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June 12, 1997
Trucks, cars overturned on I-40 by tornado
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LELA, (AP) June 12, 1997 - - A tornado ripped across Interstate 40 in
the eastern Texas Panhandle on Wednesday night, overturning several
vehicles and injuring at least seven people.
None of the injuries was believed serious, officials said.
Six people were admitted to a hospital in Shamrock and another to a
hospital in Pampa. After the storm hit, ambulances were summoned from
Shamrock, McLean and Wheeler.
Five or six tractor-trailer trucks and several cars were reported
overturned. The National Weather Service said a large tornado passed
over Wheeler County, about 100 miles east of Amarillo, and touched down
near the highway about 7:30 p.m.
Wheeler County sheriff's officials refused to take calls Wednesday
night, saying they were too busy. A police dispatcher in nearby Shamrock
said there were "some injuries on the highway."
A woman at Shamrock General Hospital, about five miles from Lela,
confirmed that tornado victims had arrived there.
"I'm not sure how many or the extent of the injuries," she said.
In adjacent Collinsworth County, sheriff's dispatcher Paula Chambers
said the damage in tiny Lela was serious.
"It flattened one house, it turned over several big trucks," Ms.
Chambers said. "It's a pretty bad storm."
Andy Lisle, a cashier at Midway Truck and Travel in Shamrock, said I-40
was closed in both directions.
Authorities said there were more than a dozen tornado sightings in the
eastern Panhandle on Wednesday. There were no other reports of twisters touching down.
Hearing set in ex-DA's libel action
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MONAHANS NEWS, June 12, 1997 - Attorneys for the commander of the
Permian Basin Drug
Task force seek dismissal of a libel suit against the area's top
antidrug cop by former District Attorney John Stickels.
The dismissal is sought in motions for a summary judgement in the case
filed on behalf of Tom Finley by Scott M. Tidwell, the Odessa lawyer who
represents Finley. Finley is the chief of the multi-jurisdictional
anti-drug traffic task force in the Permian Basin.
State District Judge Pat M. Baskin has scheduled June 30 for a hearing
on the summary judgment at a site still to be determined, according to
143rd District Court records in Monahans.
If the judge denies the motion for summary judgment, trial is scheduled
to begin in Monahans at the Ward County Courthouse on Aug. 18. If Baskin
grants the motion, that would effectively end litigation in the case,
pending possible appeals.
The motion for summary judgment and the setting of a hearing on that
motion was the latest maneuver in the court fight between Finley and
Stickels, who was based in Pecos and chief prosecutor in the district
that includes Ward County when he filed the libel and slander suit.
Stickels, who chose not to seek re-election and who now practices law in
Austin, filed the defamation against Finley and the Permian Basin Drug
Force last Spring. The action was based on a letter, dated May 23, 1996,
Finley wrote to Stickels.
In that letter Finley called Stickels a "failure" as a prosecutor.
The following are some excerpts from the letter signed by Finley and
delivered to Stickels:
"The undercover operation in Reeves County cost the Drug Task Force
$18,400 plus and we filed 32 criminal cases in your office. Of those,
most of the cases have already been dismissed upon your request to the
court . . .
"The undercover operation in the Monahans school system which you
requested and to which you promised financial support cost $9,495.49.
You failed again in your promises."
Tidwell argues in his motion for summary judgment in the affair that the
case should be dismissed because there is no conflict over the facts of
the case, i.e. the letter was written by Finley and the statements were
made.
Tidwell says he bases this premise on depositions from the various
parties to the suit, the letter itself and other evidence.
He argues for summary judgement by noting that it is not proper to file
a defamation suit against a government agency according to Texas state
law, no exception having been provided by the Texas legislature. Finley
and the task force are governmental bodies. Further he states that the
communication between Finley and Stickels was part of the exchange
involved in their
investigative-prosecutorial relationship and therefore privileged.
Tidwell also says the letter contains fact and opinion, protected by the United States and Texas constitutions.
Program will promote aviation
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By CARA ALLIGOOD
Staff Writer
PECOS, June 12, 1997 - On Saturday, June 21, Pecos Municipal Airport
will be the site of a special program designed to increase aviation
awareness in young people. The program will begin at 8 a.m. and continue
as long as there are participants, according to Isabelle Blanchard, who
manages the airport with her husband, Dennis.
The Young Eagles program, developed by the Experimental Aircraft
Association (EAA), is for eight to 17-year-olds, and is free of charge.
"Experimental" is a Federal Aviation Association (FAA) designated
category meaning planes which are built by individual craftsmen instead
of on a factory assembly line. However, that does not mean that aircraft
used in this program are untried
or unsafe.
"We don't want to give people the idea that the aircraft being used in
this program are experiments," said Blanchard.
Every youth who participates in the Saturday morning program will
receive a special issue of "Sport Aviation For Kids" magazine, have
their name listed in the world's largest logbook on display at the EAA
Air Adventure Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, receive information on
aviation organizations and on scholarships administered by the EAA
Aviation Foundation and more.
They will also be taken on a flight in an FAA registered airplane flown
by a licensed pilot. The flights are conducted according to federal
regulations and will not contain acrobatic or non-standard maneuvers.
Participants also will learn about airplane parts and the basic
principals of flight.
Airplane flying is safe, but the youth will be expected to listen to and
follow standard safety rules.
Young people who wish to take part in the program must obtain and read
the EAA Young Eagles flight kit and have their parents complete the
permission slip contained in the kit. Photocopies of the kit and
permission slip are acceptable. Copies of the kit will be available at
the Pecos Enterprise office, The KIUN office, the Chamber of Commerce, and at the airport.
New look given downtown
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By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, June 12, 1997 - A local club has been busy all week giving the
downtown area a new look by painting pictures of pottery and scenery on
old abandoned buildings in the area.
"We began doing this last week," said Modern Study Club member Joyce
Morton. "Somebody did us a favor by painting all of it white and we're
just filling it in with pottery and some scenery," she said.
The building the women are working on at the corner of 3rd and Oak
streets was painted white by several members of the city Youth Advisory
Committee, their sponsors and some volunteers.
"This is just great, it's something we've been wanting to do for a long
time, but we didn't have the funds to buy all that white paint," said
Morton.
City council member Gerald Tellez and city secretary Geneva Martinez are
sponsors for the youth committee. Both were on hand for the cleanup and
painting session along with city manager Kenneth Neal, Olga Tellez,
council member Ricky Herrera, Alice and Ernest Matta.
Members of the youth committee who helped with the project include
Jonathan Fuentes, Sarah and Christopher Matta, Lindsey Hathorn, David
Zuniga and Megan Joplin. Other volunteers included juveniles out of
Judge Phyllis Salyer's court who needed to do community service.
"These are some of our hardest youth workers," said Tellez.
Tellez pointed out that the project was a joint project and the paint
was donated anonymously.
"We hope others will take the initiative and come join us," said Tellez.
"The chamber is also working on some buildings in that area, they want
to paint over some of those and have an artist paint scenery on them,"
he said.
Modern Study Club members plan to paint scenery on other buildings in
downtown Pecos.
"We have to get permission from the owners first, which we've already
done with several other buildings," said club member Catherine Ashley.
The women stated that they are thrilled with the response they have
received since starting the project.
"We've had people stop and ask us about the project and stated that they
too want to get involved, but don't know where to begin," said Morton.
"We want to encourage others to help us beautify the community," said
Gretchen Luna.
Luna said she would also like to see others clean up the community and
pick up all the litter floating around.
"Especially during this time when we will have a lot of visitors," she
said.
The project is part the club's Community Improvement Project.
"We'd like to do something special with this building," Morton said
pointing out the old J.C. Penney Building.
The group has also painted a wall inside the chuckwagon building at the
museum.
"We plan to do all we can," said Morton.
Hopefully, more scenery and less graffiti will be seen in the community, thanks to all the dedicated volunteers.|
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Council gives support to juvenile department
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By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, June 12, 1997 - Funds will be donated, and transportation for
equipment provided, for juvenile probationers to perform community
service.
This decision came about this morning at the regular Town of Pecos City
Council meeting.
"I wanted to request that the city might assist in cleaning up the
graffiti in the community, by donating some funds and possibly
transportation," Juvenile Probation Officer Alberto Alvarez told the
council.
Alvarez explained that the transportation would be to transport
equipment and not the juvenile offenders.
"I wanted to request the use of a pickup, not to be given to us, but
loaned to us, to transport the equipment that we will need to cover up
the graffiti in the community," said Alvarez.
The juvenile department has a van it uses to transport juvenile
offenders.
Alvarez stated that the youths are required to do some community service
and there are some legal issues that must be adhered to, depending on
their age. The juvenile probation department deals with youths ages
10-17.
"We have the ability to support such an effort, but we don't have the
equipment and there are some community members who have had graffiti on
their property but they don't have the funds to cover this up," he said.
In painting over the graffiti, juvenile probationers will do the labor,
while the city will provide funds for the paint, brushes, gloves and
other equipment needed for this community project. The city will now
also provide a truck to transport this equipment.
The city agreed to provide $1,000 in funding for the project.
"I think we should go ahead and let the city manager speak to our
attorney about proceeding with funding for this and to see about getting
them some assistance in getting their equipment from place to place,"
said Mayor Pro-tem Danny Rodriguez.
Rodriguez told council members that this is something vital to the
community that needs to be acted upon immediately.
"We're always looking for individuals to do this type of thing in the
community and here it is staring us in the face, let's help them out
immediately," he said.
Alvarez updated the council on juvenile probation business.
"Since the last time I was here, things have really improved," said
Alvarez.
The number of juvenile offenders has really gone down, according to
Alvarez.
"I don't know if this is because school is out and the juveniles have
less stress in their lives or what," said Alvarez.
In other council business, several members brought up the issue of
traffic problems increasing around baseball fields and on 13th Street
during summer months.
Police Chief Troy Moore said these problems will be looked at closely
and solutions will be presented to the council.
"We start by posting speed signs and possibly patrolling the areas more
closely," said Moore.
"There's a lot of little league games and softball and T-ball games out
at the fields right now, where there are a lot of small children," said
council member Johnny Terrazas.
Terrazas stated that some motorists don't take this into consideration
and just speed through these areas, putting young children in danger.
"Thankfully nothing has happened, but we don't want to wait until it
does," he said.
Moore stated that he and his department would come up with a reasonable
solution.
Van Zandt Paving, Inc. was awarded the bid for seal coat at this
morning's meeting.
The city is planning seal coating several streets before the fourth of
July holiday.
Other bidders included, Ronald G. Wagner and Company, Inc., of Spring
Branch and Jones Brothers of Odessa.
"They (Van Zandt) have done some work for the city before and they are
really good at what they do," said contract engineer for the city Frank
Spencer.
Spencer recommended the company, who had the lowest bid, $60,650. Ronald
R. Wagner and Co. bid, $63,366 and Jones Bros., $67,892.
"They want to start work immediately and I told them that if the council
approved this we could proceed," said Spencer.
"If they can complete the work before July 4 that's great, but we did
tell them we didn't want them doing it during that week," said Spencer.
The city has already been preparing the streets that will be seal coated
during that time.
The deadline for the company to finish the project has been set for July
14 and Spencer had the paperwork ready for the company to proceed with
the project pending the council's approval.
A bid for landfill equipment was not accepted. The council decided to
keep the equipment which Health and Sanitation Director Armando Gil said
will be needed to close the landfill.
Gil stated that after the landfill has been properly closed, which will
take about a year, the equipment can then be sold.
The city will purchase a John Deere tractor for use in city parks and on
other city property. Texas Equipment made the only bid to sell the
tractor at $8,028.
"Money has been budgeted for this tractor," said Gil.
Twenty-two winners in Enterprise drawing
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PECOS, June 12, 1997 - Twenty two area residents and their friends won
tickets this week in a Pecos Enterprise drawing to be part of Reeves
County Community Night at Christensen Stadium in Midland for the Midland
Angels vs San Antonio baseball game June 14.
The Saturday, June 14, game is also Angels Jersey Night. You must have a
ticket to enter the drawing for an Angels jersey.
The Pecos Chamber of Commerce had hoped to take chartered buses to the
game but not enough people signed up to ride the buses to the game and
that idea was canceled according to a chamber spokesperson. Last year
one of the buses had to be canceled and the chamber lost money. At least
200 people were needed to ride the buses to make it economically
feasible for the chamber to
sponsor the trip.
The winners of the Pecos Enterprise drawing held at 5 p.m. Tuesday were:
Alfredo Villarael
Betty Garcia
Nina Young
Barbara Florez
Dallas Jarrett
Marian Clark
Michael Lee
Roxanne Diaz
Kathy Hurley
Ray and Janet Martinez
Regina Gallego
James Roy Ybarra
Nancy Ontiveros
Octavio Garcia
Brenda Smith
Katie Lee
Ramiro Nunez
Becky Vasquez
Wallace Perkins
Steve Balog
David Young
Macario Florez
Ticket winners must pick up their tickets at the Pecos Enterprise
office, 324 S. Cedar St., by 6p.m. tomorrow, June 13. For more information call 445-5475.
Investigation of teen shooting hampered
Military "circling the wagons"
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DALLAS (AP) - State officials investigating the shooting of a teen-ager
by a Marine along the Texas border say the military has denied them
access to personnel and other records.
"For lack of a better term, it sounds like they're circling the wagons,"
James Jepson, a Presidio County prosecutor, told The Dallas Morning News
for today's editions.
Ezequiel Hernandez Jr., 18, a high school student from the border town
of Redford, was killed May 20 when he came upon four Marines
participating in a Joint Task Force 6 mission to watch suspected drug
routes.
The Marines said Hernandez, who was tending goats, opened fire on him,
and they returned fire only in self defense. State authorities say that
account doesn't match findings from their investigation so far.
Maj. Lenny Ryan, spokesman for Camp Pendleton, Calif., where the Marines
are based, denied that the Marines have been less than fully
cooperative.
"The Marines responded to the questioning by civilian law authorities
without waiting for legal representation," he said. "Our attitude is
we've cooperated 100 percent."
The Marine who killed Hernandez was identified as Cpl. Clemente
Banuelos.
Jepson said the evidence so far conflicts with the Marine's explanation
that the troops were in "imminent danger."
"Preliminary evidence shows the young man was probably not pointing his
weapon at the Marines when he was killed," Jepson said.
The fatal shot was estimated to have been fired from 230 yards.
Typically, shots fired in self-defense by law enforcement officials come
at much closer range, usually closer than 10 yards, several authorities
told the newspaper.
Investigators also want to know why the Marines followed the boy more
than 700 feet after he fired the first shots.
Jepson said the military's apparent lack of cooperation might force
prosecutors to issue subpoenas for witnesses or records.
Texas Rangers Capt. Barry Caver and other investigators said the
military made the four-man Marines available for initial questioning,
but they were quickly whisked back to Camp Pendleton before authorities
could conduct a re-enactment of the shooting.
"They shipped them back to California and we weren't through with them,"
Caver said. "Now they're trying to avoid us, is what it appears like to
me. I don't know what it's going to take on our part to get them to
cooperate a little bit better."
Jepson said prosecutors are not ready to pursue indictments, but they
have plenty of unanswered questions.
"Our biggest problem is the preliminary statements given that night to
the sheriff's department and to the Rangers the next day are not
consistent with what we've found at the scene," Jepson said. "It just doesn't match up."
OBITUARIES
Georgia Daniel
PECOS, June 12, 1997 - Georgia Daniel, 91, died Tuesday, June 10 at the
Pecos Nursing Home.
Services are scheduled for 11 a.m. on Friday, June 13 at the First
Presbyterian Church with Bob
Sebesta officiating. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery.
She was born July 7, 1905 in Lewisville, Ark., was a retired postmaster,
a lifetime Pecos resident
and a member of the First Presbyterian Church .
Survivors include one sister, Mary Daniel McElroy of Balmorhea.
Simon Jaquez
PECOS, June 12, 1997 - Simon Jaquez, 63, died Tuesday, June 10 at
Medical Center Hospital in Odessa.
A rosary is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Pecos Funeral Home
Chapel.
Mass will be held at 2 p.m., Friday at Santa Rosa Catholic Church with
burial at Mount Evergreen Cemetery.
He was born Oct. 28, 1933 in Toyahvale, was a retired test track driver,
Army veteran and a Catholic.
Survivors include his wife, Josefa Jaquez of Pecos; six sons, Ricky and
Randy Jaquez of Phoenix, Ariz., Jaime Jimenez of Phoenix, Ariz., Roy
Jaquez of Gallup, N.M., Robert M. Jaquez of Carlsbad, N.M., Simon
Jaquez, Jr. of Pecos; two daughters, Brenda Dominguez and Belma Gomez of
Pecos; his mother, Antonia Jaquez of Pecos; four brothers, Severo Jr.,
Greg, Fred, Lazaro Jaquez of Pecos; five sisters, Eduarda (Lala) Roman
and Elvira Valdez of Pecos, Inez
Hinojos of Midland, Nati Flores of Van Nuys, Calif., Josie Elliott of
Culber City, Calif.; 13 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Pecos Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
WEATHER
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PECOS, June 12, 1997 - High Wednesday, 102, low this morning, 61.
Moisture yesterday, .07 of an inch, moisture for the month to date, .07
of and inch and moisture for the year to date, 3.62. Skies were clear to
partly cloudy across the region this morning. All showers and
thunderstorms dissipated or moved east of the region. Temperatures were
mostly in the 60s and lower 70s with
the exception of a few upper 50s in the mountains. Winds were variable,
but mainly from the south to southwest at 5 to 15 mph. A slight chance
of showers and thunderstorms are expected over the low rolling plains.
Highs Friday will be in the 80s toward the mountains, except along the
Rio Grande, where temperatures could reach 105.|
Pecos Enterprise
Mac McKinnon, 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@bitstreet.com
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. Neither these AP Materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing.
Copyright 1997 by Pecos Enterprise
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