people of the Madera Valley. His patients
that could not pay got the same treatment as those who could.
Eliza died in 1920, leaving her two daughters motherless, one being
eight years old and the other 10 years old. Dr. Cortes took over and did
an excellent job of raising the two girls.
"My sister and I were still small, but he took care of us, Rosa said
"He was Baptist and took us to church every Sunday."
The girls grew up and married Balmorhea men. Josefa married Rosalio
Bersosa and Rosa married Abram Subia. Shortly after their marriages, both
couples moved to Pecos. Dr. Cortes married again in the early 1920's to
a woman named Lupe Bersosa.
Dr. Cortes never completely recovered from his exposure to the influenza
epidemic of 1918. With his health gradually deteriorating he continued
to take care of his patients until 1928. When he became too ill to care
for his patients Dr. Camp had him admitted to the Morrison hospital in
Pecos. He was given the best care possible, but to no avail. Dr. Cortes
died Dec. 17, 1928, and was buried in the Balmorhea Cemetery.
Dr. Cortes has several descendants that still reside in the Reeves County
area.
Disaster ahead for county
By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
PECOS, Sept. 7, 1999 -- Disaster is coming to Reeves County. Simulated,
that is.
Armando Gil, coordinator for Reeves County Emergency Management, met
with a team of script writers this morning in the Pecos Municipal Courtroom
to complete the scenario for disaster that will occur at 4 p.m. Sept. 18.
Public officials and department heads involved in disaster response
are to meet at 9 a.m. Monday in City Council chambers for a pre-disaster
exercise orientation.
The exercise will be conducted to test all phases of the Reeves County
Operations Plan, Gil said. All personnel involved in emergency response
to any disaster will participate.
Present for this morning's session were Gil, Ramon Ornelas, administrative
assistant to Police Chief Clay McKinney; Noe Ybarra, Reeves County Sheriff's
Office Explorers, Michael Dominguez, deputy, L.G. Crawford and Lillie Serrano,
Reeves County Hospital; and Vaughn Garnto, Reeves County Detention Center.
Labor Day crash sends five to hospitals
By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
PECOS, Sept. 7, 1999 -- Five persons were injured Monday in a two-vehicle
accident on Texas Highway 17 near the Interstate 20 overpass.
Guadalupe Valenzuela, 25, Daniel Valenzuela, 4, and Arron Valenzuela,
2, of W. "F" Street were in a Ford pickup driven by Daniel S. Valenzuela,
25, when it struck the side of a Buick driven by Priscilla Cooper, 51,
of Midland at about 5:30 p.m. Monday
Cooper and her passenger, Patty Venske-Flud, 51, of Midland, were also
injured. Cooper was airlifted to Covenant Hospital in Lubbock, while Venske-Flud
was transferred to Odessa Medical Center.
Guadalupe Valenzuela was taken to Odessa Regional Hospital. Both children
were treated at Reeves County Hospital and released.
Police Chief Clay McKinney said that preliminary investigation revealed
that the Buick driven by Cooper turned left in front of the pickup as both
traveled south on Hwy. 17. The pickup struck the driver's side of the Buick,
he said.
Pecos Ambulance Service transferred the victims to Reeves County Hospital.
`Car trouble' gets escapee parked in jail
By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
A Fabens man who twice escaped from custody while awaiting trial is
back in jail, this time in El Paso on a state charge.
Raymundo Calderon-Gaytan, 33, escaped from the Presidio County Jail
in Marfa on Jan. 10 and was recaptured four days later in Valentine.
Moved to the Winkler County Jail to await trial on the escape charge,
Calderon-Gaytan climbed a 25-foot wall and kicked loose a chain-link fence
to covering the top of the recreation yard to escape again.
Deputy U.S. Marshal Steve Clark said that Calderon-Gaytan was arrested
by El Paso police for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Deputy marshals
in El Paso checking fugitive warrants identified him as an escapee and
put a federal "hold" on him.
Clark said that Calderon-Gaytan would face federal escape charges after
he is released from state custody.
`Power Points' back in Enterprise today
PECOS, Sept. 7, 1999 -- The Pecos Enterprise will begin the 1999 Texas
Power Points Football Contest today, which features a $1,000 cash prize
to the weekly statewide winner and a separate prize to each week's local
winner.
Featuring primarily National Football League games but including a healthy
dose of Big 12 conference games, Power Point contestants not only project
winning teams but they also must rank their selections along a weighted
point scale according to their confidence in them. The 16-point line is
the most valuable, the 1-point line the least valuable. Your "surest" guess
goes on the 16 point line, your "least sure" guess goes on the 1-point
line. The points total 136. The winner of the $1,000 each week is the person
who amasses the most of those 136 points. (Tiebreakers _ total points scored
and total offensive yardage in a designated game — will break any ties.)
Contestants may enter only one entry form statewide each week and there
will be one state and one local winner. Full official rules accompany each
week's entry form in the newspaper.
Lotto
AUSTIN (AP) — Results of the Lotto Texas drawing Saturday night: Winning
numbers drawn: 33-01-10-41-19-23. Estimated jackpot: $7 million. Number
matching six of six: None. Matching five of six: 103. Prize: $1,268. Matching
four of six: 5,289. Prize: $89.
***
AUSTIN (AP) — Results of the Texas Million drawing Friday night: Winning
numbers drawn: 86-0-38-68. Number matching four of four in Group One: Zero.
Number matching four of four in Group Two: 0. Prize: $25,000. Number matching
four of four in Group Three: 0. Prize: $10,000. Number matching three of
four in any group: 393. Prize: $300.
***
AUSTIN (AP) — Results of the Cash 5 drawing Friday night: Winning numbers
drawn: 38-33-25-01-04. Number matching five of five: Zero. Matching four
of five: 204. Prize: $1,102.
***
AUSTIN (AP) — The winning Pick 3 numbers drawn Friday by the Texas Lottery,
in order: 5-3-4 (five, three, four)
***
AUSTIN (AP) — The winning Pick 3 numbers drawn Saturday by the Texas
Lottery, in order: 9-0-3 (nine, zero, three)
***
AUSTIN (AP) — The winning Pick 3 numbers drawn Monday by the Texas Lottery,
in order: 6-6-2 (six, six, two)
Obituaries
Petra Chacon
Petra Chacon, 81, of Odessa, died Saturday, Sept. 4, 1999, at Deering Nursing
Home in Odessa.
Services were held at 10 a.m., today, at Christ the King Catholic Church
in Balmorhea with burial in Balmorhea Cemetery.
She was born April 30, 1918, in Ruidosa, Tx., was a housewife, had lived
in Odessa for 23 years and was a Catholic.
Survivors include one daughter, Alicia C. Gonzales of Odessa; one brother,
Gregoria Lozano of Balmorhea; three sisters, Adela Martinez and Nora Rivera
of Odessa and Cecilia Millan of Pecos; four grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren
and one great-great grandchild.
Martinez Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Samantha Villegas
Samantha S. Villegas, a newborn baby girl, died Thursday, Sept. 2, 1999
at Reeves County Hospital.
Services were held at 2:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 3, at Martinez Funeral
Home Chapel with burial in Greenwood Cemetery.
Survivors include her parents, Sammy and Gaby Villegas of Pecos; one
brother, Sammy Escaniel Villegas of Pecos; maternal grandmother Lucy Sotello
of Pecos; paternal grandmother, Jesusita Villegas of Pecos; three aunts
and four cousins.
Martinez Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Weather
High Monday 94; low last night 67. Tonight, partly cloudy with isolated
evening thunderstorms. Low in the upper 60s. South wind 5-10 mph. Chance
of rain less than 20 percent. Wednesday, partly cloudy with a 20 percent
chance of afternoon thunderstorms. High around 90. South wind 5-10 mph,
becoming east 10-15 mph by late afternoon. Extended forecast: Wednesday
night, mostly cloudy and cooler with a chance of rain and thunderstorms.
Low in the lower 60s.
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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