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Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Friday, July 1, 2005
Late night rides take early leads at Pecos Rodeo
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
Greg Fuller suffered a Fire Ant sting Wednesday night, but not before coming up with a score that may be hard to beat, during the opening performance of the West of the Pecos Rodeo.
The Dimmitt, Tx., cowboy was trampled near the exit chute by “Fire Ant”, the bull Fuller had just ridden to a 92 point score and the lead after the opening night of bull riding at the 122nd anniversary rodeo. Fuller survived the incident relatively unharmed, and gave a wave to the remaining crowd at the Buck Jackson Rodeo Arena just before his 92-point score was announced.
Fuller was one of a dozen cowboys who rode their bulls after the rodeo officially ended for the night. His ride was part of slack competition, which in previous had been held as part of a special bull riding session the night before the rodeo. A slack session for ladies’ barrel racing also took place following the rodeo’s official end on Wednesday, and it also ended up producing the first night’s leader, with Talina Bird of Lubbock completing the course in an 18.50 second time to grab first place in the standings.
Fuller’s ride was three points better than the 89-point score of Fred Boetcher, who rode “Snortin Horton” during the regular bull riding session on Wednesday. Third place when to a cowboy who rode in both the regular and slack sessions, Bryan Richardson. The current No. 3-ranked bull rider in the PRCA standings was awarded a re-ride after a 67 point score during the regular session and came up with an 87 point score on board “Danger Zone:” during slack competition, which ran until shortly before midnight.
Steven Shelly, with an 86-point ride on “Kingpin” and Chris Littlejohn, who scored 84 points on “Night Train” rounded out the Top 5 scores after the first night of bull riding.
Wednesday was the only night slack competition was scheduled following the end of the regular rodeo. The final three nights of the 122nd anniversary event were scheduled to start at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday at the Buck Jackson Rodeo Arena.
Texas cowgirls held 11 of the top 12 positions in the barrel racing after Wednesday’s opening show. Jana Riley of Paige was second to Bird with an 18.57 time, ad was followed by Angela Ganter of Abilene, Ashley Looney of Del Rio and Jessie Moody of El Paso with 18.60, 18.70 and 18.76 times respectively.
In the other two events that held their first performances on Wednesday, Brandon Holmes took the lead in the bareback riding competition, while Scott Miller leads after the opening night of saddle bronc competition.
Holmes, of Eva, Ala., scored 82 points on board “Steel Dust” to lead after the opening night. His ride was five points better than second place Clint Cameron of Waller, riding “Sierra Madre”. Clayton Foltyn, current No. 2 in the all-around standings behind Trevor Brazile, and Pete Hawkins tied for third place on the evening, both scoring 74 points.
Miller had an 85-point ride on “Lone Star” which was one point better than Matt Marvel, who had an 84-point score on “Coffee Bean”. Third after one night of competition went to Aaron Phillips, who rode “Baked Apple” to a 78-point score.
The other times events began competition earlier in the week.
Kevin Stewart and Martin Lucero had the best time on Wednesday night in team roping, a 6.8 effort, but that was only good enough to tie them for sixth in the second go-round with Midlanders Clay Tryan and Patrick Smith. Bobby Baize and Joseph Strawnego lead the second go with a 5.6 second time, while first go-round winners Jared Standridge and Jory Levy lead in the average with a 12.7 time.
Buster Record leads the average in steer roping with a 42 second combined time for three attempts. NFR record holder Guy Allen won the first go-round and Dan Fisher of Andrews took the second go, while Roger Branch leads the third go-round with an 11.3 time. Record competed at Wednesday’s show and had a 16.5 second time, after 13.1 and 12.4 second efforts in his first two attempts.
Second go-round leader Cash Myers also holds the lead in the average in steer wrestling. Myers’ 6.6-second time ties him for first with Hunter Cure, and was actually .3 slower than his first go-round time, which left him in third place at the end of that competition. Cure had an 8.2 time on his first attempt and is second in the average, with a 14.8 combined total.
Midlander Shay Good holds the lead in the tie-down roping, with an 18.8 time in the average. He’s also second in the second go-round with an 8.8 time, behind Stan Smith’s 8.5-second effort.
Pecos roper John Clark finished the first-go round of tie-down roping tied for fifth with Brazile, the defending NFR All-Around champ and current money leader, and Kerrville roper Johnny Grimes, all with 9.7 second times. Price Phillips of Van Vleck won the first go-round with a 9.1 second time.
Action again delayed in airport lease dispute
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
Pecos City Council members tabled any action on a lease proposal for the Trans-Pecos Weather Modification Program, during their June 23 meeting at City Hall.
The Pecos Municipal Airport Board and the Trans-Pecos Weather Modification Program have been debating the cost of a revised airport lease for the past three months, after a plane crash in February caused the weather modification group to seek a change in their lease, since they no longer needed the large hangar adjacent to the Doppler weather radar site set up next to the northeast side of the hangar area.
However, council members said they needed to see what the Airport Board’s response would be to the Weather Modification Program’s offer.
During a council meeting in May, Tom Nance with the Trans-Pecos Weather Modification Program told council members he would move the radar operations of the cloud seeding program away from there as well, if the city goes through with a recommendation by the Airport Board to charge a $650 annual fee for rental space at the facility.
“It’s not the $650 that’s unreasonable. We’re just trying to make Pecos better,” Nance said. “To charge anything at all to me is unreasonable.”
He said if the council accepts the Airport Board’s recommendation, “We’ll move it and set it up somewhere else.”
Nance responded with a $1 lease offer for the land. However, Airport Board President Bill Hubbs told the council during the May meeting, “The state statute states public property cannot be sold, leased or given away for less than fair market value.”
City Attorney Scott Johnson said that the council could determine what fair market value was, and at last Thursday’s meeting, Mayor Dot Stafford said that decision should initially be left up to the Airport Board.
“The Airport Board needs to act on it before we do anything,” said Stafford, while city manager Joseph Torres said the board needed to get together with Alan Zeman of the Weather Modification Program to discuss their offer.
“We need to reconvene the Airport Board and decide what is fair market value,” Torres said. “Now that they’ve submitted their proposal, the Airport Board needs to come in and decide on that.”
In other action, the council discusses improving collection rates for unpaid bills to the Pecos Ambulance Service.
City finance director Sam Contreras said NRS, the collection agency hired by the city, was seeking input from the council on options to improve the current rate of 36 percent.
“What the company wants to do is send additional letters, with increasing severity in the letter,” Contreras said.
“I think they ought to get a little tougher,” said Johnson, who told the council if the agency fails to collect within a year, the non-payment cases could be turned over to his office.
Contreras discussed a possible installment plan for those with delinquent bills, while councilwoman Angelica Valenzuela asked about attaching the delinquent bills to water bills sent out by the city.
“Then we get back to cutting off the water,” Johnson said. “I don’t think we can actually add another debt to the water bill.”
The council agreed to pay bills totaling just under $341,000, including payments to Johnson Controls for the city’s new electronic water meters. Council members were told there was no guarantee the new equipment would increase water income for the city, but public works director Edgardo Madrid did say the water losses have dropped from between 15 and 19 percent to 5-6 percent since the new meters were added.
Tax collections for the month were $22,758, and the collection rate was up 2 percent, to 83.3 percent, the council was told. The council also approved an investment policy for the city mandated by the state’s Public Investment Act, and approved property sales at 1810 W. Third St., to Carmen G. Dominguez for $3,100; a lot in the 700 block of East Third Street, for $500 to Olivia Urias; and 218-220-222 S. Cherry St., for $2,000 to Roy Pogue.
Wein’s float earns top honor at Rodeo Parade
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
A wide array of floats, horses, antique cars and more participated in this year’s West of the Pecos Rodeo Parade held Wednesday morning in Pecos.
Winners included Golden Girl nominee Michelle Wein, whose float captured first place in the division for the Golden Girl floats, while Ashley Mendoza placed second in that division. A total of 12 floats were entered by this year’s nominees.
In the antique vehicles division: first place went to Jack Brookshire and second place to Joseph Torres.
In the bicycles division, Augustin Mendoza took first place and Isaiah Patino second.
The Little Miss Cantaloupe Float placed first in the Civic Clubs, Organizations Division and the Pecos Citizens Police Academy placed second.
Dr. Olaydele Olusanya’s float placed first in the Commercial Division and the Blue Bunny Ice Cream truck’s float placed second.
This year’s judges for the event included Pecos Chiropractor Dr. Jay Haney and members of the NewsWest 9 Team, Stephanie Rivas and Jay Hendricks.
Several riding groups participated in this year’s event, including Grand Marshal for this year’s event was Steve Begay and his wife Bertha, who also rode horses during the three-mile parade.
The Taylor’s Crew placed first in the Horse Riding Groups Division and the Madera Valley Riding Clubs placed second.
The winners were announced during the Annual Barbecue luncheon held at the Reeves County Sheriff’s Posse Barn following the parade, which was cooked and served by members of the group.
Hall induction event to include design plans
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
Plans have been drawn up for the Texas Rodeo Hall of Fame building and will be detailed on Saturday, after part of a reception and induction ceremony for the Hall’s six new members.
The second annual induction ceremony is set for 3 p.m. Saturday at the West of the Pecos Museum, which is the temporary home of the Hall of Fame until remodeling work is done on the old Missouri-Pacific Railroad depot, located across First Street from the museum.
“The Texas Rodeo Hall of Fame Board has been visiting with the architect that came with the resource team for the Main Street program,” said Pecos Area Chamber of Commerce Director Linda Gholson.
Gholson said that the architect, Tony Eeds, with the Texas Historical Commission, came up with the plans after visiting with the board on several occasions.
“He will be helping with the plans as well as finding avenues for possible funding,” said Gholson.
Eeds was in Pecos last year to discuss the project at a public hearing. Exterior plans for the depot were displayed in March of 2004, during a visit to Pecos by Texas First Lady Anita Perry.
“Thanks to the West of the Pecos Museum for lending us the dining room to display until the depot is able to open,” said Gholson. “All this was not possible without all the donations that were made for the project, thanks to them as well,” she said.
Gholson thanked the families for providing all the memorabilia about the cowboys’ life to have on display.
The six inductees for the year 2005 include: Tuffy Cooper of Monument, N.M.; Jim Davis of Abilene and Arnold Felts of San Angelo.
To be inducted posthumously are Shawn McMullen of Iraan, Sonny Davis of Kenna, N.M. and Louis Powers of Sonora.
All six cowboys have played a vital role in the development of the West of the Pecos Rodeo and have won many, many honors when competing at Pecos.
The induction ceremony, along with a reception, will be held in the courtyard of the West of the Pecos Museum on Saturday. Everyone is invited and encouraged to attend.
The Texas Rodeo Hall of Fame members are Hugh Box, John Barfield, Roger Harrison, Linda Gholson, Joe Keese, Junior Martinez, Brenda and Clay McKinney, Gary Oden, John Rediger, Dot Stafford, Peggy Walker and Bailey Wheelis.
Wilsons celebrate 50th Wedding Anniversary
Wheeler and Mary Wilson, former long-time residents of Pecos, will celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary on Friday, July 1, 2005. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson were married in 1955 at the First Baptist Church of Rosenburg, Texas. During their married life, they have so far lived in Rosenburg, Alvin, Fort Stockton, Pecos, Carthage, and now reside in Whitehouse, Texas, near Tyler. Wheeler, a chemical engineer who is a graduate of the University of Houston, spent his career in the sulphur industry, serving as Pennzoil Sulphur’s Vice-President of Production at the Culberson property northwest of Pecos. Wheeler served as a member of the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah CISD school board for several terms. Mary, a devoted wife and mother, concentrated her efforts on homemaking and raising her children. For many years, she also worked as a secretary for the First Baptist Church of Pecos. The Wilsons have three children, eight grandchildren, and three great grandchildren. All three of their children graduated from Pecos High School. Curtis, currently living in San Antonio with his wife Patti and their children, graduated in 1975; James, currently in Great Falls, Montana with his wife Laura and their children, graduated in 1976; and Elizabeth, currently residing in the People’s Republic of China, graduated in 1978. Wheeler and Mary look forward to spending the anniversary with all of their children in a special family celebration.
Government, businesses set July 4 closings
Banks and government offices will be among those taking Monday off to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday.
Both West Texas National Bank and TransPecos Bank will be closed, as will all city, state and federal offices. A number of local businesses will also shut their doors in order to observe Independence Day, including the Pecos Enterprise.
The Enterprise office will be closed on Monday, and publication of the Tuesday paper will not take place until Tuesday afternoon. The paper’s offices will resume normal business hours on Tuesday.
Pecos Enterprise
York M. "Smokey" Briggs, Publisher
324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 432-445-5475, FAX 432-445-4321
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 2003-04 by Pecos Enterprise
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