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Archive 2002

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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas

Top Stories

Friday, December 13, 2002

School OKs bid for awning at field

By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer

PECOS, Fri., Dec. 13, 2002 -- A bid for a new baseball awning was approved along with several  other items during the regular Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD Board meeting  held Thursday evening at the Technology Center, and officials expect work to  be done by the time the 2003 season begins in mid-February.

Abbott Builders received the bid for the Pecos baseball field grandstand awning in the amount of $49,590.

Architect Monte Hunter assured the board that the awning would be completed by the time the baseball season would begin. Abbott will be finished by Feb. 15, 2003, and scrimmages begin Feb. 16, and a game on Feb. 26, according to Hunter.

The awning is designed to protect fans from the wind, rain and heat during the baseball season and during summer league games at the high school field. Fort Stockton recently constructed an awning over the stands at its baseball field, and awnings have been in place for years at both the Monahans High School baseball field and at Martinez Field in Pecos, where the Pecos girls softball team plays their games.

In other action on Thursday, board members approved the use of the Pecos High School new gym by the Christmas for the Kids group.

Christmas for the Kids is a public service, which provides clothing for the underprivileged children in our community at Christmas time.

"We hold three fundraisers a year to reach our goal of $8,000," said elf Sofia Baeza. "This year we would like to have a volleyball tournament on Dec. 21 and would like the board to consider waiving the fees for the rental of the gym and the custodian," she said.

The American Cancer Society Relay for Life committee requested the use of the Pecos High School Stadium on Friday, May 16 and Saturday, May 17, 2003, for its annual Relay for Life. Relay for Life is a community-based event designed to celebrate survivorship and raise money for the American Cancer Society.

The relay teams will begin setting up camps at noon on Friday, May 16, with opening ceremonies beginning at 7 p.m. and closing ceremonies ending the relay at 10 a.m., Saturday, May 17.

Board members approved the use of the high school stadium by the group, which has done this for the past several years.

The committee requested the use of the track and field, as well as the restrooms under the stands, electrical outlets, lighting under the stands and if possible, the stadium lights for a few hours.

The Board of Directors of Reeves County Teachers Credit Union requested the use of the auditorium for Jan. 23, 2003, for their Annual Shareholder's Meeting an item the board approved as well.

P-B-T board names Payan as new HS baseball coach

By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer

PECOS, Fri., Dec. 13, 2002 -- Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD school board members have selected  Pecos Eagles' assistant baseball coach Elias Payan to be theEagles' new  varsity coach, following Thursday's night's board meeting atthe  district's Technology Center.

Payan's selection was made at the recommendation of P-B-T Superintendent Don Love, district Personnel Director Gome Olibas and Athletic Director Bubba Williams, who resigned as baseball coach last month to take over as the head football coach for the Pecos Eagles.

Williams will remain as PHS athletic director, and was given a raise during last night's meeting. His salary was set at $59,960 for the next year for serving as head football coach, and athletic director.

Williams had served 21 seasons as head baseball coach for Pecos, beginning with the 1982 season. Payan played for Williams from 1983-85, and served as an assistant coach in the early 1990s, and from 1998-2002.

"He's been assisting coach Williams for the last five years or so," said PBT-ISD Superintendent Don Love. "He's very capable, this is his hometown and we feel he'll do a good job for us," he said.

"I'm very excited about becoming head baseball coach," Payan said this morning. "I'm honored to take over a program like we've had, and I'm looking forward to the challenge. I'm confident in my abilities and I'm confident in the kids' abilities."

"I'd like to thank coach Williams for his continued support. I just hope I can do as well as he did," said Payan, who'll be taking on his second head baseball coaching job. In-between his two stints as an assistant coach for the Eagles' he spent three years as head coach at Class 2A LaPryor in South Central Texas, making the playoffs in 1997 and 1998, winning the district championship in his final season.

"We only had one senior graduating the year I came back here," he said. "They ended up ranked fifth, so I left a good team to return here to work for coach Williams, but the year I came back we got to the (Region I-4A) semifinals, so it was worth it."

Payan takes over a team that won the District 2-4A title last season and finished with a 22-8 record, losing to Frenship in the area round of the Class 4A playoffs. This season, the Eagles will move down a level to Class 3A competition, but as was the case in football, figure to have a tougher district to play in than they did a year ago as a member of the El Paso-based 4A district. Monahans is the defending District 4-3A champion, and advanced to the Region I-3A finals this past season.

"I know there are high expectations dropping down to 3A, and I have high expectations as well, but I think the kids will come through," he said. "We only lost two starters (infielder Richard Rodriguez and catcher Mason Abila), so we'll have an experienced team.

"Pitching should be one of our strong points. We've got Barney (Rodriguez) coming back, and Matthew (Levario) and Jose Reyes, and we've got some young prospects up and coming I'm optimistic about.

Payan will be only the fourth head baseball coach for Pecos since  1968. Williams began as an assistant coach under Charles Pattillo, and then  served for nine years under Steve Peters before becoming the Eagles' head coach.


Couple in murder-suicide seen arguing before deaths

From Staff and Wire Reports
A couple who were found dead this week in an apparent  muder-suicide reportedly were seen arguing at a reception for State Senator Frank  Madla the day before they disappeared.

Julie Kass, 38, was found strangled in her car Sunday in Fort Davis. Her husband, Donald Kass, 57, executive director of the Fort Davis Chamber of Commerce, was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in his car at a roadside park 21 miles north of Fort Davis.

Jeff Davis County Sheriff Steve Bailey said the results of an autopsy on the couple in El Paso confirmed the deaths were a murder-suicide, the Midland Reporter-Telegram said in Friday's edition.

Bailey told the Big Bend Sentinel for its Thursday edition that it was "common knowledge they were overheard arguing" at the reception for Madla on Saturday at the Hotel Limpia in Fort Davis. Julie Kass telephoned a family member early Sunday morning, and Bailey estimated her death occurred between 3 and 8 a.m. that day, the Sentinel said.

He added that he didn't know where she was killed, "but I believe it didn't happen were the body was found. Her body was transported where she was found."

Don Kass was last seen on Sunday, when he asked a friend for a firearm to shoot some varmints at his house, a source said. Kass didn't appear for work at the Chamber office on Monday, and his body was found Tuesday morning at the Madera Canyon roadside park on State Highway 118, between Fort Davis and Kent in the Davis Mountains.

The two married in November of last year in a public ceremony at the restored fort in Fort Davis.

Julie Kass had a 14-year-old daughter and an 11-year-old son and Donald Kass had a 20-year-old son, authorities said.

Chamber holding holiday lighting judging tonight

PECOS, Fri., Dec. 13, 2002 -- The Women's Division of the Pecos Area Chamber of Commerce would like to remind everyone that they will be holding their annual Christmas lighting and decorating contest tonight.

Members of the Women's Division will be out between the hours of 7 p.m. till 11 p.m. judging homes for `most elegant,' `most use of lights' and `best Christmas theme.'

Winners will be announced Monday in the Pecos Enterprise and on KIUN radio.

Weather

PECOS, Fri., Dec. 13, 2002 -- High Thursday 62. Low this morning 32. Forecast for  tonight: Clear. Lows around 30. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Saturday:  Mostly sunny. Highs 65 to 70. Southwest winds 5 to 15 mph. Saturday  night: Clear. Lows 30 to 35. Sunday: Mostly cloudy. Highs around 70.  Monday: Partly cloudy. Lows 30 to 35. Highs around 65.

Police Report

EDITOR'S NOTE: Information contained in the Police Report  is obtained from reports filed by the Pecos Police Department,  Reeves County Sheriff's Office, or other officers of those agencies.

The serving of warrants by an officer for outstanding fines of  either traffic citations, animal control violations or other court costs  are considered arrests and will be printed as such unless indicated  that the fines were paid. In such instances we will indicate payment  and release.
***
Fred Lara, 55, was arrested at 8:10 p.m., on Dec. 12 at the Allsup's at  708 S. Cedar St., for Criminal Trespass.
***
Armado Salazar, 51 was arrested at 1:10 a.m., on Dec. 12 in the  1200 block of South Elm for assault Family Violence Act Class C.
***
Jacob Natividad, 23, was arrested at 10:24 p.m., on Dec. 11 at the  Reeves County Hospital Emergency Room for assault Family Violence Act Class A.
***
Leticia Romero, 30, was arrested at 10:02 p.m., on Dec. 10 in the  700 block of South Sycamore for Injury to a  Child-1st degree felony.
***
Frankie Menchaca, 29, was arrested at 3:23 a.m., on Dec 11 in  the 100 block of North Cedar for assault Family Violence Act.

Obituary

Donna Perkins



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