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Grassy lots can now be found outside housing units in the corner of 11th
and Orange streets and one on Mesquite street, thanks to a group of
enthusiastic kids and residents that helped with the weed picking, dirt
spreading and planting.
The students were rewarded with a trip to Water Wonderland, pizza and
fun at Mr. Gatti's and a movie, while all residents were treated to a
swimming party July 22, said Resident Council Chairperson Susana Lujan.
Pecos Housing Authority Executive Director Nellie Gomez said today that
after attending a review hearing last week regarding acquiring new grant
monies, "things are looking real, real good for us."
Gomez explained that the funds are being sought to keep the progress
with the landscaping project going and implement others, like hopefully
establishing parks at both the east side and south side projects, and an
outdoor patio for senior citizens in the Second Street housing units.
The PHA director said that she is very enthused with the youths'
participation and hopes to see, "more mothers involved," to help kids
continue with the residential goals.
Currently Gomez said she is coordinating with the Reeves County Sheriffs
Department and Town of Pecos City to help out with the Airbase area
cleanup planned by the youths. City and county workers would help out
with the pickup and hauling of trash and debris.
The resident council is also working on getting a tutorial program
together to help resident students with homework, said Gomez, as well as
a resident watch program for security measures for all three housing
units.
Gomez added that four resident youths will be awarded $150 scholarships
to attend the Genesis Camp in Corpus Christi on Aug. 5-9. The
scholarships are sponsored by U.S. Housing and Urban Development, while
PHA will furnish the sponsors and transportation.
Gomez said the program is still scheduled for board approval.
While at the camp, youth will hear experiences by professionals who grew
up in housing projects, said Gomez, who said the message is basically
how, "they can succeed."
Gomez offered her gratitude to the resident council, which has been
working on raising funds for all the projects. She added that the
council's heads, Lujan and Coordinator Felix Guajardo, along with their
spouses, recently attended a "Working Together" workshop, also sponsored
by HUD, to help with their implementation of programs.
She also added, "the community has really extended their hands."
"We met to discuss ways that we can prevent this from happening," said
concerned citizen Clark Lindley.
According to Lindley and others at Sunday's meeting, by this time next
summer Sierra Blanca could be a national nuclear waste dump.
"There will be preliminary hearing on the question of low-level waste
site which will be located five miles east of Sierra Blanca," said
Lindley.
The meetings are scheduled for Aug. 6-7 at the Sierra Blanca High School
Gym at 9:30 a.m., 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
"This is the one and only public hearing that will be held concerning
this issue," he said.
The Texas Natural Resources Conservation Committee (TNRCC) requires that
respondents notify them if they're to be speakers at the event, since
there are over 585 people wanting to speak right now, according to
Lindley.
Susan Lee, who drives a mobile museum and is a member of SMART, Sensible
Mothers Against Radioactive Transport, is also an active member of this
project.
"We want to make sure that this waste is not transported through Reeves
County or any other county in West Texas," said Lee.
Lindley said TNRCC lawyers are seeking to limit the number of people who
can speak at next week's hearings. "They (TNRCC) want to restrict the
arguments that will be allowed and those that won't be allowed to
participate in the hearing," said Lindley.
"There's also an issue of environmental racism relating to the
preponderance of Hispanics in Sierra Blanca," he added.
TNRCC said that it is irrelevant, according to Lindley.
"TNRCC takes the position that counties like Reeves County have no
interest in this," said Birdie Slack.
First, the radioactive waste will pass through Pecos without the insight
of the people who live here, according to Slack.
Both major interstates that would carry nuclear waste by truck from
eastern parts of the state to Sierra Blanca pass through Reeves County.
"The decision is being made by a committee made up of people from
Central Texas," said Lindley. "They're not giving West Texas any
opportunity to affect this decision."
Reeves County can help make this decision and the group has already had
three well-attended meetings, according to Lindley.
"All the people at the meetings were against the dumping and want to
take action that will stop this," said Slack.
Mexican Senator Louis Juarez is scheduled to talk at the special meeting
along with other dignitaries from both the United States and Mexico.
The "Compact Bill" which has already been defeated once, will be going
to the House again.
The bill would approve an agreement between Maine, Vermont and Texas in
which Texas becomes host for nuclear waste from other two states. Texas
officials said at the time the compact was signed that the deal would
allow Texas to bar waste shipments from other states at Sierra Blanca,
but dump opponents disagree.
"Once complete if the bill passes, other nations, corporations or states
... can dump their waste here in Texas," said Lindley.
Texas taxpayers are responsible for leaks and accidents, which are
likely to occur. Every other radioactive waste dump in the country has
leaked, according to Lindley.
"If there were an accident we would have to clean it up ourselves," said
Lindley.
And in case of an accident, citizens cannot sue the State of Texas, but
bills will be sent to the commission.
"If the commission doesn't have funds for this, then all that goes back
to Reeves County," said Lindley. "Another concern is that the highway is
so close to the hospital," he said.
The nuclear dump opponents are looking for a U.S. Senator who will
filibuster for this cause, but as of yet have not found anyone.
The risk even without accidents occurring is very great, according Lee.
"Our real concern is that this project will expose people down along the
routes it travels through," said Lee. "Every time they pass people will
be getting a dose of radiation without knowing it," she said.
Everyone is encouraged to go to Sierra Blanca and speak out about their
feelings on radioactive waste. Interpreters will be available for those
who don't speak English.
"The other point we want to make is that you don't have to be a
scientist or to have talked about this for years to be a speaker at the
meetings," said Lee.
"The more people we have out there, the better," said Slack.
Under the original law passed by Congress, all 50 states were to build
their own low-level nuclear waste dumps by the early 1990s, but as of
now, the Sierra Blanca would be the first to be built and would be the
second nuclear waste site in the area. The U.S. government is hoping to
open the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carslbad, N.M., in 1998.
Anyone wishing to attend the meetings in Sierra Blanca or would like
more information on this project is urged to call Birdie Slack at
445-2984 or Clark Lindley at 445-3102.
"We trying to come up with transportation or a caravan of some type to
transport as many people as possible," said Lindley.
A music and concert are also part of the agenda.
The effort is being supported by Reeves County along with other West
Texas counties. Mexican counties and cities who filed a resolution
opposing the proposed nuclear waste facility in Sierra Blanca include,
City Council of Juarez, State Congress of Coahuila and State Congress of
Chihuahua.
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By PEGGY McCRACKEN
The slim, stiff-back volume is a love story.
Chris Ware, a famous comic cartoonist, writes in the forward that the
story is "warm and real, an embarrassing romp in the form of a dorky
fairy tale. I can't explain it. It feels unique and I really, really
like reading it."
Holcombe, whose first cartoon was published in "Jack & Jill" magazine
when he was 11, began drawing cartoons for the Enterprise at age 13. He
graduated from Pecos High School in 1987, attended art school in
California for a year and in Austin for two years.
he has had comic strips or other art work published in "National
Lampoon" and in "Pal-Yat-Chee" and "Jab" comic books.
For the current work, Holcombe received a grant from Xeric Foundation.
It was printed in Canada by Quebecor Printing of Montreal.
Holcombe, 27, held an autograph party in Austin July 19, during which he
also played his musical saw for entertainment.
His father, Walter M. Holcombe, is a practicing attorney in Pecos.
The 56-page comic book containing about 350 separate drawings is
available for $4.95 from Accordion Press, P.O. Box 49751, Austin Tx.,
78765.
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TOYAH, July 29, 1996 - An accident on Interstate 20 in western Reeves
County claimed the life of an Arlington man early Saturday .
Richard Lewis Carreon, 52, died at the scene about 1½ hours after he
was ejected from his 1993 Ford Explorer, when it rolled over three times
near the 7 mile marker on I-20, about 14½ miles west of Toyah at 5:55
a.m. Saturday.
Department of Public Safety Corporal Emmit Moore, who investigated the
accident, reported that Carreon was eastbound when he entered the center
median, over-corrected and drifted back into the median, before
overturning twice in the center section and a last time in the westbound
lane.
The vehicle came to rest facing west, Moore said, adding Carreon was
not wearing a seat belt when he was ejected from the vehicle.
Carreon was pronounced dead at the scene and his body was taken to
Pecos Funeral Home, according to the local DPS dispatcher. Next of kin
have been notified.
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A country cruise did not go so smoothly for three local teens and a
20-year-old after they were pulled over by a local trooper and arrested
for alcohol related charges.
Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper John Henley made the stop
about 12:35 a.m., Sunday, on Farm to Market Road 2119, Duval Road.
Arrested were William Chandler, 20, for public intoxication and minor
in possession; Stephanie Ortega, 19, for DWI by refusal to submit to
breathalizer and MIP; Kelly Cox, 18, for public intoxication and MIP and
Quint Rasberry, 18, public intoxication and MIP.
All four were booked at the Reeves County Jail and released on a
personal recognizance bond, with the stipulation that they report to
Reeves County Justice of the Peace Precinct 4 Lamberto Herrera.
Herrera was unavailable before press time.
Monday marked the beginning of a new era for the «MDUL»Pecos
Enterprise«MDNM», when it joined the growing number of newspapers on the
Worldwide Web.
Mac McKinnon, Enterprise publisher, said he is pleased to offer computer
users access to local news, sports, weather, classified, advertising and
special sections.
As a bonus, The Monahans News also has a page on the site, and it will
be updated weekly. Area news from other weekly publications is included
in the "Area Roundup."
"We are making our pages available at no charge to the user," McKinnon
said. "By doing so, we hope to boost the Trans Pecos area while reaching
a wider audience with news of interest to them."
McKinnon noted that the Pecos Division of federal court serves 10 West
Texas counties. But trials in that court often involve a much larger
area and impact people throughout Texas and, often, the nation.
"Pecos is the hub of a lot of activity that impacts other areas,"
McKinnon said. "Therefore, we believe our newspaper will provide a
service to many outside our circulation area."
A section of the on-line newspaper is set aside for advertising,
McKinnon said.
"Our staff can design display ads with graphics and/or photographs to
give your message that special impact," he said. "To reserve space,
contact Christina Bitolas, Cara Alligood or myself."
The web page address is http://www.pecos.net/news.
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PECOS, July 29, 1996 - High Sunday 98, low last night 72. Tonight,
partly cloudy. Low near 70. South to southeast wind 5-15 mph. Tuesday,
partly cloudy with a slight chance of thunderstorms. High in the mid
90s. Southeast wind 5-15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
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. Neither these AP
Materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for
personal and non-commercial use. The AP will not be held liable for
any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the
transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages
arising from any of the foregoing.
_
Copyright 1996 by Pecos Enterprise
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.
324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
e-mail news@bitstreet.com
http://www.pecos.net/news
This page prepared in askSam
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