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By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
PECOS, June 27, 1996 - Pecos City Council this morning agreed to join
other Texas cities as interveners in Texas-New Mexico Power Company's
rate case before the Public Utility Commission.
The council will use the law firm Butler, Porter, Gay and Day, which
already represents Fort Stockton and other cities.
Doug Hobbs, speaking for TNP, said they are required to pay the
attorney fees, and they have already set aside $150,000. However, if the
city chose another firm, it may have to pay part of the cost.
Councilman Randy Graham agreed, noting that the Butler firm has done a
lot of research that would have to be duplicated if the city chose a
different firm.
"There's a judge in Austin that said this "community choices" plan may
not comply with the letter of the law," Graham said. "We really need to
intervene."
Hobbs said the community choices plan would freeze TNP's rates for five
years to help them pay for a lignite plant they built at Bremond as an
alternative to generating electricity with natural gas.
At the end of five years, each city could negotiate with power
suppliers for the best price. TNP would continue to distribute that
power within the city and county.
Graham said that Pecos' rates are high compared to surrounding towns.
There is a chance rates could go down in the next two years, and if
TNP's rates are frozen, Pecos would still have to pay the high rate, he
said.
Hobbs said that the state legislature may require a surtax to subsidize
low electrical power rates. TNP's community choices plan is an
alternative to a surtax, he said.
"The rates do irritate me, and they should irritate everybody in
Pecos," said Monte Kesey.
TNP is not competitive, he said, referring to a rate analysis supplied
by the PUC for May.
A homeowner using 500 KWH in May paid $40.84 to TNP, the fifth highest
out of 10 companies listed. But for 1,000 KWH, TNP rated second highest.
And for a small business using 15,000 KWH, the cost of $1,263 was the
highest listed.
"To me, that's just absurd," Kesey said.
Hobbs said that most Pecos residents fall into the first category, at
what he considers a reasonable rate. The lowest of the 10 was $33.
Kesey said that poor management caused TNP to be stuck with an
expensive power plant, and its stockholders should be the ones to suffer
- not their customers.
"The way I see this, they are out here now saying, `Hey, we want the
people of Pecos to help us recoup costs of poor investments.' I don't
think it is our responsibility. I think those stockholders are
responsible," he said.
Mayor pro tem Elvia Reynolds said the council has already rejected the
plan, and the only question on the agenda was which law firm to hire.
Graham said he had talked with another law firm, but he made the motion
to go with Butler etal, which passed unanimously.
Also during today's meeting, the council waived Pecos Housing
Authority's payment in lieu of taxes for 1995-96, contracted with
Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD to collect taxes this year, approved sale of
foreclosed properties at 310 S. Mesquite, 623 S. Orange and 824 S. Ash
St., and adopted on final reading an ordinance placing a stop sign at
Fourth and Bois d'Arc Streets.
Finance officer Steve McCormick said he can have printouts of budget
requests by department heads next week for the council's consideration.
They set a workshop for 6 p.m. July 9 to meet with the fire and
ambulance department heads and possibly the street department.
No action was necessary on closing an alley on the Calvary Baptist
Church lot between Plum and Cactus Streets because the city does not
have an alley there.
Octavio Garcia, utilities director, said the only alley in that block
is in the half owned by Roy Lindsay.
Calvary pastor Ron Garcia said earlier the church wants to enclose a
walkway from the sanctuary to the education building across what his
research showed was dedicated as an alley.
Following executive session to review the performance of the shop
foreman and water and sewer superintendent, the council voted to award
them the 3 percent merit raise budgeted for this year.
They also discussed the duties of the police chief, but he was not up
for performance review.
By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
PECOS, June 27, 1996 - Attorneys for William M. Meador have filed a
motion to dismiss his Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases for nine corporations
associated with Recovery and Reclamation, a battery recycling operation.
Security State Bank foreclosed on the companies and sold the assets to
Battery Conservation Technologies Inc. on Feb. 16.
Permits granted by the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission
for the recycling plant were transferred to BCTI on June 10, the
petition states.
Rose Traders is the holding company and sole share holder of the
subsidiary corporations R&R, P.O.A. Inc., B.J.B. Leasing Inc., Reeves
County General Contractors Inc., Recovery and Reclamation Trucking Inc.,
Sand Hill Salvage Inc., Advanced Consulting and Environmental Service
Inc. and William M. & Associates Inc.
Since the assets were foreclosed, Rose Traders and its subsidiaries
ceased all operations and have no employees or ongoing business
activities, the petition states.
"Although Rose had attempted to find new capital to reorganize, it was
unsuccessful in its attempts and in fact incurred additional
indebtedness while trying to reorganize in chapter 11," the petition
states.
Rather than convert to Chapter 7 (liquidation), Meador believes it is
in the best interest of himself and his creditors to dismiss the Chapter
11 proceedings.
There are no employees remaining to prepare amendments to the
bankruptcy schedules or provide for the other duties of a debtor for
each of these nine estates, no funds or assets to pay costs, no assets
recoverable for payment to creditors, and it would be a waste of
judicial and trustee time and resources to administer these estates, the
petition claims.
Margaret A. Christian filed the petition in the El Paso Division of
federal bankruptcy court this week,
PECOS, June 27, 1996 - Unemployment in Pecos and Reeves County dropped
slightly in May, with 821 persons out of work in the county and 735 in
the city.
The rate dropped from 12.2 percent in April to 11.9 percent in May for
the county, and from 13.9 percent to 13.5 percent in Pecos.
Meanwhile, Ward County and the city of Monahans showed an increase in
unemployed, with 294 and 190 respectively. Percentages rose from 5.7 to
6.3 percent in the county and from 6.0 percent to 6.6 percent in Monahans
Fort Stockton held steady at 6.7 percent unemployed, while other area
towns showed either a slight increase or decrease.
Both employment and unemployment fell in the Midland-Odessa
metropolitan area, the Texas Workforce Commission reports. That
indicates that more job seekers are entering the labor market.
Individually, Midland's jobless rate rose slightly, offsetting a small
drop in the unemployment rate in Odessa.
PECOS, June 27, 1996 - Monahans-raised attorney Jeff Parras has recently
set up office in Pecos, but hopes to maintain ties with the town he
called home for almost 10 years.
So why did he choose Pecos to practice?
"I thought there was an opportunity for a young lawyer to do well here
in Pecos," he answered. Plus, he added, Pecos is centralized enough to
where he can extend his services to surrounding towns and, "I'm still
close enough to Monahans."
A young and aspiring attorney, Parras said he hopes to, "stick around,"
Pecos, after opening his doors here on June 17.
Parras said his legal services cover, "anything that walks through the
door."
Growing up around West Texas, Parras said he was raised mainly in
Monahans.
He graduated from Monahans High School in 1987, with a high school
career that involved a highly academic and athletic agenda. Parras'
early recollections of Pecos were on the football field, basketball
court and track as a Monahans Loboe.
He continued on to Angelo State University in San Angelo on an academic
scholarship, from where he received a Bachelor's degree in general
business in 1991.
Parras went on to pursue a legal career by attending Texas Tech Law
School, from which he graduated in 1994. Here again, he attended courses
on an academic scholarship that allowed him to waive tuition costs.
During his law school days, Parras said he worked during the summers for
the Ward County attorney in Monahans and 83rd District Attorney Alberto
Valadez in Fort Stockton.
He began his career as an attorney in a Midland law firm, where he
worked for a little over a year and specialized in personal injury
cases. But Parras said he hopes to expand his range of work while
operating his own office.
A lawyer by day and carpenter by night, Parras is currently working on
the remodeling of his new office, located at 419 S. Oak St., across from
the Reeves County Courthouse.
Parras said, "because of start up expenses," he will be manning his
office alone for awhile, but will soon begin interviewing for part-time
help and then additional assistants sometime thereafter.
While in Pecos, Parras said he hopes to, "help the community with my
legal services and any other charitable way that I can," he said.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Information contained in the Police Report is obtained
from reports filed by the Pecos Police Department, Reeves County
Sheriff's Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, or other agencies;
and from interviews with officers of those agencies.
Miguel Garcia was arrested during a warrant service conducted by police
June 19 at the corner of Third and Pecan Streets. Garcia's age and
address were not indicated.
Public intoxication was the charge brought against Domingo Salazar
Jimenez when he was arrested by police at the Buck Jackson Rodeo Arena
parking lot just before 2 a.m. on June 20. Jimenez's age and place of
residence were not given.
Police arrested Ricardo M. Evaro for theft at the Flying J Travel Plaza.
He was apprehended about 11:06 a.m., on June 20. Age and address for
Evaro were not indicated.
John Natividad was arrested for theft over $50 during a warrant service
conducted by police the evening of June 20. Natividad's age and address
were not available.
Police cited Jatuan Rodriguez, 36, of Lamesa, the night of June 20 for
failing to yield right of way at a stop intersection, causing a three
cars to collide and injuries to three people.
Rodriguez was in a 1995 Chevrolet Z-26 eastbound when entered the
intersection of Palmer Street and Country Club Drive and struck a 1988
Buick LeSabre, driven by 16-year-old Victor Mendoza, in the left front
side. The impact threw Rodriguez's vehicle into a spin, causing it to
strike a 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass, driven by Luiselda Carrasco, 21, of
Kermit.
Rodriguez, Mendoza and Juan Perez, Jr., 14, who was riding in Mendoza's
vehicle, were all taken to Reeves County Hospital, where they were
treated and released.
Manager of La Tienda grocery store, Ernest Ballard, reported an act of
criminal mischief to police Friday morning. He told officers that an
unknown party had scratched the left side of his 1993 Ford Explorer with
sharp object, while parked at the store's parking lot.
Friday evening, police served Mingo Jimenez, 18, 2203 Madera Rd., with a
warrant charging him with burglary of a building. He was apprehended at
the corner of Eighth and Cedar streets.
Police arrested Jesus Roberto Mendez, 30, 624 S. Mulberry, for assault
under the Family Violence Act. He was taken into custody at his
residence about 8:30 p.m., on June 20.
Police charged Joseph A. Tollett with public intoxication about 1:30
a.m. Friday. He was apprehended in the 300 block of West County Road.
Concepcion Rodriguez and Michael Jason Foster were charged by police
with assault under the Family Violence Act after a disturbance was
reported in the 1400 block of Willow Street, DeVilla Trailer Park, about
4:15 a.m. Friday. Age and place of residence for Rodriguez and Foster
were not given.
Friday night, police arrested Ronald T. Smith for public intoxication at
the Holiday Inn. Smith's age and place of residence were not indicated.
Police arrested Jose Luis Garcia, 32, 611 S. Pine, during a warrant
service. He was charged with burglary of a building and taken into
custody at 613 S. Almond Friday afternoon.
Francisco Menchaca was arrested for criminal trespassing at the Pizza
Hut restaurant Saturday morning. His age and address were not given.
Police arrested Ricardo Juarez for assault under the Family Violence Act
Saturday night in the 2100 block of Hackberry Street. Juarez's age and
address were not available.
Brandy Michelle Morgan was arrested for driving with a suspended license
Sunday morning. She was apprehended at the Reeves County Hospital
emergency room. He age and address were not available.
Burglary of a vehicle was reported early Sunday morning by Ramona
Gonzales, which occurred in the 100 block of Pinehurst Street (Flying
J). The police report did not list the items which reportedly were taken
from her vehicle.
Police cited Sharon Marie Barnhart, 23, for following too closely after
her involvement in a two-car collision. The police report indicates that
Barnhart, who was driving a 1994 Pontiac Grand Am, struck a 1995
Chevrolet pickup, driven by Martina Levario, 29, from behind while
traveling eastbound on Sunday in the 800 block of West Seventh Street.
Tuesday, 6-25, story on partial lifting of fireworks ban in Reeves
County.
By MARI MALDONADO
Staff Writer
PECOS, June 27, 1996 - Fireworks stands are back in business after the
partial retraction of an executive order by the Texas governor's office
which sought to ban all fireworks in certain Texas counties.
The new order by Texas Governor George W. Bush states that only the sale
and use of aerial fireworks will be banned.
This came four days after Reeves County commissioners approved a
resolution requesting Bush - under the authority granted to him in the
Texas Disaster Act of 1975, and in accordance with the State Emergency
Management Plan - ban the retail sales, possession and use of all
fireworks.
"Fireworks are as much a part of Fourth of July celebrations as picnics
and flags, but parts of Texas are a tinderbox and no one wants fires to
threaten lives or property," said Bush in a press release.
"Conditions vary throughout the state, and I urge county leaders to look
at the situation in their individual counties and take appropriate
action," continued the governor. "As a strong advocate of local control,
I will not issue a statewide ban but will authorize a ban for individual
counties who believe a ban is necessary to protect public health and
safety."
The action taken by commissioners was due to the severe area drought
conditions that have allowed area vegetation to become dry and
flammable, thereby creating conditions favorable to large, dangerous and
fast-moving wildfires. Pecos has received just 1½ inches of rain in the
first six months of 1996.
Reeves County Fire Marshal Jack Brookshire and Pecos Fire Chief Doug Cox
told commissioners that there have been 175 fires in the county since
Jan. 1 and that the county was well on its way to an all-time record
high.
Pete Wassdorf, deputy of the general counsel of the governor's office,
said that Gov. Bush was advised by his office that he did not have the
authority to issue a complete ban on fireworks and that, "properly
supervised ground-based fireworks," did not pose an imminent threat.
In the executive order, filed in the secretary of state's office June 14
and pursuant to the resolution approved by Reeves County commissioners
June 10, only the retail sale and use of aerial fireworks will be
prohibited.
"We thought we were going to get the same kind of ban," as that of the
Gray County in the Texas Panhandle, said County Attorney Bill Weinacht.
Gray County (Pampa) was the first in the state to formally ask the
governor to use his authority to enact a ban. It was granted one on June
6 when Bush issued an executive order banning the use and sale of
fireworks in that county.
However, a representative from the governor's office said this morning
that Gray County's ban was also revised to limit the ban to aerial
fireworks, subsequent to their original resolution.
Aerial devices, as defined in the American Pyrotechnics Association,
Inc. Standard Code, include sky rockets and bottle rockets, missile-type
rockets, helicopter, aerial spinners, Roman candles and mines and shells.
The Texas Pyrotechnic Association earlier this month removed dozens of
aerial fireworks from sale statewide. The association said it also has
developed public service announcements and brochures to instruct people
on fireworks safety.
The fireworks selling season runs from midnight June 23 to midnight July
4.
Reeves County commissioners did designate the Martinez Field for
fireworks usage, in spite of Brookshire's warning that in the past a
large crowd of fireworks enthusiasts has gathered out there, making
conditions dangerous.
Ward County Judge Sam Massey said earlier today that the Ward County
Commissioners Court designated two areas for fireworks displays. Those
areas are the Barstow ballpark and the Ward County Coliseum parking lot.
They also limited fireworks activity to only July 3 and 4, added the
county judge.
The Ward County court did not pass a resolution banning the use and sale
of aerial fireworks, as retailers have voluntarily offered not to sell
them, he said.
Fireworks for the Fourth of July holiday went on sale Monday and Texas
fireworks retailers say they will work especially hard to promote safety
during this unusually dry year.
``We understand local officials' concerns about this year's drought,''
said Royce Trout, spokesman for the Texas Pyrotechnic Association.
``Texas fireworks manufacturers and retailers have already taken
unprecedented steps toward ensuring the safety of the holiday season.''
"I commend the fireworks industry for doing its part to be good citizens
and help reduce the threat of fire from fireworks during this drought,"
said Governor Bush.
--The Associated Press contributed to this report
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, June 27, 1996 - Six girls will take the stage at the Pecos High
School Auditorium Friday night, where they'll vie for the coveted title
of Golden Girl of the Old West at the annual revue.
Festivities are set to begin at 8 p.m. with special entertainment
planned throughout the evening. Tickets are $6 apiece and will be sold
at the door.
These year's nominees are Sarah Lam, Marisa Levario, Ana Smallwood,
Kristen Stewart, Kathy Ybarra and Lindley Workman.
Out-of-town belles who will be on hand for the various Fourth of July
festivities held in Pecos in conjunction with the rodeo are, Jacquelyn
Horne, America Serrano and Catherine Watts.
This year's revue will honor all veterans, and will feature mostly World
War II music.
Many area veterans who are medal holders will be honored on stage during
the show.
Veterans being honored at the event include, Max Stool, Tom Rivera,
Emmett Miller, Albert L. Logan, Sebero Jaquez, John W. Fernandes,
Richard C. Slack, James S. Pattee, Pablo Garcia, Robert E. Miles, George
Q. Avery, Arnulfo Calderon, William R. Oglesby, James B. Toone, Joe Gunn
and Jose Tercero.
A special posthumous award will be given out honoring Ruben Brooks
Massey.
Rotary Club members, who sponsor the annual show, urge everyone to come
and view Friday's performances.
"We're going to have our own version of the Andrew Sisters and they're
really good," said organizer Ben Meek.
He added that "Our own version" of Tex Benickie, will be singing his
famous 1940s song `Chattanooga Choo-Choo'
All proceeds from the event will benefit the West of the Pecos Museum.
"We want everyone to come out and join us for a good time," said Meek.
"We have a lot of other things planned for that night."
PECOS, June 27, 1996 - High Wednesday 95, low last night 77. Tonight,
mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of mainly evening thunderstorms.
Locally heavy rainfall possible. Low around 70. Southeast wind 5-15 mph.
Friday, partly cloudy with a slight chance of thunderstorms. High in the
lower 90s. Southeast wind 10-20 mph. Chance of rain less than 20
percent.
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Copyright 1996 by Pecos Enterprise
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