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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Thursday, August 21, 2003
Stepson faces manslaughter in family fight
By JENNIFER GALVAN
Staff Writer
PECOS, Thurs., Aug. 21, 2003 -- The Pecos Police Department has charged a
39-year old man with manslaughter and aggravated assault as the result of
a family fight Tuesday night on the north side of town.
Police were called to after the 400 block of North Ash Street late Tuesday
night, Pecos Police Lt. Kelly Davis said.
"We received the call at 11:06 p.m. of an unresponsive male, Regino (Vasquez),
at 414 N. Ash" Davis said. "They advised that Donny Ray (Winfrey) had assaulted
them."
Davis said that when officers arrived at the scene they found Elisa Winfrey,
70, the mother of Donny Ray Winfrey with cuts to her hand and Vasquez, 64,
lying on the ground.
"The ambulance started CPR at the scene," Davis said. However, he added
that he did not get to see what conditions Vasquez was in because by the
time Davis arrived the paramedics had placed Vasquez in the ambulance.
At first they believed he had also been cut because of the blood on him.
However they now believe that the blood on Vasquez came from Elisa Winfrey's
cuts.
"We do not know the types of injuries he sustained," Davis said. "He
(Vasquez) was transported to the hospital and pronounced dead by Judge (Jim)
Riley."
Currently the cause of death is unknown, and Riley ordered an autopsy
of Vasquez to determine the cause of death, Davis said
Davis said that the Reeves County Sheriff's Department located Donny
Ray Winfrey at his residence, which is located about three blocks from Vasquez's
home.
"The Sheriff's Department located Donny Ray Winfrey at his residence,
205 N. Walnut, and arrested him for us," Davis said.
Though he has been charged with manslaughter and aggravated assault,
Davis said that they are working on what might have caused the argument
between the three individuals and believe that alcohol might have been a
factor.
He added that they believed they also located the weapon used by Donny
Winfrey.
"We believe we have found the knife involved," Davis said.
"He is in our jail and is waiting transport to the County Jail," Davis
said Wednesday afternoon. "Bond has also been set."
Winfrey has since been transferred to Reeves County Jail.
Alpine preparing for Labor Day balloon fest
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Thurs., Aug. 21, 2003 -- Twenty-four hot air balloons and 10 power-parachutes
will paint West Texas skies during the Labor Day weekend.
"Everyone is invited," said Ken Clouse, President of the Big Bend Balloon
Bash, Inc., the Alpine, non-profit group sponsoring air activities in the
entire Big Bend Region.
The Eighth Annual Big Bend Balloon Fest weekend will be held in Alpine
and the surrounding area on Aug. 30 through Sept.1, according to Clouse.
"We have never had a day we couldn't fly balloons on Labor Day Weekend,"
said Clouse. "The winds are just right, with the high mountains surrounding
Alpine in a bowl shape," he said.
These mountains offer unique protection from the sometimes-strong Trans-Pecos
winds, according to Clouse.
Powered parachutes are multi-colored parachutes driven by gas-engines
and steered by pilots in metal cages. After the balloons have landed, 10
of these ultra light gliders will thrill the crowds until noon. "This is
the first time that this crowd-pleaser has ever been staged here," said Clouse.
Clouse said that this summer is the wettest in years, the grasses and
mountains providing a most beautiful backdrop for the event, which begins
at Alpine's Casperis Municipal Airport, two miles north of downtown on State
Highway 118.
"For shoppers, over 25 downtown Alpine merchants will sell their treasures
on the sidewalks in a special Saturday morning sidewalk sale. This is a
lively and unique event for families to experience local Big Bend crafts
and gifts," said Clouse.
Sunday night is the balloon glow concert at Jackson Field. "When the
gas-engines of the balloons squeal out in unique melodical patterns, the
sounds are entrancing. And visual patters of night fires from these balloon
engines at twilight leaves most everyone spell bound," said Clouse.
As for traditional music lovers, 20 minutes away is the 17th Annual Marfa
Lights Festival. The Latin Breed and Red Shift are the headlines of Marfa,
a multi-day Labor Day Weekend venue.
Clouse said that both Alpine and Marfa have some of the finest restaurants
to dine in before these concerts.
For more information contact the City of Alpine at 432-837-3301 or Kenneth
Clouse at 432-837-7486.
Workshop to show hummingbirds in tune with area
PECOS, Thurs., Aug. 21, 2003 -- Hummingbirds, their habits, how to attract
them and identify them will all be discussed during a workshop scheduled
for this evening in Pecos.
"The diversity of West Texas rivals that of many of the best known hummingbird
'mecas' of Arizona," said Mark Klym, coordinator of the Texas Hummingbird
Roundup for Texas Parks and Wildlife. "There are regions of West Texas where
one can find nine or more species in a single weekend without a lot of effort."
Klym will be presenting the workshop on hummingbirds at the Reeves County
Civic Center at 7 p.m. today.
The diversity of this region is a direct result of the diverse geology
of the regions. With mountain meadows, alpine forests, cool canyons, riparian
forests and of course gardens, the Trans Pecos has been visited by 15 of
the 18 species that are known in the state of Texas. "We've even had two
occurrences of the Anna's Hummingbird - a species that nests primarily in
the mountainous areas of California and the Pacific Coast - nesting in this
region," said Klym.
The workshop will focus on how to attract these hummingbirds on how to
attract these hummingbirds to your garden and how to identify them once
they are there.
"Too often people will focus on putting up a feeder and rely on it to
provide them with the hummingbirds," said Klym. "I like to compare that
to building a home next to a McDonalds and not installing a kitchen. You
don't want to eat at McDonalds every day and neither do the birds."
Deadline Friday to reclaim Eagle season tickets
PECOS, Thurs., Aug. 21, 2003 -- Pecos Eagle 2002 season ticket holders
have until Friday to reclaim their seats for the 2002 season.
Tickets for the five originally scheduled games are $25 and are Sept
4 against Alpine; Sept. 25 versus Crane; Oct. 10 against Kermit, Oct. 24
against Monahans and Nov. 7 against Midland Greenwood. Ticket buyers also
have the option of adding the Aug. 29 game against Midland Christian, for
an additional $5. That game was not part of the original home schedule.
New season ticket holders can begin getting their tickets on Aug. 25
at the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD business office, 1302 S. Park St. For further
information, contact the business office at 447-7204.
Weather
PECOS, Thurs., Aug. 21, 2003 -- High Wednesday 103. Low this morning 73.
Forecast for tonight: Partly cloudy with isolated evening thunderstorms.
Lows in the upper 60s. Southeast winds 5 to 15 mph. Friday: Partly cloudy
with a 20 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 90s.
East winds 5 to 15 mph. Friday night: Partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance
of showers or thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 60s. Saturday: Partly cloudy
with a 20 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms. Highs near 90. Sunday:
Partly cloudy with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows in
the upper 60s. Highs in the lower 90s.
Obituary
Regino Vasquez
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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