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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Monday, September 15, 2003
Fiesta names parade winners, crowns queens
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Mon., Sept. 15, 2003 -- Cars, floats and riding groups participated
in the annual 16th of September Parade Saturday morning through downtown
Pecos, and some lucky groups took home trophies for their efforts.
Trophies were awarded in several different categories, including the
float division, where Mexican Queen Maegan Rodriguez placed first. Second
place went to the American Queen - Amanda Contreras and third place was
the 2002 Little Miss Cantaloupe- Kristin Valdez.
Salvador Hinojos took home first place in the car/truck division with
his 1964 Impala. Second place went to Junja Jams with his 1956 Chevy station
wagon and Tino Acosta placed third with his 1965 Mustang.
Parade Entries - general, first place went to the Matachines of El Paso;
second place to the Catholic War Veterans and third place to Cassandra Terrazas
- Reinita De Virgen De Guadalupe.
In the horse-drawn division Bryce Salcido, reigning 2003 Little Miss
Cantaloupe placed first and in the Riding Groups, Esteban Lozoya placed
first.
"We had a different variety of entries this year," said parade organizer
Prescilla Garcia.
There were more entries in last year's event, but the entries in this
year's parade were a little bit different. "It wasn't as big as last year's,
but we had good participation," said Garcia. "We didn't have as many riding
groups, but we had more floats and different vehicles," she said.
"It's getting a little bit different, but better," said Garcia. "We hope
to have more participation next year," she said.
During Saturday evening's ceremonies at the Santa Rosa Church parking
area, Rodriguez was formally crowned Mexican Queen, while Contreras was
named American Queen and Marissa Skye Gabaldon was named Spanish Queen.
An absence of rainy weather this year helped increase turnout for the
2003 fiesta events, including Saturday's parade, which began at the West
of the Pecos Rodeo Grounds and traveled to the church parking area.
Garcia said that she had good comments from those who attended to watch
the parade. "Everybody enjoyed it and there were a lot of people out," she
said.
All the trophies from the event have been delivered.
"We had about 30 entries and last year we had over 36," said Garcia.
"And last year we had both the junior high and high school band and this
year, we only had the high school band participate," she said.
"We hope to make it bigger and better next year and if anyone has any
suggestions, we welcome them," said Garcia.
City sees double digit rise in September tax rebate
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
PECOS, Mon., Sept. 15, 2003 -- The Town of Pecos City's sales tax rebate
check was up for September and is virtually unchanged for the first three
quarters of 2003, compared to the same period a year ago, according to figures
released Friday by State Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn's office.
The city received $70,533 back from Austin this month, based on its 11/2-cent
share of Texas' 81/4-cent sales tax. That's up 13.46 percent from the check
sent out by Strayhorn's office last September. The check is based on sales
made in Pecos during the month of July, which included the period of the
2003 West of the Pecos Rodeo.
Rains helped hold down rodeo attendance and out-of-town visitors last
year. Turnout for the 2003 rodeo was up, and that may have contributed to
the increase in this year's July tax collections.
The city gives one-sixth of their monthly rebate check to the Pecos Economic
Development Corp. For this month, the PEDC will receive $11,756 from the
city's rebate check.
For all of 2003, Pecos has gotten back $575,291 from the comptroller's
office, which is down 1.93 percent from a year ago, when the city had gotten
$586,657 in tax rebates for the first nine months of the year.
Toyah's September tax rebate check was up sharply, while Balmorhea's
check for the month was down from a year ago, though both remain down overall
for 2003. Balmorhea got a $1,061 check from Austin, down 15.38 percent from
last year, and have received $8,104 this year, a drop of 131/2 percent from
2002. Toyah's $731 check was up 143.31 percent from the $300 it got last
year, but the $4,095 it has gotten from the state since January is still
251/2 percent below the nine-month total last year.
Rebate figures were mixed across the Permian Basin this month, Strayhorn's
office reported. Odessa reported an increase in it's rebate check of over
nine percent from a year ago, while Midland still had the area's single
largest rebate for September, at $1.45 million, but that was down 2.1 percent
from last year.
Statewide, cities and counties received just under $210 million in tax
rebates this month, up 21/2 percent from last year. Houston's $25.7 million
check was the single largest, but was 0.4 percent below their September,
2002 check, while Dallas' check for $13.3 million was 14 percent lower than
a year ago.
Voters in county, state OK passage of all amendments
By BRENDEN BRIGGS
Staff Writer
PECOS, Mon., Sept. 15, 2003 -- Texas voters approved all 22 constitutional
amendments that were up for a vote on Saturday, and voters in Reeves County
were in concordance with the rest of the state, with all of the amendments
passing as well.
This includes the Proposition 12, giving the legislature the ability to
determine limitations in civic suits brought against doctors and health care
providers.
In Reeves County, the proposition passed by a margin of 84 votes, with
255 votes in favor and 171 votes against. In city of Pecos, early ballots
came in at 134 votes for and 64 against, while in Saturday's voting 95 were
in favor and 80 were against.
Proposition 12 won the narrowest victory statewide, passing by only a
51-49 percent margin. The argument for and against this amendment has been
heated, with patients' rights advocates and personal injury lawyers campaigning
against the proposal and doctors and health care providers leading the amendment's
supporters.
"This is help for insurance companies, with sagging stock-market returns
the medical insuring companies had had to raise premiums on doctors," said
local Democratic Party Chairman, Bob Dean. "The only problem is that no
matter what the damage done to the person and no matter what the negligence
shown by the health care provider, maximum punitive (or pain and suffering)
damages stop at $250,000," he added.
On the other hand, the large awards given by juries in medical malpractice
suits have especially hurt local doctors.
"The cost of obstetric insurance costs up to $100,000 per year, this
high cost prevents local doctors from being able to provide these services,"
said local Dr. Orville Cerna. " This proposition will help keep local doctors
offering services and hopefully lower health care costs to the patients
at the same time."
"The medical malpractice insurance companies have been leaving Texas.
Two years ago there were 17 in the state and now there are four," ," said
Doctor Joseph Darpolor. "Hopefully the proposition will entice carriers
to return to the state and the competition will lower premiums, a savings
we doctors can pass onto our patients
"We, as health care providers would like to thank the voters for their
support on this important issue," he said.
Another amendment approved Saturday that could effect local residents
was Proposition 7. This amendment allows the use of a six-person jury in
misdemeanor trials in smaller counties.
This amendment would allow rural or low-population communities to utilize
a smaller, more easy to empanel jury. Larger cities already have specialized
courts to handle misdemeanor cases with a six-person jury, this amendment
just put smaller towns on par with them.
Proposition 7 passed in Reeves County overall by a margin of 268 to 125.
Of that total, 128 votes were for and 57 against in early voting, and 108
votes for and 57 against on Election Day in the city of Pecos.
Another amendment with possible local impact was Proposition 6. This
amendment would allow a senior citizen to change a home equity loan to a
reverse mortgage without losing Homestead Act protection. A reverse mortgage
gives the owner cash advances against the equity in their home.
In Reeves County this amendment passed by a margin of 264 to 118. In
the city of Pecos the early ballot voting had proposition 6 passing 117
to 66 and 112 to 44 on Election Day.
Shrine Circus hold performance tonight
PECOS, Mon., Sept. 15, 2003 -- The George Carden El Maida Shrine Circus
will be in Pecos this evening for a one-night performance, beginning at
7 p.m. performance in the Buck Jackson Rodeo Arena.
Tickets are $8 for children and $10 for adults for the show, which will
feature elephant and tiger acts, along with dogs, a crossbow act and a motorcycle
act in the circus' steel globe.
Committee plans clean-up event
PECOS, Mon., Sept. 15, 2003 -- A cleanup, sponsored by the Keep Pecos
Beautiful Committee, that had been scheduled for this weekend has been rescheduled
for the weekend of Oct. 11.
Volunteers are always welcome to help with the community cleanup.
Weather
PECOS, Mon., Sept. 15, 2003 -- High Sunday 83. Low this morning 62. Forecast
for tonight: Clear. Lows in the mid 60s. South winds 10 to 15 mph. Tuesday:
Partly cloudy. Highs in the upper 90s. South winds 10 to 15 mph. Tuesday
night: Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 60s. South winds 10 to 15 mph. Wednesday:
Partly cloudy. Highs in the upper 90s. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph. Wednesday
night: Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 60s.
Obituary
Kittie Arnold
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 2003 by Pecos Enterprise
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