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By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Dec, 24, 1996 - A new salary schedule for employees at the Reeves
County Detention Center was adopted during the afternoon portion of
Monday's Reeves County Commissioner's Court meeting.
Commissioners also approved personnel and salary changes, along with the
appointment of a new associate warden for the RCDC.
Antonio Perez was named to the new position, at a salary of $50,000 per
year. Perez comes with an impressive resume and was highly recommended
by CEO Rudy Franco.
He worked with Franco at the La Tuna Federal Prison north of El Paso,
one of three separate stints there over his 24-year employment history,
including serving as associate warden of the facility in 1994-95. Perez
comes to Pecos after serving as warden for Wachenhut Corrections
Corportation's Willacy County Unit, a private prison in Raymondville,
for the past year.
"He will certainly be an asset to the facility and has excellent
credentials," said Franco.
Also at the RCDC James Tarin was upgraded to lieutenant at the rate of
$22,000 annually and outgoing County Attorney Bill Weinacht was hired
for legal counsel for the center.
Several prison employees will see an increase in their paychecks under
the new salary schedule, and some will also be placed in new positions.
Unit managers will be receiving $25,000 per year; captains will net
$29,000 a year; a new associate warden's position was set at $50,000
annually; and an administrative assistant will get $20,000. A contract
oversight specialist will also be hired under the new schedule.
"That comes to about $3.4 million in wages, but with the new man-day
rate, the budget will come out all right," said Reeves County Judge
Jimmy B. Galindo.
In the General Fund budget, a total of $8,000 was designated towards
recreation but was never utilized. Galindo requested the money be
carried over into next year to be utilized for recreation.
"I would like to propose a community recreation center with county
employees utilizing it," said Galindo.
He proposed a wellness program for county employees and the community.
Along with the funds moved forward, addition funds would be provided for
the program, he explained.
In other business, the appointment of a Reeves County Representative to
the Tax Appraisal District was tabled until Galindo can contact another
individual.
Galindo had initially proposed that Gilbert Abila take the position
currently held by Emily Fernandes, but the judge said Abila could not
fulfill the position.
"He had initially said yes, but due to other circumstances he will be
unable to serve, so I am going to propose Paul Hinojos, who is employed
with First National Bank," said Galindo.
Galindo stated that he wanted to table the item until he has had a
chance to contact Hinojos about the position.
A great need for additional office space prompted the court to consider
renting the old federal building housed inside the Pecos Post Office. It
has been vacant since the new federal courthouse opened in December,
1995.
"We had inquired about this a long time ago and their fee was too high,
but they called us last week and since they haven't been able to rent it
out, have suggested that we submit a proposal," said Galindo.
"There's a tremendous need for additional space," he said.
Galindo requested permission to submit a proposal to being looking for
additional office space within that building.
Bids were awarded for several items used by the county. The bid for
asphalt, oils and emulsions was awarded to Bridge Asphalt of Garland.
Motor fuel, oil and anti-freeze bid was awarded to Desert Distributors
of Pecos; discarded food from both the RCDC and Sheriff's Department
went to Ismael Dutchover; surface aggregate to Trans-Pecos Materials;
employee uniforms bids and inmate clothing were both tabled.
The bid for medical service (lab tests, X-rays) was awarded to
Trans-Pecos Labs; dental services for inmates went to David Lovett of
Pecos; medical director and physician services were awarded to Dr. James
Cam and Dr. Joseph Darpolor and pharmaceutical services went to
Professional Pharmacy.
Official holidays for Fiscal Year 1997 were approved with a 3-1 vote
with Commissioner Precinct 2 W.J. Bang voting against the proposal.
"These are all the same as this year, and with the Christmas holidays
falling on almost the same days, we propose the same number of days off
during that time," said Galindo.
Holidays will be New Year's Day, Jan. 1; Martin Luther King, Jan. 20;
Good Friday, March 28; Memorial Day, May 30; Fourth of July, July 4;
Labor Day, Sept. 1; Veterans Day, Nov. 11; Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27-28
and Christmas holiday, Dec. 24, 25 and 26.
Bond and oath for two county employees were approved including Elijio
(Fred) Lujan and Connie Lozano.
Other personnel moves included Sonja Nichols, who will be the department
coordinator for the treasurer's office at an annual rate of $16,640;
Lilia Franco will be personnel office at $20,000 and Raul Garcia was
hired as a part-time employee by the Road and Bridges Department to work
on the second perimeter fence at the RCDC.
Minutes from previous meetings were approved along with reports from
various departments, budget amendments and line-item transfers and
semi-monthly bills including the Community Council bill for $2,400.
By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
PECOS, Dec. 24, 1996 - Eligio Calderon knew the value of formal
education, which he was denied as a child. Orphaned at age 6, he taught
himself English and to read and write.
Working as a railroad laborer, he moved to Pecos in 1910 and continued
his education by reading and taking home study courses.
Through his persistent efforts to establish a school for
Mexican-American children, Calderon's descendants gained the formal
education he was denied and became space engineers, attorneys, investors
and educators.
Those descendants gathered Monday at West of the Pecos Museum to honor
Calderon by donating his Masonic membership certificate to the new
Hispanic room on the third floor.
Arnie Calderon, the eldest, is the only one of the six children and a
grandson the Calderons raised who still lives in Pecos. He is a barber.
Salvador Calderon of Newport Beach, Calif. is an engineering
contractor. He graduated from UTEP in 1954 then served four years in the
U.S. Army before moving to California.
He said that his father was a student of the Masonic Order, the Bible
and music.
The youngest child, Bertha Calderon Trevino, is a guidance counselor in
the San Antonio ISD.
"My father was a visionary that was an all-around person," said Bertha.
"On the lighter side, he was witty. He loved music...he was a fine
musician who mastered several instruments, including the violin,
trombone and piano."
She said he placed such a value on education, "I never doubted I would
continue my education beyond high school, because he had instilled this
desire from a very early age," she said.
Larry Moralez, a grandson raised by the Calderons, also attended
Monday's ceremony. He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska and is
in business as Diversified Claims Inc.
"Thanks, Pecos, for my basic education," Moralez said. "It was so sound
I was able to compete on the college level and beyond."
Hiram "Greg" Luna researched the educational system in Pecos and found
limited opportunities for Hispanic children in early in the century.
"Records indicate that in 1917, the Mexican school was opened for only
60 days a year," he said. It was named "Union y Progresso," and Mrs.
S.E. Wilson was the teacher. T.Y. Yoe was superintendent.
Arnie recalls attending a school at the home of Mrs. Rafaela Martinez,
who taught arithmetic and phonics. Salon Union y Progreso was later
located in a community center Calderon helped to build in the 500 block
of Walnut Street.
Calderon was a member of Luz y Paz (Light & Peace) Masonic Lodge
located on the second floor of the Marcos Martinez home on Sixth Street.
Valuing education as he did, Calderon worked with his friends and lodge
members toward developing a proper school for his ethnic group. He
brought attention to the inadequacies of a one-room school with no
desks, where students sat on benches.
A new Mexican school was built with Works Progress Administration funds
in 1936. Years later, it was named Earl Bell Elementary after a Pecos
judge.
Calderon's oldest daughter repeated the last grade at Earl Bell because
there was no secondary school for her to attend. Calderon pleaded with
individual school trustees to educate his daughter, and Conseulo was
then passed to the seventh grade.
She and a friend, Amalia Aguilar, graduated Pecos High School in 1942.
Consuelo (Brand), now of Atlanta, Ga. and Eliza Moralez of Austin, were
unable to attend Monday's ceremony. Another sister, Raquel Calderon
Parker, is deceased.
By MARI MALDONADO
Staff Writer
BALMORHEA, Dec. 24, 1996 - A Balmorhea man was arrested early this
morning following the discovery of more than five pounds of marijuana in
his vehicle.
Reeves County Deputy Floyd Estrada pulled over a car, driven by Mike
Duran Lopez, 42, Rt. 1 Box 32 in Balmorhea, near the Highway
17/Interstate 10 212 mile marker between midnight and 1 a.m. for running
a stop sign.
The case is being handled by Reeves County Narcotics Investigator Clay
McKinney, who along with Pecos Narcotics Investigator Paul Deishler,
arrived at the scene after being paged by Estrada.
"We did an inventory of the vehicle," said Deishler, when four
tape-wrapped packages of a substance believed to be marijuana were found
in a carry-all bag in the trunk of the vehicle and another under the
passenger's side front seat.
Several individually wrapped portions of the drug were also discovered
in baggies in a paper sack found in the trunk of the 1983 Chevrolet
Monte Carlo.
Deishler stated that he and McKinney were called to the scene after the
suspect became, "very nervous."
Lopez was charged with having no driver's license, running a stop sign
and possession of controlled substance, marijuana.
Word on a bond was not available as of press time, as arraignment
procedures by Reeves County Judge J.T. Marsh were in progress just
before noon today.
PECOS, Dec. 24, 1996 - Patrick Oakes of Arlington, regional director for
City Directory Inc., has begun work on a city directory to be published
for Pecos and surrounding towns in 1997.
He will enlist two salesman to contact local businesses and
organizations in January to offer advertising space in exchange for the
purchase of the directory.
Later in the spring, he will hire a local project manager and workers to
complete a census. Everyone over 18 in Pecos, Balmorhea, Toyah, Saragosa
and Barstow will be listed in the directory, with their employer, street
address, telephone number and children living at home.
CDI published the Pecos directory in 1993 and 1995.
By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
PECOS, Dec. 24, 1996 - A young woman lost her bid Monday to have
evidence she smuggled cocaine into the U.S. from Mexico suppressed, and
Senior Judge Lucius Bunton found her guilty.
Carmen Rios, who gave a local address in Presidio, was arrested at the
Marfa Border Patrol checkpoint on Oct. 15 after BP Agent Nick Harrison
found cocaine in the bumpers of her car.
Alpine Attorney Mike Barclay argued that Harrison searched the car on a
hunch, which he had no legal right to do because the checkpoint is not a
port of entry.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Blankinship said Rios gave Harrison her
consent to search the car.
"We are not claiming the right to do anything other than ask for
citizenship. Either she gives consent or she doesn't. In this case, she
did."
In the bench trial following Judge Bunton's denial of the suppression
motion, Blankinship entered additional evidence of Rios' guilt.
He said that Rios admitted she knew the cocaine was in the bumpers, but
thought it was only four pounds. She was to deliver it to Fort Stockton
and was to be paid $2,000.
Rios also admitted importing two previous loads of marijuana and one of
cocaine for the same man, Roy Nunez of Chihuahua, Mex.
"She crosses practically every day and is never searched because
everyone knows her," Blankinship said.
Judge Bunton sent sentencing for Feb. 24, 1997. Twelve other defendants
who pleaded guilty will also be sentenced on that day. Two trials were
reset, and Judge Bunton issued warrants for two others who failed to
appear.
By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
PECOS, Dec. 24, 1996 - Three directors for the Reeves County Hospital
District on Monday awarded a bid for emergency room services to the
Gould Group, contingent upon successful negotiations on several points.
The board opened five bids in the regular meeting last Tuesday, but
deferred action for further study.
Gould's bid of $59.50 per hour physicians work is $4.50 lower than the
price proposed by Spectrum, the current emergency room services provider.
Other bidders were Primary Medical Emergency Services and EM Care.
Attorney Scott Johnson reviewed the bids and made several
recommendations, which Chief Executive Officer Terry Andris will
negotiate with Gould.
Andris said it will take Gould some time to enlist physicians, acquire
malpractice insurance and complete paperwork. They need to be ready to
begin work on Feb. 1, 1997.
"Spectrum has done a good job for us, but they are a little bit higher,"
Andris said.
He estimated savings over a three-year period of $111,000.
Marcella Lovett made the motion to approve the contract. Greg Luna
seconded, and board president Jeannette Alligood joined them in voting
"yes."
Chel Flores and Jesse Prieto were not present.
Texas-New Mexico Power Company has awarded mini-grants to three
Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD teachers.
The grants are designed to assist classroom teachers from kindergarten
through eighth grade in math, science and energy education.
Receiving grants from TNP were teachers Nancy Rankin, a teacher at
Zavala Seventh Grade Middle School in the amount of $200; Gail Norris, a
teacher at Austin Elementary, in the amount of $100 and Gradene Gerbert,
also a teacher at Austin Elementary, in the amount of $100.
"The teacher mini-grants are a way that TNP can support the excellent
job these teachers are already doing in their classrooms," said Area
Manager Pauline Moore. "Our focus is on math and science because we want
to support teachers in reaching the high world standards that America
once enjoyed. The focus is on energy conservation because we want to
promote using our energy resources wisely."
Moore noted that the teacher mini-grants are just one of the ways in
which the company is supporting its communities. "We also are giving
scholarships to students, and have established a matching customer
contribution program, Customer Connection," Moore said.
"This program will use stockholder money to match up to $100,000 of
customer donations to support community programs nominated by TNP's
customers."
AUSTIN (AP) - Jeweler Kelly Smith says he didn't think he would run
afoul of the law when he accepted an order in September to manufacture
sterling silver ``Ranger'' badges for the Republic of Texas ``defense
forces.''
``You know what, I'm just an artist,'' Smith said. ``I just make
jewelry. I don't care if you want to play `Roger Ramjet.' I'll make your
insignia and I'll make it nice.''
The Republic of Texas movement does not recognize Texas law and claims
Texas is a sovereign nation illegally annexed by the United States in
1845.
But the Smiths do recognize Texas law.
``Texas Government Code 411.017. I know it all too well,'' said Lisa
Smith, Kelly's wife and the marketing partner of the couple's business.
That section of the law prohibits the manufacturing, selling or
possession of a badge that bears an insignia similar to that of the
Texas Rangers, which is a division of the Department of Public Safety.
Violation is a misdemeanor.
It's a felony to send such a badge through the mail.
The badges were never delivered because, the Smiths say, the group did
not pay for the badges, leaving them stuck with an inventory of 75
badges they can't sell.
And the Smiths also face possible destruction of their business by the
Republic.
``We plan to file a lien against the business for theft of governmental
property,'' Richard McLaren, the group's self-styled ambassador and
consul general, said Monday from the group's ``embassy'' in Fort Davis.
The Republic paid a $3,500 down payment, but the couple's bank rejected
a $3,496 check to cover the balance.
Attorney General Dan Morales issued a warning this month against
accepting checks issued by the Republic because they were drawn on a
fictitious Republic of Texas trust.
Lisa Smith said she found out about the badge law only after the bank
rejected the check.
``When the Republic defaulted on the contract, I tried to find out what
our market was for the badges as collector's items -- so I called the
cops,'' she said.
In fact, she called the Texas Rangers.
``He told me, `Young lady, there's a law about this kind of thing,'''
she said.
A local prosecutor couldn't say whether the Smiths would be prosecuted
for making the badges.
``Obviously, we don't prosecute children who wear badges that say
sheriff on them,'' said Mack Martinez, chief of the county attorney's
intake division. ``A decision whether to prosecute would depend on the
circumstances in which the badges were used.''
McLaren says the Republic made good on the deal and wants its badges.
He maintains that $3,500 from the supposedly bad check, an
official-looking trust warrant, has been withdrawn from the Republic's
accounts.
McLaren said the jewelers don't have to worry about the state's badge
law because Republic of Texas law overrides it.
``The Smiths are not Texas nationals; they are claiming to be United
States citizens,'' McLaren said. ``What law they go by, I have no idea.
I know what law we go by.''
PECOS, Dec. 24, 1996 - High Monday 69, low last night 26. Tonight,
mostly clear. Low around 25. Light wind. Christmas day, partly cloudy.
High near 65. South to southwest wind 10-20 mph.
L.C. Curb, 88, of Odessa, died Sunday, Dec. 22 at Medical Center
Hospital.
Services are scheduled for today at 4 p.m. at Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home
with Don Turskey officiating. Burial will in Sunset Memorial Gardens.
He was born March 17, 1908, in Merkel, he moved to Odessa in 1990 from
Pecos, was a member of the Church of Christ and retired from Pecos
Valley Southern Railroad.
Survivors include his wife, Minnie Ethel Curb of Odessa; one daughter,
Minnie Lois Neal of Odessa; two grandchildren and four
great-grandchildren.
Jesus Sanchez, 93, died Monday, Dec. 23 at the Pecos Nursing Home.
Rosary will be said Christmas Day at 7 p.m. at Martinez Funeral Home
Chapel.
Mass is scheduled for Thursday at 10 a.m. at Santa Rosa Catholic Church
with burial at Santa Rosa Cemetery.
He was born Sept. 21, 1903 in Jalisco, Mex., was a retired truck driver,
a lifetime Pecos resident and a Catholic.
Survivors include five daughters, Margarita Lara, Lupe Acosta and
Carlotta Granado of Pecos, Edwina Vasquez of Carlsbad, N.M. and Jesusita
Pallan of Odessa; 19 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren and 10
great-great grandchildren.
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_
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
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