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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Wednesday, December 22, 1999
Winter starting off cold, but not snowy
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
PECOS, Dec. 22, 1999 - A White Christmas is the Pecos area is unlikely
again this year. But folks living in the Davis Mountains and other areas
to the west could have a white first night of winter this evening.
Winter officially began just after 2 a.m. today and temperatures dipped
to 22 degrees before sunrise at the Texas A&M Agricultural Experiment
Station west of Pecos. It's the fifth time in the past nine days the morning
low has hit 22 degrees, but winter storm warnings issued Tuesday night
for Culberson County and Eddy County, N.M. have been lifted, and the Department
of Public Safety office in Pecos reports no new weather advisories as of
late this morning.
The National Weather Service office in Midland said there was less than
a 20 percent chance of snow in Pecos over the next 24 hours, but there
would be a greater chance of snow to the southwest and west of town sometime
tonight.
"For the Davis Mountains, there's a better chance of it (snow) coming
down at the higher elevations," said Alec Lyster, chief meteorologist for
the NWS in Midland. However, he added that people headed out of town on
Thursday or Friday for Christmas shouldn't have to worry about bad road
conditions.
"With the daytime highs, it looks like anything coming down won't be
sticking around for a while," Lyster said, and forecast call for warmer
weather by Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
"As far as the current forecast goes, there's a 20 percent chance of
snow down in Pecos for tonight, and continuing into Thursday morning. Right
now, it looks like the moisture is not great enough for snowfall and the
(storm) track doesn't look right for snow in the area," Lyster said.
He added that he would know more after compiling the latest data for
this afternoon's Midland regional forecast. "It looks like we will keep
the chance of snow in, but looking at the new data, it looks like the best
chance is shifting to the southwest. There will be a chance of light snow
or light rain, depending on the elevation."
It's the second year in a row snowy weather has bypassed Pecos as part
of a cold front moving through Texas. Last year's front dropped temperatures
as low as 19 degrees in the area, but the snow and ice fell to the north
and east of Pecos, and was blamed on six highway deaths.
The Trans-Pecos has received virtually no precipitation over the past
3½ months, and there's only a slight chance of that streak ending
today, despite overcast skies in the area. However, the higher elevations
to the west got their first taste of snow early this year, when flurries
were reported in the Guadalupe Mountains and Van Horn area of Culberson
County back on Oct. 18.
Clouds were reported across much of the state this morning, although
the sky was mostly clear across North Texas Temperatures ranged from 24
degrees at Abilene to 34 degrees at Waco.
Early morning temperatures in West Texas were mainly in the 20s and
30s. Extremes ranged from 19 degrees at Marfa to 34 at Dryden. The western
south plains and Guadalupe Mountains may see some light snow today and
temperatures will mainly be in the 30s and 40s. Light rain is possible
for the Big Bend area.
Christmas for the Kids seeks late donations
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Dec. 22, 1999 - With only two days before Christmas, a group
whose main goal is to provide a warm holiday season for the children in
the community still has a few more gifts to buy and deliver.
"We still have 12 families and a total of 36 children to assist," said
Sofia Baeza, one of the organizers of Christmas for the Kids.
Christmas for the Kids is a group that provides gifts for the children
in the community who would otherwise not be receiving any. The group not
only provides toys, but the necessities such as coats, jackets, shoes,
blankets and school supplies.
This year the Christmas for the Kids had 181 families with 522 children
on their list. Gifts to all of those children were delivered last Friday,
but more applications have been received since the deadline.
"We just couldn't tell them no, so now we're trying to make what little
money we have left stretch out to help them," said Baeza.
In previous years, there were about 160 families and 426 children on
the list. "We have over 100 children more that we had," said Baeza.
Still, the group will somehow bring Christmas to these children, one
way or another, according to Baeza.
"We don't want to deny any of them a warm and happy Christmas," she
said.
Baeza said the group was thankful to the community, who has helped tremendously.
"Without everyone's help, this wouldn't be possible," said Baeza. "But
we live in a community that is very helpful and kind to each other."
"We want to thank all of them for making this a reality for this less
fortunate families," said helper Linda Clark. "We need everyone's help
and every year, they come through for us."
If anyone was a Christmas for the Kids applicant before the original
deadline and did not receive their gifts for some reason, they can pick
them up at the Reeves County Sheriff's Department, Baeza said. "Some people
weren't home on Friday when we delivered the gifts, but they can come to
the office and pick them up."
Christian Home seeks dessert, toy donations
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Dec. 22, 1999 - Christmas Dinner with all the trimmings will
be served to those who don't have anywhere to enjoy a meal on Christmas
Day. But this year, the children who attend this Christmas dinner will
also have a chance to visit with Santa.
The Pecos Christian Home's annual Christmas Dinner will be held from
10 a.m. until 2 p.m., at the Reeves County Civic Center. Workers at the
home are making final preparations, and some last donations from the public
also are being sought before Saturday.
"Right now what we need to complete our meal is more desserts," said
Christian Home Director Bruce Dury.
Santa will be on hand to distribute gifts to the children at the dinner.
"We don't have enough toys, so if anyone has toys they want to get rid
of, they can bring them by the Christian Home or take them to the civic
center on Saturday," said Dury.
About 305 people enjoyed Thanksgiving Dinner provided by the home on
Thanksgiving and about the same number is expected to show up for the Christmas
event. "That's about 100 more than we had last year," said Dury.
Volunteers are also needed for the yearly event. Meals will also be
delivered to the homebound on the Meals on Wheels Program.
For more information contact the Christian Home at 445-2049.
"We appreciate all the help we can get," said Dury. "We enjoy seeing
these families come together here and enjoy the holidays as they should,"
he said.
Christmas services set by churches
PECOS, Dec. 22, 1999 - Area churches are planning special services for
the Christmas holiday, and are inviting the public to attend.
On Christmas Eve this Friday a mass will be held at midnight at Santa
Rosa Catholic Church, 620 E. Fourth St. A midnight mass also will be held
also at St. Catherine Catholic Church, Plum and Walthall. Our Lady of Refuge
Catholic Church in Barstow will have a special service at 8 p.m.
First United Methodist Church at Third and Elm streets will be sponsoring
a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, on Friday at 9 p.m. Everyone is invited
to attend. Teddy bears will be collected for the police to distribute throughout
the year.
On Christmas Day Santa Rosa Catholic Church and St. Catherine's will
both have masses at 10:30 a.m.; Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in
Saragosa will have their mass at noon on Saturday and Christ the King in
Balmorhea will have a special Christmas service at 10 a.m.
CCRC meeting for December is postponed
vThe Community Council of Reeves County postponed their December meeting,
which was scheduled for Tuesday evening in Pyote, due to a lack of quorum.
The CCRC serves people in Reeves, Ward and Winkler counties and meets
monthly in several locations in the area, including the Pyote Community
Center. A date for the next CCRC meeting has not yet been determined.
Lotto
AUSTIN (AP) - Results of the Cash 5 drawing Tuesday night: Winning numbers
drawn: 08-28-39-32-19. Number matching five of five: One. Prize per winner:
$78,297. Winning ticket sold in: Austin. Matching four of five: 241. Prize:
$487.
***
AUSTIN (AP) - The winning Pick 3 numbers drawn Tuesday by the Texas
Lottery, in order: 1-6-0 (one, six, zero)
Obituaries
Janice Burkholder
Janice Muriel Howard Burkholder, 94, of Pecos, died Tuesday, Dec. 21, 1999,
at her home.
Graveside services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, Dec. 23, at
Evergreen Cemetery with Reverend Clark Ford officiating.
She was born Feb. 28, 1905, in Lampasas. Her parents were Murray Warner
Howard and Nona Estelle Donnan Howard. She attended C.I.A., a women's college
in Denton, for two years before becoming a schoolteacher in New Mexico.
She met Ralph William Burkholder of Barstow and the couple was married
July 3, 1928, at the First Methodist Church in Sweetwater. She and Ralph
settled in Odessa and in July of 1931, they moved to Barstow where they
lived until 1967 when they moved to Pecos.
Burkholder was preceded in death by her husband on June 29, 1983.
Survivors include three sons, Ben Ralph Burkholder of Houston and Michael
Alan and Terry Louis Burkholder of Pecos; seven grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorials be sent to the
West of the Pecos Museum, First Methodist Church or a charity of your choice.
Pecos Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Manuela Hernandez
Manuela Hernandez, 76, of Pecos, died Monday, Dec. 20, 1999, at Reeves
County Hospital.
A rosary will be held at 7 p.m., Thursday, at Martinez Funeral Home
Chapel.
Mass is scheduled for 1 p.m., Friday, Dec. 24, at Santa Rosa Catholic
Church with burial in Greenwood Cemetery.
She was born Jan. 1, 1923, in Alpine, was a housewife, a Pecos resident
and a Catholic.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Epifanio Hernandez on Nov.
12, 1993.
Survivors include three sons, Epifanio Hernandez of Goshen, Calif. Eddie
Hernandez of San Manuel, Ariz., Ruben Hernandez of Pecos; six daughters,
Minnie Pallanes of Goshen, Calif., Marcelina Abila, Trine Villalobos of
Pecos, Rose Mary Hernandez of Tucson, Ariz., Bertha Franco of Corcoran,
Calif., Lupe Saiz of Goshen, Calif.; 54 grandchildren; 58 great-grandchildren
and 50 great-great grandchildren.
Martinez Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Weather
PECOS, Dec. 22, 1999 - High Tuesday 49. Low this morning 22. Forecast for
tonight: Mostly cloudy with a less than 20 percent chance of light snow.
Low in the mid 20s. Northeast wind 5-10 mph. Thursday: Mostly cloudy with
a slight chance of morning snow. High In the mid 40s. Chance of snow less
than 20 percent. Northeast wind 10-15 mph. Thursday night: Decreasing cloudiness.
Low in the lower to mid 20s.
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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