Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas

Opinion

Squarely
Pegged

By Peggy McCracken

Unity of purpose bodes well for Pecos

Each Easter and Thanksgiving, all the churches hold a joint worship service in the evening. Several times we have participated in a city-wide crusade or special presentation like the drama "Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames," that cross denominational lines.

Now comes the biggest project of all: distribution of the "Jesus" video. Many of you have seen the video at church or have received a free copy from a booth at the Reeves County Fall Fair. You know what a valuable tool the video is to teach the Bible. Along toward the end of this month, everyone in the 79772 zip code will receive a free copy of the "Jesus" video in the mail, courtesy of local churches who are paying the bill.

I am a little leery of freebies that come to my mailbox, and I might be inclined to dump the video cassette in the trash if I didn't know how valuable it is. I hope nobody will do that, but will watch it and profit from the message it delivers.

This is an appropriate time, because Easter is just around the corner. And Easter is what the life of Jesus is all about. God came to earth as a baby, grew up and told people how to know God personally. To ensure that everyone could know God, Jesus died on the cross, was buried on Friday and rose from the grave on Sunday _ the day we know as Easter.

That resurrection is the basis of the Christian faith. Because Jesus rose from the dead, so will we who believe on His name, repent of sin and make Him Lord of our life.

Two weeks after Easter, the churches are again sponsoring the drama, "Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames." Local people will set up the stage under the direction of professionals, play all the parts and counsel inquirers who want to know how to get their names written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

I'm excited about all this, and I hope you are too. It should bring Christians together, help them grow spiritually, and offer sinners a chance to get right with God. What a beautiful place Pecos could be if we "dwell together in unity."

"The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good." Proverbs 15:3, NIV

EDITOR'S NOTE: Peggy McCracken can be e-mailed at: peg2@pecos.net

Old Pete goes to Washington

PECOS, March 20, 2001 - The city of Muleshoe has a statue of a mule next to the chamber of commerce office. It is a fiberglass replica of a mule named Pete. Some Muleshoe residents got the idea that Pete should go to George W. Bush's inauguration.

After all, George W. had been a friend of Gil Lamb, a Muleshoe broadcaster who was instrumental in getting the mule monument erected in 1965. Gil was also one of just a handful of Republicans around Muleshoe back then. Although Gil is no longer with us, his spirit is always with Old Pete.

The statue was loaded onto a truck that was picking up items for the inauguration and hauled to Washington. Big events were ahead for it.

At the Texas Society's Black Tie & Boots Ball, one of the banquet rooms was transformed into the Muleshoe Martini & Cigar Bar. Not surprising, really, since Rick Myers, a former Muleshoe resident, now a Washington lobbyist, was in charge of the ball. Rick said the ball had been in the planning stage for eighteen months and during the last month he had worked on it fulltime.

About a dozen Muleshoe residents went to Washington for the festivities.

The Mayor of Muleshoe, Victor Leal and his wife, Debbie were among them. On Thursday night prior to the festivities, Rick had the Muleshoe folks over to his house for a fancy party.

"It had all the good stuff," says Debbie.

"On Friday morning, Rick was interviewed on CNN," says Victor. "He talked mostly about Muleshoe and Old Pete."

Old Pete was fashionably late at the ball because his ears wouldn't fit through the door. Some carpenter work and careful maneuvering had to be done so Pete could join the party. He was introduced with a fanfare and spotlight and escorted to the stage with great pomp and circumstance.

Pete's next appearance was in the inaugural parade. Victor was one of the people responsible for getting Old Pete to the parade staging area.

Parade officials wanted everything ready by 4 AM Saturday. That meant Old Pete had to be in place on the Texas float within a few hours after the ball.

"We changed from our tuxedos, put on jeans and loaded Old Pete onto a pickup truck for the ride to the parade area. It's freezing and drizzling rain. So here are all these guys from Muleshoe riding in the back of a pickup with Old Pete at 3 AM. It's really something to see the Washington Monument between Old Pete's ears. When we came to traffic lights, some people would look away, some would ask us what we were doing. It's something I'll never forget."

Victor rode on the Texas float. He was the only Texas mayor to do so. When it passed in front of George W., the President acknowledged with a wave and a smile.

Victor has photos and write-ups about Old Pete from newspapers all over the country.

Old Pete, the true celebrity of the Inauguration, is back on his perch in Muleshoe, greeting visitors as they come into town.

New open container law is stupid

That should be self-evident. Apparently it is not to our senators in Austin.

Two simple questions should be answered before any law is enacted _ The first is why?

Why should the act being outlawed be illegal?

Second, we should ask if the punishment would have the desired effect in discouraging the illegal behavior.

The new open container law recently passed by the Texas Senate fails on both counts.

The new law makes any open container of alcohol in a vehicle illegal, no matter who possesses it.

Now, there are already laws on the books that prohibit the driver from having an open container, and laws that prohibit the driver from being intoxicated.

So, how does preventing passengers from drinking make the roads any safer? Nobody in Austin has bothered to answer that question.

Instead, our politicians are paying lip service to the world's whining guilt-mongers' latest guilt-relief crusade.

It sounds good though. If feels good.

"If just one life is saved by this measure!"

How many times have we heard that line of moronic justification?

But, the law is stupid and repetitive. We have enough stupid and repetitive laws. One more law is not going to save a life.

Worse, however, the punishment for violating this proposed crime is a class C misdemeanor punishable by up to a $500 fine.

Whoopee. This is the threat that is supposed to deter life-threatening, irresponsible behavior?

Not likely. Especially if you are upper-middle class and can afford an occasional $500 donation to the local tax coffer.

If the whiners that support this bill were serious about preventing whatever they are trying to prevent, there would be a real penalty _ perhaps a second-degree felony punishable by a minimum of 10 years in the state pen.

Now that might discourage this behavior.

Instead, we are just playing games and clogging our lives with another silly law that impinges on the behavior and actions of responsible people and does nothing to curb the behavior of the irresponsible.

Local citizen has problems with city water department

I would like to express my views on the way in which the Pecos City Water Department handles their bookkeeping.

Why do they have computers when they apparently do not keep up accurately with day-to-day transactions. I went home at lunch yesterday, (March 13), to find my water had been cut off. I went to the water department to find out why. From what I was told, a computer print out was run on Feb. 26 and I had made a payment on Feb. 27, (three weeks ago). The only bill I owed was for $20.96. My water bill during the winter is usually $35 to $40. I obviously overpaid somewhere. I received this bill on Feb. 22 and it was due on March 9. I was two working days late and cut off. According to the Water Department, they do not cut your water off unless you are two months behind.

I would like to know why an up-to-date print out was not being used for cutoffs. Even a weekly print out would not have shown me as being two months behind! I was told that I had to pay the $20.96 that day or that I would not have my water cut back on.

After that day you are charged to have your water cut back on. I decided it was not worth arguing so I wrote the check and yes, tossed it on the desk. I have never had my water cut off before.

I cannot believe the city tolerates this and allows their customers to be treated in this manner.

SINCERELY, SUE EVANS

Return to top

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.
We support Newspapers in Education
Copyright 2000 by Pecos Enterprise