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TOP STORIES
July 23, 1997
Unemployment rate rises in both state and area
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Staff and wire reports
July 23, 1997 - Unemployment in Texas rose a full percentage point in
June, the first rise since January. While Pecos unemployment increased
for the same period, the rate of increase was slightly behind the state
rate at 0.9 percent.
The Texas Workforce Commission on Tuesday announced June's unemployment
rate at 6.1 percent, 1 point above May's rate of 5.1 percent. The
unemployment rate in Pecos remains at almost double the state rate at
11.1 percent in June compared to 10.2 percent in May.
The agency said summer job seekers entering the market sparked the
expected increase in unemployment.
Fewer jobs in state government, retail and service sectors also
contributed to the increase, according to the commission.
June's state rate was lower than the 6.4 percent rate at the same time
last year. The June 1996 Pecos unemployment rate was 12.7 percent.
Bryan-College Station had the state's lowest unemployment rate, at 2.6
percent, half a percentage point above the 2.1 percent rate in May.
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission recorded the highest rate at 18.5 percent. That
was 2.6 points higher than the 15.9 percent rate posted in May.
Rates of unemployment in the urban areas of Texas as announced by the
Workforce Commission for June, compared with revised May figures (in
parentheses) were:
Abilene 4.7 (4.2)
Amarillo 4.5 (3.8)
Austin-San Marcos 3.5 (2.9)
Beaumont-Port Arthur 9.2 (7.8)
Brazoria 8.8 (7.2)
Brownsville-Harlingen 14.2 (11.9)
Bryan-College Station 2.6 (2.1)
Corpus Christi 9.0 (7.6)
Dallas 4.3 (3.6)
El Paso 12.0 (10.8)
Fort Worth-Arlington 4.2 (3.5)
Galveston-Texas City 9.2 (7.8)
Houston 5.9 (5.0)
Killeen-Temple 5.9 (4.8)
Laredo 11.9 (9.8)
Longview-Marshall 8.6 (7.0)
Lubbock 5.4 (3.7)
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission 18.5 (15.9)
Monahans 7.4 (6.8)
Odessa-Midland 6.3 (5.2)
Pecos 11.1 (10.2)
San Angelo 4.1 (3.4)
San Antonio 5.0 (3.8)
Sherman-Denison 5.5 (4.6)
Texarkana 8.3 (7.3)
Tyler 6.3 (5.3)
Victoria 6.1 (5.1)
Waco 5.5 (4.4)
Wichita Falls 5.0 (4.0)
First Pecos group naturalization
ceremony held this morning
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By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
PECOS, July 23, 1997 - Guadalupe Chavez is "just a child," said Senior
U.S. District Judge Lucius Bunton this morning as he presided for her
naturalization as a citizen of the United States, along with 65 others
from six countries.
"She is 10 years younger than I am," said the judge, who has passed his
70th birthday.
Perla Corina Leyva Lujan, 19, was the youngest applicant.
Chavez and Lujan are among 61 persons from Mexico who pledged allegiance
to the United States at the close of this morning's ceremony, the first
group naturalization to be held in the Pecos Division.
Others were from India, England, Peru, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Judge Bunton said the group has local teacher David Reyes to thank for
the ceremony and for teaching many of the applicants.
"I am excited," said Reyes before the ceremony. He has taught
citizenship classes in Pecos and Odessa for about 10 years, averaging 60
students a year.
Lindley Workman sang the "Star Spangled Banner," following the opening
prayer by Rev. Antonio Mena.
Pete Gallego of Alpine, who represents seven of the 10 counties in the
Pecos Division, welcomed the new citizens and challenged them to become
active in their new government.
"This is the greatest nation on the face of the earth," he said.
"Looking back behind the greatest nation we are a nation of immigrants,"
he said. "No one in this room today who can claim he was here
originally. Each of us can trace our families and our roots to somewhere
else. You are now going to add your story to that patchwork quilt we
call the United States of America.
He urged the nation's newest citizens to accept a voter registration
card from local Democratic County Chairman Bobby Dean and register to
vote.
"The greatest nation on earth has the lowest voter turnout," he said.
Very few people decide the fate of this nation."
Judge Bunton led the pledge of allegiance to the U.S. flag, then each
new citizen received his or her certificate from the Immigration and
Naturalization Service, a U.S. flag from the Sons of the American
Revolution and a lapel pin from Daughters of the American Revolution.
A second ceremony was scheduled for 2 p.m.
Council looks at 3rd Street sewer problems
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By SHANNON BRYER
Staff Writer
PECOS, July 23, 1997 - During the Town of Pecos City Council meeting
last night, Mayor Pro-Tem Danny Rodriguez, Councilman Ricky Herrera, and
Frank X. Spencer and Associates reported on their meeting with the Texas
Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC).
There were three objectives in meeting with the TNRCC. The city wanted
approval of utilization of unauthorized ponds at the waste-water plant,
approval of its preliminary plan, and the lifting of the agreed order.
The first two objectives were accomplished.
"The TNRCC seemed pleased with our work, study and evaluations, but they
can't lift the order until we start construction to mitigate the inflow
and infiltration problem," Herrera said.
"We believe that the city needs to start work on 3rd St., replacing
sewer lines and manholes. Also budgeting for this problem needs to be on
the next council meeting agenda," Spencer said.
In other business, the council approved monthly reports of the municipal
court, the tax collector, the ambulance, and the financial statement and
discussed C.P.A. Dan Painter's quarterly report.
The council appointed Ron Garcia as an alternate to the planning and
zoning commission. Tax Assessor Collector Lydia Prieto was appointed to
calculate the effective and rollback tax rate.
The three ordinances on their second reading yesterday were all
approved, one for repair and maintenance of curbs in city limits, one
for stop signs to be placed at the intersection of 13th and Locust
streets and the third for the speed limit to be set at 20 miles per hour
within Maxey Park and all perimeter streets adjacent to Maxey Park.
The next council meeting will be August 14.
PBT board anounces new high
school principal, dress code
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By CARA ALLIGOOD
Staff Writer
PECOS, July 23, 1997 - After an executive session which lasted nearly
five hours, the open session part of last night's special meeting of the
Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD Board of Education lasted all of three minutes.
Two major decisions were announced and there was no public comment at
the public hearings for the Title-I and Title-VI programs.
The board announced that the district has hired Danny Rodriguez as the
new principal of Pecos High School at an annual salary of $59,000. The
newest school board trustee, Freddy Lujan, made the motion to hire
Rodriguez, which was seconded by the board's vice president, Alberto
Alvarez. Voting for the motion were Lujan, Alvarez, school board
President Frank Perea and Trustee Earl Bates; voting against the motion
were Trustee Steve Armstrong, Secretary Daisy Roquemore and Trustee
Linda Gholson.
Rodriguez has been serving the district as principal of Crockett Middle
School, so now the board will need to find a new principal to replace
him at the eighth-grade campus. No announcement of when that search will
begin has been made yet.
"We may advertise for applicants for the position, or we may move
someone over to Crockett who is already a principal at another campus,"
said Perea. "We haven't had time to make that decision yet."
Gholson went on to say, "I will support Danny, but not the salary. I
think we need to work on all the salaries at the same time."
The long-awaited decision on a dress code for the school district was
also made last night. The newly-revised dress code, which appears at the
end of this article, was approved by the school board last night,
subject to approval by the board's attorney.
There was no professional personnel action on the agenda.
There was also no public comment made in public hearings for the school
district's Title-I and Title-VI programs.
Title I is the federal program which funds the CAI (Computer Aided
Instruction) labs at Pecos, Bessie Haynes and Lamar elementary schools.
The program also pays the salaries of the teachers aids for those labs
and part of the counselors' salaries, according to Cookie Canon, the
district's business manager.
Canon explained that the Title-VI program funds are spent on campus
improvement projects, and on Excel Math and classroom phonics programs
in the elementary schools and on whatever programs will help to raise
TAAS (Texas Assessment of Academic Skills) test scores at the secondary
level.
"The funds for both programs are split up on a per student basis," Canon said.
Pecos-Barstow-Toyah school district Dress Policy
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To help maintain the right atmosphere at school, students must present a
personal appearance that reflects the purpose for which school exists.
The following rules and regulations shall be enforced:
1. All students must wear shoes.
2. Students may not wear cut-off pants, swimsuits, or clothing that has
been altered in any way (no ragged-out jeans or shirts or clothing that
is torn or has holes which may be suggestive).
3. All pants, jeans, shorts, skirts must be worn at natural waistline.
4. Students may wear clothing with language or pictures in the classroom
that has been approved. Clothing and shoes with manufacturer's logo,
Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD insignias, university and pro sports teams
logos, local recreational team logos with no reference to alcohol and
tobacco products and cartoon characters.
5. Earrings are permitted, but jewelry may not be worn in any pierced
area of the body except the ear.
6. Students may not wear sun glasses or colored glasses that obscure the
eyes and interfere with the ability to make eye-to-eye contact. They are
permitted only as a medical requirement verified by a medical provider's
written statement.
7. T-shirts of underwear type, tank tops and muscle shirts are not
allowed.
8. Students are not allowed to wear see-through clothing.
9. Students are not allowed to wear tops that are too tight, show the
midriff or are extremely low cut front, back or sides.
10. Sundresses must have straps that are at least 1 1/2 inches wide.
11. Form fitting pants and tights of soft knit, spandex or lycra type
materials are not acceptable unless worn under a dress, skirt or
covering which extends to mid-thigh. Allowed in K-3.
12. Mustaches must be neatly trimmed. Any type of chin hair is not
allowed; the student may be asked to go home to shave or be asked to
shave at school with razor and shaving cream provided by the school.
13. Shirts may be worn untucked as long as no part of the shirt extends
past the fingertips when arms are extended down the sides of the body.
Shirts may not be worn if any of the midriff area of the body shows when
arms are raised above the head.
14. Shorts can be no shorter than the tips of the fingers when arms are
extended down the sides of the body.
15. Skirts and dresses can be worn no shorter than three inches above
the top of the knee cap. A 3 x 5 note card will be used to measure.
Measurement will be done by a female employee.
16. Hats and caps will be confiscated for six weeks if worn inside the
building unless worn for medical purposes.
17. No black fingernail polish, lipstick or lip liner may be worn.
18. Grooming paraphernalia will be confiscated for six weeks if used in
the classroom.
In some cases where pupil behavior, dress and/or grooming fail to meet
the standards as stated, the school administrator has the responsibility
to request the student to correct the element involved. Cooperation on
the part of the pupil is a must; but if the pupil does not wish to
cooperate, the administrator may send the pupil home and absences will
be unexcused until cooperation is achieved. Placement at the Alternative
School for discipline would be for the student's repeated failure to
cooperate. Students sent to the AEP for discipline will follow the dress
code of that program. If a student is sent home for refusing to comply
with the dress code, absences will be unexcused while the student is
gone from school.
Special dress requirements may be imposed for activities that require a
uniform dress pattern. These activities include athletics, band and
other musical groups and/or special teams. Aside from these school
sanctioned groups, students should not wear clothing or colors that
associate them with groups that are not school sanctioned. In addition,
where dress and attire are deemed a factor in safety and accident
prevention, such as shop classes, labs and activity classes, additional
requirements may be imposed by the teacher or director of such activities.|
Street gets cleared, with a
little help from his friends
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By SHANNON BRYER
Staff Writer
PECOS, July 23, 1997 - Arnie Calderon has cleared off the right-of-way
between the Primera Iglesia Bautista church and his house on 8th and
Sycamore, in keeping with city ordinances stating that individuals
cannot block city streets with personal property.
Church members took the issue to the city council meetings on June 26
and July 10 in order to have the dead-end street next to their building
cleared of Calderon's trailers, car, animal pen, pipes and other items
so they could park on the west side of the street. The council elected
to have the city inspector survey the area and let Calderon know that
the street must be cleared.
Since Calderon and his wife are disabled, clearing the street took
considerable effort. "I'm 74 years old, and I'm not supposed to lift
over 25 pounds. I don't have $1000 to hire someone else to do it," said
Calderon.
"We are having so many problems it's mind-boggling. My wife is very ill.
She has to be taken to El Paso periodically for ruptured discs in her
back. She has to take cortisone treatments, and I have to be with her
for 12 hours following the treatments," Calderon said.
"The issue was tabled at the June 26 meeting so that the two parties
could settle their differences together, without council involvement. I
talked to their minister and he said that I should go ahead and take
care of my wife, that there was nothing to worry about. Two days later,
he and his group went to the city council," Calderon said.
Cleaning was finished up Tuesday by Calderon's brother, Sal Calderon, of
Newport Beach, California, and his friend, Greg Luna, while Calderon and
his wife Edith were at the doctor.
"Somebody had to volunteer to come and do it. Arnie and Edith are both
disabled and couldn't," Sal Calderon said.
"When Greg told me that there was a complaint from a Christian church, I
adjusted my business traveling schedule so that I could help him diffuse
this horribly out-of-control situation," Sal Calderon said.
Calderon said that he has gotten prank calls every night since the issue
erupted and someone stuck an ice pick in one of his tires. "People come
by and ask me, 'When's the hanging?'" Calderon said.
Calderon and his wife, Edith, wonder if the sudden action by the church
was a result of political differences. The Calderons believe that
someone in the church lost a local election, and blames Arnie Calderon
for the loss. They consider the way this matter was handled to be a
political repercussion.
Minister Paul Garcia of the Primera Iglesia Bautista does not care to make a public comment.
Scratchman gets s cratched from lottery ads
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SAN ANTONIO (AP) July 23, 1997 - The Texas Lottery has scratched
"Scratchman," the superhero-like character used since 1994 in instant
lottery commercials, after complaints that the caped pitchman appealed
too much to youngsters.
"Scratchman is flying off into the sunset," Austin-based lottery
spokeswoman Leticia Vasquez told the San Antonio Express-News. "He's
scratched."
The advertising campaign for scratch-off tickets began in January 1994.
It was only this year that House Appropriations Committee Chairman
Robert Junell, D-San Angelo, likened the masked character in red tights
to Joe Camel, the hip cartoon animal used by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.
to sell cigarettes.
"I think the same correlation can be made between Joe Camel and enticing
young people to smoke as can be made with Scratchman unduly influencing
young kids to become gamblers," Junell said.
Junell's committee, in a unanimous vote, ordered the Texas Lottery
Commission to spend less money on advertising. Committee members were
particularly critical of Scratchman.
Members of the pro-Scratchman faction said that while the character
might catch a child's eye, that wasn't their motivation. Lottery players
must be 18 or older.
"It was never intended to appeal to kids," said Scratchman creator Tom
Gilmore of Austin-based GSD&M ad agency. "He was just kind of a goofy,
odd-ball Dudley Dooright, a klutzy buffoon."
Actor Bill Jenkins was midway through his fourth year as the Anglo
version of Scratchman. Juan Cedillo played the Spanish-speaking version. Jenkins found the controversy amusing.
Forgery, burlary indictments
passed down by county grand jury
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By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
PECOS, July 23, 1997 - Six persons were indicted Tuesday by the Reeves
County Grand Jury, including one defendant who is charged with five
counts of forgery.
Nepunuseno Hidalgo, 25, allegedly passed five checks on another person's
account without their permission. His bail is $5,000 on each count.
Gilbert Rayos Ortega, 26, is charged with one count of forgery and one
count of burglary of a habitation. His bail is $5,000 and $15,000.
Javier Torres Florez, 30, is charged with burglary of a habitation. His
bail is $15,000.
Jeremy Lara Munoz, 17, Jacob Chavez, 17, and Paul Marquez Abila, 18, are charged with burglary of a building. Their bail is $15,000 each.
Parental permission challenged
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AUSTIN (AP) - A state requirement for children to have parental consent
before getting taxpayer-financed prescription drugs - including birth
control pills - is being challenged in court by Planned Parenthood.
The provision was put into the state's 800-page, two-year budget by Sen.
Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, who says it's good public policy.
Clinic workers say the provision violates teen-agers' right to
confidential medical treatment; illegally restricts use of federal
money; and violates the Texas Constitution because the state is not
supposed to legislate through the budget measure.
"The real people that are going to be impacted are the minors in this
state relying on these services for family planning," said Margo Clarke
of Planned Parenthood of Austin.
Ogden said he believes the provision will survive the lawsuit, which was
filed by Planned Parenthood's Houston office Monday in state district court in Austin.
OBITUARY
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Gloria Gamboa Salcido
ODESSA, July 23, 1997 - Gloria Gamboa Salcido, 50, of Odessa, died
Sunday, July 20, 1997, at the Medical Center Hospital in Odessa.
A prayer service will be at 7:30 p.m. today. Rosary will be at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, July 24. Mass will be noon Friday, July 25, at Holy Redeemer
Catholic Church with Father Chavez officiating. Burial will be in
Rosehill Cemetery.
Salcido was born Nov. 7, 1947 in Barstow.
Survivors include: her husband, Rogelio "Roy" Salcido of Odessa; two
sons, Frank Rogelio "Boss" Salcido of Odessa and Zebadiah "Jaucee"
Salcido of Austin; one daughter, Denise "Ann" Salcido of Odessa; one
sister, Rosa Hinojos of Odessa; two brothers, Carlos and Cruz Gamboa of Odessa; and two grandsons.
WEATHER
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PECOS, July 23, 1997 - High Tuesday, 95, low this morning, 71. Widely
scattered showers and thunderstorms will do little to help Texans deal
with the heat tonight and Thursday. There is a chance of isolated to
widely scattered showers and thunderstorms around most of the state. But
the greater chance is that most areas won't get any significant
precipitation. In West Texas the showers and thunderstorms will continue
on Thursday mainly in extreme western areas. It will be partly cloudy.
Lows tonight will be in the 60s and 70s, highs Thursday will be in the
90s across most of West Texas, ranging from the 80s in the mountains to
near 102 in the Big Bend area. A few showers dampened portions of the
Trans-Pecos before dawn today, but skies were mostly clear to partly
cloudy. |
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